Station bagging?

[Super Sprinter]

Hi,

Having read that there are now over 2500 railway stations in the UK I was wondering if a hobby similar to Munro bagging exists when it comes to rail stations?

Has anyone on the forum attempted this and what would be classed as "bagging" a station? Would you have to physically step on to the platform, maybe have your picture taken with the station sign?

If this thread is in the wrong place or has already been done then please feel free to move it mods.

 

[Toad]

I am aware of a chap from our 'neck of the woods' who as done them all, either getting off or on a train at every station on the network.

Awaiting the opening of one in Southend around now ???

I have just started this task (over the last 12 months) and require 1923 having bagged 597 (I stand corrected if my figures are out) :cry:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS - This little project involves walking, bus bashing, taking a good book as there is a bit of festering.........

 

[Intermodal]

I know of a guy who is doing this with all the Merseyrail stations - would be easy to do if he didn't set the criteria that he must have his photo taken in front of each sign. A lot of getting on and off!

 

[4SRKT]

I have been doing 'station bagging' (or 'station gricing' as I call it. I believe the modern term is 'shack scratch') all my life. I don't do it with the intention of one day getting them all, but I do note all new station grices and given a choice will bail at a station I haven't used before over one I have.

My own personal rules are that you have to be getting out for a 'proper' reason, and simply jumping on and off a train while it's in a station doesn't count. A 'proper' reason would be changing trains, leaving the station completely and going off somewhere, or getting off a train during a protracted wait, such as if a train has failed, or a photostop on a railtour.

 

[Gathursty]

I do this and so far, I'm upto 93. (Hindley is my most recent fyi) My proof and criteria is simply to take a picture of the sign (where possible include the large BR sign with the station name underneath as in my profile pic).

 

[Toots]

Now c'mon Gathursty,If you' said Wick or Bat and ball (great name for a station that!),it would have been impressive,but Hindley is only round the corner from you:roll:....

 

[ACE1888]

Sounds a good idea, a different 'slant' on being a railfan I suppose

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I am aware of a chap from our 'neck of the woods' who has done them all, either getting off or on a train at every station on the network.

What? Including Lympstone Commando?! How did he manage that ( unless he is a Commando, of course! )?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Now c'mon Gathursty,If you' said Wick or Bat and Ball (great name for a station that!),it would have been impressive,but Hindley is only round the corner from you:roll:....

Hindley is worth getting off at, even if it is just to see the gardening work carried out by the volunteers who I assume are from "Friends of Hindley Station" on the Manchester-bound platform.

If you do follow this hobby, your local stations are just as relevant as those far removed from where you live.

I think that Bat and Ball was named after a local public house.

 

[4SRKT]

What? Including Lympstone Commando?! How did he manage that ( unless he is a Commando, of course! )?

Maybe his rules are less rigid than mine and he allows himself to leap on and off the train while it's in a station.

 

[Super Sprinter]

I think you should physically step onto the platform and perhaps wait for a new train to board for it to count.

How many do people think you could realistically do in a day using this principle? 40?

 

[4SRKT]

I think you should physically step onto the platform and perhaps wait for a new train to board for it to count.

How many do people think you could realistically do in a day using this principle? 40?

I agree. You should not arrive and depart on the same scheduled service unless it has a protracted wait for some reason, planned or unplanned. You could do waaay more than 40 if you were doing it in a part of the country you'd not been to before, but for me having been doing this for 30+ years there is no such part of the country left!

 

[Toad]

What? Including Lympstone Commando?! How did he manage that ( unless he is a Commando, of course! )?

Maybe his rules are less rigid than mine and he allows himself to leap on and off the train while it's in a station.

Lympstone Commando done the other week, got on no problem after walking the short distance from Exton (think thats the shack a few hundred yards away)

 

[12CSVT]

Is it possible to 'scratch' Denton and Reddish South without festering for a week at each one ?

 

[4SRKT]

Is it possible to 'scratch' Denton and Reddish South without festering for a week at each one ?

Yes, by walking from Reddish South to Reddish North, and from Denton to Guide Bridge (or just taking a bus somewhere from them). You need to wait a week between each move, but you don't have to bivouac down on the platform for that time! I wish I'd done these when there was an hourly bubble car on Stockport > Stalybridge, but who was to know that nearly 25 years later these stations would still be hanging on!

 

[Toad]

Is it possible to 'scratch' Denton and Reddish South without festering for a week at each one ?

Could have had a 67 to there the other week !!

 

[Gathursty]

I'm no slouch! I just don't have a car atm so bagging some local stations are easier than others. For today's effort of me, my bike and the GMPTE Rail Ranger, I ticked off Romiley, Marple, Rose Hill (Marple), Middlewood, Disley, Strines and Manchester Airport.

 

[Super Sprinter]

Well I have decided to take the challenge on and see how many I can get.

I plan to compile a list in the next few hours of stations that I know have been bagged by me and will then just see how it goes.

Should be a nice little past time and allow me to get some more rail time which is always good!

How many are you on Gathursty?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Additionally, would underground stations be counted?

 

[Toad]

All the best Super Sprinter

I was suprised when counting up the amount of shacks I had leapt at until starting this crazy task.....
About 300 !!! Mostlt Loco hauled only from the 80's etc.......

You can have good days and bag about 20 shacks and it does not effect you list to get one little bit !!!

Me thinks only the Top Men will give this one a go !!!

Places like the Far North line will take days to complete.
Then you have the Pilning's etc.....one train a week :cry:

 

[Gathursty]

How many are you on Gathursty?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Additionally, would underground stations be counted?

A nice 100 upto now! I don't count underground, tram, DLR, NI or IOW stations by the way.

