Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hey all,
Well it's now officially December, so for the last 31 days of the year let's summarise the best bits of 2013
For this first post, I'm looking at my RailMiles page, my next post will be done whilst going through my notebook for any other highlights.
January
After a hellfire New Year's Eve houseparty, I was lucky enough to start my year's bashing on New Year's Day. A Cheshire Day Ranger bash was the order of the day and I had a massive shack scratching spree going on, as well as properly testing out my new camera. After what was a pretty good day once I banished my hangover, it was back to work. Only a few days later on 7th January, it was off on my first solo European adventure by rail, definitely a big highlight of the year
To think I had been going to cancel it a couple of weeks beforehand, for reasons I really won't discuss! An absolute ton of requirements had and a great time all in, for a very short time I was even top of the forum mileage competition table! 
hock: January was rounded up with my first WMDR of the year on 24th January, which saw me finally clear my 221s which was brilliant
February
18th February was next up, and it was the Tyne and Wear Metro bash, which saw much of the network cleared (I still need Byker to North Shields, due to the closure at the time) and quite a few shacks scratched as well as a lot of progress in my NREA with the system's rolling stock A week later I was back up north, this time on a Greater Manchester Rail Ranger trip, for another shack scratching spree and hunting winners. Pretty good results were had IIRC! The trip had come about due to an error in booking a Travelodge, I wasn't wasting the money for the booking so went on a bash! It was also the same day I finally finished my 323s for haulage, the first EMU class to be finished too for me
March
Again a bit of a quiet spell until 11th March, when I went on my first InterRail bash My first visit to the Netherlands and Luxembourg were had and lots of required track, lots of winners and a fantastic time was had. Can't wait to do another InterRail, although when I'll be able to afford it again I don't know 
9 days after getting back from the brilliant adventure, I was off again on the 25th, this time a much more leisurely afternoon on what I've termed a '180 Spin 'n' Lose', although I had also gone out to scratch the shack at Evesham so it wasn't a total waste.
April
8th April was the next trip, this one was to be a WMDR with a difference. That being that one of my closest friends in the universe wanted to come along for the day and see what the fuss was about (shame I never managed to persuade one of my other good friends to come along too
). But we ended up in pubs more than owt else as she didn't really enjoy it that much. 5 days later I was off and about again though, this time on a return trip to the Netherlands. Having been unable to sort out an OV-chipkaart at the time, the idea of cruising all around the Netherlands to have a massive clearout of required track was out of the window. However I ended up doing a different trip with me ending up going to three different countries! I had another 180 Spin 'n' Lose on 24th April too.
May
May kicked off on the 8th with a random trip to Droitwich before work on which a winner 172 was got. 17th and 18th May there was a massive spree in London which resulted in a lot of winners and required shacks, with the trip back on the 19th resulting in finally scoring Metropolitan Curve en-route to Charing Cross 27th May then saw me off again (I don't know how I managed to afford anything this year!), this time to Ireland with the same friend I went on the WMDR on 8th April with, acting this time as tour guide as she'd never been to Ireland or on a plane on her own. Fortunately I managed to get a few days where some trains were enjoyed, although due to my card having been cloned a few days before the trip (without my knowledge until trying to pay for the hotel in Cork) I had to sacrifice the train back to Dublin and the Cork area part of the trip. So May ended pretty badly to be honest!
June
2nd June I was back from my trip to Ireland, and as she'll never read this I can say that I was immensely glad to part ways with my friend when she alighted at Ledbury! Particularly since she really wound me up in the airport and then again as we were walking through the station after landing. Still, we both survived and her nan was amazed we didn't both kill each other!
June improved with a family holiday in Dorset which also featured some trains, which only produced one winner 444 to my disappointment.
July
Yes, that was it for June! Nothing happened from 20th June until 28th July, and that was a seriously tough time at work in that period. A last minute big bash was planned a couple of days before and it was off to West Yorkshire for a bleedin' good bash to revitalise myself somewhat after everything. A good few winners and plenty of winner shacks, as well as meeting up with 4SRKT for a social few drinks, I went home on the 30th of July much happier than I had been. Much more skint than I was a few days beforehand but hey!
