ash39
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- 8 Feb 2012
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West Yorkshire Day Rovers - 23/12/2016 & 24/12/2016
Plural, as I ended up doing two in two days! After finishing work early for Christmas on Friday 23rd, I had a few hours before the 1600 rover cut off. Despite having stations closer to where I work, I parked at my usual station, Garforth, for a better chance of a parking space, and a conveniently timed final move that would get me back just before 4pm.
The ticket office was still open so I got my rover from there to save having to find the guard or, worse still, have to buy it at Leeds and waste time.
I started with winner 158860 into Leeds, where I spotted 158752 the only refurbished Arriva Rail North unit as of now. It's a required unit and I wanted to check out the refub, but a pair of 3-car 144's together in Platform 11 also caught my attention. The front one was 144023, one of my last few required, so this was taken to Headingley for a +3 back to Leeds. It's not the easiest station to double back at with the staggered platforms but it was comfortably made and 153330 lead dud 155345 back to Leeds. I stood for the short run, in the dud 155 as I was in totally the wrong part of the platform to get in the 153. It all counts to me anyway...
I spent the journey to Headingley working out a move to get the 158 in later in the day. Fortunately it would make it back to Leeds before my train back to Garforth. Next up I saw 150150 waiting to leave on a Huddersfield stopping service. Took this to station score Batley, returning on dud 144015. The passenger information screen at Batley seemed to be playing up!
Dodgy passenger information screen at Batley! by Flash 3939, on Flickr
Whenever I arrive at Leeds I can't help but look at what Virgin set is in, in the hope of getting a winning 91 or HST. On this occasion the hired in EMT set was in Platform 8, with two required power cars 43075 & 43052. I got a couple of photos then boarded for a run to Wakefield Westgate.
43052 Leeds 23/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
Another fairly quick change, was hoping for one of my last seven Class 91's but was bowled by a double dud HST formed of 43314 & 43320...
It was time to make my way over to New Pudsey to meet the refurbished 158, and pleasingly it was a winning pacer that took me there, 142040 ticked off. I noticed the 158 had lost a bit of time between Manchester and Halifax, and realised I could make it to Bradford Interchange instead, then leap off at New Pudsey back onto the Blackpool-York service to potentially score another 158. This was a bit ambitious and as soon as we pulled away from New Pudsey the danger music started. Particularly as 142040 was really struggling for traction and had to trundle along agonisingly. The danger music stepped up a notch as we pulled into Bradford and I saw the 158 already in the platform with the headlights facing Leeds. The door open light seemed to take forever to come on but once it did I moved quickly and somehow managed to get onto 158752 to New Pudsey without running!
The refurb is OK, nothing special. To me the 158's are the best of the Northern DMU's anyway, so not a lot of work needed other than a deep clean. Be interesting to see the first refurbished 150, some of those are pretty awful.
I might as well have stayed on until Leeds, as the linear hop at New Pudsey only provided 158755, which I've had twice before. Whilst waiting for the final move of the day, I got a shot of the refurbished unit on its way back to Manchester.
158752 Leeds 23/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
The last move brought better luck, 185128 doing the honours back to Garforth.
Day summary 23/12/2016
158860 GRF-LDS
144023 LDS-HDY
153330 155345 HDY-LDS
150150 LDS-BTL
144015 BTL-LDS
43075 43052 LDS-WKF
43314 43320 WKF-LDS
142040 LDS-BDI
158752 BDI-NPD
158755 NPD-LDS
185128 LDS-GRF
Fast forward to the next day, this one was unplanned but I had agreed a deal on a new car purchase and rather than drive to the dealership in Guiseley, it actually proved to be quicker by train. I also had no family commitments until the evening, so thought I'd make a day of it.
Had a sense of deja-vu as I entered the Garforth ticket office and bought my rover from the same guy as the previous day. I also started as the previous day ended, with a winning 185! Even better this time as it was the lowest required one, 185102, which took me the 7 miles or so to Leeds.
