So did anyone turn out today for the all-day 68 bashing opportunities across the Pennines?
Yes, I had a carefully planned bash wish would enable some decent long runs, covering 3 of the 4 diagrams, and allowing for a good beer and fish+&chips break in Scarborough. The planned move was:
0745 Crewe- Man Picc 0823
WALK
0900 Man Vic - York 1016
1029 York - Stalybridge 1136
1210 Stalybridge - Scarborough 1408
1534 Scarborough - Liverpool 1834
1847 Liverpool - Crewe 1921
What actually happened was
220 010 + 220030 0745 Crewe - Man Picc 0823
68030 0900 Man Vic - York, alighted, then heard them announcing the service to Stalybridge was cancelled, so hurriedly got back on again and carried on through to Malton 1044
68024 1059 Malton - York 1125
Lunch break
68030 1228 York - Stalybridge 1336
68030 1410 Stalybridge - York 1517
The intention was to do another Malton leap, but at York we stood for a very long time then they announced there was no guard for the train. By the time they found a guard the train had blocked the platform at York for over 30 minutes (and it was the main line platform, not the Scarborough branch one) leading to all manner of consequential chaos and confusion.
68024 1627 York - Liverpool 1834
This ran comparatively well until approaching Liverpool, where there seemed to be some congestion, so I only just made my theoretical +13 into
390 020 1847 Liverpool - Crewe
There was a bit of a riot on this train too, with a young woman and child with buggy deciding to sit in the vestibule of the coach and lean against the door, thus preventing any late boarders (such as me) from making there way though the train. Suffice be it to say I was not deterred!
At York, at one point the first three items on the Departures indicator were:
TP 1520 to Scarborough DELAYED
TP 1528 to Manchester Victoria CANCELLED
TP 1550 to Liverpool Lime Street CANCELLED
At Stalybridge the turnback train sits in platform 3, so the eastbound departure is a (signalled) wrong line move for any of you desperate track bashers out there.
In the morning the 0900 Victoria - Scarborough passes through Stalybridge non-stop, overtaking the 0858 Manchester Piccadilly - Huddersfield, which also uses platform 3 then departs eastbound after the passage of the Scarborough.
So in summary I still managed to get in a fairly long 68 bash, but with only 2 of the 3 locos covered. The 4th diagram was cancelled completely.
I think I'll let it settle down a bit before I try again in the New Year (maybe ...)