Day 12 - Sunday 14th September
Aims for the day - Blackpool North, Shotton - Wrexham & Manchester Airport lines.
A later start today as it's a Sunday and services start later, so I got to Preston for the 0919 to Blackpool North on 156461.
Upon approach to the station 142024, 156429, 150116 & 153328 were in the sidings along with another 150/1 and a 153, while 185142, 185115, 158758, 158753, 150113 156425 & 142061 were in the platforms at North Station.
I went for a stroll in Blackpool hoping to find a Costa for a decent coffee, but after 20 minutes of walking around I admitted defeat and settled for a tea from Pumpkin on the station before getting on 185144 for the 1044 to Bolton. Trains were being terminated at Bolton due to engineering works, although the 1147 from Preston to the airport was apparently running through, so I changed at Preston onto the crazily packed 185116, so glad I got a first class ticket!
At Manchester Piccadilly there was an ATW 150/158 combo in one of the platforms so I went to investigate, but it was dud 158841/150229, however 156472 pulled in on P14 with a Chester to Southport train which was needed in the book.
As I've not been to Manchester Airport by train I took a ride down there on 185126, before crossing from P1 to P3 onto 185103 to get back to Piccadilly. I needed to head towards Shotton to get the line to Wrexham in the book. I had a short 10 min wait here for 175105 For the run over to Chester through Warrington, where 142054,156424, 142057, 175001,175003 were noted in the station/yard, then 7 minutes to change onto another 175, 175112, for the short hop over to Shotton. fortunately I had done the Bidston - Shotton line on a Cheshire rover as there's engineering works on that stretch today.
I board 150217 which has quite a dent on the front of it, I assume it's had a bump with something. Not really much to say about the trip down to Wrexham - it's very rural and quiet - so quiet there's no mobile signal for most of it. Arrival into Wrexham Central and there's about 20 minutes before the train heads back so I decide to have a walk into the town before re-boarding at Wrexham General, except it's shut - all the shops are shut and it's dead quiet. A gentle stroll over to General and it's full of coaches as there's more works going on here for the redoubling of the line to Chester.
Back to Shotton and I've got 25 mins for the next Crewe bound train, so a swift half in the railway hotel before strolling down the Bidston platform to wait for my next move which turns up with 175107, although just as we're pulling away 150229 pulls in with 158827 on the Holyhead train, 827 provides another winner.
Nothing seems to have moved in Chester as we pass through on the way to Crewe, and my phone rings at an inopportune moment, just as we are passing Crewe Electric so I missed the line of 90's, so as there was another service back to Chester I jumped on the dud 221111 and noted 90023, 90030, 90032, 90038 & 90040, the others were all obscured by walls, wagons & trees.
175114 was next to take me back to Crewe where 156410 was noted on the 1908 Crewe-Derby, another late winner. Finally 221105 arrived with the 1909 back to Preston. Not a bad day, some good coverage for the atlas and 3 winners for sight.
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Day 13 - Monday 15th September
Aims for the day, Carlisle - Newcastle & the Cleveland Coast
I was going to have a slightly later start, but I was awake early so I make it back to Preston station in time for the 0656 down to Wigan on 390156, where a caffeine boost is needed from pumpkin to wake me up properly. I was awake but not awake if you know what I mean.
I hang about on Wigan at the south end of the station so I can catch the units to/from Wallgate. 5 units noted from Wallgate and 10 at North Western, but Nothing close to a winner down here today so I hop onto 390009 for the run up to Carlisle and a chance to sample Virgins Breakfast.
Arrival at Carlisle was just in time to see 66103 power through the station southbound with a freight. 156486 was noted with a service to Lancaster via Barrow before 156510 arrived with the 0939 to Newcastle. Unfortunately the weather isn't up to much today and it's pouring with rain for the trip across Hadrians Country towards Newcastle. The advantage of taking the. Scotrail/Northern service to Newcastle is that is approaches from the back of Gateshead and the High Level bridge to platform 1, more new track covered. As we pulled into P1, 142020 was already stabled there, another winner!
I was due to meet my mum for lunch, but I hung about just incase my last TPE UNIT was on the 1117 arrival - alas no.
After lunch and a Costa to keep me going down the East Coast and still no luck on the 1310 dep or 1315 arrival TPE services, however 142079 arrived with an ex-Carlisle service, that's one for the book.
Fortunately 156475 arrived to form the 1330 Nunthorpe service, I had been dreading doing all that wY in a pacer! Over the bridge in the other direction heading toward Sunderland and the weather hasn't improved at all, and I fact upon leaving Sunderland got worse - fog - so thick you could barely see past the tracks, only occasional glimpses of houses along the line breaking through the fog. Oh well.
The fog started to ease around Stockton, just in time to see what's left of the old Thornaby depot. Well when I say what's left of it, there's a brick shed and loads of smashed bricks all over the place. Such a shame, I remember a number of visits to Thornaby in the late 80's and 90's and they were always one of the more accommodating depots .
I'm changing at Middlesbrough, and 142070 provides my ride into Darlington, another of them stations with fantastic architecture and a train shed full of history.
82206 & 91126 are pulling in to take me down to York where I note my second class 68, 68002, along with 1851511,185122 & 185149 but still no 108!
185102 pulls into Platform 3, a last minute change from Platrom 5, cue people scrambling a cross the footbridge. I take 185102 across the Pennines to Manchester Victoria, where 45 minutes of hanging around produces winners 150225, 153351 & 150268 before heading over to Piccadilly to catch the 1855 to London on 390132.
An interesting sight as we left Manchester was EMT combination of 156497&158854 on platform 13 with the 1843 Liverpool - Norwich service. I didn't know 156's ever got onto this route, I assume the 156 is detached at Nottingham?
On departure from Crewe finally the Virginia catering staff decided to offer refreshments, although the Pork in cider Stew was not as nice as it sounds, still it washed down well with the red wine.
