West Midlands Trip Report

[Gathursty]

Today was a rapid assault on route coverage goals and a new station to finally score. The day began by parking next to Wigan North Western and buying a return to Crewe then the West Mids Day Ranger ticket. I would be sharing the morning with Wigan Athletic fans going down to Aston Villa (and returned with them later on).

I used Real Time Trains to minimise dead time which enabled me to do a pretty good triple loop of sections of Birmingham and get back at a reasonable hour of night. The only grind was the outward Hereford service having a suspected engine defect which was given the okay albeit 10 mins down on time which meant crawling to Barnt Green and losing priority at single track sections beyond Great Malvern however the view of the hill made up for the first delay. The 10 minute wait at Ledbury was a killer for me though!

0928 Wigan NW - Coventry VT
1136 Coventry - Leamington Spa (Needed for route coverage in full) (a lovely single 153365) WMR

Gave in and bought a small latte here for £2.50. How this Northerner cried inside.

1200 Leamington Spa - Coventry WMR
1242 Coventry - Nuneaton WMR (Needed the whole line for coverage)
1310 Nuneaton - Birmingham New Street XC (Needed Nuneaton - Water Orton)

Got food at Upper Crust. £6. Should have bought some tissues as well.

1350 BHM - Hereford WMR (Needed Bromsgrove to Hereford)
1539 Hereford - Droitwich Spa WMR
1656 DTW - Birmingham Snow Hill WMR
(Needed Droitwich Spa to Stourbridge Junction)
Disappointed not to see the PPM in platform at Stourbridge Junction but I have used it in the past.

1812 BHM - Tame Bridge Parkway WMR
1837 TAB - BHM WMR (Needed this section through Perry Barr)
1915 BHM - Wigan NW VT

A really good day with all objectives met. Sadly ended with a lot of rain on reaching Wigan.

 

[Kite159]

£6 for food from Upper Crust... They saw you coming

Sounded like a good little day trip pottering around the West Midlands

 

[cactustwirly]

Today was a rapid assault on route coverage goals and a new station to finally score. The day began by parking next to Wigan North Western and buying a return to Crewe then the West Mids Day Ranger ticket. I would be sharing the morning with Wigan Athletic fans going down to Aston Villa (and returned with them later on).

I used Real Time Trains to minimise dead time which enabled me to do a pretty good triple loop of sections of Birmingham and get back at a reasonable hour of night. The only grind was the outward Hereford service having a suspected engine defect which was given the okay albeit 10 mins down on time which meant crawling to Barnt Green and losing priority at single track sections beyond Great Malvern however the view of the hill made up for the first delay. The 10 minute wait at Ledbury was a killer for me though!

0928 Wigan NW - Coventry VT
1136 Coventry - Leamington Spa (Needed for route coverage in full) (a lovely single 153365) WMR

Gave in and bought a small latte here for £2.50. How this Northerner cried inside.

1200 Leamington Spa - Coventry WMR
1242 Coventry - Nuneaton WMR (Needed the whole line for coverage)
1310 Nuneaton - Birmingham New Street XC (Needed Nuneaton - Water Orton)

Got food at Upper Crust. £6. Should have bought some tissues as well.

1350 BHM - Hereford WMR (Needed Bromsgrove to Hereford)
1539 Hereford - Droitwich Spa WMR
1656 DTW - Birmingham Snow Hill WMR
(Needed Droitwich Spa to Stourbridge Junction)
Disappointed not to see the PPM in platform at Stourbridge Junction but I have used it in the past.

1812 BHM - Tame Bridge Parkway WMR
1837 TAB - BHM WMR (Needed this section through Perry Barr)
1915 BHM - Wigan NW VT

A really good day with all objectives met. Sadly ended with a lot of rain on reaching Wigan.

I went to Hereford too yesterday! Was in the HST that passed you at Ledbury

 

[PeterY]

Earlier in the year I did two West Midlands day rangers and found them great value and covered quite a lot of new lines.

You may have passed me yesterday I was on the UK Rail Tours Warsaw Concerto, covering quite a lot of freight lines in the Birmingham area.

I usually try and find a Greggs when I'm out and about., Upper Crust I find a bit pricey.

 

[Kite159]

Earlier in the year I did two West Midlands day rangers and found them great value and covered quite a lot of new lines.

You may have passed me yesterday I was on the UK Rail Tours Warsaw Concerto, covering quite a lot of freight lines in the Birmingham area.

I usually try and find a Greggs when I'm out and about., Upper Crust I find a bit pricey.

Were you the fine looking gentleman in a top hat by any chance?

Greggs is usually a good bet with a meal deal, however be careful with some branches located at stations as they can carry a premium (Manchester Victoria & Birmingham New Street spring to mind)

 

[PeterY]

Were you the fine looking gentleman in a top hat by any chance?

I was in Standard class (Coach G)without a top hat . I still wondering why we wasn't allowed onto Wolverhampton Steel Terminal site.

 

[Kite159]

I was in Standard class (Coach G)without a top hat . I still wondering why we wasn't allowed onto Wolverhampton Steel Terminal site.

Close to me as I was also in coach G. Aye the loss of the Wolverhampton Steel Terminal was a bit of a downside, lack of communication most likely

 

[Gathursty]

I went to Hereford too yesterday! Was in the HST that passed you at Ledbury

If you were sat on the side nearest an oncoming train, you may have seen me as I was stony faced looking down the line waiting for you hahaha! It's good to see many of us descending on the West Mids this Saturday.

On Tuesday I'm highly likely to be doing the Middlesborough - Danby train and back as for time and austerity reasons, I only did Commondale - Whitby on the Esk Valley Line last year if anyone else is over that way.

 

[Kite159]

I wonder what the loadings of that Danby short service are, considering it skips some of the stations.

 

[Gathursty]

I wonder what the loadings of that Danby short service are, considering it skips some of the stations.

I hope the service consists of at least a train, a driver and a guard considering the severe problems Northern Rail is having unless it is only affecting the North West area.

 

[Kite159]

I hope the service consists of at least a train, a driver and a guard considering the severe problems Northern Rail is having unless it is only affecting the North West area.

If you can call a 142 a train