Kite goes Exploring, Trip Reports

[Kite159]

8th – 10th April & 12th April Trips

8th April – Rural Lancashire on the Leeds & Liverpool

Today was another trip towards the North West to continue my coverage of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, having multiple options in terms of which part to head to (Rufford Branch, Burscough – Maghull or a mixed walk in Rishton), in the end keeping an eye on not wanting to be too late I decided on the section from Burscough towards Maghull, joining up with coverage from August 2023.

The day began with 159017 & 159006 to take me towards Waterloo, where after a gentle stroll towards Euston it was onto 390001 on the 07:30 to Glasgow, getting a seat in coach C which had 2 other passengers. The train picked up a few more passengers at Warrington and I alighted at Wigan North Western, passing the revenue block in the subway and the recently installed ticket gates. I reached Wigan Wallgate and headed to the platform for the next Southport service, noticing a 2-coach unit heading to Manchester already looking rather cosy. 156401 & 150129 took me to Burscough Bridge where my walk began (after detouring via the Tesco to grab supplies for lunch).

150129 departing Burscough Bridge by Kite, on Flickr

I picked up the canal near the wharf, turning west passing many moored boats and the Burscough urban area before that gave way to some industrial units near New Lane (I can't remember if I rode along this section of canal back in 2015 when I visited New Lane station, or if I stuck to the road). After New Lane the towpath turned more rural as the canal headed into the countryside, skirting round Heaton's Bridge, passing a static caravan park before going underneath the A570 near Pinfold with a modern marina.

The walk continued now heading in a south western direction, passing near to Halsall (and into a cutting) with some lovely countryside views before the canal reached Downholland & Downholland Cross, where I decided to pause for some lunch on a handy bench in the shade. A section where the towpath was a bit dodgy in places (narrow and uneven due to erosion) before the countryside gave way to urban landscapes in Lydiate, which merged into Maghull. I had a little detour towards Morrisons in Maghull to grab some supplies (mainly more drink as it was quite hot today and I had managed to nearly finish my big bottle of water).

Leeds & Liverpool Canal between New Lane & Heaton's Bridge (19) by Kite, on Flickr

After my visit to Morrisons, I returned to the canal for the final section heading towards a footbridge near Kennessee Green and headed towards Maghull station. An enjoyable walk in the countryside, the towpath reasonably busy at times with dogwalkers and people out enjoying the sunshine. Dud 777013 took me to Liverpool Central where I somehow made a +1 connection onto winner 777034 on a busy Chester train to take me towards Chester where I relaxed for 30 minutes before boarding a lightly loaded 805007 with 805003 attached to the rear from Holyhead for the run towards Euston, losing time at Crewe due to waiting for a Glasgow fast to head north before departing.

At Euston, I headed towards the Northern line platforms, jumping on the first available southbound train, formed of 51580 & 51579 (which as a bonus was a set I wanted for a mile) to Tottenham Court Road, transferring to the Elizabeth line with 345035 to Paddington. At Paddington I met up with my good friend Dan before heading to board a Bristol Parkway service formed of 387145, 387170 & 387152 for the fast run towards Reading, where I had booked a night in the Ibis close to the station. The rest of the evening was spent catching up and relaxing.

37175 at Chester by Kite, on Flickr

9th April – Flirting in South Wales

After a reasonable night sleep in the Ibis, myself & Dan left the hotel heading towards Reading station, catching 387147 & 387153 on the Cardiff train for some high speed electrostar running. Once at the Welsh capital we popped out of the station to buy the Valley Day tickets and to grab some supplies, coming back against a massive flow of customers from the Swansea direction (seems there was some sort of sporting event on today). Today was to give Dan some experiences with the Welsh Flirts so first up was 231001 on a Bargoed service taken to Bargoed, remaining on board back towards Queen Street. First time I’ve called at Gilfach Fargoed for what felt like ages on the southbound train.

At Cardiff Queen Street it was a short wait before winner 756103 took us towards Trefforest and a 5-minute connection into winner 756109 heading back towards Cardiff, where we had a brief break for some lunch before taking winner 756108 towards Pontypridd, the original idea was to take this towards Llwynypia to intercept another winner coming back from Treherbert but there was a set swap at Cardiff with that unit heading towards Merthyr Tydfil instead.

756108 at Pontypridd by Kite, on Flickr

After a short wait at Pontypridd, we took 756101 one stop to Abercynon for the cross platform change onto winner 756117 to take us back towards Cardiff Queen Street, where we changed onto 150231 for the run to Penarth (because it could be the last time I have a 150 at Penarth considering those services are meant to be switching over to 3 coach 756s at some point). We remained on the same unit back to Cardiff Central, where I popped out of the station to grab supplies for dinner from Boots (noticing the crowd control barriers making an appearance).

Back at the station, and it was onto a short formed GWR service for Portsmouth Harbour with 158768 running solo, and needless to say it departed Cardiff Central rather cosy and it only got worse as the journey continued, picking up & dropping off a good number of passengers at most of the stations, only emptying out at Warminster to such a degree there was nobody standing. Still 2 coaches is better than 0 coaches. At Salisbury I popped out of the station to visit the supermarket to grab some supplies for the week ahead before taking 159004 & 159021 to Grateley with Dan remaining on board towards Clapham as he made his way back towards Medway.

150231 at Penarth by Kite, on Flickr

An enjoyable social day in South Wales, I do like those Welsh Flirts, a large step up from the 150s.

10th April – Return to the Grand Union Canal

I completed the mainline route of the Grand Union canal last year, leaving just the long Leicester arm to walk, having made a start with it last August walking from Crick towards the junction a couple miles away from Long Buckby, with the future walks at the time put on hold due to the towpath being closed in a few places. I decided today was the day I would resume my exploring of this rural canal, putting the Leeds & Liverpool on a temporary hold. The bus to Welford from Northampton is quite limited with the ideal timed bus only running 3 days a week (the other 2 days it forms a Welford – Market Harborough service).

The day started with 158882, 159008 & 159108 on a train to Waterloo, nice fast run after Basingstoke. Once in London I did my usual stroll towards Euston via Waterloo Bridge, just to waste some time before taking a Birmingham New Street service formed of 350263 & 350247 (this was the day LNR allocations started appearing on RTT so I knew this would be a pair of 2s, so I knew I wanted to get there early to grab a seat in the former 1st class area for that bit of extra comfort. These units took me to Northampton where I left the station making my way towards the bus station via a shop for some supplies for lunch.

66569 passing Northampton Station by Kite, on Flickr

It was onto the 11:05 departure of the route 60 bus (fleet 28628) towards Welford, departing Northampton with 3 other passengers on board, all had departed the bus by Brixworth. A nice rural bus service serving villages like Spratton, Hollowell & Guilsborough before terminating in Welford, a village on the boundary between Northamptonshire & Leicestershire. A short walk from the bus stop towards Welford Wharf (via the Welford Pocket Park and Postman Pat), I visited the toilets before starting the main part of my walk.

The first section was near the marina and a small loop of a mooring area due to the loss of a footbridge over the entrance, but soon the canal turned very rural with the towpath being a mix of dried mud & grass with some beautiful views of countryside & woodland, the only sound being the wind and the occasional farm animal. The short Welford arm came to an end at Welford junction where it met up with the main Leicester branch (this arm was only built to access some reservoirs to feed the canal). I turned north on the Leicester arm to make my way towards North Kilworth wharf, coming close to the route of the old Rugby - Market Harborough railway line a couple of times.

Grand Union Canal (Leicester Line) between Welford Junction & Elkington (61) by Kite, on Flickr

At North Kilworth I did a U-turn to head back towards the junction to continue south, deciding to do this short section because there is a bus at North Kilworth from Market Harborough I'm planning to use for the next section towards Foxton (and the Market Harborough arm). The peaceful countryside was nice, with the towpath being quiet with the occasional boat moored up on this beautiful day. This section of the canal is very curvy and doesn't really pass anywhere so it did feel very isolated. My walk continued going underneath the A14 passing a glamping site towards the small settlement of Elkington. The canal continued its curvy route in the countryside heading close to Yelvertoft before the final section towards Crick (home of an annual boat show), joining up with my coverage from last year with the A428 bridge.

