The Various Random Mutterings of Kite

[A Challenge]

Hello 165017, sat in the Stratford upon Avon bay platform

*Removes the tourist hat which I've been wearing today*

How is there a bay platform at a terminus station?

 

[Kite159]

How is there a bay platform at a terminus station?

Because the tracks on platforms 1 & 2 extend beyond the station, underneath the road bridge to form a siding for steam engines/locos to run around (I assume).

(First picture is of the station from the road bridge, the 2nd is the opposite side of the road bridge showing the 2 tracks coming together as one before disappearing around a corner)

I would imagine in days of old when the line carried on towards Honeybourne, platform 3 was on a loop

 

[Kite159]

14 & 15th September – A trip to Manchester

This trip came about thanks to a Travelodge sale and wanting to do Denton and a day in Manchester picking up some odds & ends. My original plan was thrown into the bin due to the strike, but unlike the previous week I could actually do something with the timetable (and in some cases actually benefit from the strike timetable).

I was booked on the 20:40 to Manchester so without trying to sound smug I don’t need much in London these days so I had a delayed start with the 15:59 to Basingstoke (for it was full of Russians who had come to Salisbury for the day to look at the cathedral), which was a 159/159/158 set, a notable thing with 159006 eventually joining the 3 thousand mile club. Anyhow to Reading with a 166 before a deckchair session to see if any required IETs were heading towards London, I had just missed a pair of 800/0s from Swansea, but the service from Bristol was a required 800/3 so it was a short hop to London, earlier than expected.

A Hammersmith & Crawl service crawled its way to Farringdon, where I took up space on the footbridge, but not for long as lady luck was shining as I managed to bag 4 out of my last 12 700s in the space of half an hour (all be it on bus stop leaps), nothing else was required and with one eye on the clock (for I was using Oyster) I touched out and headed to a nearby Tesco for dinner, leaving it a good 10 minutes before returning with a lull of services, eventually winner 5 took me to St Pancras, and I headed towards Euston, quite pleased as my 700 requirements are 4x RLUs & 3x FLUs.

The 20:40 Manchester had been cancelled due to an earlier incident, so it was onto the 21:00 Manchester, with a fast walk to coach C to bag a decent seat on a busy service and once at Manchester Piccadilly I headed down to the Metrolink platforms with a linear hop to Deansgate on a mileage requirement before an Eccles tram took me to Salford Quays which is the closest tram stop to the Travelodge I was staying in.

Saturday

I will admit I messed up here as I got my timings for the trams wrong as my original idea was to grab Broadway & Langworthy when I was out this way, however I was a tram back to what I should have been (and missed out on a trick in bailing at Harbour City and having a fast walk to Broadway when the tram went into Mediacity to reverse back out, my excuse is that it was raining).

Anyhow I got Broadway into my book, before heading to Piccadilly, stepping back a tram at Cornbrook, before grabbing breakfast and boarding the first Airport stopper of the day to get alighting at Burnage into my book, with a 30 minute fester which was passed by relaxing (and also I might have played with the TVM to get a “Promise to pay” voucher for my pile of tickets). The 323 returned and I made a tight connection onto the first Buxton service which was an empty pair of 150s which I took nearly all the way to Dove Holes.

Dove Holes Station from the road bridge

As I mentioned earlier, I was using the strike timetable to my advantage as normally Dove Holes is 2 hourly and for most of the time has services passing within a minute of each other (and it is a fair hike between platforms), however the strike timetable had an hourly service which a rough 20 minute wait for the same units back from Buxton, so it would be silly to turn down. The same 150s from earlier returned me to Stockport, the service getting busy as time went on (first Manchester bound service, and especially for the likes of New Mills which went from 4tph to 1tph). I had a short wait before another Buxton service rolled in which took me to Middlewood, which like Dove Holes was enjoying an hourly service with a decent connection between services. I do like Middlewood as it’s in the middle of nowhere, underneath the Middlewood Way (foot/cycle path making use of the old railway), how it survived the cuts is a bit of a mystery, and I suspect usage is pushed up by being the boundary station.

