Techniquest
Veteran Member
What on Earth is rag pudding?!
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Rambling Roebuck... (Trip Reports)
- Thread starter D841 Roebuck
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Rag pudding - Wikipedia
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Rag pudding - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I have to say that does not look appetising! The banana I was eating while reading it, while healthy anyway, seemed even more so than ever
Thanks for the link though!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Yes, I suspect they won't be of interest to someone with a Vegan diet (must admit I'm eating less meat myself than in the past - purely because as more people have meat-free diets, the choice and quality of vegetarian/vegan food is increasing!)I have to say that does not look appetising! The banana I was eating while reading it, while healthy anyway, seemed even more so than ever
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Absolutely no interest in the meal you had, correct. I do sometimes like chips though, I had 10 onion rings and chips from my local chippy tonight as my final takeaway of 2022 as it happens. I was going to do it tomorrow, but having such a meal on New Year's Day felt like it would set a precedent for 2023 and I can't be doing that!
Interesting that you've got a taste for the many meat-free products out there, and I agree that it's only getting better and better. Not all of it, granted, but there's some brilliant stuff out there now. I highly recommend, for example, Fry's fake popcorn chicken, it's amazing stuff and tastes similar to KFC's popcorn chicken. Asda did an even more flavourful version, but seem to have banished it from their range. I would also recommend the shawarma kebab meat in the Asda chilled range and the Vivera branded one. Nom nom nom! I could be here for some time discussing vegan food though, so let's not do that right now!
Happy New Year good sir!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Enough talking about food - it's about time this thread caught up with itself!
28/12/2022 - Northward Ho!
This day was about getting up to Glasgow, and hopefully picking up the odd winner, and the odd new shack.
Tram 3049 took me up Drake St to Rochdale station, then 150114+150108 appeared from Blackburn to take me down through Manchester and out to Salford Crescent. From here, winner 331022 with dud partner 331019 took me competently to Preston, and a supply raid. I had a choice of dud Avanti or winning TPE from here, but the latter was a dubiously short connection at Carlisle, so it was 390151 in to bat for the trip through the rain to the Border City - and I was right, as the following 397 arrived about 10 seconds before I left on the scenic (if the windows weren't all misted) route to Scotland, with winner 156432 taken through to a new shack at Barrhead.
I jumped off here to join the local from the bay platform, with a winning pair of 156513+156436 taking me to another shack score at Crossmyloof, with the following service from East Kilbride also being fruitful (156506+156430) when taking me down to Glasgow C.
The long ride through the none-scenic-due-to-mist Southern Uplands had given me the opportunity to work out a gratuitous scooping session, which I duly embarked on:
318257+320416 Glasgow C (LL) to Bridgeton for a bonus shack score;
318269+318268 Bridgeton to Dalmarnock; 320322 Dalmarnock to Bridgeton; 320320+320404 Bridgeton to Argyle St.
I then booked in at Queen Street Trodge, via the chippy, ate, abluted and headed out to meet some Scottish pals for beer and a pub quiz - getting to which involved a trip up from Argyle St to Exhibition Centre on 318264+318260! (Getting back involved a taxi after an overdose of Lagavulin!)
28/12/2022 - Northward Ho!
This day was about getting up to Glasgow, and hopefully picking up the odd winner, and the odd new shack.
Tram 3049 took me up Drake St to Rochdale station, then 150114+150108 appeared from Blackburn to take me down through Manchester and out to Salford Crescent. From here, winner 331022 with dud partner 331019 took me competently to Preston, and a supply raid. I had a choice of dud Avanti or winning TPE from here, but the latter was a dubiously short connection at Carlisle, so it was 390151 in to bat for the trip through the rain to the Border City - and I was right, as the following 397 arrived about 10 seconds before I left on the scenic (if the windows weren't all misted) route to Scotland, with winner 156432 taken through to a new shack at Barrhead.
I jumped off here to join the local from the bay platform, with a winning pair of 156513+156436 taking me to another shack score at Crossmyloof, with the following service from East Kilbride also being fruitful (156506+156430) when taking me down to Glasgow C.
