Techniquest
Veteran Member
January 2017 - Rolling Review
Welcome to the first instalment of 2017's rolling review! For those new to these threads, it is my review of the year as we go on, rather than doing one review at the end of the year. Of course, at the end of each year I still do some summaries but I just like doing it month by month!
2017 kicked off with Tech's Big Bang 2017, an annual trip to start the year as I mean to go on. It will be hard to beat 2016, having had awesome trips like New York and Vienna, but I anticipate making 2017 awesome with more countries scored and returns to previously visited ones. 2018 promises to see me return to the USA, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, that's a long way off yet! 2016's Big Bang was a Nottingham visit for trams, 2017's Big Bang was a lengthy visit to Scotland to see my very good friends Blindtraveller and his other half. Of course, SPT bashing was involved too!
As hinted in the trip report for the above, my goals for 2017 are listed here too for reference (also got a memo file for them now) as 2017 goes on:
- I plan to hit 12,000 miles or more;
- New for 2017 is the goal to have 2,000 air miles or more;
- Also new for 2017 is the goal to have a minimum of 4 air scores, 3 new airports visited and 2 new routes covered;
- 500 UK winners;
- 150 UK shack scores;
- 200 UK new sights.
It was a hugely successful trip in Scotland, coming away with Classes 318 and 334 totally cleared, and incredible progress on other classes. I have only 4 GC HST power cars to get to clear the HST power cars, and all told my Scottish requirements are way less than half now! I even cleared my last Midland Metro tram for sight and haulage, 35, on the way home! The trip ended on 59 winners, 21 shack scores and 36 new sights, incredible progress towards the targets listed above! Losing my case on the trip was not helpful. It turned out it hadn't been handed in, so an expensive time ahead to replace clothes!
The good times continued with Tech's Red Parade, a trip to Belgium and my first Eurostar bash in a little over 4 years. I don't know why I left it so long! It was an extremely productive time all in, with 80 winners between the UK and Belgium, and an enormous 186 new sights between them as well! It might well have been my final 373 bash too, depending when I can get onto Eurostar again. I need to take advantage of the seat sale again next time! On 26th January I got the news I've been waiting nearly 4 years for, and my role at work has now changed. Beaming smiles all round, although it has meant a change to my bashing schedule somewhat. A worthwhile compromise though!
Following the epic Brussels bash, I had one more trip to go in January 2017. A simple out and back on Advances to get Fishguard & Goodwick scored. This would finally return me to the status of having all shacks from London Paddington to both Fishguard Harbour and to Milford Haven cleared. 6 shacks on the Pembroke Dock line remain irritating gaps, and I have plans to get them scored during the year. I will make sure I hold myself to that promise as I didn't in 2016!
A last minute decision on 31st January after work saw me go and score Chirk, certainly didn't expect to do that! 69 shacks served by ATW left to go, they're coming down slowly!
Scores on the Doors
Winners: 139 (overall; 104 UK)
Shack scores: 26 (overall; 23 UK)
New sights: 242 (overall; 104 UK)
Mileage: 2,125
Rail fares: £294.30
Bus fares: £25.40
Hotel ching: £43.69
General expenditure: £252.01
Total: £615.40
An expensive start to the year, of that there is no doubt! It was worth every penny though, as the results above show. February should be a fair bit cheaper, and March looks to be a quiet month, but it will still be a fairly expensive Q1 2017. Not as much as Q1 2016 though!
Welcome to the first instalment of 2017's rolling review! For those new to these threads, it is my review of the year as we go on, rather than doing one review at the end of the year. Of course, at the end of each year I still do some summaries but I just like doing it month by month!
2017 kicked off with Tech's Big Bang 2017, an annual trip to start the year as I mean to go on. It will be hard to beat 2016, having had awesome trips like New York and Vienna, but I anticipate making 2017 awesome with more countries scored and returns to previously visited ones. 2018 promises to see me return to the USA, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, that's a long way off yet! 2016's Big Bang was a Nottingham visit for trams, 2017's Big Bang was a lengthy visit to Scotland to see my very good friends Blindtraveller and his other half. Of course, SPT bashing was involved too!
As hinted in the trip report for the above, my goals for 2017 are listed here too for reference (also got a memo file for them now) as 2017 goes on:
- I plan to hit 12,000 miles or more;
- New for 2017 is the goal to have 2,000 air miles or more;
- Also new for 2017 is the goal to have a minimum of 4 air scores, 3 new airports visited and 2 new routes covered;
- 500 UK winners;
- 150 UK shack scores;
- 200 UK new sights.
It was a hugely successful trip in Scotland, coming away with Classes 318 and 334 totally cleared, and incredible progress on other classes. I have only 4 GC HST power cars to get to clear the HST power cars, and all told my Scottish requirements are way less than half now! I even cleared my last Midland Metro tram for sight and haulage, 35, on the way home! The trip ended on 59 winners, 21 shack scores and 36 new sights, incredible progress towards the targets listed above! Losing my case on the trip was not helpful. It turned out it hadn't been handed in, so an expensive time ahead to replace clothes!
The good times continued with Tech's Red Parade, a trip to Belgium and my first Eurostar bash in a little over 4 years. I don't know why I left it so long! It was an extremely productive time all in, with 80 winners between the UK and Belgium, and an enormous 186 new sights between them as well! It might well have been my final 373 bash too, depending when I can get onto Eurostar again. I need to take advantage of the seat sale again next time! On 26th January I got the news I've been waiting nearly 4 years for, and my role at work has now changed. Beaming smiles all round, although it has meant a change to my bashing schedule somewhat. A worthwhile compromise though!
Following the epic Brussels bash, I had one more trip to go in January 2017. A simple out and back on Advances to get Fishguard & Goodwick scored. This would finally return me to the status of having all shacks from London Paddington to both Fishguard Harbour and to Milford Haven cleared. 6 shacks on the Pembroke Dock line remain irritating gaps, and I have plans to get them scored during the year. I will make sure I hold myself to that promise as I didn't in 2016!
A last minute decision on 31st January after work saw me go and score Chirk, certainly didn't expect to do that! 69 shacks served by ATW left to go, they're coming down slowly!
Scores on the Doors
Winners: 139 (overall; 104 UK)
Shack scores: 26 (overall; 23 UK)
New sights: 242 (overall; 104 UK)
Mileage: 2,125
Rail fares: £294.30
Bus fares: £25.40
Hotel ching: £43.69
General expenditure: £252.01
Total: £615.40
An expensive start to the year, of that there is no doubt! It was worth every penny though, as the results above show. February should be a fair bit cheaper, and March looks to be a quiet month, but it will still be a fairly expensive Q1 2017. Not as much as Q1 2016 though!
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