Shred`s UK trips.

[Cowley]

I’m so far behind with reading reports (in fact I think I haven’t properly done this since I saw you Shred). As always I can’t believe how much stuff you pack in.
Too much to comment on really, but the weekend at the NYMR and also the 50 gala stood out as two really excellent ones.
Anyway hope you’re well mate. Catch you soon.

 

[shredder1]

I’m so far behind with reading reports (in fact I think I haven’t properly done this since I saw you Shred). As always I can’t believe how much stuff you pack in.
Too much to comment on really, but the weekend at the NYMR and also the 50 gala stood out as two really excellent ones.
Anyway hope you’re well mate. Catch you soon.

Great to see you posting again mate, I was going to drop you a line see what you`ve been upto, many thanks for your comments and thanks again for your hospitality. I`m just planning my early February trip, Czech rail tour then Austria, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck Feldkirch and dropping into Northern Italy Brenner Pass, back via
Villach and Graz

 

[Cowley]

Great to see you posting again mate, I was going to drop you a line see what you`ve been upto, many thanks for your comments and thanks again for your hospitality. I`m just planning my early February trip, Czech rail tour then Austria, Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck Feldkirch and dropping into Northern Italy Brenner Pass, back via Vallinch and Graz

So bloody jealous!
I’ll pm you at some point to have a catch up mate.

 

[shredder1]

So bloody jealous!
I’ll pm you at some point to have a catch up mate.

Hahaha, yes I`ll be down there in the summer still need a few preserved lines mate.

 

[shredder1]

Stafford and Crewe. Saturday 15th December 2018.

Despite the weather, it was weekend and on a very dark and cold Saturday morning I drove down to Crumpsall Metrolink station for an early tram into Manchester Piccadilly. I had decided to take pot luck and have a train ride down to Stafford, which is usually good for freight, even on a weekend.

A number of Class 66`s came through on freight, plus a pair of Class 90`s heading south bound. I also wanted to catch up with the new liveried London Northwestern Railway Class 350 Desiro electrics, although there are still plenty around in the old London Midland Livery.

The highlight however was Oliver Bulleid`s West Country class Braunton masquerading as 34052 Lord Dowding on a Salisbury to Chester Charter with 67 018 Keith Heller in support. She blasted through Stafford having been attached to the charter at Bescot, I managed a few photographs of her before catching a train behind her and over taking her on the way in to Crewe, so was fortunate to get a few more photographs of her leaving Crewe for Chester. I returned to Manchester on a Class 175 Wales and Borders unit, a good day out.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.1989352307778945&type=3

 

[AnthonyRail]

Hahaha, yes I`ll be down there in the summer still need a few preserved lines mate.

Have you done the Lynton/Barnstaple Narrow gauge railway

 

[shredder1]

Have you done the Lynton/Barnstaple Narrow gauge railway

No, its on my hit list, I have been to Lynton station house in the 80`s through and done the cliff railway, but need to get Woody Bay in, hopefully this year.

 

[shredder1]

London, Redhill, and Tonbridge. (Day 1). Saturday 22nd December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol. I left early Saturday morning on a train from Manchester to London Euston, crossed London by underground and made my way to London Bridge railway station.

I had a few lines I wanted to complete, before I had been on every passenger line in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. From London Bridge my first stop was East Croydon with a change for Redhill, as I needed to do the line from Redhill to Tonbridge. I`d attempted it last year, over the 2017 Christmas period, but the lines were closed then due to engineering work, this time however I was successful and finally managed to travel on this line.

I was surprised at the amount of stock on Tonbridge yard, which is now apparently used as a GB Railfreight depot, 10 class 73`s, 4 class 66`s and 2 class 70`s, amazing, I had no idea it was so busy these days. A foot bridge crosses the yard which is very handy for photography, and I took full advantage of the location.

I returned to Tonbridge railway station, but the next train back to Redhill had been cancelled and I still needed to traverse the line from Redhill to Reigate, so had to take a train from Tonbridge back into London Bridge and then another train back down to Redhill. I did however complete my last passenger line and returned to Redhill for some tea in one of the local restaurants.

I later returned to London Bridge and later took the underground over to Waterloo for a few late evening photographs before making my way out to Holland Park where I was staying in the Safestay Hostel for the night, as I wasn’t due at my son`s house until the Sunday evening. It was a good start to the week though.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2012450065469169&type=3

 

[AnthonyRail]

No, its on my hit list, I have been to Linton station house in the 80`s through and done the cliff railway, but need to get Woody Bay in, hopefully this year.

