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Iskra's Odysseys

Cheshire Scot

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Returning to the subject of short InterCity loco hauled trains, way back in the mid 70's I recall seeing the TEE 'Merkur' depart Copenhagen formed of just two first class coaches behind a diesel loco (can't remember which class), the restaurant car and further first class coaches only being added after the short consist had left the Train Ferry at Puttgarden.

Continuing with the Danish Train Ferry theme, the DSB shunt locos (much smaller than the Calbrian/Sicilian examples) were coupled directly to the stock and shunted on an off the ferries on the three routes I used, but my biggest surprise came on a Great Belt crossings from Nyborg to Korsor when, having left some coaches in Nyborg the Copenhagen portion of the train, short enough to not need to be split to fit on the ferry deck - I recall five or maybe six coaches, on arrival at Korsor the train loco reversed down the link span and coupled onto the coahces, brake test and away, up the linkspan, through the yards and next stop Copenhagen. On refelction perhaps not surprising as these ferries had carried the Lyntog sets where the power car was effectively a loco, so the design of the ferry and link spans reflected the need to support such weights.
 
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Iskra

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Returning to the subject of short InterCity loco hauled trains, way back in the mid 70's I recall seeing the TEE 'Merkur' depart Copenhagen formed of just two first class coaches behind a diesel loco (can't remember which class), the restaurant car and further first class coaches only being added after the short consist had left the Train Ferry at Puttgarden.

Continuing with the Danish Train Ferry theme, the DSB shunt locos (much smaller than the Calbrian/Sicilian examples) were coupled directly to the stock and shunted on an off the ferries on the three routes I used, but my biggest surprise came on a Great Belt crossings from Nyborg to Korsor when, having left some coaches in Nyborg the Copenhagen portion of the train, short enough to not need to be split to fit on the ferry deck - I recall five or maybe six coaches, on arrival at Korsor the train loco reversed down the link span and coupled onto the coahces, brake test and away, up the linkspan, through the yards and next stop Copenhagen. On refelction perhaps not surprising as these ferries had carried the Lyntog sets where the power car was effectively a loco, so the design of the ferry and link spans reflected the need to support such weights.
Short loco hauled trains just look alluring for some reason don't they.

That's interesting, does that service still run? Is it the summer only one?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, 2021 has been been a 'mixed' year at best, the second half in particular being something of a car crash for me personally, but oh well 2022 definitely can't be any worse. I've not been able to hit the rails as much as I would have liked this year, but looking back I've actually achieved more than I remembered -some of it quite obscure/difficult to do from Sheffield- so that's positive. I was hoping to end the year on the high on the rails by doing the Wensleydale railway behind a 37 on Christmas eve, but unfortunately I tested positive for Covid that morning, so I will have to visit another time.

Achievements:

New Coverage:

Worksop-Nottingham, Robin Hood Line
Exeter-Barnstaple, The Tarka Line
Weston Super Mare Loop
Coalville Freight Line
Birmingham-Nuneaton-Leicester
Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton
Dore West Curve
Stockport-Stalybridge
Barrow Avoider
Halton Curve
Ellesmere Port line
Some of the Mersyerail network
Bidstone-Wrexham
(Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway)


Winning Mainline Locomotive Traction:

Black 5 44871
Southern S15 Class 825
68002
37069, 37719, 37800, 37510
66431
57312
88006 (New class)
40013 (Class Cleared)
47614

International New Coverage

Catania-Villa San Giovani
Paula-Cosenza
Catanzaro Lido FC-Catanzaro City FC
Cosenza FC-Rogliano FC
Italian Train Ferry

Memorable Moments:

NYMR Thompson/Gresley stock
First Castle Class HST ride
Class 40 on the mainline on Saphos' excellent coaching stock
ROG 37's over the Hope Valley
Italian train ferry shunting/journey/first mainline shunter pushage/haulage
Italian Narrow Gauge/rack and pinion exploration
 

Cheshire Scot

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That's interesting, does that service still run? Is it the summer only one?
The TEE concept which was first class only international - and in some cases domestic services (France and Italy spring to mind), some running over very long distances, died out in the late eighties, to an extent replaced by the two class EC / EuroCity services which also served Copenhagen including a 'new' Merkur to/from Frankfurt.
As a TEE Merkur which ran from Copenhagen to Stuttgart was a relatively late addition to the TEE network and the only such service to serve Denmark. A full list of TEE routes can be found on Wikipedia which show the TEE Merkur only ran for the years 74 to 78.
 