A fast walk along the road took me to the bus stop, making it with a few minutes to spare before the route 96 service bound for Northampton rolled in (with bus 36481) for the short ride towards Long Buckby (via West Haddon & Watford), where I had another short walk along Station Road to reach the station. In theory I could have continued on with the bus to Northampton but the connection between bus & train was quite tight and I know Northampton traffic can be quite bad. 350107 & 350376 rolled in on the next London train to take me towards Watford Junction, I was going to stay on all the way to Euston but I noticed the next Overground service was due to use platform 1 at Watford Junction, which is one platform I wanted (leaves just platform 4 to clear all 4 DC platforms at Watford Junction). So, it was onto 710269 to take me to Harrow & Wealdstone, crossing over to platform 6 onto 350117 & 350115 on a busy train from Tring for the nonstop run to Euston.

710269 at Watford Junction by Kite, on Flickr

I headed to the underground, jumping on the first available southbound train formed of 51674 & 51673, and like with Tuesday it was a bonus of being a sub mile pair, to Waterloo where after grabbing dinner it was to 159009 on the 19:50 service for Salisbury, a train which got extremely busy on departure, emptying out at Basingstoke (that 30 minute gap in fast Basingstoke trains doesn’t help, if only the XX:35 trains called at Basingstoke all day long rather than just in the peaks). Anyhow it was an enjoyable walk in the countryside, topping up my tan, listening to the birds etc. Certainly, a walk not to do during winter as I suspect the towpath would get muddy in places as it was very rural.

11th April - The Thames Meanderer Tour

When this tour went on sale, it looked appealing, even to the point of taking a day of annual leave to do it (helped by currently being on lates, had it been earlies then it would likely be a different story). The day began with the 05:59 service from Grateley to Waterloo with 159017 & 158887 on a lightly loaded service. Once in Waterloo, I had a gentle stroll towards Liverpool Street going via London Bridge (the bridge that is, rather than the station), walking through the city of London when it’s quiet is a strange feeling considering what it would be like at 8am on a weekday.

Anyhow I arrived at Liverpool Street, swinging via a supermarket for some supplies, and took up a seat waiting for the charter to arrive from the Peterborough direction. 57310 arrived first with the collection of Mk2 coaches from Eastern Rail Services and winner 66753 on the rear. The train departed from Liverpool Street heading towards Stratford, before heading towards Barking and Rainham. After Tilbury Town it took the new track leading into the Tilbury 2 container terminal, doing a couple of the lines within the terminal before heading back out towards West Thurrock Junction (just beyond Grays) where it reversed.

57310 at London Liverpool Street by Kite, on Flickr

The 66 hauled the train back towards Tilbury, staying on the passenger network heading towards Pitsea & Southend Central, where it went into bay platform 4 (after a pathing stop in the centre platform at Leigh on Sea). We had around an hour for a lunch break, time I used to visit a couple of places within Southend on this warm Saturday, before returning to the train with the 57 taking the train back towards Leigh on Sea for another reversal with the 66 leading the train all the way to Shoeburyness. Sadly, not enough time at this terminus to allow people out for photos considering C2C runs 6tph to Shoeburyness on Saturdays.

Departure from Shoeburyness and it was a bit of a slow potter behind a service train towards Barking (via Basildon) before taking the flyover and connection onto the Great Eastern to reverse at Stratford (and a set-down for anybody wanting an early finish). After Stratford the train had some decent speed with the run towards Shenfield, taking the dive-under to head towards Southend Victoria for a short break before returning back towards London Liverpool Street.

66753 at Southend Victoria Station by Kite, on Flickr

In theory I could have stayed on for the run towards Potters Bar with the 66 getting swapped over at Ferne Park, but the lack of sleep from the night before was catching up with me so I bailed for an earlier finish. I strolled towards Waterloo (this time going via Blackfriars bridge to mix things up a bit) and boarded the 19:50 service for Salisbury formed of 159021 which got very busy on departure and only got worse at Clapham Junction. The 30-minute gap in fast Basingstoke services doesn’t help, if only the XX:35 trains towards Winchester called at both Clapham & Basingstoke, it would resolve some of the overcrowding issues.

Anyhow I got back to Grateley in the light rain, and headed home to rest for the remainder of the evening, although it wasn’t long before I was in bed. An enjoyable little railtour, although the people I was sat with weren’t the talkative type which did put a damper on things. Thanks for reading, as ever more photos can be found on my https://www.flickr.com/photos/157760463@N05/albums/72177720324899703/page2 Flickr[/url

 

[Kite159]

17th April – 20th April, Easter Weekend in Scotland

I had a rostered long weekend at work and quite happily it landed on the Easter weekend, allowing a trip to Scotland with a railtour on the Saturday.

17th April – Onwards to Scotland & Chatelherault Country Park

Having finished work quite late on the Wednesday, my departure to Scotland wasn’t going to be mega early, instead it was onto the 06:59 service from Grateley with 158884, 159002 & 159007 on this quieter than expected service (I guess a lot of the London commuters had already finished for the easter break). Into Waterloo near enough on time giving me a nice 80 minutes to get across to Euston for the 09:30 service to Glasgow Central with 390137 on this busy service (no standard premium today, 3 coaches for 1st class).

The train lost a few minutes along the way so arrival into Glasgow Central was around 6 minutes late, after spending the journey (after Lancaster area) looking out of the window as sunshine turned to rain. At Glasgow Central I headed to the low-level platforms to jump onto 320401 & 320304 to take me to Hamilton Central where I made my way to my accommodation. A place I’ve used before and whilst it is no where perfect (window blinds are rubbish) for £35 a night it’s hard to turn down in the current climate.

View from train between Lowgill & Tebay on the WCML by Kite, on Flickr

After checking in, I had a few options to walk, as the rain had cleared up, deciding to head towards Avon Bridge to pick up a path within the Chatelherault Country Park. Marked up as the “Mineral Railway Path”. It followed the Avon Water in some lovely woodland, passing close to the remains of Cadzow Castle. The path changed to the Hoolet Row Path where I needed to change plans as the path across the "White Bridge" was closed. Some very steep climbs on this walk, both uphill & downhill as I headed up a particularly steep climb to the Riccarton Path leaving the Avon Water behind for a short distance before it dropped down to reach the river at the "Green Bridge". I crossed over the Avon Water and climbed up the Millheugh Steps (made harder as the fence on the left-hand side had barbed wire making it harder to get a grip if required).

On the other side of the hill, I dropped down to follow the Avon Water once more towards a disused road to the Millheugh area of Larkhall. Next up was a walk into Morgan Glen, underneath the disused Broomhall/Larkhall railway Viaduct, before climbing away from the gorge to reach the top of the viaduct (those steps were a killer!). I followed the route of the old railway line towards Larkhall station, where I popped to the Co-Op to grab some food before 320304 & 320401 on a rare platform 1 departure all the way back to Glasgow Central.

Avon Water from the Footpath between the Chatelherault Country Park & Millheugh (3) by Kite, on Flickr

Time to play with the subway as I headed towards St Enoch to go underground, keeping my eye on the 8 units out during off-peak times, linear hopping to West Street via Bridge Street with 302 & 306 before winner 311 rolled in on an "Inner" service (having seen it earlier at St Enoch) to take me to Partick. One thing I will say is that it felt like the services dwelled at the stations for longer than they previously did, even at the quieter stations south of the river.

After visiting Morrisons for some supplies, I headed to Partick station before jumping onto 320413 & 318268 to take me to Hamilton Central for the second time that day, walking to the accommodation to rest my legs as they are not used to such climbs! A beautiful walk, an area I will need to return to one of these days to do the path on the “South” side of the river.

