Iskra's Odysseys

[50002Superb]

That’s great @Iskra thank you.

I reckon that’ll keep me busy for a few nights playing around with it

 

[Iskra]

Just a quick update. On my two days off on Weds/Thurs I used the railway to film a few steam locomotives passing through my local area and also to get up to the football in Leeds.

I took a bus into Sheffield on which the driver was unable to issue me a South Yorkshire Connect Plus, before catching a stopper to Swinton. The Adwick stopper was cancelled, but a stopper to Leeds runs only 10 minutes behind so I was able to catch that instead for Clun Castle to run through the station heading for York via Moorthorpe a few minutes ahead of schedule:

It was then over to Doncaster where I occupied myself for a few hours before Clun Castle returned and took the route towards Sheffield, looking impressive at night.

I was heading to Leeds for the football that evening, so I picked up a West Yorkshire Daysaver too and I caught 91106 to Leeds. The football was a resounding 3-0 victory against Luton Town. I caught a 4-car Northern 195 back to Chapeltown on a very cold evening. By walking the full length of the platform I managed to get a carriage to myself.



The next day I drove to Meadowhall and caught the direct Northern service to Gainsborough Lea Road, reversing at Sheffield. This was a two car 195 and it was a pleasant journey. At Gainsborough the railtour was delayed and the sun was in a position that would have inhibited any decent filming at that location. Thus I walked (marched) a couple of miles out of Gainsborough along an A-road and then through some farmers fields to a user-worked level crossing where I got some nice footage of Braunton vice Britannia on a steam dreams working.

A couple of kind enthusiasts that I'd got talking to gave me a lift back into Gainsborough, where I then went for some excellent fish and chips. It was then over to Doncaster on an EMR 170. I love this route these days now that it's got decent rolling stock on it. I was seated in the ex-first class, so benefitted from a bit of an upgrade. At Doncaster I was able to film Braunton returning South again through Platform 1, before my next train back to Meadowhall was cancelled. A Northern 150 originating from Adwick came to the rescue, but it was very cosy from Doncaster. It conveniently arrived at Meadowhall just a few minutes behind schedule resulting in a 30+ minute delay for me, which I was secretly very happy about as that bags me a complimentary Northern ticket for future usage

 

[Iskra]

December Update
In early December I nipped out to film a couple of Steam Locomotives passing through South Yorkshire:

On Boxing Day I visited the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, hoping to catch the advertised visiting West Coast Railways Black 5. Unfortunately, on arrival I found out it was instead BR Standard 4 75078 operating instead. All was not lost as this is quite a throaty loco and it was on load 6 so still relatively entertaining up the gradient. Pacer 144011 was also in operation. I like the WYPTE livery, but otherwise have no affinity for Pacer riding on preserved lines and this was my first time on one on a heritage railway for that reason. I just took it for a short hop down to Oakworth from Oxenhope, where I changed onto the Steam set which was wedged, back to Oxenhope. I then rode the full line downhill to Keighley before recording the journey back up the valley which was an enjoyable run (video will be out tomorrow).





Back at Oxenhope I decided to walk out into the countryside towards Haworth to get some footage of the two trains in action. It was a nice atmospheric walk, and I appreciated the exercise and fresh air after the Christmas Day festivities. I also managed some nice footage of the Standard 4.

Overall a nice day out, despite it not quite being what I was wanting.

 

[Iskra]

The 2024 Annual Review

Better late than never... I've been extremely busy over the last few weeks so apologies for the delay on this one. Overall 2024 was a fantastic year, particularly for traction but also overseas route coverage and some new stuff in the UK too.

Mainline Locomotives for haulage (winners in bold)

20066, 20118, 20132
25278
31128
37409, 37425, 37521
40013
43025, 43043,43143, 43147, 43183, 43468, 43480
45118
47773, 47802, 47830
50050
52 (D1015)
57303
66654
67008, 67014, 67022, 67029,
70014
73969
91110
92023
Jubilee Class 45690 'Leander'
Jubilee Class 45596 'Bahamas'
Castle Class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe

UK New Classes for Haulage

230
318
320
345
399
700
777

UK New Route Coverage

Llandudno-Llandudno Junction
LLandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog
Wrexham General-Wrexham Central
Chester-Liverpool Central (Merseyrail)
West Kirkby Branch (Merseyrail)
New Brighton Branch (Merseyrail)
Glasgow Central-Balloch Central, both ways
Haymarket to Glasgow Central via Shotts
Hare Park Junction-Castleford
Aylesbury Vale Parkway Branch
Stratford Upon Avon Branch, both ways
Penarth Branch
Coryton Branch
Leicester-Peterborough
Ely-Kings Lynn
Rotherham Parkgate Tram Train
Swansea-Carmarthen

Preserved Traction

Black 5 5428 Eric Treacy
Black 5 45212
37075
Hunslet 2705 'Beatrice'
2MT 46441
Furness No.20
Bagnall 2680/1942 'Courageous'
Grant Ritchie 272/1894
Hawthorn Leslie 3931/1938 'Linda'
BR 9F 92134
2MT 78022
No. 85 Taff Vale Tank Class 02
S160 2253 'Omaha'
S160 5197
S160 6046
Castle Class 4079 'Pendennis Castle'
4MT 75014
25279
26007
37109
LMS 3F Jinty 16440
D4
Black 5 44806
52044 Lancashire & Yorkshire Class 25
2MT 78022
LNER J27 65894

Preserved Railways Visited

North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
Ribble Steam Railway
Churnet Valley Railway
East Lancashire Railway
Midland Railway Centre
Overseas New Route Coverage
Tropea Branch Loop (Italy)
Florence-Milan via Pisa and Genoa
Douro Valley
Rosslare Harbour-Dublin
Dublin-Belfast

International New Coverage

Douro Valley Line (Portugal)
Rosslare Harbour-Dublin (Ireland)
Dublin-Belfast (Ireland/Northern Ireland)
Tropea Loop Line (Italy)
Florence-Pisa-La Spezia-Genoa-Milan (Italy)


End of Year Awards

Railtour Operator of the Year: Vintage Trains- good locomotives, limited diesel assistance, good value and nice rolling stock.
TOC of the Year: This will surprise some, but based on my experiences only- Avanti. I had a couple of first class journeys that exceeded expectations and their train refurbishments are nice.
Worst TOC of the Year: Probably Northern as they are becoming unreliable again and have delayed me late at night a couple of times by cancelling trains
TOC rolling stock of the year: Transport for Wales Class 67+MK4 sets.
TOC first class of the year: Transport for Wales Dining Service
Worst TOC rolling stock of the year: Northern's 150's. Sorry for banging on about these, but I simply despise them.
Railtour of the year: LSL's North West Wanderer Spin and Win tour- some classic lines covered and amazing traction.
The 'why did I bother' railtour of the year: BLS's Derby-Edinburgh positioning move, a dud 57 and very slow with lots of time sat in loops. It was cheap though.
Best railtour first class offering: Vintage Trains for their nice first class compartment upgrade.
Railtour rolling stock of the year: See above
Licensed Establishment of the year: The Sheffield Tap
Domestic Line of the year: I've probably appreciated the Settle & Carlisle more than ever this year I think.
Under-rated line of the year award: The West Coast Mainline North, Preston-Carlisle.
The tight Yorkshireman's award for outstanding railway value; I have a lot of nominations for this; Scotrails £15 first class upgrade, Vintage Trains railtour fares, Northerns Newspaper offer, North Yorkshire Moors annual pass etc. But, the winner is: The East Lancashire Railway for their Diesel Sunday where they charged £18 for a rover and had something like 9+locomotives in operation!
Destination of the Year: The Douro Valley
Hellhole of the year: Nowhere was too shabby this year, but Wrexham Central is probably the winner.
Accommodation of the year: I really enjoyed the Bed and Breakfast at Skipton with the railway view.
Preserved Railway of the Year: A tough one as I haven't been to a bad one this year, but I'd probably give it to the Lakeside & Haverthwaite.
Preserved Railway Event of the Year: The Churnet Valley Steam Gala- just wow in terms of entertainment.
Preserved rolling stock of the year: The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway Mk1's were immaculate.
Kettle of the year: Plenty of candidates for this one, but I'd probably have to give it to Pendennis Castle just for the sheer thrash and entertainment.
Preserved Diesel of the year: Probably Western Champion, what a machine!
Vessel of the year: Only a couple to choose from, but probably the Stena Line ferry from Fishguard Harbour to Rosslare.
Airline of the year: British Airways for my first experiences of Business Class which I really enjoyed.
RRB of the year: Transpennine from Manchester Airport to Stockport, quick, efficient, friendly and comfortable.
The rusty spanner award for dedication to dilapidation: I haven't been on anything too dodgy this year but probably Trenitalia's Excelsior Cabins: nothing worked and all the fittings were loose or damaged.
Rip off of the year: Trenitalia Excelsior Cabin, expensive and nothing in the cabin worked including the aircon or the shower.
**** up of the year: Northern Rail providing a 50mph single decker service bus with no toilet on a journey that took over 2 hours and involved going on the motorway
International Line of the year- Douro Valley
International rolling stock of the year- CP's traditional loco hauled stock with comfortable seats and opening windows.
Surprise of the year: Just how good the Douro Valley line was!
Let Down of the year: Although I enjoyed my trip, Irish railways were a little slow going
Video of the Year:

A couple of 'end of year review/highlights reel' style videos:

And finally some photos:

Thanks to all for your support over the year! Here's hoping for another good year of travels

 

[D6130]

Excellent report and videos! Well done!

 

[xotGD]

The tight Yorkshireman's award for outstanding railway value;

Getting a Northern complementary return to anywhere when delayed on a £2.50 Advance is hard to beat!

Looks like you had a great year on the rails.

 

[Iskra]

An American Odyssey- January 2025
A brief disclaimer- that while there are trains within this report series it is possibly more about other forms of transport and exotic destinations! It will most certainly be spread over multiple posts too.

On 10th of January I was due to fly from Manchester to London Heathrow with British Airways (BA) to connect on to a Virgin Atlantic flight from there to Miami. In the early hours an email was received from BA advising that the flight may be delayed. This was probably due to the freezing temperatures at the time requiring the aircraft to be de-iced before departure and Manchester Airport only having limited capacity for this operation. This however, was a problem as we only had 3 hours to connect at Heathrow due to how the tickets had been booked (yes I know this was a ridiculous booking in hindsight, but we couldn't alter that the night before), and made worse by the flight times having been altered further reducing the margin for error. Early in the morning, I made the decision to abandon the BA flight from Manchester to London and head to London Heathrow ourselves. I'd checked the punctuality of the flight throughout that week on FlightRadar and found it had been over 2 hours late several days. We had a pre-booked Airport Transfer, who fortunately agreed to drive us to Heathrow at an price that was cheaper than Uber, and competitive with LNER First Class (advances) for four people from West Yorkshire to London Heathrow. The drive down to Heathrow was incredibly smooth with little traffic being encountered and a brief coffee stop at Newport Pagnell services being enjoyed. The decision turned out to be the right one, as the BA flight arrived over 2 hours late, so that would have really been a bad start to the holiday and jeopardised the whole trip. Heathrow airport was a smooth experience and our Gate was called earlier than advertised. This caught many people out, so we were some of the first at the gate where boarding started promptly.




After the priority tiers were announced for boarding with little uptake, they just let anybody on so we were amongst the first on the aircraft. I'm not normally too bothered about being first on, but in this instance it worked out well. It turned out that one of our party knew one of the Cabin Crew. We were in economy, but we did get a little treat of some pre-departure champagne in proper glasses while everyone else boarded, which was a nice way start to the holiday. It was very nice champagne, presumably the leftovers from Upper Class, but I wasn't complaining! The flight was on a Virgin Atlantic A330-900, which seemed fairly new and had a clean, pleasant interior. A nice touch was that the windows were also clean which I find increasingly rare on my travels. The flight proceeded North West across a snow-covered landscape towards Liverpool and then out over the Mersey estuary, across to Ireland and a fairly direct route from there towards Newfoundland and then down the East Coast of the USA.



It was a lovely, smooth flight which I enjoyed. The onboard food was nice (bangers and mash for the main) and the service excellent. The flight touched-down early, but was then held waiting a stand.

The arrivals experience at Miami wasn't great, we queued for an age to get through immigration (easily over an hour, it made UK airports look efficient) which wasn't helped by a complete stop for a shift change. This along with the early touchdown of our aircraft, meant that our pre-booked airport transfer driver left without us. The policy is that they wait one hour from when your aircraft lands for you. So our aircraft landing early, but no gate being available counted against us in this instance. After collecting our luggage, we then got a taxi to our hotel on Miami Beach, where thankfully check in was smooth and the rooms nice.



