Alrighty then, I have a bit of time to start work on the many, many missing trip reports. Sadly I still haven't been able to find photos for this lot, and this appears to be one of the many trips I will have had video footage from, but the pile of Mini DV tapes are still waiting to be dealt with. Eventually they will be dealt with, but don't ask me for an ETA on them as I simply haven't got one.
It should also be noted that I don't have a date for this trip report, but as it has 170/1s running with Central Trains, as far as I know it was 2004. This is reinforced by seeing in the notes later in the notebook a 73/2 on standby duties for Gatwick Express! This is where I really regret not dating my notes properly at the time, but let's just assume this was 2004 for now. Actually I've found some notes from October 2004 off a spotting session at Llansamlet, so it must have been 2004. Enjoy the look back in time all!
Heart of England Rover 2004, Day 1
The day starts very early, due to a failure to sleep properly, and I plan the routes I'd be using during the 3 day adventure. The plans go out of the window [as was often the case at the time! - Ed], apparently I describe the reasons later in the trip report.
I get the 0650 bus to town [now 0645, and at the time this run was notorious for leaving late, 10 minutes delay was not uncommon - Ed] and we leave at 0652, a record! Even though we leave earlier than usual, we still don't arrive until approximately 0740, missing my hoped-for connection onto the 0738 [now leaves at 0734 to Birmingham New Street - Ed].
I proceed to buy my Heart of England 3 in 7 rover, which the ATW staff find hard to find on the system. I eventually leave the ticket office and proceed to see 158854 on the 0750 to Manchester, as well as 158s on the 0819 and 0820 to Milford Haven and Chester respectively. I also pity those on the the 0843 to Nottingham [oh my, that's a bit of nostalgia there, through trains to Nottingham and no reliance on XC beyond Birmingham! - Ed] as it's run by 150019! Later on I see it running a Nottingham to Cardiff Central service! Obviously years later I'd love such a long run on a 150, anyone got a time machine I can borrow?
Finally after future planning [I don't mention what I was planning sadly - Ed] and sorting out of timetables, along with a coffee and bacon roll, the 0908 to Manchester rolls in 3 minutes early, and I apparently noticed the driver's fast running later, although I have no mention of how so.
I finally arrive at Crewe after about 4 months since my last visit. I see plenty of locos and carriages about, getting as many numbers as possible. I go on to see 390s, Voyagers, 323s and a couple of 153s. The time to get the 1108 comes, after a ham and cheese baguette [oh my lordz, I'd forgotten the tradtional Upper Crust visits at the time and those baguettes! - Ed] and Diet Coke. To my horror, only 153354 was on it. Plans get further changed [I assume the presence of the 150 on the Nottingham earlier also caused a change of plan - Ed]...
Before I flick the page over in my notebook, anyone else have sort-of fond memories for those old TV screens used for passenger information around the country at the time? I'm not talking about the more modern ones still in use in places like Maidstone West and without a doubt in many other places still, these used grey text. I would show you what I mean but I have no photos. The announcements at Crewe for the Skegness trains were also of note, they were all manual back then and the amount of stations had the poor staff giving up listing every station call by Grantham! Back to it...
I board the 153 [which I know I have a photo of somewhere, but that could be anywhere! - Ed] but decide I can only handle as far as Stoke-on-Trent, which I wanted to visit anyway. Here disaster strikes, as my camera batteries die! However, new ones from the shop on the London platform were to cost £5.20, which I wasn't prepared to spend. After a rest, the batteries decide to work thankfully. A shot of the running-in board is grabbed before jumping on the delayed 1140 Voyager to Wolverhampton. The radio soon goes on [this was the at-seat entertainment system, still a long way from being made redundant at the time - Ed], despite being in the Quiet Zone! I don't particularly like the songs, but it was better than silence [not sure I'd agree with that nearly 11 years later! - Ed]
At Wolverhampton, I alight and am instantly impressed by the bridge [the one linking the then-new platform 4 to the rest of the platforms at the west end of the station - Ed] and the First Class lounge on platform 4. I have a look around, and find the delayed 1149 is due, so back to platform 4. I board and find a seat, discovering no working radio, darn. It's only a short distance to Birmingham New Street anyway [or as I was short-handing it at the time, BNS! - Ed]. I'm dismayed at having not waited longer at Wolverhampton though, I would have got an 87 and MK3s, D'OH!