The long ride through the none-scenic-due-to-mist Southern Uplands had given me the opportunity to work out a gratuitous scooping session, which I duly embarked on:
318257+320416 Glasgow C (LL) to Bridgeton for a bonus shack score;
318269+318268 Bridgeton to Dalmarnock; 320322 Dalmarnock to Bridgeton; 320320+320404 Bridgeton to Argyle St.
I then booked in at Queen Street Trodge, via the chippy, ate, abluted and headed out to meet some Scottish pals for beer and a pub quiz - getting to which involved a trip up from Argyle St to Exhibition Centre on 318264+318260! (Getting back involved a taxi after an overdose of Lagavulin!)
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
29/12/2022 - Bo'ness and Bonus redpennage
Somewhat later than planned, and after a most necessary Lorne Sausage Bap + Coffee at Greggy McGreggfaces, I trundled up Queen St to the station of that name, and bought a return to Linlithgow plus a Roundabout ticket for post-gala unit scooping.
Unsurprisingly, my first units of the day were winners (unsurprising because it had been that long since I'd been to Scotland I hadn't seen a 385 before, never mind travelling on one!). 385117+385119 were therefore double winners by default for a smooth trip to Linlithgow, where after a half of skoosh (pepsi) and a PNB in the pub by the station, an elderly bus with a most friendly crew of volunteers took me to Bo'ness.
Here, I bought myself a ticket (chinging out for 1st class for the extra room/coffee/mince pie experience) then joined a rake of coaches for a ride up the hill, behind 60021 and 47643 as far as Manuel Junction, scoring some new track as on my last visit in 2006 the B&KR only went as far as Birkhall. The pair of 37s (025+403) then trundled me back to Bo'ness.
Having sampled all four operating locos, and the weather being temporarily dry, I then decided to have a wander round the site, looking at the lines of locos stored or under repair, visiting the excellent model railway and checking out the gift shop and so on - and most enjoyable it was.
The nice old red bus then reappeared, along with heavier rain, so I decided to head back to base slightly earlier than planned. And was glad that I did - the train from Edinburgh was half an hour late (and the previous one cancelled) so when 385123+385114 turned up, I expected them to be wedged. However they were emptyish, having started back from Haymarket, the problem presumably being in the vicinity of Princes Street gardens. Buoyed by the emptiness, and mindful that yesterday's depredations had reduced my Class 318 requirements to 3, I cranked open Real Time Trains to see if there was any prospect of clearing them.
There was, ridiculously easily. I ambled down to Argyle St, then boarded 320301+318250 for a ride to Cambuslang, for a +5 on to 320319+318263 back the way I'd come, going through to Central LL. Time for a cig break here on my way upstairs via outdoors and it's handy sheltering bridge, then joining 318258, fittingly solo, for a class-clearing run out as far as Crosshill on a Cathcart Circle train, then 320316+320302 back again to Central.
The departure boards here were now showing many, maybe most, trains as cancelled, so I decided to quit while I was ahead and headed Trodgewards, via a supply raid at Tesco Express.
A good, and successful day - despite the weather...
Somewhat later than planned, and after a most necessary Lorne Sausage Bap + Coffee at Greggy McGreggfaces, I trundled up Queen St to the station of that name, and bought a return to Linlithgow plus a Roundabout ticket for post-gala unit scooping.
Unsurprisingly, my first units of the day were winners (unsurprising because it had been that long since I'd been to Scotland I hadn't seen a 385 before, never mind travelling on one!). 385117+385119 were therefore double winners by default for a smooth trip to Linlithgow, where after a half of skoosh (pepsi) and a PNB in the pub by the station, an elderly bus with a most friendly crew of volunteers took me to Bo'ness.
Here, I bought myself a ticket (chinging out for 1st class for the extra room/coffee/mince pie experience) then joined a rake of coaches for a ride up the hill, behind 60021 and 47643 as far as Manuel Junction, scoring some new track as on my last visit in 2006 the B&KR only went as far as Birkhall. The pair of 37s (025+403) then trundled me back to Bo'ness.
