It’s been a very long time since I wrote anything on here, but it’s quite a week on the rails so I’m reappearing briefly.
It’s a massive week at work this week, with a new depot opening at Bridgwater. As usual I planned to put in an appearance at the new depot during the first week, and had made all the transport arrangements a while ago, to visit the site on Tuesday. What I hadn’t bargained for was a meeting in Carlisle, hastily arranged for the Monday. Ideally I wouldn’t arrange meetings so far apart on consecutive days, but rather than rearrange (a problem with AP tickets), this presented an interesting challenge. My first booked move en route to Bridgwater was the 17:45 EC from Leeds to the Cross. Therefore it made most sense to me to travel south from Carlisle via the S&C rather than can the EC advance (only £13), and try to get something off Virgin at short notice. The more so since the day’s journey was to begin at home in Shipley, so a day return from Leeds to Carlisle made financial as well as logistical sense.
So it was that on Monday morning I boarded the 05:29 Leeds > Carlisle at Saltaire at 05:44. The only virtue of this train from my POV is that it alone of S&C workings calls at Saltaire, marginally increasing my sleeping time and reducing my walk to the station. Otherwise catching a train at 05:44 is as rubbish as it sounds. A tatty Northern 158 (what other sort is there?) was my home for the next 2½ hours, almost all of which was spent fast asleep. Waking up at Armathwaite I saw a healthy load of commuters on board; the train having been almost empty leaving Skipton, which was the last point I’d been awake.
My return train of choice, 15:05 semi-fast from Carlisle, only gives a plus 5 into the 17:45 EC, so it was right out, even though it is given 20 minutes in from Shipley. I use the term ‘semi-fast’ loosely, because although 2 hrs 35 is faster than other S&C trains, taking this long to cover 113 miles on a properly engineered main line is little short of scandalous. As it turned out my move was the 14:04, arriving at Leeds at 16:51 for a plus 54 into the 17:45. Totally dud 91128 on the rear, and a small farce at Doncaster, where we sat north of the junction for several minutes watching a procession of EC and GC moves passing on the main line, preceded a 15 minute late arrival at the Cross at 20:15. I got myself Oystered-up for a quick Hammersmith & City Line move over to Paddington, pleasingly formed of C stock rather than the sub-378 discomfort of the S stock that is rapidly overwhelming the H&C.
I have set myself three goals for 2013. (1) to get my highest annual mileage ever, (2) to make at least one move on every TOC, and (3) to make at least one move on each type of timetabled traction. The first two are going very well, but for the third goal class 166s have been eluding me all year, so the sight of 166214 dropping on the 20:57 semi-fast (that phrase again) to Oxford was very welcome. The more so because this train stops at Ealing Broadway making this a very cheap Oyster move. Mickey Mouse mileage I grant you, but my rules simply state at least one move, no matter what length. It was wedgerama by the time it left Paddington, and a lot more people got on at Ealing than bailed, so I was glad to be leaving the train TBH. I lived in Ealing for a year in the mid-90s so it was interesting to take a walk around what is an old stamping ground of mine, and I was surprised how little of it I remembered. I had an evening meal in a Thai noodle bar, which was seriously delicious, before heading back to Broadway for the 22:14 Heathrow Connect service to Paddington, only to find that it is Fridays Only. Just as well I’ve scratched a 360 already this year then. A brace of 2-car 165s rolled in on the 22:21 FGW service, which had somewhat incredibly set off from Banbury 140 minutes earlier at 20:01.