318268 at Hamilton Central by Kite, on Flickr

18th April – Changing Plans in Clackmannanshire

When I went to sleep on the Thursday evening, the weather forecast was looking dry as I eventually decided on the old railway route from Alloa to Dunfermline, however when I woke up on the Friday the weather forecast had done a change with heavy rain coming in mid afternoon so once more that old railway line route went back onto my shelf (pretty sure it’s the 3rd time that has happened). So, coming up with an alternative idea got me dusting of a shorter walk idea I researched which involved using a bus.

When I eventually made it out of bed, I headed to Hamilton Central station, purchasing my Central Scotland Rover from the ticket office and onto 320414 & 320312 on a service to Glasgow Central. I headed across to Glasgow Queen Street via a couple of shops for supplies for breakfast before taking 385027 & 385001 all the way to Alloa (had the Aberdeen train been a HST I would have taken that to Stirling, but alas that was a 170). At Alloa I had a short walk to the main bus stop area in the town centre before boarding the 2 hourly H2 bus route to Dollar. My first experience with Midland Bluebird buses with fleet 2239 (a Volvo Wright Eclipse) for the nice run to Dollar via Sauchie & Tillicoultry with some beautiful views of the Ochil Hills.

43150 at Glasgow Queen Street by Kite, on Flickr

My walk today would take me along route of the former Devon Valley Railway which ran from Alloa towards Kinross. The section from Alloa to Dollar (which I believe Aloe Blacc needed at one point) has been resurfaced as cycle route 767 and branded as "Devon Valley Way". Once I had left the town centre (swinging via a Co-Op for lunch items) I picked up the route of the old railway, passing the former station and headed into the countryside. Some nice views of woodland & the hills with the river Devon running on the left-hand side (although not a peaceful walk due to the A91 running alongside the path).

I reached Tillicoultry where the old railway line route ended due to a missing viaduct over the river, forcing a detour on a path alongside the A908 before the old railway route came back from across a field and the cycle path returned to being woodland. My walk continued skirting the edge of Fishcross and into Sauchie where once more a detour was needed due to the track bed being lost under developments, the path resuming nearer Alloa station before the old railway route headed towards the existing railway and the cycle path crossed over the tracks on a footbridge. The freight line bypassing the platform at Alloa looks extremely rusty, I can't imagine much uses that line towards Dunfermline via Longannet (I wonder if that line will ever reopen to passenger trains similar to Leven).

View from Cycle Route 767 between Devonside & Fishcross (1) by Kite, on Flickr

I was tempted to continue my walk towards Cambus to pick up what looks to be another old railway line path towards Menstrie to end in the town of Alva but decided that could wait for another day with one eye on the sky which was turning a bit darker. So ending the walk at Alloa station, it was a short wait for 385018 to take me to Stirling, where I stepped back onto a busy 385109 on an Edinburgh service (annoyingly the posh seats were at the south end and I was at the north end which was a lot quieter). The rain started soon after departing Stirling so my decision to cut the walk at Alloa I think was quite wise.

At Edinburgh for lack of a better idea I headed to 170393 on the next Tweedbank service to take me to Newcraighall where I got lucky to grab a photo of a 385 coming ECS from the depot, where I was again tempted to bail at Brunstane to walk the "Innocent Railway" path towards the city centre, but decided that could wait for another day (I've got so much in the Edinburgh area I could easily spend a week here walking). 170406 took me back to Edinburgh and I headed across to board 385116 on the last Scotrail service for Dunbar, one of those things which had been on my list to get a Scotrail service to Dunbar (I would imagine in the days where this was a 158 would have been good fun with the high-speed running).

385023 passing Newcraighall Station by Kite, on Flickr

I had another change of plan, based on the weather forecast and headed into the town centre to catch a X7 bus from East Coast Buses (fleet number 54) to take me towards Haddington via West Barns & East Linton where I alighted at the bus stop near Knowles Road to start my second walk of the day. The Haddington Branch line closed in the 1960s branching from the ECML at Longniddry. I soon picked up the start of the railway line path (with a small detour due to the A1 being built on the old route) I left Haddington and entered countryside, eventually the road traffic from the A1 died down to allow myself to listen to the birds and enjoy the woodland.

4 and a bit mile later I reached the ECML, and Longniddry station. With time to kill I headed towards the village centre to visit a Co-Op to grab some dinner items before returning to the station and onto 385038 & 385042 to Edinburgh where I made a tight connection onto 385037 & 385022 to take me to Polmont in a random "follow Google Maps suggestion" where it would have gotten me to go back to Hamilton via Coatbridge Central. I did see a 334 had escaped on the Cumbernauld services and had I not had such an early start on the Saturday I would have done it for the novelty factor, but instead hung back in the rain for 385107 & 385108 to take me to Glasgow Queen Street.

Former Haddington Branch Line (Cycle Route 76) in Haddington (5) by Kite, on Flickr

It was a lot wetter in Glasgow than it had been in Edinburgh as I dashed to Glasgow Central, dodging various puddles and made it onto 320418 for the trip back to Hamilton Central, making my way to the accommodation to relax for the rest of the evening and to attempt sleep (one downside of this place is that there is a restaurant close by which has a ventilation system which doesn't shut off until around 23:30 so not ideal for wanting an early night). Anyhow two enjoyable old railway line walks, and I didn't get that wet!

19th April - The Grangemouth Growler

The main event of this weekend was the latest SRPS railtour taking a 37 towards Ayrshire & towards Grangemouth on a tour which changed somewhat since I had booked it (in terms of starting an hour earlier and finishing 2 hours later, meaning I would need to bail before the end to get back to Hamilton), plus the Killoch branch getting refused in the week beforehand (although it did mean the tour having a 2 hour break in Ayr which personally I felt was better to give the chance of fresh air and to walk around).

The day began with the first train from Hamilton Central to Glasgow Central with 320315 & 318259 where I headed across to Queen Street and onto 385120 & 385111 to take me to Edinburgh, in theory I could have bailed at Linlithgow to catch the tour but decided to stay on to Edinburgh to grab some supplies for breakfast. After breakfast I headed to the platform for 37403 to roll in from the Haymarket direction, locating my seat in a Mk2 coach of this short train. Departure was on time as it headed towards the Edinburgh Suburban line, a line I’ve not done in daylight for a good few years and towards Slateford, heading towards Glasgow on the Shotts line.

37403 at Edinburgh Waverley by Kite, on Flickr

After Holytown the train headed right to pass Mossend and onto the connecting line to join the Bathgate route near Coatbridge going towards the city centre via Shettleston, turning left onto the City Union line heading towards Cardonald and Paisley. The train visited several loops along the way (some planned, some "on the day" bonuses) reaching Ayr where we had the break. I jumped onto 380110 on a platform 2 departure from Ayr to take me to Prestwick Town where I walked back towards Ayr via the coastal path. Along the way I crossed the tracks leading towards Ayr Harbour, looking extremely rusty. The last section of my stroll took me along the banks of the river Ayr to the railway viaduct crossing over the river (after pausing for a photo of a 380 arriving into the station) and back to Ayr station via Morrisons for lunch/dinner items.]

Back on board the charter and winner 66749 hauled the train back north (again via various loops), turning left after Irvine onto the single-track chord towards the Largs line, a line I had forgotten how beautiful it is. The 66 reached Largs for a short break before 37403 took over for the run towards Ardrossan, making use of the freight line after Hunterston, bypassing the platforms at West Kilbride & South Beach. The tour headed back towards Glasgow causing a bit of chaos with delays to passenger services taking the City Union line back towards Bellgrove & towards Springburn & Croy.

