05/07/2022. Going home the faintly ridiculous way.
I got up moderately early, checked out of the Trodge and then ambled down to the local Italian restaurant, which I'd spotted the previous night advertising that it did breakfasts. And it certainly did, absolutely top notch Full English!
Ambling down to the DLR, dudwinnerdud combo 120/142/129 took me to Poplar, winnerdudwinner trio 115/153/122 on to Westferry and winnerwinnerdud troika 032/040/067 to Canary Wharf. Here, I went underground, but of the full-sized variety, scored the Liz Line shack and the boarded a winning 345023 through to another shack score at Tottenham Court Road, then reversed myself on winner 345055 as far as the last unvisited and open Liz Line shack at Liverpool Street.
Or should it be called Moorgate? Being nearer the back of the train I interchanged to Great Northern territory there, hoping for an odds-on-winning 717. Not a chance, one of the two duds, 717009, was waiting to take me to Highbury & Islington, whence 11013/014, an equally dud Victoria Line pair took me to Tottenham Hale. Fortunately, these were the last duds for several hours!
Next up was a positioning move northwards on 720549 as far as Cheshunt, then sister 720558 took me through to a winning shack at Harlow Town. A change here to a Stansted service, which was surprisingly(?) formed of elderly winning duo 317338+317343 which took me up to a spot of new track - the branch to Stansted Airport. This of course was also a new shack, and a fairly bland and miserable one to boot. This is typical of airport shacks - neither Elmdon nor Ringway (to give them their proper names) are places to linger, either.
Salvation was at hand in the shape of a Norwich train, with 755420 becoming the first of its sub-class to fall to my red pen, via a winning piece of track round the East to North curve back out from Stansted Flughafen, and to a winning shack at Cambridge North. Next winners up were a pair,
387104+387114 all the way through to the end of the line at my final new shack of the day, the nice old building at Kings Lynn. This was literally the end of the line, as it cleared my non PSUL track in England. So I celebrated with chips at the local bus station. (If I had any sense, for which I'm not noted, I'd have baled out of here on the 'bus to St Petersbog, but never thought of this at the time…)
Mind you, if I had baled out, I'd have missed the joys of winning pair 387204+387128 back to Ely. Here, I bought my four tickets home (single to Beeston, single thence to Long Eaton, Derbyshire Wayfarer and single from New Mills Central to Rochdale). These cost less than a single straight through, but more than a simple split at Nottingham. However it promised more fun than that, especially as a somewhat poorly (and dud) 156422 was reported leaving Norwich 40 odd minutes late on the Norwich to Liverpool.
So instead I joined winner 755416 on the ex Ipswich service to St Petersbog, then, after a wait, winner 800105 up to Grantham, speedily, and then a race for which one came first between 156422 and dud 158846, which returned from the seaside at Skeg Vegas to win the reward of taking me to Nottingham. A quick change here and 170532 (not a winner because I'd had both parts as the ends of 170632) to Beeston Hauptbahnhof, then winner 170618 (because I'd not had 170518) through to Derby.
A delay here for a late running and rather scruffy winner in 222019 up to Sheffield, then 195124 over to Manchester on the stopper.
Down to the tram, and was wending my way over to Victoria when inspiration struck. It was now 22:40, the last train to Rochdale was at 23:30, and the Oyster Bar was (sort of) enroute. Time for a pint of Taddies, then a peaceful trundle homewards with 150113+150132.
And where next? All being well on Saturday I'll be having a little Day Ranger in West Yorks, hopefully grabbing some of the eight shacks I need there, and looking out for any winners. And I believe the Spa Valley railway are having a gala in August which ought to produce some nice older winners, and let me clear the English track again if I go via Barking Riverside!