Having sampled all four operating locos, and the weather being temporarily dry, I then decided to have a wander round the site, looking at the lines of locos stored or under repair, visiting the excellent model railway and checking out the gift shop and so on - and most enjoyable it was.
The nice old red bus then reappeared, along with heavier rain, so I decided to head back to base slightly earlier than planned. And was glad that I did - the train from Edinburgh was half an hour late (and the previous one cancelled) so when 385123+385114 turned up, I expected them to be wedged. However they were emptyish, having started back from Haymarket, the problem presumably being in the vicinity of Princes Street gardens. Buoyed by the emptiness, and mindful that yesterday's depredations had reduced my Class 318 requirements to 3, I cranked open Real Time Trains to see if there was any prospect of clearing them.
There was, ridiculously easily. I ambled down to Argyle St, then boarded 320301+318250 for a ride to Cambuslang, for a +5 on to 320319+318263 back the way I'd come, going through to Central LL. Time for a cig break here on my way upstairs via outdoors and it's handy sheltering bridge, then joining 318258, fittingly solo, for a class-clearing run out as far as Crosshill on a Cathcart Circle train, then 320316+320302 back again to Central.
The departure boards here were now showing many, maybe most, trains as cancelled, so I decided to quit while I was ahead and headed Trodgewards, via a supply raid at Tesco Express.
A good, and successful day - despite the weather...
Techniquest
Veteran Member
A mighty good haul, despite the issues thrown at you, and well done on clearing the 318s!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
30/12/2022 - A False Start
Up early, and having checked online, I checked out and headed (via breakfast at Spoons) to Central Station, aiming for the 09:3x to Carlisle via Dumfries. The stock for the train arrived, and then the train was cancelled, the Queen of the South being underwater.
Nothing going South from Glasgow, and there were also problems on the line via Midcalder. So I trotted up to Queen St, whence trains were running to Edinburgh, hoping to escape by the Easterly route. It was promising at first, and. 385109+385120 soon got going, taking me as far as a signal just past Lenzie. Which was red. And stayed red.
Eventually we got going again, but backwards. Wrong line to the first crossover (bonus BLS bobbins?) then back into Queen Street. Although we were advised here that the Bathgate route to Edinburgh was still running, RTT had advised me that the likelihood of going South therefrom was problematic and therefore booked another night at the Trodge before they sussed and put the prices up!
I had a few hours to wait before I could book in, so ambled over to Central, discovered that the placed was on the end of a beach service from Paisley Canal but nothing else was running, went to the bookies across the road and wasted an hour by having a 5p each way lucky 15 on the four horses with the most amusing names in the next four televised races, then sat and watched them to waste an hour (one of them won, so I got about 80p of my £1.50 stake back), hit spoons again for sausage and chip, and free refills of coffee and did the Telegraph crossword to waste more time until 3pm check in back at the Trodge, picking up food for later enroute. I then dozed and watched rubbish TV, fingers crossed that the waters would part on the morrow.
31/12/22 - The Great Escape
After abluting and listening secretly to the BBC for the gen on the likeliest escape route, I headed off very early to Queen Street. The gen proved accurate
and 385108 soon pulled in for an all-stations run to Dunedin, via Shotts, with not only the unit but also the track between Holytown Jc and Midcalder Jc being cleared.
Costa Coffee were this morning's breakfast supplier, then after a bit 220005 arrived, and soon was whisking me southwards on the dry side of Scotland, my ausweis standing up to scrutiny at the border at Berwick-Am-Tweed. It was actually sunny in Newcastle, and I hit Sainsbury's for a meal deal before 158794 provided the traction through the Tyne Valley, back into NW Roverland at Hexham and then on to Carlisle.
Here was a bit more chaotic (unsurprising as Avanti were involved. However dud 397007 provided a smooth ride back to Preston in compensation, 331011+331015 likewise into Salford Crescent, 150108+150131 into Manchester V on a Staley Vegas service and finally 195014+195015 back to Rochdale, where it was wet again so a taxi home replaced the tram/walk routine.
