The Various Random Mutterings of Kite

[Kite159]

23rd Feb - This Report is Not In Service, Day 0

A trip to Newcastle was on the cards, in order to attend the BLS’s Metro Meanderer tour on the Sunday, giving me a free Saturday with nothing really to do. As I can no longer trust South Western Railway/Network Rail with weekend train timings I booked a cheap hostel in the Kensal Green area for the Friday night, which gave me a puzzler at what to do in London that evening. I came up with some ideas, throwing them away, coming up with more ideas before settling on a rough idea.

A later start than normal, with the 15:59 service taking me to Waterloo, as per usual these days the TVM at Grateley was out of action (didn’t even manage to boot up today it seems as it was stuck on a “windows installation error” screen), so it was extra money to the guard to purchase my off-peak return when he came around. Once at Waterloo I had to purchase a travelcard so instead of using my usual means of escaping via the peak-time subway, I had to go onto the main concourse, locate a TVM to purchase a bog-standard travelcard before heading to the Northern line platform, turning down the first High Barnet service to jump onto 51672/51726 to take me to Belsize Park.

I bet some people are now wondering “why Belsize Park?”, basically since the new year the evening peak on the Northern Line has been extended, with the introduction of some Golders Green shorts, using the centre platform, which previously wasn’t the easiest to get (tended to be services at the start/end of the day, with the odd set thrown out from the depot for peak time), and I decided to pick Belsize Park on grounds of having an extra station buffer in case 51530/51557 randomly popped up. Thankfully I only had 8 minutes to wait before 51654/51655 rolled in on the Golders Green short service, terminating into the centre platform (3 & 4). One thing to make a note, the doors are released on the platform 3 side for the driver to tip everybody out before they are closed, and released on the platform 4 side.



Earlier in the day, I asked for gen on what service 51530/51557 was working, so I made the most of the time at Golders Green to get the train number, firing up the locator app which Lewis put together to find it was on an Edgware service due into Golders Green shortly, and as expected in rolled 51530/51557 to clear my 1995 stocks (at pigging last!!!). I took this set to Edgware in order to get a platform number into my book (as I suspect that will be next for me to do). It was into platform 2 (and departed from platform 3 if anybody cares, just platform 1 left to score outright)



Next up was a trip to Hendon Central on 51539/51707 but as it appeared Thameslink was a bit up the wall that idea was binned, so it was back onto 51530/51557 for the long run to Bank, for it was time for some DLR hunting. In the freezing weather at Shadwell, it wasn’t much fun, but alas no sign of that damn 39. My moves were 114/148/118 to Shadwell, 26/25/05 to Poplar, 109/149 to All Saints, 108/131 to Poplar & finally 23/65/63 to Canning Town. With the need for both food and a PNB I headed to London Bridge on 96016/96105, first time since it has reopened fully (and I’m impressed, the passageway from LU towards the new concourse looks very good). 376029/376012 took me to Charing Cross to grab some food before 3567/3260 took me to Kensal Green.

My hostel was located without any issues (bit hard to miss it as it’s pretty much opposite the station), and it was a so-so night (report is in the accommodation thread) but it did save me a 04:45 alarm on the Saturday

Kensal Green Station

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23rd Feb - This Report is for the Airport, Day 1

I checked out of the hostel, collected my £10 deposit back and headed across to the station. It was rather cold and with a bus to Euston spotted in the distance I flagged it down at the bus stop with a new London United VH45234 working a route 18 service. I stayed on the bus all the way to its terminus at Euston (it is interesting to see London from a different angle as this bus route roughly follows the Bakerloo line until Bakers Street where it branches off towards Euston), arriving around 7:00, around the same time I would have done had I jumped on that 378, so a trip to Sainsburys was called for to grab a bacon sandwich.

Today I was booked on the 07:30 Glasgow service, formed of 390046 for the fast run to Warrington, Wigan & finally Preston where I alighted, crossing over the platform to board low mileage 185102 working the Preston – Barrow in Furness service, grabbing a table seat on the enjoyable run, the ticket I was using today was a freebie Northern single ticket I got due to a delay last year. I had forgotten how scenic the Furness line is in places, as the train terminated at Barrow-in-Furness, the character having changed with the introduction of the ticket barriers. With 30 minutes to kill I popped out of the station to the little Tesco Express for lunch and some juice, returning to the station and heading over to platform 3 to await the arrival of the train from Carlisle

37401 at Barrow in Furness

Sadly it was dud 37401 on the northern end, but it was a very enjoyable spin on the Cumbrian Coast (one of my favourite bits of tracks in England), no real delays in which to speak off (it dropped down to a few minutes late at Millom caused by passengers failing to close doors behind them, but recovered by Workington). We passed the former Scottish 158870 on Barrow carriage sidings, up in that area for driver training when the 185s disappear to run stopping services between Manchester & Leeds (I wouldn’t really class the interior of a 185 as being suitable for a stopping service mind). Arrival was on time into a busy Carlisle, busy as there was two charters there the same day, with Tornado hiding behind 66014 and an unknown kettle on a West Coast service.

Carlisle looks so much better now all the scaffolding is gone, and it wasn’t long before 156512 arrived from Glasgow Central to take me to Newcastle via a semi-fast service on the Tyne Valley, arriving into platform 12 at Newcastle (which was a nice bonus platform score). A quad of Freightliner 66s passed light engine and I decided after popping downstairs to purchase a rover ticket from the Metro TVMs to head to Heworth on 142078, noting that the direct access passageway between the Metro platforms & Network Rail platforms appears to have been closed.