Cowley

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Short loco hauled trains just look alluring for some reason don't they.

That's interesting, does that service still run? Is it the summer only one?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, 2021 has been been a 'mixed' year at best, the second half in particular being something of a car crash for me personally, but oh well 2022 definitely can't be any worse. I've not been able to hit the rails as much as I would have liked this year, but looking back I've actually achieved more than I remembered -some of it quite obscure/difficult to do from Sheffield- so that's positive. I was hoping to end the year on the high on the rails by doing the Wensleydale railway behind a 37 on Christmas eve, but unfortunately I tested positive for Covid that morning, so I will have to visit another time.

Achievements:

New Coverage:

Worksop-Nottingham, Robin Hood Line
Exeter-Barnstaple, The Tarka Line
Weston Super Mare Loop
Coalville Freight Line
Birmingham-Nuneaton-Leicester
Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton
Dore West Curve
Stockport-Stalybridge
Barrow Avoider
Halton Curve
Ellesmere Port line
Some of the Mersyerail network
Bidstone-Wrexham
(Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway)


Winning Mainline Locomotive Traction:

Black 5 44871
Southern S15 Class 825
68002
37069, 37719, 37800, 37510
66431
57312
88006 (New class)
40013 (Class Cleared)
47614

International New Coverage

Catania-Villa San Giovani
Paula-Cosenza
Catanzaro Lido FC-Catanzaro City FC
Cosenza FC-Rogliano FC
Italian Train Ferry

Memorable Moments:

NYMR Thompson/Gresley stock
First Castle Class HST ride
Class 40 on the mainline on Saphos' excellent coaching stock
ROG 37's over the Hope Valley
Italian train ferry shunting/journey/first mainline shunter pushage/haulage
Italian Narrow Gauge/rack and pinion exploration
Not a bad year when you list it all.
I notice after putting 40013 you’ve said ‘class cleared’, is that the remaining ones (6?) for sight?
 

Iskra

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The TEE concept which was first class only international - and in some cases domestic services (France and Italy spring to mind), some running over very long distances, died out in the late eighties, to an extent replaced by the two class EC / EuroCity services which also served Copenhagen including a 'new' Merkur to/from Frankfurt.
As a TEE Merkur which ran from Copenhagen to Stuttgart was a relatively late addition to the TEE network and the only such service to serve Denmark. A full list of TEE routes can be found on Wikipedia which show the TEE Merkur only ran for the years 74 to 78.
As always, thanks for the information and the link for the interesting further reading :) Some of the names the TEE services used do ring a bell now and many of them are evocative as they are exotic.

Not a bad year when you list it all.
I notice after putting 40013 you’ve said ‘class cleared’, is that the remaining ones (6?) for sight?
No, I only log mainline haulage just for my own records really, I'm not specifically seeking to clear classes of locomotives for haulage, but it's nice when I do- I don't 'spot' or log numbers for sight per se. Therefore, I have cleared the entire mainline certified Class 40's- all two of them ;) ...I only got the first one last year by chance so that's quick work really :D And if I make it onto the class 45 tour later in the year, that's another class completed :D ...travelling on niche diesel classes is very productive!
 

Cowley

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No, I only log mainline haulage just for my own records really, I'm not specifically seeking to clear classes of locomotives for haulage, but it's nice when I do- I don't 'spot' or log numbers for sight per se. Therefore, I have cleared the entire mainline certified Class 40's- all two of them ;) ...I only got the first one last year by chance so that's quick work really :D And if I make it onto the class 45 tour later in the year, that's another class completed :D ...travelling on niche diesel classes is very productive!

Ah yes I see what you mean and I’m fully behind you with travelling behind niche diesel classes!

And there was me thinking you'd had all 200 of them for haulage!

You must have managed quite a few of the class back in the day?
 

Techniquest

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I hope you've recovered from your positive test :frown: What a way to end a year!

Certainly fair to say you did quite well all things considered there, like all of us there's stuff you would have liked to do but that just means when we got to do it, then the feeling of euphoria from finally achieving our goals is going to be off the charts!

