Postyes 2016 big bash

[fishquinn]

Unspeakably horrible thing...

Rancid things!

 

[postye]

Unspeakably horrible thing...

Rancid things!

Ah, ok. I admit they're not the best trains in the world, but if you get a seat aligned with a window they're not too bad for me, anyhow they've all got to get the red pen treatment somehow
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Saturday 25th June

A well earned lie in this morning, my first planned move was a leisurely 0803, so after breakfast I made my way to the tram stop for the short ride on tram 23 into Grand Central.
The plan for today was to cover a lot of the Lincolnshire lines including Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe and Barton. A nice bonus would be if I could clear my EM 153's by seeing 319. Providing I'm not too knackered I also plan to get the PSUL over Litchfield Trent Valley later tonight.

I arrive earlier than planned and note that there's a service at 0749 that duplicates my train as far as Derby, so I thought, if it's a winner let's give it a go.
Sure enough winner 170114 was on the Brum-Nottingham, so I take this as far as Derby, noting 66501 and 66593 in the vicinity of the Birmingham freight terminal, 60001 stabled at Kingsbury and 70014 heading Westbound through Burton. At Derby I cross over for winner 220013 on the 0844 to Glasgow, noting 31452 and 47812 stabled in the station.

Arrival is a few minutes late into Sheffield but plenty of time to cross the platform for winner 222007 the 0925 to Scarborough which sits in Sheffield for 30 minutes for some reason.
Eventually we leave and make our way to Doncaster. 66737/776/777/773/774/778 are all visible inside Roberts Road along with a couple of unidentifiable ones.

Upon arrival into Doncaster 37608 and 67003 are stabled adjacent to the station, with Networker driving coaches 65756 and 64867 are visible in Wabtec along with a couple of loose ex-London Midland trailers and something that looked like a 321 driving coach in First Great Eastern livery, but it was a bit hidden.
My pacer, winner 142005, for the ride to Scunthorpe was a few minutes late, but no issue as I had plenty of interchange Time.
Upon arriving at Scunthorpe i see that the 1103 is now expected 1125 which will make my next connection tight at Barnetby. Winner 185150 eventually rolls in around 1127 and makes its way to Barnetby, where fortunately my connection is a few minutes late so no need to run. Things start to go a bit pear shaped here, as a few minutes turn into 17 by the time 144002 and winner 142066 pull in to take me to Retford .
Unfortunately things start to go even more pear shaped here. The doors close, then re-open and we sit there while the Lincoln and Manchester services run past us on platform 4. I was keeping a look on RTT - my plan was to go down to Retford and back to Harborough and the return was running reasonably on time, but I thought I could always bail at Gainsborough if necessary. I was about to change my mind and skip this section and go to Cleethorpes instead, but as I was about to get off the doors close and we move - all of 100 yards. It transpires that we needed to clear the platform for a freight to run, Through behind us even though it was clear that we weren't going anywhere anytime soon, nice to know exactly where the railways priorities are. After 30 minutes sitting at 1 signal, to move and sit next to another for 20 minutes I was not happy and was attempting to get anybody at clueless northern customer services to either understand the situation or why I'm unhappy. I don't give a toss about delay repay, it's peanuts, I wanted an apology which I never got, and in my attempts to get anywhere I didn't think to get off at Brigg, which would've been my only hope of rescuing the situation and I'd missed it. This is the third time I've tried to make Cleethorpes and Barton and every time it's gone very wrong, so I've decided now that when I get home I'm just going to cut the page east of Barnetby out of my atlas and pretend it doesn't exist!

Anyway I find myself now at Retford, with very little options. I half think about just giving in and heading home. The next train is the 1409 VTEC to Kings cross so I take this and decide not to give in but to try Peterborough where I'd at least probably have some options. A few minutes later winner 170107 pulls in on a stanstead-Birmingham so I jump on to Leicester.

I have a choice now, winner 170104 to Brum, or winner 222018 to Nottingham - I toss a coin and Nottingham wins. A quick look at RTT says there's a +10 at Beeston so I try my luck and am rewarded with winner 156406 on a Matlock train. I must do Matlock at some point, but not today. I bail at Derby and wait for a winner. The next few trains all pull in as duds, and I decide that I'll just get the next train to Birmingham whatever.

However, my patience is soon rewarded, as a 153 pulls in empty from Depot to do a swap with the unit on a Crewe. Am I seeing things? I have just had a beer, YES, 153319 has come out to play. I think about crossing over and getting it to Crewe, but just then winner 170397 arrives from Nottingham with a Cardiff train. 319 can stay a winner for sight for now.

Back at New Street I'm looking for a winner, 220019 on a Manchester - that'll do as far as Wolverhampton. I look on RTT and it looks like I can get a
London Midland to Penkridge with a +12 back, so I give it a go. Dud 350235 takes me there but winner 350123 brings me back. At Wolverhampton I await a winner in the Birmingham direction, and 170632 does the honours nicely.

Back at Birmingham I've got just over 30 mins, so I nip to the Railway for a swift pint before joining winner 221138 on the 2030 to Derby, via the PSUL at Litchfield Trent Valley.
Standing at Derby station in the dark made me recall many moons ago as a teenager when I did an all nighter there, in them days the station was busier at night than it was during the day with frieght, parcels, mail, newspapers etc. Long gone nostalgic days, but long live the memories.

Snapping back into the real world, winner 220030 arrives about 5 min late with the return to Birmingham via Litchfield, and doesn't disappoint. Finally back at New Street and a short wait for tram 30 to take me back to my digs.