380008 crossing the River Ayr heading towards Ayr Station by Kite, on Flickr

After Falkirk Grahamston the tour headed onto the Grangemouth branch, heading towards the gates at the Ineos refinery, before heading back towards the junction, passing a 385 which had arrived from Glasgow. After the reversal with 37403 back in charge an announcement was made about an extra stop being made at Linlithgow (for the tour would head towards Tweedbank with the first official set-down being at Shawfair), I decided to make the most of this additional set-down (and so did a few others), even if it meant a 30-minute wait at Linlithgow for a very busy 385107 & 385108 back to Glasgow Queen Street.

I crossed over to Glasgow Central and onto 318259 & 320315 to take me back to Hamilton Central where I was arriving a good 90 minutes earlier than expected, giving me time to relax with a shower & to sort my rucksack out. An enjoyable tour, nice to head to Largs again (I must revisit that area to have a decent explore of the town). Good company on the table I was sat at as well, which does make a difference.

66749 at Largs Station by Kite, on Flickr

20th April – Heading home “The Scenic Route”

When I was relaxing on the Saturday night, I had a crazy idea for the Sunday with the timings working out quite well. After checking out of the accommodation I headed to Hamilton Central for the last time of this trip and onto the first Glasgow bound train with 318263 & 318264 (I will miss the 318s when they eventually get replaced as the seats are ever so comfortable). I made the trip to Queen Street and onto a busy 385114 & 385110 to take me to Edinburgh where I didn’t hang around for long before boarding 801225 on the 10:30 service to London Kings Cross, grabbing a decent seat on the left-hand side for the scenic section of the ECML. (The WCML was closed at both London & Glasgow).

At Newcastle, I had time to kill before the next train towards Hartlepool, so after grabbing lunch items from Sainsburys I relaxed before 156469 rolled in from Carlisle, looking very busy. Thankfully a lot of the passengers alighted at Newcastle, leaving behind many empty containers of alcohol and I headed towards Hartlepool going the “scenic way” (for the Durham coast route has better scenery than the main ECML). The next southbound platform ticked off (something I was hoping to have done last October time before coming down feeling unwell) and a good thing I headed down an hour ahead of my original idea as the following service was cancelled!

156469 at Hartlepool by Kite, on Flickr

I headed out of the station, heading towards the marina (with a Premier Inn overlooking the water), picking up a coastal path near the South Pier to take me towards Seaton Carew for some more lovely seaside views. Had the next Nunthorpe train not been cancelled I would have caught that to Stockton for some better photos but hey-ho. Now for the main event of this little idea with the Sundays only northern service linking Hartlepool & Darlington, making use of the east facing side of the junction after Stockton (with Thornaby heading west). My last section of the Northern network to cover on a Northern train (excluding the Manchester Airport avoiding line which is shown on the network map but as far as I can tell has no booked Northern usage anymore).

158859 rolled in from Hartlepool to take me towards Eaglescliffe, under a massive new footbridge under construction (for a brand-new car park I believe). A short while later 180106 rolled in from Sunderland and I managed to grab an unreserved seat in the rear coach (meaning I didn’t need my seat reservation for York – London on the following LNER). I relaxed for the fast run to Kings Cross, the 180s might be flawed underneath but the passenger interior is so much nicer than an Azuma.

180106 arriving at Eaglescliffe Station by Kite, on Flickr

Arrival into Kings Cross was near enough on time giving me time to stroll across to Waterloo, being joined with a good friend for the first section (towards Holborn) with my last train of this trip being the 18:45 service to Salisbury with 158888 & 159007 to take me to Grateley where I headed home to relax for the rest of the evening doing some admin stuff on the laptop before getting ready for a run of 6 late shifts. Anyhow thanks for reading, as always more photos can be found on my Flickr Here

I won’t be doing something for the 27th April, but that involved a long-awaited return to the River Avon path in Bath, walking from Oldfield Park towards Keynsham and getting my last 730/0 into my little book on the Monday. Scary to think it’s nearly May!

 

[Kite159]

Trips 6 - 8th May (Wales & Liverpool)

6th May – A Trip to Pembrokeshire

The idea of staying overnight in South Wales came about earlier in April when I did some research to book a place in Llanelli I used a couple of years ago, a cheap but cheerful hostel around 15 minutes from the station. As the weather was going to be decent, I decided to head further west to do a walk along a path I’ve wanted to do for a while but either got messed with wet weather or a heavily reduced timetable.

The plan nearly went into the bin before it started with issues between Newport & Cardiff after a fire knocked out the signalling, coming up with an alternative plan in the event I couldn’t reach Swansea in time for the Pembroke Dock train. The day began with the 05:24 service from Grateley with 159021 & 159022 to Basingstoke, changing over onto 165128 to Reading where I had around 45 minutes to kill before 800003 & 800011 rolled in on a Swansea (vice Carmarthen) service. I settled down for the trip west, getting lucky as the train only lost a minute or so between Newport & Cardiff (and featured a rather grumpy lady as the train got very busy at Newport due to various cancellations, who didn’t like someone asking her to move her oversized handbag and actually left the train in a huff. Considering the next train was 30 minutes later and was a 2 coach TfW special I didn’t fancy her chances at even being able to board that service).

After Cardiff the news came through that the train was continuing towards Carmarthen, all be with a set swap at Swansea. After popping out of the station for some supplies from the handy Tesco Express, I took a seat on a lightly loaded 800004 from platform 1 for a slow trip towards Carmarthen, following a TfW service for Milford Haven which called at all the stations, still it gave me more time to look at the lovely views. At Carmarthen I had time to buy a West Wales ranger from the ticket office, a rover I’ve not used in many years (probably June 2014 was the last time) before boarding 197015 on the Pembroke Dock service, the 4th train on platform 1.

150217 at Carmarthen by Kite, on Flickr

An enjoyable run towards Pembroke Dock, pausing at a few of the little request stops, noticing what seemed to be a new mixed used path outside Saundersfoot station. At Pembroke Dock I headed away from the station, and towards the A477 road heading towards the Cleddau Bridge over Milford Haven (the water that is, not the town), quite a steep climb and it was quite windy when on top of the bridge as it gave some nice views of both Neyland & Pembroke Dock. I continued along the pavement of this busy road, crossing over the Westfield Pill before picking a footpath, part of the Wales Coastal Path towards Neyland, dropping down towards the Brunel Quay. Neyland used to be the western terminus of the Great Western Railway where passengers could transfer onto transatlantic ships for America. Sadly both the port & railway are long gone, with the route of the railway turned into a mixed used path heading towards Johnston as part of cycle route 4.

After I picked up the start of the path near a marina, it went underneath the main road, following the Westfield Pill with some nice views of the water before heading into countryside, a busy path with cyclists, dog walkers & other walkers. Soon I reached the outskirts of Johnston where the old railway met up with the remaining line, with the path running alongside the railway line passing Johnston station heading towards North Johnston and back into countryside.

A477 Bridge over the Westfield Pill, Neyland by Kite, on Flickr

The path headed towards some woods, before running alongside a minor road before following the route of the railway towards Merlin's Bridge, part of Haverfordwest. I headed up Merlin's Hill, which was quite steep (wishing I stayed with the cycle path as it ran alongside the Bypass), but soon I reached the top of the hill and came down the other side, heading towards the station, arriving with around 5 minutes to spare before 197020 rolled in on a Milford Haven service. I took this unit to the end of the line at Milford Haven, making use of the time to pop to Tesco for some supplies before boarding the same unit for the long trip to Cardiff Central.

25 minutes after arriving I was onto winner 756114 to take me towards Penrhiwceiber on the Aberdare branch for a short connection onto winner 756116 back towards Radyr, stepping back onto 231006 for the trip back to Cardiff Central, going via Queen Street and terminating on platform 4 (as it was the time of night where the trains were heading to the depot). As for me the plan was to catch the 22:30 Carmarthen service which used the Swansea District Line towards Llanelli, but then I noticed by chance the 23:24 service was also going via the district line but also via Barry, deciding to delay myself an hour for the novelty of a 197 via Barry. At the same time, I noticed services were reversing after Newport to use the non-passenger side of the triangle towards Hereford.