Happy New Year to you good sir, and here's to what can only be a great 2022. Based on my own beginning of the year, I think it's going to be a good one. Certainly I have plans to build upon 2021's success stories, and while I'm not exactly achieving that yet (today's trip report to be posted will go into that) I have some big plans coming up. If all goes according to plan, January's going to be a cracking month! Quite, so is February and March, but let's not count our chickens yet...
 

Iskra

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I hope you've recovered from your positive test :frown: What a way to end a year!

Certainly fair to say you did quite well all things considered there, like all of us there's stuff you would have liked to do but that just means when we got to do it, then the feeling of euphoria from finally achieving our goals is going to be off the charts!

Happy New Year to you good sir, and here's to what can only be a great 2022. Based on my own beginning of the year, I think it's going to be a good one. Certainly I have plans to build upon 2021's success stories, and while I'm not exactly achieving that yet (today's trip report to be posted will go into that) I have some big plans coming up. If all goes according to plan, January's going to be a cracking month! Quite, so is February and March, but let's not count our chickens yet...

Thank you, I got through it quite quickly and was pretty much fine after 24 hours. It's more the isolation period and in particular its timing that has been the annoyance!

Absolutely, I think 2022 will be a good one too :)
 

Techniquest

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Thank you, I got through it quite quickly and was pretty much fine after 24 hours. It's more the isolation period and in particular its timing that has been the annoyance!

Absolutely, I think 2022 will be a good one too :)

Oh good, I'm glad to hear you were OK :) Yes it was indeed bad timing, but I guess it could have been worse! That's how I look at it right now, it could have meant hospitalisation.

I know the feeling with isolating, I did it for 2 weeks in November 2020 when a housemate tested positive. I had been kicking derriere with my cycling, and to have to stop all of a sudden was a huge shock on the body. Not to mention the incredible boredom after the first couple of days, I don't do sitting around and watching TV or whatever for long. I get bored doing that, I prefer being active whenever possible, and December 2021 was anything but active. Which is currently showing with my belly having gone (relatively) huge again. I think that's why I can't do sitting around, but that's a whole other topic.

Talking of being active, I think maybe I should actually do something tonight that isn't browsing the forum!
 

xotGD

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You must have managed quite a few of the class back in the day
Alas I have only managed 40 40s for haulage, and two of those were scratched in preservation. @CW2 is the main man for Class 40s on the forum.
 

Iskra

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The Electric Scot 26/1/22

I booked this tour as I was in the middle of a week away in the South Lakes, and there was a pick-up fairly close by at Preston. I'd been itching to do another tour so I overcame the high price (only high because they were charging the same price from Preston as they were London Euston- if you boarded in London it would be excellent value). The tour was operated by LSL's Intercity Brand and was an 87 hauled set with a DVT on the rear. The route for me was Preston-Glasgow Central via Wishaw on the way in and on the classic mainline route on the return, so I picked up some new track heading into Glasgow.

On the day of the tour, I got a Northern 195 from Carnforth to Preston, having visited Greggs on the High Street first. I'd planned an hour and a bit wait at Preston, just to give me recovery time if anything went wrong. In the end, it really wasn't needed as the 87 had a tap-changer fault just North of Crewe so arrived 50 minutes late. I was slightly worried the tour would be cancelled when the locomotive had stopped for so long, but luckily it arrived and I was glad to get on board. The carriages were excellently turned-out as always with LSL, they were IC liveried MK3's -all first class- and they had the old Greater Anglia interior. One major benefit of these carriages is that they have working sockets, so you can keep your devices charged all day. The bloke opposite me was talkative and also a very interesting chap, so that and a few Doombar's made time fly on this tour. Once we got going, we were straight onto some of my favourite bits of railway in the UK- the Northern WCML is wonderful, and especially so in Mk3 loco-hauled comfort.

On the approach to Glasgow I did the calculations to see if my original plan for the day was still safely achievable and I deemed that it was. It would be tight, and there would be little margin for error, but after checking the price of a Glasgow-Preston single and deeming it not astronomical if things went wrong, I committed and decided it would be worth it if it paid off.

thumbnail_IMG_6867.jpg

On arrival at Glasgow, I headed over to platform 14 and took a class 380 to Wemyss Bay, mainly to clear the line and take in the station architecture. As it was a gloomy day I was slightly worried it would ruin any photographs I took, but luckily it still turned out okay- and it was indeed worth the trip.

thumbnail_IMG_6860.jpg

thumbnail_IMG_6865.jpg

thumbnail_IMG_6870.jpg

It was another 380 back to Glasgow for the return leg on the classic route. As we proceeded South the weather closed in around the hills, making it an atmospheric journey and it was great to travel this route on the same rolling stock as I did in my youth back in Virgin Trains days.

