TC60054
Member
Been reading through the trip reports here and I think it maybe time for me to start posting proper reports. I mean, it's not as if there's any harm in doing so is there?
So, to start with...
11/06/16
Yesterday I decided it was time to take a trip out on another £10 Northern Rail ranger. We start off on the 0855 tram towards Sheffield Station, formed of Duewag 122 for the four mile trip there, arriving a couple of minutes early at 0910. After a quick natter with the driver, it was time to make my way into the station to purchase the ranger.
Platform 3A was the location of my chosen train to Doncaster to join the electric network for the day. I was rather surprised when the unit rolled in at 0932, until I remembered that this was the unusual working which didn't actually work in just behind the Manchester TransPennine. Settling down for the journey to Doncaster on 158851, we had a pretty clear run to Doncaster, until being held at the notorious D277 signal - it shows how long it's been since I last traversed the line on a Northern, having forgotten about the 10 minute wait for a path into the station! Upon arrival at Doncaster, a quick walk under the underpass to platform 6 to join winner 322482 to Leeds on the 1026. We settled down under the pantograph in the third carriage for the 40 minute trip to Leeds, whilst the Scarborough and Newcastle units followed each other out of Doncaster for the north.
The journey up to Leeds on the Northern stopper is one of my favourite local-stopping journeys, and with a slightly delayed arrival into Leeds, it was dinner time, with a quick meal in McDonalds with my one remaining voucher being used. No more cheap dinner for me now !
After, it was time to join the 1156 service to Skipton, formed of winner 333015. Great, two consecutive winners after none for weeks, I was enjoying this. This was the first time I had taken a trip to Skipton, and it was the first time that I had passed Keighley on a 333 as well. At 1237, we arrived into Skipton a couple of minutes early, and with a +23 looming onto the Bradford service, it was a quick look around the station before dud 333008 rolled up.
The driver on 333008 was being very conservative in his driving compared to drivers on other 333s, who seem to like the "full power, full brake" approach to working these services, although sure enough a right time arrival to Bradford Forster Square ensued at 1337. A quick look in on the KWVR from the 333 didn't come up with anything remotely interesting, and a kettle was just departing as we rolled in. At Bradford, it was a quick trip to the shop before joining the 1246 to Ilkley...formed again of 333008. Fortunately, this was to be the only repeat of the day, and the conservative driving continued to Ilkley, including over the third side of the triangle which has now reopened after the flooding earlier in the week, albeit with a lovely TSR.
With Ilkley being my favourite point on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines, it only made sense for a quick walk around the town centre before joining the 1438 Leeds. Rolling in as 333014, and a right time departure, it seemed that the position made the whine of the motors extremely loud compared to normal with the other 333s - although I wasn't complaining at the time. We continued down the line, this driver no longer being eco friendly with his driving of the electrics, before a fortunate right time arrival into Leeds at 1507 and a short run onto winner 333011 working the 1510 to Bradford. We decided to take this to Apperley Bridge, and with a right time arrival of the unit there, a look at the station and its "new" features (although I'm rather annoyed that they did decide to tape over the Northern branding on a brand new station!), it was time for 333013 back to Leeds on the slightly delayed 1543 service.
At Leeds, it was time to head back to South Yorkshire having covered the entire electric network, and dud 322484 was the chariot for this on the 1621 service to Doncaster. Settling down again under near the pan, a quick phone charge was called for on the trip down, and an on time arrival into Doncaster. The next port of call was platform 5, where winner 142005 was waiting to work the 1724 to Sheffield via all stations. I wouldn't usually voluntarily use a stopping service between the two, but the winning Pacer combined with a desire to check out the progress of the tram-train preparation works around Rotherham was too hard to pass. I'm not sure that the unit was actually a Pacer though, as a 5 minute early arrival into Conisbrough and a further two waits to catch up with time at other intermediate stations was worrying, however it's impressive to see the amount of work that has already gone in with piling for electrification and clearance for the new Parkgate station - not to mention all the OHLE supports up on the Tinsley line! A two minute delayed arrival into Meadowhall for a quick connection to the 1810 to Sheffield, via the shop in the bus station, threw up 158796. Then it was decided to shuttle between the two, trying to win some units.
At Sheffield, the 1836 to Huddersfield was the next choice for the shuttle to Meadowhall, formed of 144015. A delayed arrival into Meadowhall meant a quick barge through the customers, and onto 142066 back to Sheffield working the 1848. A right time arrival into Sheffield meant that the +5 onto the 1900 Doncaster was extremely likely - even more so by the fact it was delayed by 10 minutes, before winner 142035 pulled in. A 10 minute late arrival to Meadowhall meant that the next journey would be the 1921 back to Sheffield, which was 144002. One last hop now, using the 1944 to Beverley, which to my surprise had a winning Dogbox on the rear. With 158843 / 153358 providing the power, and the 153 providing some winning Dogbox thrash, another RT arrival at Meadowhall, along with a bit of annoyance that the 1948 Sheffield was actually booked to use the winning Brightside slow line in the reverse direction, and it was a quick check of the unit on the 1954 to Nottingham.
This was 158845, so as not to annoy myself any further, the 2008 tram to Cathedral was chosen, the tram providing the power here being 105. It felt weird that this wasn't my highest mileage tram for once! With an on time arrival into Cathedral, the booked 5 minute wait happened...and then continued to happen for another five minutes before my new highest mileage tram 123 arrived, explaining the lengthy delay for the time of day. Seated underneath a very loud speaker to listen to the broken announcements, an arrival at 2055 at White Lane meant that the tram had managed to make some time back - and with that the short walk home finished the day.