Over all, a thoroughly enjoyable trip, despite the weather.
Up early, and having checked online, I checked out and headed (via breakfast at Spoons) to Central Station, aiming for the 09:3x to Carlisle via Dumfries. The stock for the train arrived, and then the train was cancelled, the Queen of the South being underwater.
Nothing going South from Glasgow, and there were also problems on the line via Midcalder. So I trotted up to Queen St, whence trains were running to Edinburgh, hoping to escape by the Easterly route. It was promising at first, and. 385109+385120 soon got going, taking me as far as a signal just past Lenzie. Which was red. And stayed red.
Eventually we got going again, but backwards. Wrong line to the first crossover (bonus BLS bobbins?) then back into Queen Street. Although we were advised here that the Bathgate route to Edinburgh was still running, RTT had advised me that the likelihood of going South therefrom was problematic and therefore booked another night at the Trodge before they sussed and put the prices up!
I had a few hours to wait before I could book in, so ambled over to Central, discovered that the placed was on the end of a beach service from Paisley Canal but nothing else was running, went to the bookies across the road and wasted an hour by having a 5p each way lucky 15 on the four horses with the most amusing names in the next four televised races, then sat and watched them to waste an hour (one of them won, so I got about 80p of my £1.50 stake back), hit spoons again for sausage and chip, and free refills of coffee and did the Telegraph crossword to waste more time until 3pm check in back at the Trodge, picking up food for later enroute. I then dozed and watched rubbish TV, fingers crossed that the waters would part on the morrow.
31/12/22 - The Great Escape
After abluting and listening secretly to the BBC for the gen on the likeliest escape route, I headed off very early to Queen Street. The gen proved accurate
and 385108 soon pulled in for an all-stations run to Dunedin, via Shotts, with not only the unit but also the track between Holytown Jc and Midcalder Jc being cleared.
Costa Coffee were this morning's breakfast supplier, then after a bit 220005 arrived, and soon was whisking me southwards on the dry side of Scotland, my ausweis standing up to scrutiny at the border at Berwick-Am-Tweed. It was actually sunny in Newcastle, and I hit Sainsbury's for a meal deal before 158794 provided the traction through the Tyne Valley, back into NW Roverland at Hexham and then on to Carlisle.
Here was a bit more chaotic (unsurprising as Avanti were involved. However dud 397007 provided a smooth ride back to Preston in compensation, 331011+331015 likewise into Salford Crescent, 150108+150131 into Manchester V on a Staley Vegas service and finally 195014+195015 back to Rochdale, where it was wet again so a taxi home replaced the tram/walk routine.
Over all, a thoroughly enjoyable trip, despite the weather.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
January 2021
Total Mileage for month/year 1372.8
Individual Route mileage 730
Classes sampled for year in month:
Proper Railway:
BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0
Wagon Und Machinenbau railbus
150
153
156
158
170
180
195
197
331
333
345
357
376
377
378
390
395
450
455
458
465
466
508
700
707
710
717
720
800
801
802
Underground/Metro:
Bakerloo
Central
Circle/District/Hammersmith
Jubilee
Metropolitan
Northern
Waterloo & City
Blackpool Tram
Croydon Tram
Docklands Tram
Metrolink Tram
Classiest haulage of month - has to be 75078, the Worth Valley Shiny Kettle
Bizarrest haulage - 79964, a pair of VW Camper vans fastened back-to-back (although the "Do Not Lean Out Of Window" stickers ought to be replaced by "Achtung! Spitfeuer!" for comedic effect...
MMost effective: 801227 on my "caped 180 replacement service" down to London
Most annoying: 333006, which had an OOS toilet when I had crossed legs!
Best new shack: Crofton Park. Tidy, well signed and obviously looked after by the local staff.
Least impressive new shack: Stratford International. Cavernous windtunnel.
