Rambling Roebuck... (Trip Reports)

[D841 Roebuck]

As I had an unplanned day out yesterday, I may as well follow the trend on here of starting a thread to keep my trip reports in one place.

14 November 2014 - the Wythenshawe Whirligig
I woke up yesterday at 8am with a lack of available suitable food (pickled onion monster munch do not make a breakfast) and spare time until the evening, when I had to be in Ramsbottom for 4pm. Despite torrential rain washing the streets of Rochdale, I decided to scratch in a fairly new bit of track that had opened locally as part of a roundabout route to Rammy.

First stop was Wetherspoons, for a sausage sandwich and coffee. Hunger pangs quelled, I adjourned to the adjacent tram stop and acquired an off-peak train-and-tram rover (£7.90).
I then boarded winning tram 3042, which pulled round the corner onto Drake Street and stopped. Apparently the points at the end of the single line curve were misbehaving and not sending the appropriate message to the signals. The driver got out, got a metal rod and stuck this through a hole in a manhole cover and got very wet whilst jiggling the blades backwards and forwards. Whether this worked or not I don't know (the signals didn't appear to change) but after a couple of phone calls to and from Control we set off up the hill.

As it waz now approaching 10:00, I left the tram at Rochdale Railway station and made my way upstairs for a faster route to Manchester. 158757 duly appeared and whisked me comfortably and efficiently to the building site that is Manchester Victoria. Not wishing to linger here, I crossed to Platform 4, where 150222 was waiting on the 10:29 to Staly Vegas. Realising the dangers of the buffet at the latter, I baled at Ashton and walked through the (easing) rain through the bus station to the tramshack.

The wait here was short, as (winning) tram 3064 was waiting to depart. I managed to get a seat at the front, and so had a drivers' eye view through to Cornbrook. Highlight of this particular journey waz the infestation of Canada Geese at New Islington - about 20 of them wandering about, and one having to be persistently hooted before it got out of the way.

Changing at Cornbrook, I took 3044 to Trafford Bar for a level access smoke break, then 3084 to Chorlton for a shack scratch. The following airport service was only about 5 minutes behind, and this produced winner 3086 for the ride out to the airport on the newly opened line.

My thoughts on this route are - nobody much was using it; it's not exactly scenic, although the tram had to toot at a trespassing grey squirrel; there are about 300 stops; the curve at Wythenshawe Town Centre is very tight; the penultimate shack (Shakermoss, or something like that) might be good for plane watching; I'm going back by train!

Somewhere in my passage through Shamelessland, the sun came out. I therefore went upstairs at the Airport for a wee, then sat in the sunshine(!) for 20 minutes before descending to pick up winner 350402 on the 13:00 to Glasgow. I thought about going through to Wigan on this, and making my way to Rammy via Bolton, but decided against. So I re-entered Metroland at Piccadilly, with winner 3081 taking me to Piccadilly Gardens for a chippy break.

Time to head North now. Too full of chips to stagger across to Market St, my idleness was rewarded by winner 3062 as far as St Peter's Square, followed by surprising winner and gap filler 3014 for the trip up to Bury via the slalom through the wreckage of Victoria. And to end the trip on a crankish note, heritage liveried First Bus 69166 waa my steed up to Ramsbottom.

A decent day out (first one for a while) and I was lucky with winning trams.

I have thoughts for next weekend - rake the 57's in on the Gluhweinex, then head over to Merseyland to scratch in some 507/8s perhaps.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

2 January 2015 and 3 January 2015 - Overnight Yorkshire Psullage

I went to visit my parents in Northumberland between Christmas and New Year. As a four-in-eight North East rover costs little more than a return to Berwick upon tweed, this left me with two days validity to "play out". I decided to scoop in a couple of bits of new track.