 

[4SRKT]

As far as this is concerned I think I will be something of a top man.

Excluding LU, preserved railways and Light Rail, but counting NIR and CIE:

Aberdare
Aberdeen
Aberystwyth
Adelaide
Airdrie
Ambergate
Annan
Antrim
Appleby
Ardrossan Harbour
Ardrossan South Beach
Arklow
Arnside
Ascot
Ashburys
Ashford
Aviemore
Aylesbury
Ayr
Bache
Baildon
Balloch
Ballycarry
Ballymena
Ballymoney
Balmoral
Banbury
Bangor (Co Down)
Bangor West
Barking
Barmouth
Barnsley
Barnstaple
Barry
Barry Island
Barton on Humber
Basingstoke
Bath Spa
Beckenham Junction
Bedford
Belfast Central
Belfast Great Victoria St
Belfast York Road
Belper
Ben Rhydding
Berkswell
Berwick upon Tweed
Beverley
Bidston
Bingley
Birkenhead North
Birmingham Moor St
Birmingham New St
Birmingham Snow Hill
Bishop Auckland
Blackfriars
Blackhorse Road
Blackpool North
Blackpool South
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Bletchley
Bognor Regis
Bolton
Bosham
Botanic
Bournemouth
Bradford Forster Square (old and new)
Bradford Interchange
Braintree
Bramley (Leeds)
Bray
Bridge End
Bridgend
Bridlington
Brighouse
Bristol Parkway
Bristol Temple Meads
Brockenhurst
Bromley North
Bromley South
Burley Park
Burley in Wharfedale
Burnley Central
Burnley Manchester Road
Buxton
Byfleet & New Haw
Caersws
Camberley
Cambridge
Cannon Street
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Central
Cardiff Queen St
Carlisle
Carmarthen
Carnforth
Carrickfergus
Castleford
Castlerock
Castleton Moor
Cathays
Cattal
Charing Cross (Glasgow)
Charing Cross (London)
Cheltenham Spa
Chessington South
Chester
Chesterfield
Chichester
Chingford
Chippenham
Church Fenton
City Hospital
Clapham Junction
Cleethorpes
Clipperstown
Colchester
Colchester Town
Coleraine
Colne
Cork
Cosham
Coventry
Crewe
Crianlarich
Cross Gates
Crossflatts
Crystal Palace
Culrain
Cultra
Cumbernauld
Darlington
Dartford
Dawlish
Dawlish Warren
Deansgate
Deighton
Denby Dale
Derby
Dewsbury
Didcot Parkway
Dingwall
Dover Priory
Dover Western Docks
Drogheda
Dublin Connolly
Dublin Heuston
Dublin Pearse
Duffield
Dumbarton Central
Dumfries
Dun Laoghaire
Dundalk
Dundee
Dunmurry
Durham

That's A-D but you get the picture

 

[Super Sprinter]

As far as this is concerned I think I will be something of a top man.

Excluding LU, preserved railways and Light Rail, but counting NIR and CIE:
.....

Dunmurry
Durham

That's A-D but you get the picture

Show Off!

I think I have a long way to go. I must admit I will just concentrate on bagging as many of the larger stations as I can to start with and then progress to smaller ones from there.

Managed to bag a couple in my lunch hour, Blackfriars (rather disappointing with all the work going on) and City Thameslink Station.

 

[4SRKT]

Well, I've been at it for 30 years! AND I missed Blackburn from the A-d list.

 

[Aictos]

Lympstone Commando done the other week, got on no problem after walking the short distance from Exton (think thats the shack a few hundred yards away)

You do realise that Lympstone Commando is not for public use and is exclusively for the use of visitors to the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre there.

Only people having business at the commando base are allowed to board or alight at this station. Passengers for Lympstone itself must use Lympstone Village railway station.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lympstone_Village_railway_stationYes photos have been taken there before ie http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~owend/I/R/stnpages/lympstonecommando.html

However the MOD was asked beforehand for permission to do so.

 

[4SRKT]

Maybe Toad has a slightly more lawless approach to this pastime (and life in general) than do you ajax? It's hardly a major crime though is it, boarding at Lympstone Commando without asking the MOD?

 

[Julia]

I think you should physically step onto the platform and perhaps wait for a new train to board for it to count.

Take a very big flask when you go for Denton and Reddish South...

 

[Super Sprinter]

Take a very big flask when you go for Denton and Reddish South...

Maybe I would do them two in a car

Or take a tent and my Ray Mears Books

 

[paulb1973]

Should one alight here (who is not connected to the military) and the trains pulls out - what would actually happen? Do they shove you back on the next train? Or is it better to salute the ticket collector?!

Paul

You do realise that Lympstone Commando is not for public use and is exclusively for the use of visitors to the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre there.

Only people having business at the commando base are allowed to board or alight at this station. Passengers for Lympstone itself must use Lympstone Village railway station.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lympstone_Village_railway_stationYes photos have been taken there before ie http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~owend/I/R/stnpages/lympstonecommando.html

However the MOD was asked beforehand for permission to do so.

 

[Super Sprinter]

Should one alight here (who is not connected to the military) and the trains pulls out - what would actually happen? Do they shove you back on the next train? Or is it better to salute the ticket collector?!

Paul

They shoot you

Why do you think there are not many station baggers around.

 

[4SRKT]

Maybe I would do them two in a car

Or take a tent and my Ray Mears Books

Oooh no. Cars defo not allowed.

With these two I am taking my usual approach to this sort of thing by simply waiting until they close, as must eventually happen once serious maintenance becomes an issue. No point in busting a gut to cover doomed stations or lines and this approach has worked well for me in the past with Clayton West, Balloch Pier etc.