Another busy pair of 150s back to Stockport, before a time wasting move to Levenshulme with a 323 to intercept the next Alderley Edge service to take me to Handforth as a “gets it out of the way” move. 25 minutes later the same 323 returned to take me back to Levenshulme, with another 323 to Stockport and finally onto the 2-hourly Macclesfield stopper to take me to Poynton. Back to Manchester Piccadilly and down to the underbelly with a tram to Victoria before a pair of pacers on the Rochdale stopper took me to Rochdale for the sole reason to score the new south facing bay platform, for a quick visit and return to Manchester Victoria on the same pair of pacers.

142057 in platform 4 at Rochdale

A 150 took me to Ashton Under Lyme, before walking across to the Metrolink station with a tram to Edge Lane, jumping back to Cemetery Road for what felt like a long wait, but soon I was on the move to St Peter’s Square before a pair of trams heading towards Altrincham took me to Navigation Road, stepping back for another tram to Altrincham itself, terminating into platform 1. A quick hop to Tesco for food & a PNB before a pair of trams from platform 2 took me to Cornbrook, with an Eccles service to Langworthy to clear that line as well. All that is left for me on Metrolink is 3 stops on the airport line (and that can hopefully be done in November). Back to Manchester city centre as I picked up dinner from Morrisons before my slow way to Piccadilly before taking my seat on the 19:35 service to London, relaxing for the speedy run to Tring before a crawl to Euston (got caught behind a late running stopping service). With time to kill I walked to St Pancras (needed the fresh air as well) to board a 700 to London Bridge and a pair of 465s to Waterloo East, before waiting for the 23:40 Salisbury service to arrive and get announced. It was a busy service as far as Woking & Basingstoke before it quieten down, but soon I was home and relaxed.

A mostly successful day based on the limited options I had, the two hard stations on the Buxton line is done (just leaves Furness Vale & New Mills Newtown which are easy enough to do), plus a good handful of Metrolink stations and some other odds & ends.

 

[Skymonster]

How you figure out all these moves is behind me, but it seems like you had a good couple of days. I admire your willingness to travel in the area during the pesky strikes as I've put plans on hold due to concerns of services being overcrowded.

 

[Kite159]

How you figure out all these moves is behind me, but it seems like you had a good couple of days. I admire your willingness to travel in the area during the pesky strikes as I've put plans on hold due to concerns of services being overcrowded.

I start with a list of what is required, and then sit with Excel open and RTT alongside it to look up ideas. Some stations are awkward enough to be a fixed link with my plan worked with that link in mind, for example my original plan for Saturday had Dove Holes as being a fixed link due to the timetable not being the best (normally something like a +2 between services), that link being the 16:47 from Piccadilly to Buxton which called at Dove Holes in both directions, so in that way the strike timetable was handy.

The strike was an annoyance, but unlike the week before where I decided to ditch my East Yorkshire trip, all I lost was £30 in advance fares, the hotel had free cancellation. This trip would have been around £56 in the bin (£36 for the advance fares, £20 for the hotel) and I could work with the timetable and had the backup option of Metrolink. Some of the services were busy, but some were dead quiet.

Although I've already come up with a provisional backup option in case the Saturday strikes continue into November, which is to head to Merseyside on a Cheshire Day Ranger as I need some odds & sods out that way.

 

[Gathursty]

Middlewood does seem to be in the middle of nowhere but it is actually a 10 minute walk from the A6 at High Lane. There is a signpost to Middlewood but if you blink whilst driving, you miss it. Interesting post.

 

[Kite159]

Middlewood does seem to be in the middle of nowhere but it is actually a 10 minute walk from the A6 at High Lane. There is a signpost to Middlewood but if you blink whilst driving, you miss it. Interesting post.

I did notice a newish footpath heading away from the Manchester bound platform which I would assume drops down to meet the road & some houses.