Typically, after clearing the 321/322 fleet on the Doncaster line a few months previously, I now got one on the Wharfedale line when it's 333's I require! Dud 322485 showed up for the run towards Ilkley. I noticed en route that there was a easy switchback move available at Menston, so I stayed on past my stop and waited a couple of minutes for dud 333005 to take me to Guiseley. Two stations ticked off but the units were not being kind today.
The car business took a lot less time than I expected, so I was back at the station not long later. Some of you may guess what's coming, I didn't clock on, but you can imagine my utter delight when 322485 rolled in on the Leeds bound service. Clearly, it takes as long to buy a car as it does to drive a 322 to Ilkley and back. I could have waited a bit and returned via Bradford but I decided to cut my losses and take the 322, and see what I could get at Leeds. 52 miles for 322485 now!
Immediately things improved at Leeds, as my final required 3-car 144 was waiting to form a Sheffield service. 144022 was taken to Castleford, which certainly didn't have the air of somewhere with Christmas cheer. A couple of youths sat in the shelter and there were two RPI's sat on the wall outside the station. It's just a very desolate looking station and not welcoming at all, for what is a reasonable sized town.
Three 144's to go:
144022 Castleford 24/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
A 15 minute wait was necessary but this was pushed back further as the service was 6 down, so I went for a walk into town to get a drink. Returning to the station, it was another required pacer, 142013 for the run back to Leeds.
I can't recall ever using the trains on Christmas Eve before, and one thing that struck me was how quiet everything was. It seemed a good time to try and find some more winning 185's, as it beats trying to do them any other time when they're wedged!
I was Dewsbury bound, dud station but a required photo, and my luck was in as 185129 turned up. I knew it was 129 not only from the number but from the strange error message on the destination board...
185129 Dewsbury 24/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
I was on a winning streak with 185's, and couldn't quite believe it when 185135 made it 4 in a row for the return to Leeds. I even got a seat on both runs!
Bramley had annoyed me for a while, as I caught the train into Leeds from there around 3-4 years ago but have no record of it. To rectify this I took winner 158844 there for a quick connection back. I forgot that changing platforms at Bramley involves descending a lengthy ramp, walking uphill under the railway bridge and then up another ramp to the platform. It was comfortable in the end, and after making the effort to get it yesterday I wasn't hugely impressed to see 158752 roll in!
I had time for one more out and back move, and a pair of winners made my mind up for me. 185843 leading 153359 on a Armathwaite service (would usually be Carlisle if the S&C wasn't closed). I was still risk taking so rather than take the comfortable connection at Shipley, I stayed on to Bingley for the station score and once again the train was already in the platform. For the first time I broke into a little run across the footbridge, to find a familiar face at the other side. Those who read my previous reports may remember one of my friends is a conductor for Northern, and he was on the ex-Skipton service. Unfortunately, as he went back into his cab to get something, I noticed the unit number above the windscreen and it turned out it was another familiar face, 333005 from earlier in the day. No electric winners today then!
It was the end of my mates shift so I walked back up to the concourse with him, wished him a Merry Christmas and made my way over to Platform 15 for my train home, which incidentally ended up being the same Manchester Airport-Middlesborough service I finished on the previous day. Unfortunately the winning streak was put to an end by 185121, but it had been a good run, and I was now down to 16/51 required!
Day summary 24/12/2016
185102 GRF-LDS
322485 LDS-MNN
333005 MNN-GSY
322485 GSY-LDS
144022 LDS-CFD
142013 CFD-LDS
185129 LDS-DEW
185135 DEW-LDS
158844 LDS-BLE
158752 BLE-LDS
158843 153359 LDS-BIY
333005 BIY-LDS
185121 LDS-GRF
Report summary
6 new stations (Batley, Menston, Guiseley, Castleford, Bramley & Bingley)
17 new units/power cars (2x HST, 2x 142, 2x 144, 1x 150, 2x 153, 4x 158, 4x 185)
11 dud units/power cars: (2x HST, 1x 144, 1x 155, 2x158, 1x185, 2x 322, 2x 333)
Plural, as I ended up doing two in two days! After finishing work early for Christmas on Friday 23rd, I had a few hours before the 1600 rover cut off. Despite having stations closer to where I work, I parked at my usual station, Garforth, for a better chance of a parking space, and a conveniently timed final move that would get me back just before 4pm.