Just say if you need a lift anywhere in Somerset when you’re down

 

[shredder1]

Just say if you need a lift anywhere in Somerset when you’re down

Really, wow thank you, I`ll certainly take you up on that in the summer mate, thanks.

 

[shredder1]

London, Ealing Broadway, Chingford, (Day 2). Sunday 23rd December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.
I was up and out of the Safestay hostel at Holland Park for 07.00 on Sunday morning. It was a damp and dark morning.

I made my way back to the underground station and caught a train out to Ealing Broadway as the light was breaking. From here I returned to Liverpool Street and decided to have a run up to Chingford, a station I`d not visited since London Overground took over.

Returning to Liverpool Street and I was back on the Underground to Kings Cross and a direct service up to my Son`s at Sandy for the Christmas visit.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2014089488638560&type=3

 

[D841 Roebuck]

London, Ealing Broadway, Chingford, (Day 2). Sunday 23rd December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.
I was up and out of the Safestay hostel at Holland Park for 07.00 on Sunday morning. It was a damp and dark morning.

I made my way back to the underground station and caught a train out to Ealing Broadway as the light was breaking. From here I returned to Liverpool Street and decided to have a run up to Chingford, a station I`d not visited since London Overground took over.

Returning to Liverpool Street and I was back on the Underground to Kings Cross and a direct service up to my Son`s at Sandy for the Christmas visit.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2014089488638560&type=3

I see we were on the Chingford branch at the same time. And you got 315812, which I require and missed that day...

 

[shredder1]

I see we were on the Chingford branch at the same time. And you got 315812, which I require and missed that day...

Really, wow small world.

 

[shredder1]

Sandy, London, Shoeburyness, Southend, (Day 3). Monday 24th December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.

Christmas Eve and the family were working, so I planned another escape before Christmas proper. I woke up to a misty morning in Sandy and took breakfast in Chunky`s before catching a Thameslink class 700 service into St Pancras International underground and traversing the new link from the ECML to the MML, which has only been in place since the summer and accesses new catchments from Peterborough to Horsham on a direct service.
I went above ground to Kings Cross in the hope of seeing the Intercity liveried 91 which keeps avoiding me, or even one of the class 90`s, which are always nice to see, but none of them materialised.

My next move was the underground to Aldgate and Tower Hill, walking around the corner to Fenchurch Street, London`s smallest terminal station, where I decided to catch a train out to Shoeburyness, a location I hadn’t visited since the 1980`s. Shoeburyness has certainly changed over the years, in both the stock and security fencing, like everywhere now I suppose. Still a good stable of units parked up though in the depot yard.

I later went for some money from a cash machine outside the post office opposite the railway station, I asked it for £20 and it gave me £15, I complained inside the post office, but they said they would have to wait until the end of the day before checking the ATM, then someone behind me said they also had the same problem, but the post office manager still insisted that I wait until closing time, so I had to let it go, it was o0nly a fiver, but I would have sooner given it to the homeless, than the Post Office.

I next took a train back along the line to Southend Central to visit the pier, I had never actually been on the Southend Pier Railway, so another new line. The longest in Britain, although the stock is now quite dated and requires replacing. It had however turned into a glorious day with blue skies above, ideal for a train ride to the end of the pier, and quite impressive it was too.

I returned to Southend Central and caught the next train back into London Fenchurch Street, and made my way around the underground to London Blackfriars for a Class 700 Thameslink unit back up to Sandy. The class 700`s have taken over at Blackfriars now, and I don`t think any other classes go into the station any more.

It didn’t take me long to get back up to Sandy and for the new few days it was family time with my son and his partner for Christmas and Boxing day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southend_Pier_Railway

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2015320501848792&type=3

 

[shredder1]

Sandy to Bristol, via Didcot, (Day 4). Thursday 27th December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.

After a fantastic Christmas at my son`s house and out shopping with them on Boxing Day, come Thursday morning and I was saying my goodbyes and off on the rails again. Breakfast at Chunky`s of Sandy, always a fantastic breakie and I was off on the 09.20 towards Kings Cross with a change of trains at Finsbury Park.