So, to start with...
11/06/16
Yesterday I decided it was time to take a trip out on another £10 Northern Rail ranger. We start off on the 0855 tram towards Sheffield Station, formed of Duewag 122 for the four mile trip there, arriving a couple of minutes early at 0910. After a quick natter with the driver, it was time to make my way into the station to purchase the ranger.
Platform 3A was the location of my chosen train to Doncaster to join the electric network for the day. I was rather surprised when the unit rolled in at 0932, until I remembered that this was the unusual working which didn't actually work in just behind the Manchester TransPennine. Settling down for the journey to Doncaster on 158851, we had a pretty clear run to Doncaster, until being held at the notorious D277 signal - it shows how long it's been since I last traversed the line on a Northern, having forgotten about the 10 minute wait for a path into the station! Upon arrival at Doncaster, a quick walk under the underpass to platform 6 to join winner 322482 to Leeds on the 1026. We settled down under the pantograph in the third carriage for the 40 minute trip to Leeds, whilst the Scarborough and Newcastle units followed each other out of Doncaster for the north.
The journey up to Leeds on the Northern stopper is one of my favourite local-stopping journeys, and with a slightly delayed arrival into Leeds, it was dinner time, with a quick meal in McDonalds with my one remaining voucher being used. No more cheap dinner for me now !
After, it was time to join the 1156 service to Skipton, formed of winner 333015. Great, two consecutive winners after none for weeks, I was enjoying this. This was the first time I had taken a trip to Skipton, and it was the first time that I had passed Keighley on a 333 as well. At 1237, we arrived into Skipton a couple of minutes early, and with a +23 looming onto the Bradford service, it was a quick look around the station before dud 333008 rolled up.
The driver on 333008 was being very conservative in his driving compared to drivers on other 333s, who seem to like the "full power, full brake" approach to working these services, although sure enough a right time arrival to Bradford Forster Square ensued at 1337. A quick look in on the KWVR from the 333 didn't come up with anything remotely interesting, and a kettle was just departing as we rolled in. At Bradford, it was a quick trip to the shop before joining the 1246 to Ilkley...formed again of 333008. Fortunately, this was to be the only repeat of the day, and the conservative driving continued to Ilkley, including over the third side of the triangle which has now reopened after the flooding earlier in the week, albeit with a lovely TSR.
With Ilkley being my favourite point on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines, it only made sense for a quick walk around the town centre before joining the 1438 Leeds. Rolling in as 333014, and a right time departure, it seemed that the position made the whine of the motors extremely loud compared to normal with the other 333s - although I wasn't complaining at the time. We continued down the line, this driver no longer being eco friendly with his driving of the electrics, before a fortunate right time arrival into Leeds at 1507 and a short run onto winner 333011 working the 1510 to Bradford. We decided to take this to Apperley Bridge, and with a right time arrival of the unit there, a look at the station and its "new" features (although I'm rather annoyed that they did decide to tape over the Northern branding on a brand new station!), it was time for 333013 back to Leeds on the slightly delayed 1543 service.
At Leeds, it was time to head back to South Yorkshire having covered the entire electric network, and dud 322484 was the chariot for this on the 1621 service to Doncaster. Settling down again under near the pan, a quick phone charge was called for on the trip down, and an on time arrival into Doncaster. The next port of call was platform 5, where winner 142005 was waiting to work the 1724 to Sheffield via all stations. I wouldn't usually voluntarily use a stopping service between the two, but the winning Pacer combined with a desire to check out the progress of the tram-train preparation works around Rotherham was too hard to pass. I'm not sure that the unit was actually a Pacer though, as a 5 minute early arrival into Conisbrough and a further two waits to catch up with time at other intermediate stations was worrying, however it's impressive to see the amount of work that has already gone in with piling for electrification and clearance for the new Parkgate station - not to mention all the OHLE supports up on the Tinsley line! A two minute delayed arrival into Meadowhall for a quick connection to the 1810 to Sheffield, via the shop in the bus station, threw up 158796. Then it was decided to shuttle between the two, trying to win some units.
At Sheffield, the 1836 to Huddersfield was the next choice for the shuttle to Meadowhall, formed of 144015. A delayed arrival into Meadowhall meant a quick barge through the customers, and onto 142066 back to Sheffield working the 1848. A right time arrival into Sheffield meant that the +5 onto the 1900 Doncaster was extremely likely - even more so by the fact it was delayed by 10 minutes, before winner 142035 pulled in. A 10 minute late arrival to Meadowhall meant that the next journey would be the 1921 back to Sheffield, which was 144002. One last hop now, using the 1944 to Beverley, which to my surprise had a winning Dogbox on the rear. With 158843 / 153358 providing the power, and the 153 providing some winning Dogbox thrash, another RT arrival at Meadowhall, along with a bit of annoyance that the 1948 Sheffield was actually booked to use the winning Brightside slow line in the reverse direction, and it was a quick check of the unit on the 1954 to Nottingham.
This was 158845, so as not to annoy myself any further, the 2008 tram to Cathedral was chosen, the tram providing the power here being 105. It felt weird that this wasn't my highest mileage tram for once! With an on time arrival into Cathedral, the booked 5 minute wait happened...and then continued to happen for another five minutes before my new highest mileage tram 123 arrived, explaining the lengthy delay for the time of day. Seated underneath a very loud speaker to listen to the broken announcements, an arrival at 2055 at White Lane meant that the tram had managed to make some time back - and with that the short walk home finished the day.