Total Mileage for month/year 1372.8
Individual Route mileage 730
Classes sampled for year in month:
Proper Railway:
BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0
Wagon Und Machinenbau railbus
150
153
156
158
170
180
195
197
331
333
345
357
376
377
378
390
395
450
455
458
465
466
508
700
707
710
717
720
800
801
802
Underground/Metro:
Bakerloo
Central
Circle/District/Hammersmith
Jubilee
Metropolitan
Northern
Waterloo & City
Blackpool Tram
Croydon Tram
Docklands Tram
Metrolink Tram
Classiest haulage of month - has to be 75078, the Worth Valley Shiny Kettle
Bizarrest haulage - 79964, a pair of VW Camper vans fastened back-to-back (although the "Do Not Lean Out Of Window" stickers ought to be replaced by "Achtung! Spitfeuer!" for comedic effect...
MMost effective: 801227 on my "caped 180 replacement service" down to London
Most annoying: 333006, which had an OOS toilet when I had crossed legs!
Best new shack: Crofton Park. Tidy, well signed and obviously looked after by the local staff.
Least impressive new shack: Stratford International. Cavernous windtunnel.
Last edited:
Kite159
Veteran Member
Sounds like you have had a busy month 
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
02/01/2023 - Visiting the Illuminati
January started with a bank holiday Lancashire Ranger, which ended up morphing into something slightly different.
Tram 3052 had the honour of being 2023's first railed haulage up Drake St to Rochdale station. I had a train targeted,but arrived in time for the previous one so 195131 became first "proper" train of the year for the run to Todmorden, then Midlands exile 156419 broke out the red pen for the year as it towed 150105 up the Cliviger gorge to Burnley Manchester Road. A pair of 195s took me to Preston, whence the year's second winner in 331009 (plus dud 331003) took me to the first shack score of the year at Layton. It would be silly not to scoop in the required Poulton as well when in the area, so via some more dud 331 haulage this was scooped in by a short reversal en route to Blackpool North.
Time for a walk here, so I wandered down to the front. It was a nice clear day, sunny and with good views, so I decided to visit the remaining tram stops I hadn't visited previously in pleasant and uncrowded conditions, interspersed with admiring the view of the snow-covered Lake District hills when waiting for the next tram. As I had started and finished my previous visit to the Blackpool Tramway at at Starr Gate, North Pier was a "required shack" so I started my trip here.
I used a sort of backing and filling method to rake in the shacks, with the following route being taken to clear them:
North Pier to Cabin, walk back to Cliffs Hotel, winning tram 07 to Cleveleys (PNB required here, nearest open place with a loo was the bookies, so in fairness I put a small Lucky 15 bet on four random horses with amusing names to qualify as a "customer") tram to Little Bispham, then up to Victoria Street (for a Panini and Coffee at Spoons) walk to London St, round the terminal loop at Fleetwood as far as Rossall Square, winning tram 10 to Lindel Road, Cavendish Road, winner 16 to Sandhurst Avenue, South Pier, Manchester Square, winner 12 to Harrow Place a walk back to the last required stop at Burlington Road, then winner 02 to Starr Gate to complete the system for the day.
I had a walk here as far as Squires Gate station, but had just missed a train to Preston, so walked back to Starr Gate. (As there was another bookies of the same chain enroute I stopped for a PNB and to check on my earlier bet, and as two of the randomly picked horses had come 3rd - one of them at at 80/1 - collected a couple of quid more than I'd "invested"!). Then a tram back up to North Pier, a grocery shop at Sainsbury next to North station (needed supplies, and saved hitting a shop in Rochdale later) then home via a dud pair of 331s to Salford Crescent and equally dud but
but comfy 158754 to Rochdale.
A decent day out to start the year.
January started with a bank holiday Lancashire Ranger, which ended up morphing into something slightly different.
Tram 3052 had the honour of being 2023's first railed haulage up Drake St to Rochdale station. I had a train targeted,but arrived in time for the previous one so 195131 became first "proper" train of the year for the run to Todmorden, then Midlands exile 156419 broke out the red pen for the year as it towed 150105 up the Cliviger gorge to Burnley Manchester Road. A pair of 195s took me to Preston, whence the year's second winner in 331009 (plus dud 331003) took me to the first shack score of the year at Layton. It would be silly not to scoop in the required Poulton as well when in the area, so via some more dud 331 haulage this was scooped in by a short reversal en route to Blackpool North.