Have a picture of a pair of Pacers running ECS to St Peters to form a kickball special for Middlesbrough fans to smash up:
A pair of 142s passes Gateshead Staduim

I needed 3 Metro sets at the start of the day, so I decided with nothing better to do, to have a short hunting session, as there were a couple extras thrown in with the kickball at Sunderland. I will summarise my moves:
4072/4056 to a freezing cold Gateshead Stadium
4058/4044 to Felling (to see if that was any better, notable for the first time having to hit the emergency button due to some drunken idiots deciding to go for a little walk on the track)
4018 & 4062 to Heworth
4056/4072 to Pelaw
4045/4070 to Central Station (called it a day as I was freezing, even covered by the shelter at Pelaw)

After grabbing some food, it was back to the Metro with 4016/4055 taking me to the place where the sun definitely doesn’t shine, Sunderland, for a short wait in one of the worst stations in GB for 156443 to roll in to take me away to Newcastle, unusually this service uses the rarer sides of the Gateshead triangles to approach Newcastle from the south having travelled over the King Edwards’s Bridge to terminate into platform 12. No new track, but first time on the PSUL service which does it, which was interesting to say the least.

156443 in platform 12, Newcastle

Anyhow, as I was tired I decided to call it a night with 4071/4078 to take me to Monument, having just missed a coast bound service I jumped onto 4057/4026 to take me to St James, remaining on board for the reversal to take me to Byker. I located the hostel, checked in and decided to have a lazy evening with a short catch-up session with the internet.

To be continued

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Sounds like a good day. I look forward to hearing the rest

 

[gazr]

Nice report. Really going after those rare platforms I'm off to Huntingdon to get P1 this Saturday (which I know you recently covered); it looks like come May, this platform goes OOU (Thameslink coming online?), so may as well get it done and the crossover at Stevenage going back North in one go. I really should write some reports up myself...

 

[Kite159]

Nice report. Really going after those rare platforms I'm off to Huntingdon to get P1 this Saturday (which I know you recently covered); it looks like come May, this platform goes OOU (Thameslink coming online?), so may as well get it done and the crossover at Stevenage going back North in one go. I really should write some reports up myself...

Good luck with platform 1 at Huntingdon, certainly doesn't really surprise me it is going out of use come the new timetable in May. I think that Saturday only service only runs as it allows the preceding Peterborough - Kings Cross service to go semi-fast, seeing as the stopper currently has to go past platform 2, reversing behind the signal back into the bay platform, no direct access to it from the south.

It probably won't surprise you with this picture

 

[gazr]

I see your Hartlepool and raise you Wigan last Saturday (happened to do P3 at both stations in one day... although the bloody 150 was acting up so the inbound working at Wallgate was routed into P2... luckily done previously). P3 @ North Western looks like another one that could go OOU in May...not too sure. Report/pictures to come if I can find a good picture editor!

 

[Cowley]

Great report. I got a bit misty eyed at the picture of grubby 37401. Could have been thirty years ago...

 

[Kite159]

I see your Hartlepool and raise you Wigan last Saturday (happened to do P3 at both stations in one day... although the bloody 150 was acting up so the inbound working at Wallgate was routed into P2... luckily done previously). P3 @ North Western looks like another one that could go OOU in May...not too sure. Report/pictures to come if I can find a good picture editor!

Wigan Northwestern, I've gone into P2 right back in December 14, mainly to do the connection from the line from Ince. P3 was covered on that PSUL service from Wigan towards Liverpool via Newton-Le-Willows.
P3 at Wigan Wallgate was done in January on the Kirkby shuttle when the line via Ince has been closed

I suspect both south facing bays at North Western will remain open, wasn't there a plan for some semi-fast services to terminate at NW instead of Wallgate?

(Although I was hoping the Thameslink services to Maidstone East would start in May, as I would assume they would use the bay there, might as well dust of my plans to make use of the 17:3X Victoria - Maidstone East service, with a connection to grab the Paddock Wood bay as well on a little round trip)

 

[Kite159]

25th Feb – This Report is for The Coast

After a so-so night (wasn’t expecting much to be honest due to Newcastle being a party city), I woke up and headed to Byker metro station with a couple options, either boarding a service to the city centre and a northbound service (20 minute wait) or jump on a service which went round the coast. It was a tough choice but I got the rear seat on 4051/4027 for the long trip around the coast to reach South Gosforth, having time to pop out to Sainsburys Local for some supplies

Today’s BLS tour was on the Tyne & Wear Metro, I haven’t got my tour booklet with me at the moment so I’m going from memory. The set working on the tour today was 4046 & 4060, I was sat in 4060 for the tour. Departure of South Gosforth to reverse at Benton (via the crossover), back towards South Gosforth to reverse in the reversing siding south of the station, a good run back onto the coast route (the drivers don’t really slow down that much for the stations, just a quick couple blasts on the horn) to reverse at the lovely Tynemouth station.

Another long run back via Benton and the city centre to reverse in one of the Pelaw reversing sidings, with a nice pause on the Tyne bridge to allow for photos (as the train had caught up with a regular service so it gave a little bit extra leyway not to stop at the station signals). Back through the city centre tunnels and onto the coast to reverse once more in the Monkseaton reversing siding, back to the siding south of South Gosforth for a run to the airport (although some of these stations you have to call at due to the level crossings being approach controlled). A rough hour break at the airport and I wasn’t alone in heading towards the toilets for a PNB and a look around the airport.