 

[Gathursty]

The way to the A6 is to ascend to the old rail line, head North and turn right on a minor but well trodden path which climbs past a cottage or two and then you reach a tarmac lane which eventually leads straight to the A6.

I guess the Manchester bound platform path connects to the houses to the East of the station down in the valley.

 

[Iskra]

Sounded a good day Kite, glad the Russians didn't get you.

Is the reason you always go the longer route via London to get to the North, to avoid XC Voyagers?

 

[Kite159]

Sounded a good day Kite, glad the Russians didn't get you.

Is the reason you always go the longer route via London to get to the North, to avoid XC Voyagers?

Mainly because it's sometimes cheaper going via London, and in days of old when the "VTWC + connections" tickets were reasonably priced sometimes quicker.

 

[Kristofferson]

Just been reading back a bit on Page 90, as you’re prolific as ever and I needed some reading material!

Good reads as always Kite, you do get around..! An overnight rail tour sounds pretty hardcore!

 

[Kite159]

So on route to the hostel tonight I kinda bumped into a certain 92 stock set which had been out of traffic for a while

 

[gazr]

So on route to the hostel tonight I kinda bumped into a certain 92 stock set which had been out of traffic for a while

Sure it wasn't the blonde you were taking a picture of? Although she (or he, or whatever PC term is) has no face!

 

[Kite159]

Sure it wasn't the blonde you were taking a picture of? Although she (or he, or whatever PC term is) has no face!

That was a lucky break in traffic shot as it was taken at Oxford Circus. But at long last LU is cleared

 

[Keith Jarrett]

That was a lucky break in traffic shot as it was taken at Oxford Circus. But at long last LU is cleared

Kite, many congrats on clearing the underground!

 

[Kristofferson]

That’s a pretty amazing achievement..!

 

[The_Train]

You seem to just continually excel at this hobby/challenge @Kite159. Congrats on clearing the LU

 

[Mag_seven]

But at long last LU is cleared

Well done - out of interest when did you start? i.e. did you clear all "A", "C and "D" stock or is that before your time?

 

[Kite159]

Well done - out of interest when did you start? i.e. did you clear all "A", "C and "D" stock or is that before your time?

That was before my time, I got around half of the D stock before they started to be redrawn from service.

Picture attached for @The_Train

 

[The_Train]

Picture attached for @The_Train

Oh yes, thanks a lot mate. That really is a sight to behold @Kite159. All this time and still looking as glorious as it did when I was a wee nipper in the 90s. I still hope to see it flying up the WCML once again at some point.

As I said previously you seem to consistently excel in this hobby but it'll take something special to better this simple, but fantastic photo

 

[Cowley]

I’m having my monthly trip report catch up whilst stuck in Crediton (and no-one wants to be stuck there). I got to the bottom of the first page and saw ‘50 more posts’!
I’ve read them all and enjoyed them as always. Some great photos too. Particularly found the ones of Stratford on Avon interesting, oh and the 87 at Padd.

 

[Kite159]

19th September – 23rd September, GBRf 2018 Tour

A bit of background first of all, having seen the 2015 tour from afar and noting it seemed to be a good tour, I was keeping an eye on the 2018 tour with the details becoming available earlier in the year it seemed to tick several of my boxes of getting little bits of required track, plus some unusual moves, so I booked time off work and on Good Friday stayed home to get lucky with getting a full tour ticket in 1st class (having decided it was worth the extra money for the extra space).

Anyhow that was back earlier in the year, and it was nearly time for the tour, I was booked in a hostel near Kings Cross (and to be honest I did look into other options but was a few days too late as that hostel locks bookings within 14 days of the stay).

19th September – Day 0

Nothing out of the ordinary for this day, my original idea was to head to Basingstoke on the 18:59 service from Grateley, changing for a Turbo to Reading and having a mild fester for any required 800/802s for a hop to Paddington, this plan changed when I got news that a certain 1992 stock unit was back in traffic and working. A quick download of the working timetable and I managed to identity that it would be arriving into Liverpool Street around 20:50 heading west. It was just too good of a chance to turn down so I decided to remain on the 158 all the way to Waterloo, arriving a good 7 minutes early (for it had a clear path after Woking due to a couple late running services).