Time for a walk here, so I wandered down to the front. It was a nice clear day, sunny and with good views, so I decided to visit the remaining tram stops I hadn't visited previously in pleasant and uncrowded conditions, interspersed with admiring the view of the snow-covered Lake District hills when waiting for the next tram. As I had started and finished my previous visit to the Blackpool Tramway at at Starr Gate, North Pier was a "required shack" so I started my trip here.
I used a sort of backing and filling method to rake in the shacks, with the following route being taken to clear them:
North Pier to Cabin, walk back to Cliffs Hotel, winning tram 07 to Cleveleys (PNB required here, nearest open place with a loo was the bookies, so in fairness I put a small Lucky 15 bet on four random horses with amusing names to qualify as a "customer") tram to Little Bispham, then up to Victoria Street (for a Panini and Coffee at Spoons) walk to London St, round the terminal loop at Fleetwood as far as Rossall Square, winning tram 10 to Lindel Road, Cavendish Road, winner 16 to Sandhurst Avenue, South Pier, Manchester Square, winner 12 to Harrow Place a walk back to the last required stop at Burlington Road, then winner 02 to Starr Gate to complete the system for the day.
I had a walk here as far as Squires Gate station, but had just missed a train to Preston, so walked back to Starr Gate. (As there was another bookies of the same chain enroute I stopped for a PNB and to check on my earlier bet, and as two of the randomly picked horses had come 3rd - one of them at at 80/1 - collected a couple of quid more than I'd "invested"!). Then a tram back up to North Pier, a grocery shop at Sainsbury next to North station (needed supplies, and saved hitting a shop in Rochdale later) then home via a dud pair of 331s to Salford Crescent and equally dud but
but comfy 158754 to Rochdale.
A decent day out to start the year.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
14/01/2023 - Shooting Fish in a Barrel aka the Joys of Real Time Trains
Waking up early and checking out Real Time Trains (and in particular the allocation of units) suggested that a Cheshire Ranger might prove lucrative, and so it proved. Tram 3054, veteran 150115 and tram 3108 took me to Manchester Piccadilly, where the pre-planned red pen gore-fest commenced:
Winner 197002 Manchester P - Earlestown
Winner 197008 Earlestown - Manchester P
Then a minor hitch - dud 390047 Manchester P - Stoke on Trent! (This should have been required 390048, but this was late arriving at Piccalilli on its previous working so 047 stepped up one train.)
Back on track:
Winner 170271 Stoke on Trent - Crewe
Double Winners 153922+153318 Crewe - Chester
The People's Republic of Merseyside remain secretive about the identity of their units, so 508130 and 508125 took me to and from Bache in the continuing unsuccessful hunt for 508121...
Back to the pre-planned stuff:
Winner 197013 Chester - Liverpool LS
Winner 802209 Liverpool LS - Manchester V
158901 from Manchester V to Rochdale and double tram 3102+3063 completed a somewhat antiseptic day.
Waking up early and checking out Real Time Trains (and in particular the allocation of units) suggested that a Cheshire Ranger might prove lucrative, and so it proved. Tram 3054, veteran 150115 and tram 3108 took me to Manchester Piccadilly, where the pre-planned red pen gore-fest commenced:
Winner 197002 Manchester P - Earlestown
Winner 197008 Earlestown - Manchester P
Then a minor hitch - dud 390047 Manchester P - Stoke on Trent! (This should have been required 390048, but this was late arriving at Piccalilli on its previous working so 047 stepped up one train.)
Back on track:
Winner 170271 Stoke on Trent - Crewe
Double Winners 153922+153318 Crewe - Chester
The People's Republic of Merseyside remain secretive about the identity of their units, so 508130 and 508125 took me to and from Bache in the continuing unsuccessful hunt for 508121...