August
12th August was a Daytripper bash this time, and I spent pretty much all day (once I got to Birmingham) on the Snow Hill lines until it was time for the train home. However it did do my NREA a lot of good with the 172s and to a limited extent the 168s. Finally some luck with the 180s resulted in getting winner 180102 as well, just 108 to get eventually! Sadly that was it for August, so without consulting my diary I'd guess it was another heavy time at work
September
Ah yes, the big month for me! A couple of days with some trains were had during a second family holiday in Dorset, then after that it was the big 10 year rail enthusiasm bash in Strathclyde, which produced far less winners than expected but a lot of mileage and a good few shacks too so still good. That was it apparently for September, maybe I spent the rest of the month skint?
October
Oh yes, the trip had been intended to be a day to clear the Metrolink network finally, however the call to the mainline was way too strong to refuse, so on 21st October I did another Greater Manchester Rail Ranger bash. Many, many leaps to/from Stockport and a great day of winners. I also ended up bumping into a forum member, knolife, by chance and it was thanks to him that I ended up finding my Travelodge in Altrincham as I'd not wrote down directions! 23rd October, the day after I got back from the brilliant trip up north, due to politics at work I ended up getting sent home so I got on Twitter to see what was running that I wanted. No 150 that day after it failed, but I did scoop one of my last two LM 172s out of Hereford on a weekday, not exactly a regular opportunity that! Off to Worcester it was to pick up another winner thanks again to Twitter and the very helpful teams at LM and FGW
November
3rd to 5th November, it was off to Waterford as I was desperate for another trip away. Waterford airport was required, and I wanted to get my last mainline track in Ireland done, the Kilkenny avoider. Only done once a day, weekdays only, with the 0710 from Waterford to Dublin Heuston. So it was off to Ireland again, in happier circumstances this time and on my own which was just fine. Heading into town, I ended up finally, finally, seeing my last Red Line tram, 3017 which really made my day! The third WMDR of the day was up next on 18th November, and it was another day where I was using Twitter to its maximum advantage. Sadly 3 of the key trains I wanted to be out were not that day, but I did finally get down to my last 168 to go, just 168003 to get now I gave up with the Snow Hill lines after that and had some much better luck on the Wolves to Rugby corridor. The day went far too quickly still, before I knew it I was going home Nevertheless, the trip revitalised me well and got me back to me
December highlights will come along soon enough
Well it's now officially December, so for the last 31 days of the year let's summarise the best bits of 2013
For this first post, I'm looking at my RailMiles page, my next post will be done whilst going through my notebook for any other highlights.January
After a hellfire New Year's Eve houseparty, I was lucky enough to start my year's bashing on New Year's Day. A Cheshire Day Ranger bash was the order of the day and I had a massive shack scratching spree going on, as well as properly testing out my new camera. After what was a pretty good day once I banished my hangover, it was back to work. Only a few days later on 7th January, it was off on my first solo European adventure by rail, definitely a big highlight of the year
To think I had been going to cancel it a couple of weeks beforehand, for reasons I really won't discuss! An absolute ton of requirements had and a great time all in, for a very short time I was even top of the forum mileage competition table! hock: January was rounded up with my first WMDR of the year on 24th January, which saw me finally clear my 221s which was brilliant February
18th February was next up, and it was the Tyne and Wear Metro bash, which saw much of the network cleared (I still need Byker to North Shields, due to the closure at the time) and quite a few shacks scratched as well as a lot of progress in my NREA with the system's rolling stock
A week later I was back up north, this time on a Greater Manchester Rail Ranger trip, for another shack scratching spree and hunting winners. Pretty good results were had IIRC! The trip had come about due to an error in booking a Travelodge, I wasn't wasting the money for the booking so went on a bash! It was also the same day I finally finished my 323s for haulage, the first EMU class to be finished too for me March
Again a bit of a quiet spell until 11th March, when I went on my first InterRail bash
My first visit to the Netherlands and Luxembourg were had and lots of required track, lots of winners and a fantastic time was had. Can't wait to do another InterRail, although when I'll be able to afford it again I don't know 9 days after getting back from the brilliant adventure, I was off again on the 25th, this time a much more leisurely afternoon on what I've termed a '180 Spin 'n' Lose', although I had also gone out to scratch the shack at Evesham so it wasn't a total waste.April
8th April was the next trip, this one was to be a WMDR with a difference. That being that one of my closest friends in the universe wanted to come along for the day and see what the fuss was about (shame I never managed to persuade one of my other good friends to come along too