First rail travel of the year was the very prosaic 3029 up Drake Street from Rochdale town centre tothe Railway station. I then joined the 08:46 to Leeds. Being a service via Brighouse, I expected a 144, so was ppleasantly surprised when mixed pair 153331 + 158908 appeared. A comfortable ride through the half light through the Calder Valley took me to Dewsbury, where I baled for the following Tippes service to York (09:55) formed of 185126 , which turned out when I remembered to look it up to be a winner! 08525 was the first loco of the trip noted (at Neville Hill) - this was a very familiar sight at York in 1979-81 on spotting trips when it lived there. 66433 was stabled at York when I arrived.

Arriving at York, a meal deal was acquired. I originally planned to catch the "semi-parliamentary" service to Sheffield via Pontefract, but a quick perusal of the departures screens revealed that the Hull train departing a few minutes earlier called at Sherburn-(t)in-(h)Elmet, so 158794 was taken on the 11:02 for a short leap to the first shack-scratch of 2015. After a windswept quarter hour at Sherburn, 142032 appeared on the Sheffield train, so I settled down on the year's first pacer to eat my prawn sandwich and crisps. Some minor excitement on this journey was provided by passing 66088/510/530/563 enroute, whilst the service appeared to be very slackly timed, waiting time at all stations.

I fancied another shack-scratch, so baled at Swinton (SY), which had 50% more platforms than Sherburn and seemed 50% windier. A couple of voyagers passed through, then (and 9 minutes late) 144002 turned up on the alleged 12:16 to Doncaster. Here, more locos were noted - 60087, 67024, 91107/114 and 70806 - the first one of the Colas breed I had seen. The next train on my itinerary (if making things up on the spot deserves such a title) was the 12:52 Hull local, formed of 158860 . I had a choice of baling points on this train, but the presence of a family (plump, jovial father; haggard, harassed mother; alternatively boisterous and grizzling twin four year old lads inclined me to bale at the land of my mothers - Goole! A more purposeful than most smoke break here enabled me to take the 15 minute round trip to see the house where my Grandfather lived according to the 1911 census.

Returning to the station, 158842 soon appeared on the 13:38 to Bridlington. Reversing at Hull, I again changed plans slightly. I was originally going to travel through to Brid, but decided to leave the delights of this resort for the summer, so left the train at Driffield (shack scratch) to see if I could find a decent pub. And I did - a shop converted to a real ale place, where a chocolate flavoured stout was enjoyed, and the presence of a couple of bearded beer-tickers endured.

Returning to the station, 158843 appeared on the 15:12 to Scarborough, which conveyed me peacefully through the gathering twilight to the terminus. Here, more sustenance was obtained - fish and chips and hot chocolate fudge cake for the body, and a John Grisham I'd not read before for the mind. Then back to the station for a doze on 185118 as far as York. I baled here to minimize waiting time at the hellhole which is Leeds, eventually arriving there on the 19:15 ( 185109 , before scuttling down the platform to jump on 144012 , miscast on the "fast" to Sheffield via Barnsley. Here, I adjourned to the Sheffield Tap to await my next move.

Tbc

 

[Kite159]

The Northern Random DMU Generator in good spirits it seems

Some of those 4-in-8 rovers are excellent value for money

 

[eastwestdivide]

How much time did the 144 on the Sheffield "fast" lose?

And there seems to be a distinct lack of healthy eating on these trip reports!

 

[Kristofferson]

Great read, looking forward to many more!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

2/3 January continued...

Firstly, a brief comment on 144012. It ran to time on the 19:45 as far as I am aware - although line speeds aren't great on the Leeds-Barnsley-Sheffield route. And I believe this unit is now undergoing modifications as the prototype Porterbrook Primped Pacer. These started shortly after 2/1/15 - did it actually work any passenger service after the one I used? (It was shunted to one of the through sidings at Sheffield Midland by the time I left).