Back to the pre-planned stuff:
Winner 197013 Chester - Liverpool LS
Winner 802209 Liverpool LS - Manchester V
158901 from Manchester V to Rochdale and double tram 3102+3063 completed a somewhat antiseptic day.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Sounded like a good decent shorter day trips.
What are your views on the 197s?
What are your views on the 197s?
Techniquest
Veteran Member
A shame some of it didn't go to plan there, but overall it would appear it was a good start to the year
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
A belated round up for February!
Miles for February 1431.7
Year to date 2810.1
New classes for year 2023 sampled in Feb:
GWR "Small Prairie" 2-6-2T
47
165
185
350
387
507
745
Piccadilly Line
Various small devices at Bekonscot, Ruislip Lido and Southend Pier
Classiest haulage of month:
47635 beats GWR 5521 at the EOR by virtue of the latter's fake paint job.
Bizarrest haulage:
"Doodagh", the small diesel at the Bekonscot Model Village railway. (Also wins bizarrest name of loco award)
Best new shack:
Southend Pier Head (by a nautical mile)
Worst new shack:
Whilst the random concrete brutalism of Pitsea is moderately unpleasant, the sheer unnecessary existence of Heathrow Terminal 5 takes this month's prize.
Miles for February 1431.7
Year to date 2810.1
New classes for year 2023 sampled in Feb:
GWR "Small Prairie" 2-6-2T
47
165
185
350
387
507
745
Piccadilly Line
Various small devices at Bekonscot, Ruislip Lido and Southend Pier
Classiest haulage of month:
47635 beats GWR 5521 at the EOR by virtue of the latter's fake paint job.
Bizarrest haulage:
"Doodagh", the small diesel at the Bekonscot Model Village railway. (Also wins bizarrest name of loco award)
Best new shack:
Southend Pier Head (by a nautical mile)
Worst new shack:
Whilst the random concrete brutalism of Pitsea is moderately unpleasant, the sheer unnecessary existence of Heathrow Terminal 5 takes this month's prize.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
I'm a bit confused by your disapproval of Heathrow's Terminal 5. Is it the overall place, as in the terminal itself, or just the station or both?
I'm a bit biased as Terminal 5 is my favourite so far. I never got to sample Terminal 1, and one day I am sure I will get to enjoy Terminals 2 and 4. Terminal 3 I've only done once and I wasn't blown away by it at all. Now 5, that's where it's at when it comes to Heathrow in my experience so far!
The stations themselves, I've absolutely no issues with Terminal 5's mainline station. I haven't used the Piccadilly there for a mighty long time, although that may be changing later this month.
I'm a bit biased as Terminal 5 is my favourite so far. I never got to sample Terminal 1, and one day I am sure I will get to enjoy Terminals 2 and 4. Terminal 3 I've only done once and I wasn't blown away by it at all. Now 5, that's where it's at when it comes to Heathrow in my experience so far!
The stations themselves, I've absolutely no issues with Terminal 5's mainline station. I haven't used the Piccadilly there for a mighty long time, although that may be changing later this month.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
The whole place, rather than the station.
Admittedly it is basically designed for air passengers rather than people getting from Feltham to London via the replacement bus dodging scenic route (proper double decker to Hatton Cross, Picc to T5 and fast pair of 387s to Paddington), but for the latter it's poorly signposted as regards changing from tube to random overpriced plutocratex.
As you can probably tell, politically I'm somewhat to the extreme left...
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Typo error alert
You can all stop laughing at my hunt for 508121 as my last required 508. It was renumbered and scrapped some time ago.
The offending unit yet to be sampled is 508131.
A day out in scouseland is overdue
You can all stop laughing at my hunt for 508121 as my last required 508. It was renumbered and scrapped some time ago.
The offending unit yet to be sampled is 508131.
A day out in scouseland is overdue
Techniquest
Veteran Member
I never noticed the typo with the 508, before I forget to mention it, but easy done!
Yes I'd not imagine that the designers of Heathrow ever envisioned LU to HeX connections being one many people would want to do! Making it people-friendly at the airport would have been a high priority, enthusiasts avoiding might never have even crossed their mind!
