North East Rover - Feb 2014

[Tracked]

What is this called then? according to National Rail it's a Freedom of the North East Rover, according to Doncaster station it's just a North East Rover. Anyway, this is ongoing:

08/02/14.
Just get into Doncaster in time to avoid the wind suddenly picking up and it starting to rain heavily, catching the 06:10 East Coast up to Darlington. Despite the weather warnings it gets light enough by York to see that the weather isn't so bad, shame about the 91+Mk4's which seem a bit lively on today's journey.

Changed at Darlington for a large cup of coffee and a 142 to Bishop Auckland, we get held up outside Shildon at a couple of red signals, possibly something to do with the points from what I could hear. I go back all the way to Saltburn on the same 142, then back to Middlesbrough.

Thankfully it's a 156 to Whitby, 444, and I arrive long before any particularly bad weather does, stiff breeze not counting. Spent a couple of hours there before walking to Ruswarp on the trackside path, The Bridge Inn isn't cheap but the beers are in good condition, I have a couple of pints before catching the same 156 back to Whitby and on to Middlesbrough.

Changed at Middlesbrough for another 156 with rubbish seating, 156444 has the comfy Northern ones similar to/same as those refurb'd 144's, the one to Newcastle has these grey things with light/dark green blobs on them, there seems to be less legroom in it. I go via Sunderland and see a few of the Metro units, surprised they let them share the mainline cause they seem flimsier than 142's.

Dash across Newcastle station for the HST to Doncaster, needn't have bothered as it's delayed - first one today - due to a police incident on the train, I would expect it to be football related as Hull & Blackburn were up north and Police and supporters were all over the place?

Decent ride back, again a bit rough after Darlington in places, there's an IC 37 outside the NRM but the logo doesn't say Intercity, think it was the guy/company that own it but can't remember which - Ian somthing?

More coming at some point ...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
09/02/14.
Back on the 91 to York, after lunch, manage to pick the carriage where one end's taken up by the aftermath of a hen party. Quiet, Not. Change at York but have about 50 minutes to wait so try the Brewery Tap bar on the station. £3.50 a pint, eek.

155 and 153 paired up to Knaresbrough, I choose the 155 part but the seats are as bad as the 153 for space, catch another of the same pairing to Leeds after a look round the castle and riverside (quite high ... ).

185 from Leeds to York, it's busy and there's the usual suitcases all over this service from Manchester Airport, but I get to meet the train to Sheffield. It's a voyager, but it's going via the Pontefract Baghill line and that's a new one for me.

Coach back from Sheffield though, it would've been more impressive had the police actually been waiting at Doncaster to arrest the people drinking lager on the journey home, as it is it looked like an empty threat.

 

[Welshman]

Thank you for posting your escapades on the first two days of your North-East Rover.

You're right about the lack of legroom on the 155/153s - if I remember correctly, the 153s were originally 155s which were split-up with an extra cab added, so that's why the seating configuration is identical.

I think the remaining 155s are all now with Northern, but I remember that when they were first introduced they were used on the Welsh Marches line! I find them tortuous even for short distances like Leeds-Halifax-Manchester, but imagine a journey from Manchester to Cardiff in one of them!

I look-forward to reading your accounts of the remainder of your journeys.

 

[sprinterguy]

Decent ride back, again a bit rough after Darlington in places, there's an IC 37 outside the NRM but the logo doesn't say Intercity, think it was the guy/company that own it but can't remember which - Ian somthing?

The 37 is Ian Riley's 37518, whose name it carries in the INTERCITY typeface.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Changed at Middlesbrough for another 156 with rubbish seating, 156444 has the comfy Northern ones similar to/same as those refurb'd 144's, the one to Newcastle has these grey things with light/dark green blobs on them, there seems to be less legroom in it.

That 156 will have been one of the North West interlopers that often appear in the North East these days. They were refurbished with Chapman seating in the closing days of Regional Railways North West. I can't say that I'm much of a fan of the Chapman seating either.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You're right about the lack of legroom on the 155/153s - if I remember correctly, the 153s were originally 155s which were split-up with an extra cab added, so that's why the seating configuration is identical.

I think the remaining 155s are all now with Northern, but I remember that when they were first introduced they were used on the Welsh Marches line! I find them tortuous even for short distances like Leeds-Halifax-Manchester, but imagine a journey from Manchester to Cardiff in one of them!

Indeed - The only 155s that remain in their original form are the seven with Northern that were formerly sponsored by West Yorkshire PTE. All of the Regional Railways units that were used on the Welsh Marches, Cardiff to Portsmouth, etc were converted to single-car 153s.