We were at the hotel Riu. It wasn't our first time in Miami, so we didn't feel any necessity to do anything much with the rest of the evening. We simply had some cocktails and snacks in a little bar area outside by the pool and relaxed after a long day of travelling.

Due to jet lag we all awoke early the next day, so we went for a walk and took in the sun rise on Miami Beach before having a nice breakfast in the hotel.




It was then time for another transfer over to Fort Lauderdale, to the cruise port there where we boarded the rather large, but splendid Sun Princess cruise ship and finally the holiday-proper began





To be continued...

Excellent report and videos! Well done!

Getting a Northern complementary return to anywhere when delayed on a £2.50 Advance is hard to beat!

Looks like you had a great year on the rails.

Thank you!

 

[Iskra]

To keep things logical with this, I'm going to do a series of posts about the ports we stopped in (including one with a rail trip), then I'll probably do a more general one about the ship, food, sea days etc

Princess Cays, The Bahamas

This is a private island owned by the cruise lines parent company. It was pretty much a beach day but with the benefit of the bar and food, sunbeds etc being all inclusive. In all honesty, I wasn't overly exited about this port call but it actually turned out to just be a nice day of much needed relaxation. The location was stunning and the water was beautiful.



That evening the sunset was imperfectly beautiful, as was the moon at night.



The Domincan Republic, Amber Cove/Puerta Plata

This was a country that I hadn't heard great things about previously, but it actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise. We didn't do an organised tour, instead choosing to walk off ship and get a licensed taxi into the nearest town of Puerta Plata. Official taxi drivers seem to double up as tour guides and all speak some English. We were expecting our driver to drop us off in town and pick us up later, but instead he stayed with us and acted as a tour guide/translator which was a pleasant surprise, driving us around the sights. This turned out to be a bargain and faster and more personal than doing an organised excursion. The country was an interesting mix of cultures, obviously heavily Spanish influenced but also with a US influence and it felt a little bit Cuban too. An interesting place, with some worthy sights. It was also my first time drinking a beer bottle out of a bag, which felt like a minor accomplishment.

 

[Iskra]

Turks & Caicos

This was another relaxing beach day. Grand Turk is actually a British crown dependency which I didn't know before arriving. It really was a stunning location with beautiful waters and beach. There are some public deck chairs but you can also pay for private ones if you like. The ship docks literally on the beach which is interesting! That nights sunset was one of the best I've seen, but sadly my picture of it wasn't the best.



Fort Lauderdale
So this was actually two cruises we were doing, but joined together 'back to back' as they call it. This meant we'd sale back to Fort Lauderdale where the majority of passengers would change over and instead we'd have a day there. Due to the times that the ship was in port, an early get up was needed to achieve anything worthwhile. I was first off ship at 0630 with a plan to try out some more US railroads. I hailed an Uber to take me to Fort Lauderdale Tri Rail station, as opposed to the Brightline station. I was wanting more traditional US locomotives rather than High Speed. If I had a bit more time I'd have done both lines. At Fort Lauderdale I filmed some trains for a while, before buying a day ticket- on a weekend this is 5 dollars all day so very good value. I then hopped down to Fort Lauderdale Airport station, where I knew an Amtrak service was going to pass through non-stop which I could film. Next, I headed South to the Miami transfer station, behind a claggy locomotive. Here, if you wish to head to Miami Downtown you need to switch trains onto a shuttle. The shuttle is a little odd as it's a massive US loco, hauling only one carriage which is quite novel. The lineside on this part of the journey was a bit grim. At Miami Central I was expecting to stay onboard and the same locomotive work back, but a tight set-change was required which caused me to run. Surprisingly, I wasn't the only one doing this move and I proved the fitter of the two! I then simply reversed my steps, changing at the transfer station and heading back North to Fort Lauderdale Airport station where I got another Uber back to the ship. I was pleasantly surprised by the value offered on Tri Rail, plus how easy it was to use and the locomotives and rolling stock are pretty cool so I'd definitely recommend it or do it again myself.

After departing Fort Lauderdale again, we headed for two days at sea, passing Cuba to reach our next destination.

 

[Iskra]

Roatan, Honduras

Our next destination was Mahogany Bay, on the Island of Roatan off Honduras. This was another really beautiful place that I enjoyed a lot, although it was pretty much a case of lying on the beach and swimming, but it had that paradise feel.