I took the below video at Preston, and it must be said the set looked stunning:


Back at Preston, I had my first journey on Avanti on a Pendolino to Lancaster, before heading over the bridge to platform 5 for a Northern 156 to Carnforth.

Overall, a great tour, another full locomotive class cleared in one trip ;) @Cowley , a great visit to Wemyss Bay too to cover the line and see the station :)
 

Cowley

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@Iskra - I saw that video yesterday and it bought back lots of memories seeing it there and also at Glasgow.
Wemyss Bay I’ve never visited but it’s one of those places you instantly recognise in a photo.

Well that definitely looked like a very nice day out. :)
 

Iskra

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@Iskra - I saw that video yesterday and it bought back lots of memories seeing it there and also at Glasgow.
Wemyss Bay I’ve never visited but it’s one of those places you instantly recognise in a photo.

Well that definitely looked like a very nice day out. :)
Yes, lots of memories for me too and Wemyss Bay is definitely worth a visit!

- - - - - - - -

Worth A Visit 29-1-22

I was wanting to do something of railway interest this weekend. The original plan was to visit the Great Central Railway Winter Steam Gala tomorrow which featured an impressive 8 engines in steam, but the potential weather and driving conditions have deterred me. However, I happened to be in the vicinity of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway today, so I made a spontaneous visit there instead. It's a line I've visited many times over the years, and there is at least one previous visit recorded in this thread so I won't go into ridiculous amounts of detail.

I started at "Oakworth Station, Oakworth Station," of Railway Children fame and bought a full line ticket (£13.50) from the friendly volunteer. I took the rather novel diesel railbus down to Keighley sitting behind the driver and enjoying the excellent forward views. I then waited time for the steam service to appear, which was hauled by the Taff Vale tank engine. I recorded the locomotive working up the gradient at Keighley from the Mk1 droplight directly behind the engine, before switching to a compartment in a Suburban non-corridor Mk1 for the rest of the journey as I like those carriages a lot. At Oxenhope I had a quick look around the shed/museum before catching the steam service back down to Oakworth and heading home. A very enjoyable visit. Photo's and videos below:



thumbnail_IMG_6904.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6909.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6910.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6934.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6925.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6943.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6931.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6937.jpgthumbnail_IMG_6936.jpg
 
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Cowley

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Yes, lots of memories for me too and Wemyss Bay is definitely worth a visit!

- - - - - - - -

Worth A Visit 29-1-22

I was wanting to do something of railway interest this weekend. The original plan was to visit the Great Central Railway Winter Steam Gala tomorrow which featured an impressive 8 engines in steam, but the potential weather and driving conditions have deterred me. However, I happened to be in the vicinity of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway today, so I made a spontaneous visit there instead. It's a line I've visited many times over the years, and there is at least one previous visit recorded in this thread so I won't go into ridiculous amounts of detail.

I started at "Oakworth Station, Oakworth Station," of Railway Children fame and bought a full line ticket from the friendly volunteer. I took the rather novel diesel railbus down to Keighley sitting behind the driver and enjoying the excellent forward views. I then waited time for the steam service to appear, which was hauled by the Taff Vale tank engine. I recorded the locomotive working up the gradient at Keighley from the Mk1 droplight directly behind the engine, before switching to a compartment in a Suburban non-corridor Mk1 for the rest of the journey as I like those carriages a lot. At Oxenhope I had a quick look around the shed/museum before catching the steam service back down to Oakworth and heading home. A very enjoyable visit. Photo's and videos below:



View attachment 109492View attachment 109493View attachment 109494View attachment 109495View attachment 109496View attachment 109497View attachment 109498View attachment 109499View attachment 109500
Great photos and a fantastic run behind the Coal Tank. She was really trotting along there!
 

Cowley

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Thanks! Yeah, she seemed to be flying by the end of it :)
Warp Factor 10!
Did you see that comment someone left on your video? I’m not sure what they were getting at.
I’ve subscribed to your YouTube channel by the way.
 

