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Our fun trip to London..19/12/06

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heart-of-wessex

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Hi all,

Our day out was mixed of madness, fun but sadly missing /special workings/freight as well!

Me and DJC_158 (Dan) start our day meeting up at Melksham Market Place when we get the 0805 to Chippenham. NC Palletine, 34112, arrives full of school people as it runs via George Ward School. We were going to get off at the temporary Bus Station stops, but it went up to the station anyway. We got their (albeit too early) and was going to get the tickets from the fast ticket machine, but at 0840 or so wouldnt let us use the Y-P just yet, so we went to to ticket office to buy a Y-P Return to Boundary Z6 + TC 1- 6, boarding on the 0925. At £30.05 it was £1.05 cheaper than a return to Padd then a Y-P travelcard.

We see the 0855 storm out, hear the 0905 to Swindon (from this station to Swindon it said, Starting at Chippenham??) announcement saying it was Cancelled, saw a HST storm past with passengers on, then our 0925 arrives with 43128 on lead in reverse formation.

en-route, storming past Didcot, I go to the buffet for a breakfast bap and a Hot Chocolate and attempted walking back to Coach B with the set bouncing about. The Hot Chocolate was a different one to what I'm used to, It is now Areo Chocolate. Basically Hot water and Milk taste (no chocolate taste!!) with lumps of chocolate at the bottom.
We then reach Reading with plenty of Turbos to see and then into London, passing Old Oak, seeing the ex-Fertis 56s/58s.

We arrive into Paddington 3 up and I take a cig break before we head to the Underground. The next two are for Edgware Road so we take a C stock set on 5552 to Edgware. There a H&C set pulls in and we jump on 5599 to KXSP.
We leave on the stairs leading to KX concourse. A 91 set, 2 HST sets and a HT Class 222 are seen and we walk up platform 1 to see if there is any spare skips in the Loco Sidings. None are to be seen so I film the 1135 (I think?) GNER to Newcastle. A 91 set left first and instead of writing the MK4 numbers, I simply film them as they go past. At that moment the HST storms of with clag that I miss filming due to me getting the coach numbers and see it leave.

It was then a walk to KXT where we got on 319435 and planned to take it to Wimbledon. Some thinking and a cahnge of plan saw us get off at Mitcham Junction for the Trams instead (better than going all the way to Wimbledon for the tram, only to head back!) and took it to Sandilands, then a Elmers bound tram to Arena on 2546. We walked alnog the line to Harrington Road (any Tram entusiasts should note this is a great spot, DJC_158 might confirm)

At Harrington Road, 2549 pulls in and we head back to East Croydon and get on 377459 to Victoria. We have lunch at KFC in the victoria shopping centre and then head to the tube, getting on C stock 5525 to Westminster. We made an interchange for the Jubilee to London Bridge (LB) on 96241. After some spotting (and watching the ugly NSE 456s and even more ugly Southern 456s) we get on a 465 to Waterloo East and then walk to the Ian Allan bookshop. I buy the First Budget Fleetbook at £5 and Dan gets Todays Railways mag.

We head back to Waterloo, I spot SWT's new 450111 and we get the Jubilee for Stratford. Our plan is mothballed as we jump on 96094 at Waterloo and an announcement is made saying due to a communications failure, we are not moving. So, with a change of plan, we head to the Drain and get on 65502 to Bank. There, we get on DLR 43 to Crossharbour, then DLR 29 to Canary Wharf. We get off and find the next service to Stratford...which was our one!
So we lost our seat and we wait for the next one, with me arguing to myself i saw the destinations on our train saying Stratford!
Anyway DLR 56/55 arrive and we stand to Stratford.

At Stratford, I wait for some freight to pass and take some unit numbers, whilst we stand in amusement looking at the Central Line with a 92 stock stopping with a BTP arrest, and then another stopping halfway in the platform due to a technical fault. The next one then pulls in at 3-5mph, with a guy flasting a lamp down the tunnel from the platform end then the next lot of services proceed as normal. whatever was going on we dont know.