Anyway, back to the trip. The adjournment to the Sheffield Tap for more "beer with twigs in" was part of a fester awaiting the 17:wibble Southampton-York (which may on the night have been the 17:wobble Reading-York due to engineering work. This train seems to be a bit of a route-knowledge-retainer for Cross Country, traversing a multitude of odd diversionary routes as it wends its way northwards. The bit of interest to me was the Woodburn Jc to Aldwarke Jc section. I'd traversed some of this in about 1978, behind 40042 on a charter from Rochdale to York via the Woodhead Tunnel - however the whistler turned right partway to traverse Tinsley Yard, so I still required part of the route. Anyway, 220002 appeared on time from the south and duly trundled me to Donny by the booked route (the other side of the Meadowhell Centre and the Aldwarke to Thrybergh Junction bit.

This train must also be fairly liberally timed, as it arrived in Donny 5 minutes early, and pulled up on Platform 5 giving a cross platform interchange for the nominal -2 connection onto the 22:27 Leeds stopper. This was formed of 322483 - an undoubted winner. So I eschewed a cigarette break (its not just my diet that's unhealthy ) and dived aboard, cranking open Real Time Trains to see if I could get back to Donny, and whether I could scratch in a new shack whilst doing so.

The answer came back in the affirmative, and so off I toddled to Fitzwilliam, birthplace of Sir Geoffrey Boycott. An easy stroll (with tobacco accompaniment) round the bridge here duly netted me another winner - 322482 on the 23:07 back to Doncaster.

My train onwards from here was the 23:50 to Newcastle. This covered the diversionary route via Askern and Knottingley, which I had done before southbound. Pausing briefly to note 66068 at Doncaster, I awaited the arrival of my train. It was an HST, rather than a 91, so the route was "on"! I duly boarded and headed North, behind 43208 - yes, I forgot to note its partner pushing from the rear, so if anyone can help...

I was in two minds about how far to go - bale at York and do a 185 to Manchester and back as an overnight, or stay on to Newcastle for a 3 hour midnight mooch hoping somewhere would be open! However York looked unexciting and the HST was warm, so I stayed put. And at 01:47 I was decamped at Newcastle with just time to note 67003 - presumably exiled from Wales for Thunderbird duties.

Just under 3 hours later, with the interval spent drinking two very slow pints of lager shandy in Perdus Bar and a large coffee from the all-night (well, until 4am) Greggs, I was heading back south, being shoved along by a welcome winner in 91112 on the 04:45. I snoozed most of the way back to Donny, but managed to wake up and bale safely for the following service from Leeds, on which 91118 shoved me for the short hop to Retford, and my second bit of new track.

This was the curve from Retford High Level to Thrumpton Junction, covered by a couple of very early and/or very late trains daily. 158905 was already platformed with the 07:02 to Leeds. This was warm and comfortable, so I stayed on the whole way, opening a sleepy eye only to note 66428/515/564 in the Stourton/Midland Road area. At Leeds, I decided enough of a good thing was had, so decamped to McDonald's for a sausage & egg McMuffin (very nice, much better than a rancid beefburger - they should do them all day!) - then boarded 158757 for the journey back to Rochdale via Bradford. I then went home and dozed off listening to the football on the wireless, waking to find that the Mighty Dale had defeated some Florists from Nottingham in the FA Cup, to round off a spiffing couple of days!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Good stuff on two separate points. You knocked out Forest in the 3rd round of the FA Cup (I'm a Derby fan!) and you describe the good old radio (I love radio way more than telly) as being a wireless. I have not heard the term wireless used in many years. And before I forget your trip report was interesting too!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Good stuff on two separate points. You knocked out Forest in the 3rd round of the FA Cup (I'm a Derby fan!) and you describe the good old radio (I love radio way more than telly) as being a wireless. I have not heard the term wireless used in many years. And before I forget your trip report was interesting too!

Thanks for the kind words.

I gave up my TV licence a couple of years ago. All I ever watched were repeats of Top Gear and the occasional episode of Spongebob Squarepants, so not really worth the money.