First time since March I took a Waterloo & City line service to Bank, changing to the Central line where I probably should have stayed on a bit longer but decided to bail at the quieter Bethnal Green, changing platforms for a short 10 minute fester. The working timetable was open on my phone as I ticked off the diagrams before the one I was after rolled in with 91177 on the front, which took me to Oxford Circus, changing to a Victoria Line service to Kings Cross St Pancras. My final 1992 stock and hence my final (currently operating in public use) London Underground unit, so I was happy the chase was finally over.

LU 91177 at Oxford Circus

That was the good news, the bad news is that the hostel room was a bit on the small size and was noisy as it overlooked a main road.

20th September – Day 1

A day where I could leave my bag of clothing (and other items) in the hostel room and I popped via Tesco Metro near Kings Cross before entering LU via the former Kings Cross Thameslink entrance (which I believe is my first time entering that way). My theory is that it avoided the more crowded entrance at Kings Cross itself, and it worked as I could board the first southbound service to Victoria and headed across to platform 2 where the tour was due to depart. I met up with Mr Noddy who was also on the tour.

A pair of (annoyingly) dud 73/9s rolled in (73961 & 73963, which I had both back in July on a tour to Weymouth, and 73963 as well on a tour in May!). Winner 66782 was leading (formerly 66046) the tour of Mk1 coaches. I was in coach F which was roughly half way the train, and was pleasantly surprised to have been given a seat at a table for 2 [which the opposite seat only was used on the overnight & day 4]. Anyhow the route from Victoria was towards Herne Hill, turning right towards Tulse Hill & Wimbledon, scoring my first bit of new track with the connection from the Sutton Loop to the South Western Main Line. It was a spin towards Salisbury, causing a bit of chaos as due to another freight service in the slow line near Worthing Junction we were ahead of a 159 which we were meant to have been behind, and we waited at Salisbury Tunnel Junction for a good few minutes for a GWR service to pass.

Eventually the train got going again, passing Salisbury and heading towards Westbury for the next pick-up, and a 10 minute break.

66782 at Westbury

After Westbury, the 66 carried on for the route into Bristol Temple Meads, where the 73/9s took over for the run towards Pengam Loop (between Newport & Cardiff) where the planned trip to the steel works was pulled earlier in the week, the tour turning left after Lawrence Hill to go via the Severn Beach line, and carrying on towards the Henbury Loop Line, turning left towards Patchway (which was required track and completes the route (having scored the connection towards Bristol Parkway & Filton Abbey Wood back in March 2017). At Pengam the 73s ran around to the rear of the coaches and winner 66766 attached to the front for the run to just beyond Bridgend.

The 73s were back in charge for the run back towards Pengam where the 66 was detached and carried on to pick passengers up at Newport, before heading towards Gloucester and the Golden Valley line towards Swindon, coming to a stop outside Didcot Parkway where the 73s were changed over for 87002, yes a class 87 on the Great Western Main Line. It was reliefs until after Reading where the train was put into the mains and it certainly flew for the run to Paddington, the end of day 1 of the tour. I returned to Kings Cross via the Bakerloo line to Baker Street and a Metropolitan line service to Kings Cross St Pancras for another noisy night in the hostel

87002 at Paddington

21st September – Day 2

The main theory of staying near Kings Cross was an early start from Euston on this morning, but it was still an early start as I made my way via Tesco for supplies for the day ahead before walking to Euston. This morning it was winner 20311 attached with dud 20132 for the run down the WCML to Bletchley, turning right for the run towards Bedford carrying on to the Wellingborough Up Yard (which is beyond the station). Winner 66728 then was in charge for the run southwards, taking the goods line flyover to go behind the back of Hendon/Cricklewood stations, and reversing behind the back of West Hampstead Thameslink station.