We get the 'New Street Effect' before arrival [being held outside the station for a platform - Ed], after which I note a couple of numbers, then get the 1249 to Nottingham, with the idea of alighting at Wilnecote. I change my mind and alight at Burton-on-Trent. Taking on a Mars and two cans of pop from the shop next to the station entrance, as well as a few leaflets to read on the way home, I then await the 1341 to Nottingham, which had got caught behind 66002 and some wagons. It's only a 5 minute delay though.
I note no proper ticket check still by this point [without a date box check I can only assume - Ed], I move onwards to Derby with 170517 [yes, I finally noted what I travelled on, something I hadn't got the hang of back then! - Ed], and all the numbers I gathered up were already had! We depart Derby at 1409 whilst I get only 2 new numbers from Etches Park, grr! The current plan was to bail at Long Eaton from 170517, wait 10 minutes for a 222 from Derby and take that to Loughborough. Thankfully I achieve all this whilst seeing an HST fly through Long Eaton and 158792.
I alight at Loughborough to try and see 43009 in next door Brush Works. After a walk around I give up and return to the station, discovering there is a 1510 HST to Leicester, which I wait for. I have finally started MML seat diagrams [oh yeah, I'd forgotten I used to mark off the seats I travelled in. Thank Goodness that stopped! - Ed] and enjoy a free coffee en-route to Leicester.
That's a trip down Memory Lane too. MML doing free tea and coffee from their buffets on HSTs. I don't remember their logic at the time, and the cups were rather small, the coffee not great but considering we weren't paying for it there were no complaints. There is something else MML-related I would share nostalgic views on, but until I find that card, if I do, then I can't remember the name of it for sure. Besides, that and the FGW scheme are two very different things to discuss at a future time! Thanks to the free coffee, MML will always live on in my memory as a much-missed TOC!
When we arrive at Leicester, I discover a late-running Central Trains service via Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street, so instead of getting carriage numbers I get this, after seeing 222019 arriving. The trip back to Birmingham was OK, having got a table seat. I consider alighting at Nuneaton, but this can wait for another day. We get the dreaded 'New Street Effect' again, and chaos has struck. The 1559 Central Trains service to Hereford has not shown up, and another train is awaiting a driver. I try and decide what to do next, and settle for the 1633 to Shrewsbury, an ATW service, and would get a Misery Line [oh my yes, I'd forgotten my dislike of the Marches line at the time! Not a huge fan of it these days mind to be fair - Ed] train to Hereford. I manage to get through the crowds, somehow, and grab a seat on a train that proved to be rather busy. Although that was nothing compared to the loading out of Shrewsbury!
I highlight the service in my timetable [not sure why, but I used to mark in the relevant timetables which services I had travelled on - Ed], then find my connecting train to Hereford, the 1748 which would allow me to get an earlier bus home. I get a drink in Shrewsbury but alas, no decent food to eat, so I decide on a chippy visit when I get to Hereford. I nearly made it for a trip to Craven Arms on the 1729 to Swansea, but I was 30 seconds too late. I go to get a packet of Malteasers from the vending machine on platform 7, and a Twix comes out! During the interlude, I crack on with writing the trip report up into my notebook, consuming the drink and Twix. 153321 arrives off a stopper from Crewe, then does an ECS out of platform 7. The 1748 is 4 minutes late leaving and is 158853.
I enjoy a rest and a drink on the way to Hereford, noting that I now have 10 services travelled on on this line. Back in Hereford, after a rather boring and no-ticket-check trip, I go for my chicken curry and chips from Mr Chips, quite possibly the nicest anywhere I note. Worth noting that Mr Chips closed down some months ago, although whether just for a massive refurbishment or permanently I have yet to find out.
I get the 1907 bus home from the bus station, and I start thinking about how to best use the next couple of days. Sunday was an option but so was Friday. That pretty much wraps up Day 1, arriving home at 20xx. A long day really, especially when it all starts again in a few hours! [I shake my head when I look back at that comment, such a day would be considered ridiculously easy now, compared to the more intense days I've done since then! - Ed]
Heart of England Rover 2004, Day 2
My second day is nearly put off, thanks to awakening rather late. I manage to get a lift into town though, and get to the station for around 0924. I soon discover the service from Nottingham is 21 minutes late [you can see why the service was split in Birmingham, timekeeping did eventually improve! - Ed] which means the 0943 is certain to leave late. Once again, my plan goes officially out of the window, and I consider the possibility of getting the 0948 to Shrewsbury, then get to Wolverhampton or Birmingham New Street that way, as I also get to go past Oxley then! [this was of course still in my early days of the hobby, so I needed tons of everything for sight - Ed] After a spot of breakfast, 156403 arrives at 0943 from Nottingham. I decide it to be best to go up the Misery Line to Shrewsbury and go from there.