Back on board (with my new Scottish Trackmap to look at) with a right time departure back towards the city centre, but this time taking the Manors chord after West Jesmond (a highlight of the tour for me). This is the connecting chord used by ECS services to avoid them going all the way round the coast to reach St James, one very tight curve near Manors station, another reversal was taken in the sidings once out of the tunnel, which lay between the metro tracks & the ECML. Next up was a trip to St James, where after a brief pause the train continued to the end of the line in the overrun tunnel, very slowly it went.

Another quick reversal, and a brief break at St James before heading back out to the coast, taking into the siding at Monkseaton (more of a “allow the train in front to get a decent head start again”), before heading back into the city centre tunnels, another pause on the bridge and a return to the Pelaw sidings, sadly it used the same siding as earlier in the day, but as a bonus the set reversed on Pelaw station to go into a through siding, before heading back with some “train not in service, please don’t press the button as the doors won’t open” announcements from the driver in the city centre stations, with the final reversal being taken out in the siding at Regent Centre. A drop off at Regent Centre before everybody else alighted at South Gosforth the end of an enjoyable (and different) tour.

Metrocar 4060 at South Gosforth

As it was a Sunday it gave me the perfect excuse for a trip down the coast to try and bag a bay which only sees use two times on Sundays, the one at Hartlepool, so it was a case of jumping on the first southbound service, this being 4029/4061 to Central Station, for a 25 minute fester before the next Middlesbrough bound service was due, so after a much needed PNB, I managed to get the VTEC TVMs to sell me a Sunderland – Seaton Carew day return, and I headed over towards platform 7 as a pair of delightful pacers bounced in from the King Edwards Bridge, 142079 & 142015, I got a decent seat in 079 for the nice run down the coast to a freezing cold Seaton Carew, wasting some time by heading to the Sainsburys Local before back up the stairs to the opposite platform for a chilly wait for the slightly delayed 142095 to roll in from Darlington, it was very lightly loaded as it rolled into the bay platform at Hartlepool.

142095 in the bay at Hartlepool

Hartlepool is another station which has changed due to the introduction of ticket barriers, but I didn’t have long to wait for a delayed Whitby – Metrocentre service to roll in, formed of former foe 156463 for another lightly loaded unit back up to Newcastle, however I wasn’t done as I had one platform left at Newcastle to grab, that being platform 11 and a TPE unit was due to depart from that one in around 75 minutes time so I had some time to kill, so I leapt on 142017 for the tiny leap to Manors, walking slowly across to the Metro station of the same name for a 10 minute wait for 4027/4051 to take me to Monument, and 4056/4072 to Central Station, a mere time wasting exercise, but it gave me confirmation that there was indeed a 185 sat on platform 11, so a visit to the ticket office for a “TPE only” day return to Durham, before I joined the queue waiting for the staff to arrive for an ultra low mileage 185105 to grab a table seat (reserved from Durham) just for a quick charge of my phone.

Departure time came and the 185 departed, allowing me to tick off Newcastle, and also a new member of the 10 mile club, and Durham was soon reached. I got completely lost trying to find the passageway to the other platform, but I had time to waste, using it up afterwards by using the station WiFi before a busy 185146 rolled in to take me back to Newcastle, doing something unusual by crossing the High Level Bridge to terminate into platform 1, certainly a new routing for me on a 185.

185146 at Newcastle

To the metro station with 4027/4051 for the 3rd time of the day for a leap to Monument and 4056/4072 for the 2nd time back to Byker, returning to the hostel with some confusion as the front door code gets changed during the day on a Sunday, and to a room with only 2 other people (so a quieter night once I asked the selfish girl if she wouldn’t mind turning her music down), anyhow I will leave you with this picture of some of the Tyne Bridges from the Metro bridge, spot the train
Tyne Bridges

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26th Feb – This Report is for South Shields

Someone gave me the idea of tweeting the Tyne & Wear Metro to ask if my 2nd last unit (4043) was out and about (and that 4002 was broken again), so I decided to make use of the advise getting back a response (as fudge waiting around Gateshead Stadium in this cold weather), and it was very positive, not only was it out and about, it was on a Yellow route service around North Shields area heading inbound. So my plan changed to intercepting the unit when it worked back out from St James to get a decent mileage under its wheels.

I checked out of the hostel and headed to Byker station, purchasing my ticket for the day and headed to the coast bound platform, and as expected 4043 rolled in with 4011 in tow, I jumped onto 4043 managing to grab the front seat after Wallsend and with the service getting busy after Monkeaton, certainly it appeared it left passengers behind at a couple of the stations. I bailed at South Gosforth for a quick spin to Regent Centre on 4023/4070 mainly to try and spot 4002 on the depot, but it appeared to have moved which gave me false hope of being able to clear my T&W metro units. It was the time of day where the shorts were starting to finish so I headed back to South Gosforth on 4018/4062 for a short fester before jumping on 4053/4054 to West Jesmond in the snow (as the last few shorts terminate at South Gosforth).

The last “short” departed, and hence I jumped onto 4028/4065 for the long run to South Shields, exiting the station in search of a toilet, finding one in a nearby Morrisons (also gave me an excuse for grab lunch). Returning to South Shields leaping onto 4026/4057 to take me to Pelaw, making a connection with 4018/4062 for the run to the other southern terminus at South Hylton, once more stepping back a service so 4072/4056 took me back to Sunderland to find out my booked train home had been cancelled (I was being value for money by using GC rather than VTEC) as the 180 broke down. Passengers were advised to travel to Newcastle to board the Guildford bound XC service to Sheffield for an EMT service to St Pancras, so home a different way. 4054/4053 was my last Metro service of this trip with the run to Central Station (as a Northern service was running something silly like 25 minutes late at this point).