 

[Iskra]

Belize

We'd booked an excursion in Belize with a guided tour into the Rainforest to see some Mayan Ruins which I've always wanted to see, then there was a scenic river cruise on the way back to the ship. The rainforest lived up to its name, and it rained heavily while we were there. It was warm rain however and we'd come prepared so not too much of an issue. The guides had warned us that if it rained we wouldn't be able to walk up the ruins, but they let everyone anyway.



There was then a lunch stop which was chicken and rice, which is a typical meal in Belize. Next we boarded the river cruise. I wasn't expecting much from this as reviews I'd seen hadn't been all that good. However, I was very happily surprised by the amount of wildlife we saw. I haven't enough photos in a post to show you everything, but I'll give you a sample:



Beyond what you can see above we also saw many exotic birds, manatees and bats. The dolphins were a highlight, they followed our boat for a while and put on a bit of a show for us

 

[Iskra]

Cozumel, Mexico

The final port call was Cozumel, Mexico. I was excited to visit Mexico for the first time, but actually it was something of a disappointment. Firstly, we'd started getting the tail end of a US storm, so although it was sunny and warm it caused the seas to become rough. I'd booked a Submarine excursion as my shore excursion for the day, but unfortunately this ended up being cancelled due to the weather. This was a disappointment, but I am lucky in that this would not have been my first time on a submarine, so this wasn't the end of the world. Because of the wind it was too cool to sunbathe really or enjoy the beaches, so instead we walked the few miles from the port to Cozumel town along the sea front which was pleasant enough and we stopped for a beer on the way in a pool bar area which was out of the way and secluded. We could see the submarine we were meant to go on, rocking about offshore.



Cozumel was very busy, with many cruise ships in port. It had a bit of an unpleasant edgy atmosphere to it too. It was a bit like a Mexican version of Morecambe, not helped by police and marines patrolling the streets in full combat gear and every store you walked-by had someone outside trying to get you into their shop. It was something of a cultural void too, with just an abundance of shops selling tat. We then took a taxi back to the port and reboarded the ship fairly early to enjoy the bars and food onboard.

After this, it was a couple of sea days back to Fort Lauderdale in choppy seas, and warmish but windy weather. It was still better than being at home but it did feel like the holiday had ended in Mexico and we were just travelling home very slowly from this point.

On the last evening of the cruise we passed the former US Navy Aircraft Carrier John Kennedy which was being towed for scrapping, which isn't something you see everyday. I believe this is the first time I've seen a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. It was about 4 miles away from us, so not the best photo quality ever here I'm afraid. Our ship saluted the out of service carrier with its horn.

 

[Iskra]

The journey home was another Virgin Atlantic Flight from Miami International to London Heathrow. At Miami I saw a Lufthansa 747 and was able to catch it taking off from our aircraft:



I got lucky on the flight home as there were a few empty pairs of seats, so I relocated which gave me two to myself which was a significant space upgrade on a night flight and made it much more comfortable. Beyond the additional space, the flight was really nice.



Back at Heathrow we used the internal train service to change terminal before catching a BA flight to Manchester where due to rough weather and short flight time I barely think the seatbelt sign was turned off!



And that ends that trip!

 

[Iskra]

KWVR 2/2/25

Next up was a trip on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. It had been announced that it would be Black 5 45212's last weekend at the railway, and I do like the sound of these Stanier Machines, so I thought I'd pop along.
The day started with an easy run up the M1 to Oxenhope. I then had a coffee and an excellent sausage & black pudding breakfast sandwich from the friendly and helpful staff (there were no black pudding sarnies, so they made me one specially which was very nice of them). I then went for a walk around to the carriage sidings to film the Black 5 arriving, but it beat me to them so I filmed it shunting and then departing on the first train of the day instead. Meanwhile, the Class 144 Pacer arrived. I intended to take this down to Oakworth and I asked the crew if I could film through the glass door (they helpfully leave the blind up) and they went one better and invited me into the cab to film the journey down to Oakworth so that was very good of them!