Whilst I wish the Rams well this weekend, Chesterfield can be pretty decent when they are on form - should be an excellent game.

 

[Kristofferson]

Sounds like a fun overnighter, and well written as usual!

 

[Techniquest]

I don't know how I haven't ended up having found this thread until now, but I'm glad I found it as I thoroughly enjoyed the read!

I'm hoping I have already scored 144012 (memory tells me I have one minute, the next I haven't!) as it sounds like it'll be out of commission for a long while! I have no gen on what's going on with the thing, should be interesting to find out though

Sounds like it's been an excellent time, not sure I'd fancy doing an all-nighter in Newcastle at this time of year mind!

EDIT: Oh aye, what's the 17:wibble/17:wobble thing about?

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I don't know how I haven't ended up having found this thread until now, but I'm glad I found it as I thoroughly enjoyed the read!

I'm hoping I have already scored 144012 (memory tells me I have one minute, the next I haven't!) as it sounds like it'll be out of commission for a long while! I have no gen on what's going on with the thing, should be interesting to find out though

Sounds like it's been an excellent time, not sure I'd fancy doing an all-nighter in Newcastle at this time of year mind!

EDIT: Oh aye, what's the 17:wibble/17:wobble thing about?

Thanks. Praise from the maestro is praise indeed.

The wibble/wobble business is because I couldn't be bothered to look out the actual departure time from Southampton/Reading of XC's "PSULEX"

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks. Praise from the maestro is praise indeed.

The wibble/wobble business is because I couldn't be bothered to look out the actual departure time from Southampton/Reading of XC's "PSULEX"

Ahhhh, fair enough, that makes sense that now

 

[Kite159]

Wibble!

PSUL movements are great when you can time them well. Such as the 23:wibble from Waterloo to Basingstoke.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Wibble!

PSUL movements are great when you can time them well. Such as the 23:wibble from Waterloo to Basingstoke.

Is that the one that heads up the ramp from East Putney and scuttles down the District Line to Wimbledon? Did that bit Northbound in the early '80s, on a return Farnborough Air Show to Manchester Adex. Quite rare track for a 47...

 

[eastwestdivide]

That section from Woodburn Jn-Rotherham can be done in daylight very very occasionally when Sunday engineering work shuts the section between Holmes Jn and Meadowhall station. And you can run parallel to a chunk of it on the Sheffield trams.
Such fun.

 

[Kite159]

Is that the one that heads up the ramp from East Putney and scuttles down the District Line to Wimbledon? Did that bit Northbound in the early '80s, on a return Farnborough Air Show to Manchester Adex. Quite rare track for a 47...

Yep, although not normally much to see in the hours of darkness.

I might have to do that XC PSUL move at some-point, also with that Sheffield - Retford High-Level movement. Most likely on an East Midlands Rover later in the year.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Just had a quick count up of what's required within the Manchester Rail Ranger area, in terms of possible units working there and unvisited shacks. Grimmer reading than I thought, but it gives me something to work at this Saturday for a cheap day out.

The requirements in detail:
Northern - 8 x 150; 15 x 319 (when they get here)
TPE - 6 x 170, 9 x 185; 7 x 350
EMT - 3 x 158
XC - 5 x 220; 5 x 221
VWC - 22 x 390
ATW - 18 x 150 (unlikely to appear) 8 x 158 (more promising)
Metrolink - 37 trams.

And no less than 44 NR shacks.

Aiming for 10 winners and 5 new shacks on Saturday - will report back idc.

 

[Techniquest]

150237 was on its way to Manchester on 1503 Carmarthen to Manchester Piccadilly last night, so it's not unheard of to get 150s up there with ATW. More regular on North Wales turns mind!