A frustrating day to say the least, where the best laid plans went to pot but the stats say

479 Miles covered
7 winners for sight
16 winners for haulage
4 winning Shacks
New track covered
Litchfield - Burton
Kirk Sandall - Barnetby
Barnetby - Retford
Peterborough - Leicester

So mustn't grumble I suppose

 

[Kite159]

We could have been on the same train if I decided to reboard it at Brigg (after waiting 80 minutes for it to finally show).

The reason we got told by the volunteer who helps with the station is that the points had failed followed by signalling problems (the level crossing was closed for a good 20 minutes), I decided to bail at I would magine it would have been an oven in there (as it was certainly quite warm waiting at the station)

 

[fishquinn]

It must have been a huge annoyance with the delay. Well done at keeping going too!

 

[postye]

Great stuff.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the West Highland line, one of my favourite journeys and one that I haven't done for far too long.

The West Highland Line is quite spectacular and something everybody should do at least once all the way to Mallaig
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

We could have been on the same train if I decided to reboard it at Brigg (after waiting 80 minutes for it to finally show).

The reason we got told by the volunteer who helps with the station is that the points had failed followed by signalling problems (the level crossing was closed for a good 20 minutes), I decided to bail at I would magine it would have been an oven in there (as it was certainly quite warm waiting at the station)

I was sitting on it for those 80 minutes, and I ca confirm that train was like an oven. All the windows were open but there was no breeze at all.

At least you were being told what was happening, all we knew was there was a problem at Brigg that they were fixing

I just wish id had the presence of mind to bail - by the time id got up and collected my stuff the doors were closing

 

[Kite159]

Only due to the guy being on the phone, he was as lost as everybody, especially with the second stop caused by the signals.

Nice little market town be Brigg

As for windows being useless when your not moving, I've had it twice, first on a 142 from Hull to York caught in a 2 hour block when a freight train broke the points, and on a 317 on the Hertford East line when another unit failed before Broxbourne area.

 

[noddy1878]

Despite some of the issues you have had on your trip, it still sounded like you've had a good time overall. I guess its impossible for an entire week to not give some problems. I've enjoyed the read.

 

[postye]

Sunday 26 June

My final day of my rover, and today's plan is to get som a Grand Central action (I've not been on grand central since I re-started recording a couple of years back) coverage of the Doncaster - Wakefield Kirkgate and Doncaster - Selby lines.

So after a late night last night I slightly oversleep, but still manage to grab a quick breakfast before heading out to the tram to New Street, and not the 0903 to Edinburgh formed of winner 220029 as far as York, noting 66301 & 66305 in the sidings at the station as we arrive.

At York I've got a 10 minute wait until 43468 & 43480 arrive to take me northbound.
47798, D9009 and steam 48151, 60163 tournado and flying Scotsman 60103 are all noted outside the museum as we head north.
Bailing at eaglescliff I Score a new shack. my planned move was the 1229 to Darlington, but as we'd arrived bang on time, the 1222 hadn't yet departed, so I joined winner142086 and knowing another train was only 10 min behind stopped off at Dinsdale to score a second shack of the day.

Winner 142095 takes me from Dinsdale to Darlington where I have 10 minutes for a PNB and a cuppa to take onto the 1258 led by DVT 82206 and pushed by winner 91128.

At Donny I take my first Grand Central 180, 180112, as far as Mirfield. I can't remember if I've done this station or not, it looks sort of familiar, but it's done now. I have just under an hour so I stroll into Mirfield, almost everything is shut on a Sunday, except for the supermarkets and a Chippy, so I reward the Chippy for being open by grabbing lunch.

Back to the station and 180101 pulls in with the 1543 to donny. Seems to have been a couple of stag nights in Bradford last night, can't say Bradford would've been on my list - but whatever takes your fancy.

Back at Doncaster it's my tightest connection of the day, a +4 from platform 1 to platform 4 for the 1630 to Hull via Selby. I make it (in breath) with a minute or so to spare before the train manager makes an announcement "this train is being diverted and will not call at Selby or Howden"
This bit of the country really doesn't like me for some reason, I don't quite know what I've done to upset it.

It turns out there's a problem with the swing bridge at Selby and no trains can use it.
Well what to do now? I've now got around 90 minutes for my next planned move.

I check RTT for options, not enough time to do much with the 1637 to Cleethorpes, which is now dud 185150 anyway. The 1642 to Manchester airport is also a dud. Next up is the 1651 to Birmingham international but I'm running out of options so it was a relief to see winner 220022. I go to Sheffield where there should be a couple of options back. Double winners 220008 and 220031 are on the 1721 to Glasgow which I can get to York, but they are unpleasantly packed, so I swerve them in favour of dud 158853 to get me back to Doncaster and 91126/82231 to York. As we leave Domcaster I note two Colas 56's in Marshgate sidings which I think are 087 & 113 but my eyes are not as sharp as they used to be so not totally sure.

Arrival into York is RT and now it is absolutely chucking it down as I await 180105 to take me north to winner shack Northallerton. Bit of a delay on the approach awaiting a late running VTEC but plenty of time to cross platforms for 43467/43484 for the run back to London which is fast York to Kings Cross.

We arrive around 10 minutes late into London, and a quick hop over to London Bridge nets me superdud 465025 to take me home and bring an end to my 9 day adventure.

Stats for the final day

655 Miles covered
10 Winners for haulage
4 Winner shacks
Track covered
Doncaster - Wakefield Kirkgate
Thirsk Platform loops
Northallerton - Eaglescliff

 

[fishquinn]

Another fun day though! I'm jealous about the GC HSTs (you got both of my last two required ones). The grids were indeed 56087 and 113.

 

[Techniquest]

Just caught up on your epic trip, brilliant time had for the most part there! Fantastic read as well

Looks like I need to get back on PSUL and investigate that PSUL move you did around Darlaston!