The sleeper wasn’t ready for boarding, so time for a load of tea, crisps, wine and fruit for gratis in the First Class Lounge. Ultra-dud 57603 on the front end. Where the blazes is 602? Certainly never at the head of any train I’m ever on. I went straight off to sleep and woke up as the train arrived at Plymouth. At six there was a knock at the door and a hand appeared holding a tray of tea and Alpen (no bacon rolls because the buffet staff were no show at Paddington. Grrrr), and a bit later we pulled into Lostwithiel two down at 06:30, where I bailed. Shack scratch for me at this lovely little GWR backwater, and I had 20 minutes for a quick early morning stroll around the little town before boarding the 06:51 Paddington HST (05:41 off the Zance). I rode this as far as Taunton, annoyingly falling asleep for most of the journey. I did wake up for the sea wall at Teignmouth and Dawlish, but was too lazy to get up and go to the vestibule, which was a bit of a waste really. By Taunton the train, which had been nearly empty at Lostwithiel was pretty wedged, so I was once again happy to be leaving. Over to platform 3 for the 09:37 class 150 to Bridgwater for shack scratch and a half hour walk to the new depot site.
Later on it was time to head back to the station for the 16:19 Cardiff working as far as Temple Meads. I was travelling with a normal colleague, so crank chat had to be limited. Nonetheless I had seen on the indicator that the train was formed of three cars, so when I saw a 150/1 leading I told her to move down the platform because the accomodation would be more comfortable (in the 153). I could tell she was impressed by this display of useful knowledge
At Temple Meads we crossed over to number 3 for the 17:30 HST to Leeds. My colleague had been complaining about the cramped conditions and hard seats on the train she had ridden south on on Sunday evening, so the fact that this Cross Country train wasn’t horrible was a pleasant surprise. That’s right Voyager apologists, a normal who would rather a tram than a Voyager. Not the ridiculous straw man that stalks your fevered imaginings, invented by backward looking enthusiasts devoid of the idea that any new train must *by definition* be progress, but a REAL PASSENGER, unacquainted with Forum arguments around the merits of underfloor engines vs power cars, stinking toilets vs useable ones, quality of ride on mk 3s vs Voyagers etc
The journey passed off pleasantly enough and we hit Leeds 2 early at 21:02. By this time I was totally shattered so I was pleased to see that the 21:26 to Skipton was already in platform 6 so I could board and vegetate until Saltaire.
A normal day at work on Wednesday (drove in rather than used the train so that I could have a kip in the car at lunchtime: these rail marathons are pretty exhausting!), so the next installment is to follow.
It’s a massive week at work this week, with a new depot opening at Bridgwater. As usual I planned to put in an appearance at the new depot during the first week, and had made all the transport arrangements a while ago, to visit the site on Tuesday. What I hadn’t bargained for was a meeting in Carlisle, hastily arranged for the Monday. Ideally I wouldn’t arrange meetings so far apart on consecutive days, but rather than rearrange (a problem with AP tickets), this presented an interesting challenge. My first booked move en route to Bridgwater was the 17:45 EC from Leeds to the Cross. Therefore it made most sense to me to travel south from Carlisle via the S&C rather than can the EC advance (only £13), and try to get something off Virgin at short notice. The more so since the day’s journey was to begin at home in Shipley, so a day return from Leeds to Carlisle made financial as well as logistical sense.
So it was that on Monday morning I boarded the 05:29 Leeds > Carlisle at Saltaire at 05:44. The only virtue of this train from my POV is that it alone of S&C workings calls at Saltaire, marginally increasing my sleeping time and reducing my walk to the station. Otherwise catching a train at 05:44 is as rubbish as it sounds. A tatty Northern 158 (what other sort is there?) was my home for the next 2½ hours, almost all of which was spent fast asleep. Waking up at Armathwaite I saw a healthy load of commuters on board; the train having been almost empty leaving Skipton, which was the last point I’d been awake.
My return train of choice, 15:05 semi-fast from Carlisle, only gives a plus 5 into the 17:45 EC, so it was right out, even though it is given 20 minutes in from Shipley. I use the term ‘semi-fast’ loosely, because although 2 hrs 35 is faster than other S&C trains, taking this long to cover 113 miles on a properly engineered main line is little short of scandalous. As it turned out my move was the 14:04, arriving at Leeds at 16:51 for a plus 54 into the 17:45. Totally dud 91128 on the rear, and a small farce at Doncaster, where we sat north of the junction for several minutes watching a procession of EC and GC moves passing on the main line, preceded a 15 minute late arrival at the Cross at 20:15. I got myself Oystered-up for a quick Hammersmith & City Line move over to Paddington, pleasingly formed of C stock rather than the sub-378 discomfort of the S stock that is rapidly overwhelming the H&C.