Yes, I too am screaming at such a bizarre bit of logic! In one week I'd turned down a 150/0 on my local route and then a 156 as well, I need to go back to 2004 and find out what on Earth I was thinking at the time! Especially when I see what I write next in the notebook...
To my surprise, 156403 comes in first with a fast turn-around for a change. However, I don't like 156s [what was wrong with me back then?! I've since grown to love 156s, and Sprinters in general - Ed] so I stick to the plan to get the 0948, which leaves 4 minutes late, thanks to the 156. I have to settle with an airline seat, as I wasn't quick enough to get a table seat. I update my trip report, and decide not to buy a coffee from the eccentric-sounding refreshments trolley guy. I highlight the service in the timetable, then start work on my 158 seating diagram, creating an irritance in my wrist already! Diagram done, I sit back and enjoy a nicely cold Diet Coke [I can't remember when I finally got off that stuff, I sure don't miss that tasteless stuff! - Ed] whilst formulating a new plan. If it is loco-hauled, I plan to get the 1306 Wolverhampton to London Euston, as far as Milton Keynes Central. However I discover it doesn't call at Rugby, so a more expensive Coventry to Milton Keynes Central ticket will be required!
I leave 158842 at Shrewsbury, arriving a couple of minutes late, which results in missing the number of a 60 on a southbound freight. 170638 is joined from platform 6, and a PNB is had before I do a seating diagram. I'm off at Wolverhampton, unfortunately I wasn't ready for Oxley so don't get many numbers after all. I note that Wolverhampton is an excellent location for spotting [not sure how I concluded that! - Ed], then board the 1141 Voyager to Birmingham New Street. My batteries go on charge, and the on-board radio doesn't seem to have got a signal sadly. A seating diagram for coach C of 220s is done, and I fail to positively note any 323s on Soho depot. We're slightly early into New Street, and I go for my Burger King meal, where there was surprisingly no queue! I go for the 1203 Voyager to Bournemouth, which I note left at 1221. I'm on for the leap to Birmingham International, where I miss a loco-hauled service, but get most of the carriage numbers. My spotting notes suggest this will have had 87002 on it, and I also note 221107 and some 321s on Central Trains services [the days when 321s were up in the Midlands seems like an eternity ago! My notes suggest 321405, 321418 and 321428 were the ones I noted, with more later on - Ed]. The 1240 was 20 minutes late and loco-hauled, which I had wanted a 390 on [for battery charging purposes! - Ed] but join anyway for a trip to Coventry because, as I put in the notebook "I find the MK3s more fun". I did have a bit of common sense at the time! Spotting notes suggest this was 87012 on it [87002 is also in the same notes but with different carriage numbers, hence confusion - Ed], which I know is one I never recorded in my books for haulage, but until I have some confirmation I'm not adding it as had just yet.
I attempt to get my ticket to Milton Keynes Central in time to re-board the train, but no amount of rushing helps, and I end up seeing the train off. The most annoying thing was it was the loco-hauled set I saw in Oxley, and I could have got it, should I have waited for the 1206 from Wolverhampton...D'OH! Whilst at Coventry I see the loco-hauled rake return from Birmingham New Street, the same one I saw at International earlier. I get the rest of the carriage numbers [reasonable to assume this ran fast Coventry to Watford Junction or Euston, hence not boarding - Ed], note 221121 then a second PNB. I then see 321438 and 390024 before the 1350 to Euston, calling first at Milton Keynes Central, turns up. I silently hope for a loco-hauled rake, which I'm sure it will be, but a nasty feeling makes me feel it'll be a 390. If it is, I guess it'll be OK, as I've wanted to go to Milton Keynes Central for some time. Bonus is that I get a free can of Diet Coke from a promotion at the station!