20311 at Euston

The 20s were back in charge for another small bit of new track for me, the south facing curve leading onto the Dudding Hill line for a slow potter around London, joining the North London Line for a short while, turning off after South Acton and another small bit of required track in the shape of the Kew East curve. A slowish potter around the loop, with a short wait at Clapham Junction for a LO service to clear the line before the 20s took the slow line to head towards Clapham High Street and Denmark Hill. Carrying on via Lewisham & Bexleyheath to reach Dartford and onwards towards Stroud, carrying straight on to the Medway Valley line, carrying on into Tonbridge Yard where the 66 was detached from the rear and a pair of 73/1s were attached. Dud 73141 & winner 73107, these locos would be with us for the rest of the tour.

The 73s took us forward back through Tonbridge station and via the former Royal Mail Terminal to reverse on the main-line, with the 20s back in charge for the run back to Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, running a tad late due to congestion in the Tonbridge Area, but the train turned right onto the line via Bat & Ball, although the plan of going via Lewisham was dropped due to late running (I guess the path had been lost), so it went via Beckenham Junction, weaving around Clapham Junction to pause at Kensingston Olympia where I bailed from the service (it would continue to Acton Lane sidings to be watered for the overnight leg).

I made the most of the time to head to a nearby Tesco for supplies for the overnight leg, and to buy myself a cushion (for the seat I had felt like it was missing a spring in the back). Kensingston Olympia was in a bit of chaos due to a signal failure around Stratford so a couple southbound 378s were cancelled (it was a case of how many folk could you fit on a pair of 377s from Milton Keynes!), but 73141 & 73107 were back, as I boarded once more for the short run towards London Waterloo, scoring me a bit of rare track of the Sheepcote Lane curve, a bit of track which isn’t used by anything much (ever since Eurostar services moved to St Pancras).

Into Waterloo platform 20, where annoyingly the 92 on the country end was beyond the public area of the platform, so there was no decent picture taking chances, so here be a picture of the 73s at Kensington, due to late running the 30 minutes turnaround was reduced to 20 minutes so I was thankful I had grabbed my supplies earlier.

73107 & 73141 at Kensington Olympia

To be continued
Olympia from the station

 

[Cowley]

That looked amazing Kite. Great to have a table and two seats to yourself for most of it too.
What’s happened with the cushion? Are you still carrying it around?

 

[Kite159]

That looked amazing Kite. Great to have a table and two seats to yourself for most of it too.
What’s happened with the cushion? Are you still carrying it around?

It's currently sitting with my older railtour cushion (my back starts hurting after a while on those bench seats found on Mk1s) ready for it's next day trip

 

[Cowley]

It's currently sitting with my older railtour cushion (my back starts hurting after a while on those bench seats found on Mk1s) ready for it's next day trip

I remember you saying that before but I’ve just got an image of your front room filling up with more and more cushions...
Well done on the underground stock by the way. That’s really impressive.
Slightly inspired by you and others I’ve taken to recording unit numbers on the Northern Ireland trips now (I don’t do that kind of thing normally). I’m up to seven since I started (and one class 201), plus three different lines. I’m going to attempt to clear NI if I get the chance as for me it could actually be achievable over the next few years.
Don’t tell anyone that I’m recording unit numbers though please.

 

[Kite159]

22nd September – Day N & 3

The overnight leg began in Waterloo with a first for me, a 92 running on DC. Shame it was dud 92033 (which began the 3rd member of the 4 I’ve had to be cleared for 1000 miles) rather than a non-sleeper example. The train set off, a bit on the jerky side (which I believe is a side-effect of the power limitation when running on DC), and headed back via the old Eurostar curve to the West London Line, changing over to AC around North Pole before carrying on to join the WCML via the usual route taken by the Southern services.

