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Neds Do Nuneaton - 03/01/07

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Techniquest

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Thought I would enlighten you all with a little tale about my first bash of 2007.

After gaining approximately two and a half hours sleep, I awaken at 0601. Breakfast is formed of a large mug of coffee and a turkey and stuffing toasted sandwich. 0642 and I'm finally sort-of awake and walking up the road to the museum for the 0650 to Hereford.

0655 or so and YJ05 WCW pulls up to enlighten my morning with some Tempo thrash. 0656 and we are off. The thrash is pretty good, although unfortunately we do not get to Hereford as early as I wanted. We arrive at 0746 at Hereford Railway Station Approach. Not bad, 50 minutes, but could have been far better!

Off I go nonetheless into the station to see 175110 on the 0748 towards Cardiff (probably to Carmarthen can't be sure now) whilst I get my West Midlands Day Ranger. £9.75, up 35p since last year. If I had been in Hereford in time for it, I'd have gotten the 0735 with a Saver Return to Birmingham and a Cheap Day Return from there. As it turns out, that would have been a daft idea anyway.

0750 and I'm lost for what to do now until 0830. Off I go to the Country Bus Station for an alleviation and photting of 25102 working the 0830 39 to Brecon. UK02 DRM soon comes in too to work the 0830 476 to Ledbury. This gets photted too. 52498 soon comes along with the 0616 off Tredegar to work the 0830 X4 to Cardiff Central Bus Station via Merthyr Tydfil. By now I've boarded UK02 DRM, so I can't be bothered with photting it. £2.20 for a single to Ledbury is much better than a Standard Day Single to Ledbury by rail, which is what I'd have to buy at £4.50 otherwise! Turns out the Scania was nice and thrashy! Arrived at Ledbury Railway Station at 0904.

Had a quick check-out of Ledbury ticket office before filming 170112 from the footbridge arriving into Ledbury on the 0907 to Birmingham New Street, which I am taking. Cue a dash downstairs to get it!

An eventful bash to Birmingham, so I start making an ALR plan. I also celebrate the first bash of 2007 with a can of Tetleys. Job done.

Arrived into Birmingham at 1022, 2 up by the timetable, having been held for some time at Kings Norton. Rush to the screens, 1024, platform 7a. Dash upstairs and across to p7a, made it with around 30 seconds to go. First things first, another alleviation.

66537, 57006 and 66501 noted in Lawley Street Freightliner Terminal whilst I get a coffee off the trolley. I did also note a Silverlink 321/4 arriving into Birmingham at Grand Junction, but I couldn't tell which one this was. 66066 and 66213 were noted in another depot to the left further on, with another UID EWS 66 noted, number not visible due to containers being in the way. 08993 was in the Washwood Heath area. 66719 in Hams Hall, the only loco I needed so far.

Arrived into Nuneaton at 1051. Discovered it was 170508 that I bashed over to here. Various 390s, a claggy as F**K stoneblower, 92039, 66572, 66135, 66190, 67005 hauling 4 ex-Anglia DBSOs (one of which was 9708, which I needed!), 60010, 66551, 90044 and 350126 were all noted before we decided to go to Tamworth to try the lineside location at Boles Hill to catch 71000 'Duke of Gloucester' there. 350102 came in on the 1401 to Crewe, which was quite a fun bash! 5 350s in for haulage now.

Took quite a while to find Boles Hill, but it was an OK location. 71000 came by with a MK2 not long after we arrived. Then we decided it was time to go back to Tamworth station, with a stop at Aldi on the way. A UID FL 66 and 90016 passed en-route to Boles Hill.

Various 66s were seen here as well as a couple of Voyagers, 170s and a 158 before 170114 arrived at 1631 on the 1634 to Birmingham New Street. A required bash for me! Arrived into Birmingham around 4 minutes late due to being held at Grand Junction.

No problem, I saw and photted 175115 in Birmingham, a sight I've never had before. Also secured at long last was 153381, my last CT unit. I also finished off, at last, my 350s! 350115 arrived around 1711 to run the 1715 back to Northampton, so I was very happy to have let the 1659 go!

170107 was running the 1719 to Hereford, having arrived around 1714, just as I was coming off the stairs on p12b! JUST managed to secure one of the ultra-comfortable seats in 55107. We get held at Stoke Works Junction for some time to allow a late-running unit to clear the single line from Droitwich. We are around 9 minutes late at Droitwich and this goes only down to 8 at Ledbury. Due to an amazing amount of slack in the timetable, we arrive only a few minutes later than the timetabled arrival time. Thankfully my mental run over to the bus stop didn't have to happen then! Walked over at a reasonable rate to the bus stop after picking up some Virgin timetables and a copy of ATW's timetable H. We leave promptly at 1907 on YE52 FHA, with some Solo action tonight. I eventually get home around 2010, thankfully my tea has already been started on for me so I had less cooking to do! Turkey steak burger and chips, mmm, went down well as I was rather hungry!

That's the trip report concluded. Comments are, as always, welcome.
 
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Ascot

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Very nice day you had, should of gave us a buzz or something and could of met at Kiddie for chippy. Usually you get the 175s in from the day it was Holyhead to Birmingham instead of Birmingham to Aberystwyth. What service was it running as well, Chester or Aber?

That Silverlink, was it on platform 1? As that thing was there when i was in New Street.
 

Mintona

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It were a good bash to be sure that is. I had 170107 from Gloucester to Birmingham in the morning, but I comfortably managed to get an ex-FC seat :P
 

Nick

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Captin Cod sounds hellfire, regarding the "these taste bum" must be a West Midlands thing ;)
 

class 313

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BoooooooooooooooooooooooooooS

anyway, sounds like Ascot likes his fish too much ;)

*keeps away from nunny*
 

Ascot

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Since when's Sheldon been Yam :?

Finding out what area uses it will keep you quiet for a while guessing ;)
 
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