Watching 390024 leave Coventry, I start crossing fingers, and I'd be touching wood if I could reach some, in the hope it won't be a 390. An announcement then comes on to tell us the train left New Street 15 minutes late, the screens now showing an ETA of 1404. Grr, another new plan formulates. Guess what? After all the hoping, 390017 pulls in at 1403. I find coach C and move to B to find a table seat. My camera batteries get put on charge, the radio working too! I soon start chatting to the enthusiast sat at the other side of the table, which has the time flying by. My love of the tilting on 390s was born here too, and before I know it we're at Milton Keynes Central.
Upon alighting, the strong smell from the brakes is very noticeable, before I grab a shot of the running-in board. Whilst here, I noted down Silverlink [remember them? Quite the nostalgia factor there on its own! - Ed], ex-First Great Eastern 321s [they've gone back to Anglia since, and FGE is not nostalgic for me as I never went there under their operations - Ed], a few 390 numbers although most flew by too fast to ID, a loco-hauled rake I'd seen earlier and 90045 on a northbound freight. A surprise was 57316 hauling 90033 and MK3s towards Rugby!
I'm pleasantly surprised when the expected 390 was instead 87033 on the 1511 to Wolverhampton. We leave at 1514 and I enjoy the delights of what appears to be the last few weeks of loco haulage on Virgin Trains. I find a seat before another PNB at Coventry, and I then open one of my 3 cans of free Diet Coke from earlier, before continuing the trip report. International soon crops up, and the dreaded 'New Street Effect' is only endured for a few seconds. A photo is taken of 87033 and a MK3, as well as the nameplate [I wish I knew where these photos are! - Ed], before I join the 1624 Cross-City service as far as University, where I plan to get the 1659 New Street to Hereford. However, the Cardiff service comes along first, so this is joined and taken to Bromsgrove. A seating diagram is done on 170113 [I need to check this lot out on RailMiles at some point, should Tom ever be kind enough to reply to my email - Ed] although it needed double-checking. A half hour wait is made less boring by the fact I can finally tick off University and Bromsgrove, which is done following a 4-car 221 flying through and the trip report update.
I don't seek the number of a 4-car Voyager at 1706, as 60011 is heading south and far more interesting. A score for sight makes it even better! A horrendous smell is in the air after it passes though. 170109 comes along to take me home to Hereford, and the seats in the middle carriage [former First Class area on 3-car 170s when they were with MML - Ed] are very unusual but rather a nice change! The trip home is uneventful, especially as I've done this route so many times. More future trips are planned, as is another load of ideas for Day 3. The current plan is to go from Worcester via Stourbridge is still kept though. We leave at 1806 from Great Malvern, according to my watch which had been adjusted to Swansea station's time, and the timetable said 1808 from Great Malvern!
Back at Hereford, we arrive bang on time at 1836, grabbing some Malteasers from the vending machine on platform 2 [it has been many a year since I last used a vending machine on the railway! - Ed], then check out the route of the 1856 to Dorridge. 175107 is noted with a new style of numbering on the front [I don't note the details of this sadly - Ed] on the 1851 to Holyhead. A timetable alterations booklet for the weekend is sourced here for FGW, and I find something more fun than Sheffield to do on the 15th [hmm, maybe this was early 2005 after all, I can't tell! - Ed]. I decide to tell RML888, who is now heart-of-wessex on this forum, as it appears to use his local line.
The 1907 bus home finally arrives, and I have yet to make decisions for the weekend, but it was considered to take advantage of diverted Voyagers to avoid a lengthy journey otherwise. I am assuming they were on diversions via Lichfield that weekend. The CD player [don't they seem like ancient technology these days? - Ed] keeps me rather occupied for the rest of the journey home, as does the dire need of food and drink! I finally get home at 2010, and I again get no date box check. Which I see had me considering taking advantage, but I was returning to Swansea that weekend according to my notes. So the mystery deepens as to when I would have done this trip!
Heart of England Rover 2004 [or was it 2005? - Ed], Day 3
The day starts off wet and windy, and I nearly turn around and go back home. However I quickly revise that and carry on for the 0725 [now 0720 - Ed] bus to town. The usual route is closed unexpectedly in one part, so we take a diversion via a route that buses are never normally seen. We only arrive 2 or 3 minutes late, not bad considering. I had planned around arriving later and not making the 0843, instead planning to do the 0913 to Shrewsbury. However, due to the cold weather in Hereford, I board the 0843 and pass on breakfast for now. The journey is uneventful until we get held between Five Ways and Birmingham New Street, where we get told of a signalling failure at Birmingham New Street. Groans all round, with eyes rolling from me too, and we all go back to sit down again. 1032 and we're off, finally arriving at 1034.