 

[Tracked]

Cheers Guys

10/02/14.
Another 91 to York, and this time it's a change to a 185 going to Scarborough. Plenty of rivers about to burst their banks on the way, but it's looking like it's going to be a very nice day despite the frost.

Rather warm in Scarborough, spend 3 hours their including a trip on the Tram up the cliff, before a 158 to Bridlington for another hour in the sun, and another 158 to Beverley, followed by yet another 158 to Goole for the Ghost train.

For something that only runs twice a day it's a bit over-subscribed, at least 3 people on there and a 153 coupled to a 142. I choose the 153, as the lesser of two evils, and another new line is bagged (as some people say, not me, possibly until now).

Chaos at Castleford, though I'm engrossed in the Difficult level sudoku, we're waiting half an hour before we're herded off the 153 and past the 142 behind (which may or may not be the same one we brought with us) on to another 153.

I miss the train home, so it's to Doncaster on a 91 and where I see the 321/9 waiting to bring me back to Bentley in the platform. Only it's not, it's a 142 with the newish seating that seems to be missing an armrest in the middle of the seats. Oh Well!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Travel Chaos Alert!

Mainly if you're travelling from Leeds, there's a reason I walk into town to catch the train there and today it makes it seem a good idea. A broken down train near Adwick means I'd have missed my York train, which is a 91 again.

Get into York and there's a Voyager waiting to take me on to Newcastle, and today there's a 5-car and a 4-car coupled together to eliminate the overcrowding issue. They also don't smell of toilet, which is nice ...

Catch a 156 to Carlisle and have a brief walk into the town before coming back to find the station dead. Not long before I get the 158 to Skipton it picks up with 3 Pendo's, a 185 and a Voyager going south, plus a 66 and a few Pendo's going north.

Change at Skipton because I want to go on a 333, they're awesome, the only thing that would make a 333 better is 2+2 seating. Get a 91 back to Doncaster and a 321/9 to Bentley.

The weather was supposed to be awful today, was glad Carlisle-Settle was nice, but travelling it in the wind&rain must be fun. There's plenty of snow on the highest hills there, and a bit of it around Garsdale & Dent

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like you've enjoyed a fair variety on the trip, and I agree on the 333s, they're decent little beasts but could do with being 2+2 seating.

Lots of 91 bashing going on I see!

 

[Tracked]

Oh yes, been starting every day with a 91

12/02/14.
Started with a 91 again, the York service, and then went to get a Voyager up to Newcastle. It was late, and a few people walked over to the East Coast service to Edinburgh because they thought it would go first - it didn't.

Changed at Newcastle for another 91 to Berwick On Tweed, it had snowed overnight and the weather was now deteriorating so I got a Voyager back to Newcastle, where the wind and rain were so bad that a few guys there were wearing long-sleeved t-shirts.

Voyager'd back to Darlington and took a 142 to Middlesbrough, it was sunny but again the wind was picking up - saw a plane landing awkwardly at Teeside Airport on the way.

Caught a 185 back to York, more new line on the way, and then a 91 back to Doncaster. Glass all over the road in the town centre, had a quick pint or two at Doncaster Brewery's bar and then headed back to the station, where the Bentley train was delayed due to overhead line problems. Ended up walking home ...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
13/02/14.
The sun's out today! It's not too windy either, and as this is the last day proper (off into town for a beer festival tomorrow) it's a wrapping up sort of day.

First train's a 158 to Hessle, then it's a bit of a walk to the next station - Barton on Humber - which, because the tide's in, involves having to cross this little bridge. It's only windy near the towers, and the last 250yards, the centre of the bridge isn't that bad.

A 153 takes me from B-u-H to Cleethorpes, where I swear some of the amusement arcade signs near the station haven't changed since I was a child, they're certainly faded enough.

From Cleethorpes it's a 185 to Sheffield, followed by getting a window seat on a Voyager to York. The train back is the Sky 91 on a rake of coaches that aren't Sky, looks like it's also an extra service (18:45 calling at DON, PBO & KGX) which means no seat reservations and no other people in the carriage as they've all caught the 18:34 train ...

Last train of the day is a delayed 158 to Bentley, the Harrogate train was late.

That's about it then, maybe apart from a train to & from town on the ticket tomorrow, might put some rail photo's up in a bit ...

 

[Tracked]

and here's some shots of 153's, at Knaresborough and at Goole, the one on the Ghost Train to Leeds