231006 at Cardiff Central by Kite, on Flickr

Cardiff Central was quite chaotic this time of night, as platforms 0-2 were closed with everything long distance using 3 + 4, not helping was services arriving from Queen Street & elsewhere onto platform 4 to terminate and a GWR 166+165 blocking platform 3 on the last train to Bristol. Eventually 197117 rolled in from Crewe where it terminated and formed the Carmarthen train as I grabbed a seat in the standard plus seats at the front of the train with various announcements by the guard that this train was not calling at Neath or Swansea and any passengers for those stations needed to change at Port Talbot for a replacement bus (or wait for the following GWR service). Based on overhearing some chatter I think several drunks weren’t listening and ended up forking out for taxis!

Anyhow the train departed towards Bridgend, not the fastest due to following a Barry Island service it was meant to be in front of, eventually picking up speed after the junction at Barry to head towards Bridgend, before heading towards Port Talbot Parkway. After Port Talbot it branched off the main line onto the little used (for passenger services) Swansea district line, a line which isn’t the fastest, made slower as at Genwen Junction (after Bynea) it swung onto the goods line, running the length of the loop before crossing over just before Llanelli station.

197117 at Llanelli Station by Kite, on Flickr

I headed away from the station at Llanelli, heading towards my accommodation at the World Horizons centre, near North Dock, this time getting a room on the top floor, basic but functional, the biggest negative was the lack of cover for a skylight so when the morning came the room was flooded in light. Still for £24 for the night, it was a good deal compared to other places in both the Llanelli & Carmarthen areas which were £60+. A good first day in Wales, a nice walk in Pembrokeshire followed by a couple more 756s falling to my little red pen (leaving just one more of the 4 coach 756s) with the novelty of some unusual track in the Llanelli area.

7th May – Exploring Fishguard and a set swap which wasn’t actually a set swap.

I was thinking when travelling to the accommodation that it might be worthwhile visiting Fishguard Harbour when I was in this general area, and hence clearing all of West Wales for coverage by 197. Also, because that area had been on my list for a little explore for a while, but owing to the limited timetable of previous years it was quite hard. Thankfully TfW has increased the number of services to Fishguard giving a 3-hour window for a little explore.

The day began with a walk to Llaneli station and onto 197020 for the run towards Fishguard Harbour, this part of the world is quite remote and I always forget how far it is between Fishguard & Goodwick & Clarbeston Road. Anyhow once at Fishguard Harbour I headed out on foot on the road alongside the port area (my original idea was to head up a path but that was gated off), a quick stroll along the breakwater before climbing towards Fishguard itself and onto the Marine Walk, a path which runs alongside the harbour giving some nice views. I ended up in Lower Town and the lower Fishguard Harbour before climbing up a steep hill on the A487 road into Fishguard town centre, swinging via the Co-Op (which was a bit bare boned due to their IT systems hack) before picking up a path heading towards the A40.

Lower Fishguard Harbour (3) by Kite, on Flickr

I followed this path down the hill, crossing the road and into the Goodwick Moor Nature Reserve following a path to reach Phoenix Park and the main road near a rugby ground. After swinging via Tesco for some supplies I headed back towards Fishguard Harbour station for a short wait before 197117 rolled in to form a Manchester service, grabbing a seat in the standard premium section and I relaxed for the trip back towards Carmarthen, staying on board to Pembrey & Burry Port for no reason other than wanting to revisit this station.

A short wait here before 800010 rolled in on the next London train, attaching itself to 800027 at Swansea to head towards Cardiff Central where I decided to have a change of scenery and changed to 166217 on the Portsmouth Harbour service. An announcement was made that there was going to be a set swap at Bristol Temple Meads so everybody got off the train, crossing over to another platform for a ghost train. 5 minutes later, it was decided that 166217 would in fact be running to Portsmouth rather than a pair of 158s. Bit of a farce and it departed 10 minutes late, time it never really gained back.

197117 at Fishguard Harbour Station by Kite, on Flickr

I took this 166 to Salisbury, where I changed onto 159014 working a Reading service to take me to Grateley, and a gentle stroll home where I could relax, reflecting on the couple days in Wales. Fishguard looked to be a nice enough town and it was good to finally get to visit the town rather than just the station (and the area just outside Goodwick station).

8th May – A Day trip to Merseyside

Originally this was meant to be a walk along the Leeds & Liverpool canal, but things happened and it turned into a little red pen day. The day starting with 159022 & 158885 taking me to London Waterloo and a gentle stroll across to Euston to board 390118 on the delayed 08:30 service for Glasgow Central, which got caught up in issues further north causing a visit to platform 12 at Crewe and arrival into Warrington Bank Quay around 45 minutes late. I decided to ditch the idea of a walk as I had no clue how further delayed the train would be getting into Preston and after swinging via an Iceland in Warrington it was onto winner 197035 & dud 197043 on the next train to Chester which was very busy due to the races being on. I didn’t hang around Chester for long before jumping onto 777039 for the short run to Bache where I headed to Morrisons for lunch items.

I was down to needing 4 of the Merseyrail units for my little red pen, and all 4 were out today, with winner 777003 on the next train towards Liverpool which I took to Hamilton Square, making a fast walk across to platform 3 to jump onto winner 777035 on the next New Brighton service, taking it to the end of the line & remaining on board back towards Moorfields where I headed towards the Northern line platforms and onto dud 777053 for the trip to Formby, making a note for a future adventure in these parts involving the coastal path.

777035 at New Brighton Station by Kite, on Flickr

Anyhow the next Liverpool train was formed of winner 777047 & dud 777010 which I took to Liverpool Central, have a short break before winner 777150 rolled in on the next Headbolt Lane service, taking this to Headbolt Lane where I had a crazy idea and instead of returning to Liverpool on the same unit, I headed across to platform 3 and onto 156461 & 150135 on the next Northern service, which looked like it had revenue on board, having a chat with someone whom thinks payment is optional. I took these units to Rainford where I had a gentle stroll to waste the 30 minutes before 156410 & 150150 rolled in to take me back to Headbolt Lane, and onto 777150 back towards Liverpool Central, clearing the entire class for ten miles.

In a way I was glad to have done 777047 earlier as the Southport line had somewhat collapsed and this train got very busy after Sandhills as Merseyrail did their usual terminate late running Southport – Liverpool trains at Sandhills and sending them back empty northbound. Back at Liverpool I had a gentle stroll to Lime Street and onto 807008, getting a decent seat in coach H for the run to London Euston, having a gentle stroll to Waterloo for 159002 & 159013 on the 21:20 service, to take me back to Hampshire to relax and get myself ready for 6 late shifts.

807008 at Liverpool Lime Street by Kite, on Flickr
I was happy I had cleared the 777s, as no more hanging around the Merseyrail stations, although it does mean I have lost a “Wet Weather” option for when I stay overnight in Crewe. Anyhow as always, thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my (along with photos from a couple other walks I’ve done this month)

 

[Kite159]

15 – 18th May, Long Weekend in the North West

15th May – Return to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

I had 4 days off from work so after looking at ideas decided to book accommodation in a shared house in Crewe, I had previously used in October last year, cheap & cheerful as a base for a long weekend. I had several ideas of what I could potentially do when in Preston, one of those times where I couldn’t make up my mind. The day began with 158887, 159002 & 159004 to Waterloo on the 06:57 from Grateley (a service which might go back to being 10 coaches at some point). After a gentle stroll (avoiding getting run over by cyclists unable to recognise what a red light stands for) I reached Euston and onto the busy 09:30 service for Glasgow with 390112 for the run to Preston.