The ticket office was still open so I got my rover from there to save having to find the guard or, worse still, have to buy it at Leeds and waste time.
I started with winner 158860 into Leeds, where I spotted 158752 the only refurbished Arriva Rail North unit as of now. It's a required unit and I wanted to check out the refub, but a pair of 3-car 144's together in Platform 11 also caught my attention. The front one was 144023, one of my last few required, so this was taken to Headingley for a +3 back to Leeds. It's not the easiest station to double back at with the staggered platforms but it was comfortably made and 153330 lead dud 155345 back to Leeds. I stood for the short run, in the dud 155 as I was in totally the wrong part of the platform to get in the 153. It all counts to me anyway...
I spent the journey to Headingley working out a move to get the 158 in later in the day. Fortunately it would make it back to Leeds before my train back to Garforth. Next up I saw 150150 waiting to leave on a Huddersfield stopping service. Took this to station score Batley, returning on dud 144015. The passenger information screen at Batley seemed to be playing up!
Dodgy passenger information screen at Batley! by Flash 3939, on Flickr
Whenever I arrive at Leeds I can't help but look at what Virgin set is in, in the hope of getting a winning 91 or HST. On this occasion the hired in EMT set was in Platform 8, with two required power cars 43075 & 43052. I got a couple of photos then boarded for a run to Wakefield Westgate.
43052 Leeds 23/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
Another fairly quick change, was hoping for one of my last seven Class 91's but was bowled by a double dud HST formed of 43314 & 43320...
It was time to make my way over to New Pudsey to meet the refurbished 158, and pleasingly it was a winning pacer that took me there, 142040 ticked off. I noticed the 158 had lost a bit of time between Manchester and Halifax, and realised I could make it to Bradford Interchange instead, then leap off at New Pudsey back onto the Blackpool-York service to potentially score another 158. This was a bit ambitious and as soon as we pulled away from New Pudsey the danger music started. Particularly as 142040 was really struggling for traction and had to trundle along agonisingly. The danger music stepped up a notch as we pulled into Bradford and I saw the 158 already in the platform with the headlights facing Leeds. The door open light seemed to take forever to come on but once it did I moved quickly and somehow managed to get onto 158752 to New Pudsey without running!
The refurb is OK, nothing special. To me the 158's are the best of the Northern DMU's anyway, so not a lot of work needed other than a deep clean. Be interesting to see the first refurbished 150, some of those are pretty awful.
I might as well have stayed on until Leeds, as the linear hop at New Pudsey only provided 158755, which I've had twice before. Whilst waiting for the final move of the day, I got a shot of the refurbished unit on its way back to Manchester.
158752 Leeds 23/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
The last move brought better luck, 185128 doing the honours back to Garforth.
Day summary 23/12/2016
158860 GRF-LDS
144023 LDS-HDY
153330 155345 HDY-LDS
150150 LDS-BTL
144015 BTL-LDS
43075 43052 LDS-WKF
43314 43320 WKF-LDS
142040 LDS-BDI
158752 BDI-NPD
158755 NPD-LDS
185128 LDS-GRF
Fast forward to the next day, this one was unplanned but I had agreed a deal on a new car purchase and rather than drive to the dealership in Guiseley, it actually proved to be quicker by train. I also had no family commitments until the evening, so thought I'd make a day of it.
Had a sense of deja-vu as I entered the Garforth ticket office and bought my rover from the same guy as the previous day. I also started as the previous day ended, with a winning 185! Even better this time as it was the lowest required one, 185102, which took me the 7 miles or so to Leeds.
