47403
Established Member
Sorry didn't mean to doubt you.You can't have missed a yellow 73 so it must have been 952. I didn't realise that GBRF ones had mixed with the the NR ones.
Hey don't be daft, no need to apologize. There was no offence taken, sorry if it came over that way.
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Day 4 - The Last Day
Sadly all too soon, it was the last day. It may have came as no surprise, being up till 02.40, that I got out my pit a bit later, by the time I'd re-packed the mobile house, which I was not looking forward to lumping round with me today, done the abloutions and made sure I'd left nothing behind it was 08.50 before I engaged in a rather mega sized full english breakfast, with toast, 2 glasses of Apple Juice and a pot of coffee. A quick checkout and by 09.45 I was aboard, double winners 43139 & 43015 for the last trip outta WSM up to Shirley's Temple, with nothing to report at Bristol Railport today.
A mixture of the 3 previous days, the late night, the mega breakfast and carrying the mobile house had left me slightly sluggish to say the least. No cops on sight at Shirley neither, maybe shows how well I'd actually done, which for the record was fairly decent and didn't realise how decent, till I was burning the midnight oil, whilst I was marking stuff into the NREA. I chose to be let out the station, well the FoSS ticket wasn't gonna let me, fortunately the barrier staff, were A) used to seeing me and knew the FoSs Rover ticket, hadn't opened all but 1 barrier for the entire trip and let me through without a problem and B) had an inkling of common knowledge and sense.
I went to Smiths and bought a can of Rockstar and went for a quick ciggy before returning and jumped on dud 150123 up to Cardiff. That errant 142 was very much, very high on the agenda. If I didn't try and get it today, I'd kick myself. However I was already running late and time was of the essence, I had to be in Swindon for the 16.41 back to Padd. Meaning I had till at most 3pm, to find 142069 and clear the Welsh pacers.
Nothing of note between Shirley and Cardiff, as I approached Newport, I thought will I bail or not. I chose not to, the mind proccess being if I bailed here, sure I might get an extra winner in but what if I miss that 142, if it gets on the Valley's before I get there, I may miss it altogether. so I ploughed on.
Theres a few DB sheds on the siding between Newport and Cardiff plus a 60, nothing required though. Just outside Cardiff we're halted at a signal, waiting for a Platform, I see a 142 up to my left, could I actually get it before we even arrive. No, was the answer, it was 142073. Damn! Whilst also stood at the signal a light engine Colas shed rattles past, catching me totally unawares. Not long after, we get moving and as I bail, I see some cranks on the opposite platform, so I make through the underpass and onto that platform and ask what the Colas shed was? turns out 66849 had broken out of the confines at Westbury at last. I make my way up to the top of the platform and position myself, opposite the Valley Lines platforms, Sadly no cops ae encountered thus meaning no 142069, even the HST stock are duds. I knew I'd put a fair dint in stuff here on Tuesday but there was still more than enough requirements to warrant at least one cop, Jeez.
Sure enough, an XC turbo set the ball rolling cop wise, 170105, this was closely follwed by150217, seems like the shackles were coming off at last. The next sighting took me by surprise, a gaggle of cranks had now joined me at the top end of the platform, I thought, hmm maybe a freight's coming through, I was wrong but the sight of GWR Green 43188 & 43187 turned my head, not because I needed them but I knew I'd certainly need the full rake of similarly painted GWR Green coaches. The livery looks nice on the HSTs, however not as resplendant as 47484, 47628 or 50007 ever looked but passable, the HST actually suits the livery.
Shortly after I took this photo and I mean seconds, I turned and seen a 142 coming in towards the valley platforms, is this it? it sure was 142069 was copped and with it all the welsh pacers, well ALL the Western Region pacers were finshed for sight. Joy of Joys, all I need now are 9 from NH, and I just might get em all seen before they're actually turned into proper tin cans. Now I had a bit time to do a Newport Leap and was trying to work out in my head, what time 43188 and 43187, may return from Swansea, they maybe a good bet to get me to Swindon.
I took this opportunity to go for a coffee and a ciggy, through the underpass and after being released through the gate, I poured a coffee from the flask and had a quick ciggy and celebrated 142069's passing. I returned to the platform and copped 153320. Then double winners 43193 & 43195 arrived to take me to Newport and for the record, I cop the full rake of coaches too. Just as well I went on that leap then too because on passing the sidings between Cardiff and Newport I saw something of great interest there. Cast your mind back to day 1, remember before I'd even left the house and a certain shed on the Tees-Mossend modal passed the flat and I thought I'd clicked 1 of my remaining 3 DB sheds, only 66230 wasn't, it was actaully 66238 I needed. Well 66238 was sitting there large as life, I was delighted, now just 181 and 184 to find and thats that 250 scratched off.
I bail the zings and I can't resist seeing if the Rover still works the barriers here, I go over the brisge and down towards the entrance put said rover into the slot and hey presto, open sesame, I walk out of the station. I head into the Car Park, have a ciggy and note 158836 another ATW 158 bites the dust, the FoSS doesnt allow me back through the gate and I'm told by the woman at the barriers, if I'd waited 20mins it would have let me back on. I'm walking towards the stairs when I see a dog bo on platform 1, so I make my way towards that and jump abaord winner 153333 with dud 150120 for company at the back, I climb aboard the dogbox and await departure, a pair of dud HSTs arrive opposite me, so Im pleased with myself for chosing dogbox travel. En route back to Cardiff I noice 66238 is no longer in the sidings, phew that was lucky then.