Taking the underground to London Paddington and next was a GWR class 800 Azuma to Didcot. A visit to the rail centre and then another Azuma to Bath, where I caught a bus out to my friend’s house, who very kindly put me up for another 3 nights.

https://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2016930368354472&type=3

 

[Kite159]

The Southend Pier railway is on my list to do later this year

 

[shredder1]

The Southend Pier railway is on my list to do later this year

Well worth doing Kite, its old stock still and I expect will be updated once money becomes available or it just breaks down. I`ve yet to do the Hyth Pier railway, http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/hythe_pier_railway/index.shtml

 

[shredder1]

Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, Broadway. (Day 5). Saturday 29th December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.

After a lovely day out in Bristol with my friend Linda and a visit to the local guitar shop and indeed some lovely homemade cooking, I`d promised to take Linda on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, as I had yet to sample the new extension out to Broadway.

We took an early train from Bristol Parkway direct to Cheltenham and then a bus out to Cheltenham Racecourse and the walk over to the railway. This was my fifth visit to the railway. The first train to arrive from Toddington was 7903 Foremarke Hall, which took us the full length of the line up to Broadway, a good run. The new extension was further that what I imagined. Peak Class 45 149 attached on the rear of the train at Toddington. We took an hour off between services to explore the new station at Broadway and what an impressive job they have done, even owning the track bed to the first bridge North towards Honeybourne and what would be the main line connection, but I suspect that will be a long way off if ever.

We returned behind top and tailed class 37`s D6948 in Green livery and 37215 in corporate Blue livery and travelled back to Toddington to check out the stalls and depot and later get something to eat in the station restaurant.

I`ve always found that the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway tend to start late and finish early, especially if you are travelling from Cheltenham Racecourse, so the last train was just gone 16.00. The last of the daylight was however leaving the skies as we returned to Cheltenham Racecourse. We caught the local bus back into Cheltenham Spa railway station and also was lucky with the next train back to Bristol Parkway, a GWR Turbo stopper, we alighted at Yate which was easier to catch a bus from there to Linda`s house and arrived back for around 19.00, so it had been a great day out and I was also treated to some more wonderful homemade cooking, thank you Linda.

https://www.gwsr.com/planning_your_visit/visiting_gwsr/2019_events_calendar.html

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...29992601365&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

 

[shredder1]

Bristol Parkway to Manchester via Oxford. (Day 6). Sunday 30th December 2018.

Christmas break at last and a lovely week in the south, first staying at my son`s in Sandy and then a friend’s house in Bristol.

My last day of the Christmas break and I left my friends Linda`s at around 09.00 to catch a bus into Bristol Parkway. Because of the way I`d booked my tickets to Sandy via London, using any permitted route, it meant that I could travel back to Manchester via Didcot and buy a return from Didcot to Bristol, it worked out cheaper that way. So, I had to return via Didcot for Manchester, which involved a change at Oxford.

From Oxford I caught a direct Cross Country Voyager to Manchester Piccadilly, arriving home by teatime, it had been a good break and nice to catch up with family and friends.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2018225828224926&type=3

 

[shredder1]

East Lancs Railway, Whisky Chasers. Tuesday 1st January 2019.

First day of the year and what a way to start it off, I was up the road visiting my old stomping ground the East Lancs Railway. As a former volunteer it was great to catch up with old friends and I even got to use one of my free passes for the day as a life member.

I have chance to ride behind Black 5 44871 and also Cravens Class 105 DMU, this was actually the first time I`d seen the Cravens, although I do remember them fondly from my shed bashes at Accrington back in the 1970`s, the class 105 was truly an East Lancashire DMU.

I took a few rides up and down the line between Rawtenstall and Heywood, it was a whisky chaser event, in that for every coffee or brew you bought, you received a free tot of whisky, needless to say I bought a boat load of coffee`s.

A very enjoyable first day out for the New Year, thanks East Lancs Railway for another great effort. I`m so lucky to have this on my doorstep.

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2018333521547490&type=3

 

[shredder1]

Doncaster. Saturday 5th January 2019.

Nothing really happening on the preserved scene this weekend, so I decided to have a run out to Doncaster, always something interesting to phot and I`d also arranged to catch up with Rob, who was travelling down from Halifax.

I was still trying to catch up with the Intercity liveried class 91, on asking a fellow crank on arrival, had he seen her, he told me I had just missed it working on the Leeds service and it wasn’t long before she returned. The power was down south of Peterborough so 91`s were turning around there, and I caught her on her second run up to Leeds and back again, so three times in all. A few freight passing in the morning, but by the time Rob arrived, they`d all finished.

I later took Rob for lunch at the Frenchgate Café, an excellent establishment introduced to me by my mate Grimsby Steve last year. The Frenchgate Café is run by a very friendly Turkish family who serve very reasonably priced first-class food, well worth a visit.

