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Which rover for North Yorks?

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wintonian

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On Monday I shall be traveling up to York for a few days and having done absolutely nothing up there in the way of lines apart from passing through on the ECML to Scotland I am not sure whether to choose the North Country Rover or the North East Rover.

I will have 4 days (Tue - fri) and on the Friday I will have a small suitcase with me as I need to finish up in Newcastle and check into another hotel for work over the weekend.

I'm leaning towards the North Country Rover as ATM I'm looking at Whitby, Windermere and Heysham Port, but I don't know if that is to wide an area to realy accomplish much in 4 days.

So any ideas and as usual the scenic the better?
 
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MidnightFlyer

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Most of the rural lines up north are quite scenic, but I recommend Hellifield-Carnforth, the WCML via Shap, and Newcastle-Carlisle if you can, as well as the S&C. I'm told Whitby is nice too.
 

junglejames

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In 4 days thats not too much at all. But it depends if you want to spend time looking around anywhere.
Get the North Country, and you could spend 1 day in the North East, visiting Whitby, and perhaps Scarborough etc. Another day go over to Windermere, then down to Heysham. Another day head up the Settle Carlisle, then across to Newcastle, then back to York. You will have time to stop off in a market town up the S&C, and also in Carlisle for a bite to eat.
Just checked the map, and the North Country is a nice area for 4 days. Go for that one. Very scenic lines as well. Any less, and youd complete it in 2 days.

Edit- Checked the North East rover, and you are not gaining much. You lose a lot more than you gain. You cant head over the penines on the North East rover, but on the North Country you can at least do York to Preston. In fact. York to Preston. Preston to Oxenholme to Windermere. Back to Lancaster, then to Morecambe and Heysham (depends on the time of the train(s) to Heysham. There arent many. Then back to Leeds and York via Carnforth and Skitpon. I cant see that being a problem in 1 day. It'll be a long day, but should be plausible.
 
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tony_mac

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Most things on North East Rover will be easier to get to - anything going east to west is slow (but pretty!), north to south is quicker. Although I do enjoy the trip up to Berwick.

Is there anything to see at Heysham Port? It's not particularly interesting as far as Morecambe anyway - the Cumbrian coast line is scenic, particularly the southern half, imo. It's a long day from York, though.

I like the Settle-Carlisle, partly as the stations etc. have kept a certain amount of style - and it seems like you are miles from anywhere, even when you aren't really.
Newcastle to Carlisle is also more scenic than it might appear from a map.
 

wintonian

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I forgot about the Settle - Carlisle which I think I'll have to do, also pondering on the practicality of a trip to Teesside Airport if I can get it to fit in with anything.
 

tony_mac

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Are you staying for the weekend, then?

It seems that the airport stoppers combine with the (twice on Sundays only) direct Sunderland to Darlington services - the only direct trains between Stockton and Darlington ;)

Heading via Darlington you could spend 2 hours at the airport and return, otherwise you will need to get a bus to/from the airport.

If you're in that area, you could pop up to Shildon easily enough.
 

wintonian

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Are you staying for the weekend, then?

It seems that the airport stoppers combine with the (twice on Sundays only) direct Sunderland to Darlington services - the only direct trains between Stockton and Darlington ;)

Heading via Darlington you could spend 2 hours at the airport and return, otherwise you will need to get a bus to/from the airport.

If you're in that area, you could pop up to Shildon easily enough.

Oh well I'll forget about that one then, for some reason I though it was 1 TPD Mon - Fri service.

I will be busy in Newcastle all weekend and won't have time to do anything else.
 

redthunder

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The way that might be better you could be get a 4 in 8 North east Rover but the day ur planning on going over to Morecambe and Cumbrian coast etc, get a cumbrian day ranger, it covers all the bits that the North East Rover doesnt (compared to the North Country Rover) except Preston to Halifax part of it!!!! That way then u still got Whitby, Berwick Upon Tweed, Settle-Carlisle etc, plus you got South Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire too!!!!
 

142094

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Very hard to get in Tees-side Airport without using a car - the only bus service I can see that runs on a Sunday only does part of the route, so you'd have to walk from Middleton St George.

Trying to find a few Sunday to drive down, park at the airport, get the train to somewhere and go back.
 

IanD

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I'd consider getting the bus between Whitby and Scarborough - although very pretty (ouside Middlesbrough at least!), it's a slow old trip to Whitby and back.

Used to be Arriva 93, approximately hourly, takes an hour and is also quite a scenic run.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I also quite like the Leeds-Harrogate-York route (outside Leeds at least!).

How about trying York-Middlesborough-Whitby-(Bus)-Scarborough-Hull-Leeds-Harrogate-York. With a bit of luck it'll still be light enough for a York-Scarborough run in the evening.
 
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wintonian

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I'd consider getting the bus between Whitby and Scarborough - although very pretty (ouside Middlesbrough at least!), it's a slow old trip to Whitby and back.

Used to be Arriva 93, approximately hourly, takes an hour and is also quite a scenic run.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I also quite like the Leeds-Harrogate-York route (outside Leeds at least!).

How about trying York-Middlesborough-Whitby-(Bus)-Scarborough-Hull-Leeds-Harrogate-York. With a bit of luck it'll still be light enough for a York-Scarborough run in the evening.

I was just thinking along those lines with your bus idea but more like York - Newcastle - Middlesborough-Whitby-(Bus)-Scarborough-Hull-Leeds-Harrogate-York, to get the extra track in Newcastle - Middlesborough.

If I could still get a trip via Malton and back in that would be a bonus.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just had a thought, where are we at the moment with the validity of rovers on Hull Trains and GC?

I was hoping have a go on them as I think they are the only 2 operators I have yet to travel with in the UK, and now I have remembered that they don’t accept rovers.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Whilst planning this one out I have thought of a couple of questions.

Am I correct in thinking that the Hellified - Clitheroe line is only used for freight and as a diversionary route for passenger trains?

Is there a list somewhere of which routes are run by pacers? They may be a novelty to folk down here but I would still like to avoid spending the whole day on one.

Decided in the end to go with the North country Rover to get the Cumbrian coast in.
 
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sprinterguy

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Is there a list somewhere of which routes are run by pacers? They may be a novelty to folk down here but I would still like to avoid spending the whole day on one.
The vast majority of Hexham to Middlesborough services, about a third of the Newcastle to Carlisle Tyne Valley services (Unless the Pacer:super Sprinter ratio has changed in the last couple of years), and the Leeds to Morecambe/Heysham services (Although at least they get the slightly more "upmarket" 144s!). 142s and 144s still show up on the Harrogate Circle services from York, although that line is predominantly worked by 150s now.
 

wintonian

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The vast majority of Hexham to Middlesborough services, about a third of the Newcastle to Carlisle Tyne Valley services (Unless the Pacer:super Sprinter ratio has changed in the last couple of years), and the Leeds to Morecambe/Heysham services (Although at least they get the slightly more "upmarket" 144s!). 142s and 144s still show up on the Harrogate Circle services from York, although that line is predominantly worked by 150s now.

Thanks, not too many to worry about then. :)
 

142094

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Think there are more 142s on Newcastle - Carlisle services these days, except the Scotrail ones which are 156 guaranteed.
 
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