220019 was the XC service on the Guildford service, so with the expectation it would be busy, I positioned myself near the door on coach D giving access to those handful of seats which can’t be reserved, managing to grab one near a window as well (saves playing musical seats). Departure was on time and it was a speedy run on the ECML, with an announcement getting made after Northallerton that the Grand Central service would be resuming its journey so any passengers for London to change at York for a “more comfortable” journey, so that is what I did (as it gets me into London a bit quicker). Eventually the former GWR 180103 rolled in (cue some grumpy passengers as it sounded like they had booked table seats and ended up with airline seats, is the seating layout from an ex-GWR 180 different to one of the original GC 180s?), happy for me as it was one of the few under 100 miles, so the nice non-stop run to Kings Cross was decent. Even if the GC delay scheme isn’t really the best [60-119 minutes is 50% back, 120-179 minutes is 75% back, 180 minutes + is 100% back].

Arrival into Kings Cross, and I fired up RTT which highlighted a Brighton service was running under the “T” headcode which meant it would be going via London Bridge so why not (beats the crowding on LU), so over to St Pancras with the first couple southbound services being dud before 700017 rolled in to take me to London Bridge, doors were opened allowing me to bail to score part of the rebuilt route (yes I know, is it bad this was my first 700 service since the 1st January? I’m just waiting until May time to have a decent clear out of the new units when the core is open).

700017 at London Bridge

A short walk over to the Charing Cross bound platforms with 376013 & 376021 taking me to Waterloo East, and a walk over to Waterloo to board the 17:50 service formed of 159013, 159010 & 158887 for a bit of a crawl away from Waterloo, but a nice non-stop run to Basingstoke. Arrival at Grateley was around 10 minutes late, and with a short walk home to finish the day and to warm myself back up as the weather had changed to be quite chilly (and snowy).

 

[Kite159]

Looking back, over my shoulder, February 2018

Ah February, the shortest month of the year, but for me still a busy one. A trip to London on the 2nd February to meet up with Techniquest scored me 3 more 707s (leaving the 4 still to enter service to grab once they enter service), plus a trip to Gordon Hill to score the bay platform.

An early start on the 3rd February was for a long distance trip to Yorkshire, landing the 90 hauled set from Kings Cross, grabbing platforms 0 & 7 at Doncaster, plus platform 5 at Huddersfield. I scored my first trio of 399 for haulage as well on the Sheffield Supertram on a gentle day pottering around Yorkshire. The Sunday was something I was hoping to do over Christmas, but it was a XC divert from Basingstoke to Southampton via Laverstock, which went slightly wrong due to delays throughout the day, but at least I had a private carriage on a 220.

The 9th February was going to be a lazy day, however after a bad day at work I needed to get out on the rails, and getting good information on the whereabouts of my final 357/3 (for renumbering) and 2nd last 387, meant all the plans were made with a bonus score of the Dagenham East bay, 357326 fell to my blue pen, followed an hour or so later by 387160, meaning the GWR electrics are cleared apart from 387174 which is currently up in Derby.

A “Spin and Win” railtour on the 10th February, with an early morning drive to score a pair of DRS 37s to Nuneaton, before my final 88 took over to Crewe [via Stoke], a couple bits of new track scored in the Crewe area with 57304 leading the train to the Ribble Railway centre at Preston Dock, with 66428 back to the Crewe area, replaced by 88001 & 68004 for the fast run to Nuneaton, before finally the pair of 37s to Basingstoke, departing Nuneaton quite late but arrived into Basingstoke roughly on time. After a long day needless to say my Sunday was lazy, as was the following Friday.

The 18th was a Cheshire Rover day, with the aim of scoring some bay platforms at Crewe (and Chester), a speedy run to Crewe via a 159 & 390 scored me the easier of the 4 I had left, with platform 7 falling to my bay-pen for a run to Whitchurch, followed a hour or so later with platform 5 at Chester for a pair of pacers to Stockport, interlude with a 390 & 158s before a 150 stopper to Hunts Cross, for some 508 action to Lime Street. A 185 back to Manchester, with a 323 on a good run to Wilmslow, followed by a 323 to Stoke and another to Crewe, before a 153 to Stoke, with the only weekly service booked to use platform 8 at Crewe was used to score platform 8 at Crewe. Overnight in Stockport, with a XC to Stafford via Crewe, before returning to Crewe with platform 10 falling to my pen, before platform 2 fell allowing me to say Crewe was complete. Only downside was getting a 350/2 from Stafford all the way to Euston via Northampton, but a bonus score was with bay platform 4 at High Street Kensington.

The final weekend of the month was a long weekend away in Newcastle, but on the Friday night I grabbed the centre platform of Golders Green, before my final 95 stock set finally fell to my red pen, sadly no sight of my last DLR unit, and a night in a dorm at Kensal Green. The Saturday was a slow trip to Newcastle, a 390 from Euston to Preston, before a 185 to Barrow, 37401 did the honours to Carlisle before a Scottish 156 to Newcastle, scoring platform 12 in the process. One of my final 3 Tyne & Wear Metro units fell on a cold fester at Gateshead

The Sunday was a BLS tour of various sidings of the Tyne & Wear Metro network, before a little trip on the Durham Coast scored me the bay at Hartlepool, before platform 11 at Newcastle fell with a TPE, returning on a 185 arriving into platform 1 (covering all the sides of the Gateshead triangles, with a 156 taken on the Saturday night from the Sunderland direction into platform 12). Monday morning saw my 2nd last Metro-car scored, sadly 4002 was broken so I couldn’t clear the system. A couple little trips to the southern ends, before a farce with a 180 broken down, meant a 220 was taken from Newcastle to York to board the 180 which had started at Northallerton. A trip on a 700 to London Bridge scored me the microgrice of part of the revised layout, before a nice trip home to finish the month.