). But we ended up in pubs more than owt else as she didn't really enjoy it that much. 5 days later I was off and about again though, this time on a return trip to the Netherlands. Having been unable to sort out an OV-chipkaart at the time, the idea of cruising all around the Netherlands to have a massive clearout of required track was out of the window. However I ended up doing a different trip with me ending up going to three different countries! I had another 180 Spin 'n' Lose on 24th April too.May
May kicked off on the 8th with a random trip to Droitwich before work on which a winner 172 was got. 17th and 18th May there was a massive spree in London which resulted in a lot of winners and required shacks, with the trip back on the 19th resulting in finally scoring Metropolitan Curve en-route to Charing Cross
27th May then saw me off again (I don't know how I managed to afford anything this year!), this time to Ireland with the same friend I went on the WMDR on 8th April with, acting this time as tour guide as she'd never been to Ireland or on a plane on her own. Fortunately I managed to get a few days where some trains were enjoyed, although due to my card having been cloned a few days before the trip (without my knowledge until trying to pay for the hotel in Cork) I had to sacrifice the train back to Dublin and the Cork area part of the trip. So May ended pretty badly to be honest!June
2nd June I was back from my trip to Ireland, and as she'll never read this I can say that I was immensely glad to part ways with my friend when she alighted at Ledbury! Particularly since she really wound me up in the airport and then again as we were walking through the station after landing. Still, we both survived and her nan was amazed we didn't both kill each other!
June improved with a family holiday in Dorset which also featured some trains, which only produced one winner 444 to my disappointment.July
Yes, that was it for June! Nothing happened from 20th June until 28th July, and that was a seriously tough time at work in that period. A last minute big bash was planned a couple of days before and it was off to West Yorkshire for a bleedin' good bash to revitalise myself somewhat after everything. A good few winners and plenty of winner shacks, as well as meeting up with 4SRKT for a social few drinks, I went home on the 30th of July much happier than I had been. Much more skint than I was a few days beforehand but hey!
August
12th August was a Daytripper bash this time, and I spent pretty much all day (once I got to Birmingham) on the Snow Hill lines until it was time for the train home. However it did do my NREA a lot of good with the 172s and to a limited extent the 168s. Finally some luck with the 180s resulted in getting winner 180102 as well, just 108 to get eventually! Sadly that was it for August, so without consulting my diary I'd guess it was another heavy time at work
September
Ah yes, the big month for me! A couple of days with some trains were had during a second family holiday in Dorset, then after that it was the big 10 year rail enthusiasm bash in Strathclyde, which produced far less winners than expected but a lot of mileage and a good few shacks too so still good. That was it apparently for September, maybe I spent the rest of the month skint?
October
Oh yes, the trip had been intended to be a day to clear the Metrolink network finally, however the call to the mainline was way too strong to refuse, so on 21st October I did another Greater Manchester Rail Ranger bash. Many, many leaps to/from Stockport and a great day of winners. I also ended up bumping into a forum member, knolife, by chance and it was thanks to him that I ended up finding my Travelodge in Altrincham as I'd not wrote down directions! 23rd October, the day after I got back from the brilliant trip up north, due to politics at work I ended up getting sent home so I got on Twitter to see what was running that I wanted. No 150 that day after it failed, but I did scoop one of my last two LM 172s out of Hereford on a weekday, not exactly a regular opportunity that! Off to Worcester it was to pick up another winner thanks again to Twitter and the very helpful teams at LM and FGW
November
3rd to 5th November, it was off to Waterford as I was desperate for another trip away. Waterford airport was required, and I wanted to get my last mainline track in Ireland done, the Kilkenny avoider. Only done once a day, weekdays only, with the 0710 from Waterford to Dublin Heuston. So it was off to Ireland again, in happier circumstances this time and on my own which was just fine. Heading into town, I ended up finally, finally, seeing my last Red Line tram, 3017 which really made my day! The third WMDR of the day was up next on 18th November, and it was another day where I was using Twitter to its maximum advantage. Sadly 3 of the key trains I wanted to be out were not that day, but I did finally get down to my last 168 to go, just 168003 to get now
I gave up with the Snow Hill lines after that and had some much better luck on the Wolves to Rugby corridor. The day went far too quickly still, before I knew it I was going home Nevertheless, the trip revitalised me well and got me back to me December highlights will come along soon enough