At Oakworth, I filmed the Black 5 arriving up the valley which was a nice spectacle in itself as the sound reverberates off the valley sides. The locomotive stopped short on the approach to Oakworth as the crossing gates hadn't been opened. I then boarded the set up to Oxenhope, then travelling back to Keighley and filming the climb back up to Oxenhope from there. It was a nice ride although only load 4 so not up there with the very best. Next, I went for a walk down the valley from Oxenhope to get some shots from the lineside to make a short video. I actually enjoyed the walk and the footage turned out decent enough. I then drove back home. Overall an excellent day out with a bonus cab ride (I now have a favourite Class 144..), some nice steam and a good walk too.





Footage from the day:

Lineside of 45212 and a bit of the Pacer:

A full line ridealong behind Black 5 45212:

Pacer Cabride Oxenhope to Oakworth. This video goes public next Sunday so subscribe to my channel to be notified of that one going live, it’s free to subscribe:

 

[Iskra]

A final trip report before I'm all caught up with the backlog...

I've only recently completed the Northern Network, but the opening of the new line to Ashington means I now had line to clear it again. I also had a complimentary Northern single for use from a previous delay. Thus, I hatched a plan to travel there a very long way around across some scenic lines and then back on an advance via the more direct route. I filled my ticket out as Meadowhall to Ashington, which I managed to produce an online Northern Only itinerary for just in case anybody questioned it. It was an early start for a 195 up to Leeds. Here I grabbed a coffee from the Greek outlet on the bridge as the Starbucks was close, this turned out better than Starbucks coffee which I only use for the convenience and on the coldest of days, which this was definitely one of those. I then filmed an LNER 91 arriving before my 158 arrived on a busy Sheffield via Bolton Upon Dearne stopper. I boarded and got a nice table on the right hand side for the best views. The train was slightly busy along the Aire Valley, but it pretty much emptied out at Skipton with just a few hardy souls continuing beyond there on this occasion. The Settle Carlisle was beautiful in a moody kind of way and visibility was okay- you could see Horton in Ribblesdale, but not the full peak of Penyghent as that was shrouded in cloud. At that point it started snowing and the lack of functioning heating on the 158 started to become a problem. It was chilly on board and a number of passengers were commenting and using their coats as makeshift blankets. At Ribblehead I briefly stepped off the train for a photo and to nosey at the GBRF Class 60 in the sidings, and then it was over the famous viaduct with very few onlookers on this most bitingly chilly days. At Carlisle I did some filming and then my anticipated 'fast' Northern service over the Tyne Valley was cancelled, so I did some more filming of freights to pass the time. Eventually, it was on to another Class 158 with questionable heating for a pleasant trip to Newcastle. Here, I had a Burger King to warm up and it was nice enough albeit pricey. It was then onto the Ashington train, which was another cold Class 158. The train was moderately populated although it was a strange time of day. The guard was saying that the line had already exceeded expectations, and that's before all the stations are even open! It was an averagely scenic line if I'm being honest. I liked the bit where the Northern Line intertwines with the Metro and I also liked the contrast between some of the old railway history and the shiny-new stations. Ashington at the end of the line was better than I expected, although I didn't stay long as it was a thoroughly unpleasant day. It was just a case of some quick photos and back on the same unit down to Newcastle.

On the return, I'd booked 1st advances. I'd be on LNER from Newcastle to York and then XC from there to Sheffield via Leeds. The Lounge at Newcastle was a godsend on this occasion; I found it warm, well stocked and comfortable. The train down from Newcastle to York was an Azuma. I still don't find the 1st Class compartment very comfortable or luxurious but the extra space was a bonus on this busy train. The catering was the Dish menu, so I selected the Lamb Rogan Josh. The curry itself was tasty but a little lacking in sauce and the rice wasn't great as it wasn't heated through properly. More positively the wine was nice as was the Salted Caramel pot. Service was 'just okay.' Overall, you have to say it is a decent offering when you get alcohol and a meal on a journey of just over one hour, and it flew by. Because of my strange ticket and route, I had quite a wait at York so I went to try the lounge there for the first time and again it was nice and slightly better than the one at Newcastle due to higher quality seating. Next up was XC down to Sheffield via Leeds. I find the 1st Class compartment on the Voyagers quite cosy so it was an enjoyable run. There was no at seat service on this train, instead you were invited to find the catering outlet and get what you wanted from there. I spent most of my journey at my seat, but then when we passed through Rotherham I headed to find the buffet to see what was available. Not much was the answer. I managed a bottle of water and nice tasting chocolate brownie just before we pulled into Sheffield and I headed home.