February in numbers

3839 miles covered
0 new stations (but one renamed Sheffield Supertram stop)
5 new units (1x 357*, 1x 387 3x 707)
5 new locos (2x 37, 1x 57, 1x 66, 1x 88)
7 new light rail (3x 399, 2x Tyne & Wear Metro, 2x 95 Stock)

Looking ahead to March

A trip to the West Midlands might get massively changed due to the snow, Valley of the Witch Tour, Missing Link Tour, a trip to Lincolnshire [platform 2 at Doncaster & platform 1 at Lincoln are in my sights], an unknown day for Good Friday and a trip to Manchester/Sheffield on Easter Saturday

 

[55013]

Good stuff there, I particularly enjoyed the Metro stuff.
Every time I read a report from there it reminds me how much I want to go back and have a good go at getting my requirements down.
I never seem to get round to it, though.

 

[Kite159]

Good stuff there, I particularly enjoyed the Metro stuff.
Every time I read a report from there it reminds me how much I want to go back and have a good go at getting my requirements down.
I never seem to get round to it, though.

It is a good little system, and I dare say if Merseyrail was created a few years later than it was it would have been something similar.

My trip to the West Midlands has been cancelled, can't get the car out of the drive this morning (see picture), and there is no trains running due to the forecast being more snow.

 

[noddy1878]

Just had a massive catch up! Very busy. Well done on being down to one Tyne & Wear metro unit! Very frustrating about 4002 though. Must have only just burst again as I had it just over a week ago whilst up there.

 

[Kite159]

Just had a massive catch up! Very busy. Well done on being down to one Tyne & Wear metro unit! Very frustrating about 4002 though. Must have only just burst again as I had it just over a week ago whilst up there.

If 4002 gets fixed again, I've got an idea for later in the year, mainly getting a service to Newcastle to hunt it down before carrying on to Edinburgh (or even Glasgow).

 

[barrowjack]

Just caught up on these, an enjoyable read as always. I was at Shadwell and Poplar that morning and it was freezing then too! Good to see you managed a good trip round my local lines on the Saturday too

 

[Kite159]

Just a bit snowy
Grateley Station after the snow 03/03

Is it bad to think today is the first Saturday in a long time I hadn't set my alarm clock? Just a little trip to Basingstoke to look at the snow covered fields of Hampshire and to get some supplies/get out of the house

 

[agbrs_Jack]

3rd February – The Sky Moves Sideways

I met up briefly with another basher on Twitter (don’t think he is a member of the forum) who was out stopping at some of the lesser served stations, and I didn’t believe him at first but when I saw 180103 sitting on platform 6 (I think there was issues at Grantham earlier in the day and hence it got terminated short), a large smile appeared as 322482 rolled into the lesser used platform 7 (only a few booked services a day, mostly at the start & at the end, and getting that platform means I don’t have to worry about staying overnight in Doncaster on a Friday to try and bag one of those late night/early morning services). 90034 reappeared heading to Leeds, but I jumped onto my lowest mileage 322 (was only in my log for a tiny leap) for the run to Leeds (mmm 322 motor noise), arriving around 17:12 with the next departure to Wakefield being the 17:15 VTEC service, which I had assumed was the set with 90034 on the blocks on platform 6, however leaping on board and it felt odd that it was empty, as I checked the seat labels to see “17:45 Leeds – Kings Cross” so exited, the 17:15 was going to be a short turnaround of the set rolling in from London, it was a nice HST with 43311 leading 43302 departing 7 minutes late (my backup option was that 322).

At Wakefield Westgate I headed outside the station for a short while before returning to board the next Huddersfield service, formed of 150111 which departed pretty much empty, even after the reversal at Kirkgate there was less than 5 passengers in my coach for the run past Headley Mills to Mirfield (meeting up with Jack once more) for the run to Huddersfield. I say run but we got caught up in some delays caused by a passenger being taken ill on a Liverpool bound service eventually rolling into Huddersfield some 20-odd minutes late, however the train went into platform 5 as booked (the lesser used of the Leeds facing bay platforms). After a short chat I said farewell to Jack as I decided to jump onto 185145 for the run back to Leeds, emptied out of football fans (leaving behind their usual mess) which meant I got a table seat. At Leeds I had a silly idea of asking the train manager of the 19:45 service to London if I could board (as I was booked onto the 20:15), so after purchasing some food from Boots I headed over to platform 9, located the manager and he gave me permission to jump on a quiet service)

Wonder who that could've been?

 

[Kite159]

Wonder who that could've been?

A handsome person from the tiny settlement of Congleton

 

[agbrs_Jack]

A handsome person from the tiny settlement of Congleton

Tiny?!?! 6th busiest station operated by Northern in Cheshire actually!

 

[Kite159]

I’m having a quiet March in terms of trips, so the only two trips I’ve done are two railtours scoring some freight lines:

10th March – Valley of the Witch

I picked this tour up from Reading, with 159001 & 165134 doing the honours taking me to the Berkshire town with a good 50 minutes to pick supplies, and it seemed like the sandwich delivery truck got lost, as I ended up in the Boots in the main station building for sandwiches & other bits. No trip for my red pen as it was dud 66150 leading, with 66230 on the rear. After Reading the next pick up was Bristol, so after a pathing stop after Didcot it was non-stop to Bristol Parkway, scoring the new platform 1 for a short break before carrying on towards South Wales, via the down Pilning Loop.