Iskra

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Warp Factor 10!
Did you see that comment someone left on your video? I’m not sure what they were getting at.
I’ve subscribed to your YouTube channel by the way.
No I didn't get it either, so I've just liked it to be polite! :D

Yeah, I saw thank you! I don't have any grand plans for the channel, it's just a place to deposit railway videos so they aren't clogging up my phone and if anyone derives interest/enjoyment from them then that's a bonus!
 

Iskra

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The Cwmbargoed Collier 5/2/22

A 0330 start was required for this one, with me driving down to Dorridge first thing for this Patfinder rail. I ended up arriving an hour early but I had to allow leeway for any diversions or incidents. The station has free car parking which is very useful.

Winner 66013 was leading the stock at 0715 on this crisp winters morning and I was in first class for this tour due to the duration. Unfortunately, the carriage lights weren't working properly although this actually became an advantage later in the evening as it enabled us to see out of the carriages more than you usually can. The tour was fully booked and I had a good and interesting set of people around me.

thumbnail_IMG_6969.jpg

The route took us to Birmingham New Street, then to Worcester via Kidderminster which was required line for me. I quite enjoyed this bit of line; it was very pleasant countryside. After Cheltenham we took a much sought after through line at Gloucester before heading on the line to Wales via Chepstow. This was also a new line for me and very enjoyable it was too with the views of the Severn Estuary. From here we ran through to Bridgend, where we dropped off passengers before heading to Margam where 60040 dropped onto the rear of the train.

thumbnail_IMG_6971.jpg

This was my first class 60 haulage, which I was very excited for. However, now I was positioned towards the rear of the train due to a reversal, I wasn't able to hear anything from the 60, which was a minor disappointment. We then travelled to a loop at Port Talbot where the stock was watered and I had a nap while nothing was really happening. We then returned to Bridgend to pick up passengers before taking the line around the coast to Barry. This line was new to me and a lot more scenic than I expected, so I enjoyed this bit. Unfortunately, we got delayed on this line behind a number of TFW units due to a report of swans on the line. Closer to Cardiff Central we were able to undertake the trapped units and head through to Queen Street and up my first valley line to Ystrad Mynach, where we diverged to take the Cwmbargoed Colliery branch. This branch is noteworthy as it is due to close in the future. I quite enjoyed my first trip on the Valley Lines- it was quite fast and it gets scenic fairly quickly. The Colliery Branch was also scenic and climbs the valley side impressively, it reminded me of the Stocksbridge line actually. Unfortunately, we couldn't get to the end of the line due to a landslide but we certainly covered most of it, and safety first of course. An idea of the terrain here, the coal mine is on the top right:

thumbnail_IMG_6976.jpg

We then headed back down the branch and were delayed slightly before re-joining the mainline and passing back through Cardiff Central once more to head to Barry Docks, where we reversed once more. We then took the curve to Ninian Park where the 60 detached and we reversed once more, so that the class 66 lead us on the 3rd curve of the triangle back through Cardiff. I was quite happy with this, as it meant I spent most of the day facing the direction of travel, which I prefer :) We then travelled Pengam sidings before re-tracing our route home with the weather deteriorating as we did so. Once back at Dorridge, it was back to the car for the journey home, where I did hit a diversion but it didn't cost me too much time.

Overall a great tour, covering lots of interesting new line, a new freight-only line and gaining me class 60 haulage for the first time. Thanks to all the tour organisers for a great day. The tour did cover lots of loops etc, but I don't really do track at that level so apologies for the omission of such details in this brief report.
 

Kite159

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You must have been like a zombie having to drive home after the tour, but it did save on the cost of a hotel room I guess.

I wish I paid the extra to go in the posh seats, I had forgotten how uncomfortable those bench seats in standard class are
 

Cowley

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03:30? Good grief!

An interesting tour but it’d have to be Kestrel on the front taking me on a tour of the railways of Mars to get me up at that time of day. :lol:

I did chuckle about the 60 though. I’ve only ever been behind one and that was in aircon mk2s on the Severn Valley. The only notion that there was a loco on the front was a faint waft of exhaust clag past the window and some rapid acceleration.

Those things have got an exhaust silencer the size of a Mini Metro ;), they’re incredibly powerful but they’re not the loudest…
 

Iskra

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You must have been like a zombie having to drive home after the tour, but it did save on the cost of a hotel room I guess.