I shall wish you luck for Saturday, and I look forward to the trip report!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Saturday 28/1/15 - Mancunian Meanderings

It's a well-known saying that the early bird gets the worm. However this particular bird was not up early today. I woke at about 9:15 to the dulcet tones of Alan Titchmarsh on Classic fm, my bed was warm and the music pleasant. Hunger pangs eventually forced me into a sausage, garlic Philadelphia and sweet chilli dipping sause toastie at about 11:30. Some reviving ablutions saw me ambling down to Rochdale town centre at just after half twelve, for a much later start than planned.

Another change was to the ticket type. The sight of a winning tram persuaded me to shell out for a Train'nTram GM Day Ranger - good value at £7.80. I then boarded 3091 for what should have been a simple trip up Drake Street to the station. However, I put my nose too deeply in my book and "overread" my destination, resulting in an unexpected trip to Newbold. Fortunately, there was a +2 here for dud 3005 back to the NR station.

These shenanigans made catching the13:00 to Manchester dubious. Fortunately, it was 5 minutes down- and even more fortunately it was formed of winner 150220. Excellent. An uuneventful non-stop run to Victoria was followed by a trip across the footbridge for the 13:29 to Stalybridge - dud 142032, but I was hunting down the first new shack of the day. The journey was "enlivened" from Ashton onwards by the presence of some lads off on the rail-ale-trail. Fortunately, they decided that the buffet bar at Staley Vegas wasn't their scene and departed the station for an alternative hostelry.

I did visit the buffet bar for a quick pint with a friend (and fellow crank), - and spotted required 150110 on the 13:45 to Wigan - before joining 156429 on the 14:12 to Huddersfield, which I took to the limits of my ticket's validity atGreenfield for my first new shack of the day. This train was also festooned with ralealetrailers, both of the stag-hen variety and the bearded CAMRA-bore subclass. Escaping the mayhem for a nice+15 connection, I crossed over for 150147 on the 14:36 back to Stalybridge, where a cross-platform 5 minute connection saw me boarding 185148 for a trip into Manchester Piccalilli's platform 13. The idea here was to get a winning 350 in on the 15:16 Glasgow train - however this was dud '404 so I looked round for an alternative.

One presented itself - Pendo '157 on the 15:35 to Euston. This should have given me time to grab a meal deal - however I refuse to pay station-outlet prices and by the time I'd got back from the Spar on London Road the pendo had closed its doors and was moving out. Ok - plan c - back to shack-attack. 323234 was on the 15:38 to Alderley Edge so I settled down with my prawn sandwich, smokey bacon crisps and own brand diet cola for the all stations run to new shack #2 - Cheadle Hulme. A nice +10 here for a post-prandial smoke, then 323224 whisked me back to Stockport for a wee.

I festered here for 20 minutes or so awaiting a winner back to Piccalilli, but nothing appeared so I headedfor Oxford Road on 158858 (with 158846 attached, but my choice is to only count the units I travel in). A cross-platform interchange here found me on 142061 for the short hop to Deansgate. Iftrains won't produce winners, maybe trams will...

...and they did. A spot of linear bashing produced 3075 to St Peter's Square, 3027 thence to Market Street (where Metrolink seem to have taken the PIS) and finally 3006 to Victoria. Why take the dud? Well, an earlier perusal of Real Time Trains - including empty stock shunts at Wigan Wallgate - had persuaded me that a certain 150 seen earlier ought to be on the 17:34 to Blackburn. Unusually, I was right and 150110 was duly raked in as far as new shack Bromley Cross.

The pub across the road at Bromley Cross was mysteriously shut, to the dismay of some of my fellow disembarkees. I hadn't realised before that access between platforms here is by a level foot-crossing, controlled by the local signal box. With nicotine and book, I festered for 27 minutes for my next steed.

And it was a worthwhile fester. The 18:29 to Bolton produced yet another winning 150. 150119 trundled me down the hill to Bolton in good time for the 18:45 to Southport. This was an absolutely wedged 142032 again, for the second time today. However this particular pacer had already deposited me at a winning shack (Swinton S Yorks) a couple of months ago and made no mistake in taking me to Westhoughton.