Once into a wet Wales, it was onto the goods line all the way to Cardiff (microgrice score of the down through line at Newport, a final pick up was had in the Pacer Capital before carrying on towards Bridgend, turning right onto the Maesteg line, turning right after Tondu onto the little used Garw Loops, carrying on so the front loco was just about on the stop boards. The first reversal of the day and onto the Margam line, I was expecting a few more branch strikes but it looks like Network Rail had been down with their machines to clear back the trees. After a couple pathing stops it was onto the Ogmore Valley Extension line, rejoining the main line at Port Talbot for a crew change, then onwards to the Swansea District Line, turning left to head towards what remains of the Swansea Docks (lots of overgrown sidings in this area), stopping just short of Burrow Sidings so that the stock could be watered.

Eventually we got going again, carrying on underneath the Swansea District Line and underneath the main South Wales Main Line at the site of Neath low level, picking up the token to head onto the Onllwyn line, quite slow going but one which is best to do during the winter months when the trees are bare as it gives some good views of the countryside and little villages along the way. The train reached the Network Rail limit and reversed back down the valley, reversing once more after Neath Low Level this time heading up the Cwmgwrach branch (especially cleared for this tour which could be one of the last trains on this branch before it closes). Another scenic line in South Wales, running alongside a canal, and once more reversing at the Network Rail limit, before heading back underneath the Main Line to reverse once more at the Jersey Marina South junction in order to take the ‘rarer’ west facing chord to rejoin the Swansea District Line [doesn’t see a lot of traffic].

The speed felt nice heading towards a final reversal at Llanelli (with a short break, special mention to the person in the coach behind us who picked up some pizzas as oddly for a long tour there wasn’t any hot meals available to purchase for us in standard class, Pathfinder would normally have a “Gricers Grill” with normally 3 options available to purchase. Anyhow after causing chaos in Llanelli (train was too long to fit between the two level crossings), it was back out east, taking the goods loop to join the southern part of the Swansea District Line before heading back towards Briton Ferry, getting delayed due to a late running 150 heading to Manchester, before heading towards Cardiff where the train did empty out (allowing me to relax on an empty table), darkness had fallen but once more it was the goods line all the way towards the tunnel (another microgrice of the other through line at Newport), can’t recall anything else unusual after Bristol as I alighted at Reading the train arriving pretty much on time.

A delayed 220024 took me to Basingstoke, where thanks to the signaller for putting the 220 ahead of the 159s at the junction meant I could make the 22:15 SWR service back home to Grateley, a good day for track coverage in the South of Wales, certainly my Baker looks a bit better in the Swansea area.

17th March – The Missing Link

A shorter day than last weekend, but my first trip to London for a few weeks, once more it was the 05:59 service in the hands of the grey 159003 for the trip to Waterloo. I grabbed supplies from Tesco, before 96092/96045 took me to Green Park, with 11075/11076 to Euston due to delays on the Northern line. Once at Euston it was over towards platform 16 where winner 66110 was leading the usual collection of Mk1 coaches, with 66111 on the blocks at Euston (with a 47 in the centre siding and a 92 on the front of the sleeper, this part of Euston was very Locoed).

The only other pick-up on this tour was at Milton Keynes (but it didn’t set down there), so the train was reasonably busy from the start, on an uneventful trip on the WCML, bit slow near Tring when it caught up with a Tring stopping service, but nothing unusual as we looked out at the snow. The first reversal of the day was at Milton Keynes, platform 2 (which meant a 377/7 was using the rarely used platform 2a). With everybody on board, it was a short trip back south coming off the WCML to head around the back of the sidings and onto the Bletchley flyover, running to the current end of the (very rusty) line at the Swanbourne Sidings:



66110 was back in charge for the run along the Marston Valley (I did note a couple passengers bailing at Fenny Stratford for a crew change), thankfully unlike one time before we got a decent path in front of the stopper (I can’t remember which tour it was, but one time the path meant we caught up with the 153 by Ridgmont which meant a crawl and a half towards Bedford). Unusually around the Bedford area the train used a goods line to go via platform 2 at Bedford (rather than the more common platform 1 route). A nice run on the MML to reverse after Sharnbrook Junction (where the freight lines go from 2 track to 1 track for the tunnel), with 66111 in charge for the long leg, pausing outside Bedford before crossing over onto the fast line at Bedford North, before back into the slow lines via a new goods loop after Harlington (certainly confused an elderly gentlemen sat on a nearby table as “it doesn’t exist” on the last Quail book, I did hear someone mentioning that the only reason they were doing this tour was to get that loop into their book!).

After Mill Hill Broadway the tour took the flyover to go behind Hendon station, taking the curve to reach the Dudding Hill line (a route I haven’t taken in a few years), a bit of a backwater line in London, used by freight services. We briefly joined the North London Line for a short distance before heading off towards Acton Main Line, pausing in the platforms for a crew change. The visit to the GWML was brief as it turned off onto the Greenford loop after West Ealing, heading underneath the Central Line and after a brief pause on the junction, rolled onto South Ruislip for a pathing stop (cue more confusion from the elderly gentlemen). After a couple fast 168s zoomed past, it was onwards towards Princes Risborough, turning onto the single track Aylesbury line, for a gentle potter towards Aylesbury, scoring a couple more stations for non-stop running before having a pathing stop in the goods loop between Aylesbury Vale Parkway & Aylesbury itself. Passing behind the platform at Aylesbury Vale it was onto freight line once more, at one point in time the former Metropolitan line.