At Preston I headed outside the station for some fresh air and to think as I could potentially do a bus move to walk the Rufford branch of the canal. In the end I decided on a 4th option, which was to split the idea I had for Rishton with doing an old railway line before the canal and purchased my ticket to Church & Oswaldtwistle, taking a seat on 150144 on the next Colne train (which like always was busy until Blackburn where it emptied out). At Church & Oswaldtwistle I began my walk heading towards Church to the point I left the canal in March, heading back towards the station area on the towpath on a loop of the canal as it went underneath the railway line eventually industrial buildings gave way to countryside, crossing underneath the railway again. On the approach to the M65 I reached a section of the towpath I walked back in 2020 when revisiting stations (at the time the Preston - Colne services had a missing diagram and I walked between Rishton & Church station to waste time).

150144 departing Church & Oswaldtwistle by Kite, on Flickr

I reached Rishton, going underneath the High Street & passing other houses before countryside returned on a very beautiful section before the towpath reached Blackburn where countryside was replaced with industrial & retail building and one final crossing of the canal by the main Preston - Burnley railway line. My walk continued via a mix of old and new buildings, reaching the town centre area and the old wharf (where the towpath is diverted round the back of the building). I continued passing the station area and the retail park with the canal curving once more, reaching the start of a lock flight. Dropping down the locks, I went underneath the Blackburn - Bolton railway line, just missing the chance for a photograph of a train crossing the canal. In the Mill Hill area, I reached a section of the towpath I'm pretty sure I walked way back in 2015 when visiting the stations, reaching the Cherry Tree area where my walk finished with a small detour to the nearby Sainsburys Local for some supplies.

70815 passing Cherry Tree Station by Kite, on Flickr

An enjoyable canal walk with the quality of the towpath being quite changeable, although most of it was decent there was some areas where I wouldn’t want to do during winter time due to the potential of mud. Anyhow 150138 rolled in from Colne to take me towards Preston where I had some options, annoyingly a required 197 which was previously working Liverpool – Chester services had been swapped onto a Cardiff bound service at Chester so would escape my little red pen. At Preston to the chorus of “this is a platform alternation” I boarded 390152 on a London via Birmingham service to take me to Stafford where I stepped back onto 350247 & 350119 to Tamworth, solely to waste time before the daily Avanti to Wrexham. Dud 805009 & winner 805006 rolled in, slightly delayed to take me towards Chester where 006 got dropped off and the vast majority of people in my coach departed (being replaced with people boarding at Chester) for the trip to Wrexham General where it arrived around 5 minutes late.

It seems these days the connecting train to Shrewsbury which used to start from platform 3 at Wrexham General (having arrived as an ECS from Wrexham Central) has changed with an ECS from Chester, one of those services which might be better running in passenger service, especially since the Avanti Wrexham isn’t the most reliable. Anyhow that 158 departed towards Shrewsbury and a few minutes later 158840 rolled in on a Chester service, slightly delayed departure from Wrexham but it arrived into Chester near enough on time giving me time to transfer to 805007 on the daily Holyhead – Birmingham Avanti service to take me to Crewe, where I headed to the shared house. Sadly, the issues which were reported back in October (shower head holder broken and the base of the bed being broken) hadn’t been repaired, but for £30 a night it was cheaper than anything else in the area. Plus, it had half decent curtains and was quiet.

805009 at Wrexham General by Kite, on Flickr

A good first day, even though I got a bit warm on the canal walk. I was glad I decided to split the walk as the railway path from Rishton can be done on another day, the next section of the canal heads away from the railway dropping towards Chorley & Adlington. I was also happy to finally do a 805 to Wrexham after having to ditch it on multiple times previously, either due to cancellation or severe late running. Even though like the LNER token daily services it seems quite pointless for passengers heading from London.

16th May – A Day of novelties in Lancashire.

The day started with leaving the shared house towards Crewe station via the little Tesco garage for some breakfast and onto a late running Scotland bound 390148 to take me to Preston (and I was aiming for the train afterwards but that also was running late, a theme which would stalk me most of the day). At Preston I had a short wait before jumping on 195131 to Chorley for no reason before 331027 & 331028 took me to Adlington where my latest canal walk began.

Once again it would be the Leeds & Liverpool canal and the section heading south towards Wigan. After leaving the station I headed towards the canal picking up the towpath for the walk south away from the built-up area with a cycle path heading away to run along an old railway line which ran close by. Once outside Adlington the canal turned quite rural with some nice views as it headed towards Red Rock where the cycle path re-joined and canal headed towards the Haigh Country Park and Wigan. Near the top lock of the Wigan flight there was a 90-degree bend.

I was glad to be walking down these locks as there was quite a few as it headed towards Wigan town centre, going underneath both the Wigan - Ince railway line & the WCML before I reached the junction where the Leigh branch began (and where I reached in 2023 when walking from Patricroft). I left the canal and headed towards Wigan North Western via the streets, nearly getting ripped off in the little Morrisons Local as the shelf edge labels said an item was part of the meal deal but the till said no. Anyhow another section of the Leeds & Liverpool canal into my little book, leaving just 2 sections in Lancashire.

156419 crossing the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Wigan by Kite, on Flickr

For lack of a better idea I jumped onto 390134 for the run to Preston which somehow lost 10 minutes between Wigan & Preston meaning a connection for a pair of 323s to Manchester was missed, so I jumped onto 195128 to Blackburn where I was toying with a 150 towards Bolton via Darwen but that departed late due to earlier delays on the Headbolt Lane services so I gave that a miss (good thing I did as it would have missed both connections at Bolton as it was further delayed due to the single track). After popping out to Morrisons in Blackburn I returned to Preston on 156415 where I was going to take a Pendo to Wigan to intercept the Blackpool train, but a late notice change of platform meant I gave that Pendo a miss when it lost 10 minutes due to passengers transferring from P3/4 to P5/6, not the first platform alternation in Preston.

Eventually 390006 rolled in on the London – Blackpool service, something which since the timetable change has become a little bit harder to do as there is only one daytime Avanti instead of two (with the services being diverted to Glasgow). I had a short wait at Blackpool before boarding 390006 again for the trip to Wigan North Western, transferring to 331105 on a Manchester Victoria flyer, which was going well until it reached the outskirts of Manchester Victoria and got caught up in congestion due to late running trains, to the point where once more my plans changed as I was going to stay on board back to Eccles but the connection would have been lost.

390006 at Blackpool North by Kite, on Flickr

Instead, I hung back for the late running 323217 to arrive from Liverpool on the daily 323 visit to Manchester Victoria (unless there is a random Manchester Victoria – Blackpool service at the extremes of the day) and I took this to Eccles, where it began very busy due to the previous couple of Northern services towards Liverpool running hopelessly late from the Airport calling at all stations before running nonstop towards Merseyside after delaying other services. Anyhow I changed at Eccles for a short wait for 331107 to Manchester Piccadilly where I had time to pop out of the station to grab supplies, noticing that the little Sainsburys local was due to close for a refit and hence the shelves were looking barer than the Co-Op.

After grabbing food, I returned to the station and onto 323237 & 323224 on the next Blackpool service, something I think isn’t suitable for these 3+2 seated suburban units, especially after the users got used to the 331s. I took these to Leyland where I had a short wait, waiting near the footbridge for the last minute “This is a platform alternation” message as 331106 rolled in on 4 instead of 2. I took this back towards Bolton where I popped out of the station to the nearby Sainsburys for some supplies for tomorrow (and Sunday), mainly to waste some time.

323217 at Manchester Victoria by Kite, on Flickr

Back at Bolton station, it was a short wait before 769448 rolled in on a Wigan North Western service, for the novelty of having a 769 into Wigan North Western rather than Wigan Wallgate (it goes ECS to the sidings), where a late running train benefited me with 390047 to Preston to avoid a 45-minute fester at Wigan North Western. A short wait (and platform alternation) saw me onto 390128 (this was a very Pendo heavy day!) on a service to London which called at Crewe, and soon I was back at Crewe, heading to the shared house to sort my rucksack out for the morning as it would be an early start.