Kite159
Veteran Member
At least the connection between LU & 'NR' at Heathrow T5 is a bit easier than at the other two terminals. From memory it's a good 5 minute walk from Heathrow Central to T2/3 LU.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Never done it there, although I have at T4, which I don't particularly recall as irritating.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Two days to go until the next trip.
For a change from Feltham, I'm staying at Reading.
Fixed points to visit are:
Friday evening, a visit to a friend near Oxford for a couple of beers
Saturday - Hackney for a day's quizzing
Sunday - Spa Valley Railway gala or maybe not (due to late withdrawals the only winner there AFAIK is a Bulleid Pacific, so might bob up to Didcot instead)
As I'll be using a Thames Rover, I suspect the majority of stuff I'll be chasing will be GWR
For a change from Feltham, I'm staying at Reading.
Fixed points to visit are:
Friday evening, a visit to a friend near Oxford for a couple of beers
Saturday - Hackney for a day's quizzing
Sunday - Spa Valley Railway gala or maybe not (due to late withdrawals the only winner there AFAIK is a Bulleid Pacific, so might bob up to Didcot instead)
As I'll be using a Thames Rover, I suspect the majority of stuff I'll be chasing will be GWR
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Good luck for your adventure!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Thanks. Hope your injury has recovered sufficiently to enable you to retain your "plus combatif" jersey in Le Tour De Herefordshire!
Friday was postponed due to me getting up late and my friend having a funeral to attend in mid-Wales on Saturday. A pair of winning 350s from Crewe to Euston was made less fun by them being /2 variant. 21515/516 sampled for the first time on the Hammercirclict line.
Saturday's quiz was fine, but held in a primary school, therefore dinky furniture which I wasn't going to spend the afternoon sitting on, so I bailed out of the team event in the afternoon and went down to the Spa Valley to rake in the Bulleid (and enjoy a ride behind 31430, as well as a very nice pub at Eridge), then was amused to get 21515/516 again from Victoria to Paddington on the Hammehouseofhorrorsdisticle Line.
Sunday was a complete change of plan, with a trip to the Northampton and Lamport railway to scoop in 31289 and score the line (a bit of a trundle, but run by lovely people) and an excellent Beef/Yorky Pud/veg dinner at the pub next-door. (Veggie options available, but as some of these were a disgusting-sounding in-house option called "clucken" they were declined!)
Also scooped in was required pendo 390148 which has stalked me recently by always appearing, but never on a train I could catch. It presumably thought it was safe pulling in at Watford Jc right in front of me, but had forgotten that it was due to call at MK so was duly taken to the concrete cow shack!
The inevitable 21515/516 took me from Euston Square to Paddington. This isn't funny anymore! Homeward bound today, and seriously considering the Slough, walk across Windsor, Wimbledon, Thameslink to St Pancras and walk to Euston option to avoid the wretched thing...
Techniquest
Veteran Member
That is some bad fortune to get 21515+21516 on three separate occasions! Otherwise a decent few days all things considered. Ouch to a pair of Terrible Twos all the way to Euston though!
As for my injuries, thankfully I'm more or less back to normal. A little bit of grazing on the right knee which refuses to finish healing this millenium, but is causing no issues. I'm currently on my way to London with National Express, as today is the day I am flying to the USA
As for my injuries, thankfully I'm more or less back to normal. A little bit of grazing on the right knee which refuses to finish healing this millenium, but is causing no issues. I'm currently on my way to London with National Express, as today is the day I am flying to the USA
Andy Pacer
Established Member
Really good value ticket that one. I did one in January and last spring. Unfortunately now I've pretty much exhausted what I can do with one.
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
Some stats for the year to 31st March
Mileage for March: 1545.9
Mileage for 2023 to date: 4359.6
Mileage for March: 1545.9
Mileage for 2023 to date: 4359.6
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Crikey that's quite the amount of miles so far! I do wonder how many I've done! I'm actually heading north towards your city with a MK4 set, 82200 on the front but no idea on the 67. Didn't have time to go and look!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
If you've been to Vegas and back, I suspect you have done more miles than me!