At this point, I'm desperate for credit to text a forum member, AlexS [I believe he still lurks here now and again - Ed], to let him know I'm going to be late. No luck sourcing such a thing currently, but I do source 2 new pens, a bottle of Diet Coke [I seem to have lived on the stuff at the time! - Ed] and a pork pie, which formed my breakfast. The 1106 all-stations to Wolverhampton is noted, but instead find 170517 on the 1057 to Shrewsbury which I take instead. En-route a 170/5 seating diagram is done and I finally note 390001, a couple of 323s and some 170s, before I know it I'm in Wolverhampton. Some spotting is done here before I eventually manage to contact AlexS to arrange our meeting point. After some time, he departs on the 1158 towards Shrewsbury on 150109, whereas I get the 1202 to Birmingham New Street, which was a pair of 158s with ATW. The Voyager option was declined as it was unknown when it would arrive.
At New Street, I make my way to platform 6 and join a 390 which the screens said was the 1230 to London Euston, but someone tells me it was actually a Manchester service. I quickly hop off and get the 1233 Voyager bound for Reading, going to the southern boundary station at Oxford. Well, I was the plan, it was first announced as not stopping at Reading, then it was was, then eventually we're told it's cancelled. Back to platform 6 where the 1230 eventually arrives. Another gentleman joins my table, who I discover used to live in Leominster, and he tells me about my old local line as well as some other bits and bobs. Coventry is my next port of call, which I had hoped to get a 390 from that was on diversion to Stafford. I discover through the timetable [remember when Virgin did seperate timetables for each of their routes, and were in the big fold-out style? Boy weren't they awkward to plan moves with! - Ed] that the diversions follow the usual route through the Midlands, not the non-passenger track from Stetchford I had hoped for. Nevertheless, I join a 390 and head for Wolverhampton, with yet another seating diagram done, also devouring a bacon roll from the on-board shop and a Diet Coke [as I put in the notes: "Virgin brand, tis well nice", I'd forgotten about Virgin Cola, memories! - Ed] and the battery charger didn't work on this one sadly.
I bail for a Voyager to Leamington Spa at Wolverhampton, which gets me the route covered between New Street and Leamington Spa. I see 168002 en-route before alighting 220022 at Leamington Spa, then catch the slightly delayed 1517 to Birmingham Moor Street with Chiltern. 165033 and 168217 are on this, and guess what, another seating diagram is done! I then proceed to update my coverage map, which I'm considerably impressed with at the time, although as I also note I'm aware much more needs to be done. After a photo stop at Moor Street, I grab some leaflets on the way back to New Street. I can hear the announcements before I even enter the station, and I visit WHSmith for some chocolate, the usual Diet Coke, a copy of RAIL and a copy of Railways Illustrated [where did I find the money for such things at the time?! - Ed], before reaching a Redditch service 30 seconds too late to board. I instead board a Longbridge service to tick off Five Ways and to see more 323s. The latter proves to be a fruitless attempt to get new numbers, then I head to University, where I score only 323218 for sight.
170106 pulls in to take me back to Hereford. 150102 is seen [according to my notes, I don't remember it personally ever running with that number - Ed] just before we leave, and I have yet another seating diagram to do. After that, I enter what I would now call TPP Mode [Trip Planning Process Mode - Ed] for the next visit to London. It's more complicated than I thought to come up with a plan, and more than 10 years later it's still difficult to decide what to do, despite having done an absolute ton of stuff! The remainder of the journey is uneventful, and I get a lift home. The day after I was going home to Swansea by road.
Now this is interesting. The next page shows some observations from Godfrey Road, Newport, on 10th January 2005. Was this rover trip therefore December 2004? Maybe it was in the very first part of January 2005? Most frustratingly, the London trip report doesn't have a date either, but the spotting notes do show a North of London Eurostar set at Kings Cross, so definitely some time in 2005. That trip report will be done in the near future, it's taken me around 2.5 hours to do this one as it is.
Hopefully you'll enjoy the read and dive into the past!