It was a very cold day with low light, Rob left at around 15.30 and I left shortly afterwards on a TPX 185 directly into Manchester Piccadilly, it had been a good day out.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2019728278074681&type=3

 

[shredder1]

Stafford, Kidsgrove, Longport and Crewe. Saturday 12th January 2019.

Rob came over the hill from Yorkshire on Friday night and stayed for the weekend, so the whisky was flowing, we however had an early start Saturday morning and had decided to head for Stafford to see what freight was knocking around.

With the alarm set for 06.00, a late start for me and an early one for Rob, we drove down to Crumpsall Metrolink station for a tram into Piccadilly. No time to take a proper breakfast, I don`t have anything in anyway, so it was a case of grabbing a few things at Greggs and catching a Cross Country Voyager direct to Stafford, I think we both slept for most of the journey.

Generally, a cold and dark day, but freight was moving and not a bad morning really, with Class 66`s were 66034/54/127/306/510/516/549/771 and 90044/45 on the Tesco. We next headed for Kidsgrove on a London Northwestern Class 350, it was going past Longport non-stop, but we wanted to see what was in Electro Motive works to see if it was worth a visit. It had a few class 56`s in the yard so we waited for an East Midland 153 Dogbox from Crewe to take us back to Longport and then walked around to the works. The 08 was parked in front of the depot with at least one class 66 in the yard with a black fronted cab and a number of Fertis and BR liveried Class 56`s which included 56007/009/032/038/069 and 66048 with the black cab. You can see into the front of the yard via the footbridge North of the station, this can be accessed from the footbridge south of the station and walking along the road adjacent to the Electro Motive works on the opposite side of the main line.

From Longport we caught a pair of 153 East Midland Dogboxes back across to Crewe and noted one of the new 'Aventra' Class 345 Crossrail units parked at the side of the carriage sheds with a Class 68 in Transpennine livery just inside the depot. From Crewe we later caught a Wales and Border 175 back up to Manchester Piccadilly. It had been a long day, but a productive one and we had a well-deserved tea in the Piccadilly Wetherspoons before taking the tram back to Crumpsall.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2029411303773045&type=3

 

[shredder1]

West Midland Day Rover. Saturday 19th January 2019.

A last-minute decision saw me heading south to the Midlands. I`d been checking the Worth Valley website in the week, hoping that the Riddles would be out again, but it wasn’t running this weekend, and sadly I found out too late that the East Lancs Standard 4 tank was running on its first passenger working. Still an enjoyable day was had around the West Midlands, always plenty to do and see in that region.

I was up at 05.00 and drove down to Manchester Piccadilly arriving just before 06.00, catching a Cross Country Voyager down to Birmingham New Street and a change to a West Midlands Class 170 out to Nuneaton.

It had been a few years since I`d visited Nuneaton and it was nice to see the place was still busy with freight, although the railway model shop and café have now gone from the platforms. I tagged onto a couple of lads around my age group, who were on the Real Time Trains website and advising me of the morning workings. Nuneaton station can be a bit awkward for photography, in that you need to be prepared to change platforms for just about every freight working that passes through, so it keeps you fit if nothing else.

Not a bad variety though, I just missed a northbound Class 70 as I was arriving, but we saw around 5 class 66`s, a class 37 and class 68 in a light pair movement. Things slowed down a little as the morning moved on, it was a cold day, so I next boarded, the Dog Box West Midland working 153`s to Coventry and later connected with a LNWR class 350 down to Northampton and decided to visit the PMT store as I needed a new guitar strap. I took a late breakfast in Northampton, a first-class full English in a café run by Romanians.

I returned on a LNWR class 350 to Birmingham New Street. I then boarded a WMT class 170 to Bescot and was pleasantly surprised to find a Class 60 and 3 class 66`s parked in the yard, although a far shadow of its former self. My next move was a ride up to Rugeley Trent Valley, returning to Walsall for tea.

It had been a few years since I visited Walsall and it was nice to see how the station had developed, now built into a shopping mall. After a walk around the town I returned to the railway station and caught a WMT class 170 returning into Birmingham New Street, before taking a Cross Country Voyager back up country to Manchester Victoria and then the drive home from the station. A very enjoyable day.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...otif_id=1548012195628462&notif_t=feed_comment

 

[AnthonyRail]

Nice Selection of freight.

 

[shredder1]

Nice Selection of freight.