Back at Cardiff, I get talking to an older gentleman, who's also a fellow crank and we chew the fat for a while, I'm looking in my NREA to see how far I'm on with the ATW dogboxes and 150's, I shock myself to note I'm down to 3 dogboes and 13 150's for sight, I had none whatsoever before the FoSS. I fire up RTT and see what time 43188 & 43187 are coming back from Swansea, they'll be on the 14.25 out of here, so theres my chariots out of here. I stand back at the spot, I'd entrusted myself with, the one opposoite the valley lines at the Canton end of the station, I bag 150208 170519 175009 and 150256 before I make tracks over to Platform 1 for the 14.25. Whilst waiting here I get myself a nice ice cold, bottle of coke before 153323 then adds itself to the cop list, much to my delight.
5 mins later I'm clambering aboard, double winners 43188 & 43187 for the final move on the FoSS to Swindon. The new line for me, bypassing Shirley, not that I'm a track person, it's hardly vital to me but I can say I've done it, mind you, I missed a fair chunk of it anyhow, as I dozed off and awoke as we were leaving Bristol Parkway.
I had roughly an hour in Swindon, I did ponder moving forward to Reading, to see if I could've added some trubo's to the cops list but quite frankly, I couldn't be bothered to go check the price. Anyhow I managed to snaffle a couple more rakes of HST stock before dud 43180 and winner 43137 arrived to take me back to Padd. It was heaving and my seat, as well as the other 3 seats beside it, were all taken up, 2 with laptops, I simply just let them sit there, I really couldn't be bothered to shift folk and got a backwards facing airline seat to myself. After a while, I sought LSGs Black box of doom, the 2 business folk in front of me rabbling on about profit margins etc, which made me realise, why I hate the TV show, the Apprentice so much, to the right of me were 2 teachers yabbering on about offsted, I couldn't be arsed to listen to eithers tripe, so I sought solace in AC/DCs Greatest Hits.
Into Reading and on the loop, too far away to ID, was a aggregates livery 59 but I did bag 165208 450099 and 450109, so all was not lost. 47580 was sitting at Southall and the 66, behind the wall just out of Padd was allegedly 66760, I missed out on Acton Yard because some tiit decided to get his bag from the luggage rack, hence blocking any view out the right hand window.
At Padd, I done a quck reccy around and managed to bag one more rake of HST stock, before leaving the station for a ciggy. I went and got a bottle of diet coke, it was the coldest and watched folk come and go in the rush hour. I made for the tube and as I walked round I got 360205 for sight, to clear that small sub class of dustys. The tube was manic but I only had to wait 5mins at most till a very cosy 21383 took me on towards Kings Cross/St Pancras. Where I made my way up to the top landing at St P's, to see what Eurostars were lurking round, good job too, I snared another 2 cops in 4008 and 3221 before walking to the opposite end and seeing 222011 in the EMT platform. I made a hasty exit over to Kings Cross, getting a chicken salad sarnie meal deal, went to check the PIS and the platform obviously hadn't been announced. RTT was saying the train was in platform 1 but I went and sat outide in the sunshine eating my sarnie, then had a ciggy watching the talent go by, trust me there was stunning women about.
A young lad on his skateboard was trying to impress by doing a few tricks, I sat there and wished he'd go away, I got sick of hearing his skateboard clattering on the floor as another failed attempt to do the same trick failed. He eventually buggered off, when the most beautiful looking young lady came and sat nearby, she turned a few heads I'll say that, she was sitting with her mother, looking at a map, having a ciggy too. Unfortunately it was time for me to head off, I walked up to the GN and Thameslink platforms first, noting 317348, typical the only bloody 317 I have, however 365513 and 365519 were duly copped. I walked back to the barriers, where the VTEC and GC trains leave from, got my ticket out the wallet and opened and WALKED THROUGH THE BARRIERS unassisted, first time for a while too and made my way over to see what HST I had home, it turned out the very first move of the FoSS was the same home, 43206 and 43314. bollocks.
I found my seat and had myself a window seat and a table seat all the way home for myself, the Thameslink and GN units flew by in the London suburbs, without being able to ID any, at Hornsey on the siding opposite the depot was an UID 700 and about a 100yds further on, was 37057 at the head of a test train.
Peterborough came and went, absolutely zilch on, Donnie Yard was covered by a rake of wagons and 66305 was still in the DRS siding, in a fairly uneventful trip home.
Still I'd had a cracking time, the reason for booking the FoSS was to get as many requirements scratched in that area, of which there was loads and I certainly achieved that. The NREA looks a damn sight healthier on that front now, ot least in the HST stock page, so what about the stats I hear fishquinn scream. well here goes
Total Cops
347 of which a good half, was coaching stock
Mileage
1500 miles 17 chains
Expenditure
Now I'd had this booked well in advance, the digs I booked in January using money from Xmas and Birthday and advances bought 3months in advance
3 nights BnB £120
Advances- NEW-LKX(rtrn), PAD-WSM, SWI-PAD £84
Rovers- £59.95
Oyster Card- £20
Other(food & drink) £80
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