With dan fozen like a ice block and me warmer in a big coat :-P we see no freight :( and we head off on the 1959 (delayed to 1803) on 321352 to Liverpool Street. After some Number taking, I explain to dan how the Pusl Pull set works and see how slow the DVT responds. With the AC traction motors already blowing the way, the 1820 departure was ready, but the people weren't. Tons of people were racing through the gates and running to the set, most walking and leaving doors open, or not bothering walking through FC and jumping out again to the front. It was well past departure time and people were STILL coming, with the ONE dispatcher letting them on despite it now being 1823. The train eventually left at 1825! We walked along the Concourse to see there was an 1830 IC set for Norwich anyway!!! why the people could'nt admit they were late and just get the 1830...?

It was then a trip to Aldgate on 5055 and back to Moorgate on 5150.
At Moorgate we got on 313047 in the FCC livery to Finsbury Park, done some spotting and then 365537 to KX. On the approach we see 67025 in the Loco Siding and then head sraight to the tube. We see a Met service with 5051/5052, 5158/5159 and then our H&C C Stock to Padd on 6733. We get held before Edgware road for about 8 minutes and then arrive into Edgware Road, thinking we would get the Edgware Effect but in 30 seconds we were off, about the fastest stop I've seen at Edgware road!

We get into Paddington at 1954 and see when our next service back home is, thinking their might be a 2015, but there is...to Swansea. The 1956 Weston has gone and We sit at Paddington awaiting the Departure.
We also learn why we saw a HST pass Chippenham, It was due to engineering diversions on the B&H.
At 2030 I do my usual sneaky plan and we go through the gates awaiting for the 2045 to be listed, as we discover it is none of the HSTs outside of the gates. the 2045 is put up on Platform 4 and within a second we zoom up to the front for a seat before anyone else, and I leg it to the far front to see whats on lead, which was 43009. As I get on Coach B I see the hoard of people storming up the Platform, quite freaky actually. We sat in ex-MMLs 42222.
An on time departure and I do H-O out the station to Royal Oak in the freezing dark and fog and connot hear a THING from 43009!

..If you wish see 'Fuming at First' for the rest of what happens.


Taa,
James.
 
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DJC_158

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Joined
20 Sep 2006
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124
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Melksham
my day started off a little differently as i left at 7.20ish to walk to the mitchell drive bus stop to wait for the 07.35 x72 to bath. where i went to melksham market place to meet up with Heart-of-wessex. The rest is as HOW has said.

in response to the tram line yeah walking along harrington road would be an ideal place for any tram enthusiasts to get some photos along the trackside, just make sure that you dont wear your best trainers as it can get a little muddy if its been raining:tongue3:

yeah it did seem a little odd at stratford with the BTP being called- but then i spose the good point is that it was rectified quickly.
oh and yeah those 456s really are ugly.

enjoyed the DLR as it was something i hadnt been on before and wanted to see. few minor changes en-route but nothing to drastic.

overall it was a great and just a minor hiccup at the end but at least we did have a solution to get back without having to pay a taxi fare.

Dan
 

RJ

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25 Jun 2005
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Back office
We walked alnog the line to Harrington Road (any Tram entusiasts should note this is a great spot, DJC_158 might confirm)

.....

With dan fozen like a ice block and me warmer in a big coat :-P we see no freight :( and we head off on the 1959 (delayed to 1803) on 321352 to Liverpool Stree

If thats the part of the line with the sharp curve then I agree it would be a good spot - shame about the monotonous subjects though!

As for Stratford, its dead for freight in the peak. It all kicks off at 7pm, especially on Tuesdays - in the space of a half hour you would have seen;

1 GB 66
2 FL 86s
1 FL 90
37607 + 37608
1 FL 66
 

DJC_158

Member
Joined
20 Sep 2006
Messages
124
Location
Melksham
As for Stratford, its dead for freight in the peak. It all kicks off at 7pm, especially on Tuesdays - in the space of a half hour you would have seen;

1 GB 66
2 FL 86s
1 FL 90
37607 + 37608
1 FL 66

ah right typical- ah well at least we shall know this for next time!
 

AlexS

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7 Jun 2005
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2,886
Location
Just outside the Black Country
It was well past departure time and people were STILL coming, with the ONE dispatcher letting them on despite it now being 1823. The train eventually left at 1825! We walked along the Concourse to see there was an 1830 IC set for Norwich anyway!!! why the people could'nt admit they were late and just get the 1830...?

Taa,
James.

You should know with the railways that if you can see and touch a train going to where you want, you get on it, as the next one might well not turn up at all :)
 
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