17th May – High Peak Trail

The High Peak Trail is a mixed used path which follows the route of the long gone Cromford and High Peak Railway, part I walked last October when I did the Tissington Trail to the junction near the hamlet of Parsley Hay. This is a walk I’ve been wanting to do for a while but the last few times I’ve had it pencilled in, the weather has decided not to play ball. Thankfully the weather today was going to be dry, a bit overcast in the morning but warm & dry.

The day began with the first East Midlands service to Derby with 170533 on this lightly loaded service, where I exited the station to board the route 114 bus from High Peak (buying myself a £6 High Peak Day ticket). Bus 297 was on this route which departed the bus station with half a dozen passengers on, all alighting at the bus station leaving just myself on board for the trip to Ashbourne via some villages such as Quarndon, Weston Underwood & Cross o' th' Hands with no takers. At Ashbourne I visited the Sainsburys near the bus stops for some supplies before the daily route 441 for Buxton. A busier bus compared to the previous one with half a dozen on board bus 285 heading along the A515 detouring to serve Tissington. Since October High Peak has introduced a bus stop near Parsley Hay itself (as previously it ran fast from Newhaven to Pomeroy, saving myself 2 and a bit mile of walking, every little helps!) I was the only person to alight and my walk began heading towards the railway bridge, climbing stairs near a visitor centre.

170533 at Crewe Station by Kite, on Flickr

I soon reached the junction between the High Peak & Tissington Trail and headed underneath the A515 via a tunnel, heading towards Friden passing other joggers, walkers & school kids doing what looked like their Duke of Edinburgh award (looking at maps carrying camping stuff). However this is when I noticed I might have had rubbish timing as there was a race by a running club of Matlock and this area was very busy with runners getting ready to start a half marathon.

Anyhow I continued reaching a road crossing of the A5012 as the first of the runners caught up, so for the next 20 minutes it was a case of being passed by runners as the path curved giving some nice views of the countryside & woodland. Some engineering went into building this line. Thankfully by the time I reached the former Gotham Curve the runners had disappeared into the distance allowing me to enjoy the stunning views of the countryside of the Peak District, passing Minninglow heading towards Longcliffe.

View from the High Peak Trail near Minninglow (1) by Kite, on Flickr

I continued along the walk, passing Harboro Rocks and reaching a section where the path runs close to a road and the first of a trio of steep inclines with Hopton, a case of being glad to be walking down the hill! Soon the path headed away from the road and via Hopton tunnel heading to Middleton Top which features a visitor centre and the second of the inclines (Middleton), this is when the runners whom were doing the full marathon course started to appear as I headed down the hill passing the National Stone Centre, close to Ravenstor station on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. I passed the Steeple Grange Light Railway (sadly closed today). Some beautiful scenery returned with views of Cromford down in the valley as soon I reached the Sheep Pasture Incline, which was not only steep (1 in 8 gradient) but also long.

The old railway walk came to an end at High Peak Junction crossing the Cromford canal, and following the canal towards Cromford wharf (quite a busy canal towpath this). At Cromford wharf I headed towards the station arriving just as 170513 rolled in on a Matlock service, taking the unit to Matlock remaining on board back towards Derby. An enjoyable walk in the countryside, just a shame the public transport options are very limited at the northern end for anybody wanting to do it linearly.

Middleton Top Engine House by Kite, on Flickr

On the train (getting very busy along the way) I looked up options, deciding against heading back towards Crewe as it was only 3pm, instead I jumped onto a busy 170114 to Tamworth before 221119 on a Birmingham New Street service (annoyingly the ticket office at Tamworth was closed so I couldn’t buy my West Midlands Day Ranger, although the barriers at Birmingham New Street on the Navigation Street footbridge were wide open. I headed towards Tesco to grab some supplies, coming back towards the station when I paused to have a look at the trams, just in case. A good thing I did as the next tram towards Edgbaston Village was my last West Midlands Tram, 55. I took it to the terminus, dashing over to tram 35 back to Grand Central with still time to board winner 196007 on the rear of 196004 on a Shrewsbury train.

These 196s took me to Wolverhampton (even featured a ticket check!) where I had a fast walk over to platform 4 to board 220033 on the next Birmingham service, the backup being the stopper from platform 5 and some of the platforms along the way looked very busy so I would imagine the stopper would have been a tad cosy. 390016 took me to Birmingham International where I transferred to 197005 on a Chester train for the novelty of a 197 at Birmingham International before they become more common.

West Midland Metro Trams 35 & 55 at Edgbaston Village by Kite, on Flickr

Back to Birmingham New Street and a gentle connection onto 390123 to Rugby where I had a short wait in the sunshine on platform 1 before winner 807005 rolled in on a Wolverhampton terminator, which I took to Wolverhampton where it felt a bit strange going nonstop to Wolverhampton after Birmingham. Next up was 221113 on a XC service to Stafford finishing the day on a busy 350407 & 350106 on a Crewe service, busy with football fans from the FA Cup final at Wembley (when I was at Crewe a Manchester bound Pendo rolled in alongside me and that looked quite cosy). I returned to the shared house, having a shower to wash the sweat and relaxed thinking what I could do on the Sunday as I wanted to finish early due to work on the Monday. An enjoyable day with some beautiful countryside in the Peak District, followed by some red pen action in the West Midlands, getting my last tram was the cherry on the cake. Just one more 196 left and that is with Chiltern for the Oxford – Milton Keynes services.

18th May – Running into another race at Chester!

After departing from the shared house in two minds about giving it another try in the future, weighing up the positives against some negatives, I headed to Crewe station to board the first train for Holyhead with 197008 for the trip to Chester where I decided to have a little stroll. I headed towards the city centre area near Tesco, picking up a path leading onto the City Walls, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages but never got round to doing (my theory is doing it early on a Sunday morning will be quieter than an afternoon when all the tourists arrive).

I passed the cathedral and Eastgate Clock heading towards the River Dee, following the river for a short section with the wall disappearing near a university building before resuming once past, close to Chester Castle. The wall path disappeared near the racecourse as a race was just kicking off so the roads were a bit busy with supporters for the runners, thankfully no issues for my walk other than congestion (as the wall path crossed over the running route). I crossed the railway line to reach Bonewaldesthorne's Tower before crossing over the railway line again heading on the wall path high above the canal and soon, I reached the Kaleyard Gate which is where I joined the path.

River Dee from the Chester Walls Path by Kite, on Flickr

After leaving the city wall path I returned towards Chester station with a couple of options, either head towards Liverpool for the novelty of an 807 via Bescot and a tighter connection at Waterloo or head towards Crewe or Warrington. But first I managed to jump onto 777029 for the trip to Capenhurst returning to Chester on 777019 just to waste some time, the inbound for the 807 service had been cancelled at London (unit was trapped on the depot due to overrunning engineering works) and with a massive crowd waiting for the next Crewe train I headed to join another massive crowd awaiting 197007 on the Manchester train to take me to Warrington Bank Quay. My theory is potentially I would be better boarding the London train at Warrington rather than Crewe.

390136 rolled in from Preston and I managed to get a decent seat in an unreserved coach for the journey towards London, calling at Crewe (where the train got very busy) and Stafford before heading towards Wolverhampton but turning off before reaching the station to head via Bescot & Aston to rejoin the usual route at Stechford. Always a nice experience to go nonstop through Birmingham International & Coventry and the train headed to Euston, giving me around 80 minutes to stroll to Waterloo.

390020 (390200) at Warrington Bank Quay by Kite, on Flickr

An easy walk, where I even had time to swing via the Iceland near Waterloo for some supplies before boarding 159009, 159008 & 159018 on an Exeter train to take me to Andover where I got a lift home (via a local Chippy for dinner), to end the long weekend in the North West. An enjoyable short day owing to the limitations of needing to get home at a reasonable time to be in bed by 8pm for work. My other option would have been a trip towards Rugby to do the northern section of the Grand Central Walk but that would have been a later start, and that can easily wait for another trip.