A few stops along the way, going via the freight yard south of Crewe and using the Liverpool independent line before carrying on, I drifted in & out of sleep along the way, until the goods lines around Preston as the 92 turned left to head to get a stick of rock from Blackpool, being probably the first electric loco hauled passenger train to reach Blackpool North. The staff decided it would be wise to leave us alone as folk took pictures. 73141 & 73107 hauled the train (all be a bit slower than the 92!) back to Preston for a set down/pick up stop. The 92 took back charge for the run northbound where it sounded quite rough out there, I believe it took one of the centre lines at Carlisle for an added novelty factor before the overnight ‘terminated’ at Motherwell.

92033 at Blackpool North

Day 3

After a brief pause the 92 continued into Mossend Down Reception where some loco swaps took place as 73141 ran around to the front where it was joined by winner 56113. The service continued north taking the freight Sunnyside chord to join the Bathgate line for a quick run towards Glasgow Queen Street low level, and via Westerton to pick up some more folk at Dalmuir. The train was heading towards Fort William, a line I absolutely love for the scenic views.

Going round a Curve

The service was running a bit late (poor railhead condition, the 56 getting assistance by the 73 and I think at times the rear 73 also helped giving a little push) so arrived into Fort William around 15 minutes late, the 56 detaching at Fort William Junction so it could run round to the rear, which gave the novelty of 73141 running the final half a mile into Fort William. 73s are common in this area due to the sleeper (which I had noticed was formed of 2x 73s the previous night) but not original examples with the smaller engines. That delay might have worked for my benefit as it appeared the next Mallaig service was around 15 minutes late (oops), however this meant a ~ +2 at Spean Bridge had been extended. I grabbed food & supplies from Morrisons and joined the large crowd waiting for the Glasgow service formed of 156453 & 156493. This departed around 5 minutes late for the 8 and a bit mile run back towards Glasgow where I alighted at Spean Bridge, crossing over to the opposite platform (which now features passenger information screens) to await the delayed Mallaig service formed of 156476 & 156450 for the trip back to Fort William.

156476 arrives into Spean Bridge

The good news is doing that little leap means next year when I return to this area to revisit the other stations, I can return to Glasgow earlier. But that is a job for next year, back to the current day as I alighted from the busy 156s at Fort William and had a short walk into the town centre area before returning to the station to board the train once more. 56113 had joined up with 73107 for the enjoyable run back towards Glasgow, this time keeping good time as it went via Westerton and unusually via Glasgow Central low level, and the Hamilton, dropping off a few folk at Motherwell, before continuing into Mossend down Reception once more for some more loco swapping.

73107 was removed and sent to the rear, allowing the 56 to operate solo for the run out of Mossend and towards Cumbernauld, carrying on to take the Dalmeny chord to cross the Forth Bridge, pausing briefly at Inverkeithing before heading into the goods loop north of the station (and judging by the state of the yard this area is pretty much disused since the coal trains died a death). The 73s were in charge for the run across the Forth Bridge and into Edinburgh, where the plan they came up with for the loco swap failed (the idea I believe was to use the centre crossovers between platforms 1-20 & 2-19 so the 56 could head back towards Haymarket into P19 and the 90 using the crossover to join the train on P2, but the train was too long and fouled the crossover (which meant the 90 had to go back and wait for the 56 causing some delays).

56113 at Edinburgh

The 90 in question was winner 90041 which had worked the previous night’s highlander (much to the annoyance of a couple folk in the coach who had used it to come up the night before!). Thankfully we were put ahead of a stopper (sorry driver for causing you a delay) and headed back towards Glasgow Central, once more back via Falkirk Grahamston & Cumbernauld, taking the route used a couple years ago by the Glasgow – Aberdeen services when Queen Street was closed, and towards Glasgow Central via Carmyle to end a long old day. Thankfully I had booked a room in the Euro Hostel a short walk from the station, and the bed was very much welcomed. I will end the day with a picture of a Freightliner 90 on the blocks at Glasgow Central, nothing unusual due to the sleeper workings, but another one into my book.

