22/12/18 - London Day 2
The day began well with required mobile phone chargers
707007/027 appearing to take me in to Clapham Junction - I didn't muck about stepping back at Richmond as SWT had industrial action that day. Instead I decided on a quick spin on Southern. Another winning pair in
377433/124 took me out to East Croydon for a Minor spot of Shack scratching.
This started with more winners in
377610/626 as far as
Purley Oaks, then the run of winners came to an end as
377615’s partner was 377703 for the third time (and still the only 377/7 I've had) as far as
South Croydon. Incidentally, for those who just like “watching the trains go by”, both Purley Oaks and South Croydon are good for watching the expresses go past. This idyll was ended by
455818, which took me back to East Croydon, then
377162 to Clapham Junction and
377440/131/161 (I wasn't sad, ‘cos two out of three ain't bad) into Victoria.
Downstairs to the tube here, for a winning pair on the Victoria line up to Finsbury Park, for a 313 hunt. First, though, was a shack score, with duds 313037/018 up to
Winchmore Hill (which, as observed outside the station during a smoke break, is quite steep) whence 313060 and winner
313027 rescued me for a run back to Alexandre Palace.
A very necessary pnb was taken here (along with a lager, which rather defeats the object) at the pub across the road. The presence here of various Arsenal fans in fancy dress (and a couple of Burnley fans who, being good Northerners, eschew such nonsense) reminded me that time was getting on, so after watching 08441 doing a spot of carriage marshaling at the South end of Bounds Green depot I headed off on 313059 and winner 313056 to Old Street, a required shack by virtue of my having visited Essex Road twice in the past having forgotten where I'd been!
Back to the Underground now, specifically to pick up the five shacks needed on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, which on closer inspection had more HB than the Pencil Museum at Keswick. So I set off Norrard, calling at Belsize Park and Brent Cross on the way to Burnt Oak, then Hendon Central and Hampstead on the way back. And a very pleasant session it was too - I do like the overground bits of the Underground, while 8/10 Northern half-sets were winners.
I returned to Tottenham Court Road, having no record of previous visits there which were in the early 80s, then changed to the Central Line, going to Liverpool Street via a step back at Chancery Lane (visited Oct 1994, but unrecorded also) in order to score 6/8 of Central quarter sets.
Upstairs at Liverpool Street, 345xxx on both waiting Shenfield services, so I decided on a 12-car 321 rake on a Sarfend Vic service, walking along it to check for winners. 321424 at the back was good, 321431 in the middle likewise; however 321402 at the front was the first one I ever has, from Rugby to Birmingham New Street back in 1993! I used the run to Stratford to make up my mind what came next.
Option 1 was to remain on the train, buy a Zone 6 to Prittlewell return, and score the latter shack (and possibly others on my return) as well as Roots Hall whilst watching Rochdale get their annual beating by the Shrimpers. Fun, but cold and expensive. And after freezing at Wembley last February, I was wary...
Therefore Option 2 was taken - clear the DLR shacks.
My route was Stratford; Pudding Mill Lane (short overall roof reminded me of Bad Ems in Germany, but nothing like as scenic); Langdon Park (which has an adjacent park); Poplar (junction designed by kid with wooden starter train set); East India (prosperous businesses); West Silvertown (high on a viaduct); Canning Town (important Interchange, first visit here was on a 313 from North Woolwich); Custom House (Interchange for Crossrail, due to open in the year 2525); Royal Albert (no sign of Pub); Beckton Park (no sign of Park); Gallions Reach (no sign of tall ships); Cyprus (too dark to see the Troodos Mountains); Prince Regent (no Blackadder or Baldrick) and Royal Victoria (who wouldn't have been amused reading this, albeit she did score the GWR kettle “Phlegethon” from Paddington to Slough or Windsor in 1839).
Here, I departed the DLR for a while, having noticed some intriguing swaying lights! I walked across to the Emirates Airline terminal, but a flight to Dubai being out of my price range, I settled for scratching some new cable, across the water to the Dome.
I do like cable cars. Not as much as chairlifts - nothing beats the sound of silence several hundred feet above an Alpine Valley, broken only by the “kudunk, kudunk, kudunk, KUDUNK” as you pass a pylon. But the Emirates Airline is still a good wheeze, although daylight had just about faded. Anyway, I enjoyed it, as did half of the couple from the environs of West Bromwich who shared Cabin 15 with me for the trip. I suspect, however, that the greenish complexion of his partner meant that their return trip was by another route.
As was mine - down to the Jubilee Line for a half winning set back to Canning Town. And back to the DLR, this time calling at Blackwall (more office blocks); Poplar again; Canary Wharf; South Quay (office canteen opposite the viaduct doing a good trade); Island Gardens (visited the old station, presumably this one is new since its underground) and Cutty Sark, where I went for some grub (Fish and Chips at a nice cafe round the corner, and found out that, purely because I could have gone but didn't, Rochdale's last minute goal gave them their first win at Southend since about 1985…
)
Replete, I returned for the last leg of my DLR quest. Back under the Thames, via Mudchute (rusty rails on the bay platform), Heron Quays (good view of Canary Wharf station's layout) Canary Wharf again itself and finally completing the DLR shacks at the home of the tenor bell immortalised in rhyme for her indecisiveness, Bow Church, arriving their on a winning pair of units which brought my DLR red pen total for the day to 33.
Flushed with success, I now became blase and got it wrong. Specifically I turned right instead of left outside the station,nearly revisited Pudding Mill Lane and eventually arrived at Bromley-by-Bow for the second time in 24 hours. Never mind, a quick trip west scored me Bow Road, then it was eastbound to visit Plaistow, East Ham and finally my penultimate District shack at Dagenham Heathway (incidentally, not bad for watching the passing C2C trains, had it been daylight - and also not bad were the four winning S8 stock Pairs involved). The next pair though were dud, so taken to Barking to sneak a winning 357.
357042 “Essex Princess” duly obliged, as far as West Ham, then I was tempted by winning pair 357002 “Essex Explorer” and 357202 “Essex Lady” heading east, so killed two birds with one stone and went as far as Dagenham Dock for a final shack scratch of the evening. Dud 357039 “Essex King” then took me back to Fenchurch Street.
Here, I attempted to find Tower Hill underground, but somehow found Monument instead. Two more dud S8 Pairs took me to Richmond, via a change at Earls Court, then strike-struck SWR took me back to Feltham with last winner 456002 dragging 455866/712 to Twickenham and familiar duds 458518/511 completing the day. I returned to the Travelodge and crashed out, immediately.
I totted up 76 winners and 32 shack scores at the time, and am not going back through the above to recount!
Day 3 will follow.