The train paused for a 80 minute break at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road, which allowed myself to have a little look around the site, a mix of old rolling stock, mostly undercover due to it being off-season (and it being freezing in the wind), but an enjoyable little visit with some historic signs and bits in the museum, including some very luxurious carriages. Anyhow I rejoined the train to read my newspaper before the tour continued passing the large waste site at Calvert to reverse at the Claydon loop (sadly unable to reach the current end of the line due to it being flooded). Heading into Oxfordshire with a few pauses to wait time before passing Bicester Village, and gaining speed once more on route towards Oxford, bypassing Didcot Parkway and unusually routed onto the main lines (although as the line was closed at Swindon meant the main lines were quieter than the reliefs!).

Over the flyover outside Reading for another crew change (and unofficial set-down for any passengers wanting a faster return to London), before the train headed towards Acton Main Line once more (relief lines after Reading, but a good path as we only caught up with a stopper after Hayes). Another brief pause at Acton Main Line (that member of staff must get bored during the day) before heading up to join the North London Line for a short section before heading onto the Dudding Hill line for a short section before a bonus score (for me) being the chord to head downhill to join the WCML around “Willesden 7”. Diving underneath the WCML for a final reversal on the relief line, cutting back across via the Royal Mail place (a route I’ve used on a diverted sleeper from the ECML), rejoining the WCML for the final few miles into Euston, arriving pretty much bang on time (although it would be hard for this tour to run late due to having 20 minutes to reverse at Wembley).

51644/51722 took me to Waterloo, where after a visit to McDonalds before I joined the 20:20 Axminster service formed of 159021 & 159001 which got busy around Clapham Junction due to the rugby (a few with tickets to Southampton, but sadly due to the previous service running late, we were running late so the unofficial connection at Basingstoke for those passengers wanting to “get home quicker” via a XC service was broken [the 220 pulled out a few seconds after the 159s rolled in, and with the next service being around 30 minutes later [being a semi-fast due to the next Weymouth skipping Basingstoke] meant I did feel sorry for them, but they should have changed at Woking like the guard recommended.

Walking home in a snow storm meant any hopes of heading out today was dashed, especially when I woke up this morning there was a good couple inches of snow on the ground. Another good tour for my Baker Atlas, no doubt I will recover those parts when they are eventually rebuilt for “East-West” rail.

----

(Well seeing as these little mutterings went down like a lead balloon I will probably stop doing reports/monthly summaries)

 

[Cowley]

I always read them and enjoy them Kite. Just a little bit flat out with work at the moment so not on the forum as much as I was which means I have a proper catch up every few weeks instead of every couple of days.
Please don’t stop doing them as they’re always well written and interesting.
I expect a lot of people read them but don’t leave a comment, the trouble is it’s hard to know how many, before the forum was updated you used to be able to see how many views it had had but I don’t think you can now?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I always read them and enjoy them Kite. Just a little bit flat out with work at the moment so not on the forum as much as I was which means I have a proper catch up every few weeks instead of every couple of days.
Please don’t stop doing them as they’re always well written and interesting.
I expect a lot of people read them but don’t leave a comment, the trouble is it’s hard to know how many, before the forum was updated you used to be able to see how many views it had had but I don’t think you can now?

I also love your trip reports! Please don’t stop them!!

 

[185143]

I always read them and enjoy them Kite. Just a little bit flat out with work at the moment so not on the forum as much as I was which means I have a proper catch up every few weeks instead of every couple of days.
Please don’t stop doing them as they’re always well written and interesting.
I expect a lot of people read them but don’t leave a comment, the trouble is it’s hard to know how many, before the forum was updated you used to be able to see how many views it had had but I don’t think you can now?

Agreed. A few times on my reports I've had people comment that they've just caught up on the last month or so. And I've had people I've never heard of ask about tickets I've used and stuff like that-so I suspect a lot more people read trip reports than we actually realise.

On my last report, no one commented at all.

 

[fishquinn]

Don't stop your reports: I still read them and they're always great. I rarely reply to reports unless I really have something to say nowadays but they're still being read!

 

[Cowley]

And by the way Mr Kite, I have my favourites that I always read, and you’re very much one of them ...

 

[55013]

Well, I'm just catching up as well - I'd add my name to the list of people who never miss your reports.
Looks like an enjoyable couple of tours, anyway

 

[Kite159]

Thanks everybody

I will leave you with a picture of 90046 at Glasgow Queen Street HL this morning after arriving with the sleeper

 

[Cowley]

Thanks everybody

I will leave you with a picture of 90046 at Glasgow Queen Street HL this morning after arriving with the sleeper

Nice. Seems strange to me seeing a 90 at Queen St. Shows how long it is since I’ve been there I suppose...

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Keep those reports coming - gives me hope that one day I might again have a surplus of that increasingly scarce commodity called time. All I generally have the chance to do at present is scour the forum to be envious at what other folk are up to and pick up the odd thing on the daily commute - oh, and add in the odd railtour or two.

 

[Kite159]

Looking back over March

A quieter month than normal, but I will still out and about. Although my plans for the 3rd March ended up going into the bin due to the snow, where I had a lazy weekend with the train only featuring for a short hop to/from Basingstoke for shopping & supplies as the roads were still a bit dodgy in my local area.

My first main trip of March was “The Valley of the Witch” railtour to some freight lines in South Wales, a good day for my Baker, sadly both 66s were dud but you can’t have everything. Thankfully for my 2nd railtour of the month (on the 17th), being “The Missing Link”, both 66s were required, as was a bit more Baker track (details in an earlier post what was involved).