I've popped the media from that trip, with a mixture of photos and videos of some of the more interesting trains seen into a brief video:

Overall a nice day out at a miserable time of year and some important new route coverage to complete the Northern Rail Network once again.

Next up -subject to the weather- should be a trip to the Great Central's Spring Gala in early March. Thanks for reading!

 

[xotGD]

Sounds like a good day out, despite the cold 158s and cancellation.

I'm also planning on going to Ashington using a Northern free ticket, but mine is a return, so I'll be going the long way round both ways. Mega 158 mileage. I'm holding back for longer daylight hours and warmer weather!

 

[Iskra]

Sounds like a good day out, despite the cold 158s and cancellation.

I'm also planning on going to Ashington using a Northern free ticket, but mine is a return, so I'll be going the long way round both ways. Mega 158 mileage. I'm holding back for longer daylight hours and warmer weather!

I think the cancellation might mean I get another free ticket, so considering I wasn’t in a rush I’m actually fairly happy with that. Singles are a bit restrictive though.

That will be a long day but should be nice in summer. Even though it’s a long journey the number of changes means it seems to pass quite quickly and you can’t complain at been able to complete that amount of mileage for free.

 

[xotGD]

Singles are a bit restrictive though.

Having two singles can be an advantage if you want to make an "open jaw" journey, with a paid trip in between with a different TOC. For example, a single to Chester (or even Ellesmere Port) and a single back from Southport if you want to have a play on Mersey Rail.

 

[Iskra]

Having two singles can be an advantage if you want to make an "open jaw" journey, with a paid trip in between with a different TOC. For example, a single to Chester (or even Ellesmere Port) and a single back from Southport if you want to have a play on Mersey Rail.

Yes that’s a good point. Also potentially useful for an itinerary with an overnight stay.

I have three or four Northern complimentary tickets on their way so I shouldn’t be short of options!

 

[xotGD]

Yes that’s a good point. Also potentially useful for an itinerary with an overnight stay.

I have three or four Northern complimentary tickets on their way so I shouldn’t be short of options!

The returns aren't just day returns, you can come back another day.

I've got three returns waiting to be used, and my wife has three singles. I obviously cop bigger delays than she does!

 

[Kite159]

Those northern free tickets are also good if you want an early start due to not having any peak restrictions. I'm surprised Northern hasn't yet dropped them dressed up as a 'cost saving' measure.

Especially when you can go a long way when the money equivalent would be low (ie an hour delay on a £2 advance fare)

 

[Iskra]

The returns aren't just day returns, you can come back another day.

I've got three returns waiting to be used, and my wife has three singles. I obviously cop bigger delays than she does!

Those northern free tickets are also good if you want an early start due to not having any peak restrictions. I'm surprised Northern hasn't yet dropped them dressed up as a 'cost saving' measure.

Especially when you can go a long way when the money equivalent would be low (ie an hour delay on a £2 advance fare)

Good points both!

@Kite159 they save Northern money, because the trains are running anyway and it’s instead of giving people cash back.

 

[xotGD]

It costs Northern if you use them on a journey you would have made anyway in terms of lost revenue, but if you use one for a bonus day out, then it costs them nothing.

I probably use them half and half.

 

[Kite159]

And it costs them money in terms of administration due to the need of someone to physically write in the details and post them out in the mail. Rather than being able to be outsourced to a 3rd party where the admin for online payments is less.

 

[Iskra]

True!

Great Central Railway Spring Steam Weekend

This Sunday the weather continued to be glorious so I drove down to the Great Central Railway who were hosting their Spring Steam Weekend event. I like the railway, and it looks impressive but I don’t find it the most interesting ride due to the lack of gradients, so I decided to just do some lineside filming instead of riding on this occasion.

I got down to the Swithland Reservoir area to find that all the decent viewpoints in that scenic area had been blocked off with fresh-looking anti-trespass signs in place, which was disappointing. Luckily, I’d scouted a few locations online and I’d arrived in good time so I relocated to my second choice; the Kinchley Lane area where I was able to get some nice footage:

 

[Iskra]

March Update

March was an incredibly busy month for me, both on and off the railway. I am leaving the job I've done for 13 years for pastures new over the next month, so this has caused some disruption to my ability to plan trips in the medium term. Nevertheless, I've still been able to get out and about a few times in March so I'll do a brief update to catch up.

