Saturday 19 February 2011.
I started out after having bought my ticket from the LM office at Euston (which printed on my ticket as "Euston Lcl Tkts") on the 07.46 Euston to Crewe, a 4-car 350, as far as Northampton where I met Jordy and craig87034. We boarded the service for Birmingham New Street with a very good guard who enjoyed talking to everyone on the train and actually checked our tickets that day (went the rest of the day with only a check on 3 more trains, 2 of which were on the Bedford - Bletchley line). His announcements were a bit over the top though. There was also an annoying woman singing on the train, the guard seemed to egg her on! matt joined our train at Coventry.
At Birmingham New Street we met Ivo and JoeGJ1984, and made a quick trip to Tesco Express to get some supplies. Ivo then bought his ticket from the ticket office.
We boarded the Euston train, which we were going to catch as far as Watford Junction. Shortly after leaving New Street the guard came round to check tickets and tell some other passengers off for boarding the train as the doors were closing, threatening to chuck them off!
At Northampton where the Crewe portion joined us it was quite a sudden jolt and unexpected as the doors were still open! We then went down to Watford Junction to do the St Albans Abbey line and did the last return trip before the trains became buses for the afternoon!
We then did Watford Junction to Milton Keynes, and back to Bletchley to do the Bedford line. The original plan was to go straight back but we decided to hang around for an hour to see the Hastings unit. We knew IanPooleTrains was on the station somewhere but wasn't sure who it was. We eventually worked it out on the train back to Bletchley and invited him to sit with us!
A quick trip down to Leighton Buzzard and back, we boarded a Northbound train to Wolverton and changed there for one a few minutes behind. We went via Northampton; craig87034 got off at Long Buckby to go back home and we carried on to Rugby where we had an almost 30 minutes wait. matt stayed on the train, going back to Coventry.
Earlier in the day I'd seen a banner advertising cheap cereals for what looked like a Tesco, but we weren't sure if there was actually one there, so we went to check it out. Hidden under the Travelodge there was indeed a Tesco Express, which proved useful for more supplies!
We then boarded a 4-car train to Crewe which was full and standing due to some football fans. We decided to cut out going to Lichfield & go home early! Ivo and JoeGJ1984 got off at Nuneaton for a train to Coventry via Bedworth, going onto Birmingham. Jordy and I stayed onto Tamworth, where a load of football fans got off to urinate in the station car park! Don't know how many got left behind! Noticed one guy had already wet himself
I got the last Southbound Trent Valley of the night to Northampton where I had to change for a London train. I wish they could terminate somewhere more interesting like Milton Keynes, but never mind! Interesting ride back home as we were on the fast lines all the way after joining the 4 track section, despite the fact we had a few stops. Looking out I saw a bit of work going on on the slow lines.
Arriving at Euston after 10pm I was surprised to see the gates in operation still (they were wide open at 07.30), and it was chaos as everyone's tickets seemed to get rejected. I used my Oyster card to get me out rather than chance any hassle with a Great Escape ticket.
I started out after having bought my ticket from the LM office at Euston (which printed on my ticket as "Euston Lcl Tkts") on the 07.46 Euston to Crewe, a 4-car 350, as far as Northampton where I met Jordy and craig87034. We boarded the service for Birmingham New Street with a very good guard who enjoyed talking to everyone on the train and actually checked our tickets that day (went the rest of the day with only a check on 3 more trains, 2 of which were on the Bedford - Bletchley line). His announcements were a bit over the top though. There was also an annoying woman singing on the train, the guard seemed to egg her on! matt joined our train at Coventry.
At Birmingham New Street we met Ivo and JoeGJ1984, and made a quick trip to Tesco Express to get some supplies. Ivo then bought his ticket from the ticket office.
We boarded the Euston train, which we were going to catch as far as Watford Junction. Shortly after leaving New Street the guard came round to check tickets and tell some other passengers off for boarding the train as the doors were closing, threatening to chuck them off!
At Northampton where the Crewe portion joined us it was quite a sudden jolt and unexpected as the doors were still open! We then went down to Watford Junction to do the St Albans Abbey line and did the last return trip before the trains became buses for the afternoon!
We then did Watford Junction to Milton Keynes, and back to Bletchley to do the Bedford line. The original plan was to go straight back but we decided to hang around for an hour to see the Hastings unit. We knew IanPooleTrains was on the station somewhere but wasn't sure who it was. We eventually worked it out on the train back to Bletchley and invited him to sit with us!
A quick trip down to Leighton Buzzard and back, we boarded a Northbound train to Wolverton and changed there for one a few minutes behind. We went via Northampton; craig87034 got off at Long Buckby to go back home and we carried on to Rugby where we had an almost 30 minutes wait. matt stayed on the train, going back to Coventry.
Earlier in the day I'd seen a banner advertising cheap cereals for what looked like a Tesco, but we weren't sure if there was actually one there, so we went to check it out. Hidden under the Travelodge there was indeed a Tesco Express, which proved useful for more supplies!
We then boarded a 4-car train to Crewe which was full and standing due to some football fans. We decided to cut out going to Lichfield & go home early! Ivo and JoeGJ1984 got off at Nuneaton for a train to Coventry via Bedworth, going onto Birmingham. Jordy and I stayed onto Tamworth, where a load of football fans got off to urinate in the station car park! Don't know how many got left behind! Noticed one guy had already wet himself
I got the last Southbound Trent Valley of the night to Northampton where I had to change for a London train. I wish they could terminate somewhere more interesting like Milton Keynes, but never mind! Interesting ride back home as we were on the fast lines all the way after joining the 4 track section, despite the fact we had a few stops. Looking out I saw a bit of work going on on the slow lines.
Arriving at Euston after 10pm I was surprised to see the gates in operation still (they were wide open at 07.30), and it was chaos as everyone's tickets seemed to get rejected. I used my Oyster card to get me out rather than chance any hassle with a Great Escape ticket.