Anyhow as always, thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr here

 

[Kite159]

25th & 26th May – Overnight Trip to Blackpool

When I first saw that over this weekend Avanti were diverting services via Manchester due to engineering works at Warrington, I originally gave it a “would be nice to do” moment, before noticing that the Sunday it was via Bolton and the Monday going via Eccles potentially giving two different routes for unusual Pendo coverage. A search for accommodation found plentiful options in Blackpool at various prices, eventually going for something reasonably close to North Station which had good reviews. Sadly, the walking I had planned needed to be put back on the shelf due to the changeable weather forecast.

25th May

The day began with the short walk to Grateley for the first London service of the day with 158881, 159006 & 159103 to take me towards Waterloo diverting via Staines & Isleworth, the train only getting busy at Woking. At Waterloo I had around 90 minutes to get to Euston for the next Glasgow train so I did my usual walk, diverting via the Co-Op near Waterloo, across Westminster bridge and along the north bank of the Thames then towards Euston via Tottenham Court Road, arriving with plenty of time as I hung near the top of the ramp before boarding.

River Thames from Westminster Bridge by Kite, on Flickr

I managed to get a decent seat on 390153 which departed quite busy, reduction of trains due to the engineering works on the Trent Valley, the train catching up with a LNR service near Leighton Buzzard and sat at Milton Keynes for around 10 minutes due to running early. After Milton Keynes the train headed towards Rugby, Coventry pausing for another few minutes at Stechford due to early running (the Pendo was in front of a late running LNR stopper). After Stechford it took the connecting line towards Ascot for the trip via Bescot and towards Wolverhampton avoiding the station before heading towards Stafford & Crewe where the train emptied out (at least in coach G).

After a dwell at Crewe (as again the train was running quite early) it headed towards Wilmslow for a set down only stop and towards Manchester. Felt strange going nonstop through Stockport on a Pendo before getting a decent path (probably helped with Northern having their usual Sunday service meltdown) via Piccadilly & the Castlefield corridor for the run towards Bolton & Chorley. The train joined the usual route at Leyland and arrived into Preston something like 25 minutes early, although I decided against a walk in the Preston area and instead headed across to platform 1 to join the large crowd to squeeze onto 195120 on a Blackpool North service for the trip to the coast.

390153 at Preston by Kite, on Flickr

As the weather was currently dry, I decided to take a stroll towards the coastal path, deciding to head south (the theory being if the weather turned, I wasn't that far from the tramway). Some nice views of the seafront, trying to keep my eye on the trams in case my last one I needed for a mile popped up. I reached the end of the main path in the Squires Gate area of the town, seeing tram 15 heading north on a Fleetwood service so I decided to give chase once I managed to get to Starr Gate tram stop. One of these days I will continue the walk along the coast towards Lytham as well as the northern section from North Pier towards Fleetwood.

It was onto tram 003 on the next Fleetwood service, and with good time a couple minutes into the journey the rain decided to come, causing some delays. The tram did get quite busy heading north but emptied out at the stops serving some of the hotels like Cliffs & Norbeck. I decided to bail at Anchorsholme Lane, crossing over to the opposite platform for a short wait before tram 015 rolled in on a North Station service, taking this tram to Sandhurst Avenue to clear it for a mile and crossed over to the northbound platform for tram 004 to take me towards Fleetwood as it had been a few years since I last visited the northern part of the network.

Blackpool Tram 015 near Starr Gate by Kite, on Flickr

I had a recommendation to visit the Spoons in Fleetwood for some nice dinner before returning to the tramway for a wait before tram 015 rolled in on a southbound service which I gather from the timetable would have been one of the last to go direct towards North Pier stop rather than going via the station. The heaven's opened when on the way south as I alighted at Tower, locating my accommodation on Hornby Road, self-serve check-in and the room was quite reasonable for the £24 I paid. A good thing I ended the day there as I laid on the bed having a catch-up on the interweb listening to the rain arriving again. It wasn’t perfect by any means as there was a small window above the door which allowed light to escape into the room from the hallway.

An enjoyable first day of this little overnight trip, a nice walk along the coast and getting my last Blackpool tram for a mile.

26th May- Cuerden Valley Park

My original idea for today was to walk the Rufford branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, maybe even fitting in a visit to the West Lancs Light Railway but owing to the wet weather the previous night and more rain expected around midday I decided it wasn’t worth the risk of hitting mud or floods, instead I looked at some options for the Preston area and decided on a visit to the Cuerden Valley Park.

After checking out of the guest house, I headed towards the town centre (and a handy Co-Op) and Blackpool North station, jumping onto 195110 on a York bound service for the hop to Kirkham & Westham for a random revisit and a short wait before 323227 & 323242 arrived on the next Manchester Airport service to take me towards Buckshaw Parkway where my walk began.

323234 at Kirkham & Wesham Station by Kite, on Flickr

I headed north away from the station towards the modern Buckshaw Village following a mix of paths to reach the Lower Kem Mill car park of the Cuerden Valley Park on cycle route 55. I followed the path via the park enjoying the scenery as it headed towards Clayton-le-Woods with a break at Town Brow. I continued the path keeping track to make sure I was on the correct path as there are many paths in this area, eventually crossing over the M6 and coming to an end at Wigan Road, to the south of Bamber Bridge.

After reaching Bamber Bridge, I followed another path which followed the river Lostock before heading north underneath the railway line where I could have finished the walk and headed to the station but decided to carry on as the weather was dry, heading towards a path I covered a couple of months ago but taking a detour via the Dog Kennel Wood to reach Hennel Lane in Walton-le-Dale. I picked up another path heading towards the River Darwen and underneath the A6 with the idea of following this path along the south bank of the Ribble towards Preston. However, my plan needed changing as this path was closed (I presume related to the construction of the new Tram Road bridge) with a detour via a sewage works to pick up the old railway line route to take me into Preston.

Cuerden Valley Park, Clayton-le-Woods by Kite, on Flickr

After grabbing lunch from the Tesco near Preston station I headed to the platform the next London train was due to depart from at a very busy station, grabbing a decent seat on 390153 (again!) for the southbound run. Along the way we passed a 156 for Ormskirk which looked wedged out and platform 6 at Wigan North Western was rammed as the Pendo emptied out. Next stop was Crewe going via the Parkside curve onto Chat Moss via Eccles for a bit of unusual Pendo coverage. All was going well until the train reached the chaos of Manchester's Castlefield corridor, going from 5 minutes early to 42 minutes late, at one point I counted 7 trains stuck in a traffic jam.

Eventually the Pendo cleared the chaos of Piccadilly, passing Stockport to reach Crewe where the train got busy once more. After Crewe it continued south towards Stafford & Wolvermhampton heading via Darlaston, Bescot & Aston to Stechford where thankfully the signaller decided to hold a LNR stopper for use to go out in front with a spirited run towards Coventry & Rugby only slowing down on the approach to Milton Keynes where it had caught up with a Manchester - Euston service. Arrival into Euston was 19 minutes late and it was bad to hear the Train Manager claiming to get delay repay you needed to speak with the retailer in which you purchased the tickets from, rather than via the Avanti website.

Anyhow with the rain making it’s appearance a walk to Waterloo was out of the question, and with time to kill I headed over to board 710379 to Willesden Junction for 378217 to Clapham Junction, exiting the barriers with my Oyster and coming back in with my staff pass and heading over to board 455723 & 455741 to Waterloo before taking 159011 (for the first time since February) & 159020 to Grateley to end my little overnight trip to Blackpool. An enjoyable day with a nice walk via the Cuerden Valley Park, keeping dry as well as enjoying some Pendo mileage via unusual routes.

As always, thanks for reading, the Tuesday was a red pen day in London (and Essex) due to the wet weather, grabbing a few more 720s & 701s (and 458/4s for renumbering), before heading back to work for 6 late shifts. More photos can be found on my Flickr, May is at an end, all change please, all change. Have a 701:

701046 departing Stoneleigh by Kite, on Flickr