I wish I paid the extra to go in the posh seats, I had forgotten how uncomfortable those bench seats in standard class are
I deliberately didn’t have my usual solitary tour beer and instead drank a lot of coffee instead so I just about made it back okay. Yeah I don’t do hotels anymore for tours and I will only drive a max of 2 hours for a tour these days to keep the cost down.

Yeah, I don’t think it helped with there not being a (decent) meaningful leg stretch break on that tour, but then you’d rather have more action really wouldn’t you.
03:30? Good grief!

An interesting tour but it’d have to be Kestrel on the front taking me on a tour of the railways of Mars to get me up at that time of day. :lol:

I did chuckle about the 60 though. I’ve only ever been behind one and that was in aircon mk2s on the Severn Valley. The only notion that there was a loco on the front was a faint waft of exhaust clag past the window and some rapid acceleration.

Those things have got an exhaust silencer the size of a Mini Metro ;), they’re incredibly powerful but they’re not the loudest…

Haha, I can understand that outlook but this one was worth it for me with the amount of new track I needed in that area, plus one of my objectives for the year was to get some 60 haulage.

I think I was expecting a bit more from something of that size, but you live and learn don’t you. I did hear a bit of 66 yinging which was better than nothing I suppose!
 

Kite159

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I guess passengers could have alighted at Bridgend for that 2 and a bit hour break, but would have missed out on the track around the Ogmore Vale Extension line and also the loops at Port Talbot. I have been on a couple tours over the years where the only leg stretch break has been 30 minutes at Barnetby!

Certainly the track tour in March looks like it has some leg stretch breaks in around Crewe when the 60 gets attached/detached, hopefully enough time for passengers to dash out to Tesco for supplies etc
 

Iskra

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I’ve covered a couple of unusual services recently.

On Sunday I did the weekly Nottingham-Carlisle through train from Meadowhall to Leeds for the football. On the way up I noticed the rivers were swollen. The match versus Manchester Utd was a classic and a throwback to the 1990’s, played on a waterlogged pitch with a raucous crowd. Real football. Unfortunately, after stopping for a pint at The Holbeck our route back into the city was blocked as the police had closed all bridges. A barge had slipped its moorings and was heading downstream so all bridges were closed and the city centre was chaos. We made it into the station by crossing at the locks by Fazenda, but all trains were cancelled. I was quite happy waiting for it to blow over in the station Spoons at £1.50 a pint, but unfortunately there was concern domestically, so I was to be rescued instead. Unfortunately, this involved a 40 minute trudge back to Elland Road in torrential rain before I was whisked home, arriving well before any trains could have, but equally very soggy.

Today, I had a meeting in Sheffield that I was attending by rail. This gave me a great opportunity to try the evening EMR token Sheffield-Leeds and Leeds-Sheffield services before they are withdrawn. It was also my first time on a 222 into Leeds. Tickets in STD were available as cheap as £2 and I even splashed out for 1st class on the way home, which I’m on now. Don’t know if I will get any freebies but we shall see. Unsurprisingly, the trains in each direction are very quiet.

1085ADF7-BECA-4EB4-A83D-FA8A4DA3B1AA.jpegE8DD3733-5CED-4BFF-93BB-E3A110E98724.jpeg
 

Techniquest

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Withdrawn from May onwards, correct? I've never done a 222 that far north, might be something to feature in the spring...£2 Sheffield to Leeds is a bargain!

Yikes to getting soaked getting to/from the football though. I'm amazed they didn't postpone the game, if the weather was that bad!
 

Iskra

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Update; a complimentary drink was supplied. Also, it arrived 13 early which is probably a record for me excluding sleeper trains!

Withdrawn from May onwards, correct? I've never done a 222 that far north, might be something to feature in the spring...£2 Sheffield to Leeds is a bargain!

Yikes to getting soaked getting to/from the football though. I'm amazed they didn't postpone the game, if the weather was that bad!
Yes, I believe so. Yeah, it’s years since I saw a fare that cheap- Northern used to offer them on their slow trains from Leeds to Manchester.

I think the size and cost of the policing operation precluded postponement.
 

Iskra

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7,785
Location
West Riding
I did wonder where all those Man Utd fans were heading on Sunday morning on a Leeds train from London ;)
Haha, well the TP core was closed so I’m sure via London is a reasonable route ;) They did all get stuck at Leeds too before reaching Manchester 2 hours late eventually.
 

Cowley

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Devon
I think I remember hearing about that barge. Was it at Kirkstall?
 

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