90041 at Glasgow Central

23rd Sept – Day 4

The final day and another early start, the plan of the tour to head to Paisley Canal got thrown into the bin the day before as Network Rail didn’t know the clearances of the OHLE on the Canal branch, so an alternative plan was made by the organisers. 47749 hauled the ECS in with 73141 & 73107 on the front for the run towards Paisley St James, where it reversed to put winner 47749 in charge for the run back towards Glasgow, but after Cardonald stayed on the slow line as it turned into a freight line (Burma Road) to dive underneath the other lines and use the connecting line to join the WCML (another bit of new track for me). The service reversed at Polmadie Down Holding Sidings (with 90048 spotted less pantograph due to an argument with a tree on early Saturday morning).

73141 & 73107 hauled the set back into Glasgow Central where most of the folk boarded, and the cameras came out to picture the 47, but for me I was interested in a random shot of a 380 departing through the arch as something unusual.

380005 departs Glasgow Central

Anyhow 47749 was in charge for the run to Carlisle going via the Cathcart circle (vice via Dumfries) joining the main WCML south of Newton, it was a nice enough run towards Carlisle but the best was yet to come when the 47 was detached and winners 86639 & 86637 were attached (I made the most of the time with a dash to Tesco along with some other tour members). The Freightliner 86s were at the front and gave an excellent non-stop run via the Lakes and Wigan to go into platform 12 at Crewe where they were being replaced by a pair of 50s, this case 50007 & 50049 to continue the run to the south, going via Shrewsbury and Bescot with a drop-off at Coventry before heading towards Leamington and having a pathing stop at Banbury (which scored me a microgrice of platform 4 from the north).

86639 & 86637 at Crewe

The 50s continued with their trip towards London, a bit slow in places due to a temporary speed restriction between Bicester & Haddenham & Thame Parkway, but due to pathing the delay was made up by not stopping at West Ruislip, as the train crossed over to head towards Greenford & Castle Bar Park, pausing for the right time to come out onto the GWML to pause in Hanwell loop, where the 73s were take charge for the final leg into Paddington.

That was it, the tour was sadly at an end, the 73s made a good noise with the horns coming into platform 1, and after a quick photo I headed to the Bakerloo line for a service to Baker Street, followed by a Jubilee service to Waterloo, picking up some dinner before heading to board a pair of 159s on the 21:15 service to take me back home to Grateley, to recover from the long few days.

I will leave you with this slightly unusual picture taken at Carlisle:
73107 at Carlisle

 

[Cowley]

Amazing. A 56 and 73 to Fort Bill would’ve probably been the most rateable working possible thirty years ago.
Loved reading this Kite.

 

[Kite159]

I remember you saying that before but I’ve just got an image of your front room filling up with more and more cushions...
Well done on the underground stock by the way. That’s really impressive.
Slightly inspired by you and others I’ve taken to recording unit numbers on the Northern Ireland trips now (I don’t do that kind of thing normally). I’m up to seven since I started (and one class 201), plus three different lines. I’m going to attempt to clear NI if I get the chance as for me it could actually be achievable over the next few years.
Don’t tell anyone that I’m recording unit numbers though please.

Only 2 cushions so far, and to be honest the cheap poundland one I got a couple years ago could probably be retired.

Northern Ireland is on my wish-list although it will be next year. I'm just thinking of the winter months next year will be quiet for me, I might have the odd day trip to grab some odds & ends but no long weekends. Although that depends on how much annual leave I can save from Christmas time as we are waiting to hear back dates when the kitchen is closing (if it is closing, as I expect it might remain open over Christmas to allow the other kitchen on camp to be closed for some general repairs in the plantation room)

 

[Kite159]

Amazing. A 56 and 73 to Fort Bill would’ve probably been the most rateable working possible thirty years ago.
Loved reading this Kite.

Not the best picture (for that platform was busy)

73141 at Fort William

 

[Cowley]

What’s that guy got in the red rucksack? Did he smuggle another person onboard?

Also what’s the Plantation Room?
I know someone that was raided for having one of them...