D841 Roebuck
Established Member
A combination of circumstances led to this trip:
- a new job, so a bit of money to spare
- being paid from said job
- 67001/2/3 all being required for haulage
- The WAG express being diverted via Crewe for a few days
- A red pen threatening to leak ink!
So that Thursday I finished work at 6pm - undelayed, unusually - and hied myself to Rochdale station. Here, I bought a GM Evening Ranger for the first part of my journey, then boarded a fairly empty.142037 which was heading a 144 on the 1832 to Manchester.
Arriving at Victoria, I made my way to the metrolink platforms to discover a minor farce - nothing seemed to be heading to Piccadilly/Droylesden. So I jumped on Tram 3032 on an Altrincham service as far as Market Street, then walked up to Piccadilly Gardens to join the "fog'n'urine liveried 1003 for the short hop to Piccadilly - during which the first ticket check of the evening took place. A full but not chockablock Pendo 16 then took me the short hop to Stockport.
Here, it was decision time. Thanks to Real Time Trains, I'd been keeping an eye on the progress of 1W94 (the WAGex), and at this point it was about 15 late in the vicinity of Llanfihangel. Much later than this, and I'd be on a later train back from Chester and have to (shudder) get a bus home. I decided to "go for it" and bought an Any Permitted Stockport to Chester return, which allows travel via Crewe.
I then caught a clean and tidy 175003 out to Crewe, enjoying the cold blast of the aircon enroute, checked the Wagex on the screens there (still about 13 late) and headed off down the Nantwich Rd for a.Fish & Chip supper (very tasty, too).
Returning to Crewe, the Wagex was still 13 late, but was booked to leave Crewe at the same time as a Euston-Jolyhead voyager, which was 5 late itself AND booked to detach a section at Chester. Both trains duly arrived, and the voyagers were let out first, with myself and 67001 following behind, an eventual 25 late arrival leaving time for the second ticket check of the trip, but reducing me to a dubious +5 connection at Chester.
I was originally going to return by the same route, but the 2133 to Manchester via Northwich (and about 23 other shacks) was formed of required 150117 trailing a 142, so I returned by what would have been the scenic route had.it not been dark. A delay at Mickle Trafford awaiting access to the single line meant we were about 8 late, and again put my connection home in jeopardy. We didn't seem to be making up time intermediately, so I buried my nose in Inspector Wexford, who I'd brought along to pass the time, and hoped for the best.
Arrival at Stockport was still 8 down, but salvation was at hand. The tracks were clear into Piccadilly and the Sprinter/Pacer combo abdolutely stormed along, eventually arriving 3 down. I was just about back on track.
I hopped downstairs to the trammery, had time for a quick smoke and then winning T3028 trundled me across to Victoria just in time to make the 2320 back to Rochdale.
158758 duly took me home, the journey enlivened by the third grip of the trip, and by the jovial conductor guard enjoying himself so much selling tickets to a group of reasonably pulchritudinous young lasses sat behind me (particularly the brunette on the left) that it took a good few seconds standing at Moston before he could collect himself and release the doors!
So, to sum up, a decent evening out, clean and pleasant trains (and trams) and a workable plan which just about worked. The red pen and mileage counter moved into action again after a long hiatus, whilst the unexpected highlight of the night was the storming run in from Stockport.
- a new job, so a bit of money to spare
- being paid from said job
- 67001/2/3 all being required for haulage
- The WAG express being diverted via Crewe for a few days
- A red pen threatening to leak ink!
So that Thursday I finished work at 6pm - undelayed, unusually - and hied myself to Rochdale station. Here, I bought a GM Evening Ranger for the first part of my journey, then boarded a fairly empty.142037 which was heading a 144 on the 1832 to Manchester.
Arriving at Victoria, I made my way to the metrolink platforms to discover a minor farce - nothing seemed to be heading to Piccadilly/Droylesden. So I jumped on Tram 3032 on an Altrincham service as far as Market Street, then walked up to Piccadilly Gardens to join the "fog'n'urine liveried 1003 for the short hop to Piccadilly - during which the first ticket check of the evening took place. A full but not chockablock Pendo 16 then took me the short hop to Stockport.
Here, it was decision time. Thanks to Real Time Trains, I'd been keeping an eye on the progress of 1W94 (the WAGex), and at this point it was about 15 late in the vicinity of Llanfihangel. Much later than this, and I'd be on a later train back from Chester and have to (shudder) get a bus home. I decided to "go for it" and bought an Any Permitted Stockport to Chester return, which allows travel via Crewe.
I then caught a clean and tidy 175003 out to Crewe, enjoying the cold blast of the aircon enroute, checked the Wagex on the screens there (still about 13 late) and headed off down the Nantwich Rd for a.Fish & Chip supper (very tasty, too).
Returning to Crewe, the Wagex was still 13 late, but was booked to leave Crewe at the same time as a Euston-Jolyhead voyager, which was 5 late itself AND booked to detach a section at Chester. Both trains duly arrived, and the voyagers were let out first, with myself and 67001 following behind, an eventual 25 late arrival leaving time for the second ticket check of the trip, but reducing me to a dubious +5 connection at Chester.
I was originally going to return by the same route, but the 2133 to Manchester via Northwich (and about 23 other shacks) was formed of required 150117 trailing a 142, so I returned by what would have been the scenic route had.it not been dark. A delay at Mickle Trafford awaiting access to the single line meant we were about 8 late, and again put my connection home in jeopardy. We didn't seem to be making up time intermediately, so I buried my nose in Inspector Wexford, who I'd brought along to pass the time, and hoped for the best.
Arrival at Stockport was still 8 down, but salvation was at hand. The tracks were clear into Piccadilly and the Sprinter/Pacer combo abdolutely stormed along, eventually arriving 3 down. I was just about back on track.
I hopped downstairs to the trammery, had time for a quick smoke and then winning T3028 trundled me across to Victoria just in time to make the 2320 back to Rochdale.
158758 duly took me home, the journey enlivened by the third grip of the trip, and by the jovial conductor guard enjoying himself so much selling tickets to a group of reasonably pulchritudinous young lasses sat behind me (particularly the brunette on the left) that it took a good few seconds standing at Moston before he could collect himself and release the doors!
So, to sum up, a decent evening out, clean and pleasant trains (and trams) and a workable plan which just about worked. The red pen and mileage counter moved into action again after a long hiatus, whilst the unexpected highlight of the night was the storming run in from Stockport.
Enjoyed reading it.