Yes thanks I was lucky there.

 

[shredder1]

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Saturday 26th January 2019.

After checking the Worth Valley website, I noted that the BR Standard Riddles Class 2MT 2-6-0, 78022. The design was derived from the Ivatt-designed LMS Class 2MT 2-6-0, had been rostered for the weekend, so I decided to have a drive over there.

I woke up at 06.00 Saturday morning, feeling rough, I`d picked a cold up the day before, so I dosed myself up with day nurse from the local chemist and had another hour in bed. I set off a few hours later and drove over the hill to Haworth. The Riddles was still on shed steaming up when I arrived and the first train was already out, a class 101 DMU which was only running in the morning.

I had a couple of egg and sausage scuttles, (strange Yorkshire name for muffins), at the recently extended Buffet Car Café opposite Haworth railway station, I can recommend this one. My next move was to drive over to Ingrow West and park the car up for the day. After a visit to the museum bookshop, I caught the Riddles on her first run down from Oxenhope at 10.31 and I alighted at Keighley so I could get a few photographs of her running around the train and climbing the bank when departing.

I had a walk over to ASDA to get some more medication for the cold and then on returning to the station I caught the Class 101 DMU up to Oxenhope on its last run of the day before returning to the depot. After a visit to the museum at Oxenhope, an engineering train was operating on the line behind D0266 Vulcan, BR 0-6-0 Prototype EE shunter, I then waited for the Riddles to arrive at Oxenhope before having a few runs behind her between Oxenhope and Keighley before alighting at Ingrow West and driving back over the moors and home, it had been a good run out and nice to see the Riddles in steam again.

https://kwvr.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Railways_D0226

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[shredder1]

South Pennines Day Rover. Saturday 16th February 2019.

A bit of an anti-climax trip after my European wonderings. I was thinking of attending the East Lancs Sulzer event, but decided on a South Pennine day rover instead. I wanted to track down the last remaining class 155 Sprinters as most have been turned into 153 Dogboxes. Only 7 complete units survive and all are on Northern Rail, but I didn’t see any.

A lot of ex Scotrail 170`s have taken over services around the Leeds area, with one or two in Scotrail livery. I first took a TPX 185 from Manchester Victoria to Huddersfield, changing trains for a Northern Pacer 142 which took the route up Greetlands junction into Halifax to Bradford Interchange. I stopped here for breakfast.

My next move was Bradford Interchange to Leeds and then Sheffield via Castleford, returning from Sheffield on the more direct route to Leeds via Wakefield Westgate, before finally catching another TPX 185 back to Manchester Victoria. This was the first weekend of full Northern services after the strike action.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pra5d5c70a040002003ffec51cbc6f81.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/nick.melling.104/media_set?set=a.2083891611658347&type=3

 

[shredder1]

Churnet Valley Railway, Steam Gala. Saturday 23rd February 2019.

I must admit to having a passion towards the Churnet Valley Railway and usually try to attend all the galas the railway puts on, it has so much potential. Leek is the main drive at the moment and will access a major town and new catchment area for the railway.

I normally drive down to the Churnet Valley and on this occasion, I picked up a mate John on the way down, we left Middleton, North Manchester at 07.00 and arrived at the Railway for around 08.30. A couple of bacon muffins from the station café and a coffee and I was ready for a good day. The weather was unusual for February, blue skies and quite warm.

We had a run up to Ipstones on the first trip, the train was absolutely packed and we were lucky to find a couple of seats. We returned to the top of the line at Froghall and then back to Consall for a pint and a few photographs from the pub and canal bank. It was great to catch up with a few friends, everyone seemed to be attending this one.

We later returned to Cheddleton, waited for the Caley to return and then drove up to Bradnop to photograph the Caley climbing the bank to Ipstones banked by the Polish tank loco and former NCB tank Whiston Sadly, the Caley failed just after I took my photographs and was later rescued by the S160 and taken back to Cheddleton.

We returned to Cheddleton for the last photographs of the day, before driving back to North Manchester, a great gala, well done to all involved at the Churnet Valley Railway.

https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/

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[AnthonyRail]

Seems a decent gala even without the Manor from Dartmouth.

Caley looks superb, I might have to go to Swanage steam gala to see it.

 

[shredder1]

Seems a decent gala even without the Manor from Dartmouth.

Caley looks superb, I might have to go to Swanage steam gala to see it.

Yes the Manor would have been nice, love the Caley though and nice to see it doing the rounds, we have it as the East Lancs too mate.