Typically, after clearing the 321/322 fleet on the Doncaster line a few months previously, I now got one on the Wharfedale line when it's 333's I require! Dud 322485 showed up for the run towards Ilkley. I noticed en route that there was a easy switchback move available at Menston, so I stayed on past my stop and waited a couple of minutes for dud 333005 to take me to Guiseley. Two stations ticked off but the units were not being kind today.
The car business took a lot less time than I expected, so I was back at the station not long later. Some of you may guess what's coming, I didn't clock on, but you can imagine my utter delight when 322485 rolled in on the Leeds bound service. Clearly, it takes as long to buy a car as it does to drive a 322 to Ilkley and back. I could have waited a bit and returned via Bradford but I decided to cut my losses and take the 322, and see what I could get at Leeds. 52 miles for 322485 now!
Immediately things improved at Leeds, as my final required 3-car 144 was waiting to form a Sheffield service. 144022 was taken to Castleford, which certainly didn't have the air of somewhere with Christmas cheer. A couple of youths sat in the shelter and there were two RPI's sat on the wall outside the station. It's just a very desolate looking station and not welcoming at all, for what is a reasonable sized town.
Three 144's to go:
144022 Castleford 24/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
A 15 minute wait was necessary but this was pushed back further as the service was 6 down, so I went for a walk into town to get a drink. Returning to the station, it was another required pacer, 142013 for the run back to Leeds.
I can't recall ever using the trains on Christmas Eve before, and one thing that struck me was how quiet everything was. It seemed a good time to try and find some more winning 185's, as it beats trying to do them any other time when they're wedged!
I was Dewsbury bound, dud station but a required photo, and my luck was in as 185129 turned up. I knew it was 129 not only from the number but from the strange error message on the destination board...
185129 Dewsbury 24/12/2016 by Flash 3939, on Flickr
I was on a winning streak with 185's, and couldn't quite believe it when 185135 made it 4 in a row for the return to Leeds. I even got a seat on both runs!
Bramley had annoyed me for a while, as I caught the train into Leeds from there around 3-4 years ago but have no record of it. To rectify this I took winner 158844 there for a quick connection back. I forgot that changing platforms at Bramley involves descending a lengthy ramp, walking uphill under the railway bridge and then up another ramp to the platform. It was comfortable in the end, and after making the effort to get it yesterday I wasn't hugely impressed to see 158752 roll in!
I had time for one more out and back move, and a pair of winners made my mind up for me. 185843 leading 153359 on a Armathwaite service (would usually be Carlisle if the S&C wasn't closed). I was still risk taking so rather than take the comfortable connection at Shipley, I stayed on to Bingley for the station score and once again the train was already in the platform. For the first time I broke into a little run across the footbridge, to find a familiar face at the other side. Those who read my previous reports may remember one of my friends is a conductor for Northern, and he was on the ex-Skipton service. Unfortunately, as he went back into his cab to get something, I noticed the unit number above the windscreen and it turned out it was another familiar face, 333005 from earlier in the day. No electric winners today then!
It was the end of my mates shift so I walked back up to the concourse with him, wished him a Merry Christmas and made my way over to Platform 15 for my train home, which incidentally ended up being the same Manchester Airport-Middlesborough service I finished on the previous day. Unfortunately the winning streak was put to an end by 185121, but it had been a good run, and I was now down to 16/51 required!
Day summary 24/12/2016
185102 GRF-LDS
322485 LDS-MNN
333005 MNN-GSY
322485 GSY-LDS
144022 LDS-CFD
142013 CFD-LDS
185129 LDS-DEW
185135 DEW-LDS
158844 LDS-BLE
158752 BLE-LDS
158843 153359 LDS-BIY
333005 BIY-LDS
185121 LDS-GRF
Report summary
6 new stations (Batley, Menston, Guiseley, Castleford, Bramley & Bingley)
17 new units/power cars (2x HST, 2x 142, 2x 144, 1x 150, 2x 153, 4x 158, 4x 185)
11 dud units/power cars: (2x HST, 1x 144, 1x 155, 2x158, 1x185, 2x 322, 2x 333)