Crossing over here, I awaited the 19:01 back to Manchester, which was about 5 late. Peering down the line, I saw the unwelcome sight of another pacer. No red pen then, unless Northern had nicked one of the four ATW ones I need. But hark - there are four vehicles here, and the back two are longer. Surely not - yes - more Jam than Hartleys - 150214 was there like a good 'un. So back to Oxford Road I went. The reason for baling here was a same platform interchange onto the 19:39 to Nottingham.

This duly pulled in with extremely dud 158777 (ex-TPE) at the front end. However this was also a four car jobbie. Surely not. Yep. More jam than Messrs Weller, Foxton and
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Typed it all in, and lost the end when editing .

Will redo tomorrow!

 

[Techniquest]

That was a handy way of building the suspense mind

Seriously, I've been there and done that sort of thing many times in the past. I always copy the wall of text before clicking Submit Reply, just in case I've been logged out or I accidentally close the browser window/tab (easier to accidentally do than it sounds!), which I'm sure we've all done at least once.

Enjoyed the read thus far, I'm trying to bury that point about Bromley Cross in my head ready for the day I finally colour it green with the highlighter in my Baker (and tick it off in the index at the back), I have a feeling I'll forget by then though

Good news on the winners front there by the looks of it, and I loved the Hartleys jam comment!

I really need to get myself up there and get going on some more of the shacks I need in the GM Rail Ranger area, let alone the 101 Metrolink trams I need and the still significant numbers of 142s, 144s, 150s, 153s, 155s and 156s I need with Northern, and the 10 185s I still need and the 9 350/4s I need too. Hmm, I think I know what I've got to do a week tomorrow then...

Looking forward to the rest of the trip report!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Continued. ..

Buckley in their prime - the rear unit is winner 158856 So I head off to Stockport again, with thoughts turning shackward. On arrival, however, the last dregs of my phone battery inform me, via RTT, that I would have a +1 at Davenport, and the incoming train was on time. Not worth the risk, so I head over to the down island. A pendo pulls into platform 3, and happily is390157, returning from Euston. So back to Piccalilli again.

I could have taken winning pendo10 back to Stockport, bur still fancied a last winning shack. So I headed to the Travel Centre to consult Northern's leaflets. A move suggested itself, so I duly boarded 142003 on the 20:35 to Rose Hill Marple for the short run to Gorton. A chilly 15 minutes here watching 185s storm through, then 323233 arrived to return me to Manchester, where I headed downstairs to the trams. 3062 took me to Piccalilli Gardens, where the chip shop beckoned.

Suitably refreshed, it was now home time. 3068 provided one last winner as far as St Peters Square, then I took 3041 down to Victoria. Here I faced a choice:
1. Direct train to Rochdale, likely to be wedged with drunks
2. Tram to Rochdale, which takes forever and is sneered at by ex-Merseyrail pacers, comfortwise.

So I took option 3 (!),, walking back up to Shude Hill and using my FirstWeek bus pass on the 17. Aswift journey home, dozing off and dreaming of all line rovers, on bus 37379 was a suitable end to a decent day out.

For those who have lost count of the red bits above - yes, I achieved 10 winners and five new shacks, despite the late start.

Next week (hopefully) - the Ribble Steam Railway's diesel day.

 

[Techniquest]

You did well there, fair dos

 

[Kristofferson]

Congrats on the winners, the red text definitely helps to keep track of them while reading

Yours,
A bearded CAMRA bore (once a year)

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Congrats on the winners, the red text definitely helps to keep track of them while reading

Yours,
A bearded CAMRA bore (once a year)

Yes, I was pretty harsh on the real ale fraternity there - especially since I quite like the stuff myself.

However the particular specimens I spotted on Saturday were loud, tweedy and grating. One of them even used the phrase "my lady wife", which to me normally indicates a cockwomble of the first order...