Northern Day Ranger 10/3/25
Northern ran their £10 Day Ranger offer once again, so I elected to do a loop involving the Cumbrian Coast Line, and also do what I refer to as the 'Ribblehead Terminator' in both directions (this is a single Leeds-Ribblehead and return service that runs in the evening), but alas that didn't come off on this occasion. I parked at Meadowhall and travelled over the Hope Valley to Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately, my next service to Barrow in Furness was cancelled, leaving an hours wait for the next train. I could have had the hour at Preston instead, but there's a bit more going on at Manchester Piccadilly and it's a nicer station to wait at. Once on board the service was busy with people also on Northern Day Rangers. I also met a couple from Sweden and Germany who were going to hike from Ravenglass to Windermere. The Furness Line was looking as beautiful as ever, although one concern was that our train was dropping time. We eventually arrived in Barrow a few minutes late, but the connection was held for all passengers and clear directions were issued to the next train (well done Northern).

This was a 156, which was moderately populated although it gradually emptied out. I myself hopped off at Sellafield as I'd spotted an opportunity to film a test train that I was hoping would be 37's. Alas, it turned out to be a Network Rail 153, but it was a nice break. I was then collected by another 156 from Sellafield, and I thought that I may have made a bad decision in stopping here, as the platforms filled with workers. Luckily the single 156 did absorb the crowd and the journey up to Carlisle was tolerable.






There wasn't much happening at Carlisle and I had a wait before the Leeds train arrived. Thus, I walked down London Road to Fontana's, which usually does excellent fish and chips. The value for money was good, but the quality wasn't up to the usual standard on this occasion, the fish batter being a bit dry like it had been sat there for a while (like since lunch time). It did fill me up and warm me up though, so there were some positives. It was then back to the station and into the nicely heated waiting room. Here, I came across a WCRC locomotive move that was happening, so I changed my plans and instead of going for the 'Ribblehead Terminator' service (the last unusual working I have left to do with Northern), I opted to travel down the Settle and Carlisle in the darkness to Hellifield to try and catch the WCRC locomotive convoy instead. This plan worked out okay and the WCRC was horn-happy, it was nice to see 5 old locomotives in one consist, and it made up for the 37's I'd not got on the test train earlier on. I then took a train that originated from Morecambe, all the way to Leeds. Here I was able to film the Network Rail HST, before heading to my hotel. This was the Hyatt, which is a very short walk from the station and my hotel room even had a railway view and I was able to film a 91 departing for Neville Hill.



Some of the more interesting trains from this trip are featured in this video:

Nene Valley Railway - 11/3/25

The next day started with a fantastic breakfast buffet before I made the brief walk back to the station. I then used a Northern complimentary single ticket, to take me down the Hallam Line to my car at Meadowhall station.





The drive down to the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) was much better than I expected (my reason for not having visited already). I was here because the NVR were hosting the Flying Scotsman, and for £10 you could go in the cab, walk through the tender and you also got a shed tour. I'd also got wind that later in the day 70000 Britannia would be arriving, so I hoped to film that too. My impression of the NVR was fantastic and it was good value I thought too. I also spent a bit at the cafe by way of making up for the excellent value the ticket offered. Flying Scotsman looked immaculate and it was amazing to be able to sit in the drivers seat and walk through the tender. The tour of the sheds was also really interesting, but a lot of the items in there don't look like they will ever run again unfortunately. After that I waited around to film LSL's Britannia arriving and she is also another very impressive locomotive.











All in all it was a very positive visit to a new railway, and one that I will definitely be returning to again in the future to ride on some trains. My video footage from the day is here:

 

[Iskra]

23/3/25 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

On Sunday 23rd, I used a new ticket that was shared on the Preserved section of these forums. This allows travel from any East Midlands Railway station to Duffield for connections with the EVR, and then acts as a Day Rover on the preserved line all for what I thought was a reasonable price. On this visit I was really struck by the friendliness and helpfulness of the volunteers. Moorbarrow was the steam locomotive in operation on the day. It has been diesel haulage for my two previous visits, so it was nice to finally do the line by steam. Overall it was a fantastic day out, which I would definitely repeat.

 

[Iskra]

1/4/25
Finally, yesterday I followed LMS Jubilee Class Bahamas on its journey from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway: