West Yorkshire Day Rover Jan 2015

[ash39]

Had a spare Sunday afternoon so decided to get out and do some roaming. Taken until the end of January for my first rail journey of the year! Not good.

I've done this rover 3 or 4 times previously, and they are great value, but as you can no longer use them in the evening peak I can't see myself doing many more other than weekends. It takes away the whole freedom which in my opinion is the entire point of a rover!

I started at Garforth on the 1248 to Preston (Blackpool line closed for engineering works this weekend?). This was formed of 158759 and was 5 late, which meant my draft plan I'd worked out earlier that morning was already looking iffy, as there were some tight connections. I also had the problem of no ticket office open at Garforth, so I had to hope the guard a) appeared, and b) had the time and knowledge to sell me the rover before we got to Leeds. If not, I genuinely didn't know if I'd be 'legally' able to board the next train I intended to get without queuing in the (always lengthy) ticket line at Leeds station, and probably missing it. Is that considered an opportunity to buy?

All academic as it turned out, the guard was one of the better ones I've come across and sold me the ticket. £7 strikes me as great value for the area covered. I started to wonder if there are any places in the validity zone that would cost you more than that for a standard return ticket?

After getting to Leeds, I did a return run to Saltaire and back on 333009 & 333002. Here's 333002 approaching Saltaire for the return journey;

333002 Saltaire 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

At Leeds again, 4 minute connection just made onto the next York via Harrogate service, in the hands of 155344. I did this as far as Headingley (which I'd never been to and is a lot further out of the centre than I realised). It's a fairly grim station but only a short wait before 153315 & 153341 turned up for another trip to Leeds. Looking tight again for the next one at Leeds (which I really didn't want to miss), so I didn't sit down for this one.

East Midlands Trains usually only serve Leeds in mornings and evenings to get HST's back to Neville Hill depot, but Sundays they have a couple of daytime services to St Pancras, so this was the target. It was a long way over from Platform 1 to Platform 11, but I made it with around 2 minutes to spare. 43061 lead 43049 to Wakefield Westgate. Here's 43049 blasting its way out of Wakefield;

43049 Wakefield Westgate 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

I spent an hour or so here whilst I had a sandwich. Noted 66748 in Wrenthorpe sidings on the way in so I waited for a photo as it made its way to Doncaster

66748 Wakefield Westgate 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

Also the Flying Scotsman DVT, which I've never managed to get a satisfactory photo of until now;

82205 Wakefield Westgate 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

I'm certain the footbridge at the new Wakefield Westgate was bright gold when it was built last year. Has it been repainted or has it naturally weathered into the dark bronze it is now? Looks a lot better than it did that's for sure.

91117 returned me to Leeds (again), where I wanted to get a TPE 170 before they go to Chiltern. These usually stick to the Hull-Manchester route, often in pairs or even trios. Today I had no luck though, 185143 and 185139 took me to and from Huddersfield respectively. Had a 10 minute connection so time for a shot of the DMU sidings;

Huddersfield DMU Sidings 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

That would do me for the day, but back at Leeds I had half nn hour to spare until the train to Garforth. Leeds is generally poor for photography and too busy in most parts of the station, but I found this pleasing composition of a pair of 333's;

333012 & 333001 25/01/2015 by Flash_3939, on Flickr

Ended the day as I began on a 158, 158848 this time. A decent day out, but I think I'll wait for warmer weather before any more trips out!

Summary;

1248 GRF-LDS 158759
1316 LDS-SAE 333009
1337 SAE-LDS 333002
1358 LDS-HDY 155344
1418 HDY-LDS 153315 & 155341
1434 LDS-WKF 43061 & 43049
1610 WKF-LDS 91117 BN19 82201
1635 LDS-HUD 185143
1713 HUD-LDS 185139
1825 LDS-GRF 158848

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like a good little afternoon out! I might have started 2015 back on 5th January, but as we almost enter 26th January I still haven't been back out since! I will be explaining that thoroughly in my next trip report, which I should be working on in 2 weeks' time after I get back from the monster bash

Some excellent photos there, you've obviously got a keen eye for it.

 

[ash39]

That's what it's about for me really. I like looking back on my (very limited) collection of film shots I took about 15 years ago when I was a youngster, so I like to think I'll enjoy looking back on these in 2030!

I've started keeping a record of my journeys more recently, probably down to people like you on here! But I don't think you need to be worried just yet, I've probably cleared about 0.1% of what you have ! Can't see myself chasing stuff either, although I would like to get all the 91's before they go off the ECML.

I do however try and clear classes for photos! Has to be a respectable quality pic to qualify though!

 

[Techniquest]

Fair games on the photo thing, I tried that when I first started in the hobby but that stopped after a while thankfully. Too much hassle to be honest!

Know what you mean about looking back at photos, I've spent a lot of time in the past 2 days re-watching my older stuff on YouTube, some of it not far off 10 years ago now with more from 2006 and 2007. Hard to believe how long ago that was now, and how much things have changed in that time.

Certainly will be weird watching videos from places like York after the IEPs have settled in and entered squadron service, same for HSTs at places like Bristol Parkway! Ahhh, so many memories enjoyed!

 

[Kristofferson]

Can't believe I only just found this thread - I admit I only skim read the report, but the photos are great! Really clean, well frames shots that tell a story on their own.

 

[Kite159]

That West Yorkshire day ticket is great valid for money for the area covered