I have set myself three goals for 2013. (1) to get my highest annual mileage ever, (2) to make at least one move on every TOC, and (3) to make at least one move on each type of timetabled traction. The first two are going very well, but for the third goal class 166s have been eluding me all year, so the sight of 166214 dropping on the 20:57 semi-fast (that phrase again) to Oxford was very welcome. The more so because this train stops at Ealing Broadway making this a very cheap Oyster move. Mickey Mouse mileage I grant you, but my rules simply state at least one move, no matter what length. It was wedgerama by the time it left Paddington, and a lot more people got on at Ealing than bailed, so I was glad to be leaving the train TBH. I lived in Ealing for a year in the mid-90s so it was interesting to take a walk around what is an old stamping ground of mine, and I was surprised how little of it I remembered. I had an evening meal in a Thai noodle bar, which was seriously delicious, before heading back to Broadway for the 22:14 Heathrow Connect service to Paddington, only to find that it is Fridays Only. Just as well I’ve scratched a 360 already this year then. A brace of 2-car 165s rolled in on the 22:21 FGW service, which had somewhat incredibly set off from Banbury 140 minutes earlier at 20:01.
The sleeper wasn’t ready for boarding, so time for a load of tea, crisps, wine and fruit for gratis in the First Class Lounge. Ultra-dud 57603 on the front end. Where the blazes is 602? Certainly never at the head of any train I’m ever on. I went straight off to sleep and woke up as the train arrived at Plymouth. At six there was a knock at the door and a hand appeared holding a tray of tea and Alpen (no bacon rolls because the buffet staff were no show at Paddington. Grrrr), and a bit later we pulled into Lostwithiel two down at 06:30, where I bailed. Shack scratch for me at this lovely little GWR backwater, and I had 20 minutes for a quick early morning stroll around the little town before boarding the 06:51 Paddington HST (05:41 off the Zance). I rode this as far as Taunton, annoyingly falling asleep for most of the journey. I did wake up for the sea wall at Teignmouth and Dawlish, but was too lazy to get up and go to the vestibule, which was a bit of a waste really. By Taunton the train, which had been nearly empty at Lostwithiel was pretty wedged, so I was once again happy to be leaving. Over to platform 3 for the 09:37 class 150 to Bridgwater for shack scratch and a half hour walk to the new depot site.
Later on it was time to head back to the station for the 16:19 Cardiff working as far as Temple Meads. I was travelling with a normal colleague, so crank chat had to be limited. Nonetheless I had seen on the indicator that the train was formed of three cars, so when I saw a 150/1 leading I told her to move down the platform because the accomodation would be more comfortable (in the 153). I could tell she was impressed by this display of useful knowledge
At Temple Meads we crossed over to number 3 for the 17:30 HST to Leeds. My colleague had been complaining about the cramped conditions and hard seats on the train she had ridden south on on Sunday evening, so the fact that this Cross Country train wasn’t horrible was a pleasant surprise. That’s right Voyager apologists, a normal who would rather a tram than a Voyager. Not the ridiculous straw man that stalks your fevered imaginings, invented by backward looking enthusiasts devoid of the idea that any new train must *by definition* be progress, but a REAL PASSENGER, unacquainted with Forum arguments around the merits of underfloor engines vs power cars, stinking toilets vs useable ones, quality of ride on mk 3s vs Voyagers etc The journey passed off pleasantly enough and we hit Leeds 2 early at 21:02. By this time I was totally shattered so I was pleased to see that the 21:26 to Skipton was already in platform 6 so I could board and vegetate until Saltaire.
A normal day at work on Wednesday (drove in rather than used the train so that I could have a kip in the car at lunchtime: these rail marathons are pretty exhausting!), so the next installment is to follow.