A “use it or lose it” day off from work on the 23rd March saw me heading to London, my focus was scoring some of the new Thameslink parts, mainly the rebuilt layout over the dive-under into London Bridge, but more importantly the Canal Tunnels giving access to the ECML from St Pancras. Both parts were complete, leaving me with a 700 hunting session (with a 707 shaped bonus), ending the day with 13 more 700s into my little book. I suspect the next time I will do a 700 hunt will be in May when the timetable changes and more units go via the core.

The 24th March was a bit of a rubbish day, I was on a Lincolnshire day rover and it started well with my first 222 move of the year to Nottingham before a 156 all the way to Skegness (this being the service which skips Grantham), just to recover the line. Back to Sleaford via a short delay at Boston (relief driver was running a bit late) however I made the connection to the Lincoln service, only for that to end up getting stuck at Ruskington due to a failed 66 blocking the line, meant a delay arrival into Lincoln meant the Doncaster service (which uses platform 2 at Doncaster) was already gone. Made worse with the line towards Sleaford being blocked meaning that platform 1 at Lincoln was also out of the door. Nothing better to do I called it a day with a semi-fast 156 back to Nottingham before catching the Skegness stopper to Grantham (calls at every station), returning on a fast 156, just to give me something to do & waste time before my booked HST back to St Pancras.

Easter weekend was at the end of March, and like previous it was a good excuse to head to London, so after work on the wet & windy 29th March, it was a short fester at Waterloo before a pair of 707s over to Clapham Junction, with winner 707030 to Waterloo with a short (made worse by going into the former International platforms) connection with 707022 back out to Clapham, where crossing over to the Windsor line platforms, I noticed that a pair of 707s which I saw earlier had moved from the sidings, noting that their return in service was less than 5 minutes I decided to ditch my random 378 trip, to get awarded with 707024 which clears the small class of 30. Sadly due to time I could only stay on to Wandsworth Town before heading back to Waterloo and a slow trip to Paddington where the Class Clearance Firing Device fired for a 2nd time with 387174 on a Hayes & Harlington shuttle, which clears the 387s.

A later start than normal on Good Friday (10:59!) meant a relaxing trip to London on a busy 159021, having time to grab lunch before a pair of 458s took me to Twickenham via the Kingston loop for a novelty of a fast service around the loop. A hop to Richmond for a (annoyingly high mileage) 378 to Gospel Oak for a trip on 172005 to Leytonstone High Road, making use of bus route 257 for the short leap northbound (it was raining, why walk when you can use the bus?), before a Central line service took me to the centre platform at Loughton. Back to Stratford and onto Highbury & Islington, then to Finsbury Park to meet the Piccadilly Line. Thankfully I didn’t have long to wait for an Arnos Grove short running to score the centre platform there, before another bus trip to Finchley Central on a route 382 (sadly the weather meant the windows were steamed up so not as enjoyable as usual).

A short wait at Finchley Central before an East Finchley bound service took me the short distance back down south scoring the “depot inbound line” (engineering works in the Camden area), a quick exit of the station saw me onto a route 263 for the trip back to Central(ish) London, bailing at Holloway Road. A good move as the first northbound service featured a required 73 stock set which I took to Finsbury Park, nothing interest on Great Northern so it was to Highbury & Islington via a pair of 313s, before heading back to Waterloo via Charing Cross, returning home at a reasonable time (I think it was the 18:50 service I caught back home).

The last day of March, where a couple months ago I decided to randomly book some tickets to Manchester/Sheffield/London meant a re-planning session (previous idea was to try and get the 2nd platform at Altrincham but a play with RTT threw up that there was a half hourly service from platform 2 at Rochdale, the former Oldham loop bay which these days sees very little (if any) booked use, so having to throw away a £5 TPE advance to Sheffield as the timings didn’t work was probably a small price to pay. A nice 390 to Manchester, followed by a tram to Market Street then onto the centre platform at Manchester Victoria with a service from the airport, a long trip to Rochdale followed, although it was a double tram and the rear unit was pretty much empty.

I made the connection at Rochdale to rope in platform 2 (one from my list of bays with “no booked use”, platform 4 will wait until May where it is rumoured to be getting a half hourly service terminating there. A busy 158 to Smithy Bridge before a pair of 150s (although looked like 150226 was locked out of use) to Moston, where I leapt onto a route 81 bus back to the city centre, having time to grab lunch from Morrisons before heading to Oxford Road (via Piccadilly, noting that the Virgin branded TVMs do “tickets from other stations” which saved me some time) for an EMT service which was running late. After Oxford Road the guard came on the PA to say that due to the delay the service won’t be serving Sheffield, giving us a couple options of either changing at Piccadilly for a TPE service or staying on to Chesterfield for another service to Sheffield.

Changing at Chesterfield (hey I had a decent seat on the 158) to a Northern 150 for the short run to Sheffield, walking to the city centre picking up 399202 & 399205 before deciding to call it a day walking back to the station via the bus station and some shops. It wasn’t raining but it was quite cold, waiting for my booked train back to London, via Doncaster. Sadly it was a Merseytravel 142 on a stopper to Doncaster, but made better with a very lightly loaded HST to London, calling at Grantham & Stevenage only. Unusually it was onto a pair of 158s back to Grateley, the end of a reasonable day trip.

Month in numbers
2751 miles covered (which is my lowest monthly mileage figure since Feb 15)
18 new units (1x 387, 13x 700s 4x 707s)
2 new locos (2x 66)
3 new light rail (2x 399, 1x 73 stock)
3 new London Bus Routes

 

[ash39]

Imagine 2751 miles being a quiet month!!

Good to see you're still out and about getting odd bits here and there. What's the plan once all the platforms are done??