 

[Kristofferson]

Agreed! Still less irritating than the "stumbling home from the match" and "lads night out" drunks though

 

[55013]

cockwomble

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I didn't make the planned trip to the Ribble Steam Railway last weekend. I think I had a bug of some sort, as I spent most of the weekend asleep.

So, one from the archives instead...

25/26 November 2008. A jaunt to Gillingham.

As well as touring the UK rail network in a somewhat lackadaisical manner, I have been known to partake in the odd football match - normally involving Rochdale FC. I was off work this Tuesday and Wednesday, and had managed to book a cheap room at East Croydon Travelodge. So, a fairly civilized trip to Priestfield for the Tuesday evening game seemed in order.

I caught the 09:36 from Castleton (150133) then tram 1014 transferred me to Piccadilly. Supplies (probably the usual meal deal) purchased, 390029 took me south to Euston via Stoke and Hixon at 10:45. Not much of interest was noted enroute, although I believe 66954 at Bletchley and 67007 at Wembley may have been cops for spottage.

At Euston, I transferred to the underground, with "51668' (presumably a Northern Line carriage number) taking me through to Charing Cross. Back upstairs, and 465242 took me to London Bridge and 319454 thence to East Croydon. Arriving here at about 2pm, I walked down to the Travelodge to book in - and was told to come back after 3pm. I'd forgotten rooms couldn't be occupied before then!

I therefore strolled down to the 'Spoons for bangers and mash (and a pint of rather pleasant Japanese ale from their beer festival menu). Returning to the lodge at 3:01, I checked in and - being the first customer to check in that day - was honoured with the nearest room to reception, Room 101.

After dumping my bag and having a quick wash, I headed back out with 3 1/2 hours to get to Gillingham. I walked down to Wellesley Road (new tram shack) and caught 2533 through to Beckenham Junction. 465001 took me the short hop to Bromley South, then 375829 took me to Gillingham. Still with plenty of time to spare, I adjourned to a couple of local pubs, then headed off to the match. This ended in an enjoyable 1-1 draw.

Back to the station, and 375621 took me straight through to Victoria (I spent the journey nattering to a couple of friendly Gills fans) for 377446 out to East Croydon again, depositing me there just in time for another pint of the Japanese stuff in Spoons before I hit my pit.

The next morning I was up for breakfast from a local Greggs (or equivalent) before travelcard validity started at 09:30. The Tuesday was mainly football (and some beer) - Wednesday morning would be devoted to a spot of track bashing. First up was 455841, which took me to Tattenham Corner on the 09:35, scoring this branch. I had a break here to avoid returning on the same unit, then returned on 377208 as far as Purley. Here I changed onto 455827 up the hill to Caterham, again scoring the branch. 455806 returned me to East Croydon.

My last new branch of the morning saw me return to the trams, with 2552 taking me out toNew Addington. Again dropping back one service, I settled down on 2046, intending to take this all the way through to Wimbledon. However, inspiration struck me en route, and I baled at Mitcham Junction. 319376 then took me through to Kentish Town before 52584 took me back down the Northern line to Euston and my train home (390035).

So in all, a decent couple of days with nine winning shacks, one winning football ground, one winning Japanese ale and one, er, non-losing football team. As for winning trains - due to a computer bursting a couple of years ago I'm still recollating my records. The 150 and Manchester trams certainly were dud, the pendos may have been winners whilst the London stuff was probably all winners, with the exception of 455827 which I recall cursing at the time.

Next 2015 tripette - a West Yorks rover is a possible for next Saturday.

 

[Techniquest]

Japanese ale sounds strange!

Shame you missed the Ribble event (as did I), but good call on the trip from the archives there. Hopefully it won't be too much more work for you to do with collating your notes after the PC crash!

 

[Kristofferson]

Can you remember the name of the ale?

 

[55013]

Shame you missed the Ribble event, it was an excellent do.
I heartily recommend going when you get the chance, the 66 was a line in the book but the real stars were the 05 and the 14, both are thrashtastic clag monsters