20/09/21
In possession of gen that my last remaining 168/3 for photo was available at Aylesbury, this time knowing it before I set out I figured it would it would be better to make way for it at flank speed, so just for a change I headed to London with 456 012 + 455 710 + 455 901 to Waterloo, where I saw brand new 701 031 on test, and then burrowing my way across to Marylebone with 3231 + 3467.
Departing Marylebone on 165 007 + 165 028 and knowing that this time my target was outside the depot rather than in the south sidings, I took the opportunity to also get the short stretch of track to Aylesbury Vale Parkway in my atlas. Sure enough 168 323 was there and although it was a very tight photographic angle, being on the road immediately adjacent to the running line, I did manage to picture it along with getting a few other images, including one of 01 509.
Having returned to Marylebone on the same pair of 165s, I had one 357/3 left to photograph and that would be my next target. My route east would be 3256 + 3433 to Baker Street, 21035 + 21036 to Aldgate and then 21363 + 21364 to Tower Hill. Mind you, I could probably have walked it from Aldgate to Fenchurch Street in the time it took to wait for the Circle train to turn up... Anyway, let the fun begin...
The unit I required was known to have been out in the morning but then gone to East Ham, so the first thing to do would be to see if the rake was outside... so the first available train out of Fenchurch Street, being 357 320 + 357 018, took me to Barking. No sign of what I was looking for, although something was shunting out of the shed into the washer road. Let's get 357 042 + 357 021 straight back again... watching carefully as we pass the depot... yes, that was the one I needed but I wasn't ready.... drat, right... bail out at West Ham and get 357 315 + 357 008 back to Barking, sight 66 565 and then get 357 014 + 357 034 straight back again, camera at the ready.... MERDE!!! It's shunted back inside!!! Right... bail at West Ham again... and wait....
...and wait....
...and wait...
Check with someone. Hmmm... yes.... in theory there is one 12 car rake which emerges from East Ham for the evening peak... it should be that one...
More waiting...
Eventually, yes, the ecs comes through at it is indeed the rake with 357 318 on it. *click* Job done. Now I'm a bit tight on time as I need to get some shopping done as well, so 357 210 + 357 319 to Fenchurch Street, 21343 + 21344 to Blackfriars, 700 103 to East Croydon... this is tight and it's already in there... at least it's cross platform and half an hour until the next one... dive onto 455 835 + 455 843 just as the door alarms start and hopefully it is the Thornton Heath train... *phew*... it is...
Shopping done, my return route was 455 804 + 455 818 from Thornton Heath to Tulse Hill, 700 010 to Sutton and consecutive pair 377 703 + 377 704 back to Epsom.