Here follows my account of the day when I decided to visit Elton and Orston Railway station. For anyone who does not know, it is located between the small Nottinghamshire village of Orston and the very small Nottinghamshire village of Elton on the Hill, here, on the Nottingham - Grantham line.
Visiting stations is one of the things I have come to most enjoy about exploring our railway, now that I have covered at least once most of the easy lines in my part of the country. I managed to use a novel combination of tickets to make myself a nice little round trip out of the visit, and managed to combine it with one or two other things too. This station is something of a prize to me, given how few trains it receives - Mondays to Saturdays there is a 0625 to Nottingham, and a 1710 to Skegness - and that's it. Given the awkwardness of this from my locations in Greater Manchester / West Yorkshire, I was looking forward to being able to brag about 'scratched' it. Not that there'll be much that I can brag about given what actually happened, but if you stick with me you'll find out why
Part 1 - York & Lincoln
I awoke in Leeds at 0700 feeling as refreshed as it is possible to be at that time in the morning - before falling back asleep and finally jumping myself out of bed at 0725. It was a bright morning, bordering on sunny and I was ready quickly and out of the door. The walk through Leeds at shortly before 0800 was interesting - and probably as nice as it gets in this weather. The faces of the commuters coming the other way up the hill as I weaved my way down Park Row and across City Square were the least unhappy they will probably be this side of Christmas. I had expected to fight a larger crush to leave the station at this time, but as I was on platform 12C by 0807, I expect that actually comes slightly later. My first train was intended to be the 0820 to York, but the 0812 to Scarborough was running late so I was there well before it. A very full 155 arrived in platform 16B, which was very strange because this had apparently come from Goole via Knottingley. I knew I had enough time to catch either the 0820 or the 0825 Northern stopper to York if this train was too full, but I needn't have worried - the Scarborough service was a double 185.
I boarded and got a table of four all to myself at the front of the rear unit. We departed, and the guard smiled brightly at me as he came out of the cab in front of me to check tickets, pausing briefly to say hello to the two BTP officers and another lady I'd been stood near on the platform who were now occupying the vestibule behind me. The trio were talking enthusiastically (and with not a little exasperation) about Northern Rail's 'STM Security' contractors. Much of what they said it would perhaps be unwise to repeat, but it sounded like they are as frustrated as some passengers and other staff are about them. The officer who did most of the talking expressed frustration that a recent opportunity to prosecute (the firm, the individual or the TOC, I couldn't be sure) had not been taken when some had been caught using Police crests on their name badges.
We quickly left the less than salubrious view of eastern Leeds behind and passed through Cross Gates - an impressive crowd on the opposite platform. An even more impressive crowd awaited the Liverpool service at Garforth as we arrived there at the same time as it.
"This is Garforth. This part of the train is for York. Customers for Malton, Seamer and Scarborough should alight at York and walk down to the front three coaches of the train. The next stop will be York."
The automatic announcement system sprung into life, correctly announcing the split at York, which really surprised me given how many times these trains (and stations) have attempted this and it hasn't worked! Colour me impressed, I thought.
We were soon zooming along at 100 again (or close enough!) and the Selby Diversion and it's overhead wires swung in to the right as we sped through Colton Junction. It was a hazy morning but the warm sun shone through lighting up the North Yorkshire fields with an inviting yellow glow. The shiny new Askham Bar Park & Ride site came into view as we passed under the A64, and I thought, not for the first time, how much better as a rail park and ride it would be (although the question of how a sufficient number of trains could be made to stop there without affecting capacity is not something I can see an answer to).
The approach to York heralded another miraculously helpful automatic announcement about the split, and off to the west I saw an incredibly shiny blue locomotive. A 68! I wondered if I had ever seen one 'in the metal' before and thought I hadn't, so this was something special. The usual crowd of photters on the platform end appeared to have been supplemented by a number of gentlemen in suits - and even the odd railway uniform and orange backpack.
We arrived in platform 5, and I disembarked from the train to watch them split. It was a bit late, but the new crew were ready and waiting for the off - so much so that somebody got stuck on the rear unit - now bound for Manchester Airport, while they were doing the manoeuvre. Fortunately there was plenty of time to get them and all of their suitcases off after the remarkably slick separation of the units. The Scarborough train left to the usual cacophony of 185ness and the guard of the remaining unit, now positioned somewhat strangely along the long platform, stood and shouted to lots of confused looking foreigners with suitcases that this was the Airport train.
I was expecting to see Searle, but it was evident that wherever he was, it was not here, so I walked along this island to have a look if that 68 was still there. It had gone, but to my intense interest another which had been obscured from view by it remained - in a distinctive silver livery that could not be mistaken - that of Chiltern Railways.
I did not get a particularly good shot of it and I wasn't in the right place, but there it was. The 68 in DRS livery went speeding along the avoiding line, and I returned the bridge. On my way, I spotted this on the departure board:
[Departure Screen reads: 0820 Expt 0900 London Kings Cross Calling at: London King's Cross Only CrossCountry]
The as ever, all-illuminating Mr IanXC later pointed out to me that this would not be a difficult mistake to make given that they share Control - I should have thought of that shouldn't I!? All the same it made for an amusing distraction. It appeared that the HST had not materialised and a 180 took the service, very full and 40 minutes late, at last it sped off southbound.
Following some confusion about a yellow fox - I actually said box as in the big yellow thing on the floor between platforms 3 and 4, I managed to find Searle on his way to work. We went for a walk around the station and talked about various things that had happened since we'd seen each other last. Members who attend Yorkshire events may be forgiven for thinking he's dropped off the face of the earth
The other 68 had gone by this point - although that did not turn out to be the last I saw of them! I bade goodbye to him 2 minutes before the doors closed of the 1001 East Coast 'stopping' service to London Kings Cross. This very lightly loaded train would take me on the relatively unremarkable journey as far as Retford. Although not great for scenery, this part of the journey was at least fast. I enjoyed the chance to make the York - Doncaster journey given how expensive this piece of track has now become for walk-up tickets, on my York to Lincoln advance. The spotters at Donny were of a far lower class than those at York to judge from their external appearance - as alleged by Searle at least :P [You suggested I check next month's 'RAIL' - but you'll have to look and tell me yourself so I'm not caught reading it ].
Retford seems like a rather sleepy town. Not much to see and do, and in the 45 minutes I had there I couldn't really locate the 'Town Centre' such as it must be, despite the assistance of a map on a board opposite the station. Retford's main station has at least been shown some TLC by EC recently - the subway still smelled of paint and everything was clean and tidy. Shame the same hasn't been paid to the low level! I waited on the Eastbound LL platform cursing the delay of the Northern service from Scunthorpe to Lincoln via Sheffield. I had hoped to make the tight but potentially doable connection from this train arriving in Lincoln at 1203 to the 1210 to Peterborough in order to scratch Metheringham. However, as it was not a booked connection I wouldn't receive a refund if I missed it and had to ditch that part of my journey (I'd planned to buy at Retford or on the train from the Northern guard). After the passage of countless noisy HSTs and 91-sets high above, the WY 144 screeched it's way in to the station and I jumped aboard. The guard stood talking to a raucous bunch of guys sat in the bay seats in the middle of one coach for most of the journey - I have no idea who they were but they were having a right laugh about the fact he was now old enough to be in Link 2 (he modestly downplayed it, saying the shift times were scarcely different, if anyone cares). At Gainsborough a fairly large number of people boarded, and the lady who sat in front of me had a slightly interesting journey. She explained to the guard she wanted to go to Lincoln, and then get off and get another train to a place beginning with s - but neither I nor the guard could divine where this place was, due to her very strong accent (the guard himself had quite a thick Yorkshire accent too, though I'm well used to that). She was asked to describe its location but couldn't do that either... perhaps understandably as after I plucked my atlas out, I was fairly sure she wanted to go to Swinderby - and there appears to be absolutely bugger all there! I found it very difficult to understand her, but there was a moment when the guard asked if it was near Sheffield, and she said no, this seemed to convince him he had found her destination - and she got charged £22 something with a railcard... so I am sorry to say it seems she bought a ticket to Swinton (Manchester)!!!! The price wasn't questioned, and she paid by card. I can only hope somebody noticed later or on her return journey and helped her sort it out! I did think £20odd was a lot, but I had no idea where Swinderby was, it could have been the other side of Nottingham for all I knew (note - I was thinking of Sileby) so I could not intervene at the time.
A stroke of luck showed me that the elusive Doncaster <> Lincoln Dogbox was on its way northwards a few minutes after my train arrived at Saxilby, so I decided to bail and go for that as we were too late for me to make the Peterborough train at Lincoln, giving me 'two for the price of one' or should I say for the price of £5.15, as that's how much a new return from Lincoln to Gainsborough [Note: NOT 'GAINSBOROUGH STNS' - I wonder why?] cost me!
I alighted at Saxilby to discover actually incredibly little was in the immediate vicinity - no real surprises there though - with the exception of one absolutely humongous piece of metalwork recently installed in order to close the foot crossing. Network Rail Green really does kinda take over places like this doesn't it?
I was put in mind of Woodlesford, West Yorks, which recently received similar treatment for the same reason.
Crossing the monster of a footbridge, 153321 soon turned up, which I recognised from my journey from Longport to Kidsgrove less than a week previous - by it's slightly unhealthy sounding engine! I remember thinking then that it has a little bit of an identity crisis, it's a bloody Dogbox not a 321!
Much like 153 319 in that respect, which also emitted some very strange noises the last time I was on it 
This part of the country is deathly dull to look out of the window in - but then I already knew it would be like that. What I really wanted to see was Gainsborough Lea Road station - and I was not to be disappointed. I disembarked and there were a surprising number of intending passengers on the platform. One had a ticket to Sheffield and had clearly been puzzling over the meaning of the words 'Any Permitted' (as I remember I used to do, before I was initiated into such things) to see if it meant he could go via Doncaster. The guard readily admitted him to the train, which stood at the short and awkwardly narrow platform for several minutes, before departing and still sounding more than a little bit wrong on the underside!
I walked down to the front of the platform, where the same gentleman was leaning over the fence taking pictures as when I'd passed through before. I then took what was clearly supposed to be the level access to the station... but it was all broken and subsiding, and had been bodged back together with a bit of cement. I wondered how well someone in a wheelchair might get on here, and thought about how well catered for they would now be at Saxilby. It's not the first time I have wondered how we manage to allocate funding to accessibility projects in a way that doesn't seem at all based on usage! The story of the ramps was only going to get crazier at Lea Road station though - because of the unbelievable modifications that had been made to the far side of the station to provide a ramp to the Lincoln platform.
What on earth were they thinking building a ramp out of red bricks, timber and little 'huts', for want of a better word, each with individual slate tiled rooves!? It's like nothing I have ever seen. I would really appreciate anyone local or from the local Community Rail Partnership who may be reading to point me towards some history here? The station also had a very strangely worded sign, I thought:
[Sign reads: Polite Notice South End 0f Platform Reduced By 15 Meters Due to Temporary Works]
Only the 'to' has a lower case, 'metres' is incorrect, and that's a '0' in place of an 'O'! Ah well Also, we're hardly lacking for space to fit a pacer this platform, let alone a Dogbox! And I'll be the judge of whether it's polite or not, thank-you-very-much! I wonder what they are doing? Something to spruce the place up? Ha!
The white paint on the inside of the strange shelter-cum-entrance to the Lincoln platform was very cracked and dirty - and the stairs up to this platform were rusting and in poor condition, and there was evidence of a collapsing concrete platform - perhaps where an old shelter used to sit. There was at least a little store for gardening supplies used by the station adopters, although I don't remember seeing where they were gardening.
Unfortunately, the station has a very... decrepit air - which is a shame really, given the town seems to have some followers in it's campaign to improve service on this and the Brigg line, which I wholeheartedly wish them well in. It would be eminently sensible to try to operate a few more peak time trains to and from Gainsborough given that the currently Saturdays Only Gainsborough Central station is available in which to do so - and at a more convenient location for the actual town too. Lea Road has a poster about the Sheffield - Cleethorpes service up which is obviously supposed to go at Central / Kirton / Brigg because it contains the warning about there being no trains from 'this station' Sunday to Friday! That bit could do with a sticker going over it! There's also information about doing their Survey - and the stated aim of the Friends of the Brigg and Lincoln Lines is:
I agree! But they forgot to add; bums that have bought tickets! So I have done that much for them at least :P
An ex-ATN 142 arrived, heralded both with an absolutely awful automatic announcement that sounded like it said 'SAXOORBY' on a text-to-speech system and one of the people who'd been waiting, an interesting fellow with a sort of yellow bag and a red hoodie, who referred to the train as 'the passenger' and seemed to be on very friendly terms with the driver and the guard (I'm less sure about the Driving Standards Manager*also in the cab). He didn't get on the train, either.
*May not be the exact title, sorry...
The little thing bounced me off to Lincoln, where I arrived shortly after 13:00. I noticed that a small contingent of staff and other enthusiasts, including the driver and guard of the Northern train, were waiting at the end of the end of Platform 4, one commenting on the route set along one of the centre roads as a signal lit up green.
What should come speeding through? But that 68! Or at least... I think it was! It had certainly come from York at any rate, so 68008 appeared to be stalking me - boy was I surprised It had quite a following at both locations too.
Shortly after that the Leicester train arrived, hot and very full. Everyone piled off and I took a seat at a table at the rear.
Visiting stations is one of the things I have come to most enjoy about exploring our railway, now that I have covered at least once most of the easy lines in my part of the country. I managed to use a novel combination of tickets to make myself a nice little round trip out of the visit, and managed to combine it with one or two other things too. This station is something of a prize to me, given how few trains it receives - Mondays to Saturdays there is a 0625 to Nottingham, and a 1710 to Skegness - and that's it. Given the awkwardness of this from my locations in Greater Manchester / West Yorkshire, I was looking forward to being able to brag about 'scratched' it. Not that there'll be much that I can brag about given what actually happened, but if you stick with me you'll find out why
Part 1 - York & Lincoln
I awoke in Leeds at 0700 feeling as refreshed as it is possible to be at that time in the morning - before falling back asleep and finally jumping myself out of bed at 0725. It was a bright morning, bordering on sunny and I was ready quickly and out of the door. The walk through Leeds at shortly before 0800 was interesting - and probably as nice as it gets in this weather. The faces of the commuters coming the other way up the hill as I weaved my way down Park Row and across City Square were the least unhappy they will probably be this side of Christmas. I had expected to fight a larger crush to leave the station at this time, but as I was on platform 12C by 0807, I expect that actually comes slightly later. My first train was intended to be the 0820 to York, but the 0812 to Scarborough was running late so I was there well before it. A very full 155 arrived in platform 16B, which was very strange because this had apparently come from Goole via Knottingley. I knew I had enough time to catch either the 0820 or the 0825 Northern stopper to York if this train was too full, but I needn't have worried - the Scarborough service was a double 185.
I boarded and got a table of four all to myself at the front of the rear unit. We departed, and the guard smiled brightly at me as he came out of the cab in front of me to check tickets, pausing briefly to say hello to the two BTP officers and another lady I'd been stood near on the platform who were now occupying the vestibule behind me. The trio were talking enthusiastically (and with not a little exasperation) about Northern Rail's 'STM Security' contractors. Much of what they said it would perhaps be unwise to repeat, but it sounded like they are as frustrated as some passengers and other staff are about them. The officer who did most of the talking expressed frustration that a recent opportunity to prosecute (the firm, the individual or the TOC, I couldn't be sure) had not been taken when some had been caught using Police crests on their name badges.
We quickly left the less than salubrious view of eastern Leeds behind and passed through Cross Gates - an impressive crowd on the opposite platform. An even more impressive crowd awaited the Liverpool service at Garforth as we arrived there at the same time as it.
"This is Garforth. This part of the train is for York. Customers for Malton, Seamer and Scarborough should alight at York and walk down to the front three coaches of the train. The next stop will be York."
The automatic announcement system sprung into life, correctly announcing the split at York, which really surprised me given how many times these trains (and stations) have attempted this and it hasn't worked! Colour me impressed, I thought.
We were soon zooming along at 100 again (or close enough!) and the Selby Diversion and it's overhead wires swung in to the right as we sped through Colton Junction. It was a hazy morning but the warm sun shone through lighting up the North Yorkshire fields with an inviting yellow glow. The shiny new Askham Bar Park & Ride site came into view as we passed under the A64, and I thought, not for the first time, how much better as a rail park and ride it would be (although the question of how a sufficient number of trains could be made to stop there without affecting capacity is not something I can see an answer to).
The approach to York heralded another miraculously helpful automatic announcement about the split, and off to the west I saw an incredibly shiny blue locomotive. A 68! I wondered if I had ever seen one 'in the metal' before and thought I hadn't, so this was something special. The usual crowd of photters on the platform end appeared to have been supplemented by a number of gentlemen in suits - and even the odd railway uniform and orange backpack.
We arrived in platform 5, and I disembarked from the train to watch them split. It was a bit late, but the new crew were ready and waiting for the off - so much so that somebody got stuck on the rear unit - now bound for Manchester Airport, while they were doing the manoeuvre. Fortunately there was plenty of time to get them and all of their suitcases off after the remarkably slick separation of the units. The Scarborough train left to the usual cacophony of 185ness and the guard of the remaining unit, now positioned somewhat strangely along the long platform, stood and shouted to lots of confused looking foreigners with suitcases that this was the Airport train.
I was expecting to see Searle, but it was evident that wherever he was, it was not here, so I walked along this island to have a look if that 68 was still there. It had gone, but to my intense interest another which had been obscured from view by it remained - in a distinctive silver livery that could not be mistaken - that of Chiltern Railways.
I did not get a particularly good shot of it and I wasn't in the right place, but there it was. The 68 in DRS livery went speeding along the avoiding line, and I returned the bridge. On my way, I spotted this on the departure board:
[Departure Screen reads: 0820 Expt 0900 London Kings Cross Calling at: London King's Cross Only CrossCountry]
The as ever, all-illuminating Mr IanXC later pointed out to me that this would not be a difficult mistake to make given that they share Control - I should have thought of that shouldn't I!? All the same it made for an amusing distraction. It appeared that the HST had not materialised and a 180 took the service, very full and 40 minutes late, at last it sped off southbound.
Following some confusion about a yellow fox - I actually said box as in the big yellow thing on the floor between platforms 3 and 4, I managed to find Searle on his way to work. We went for a walk around the station and talked about various things that had happened since we'd seen each other last. Members who attend Yorkshire events may be forgiven for thinking he's dropped off the face of the earth
The other 68 had gone by this point - although that did not turn out to be the last I saw of them! I bade goodbye to him 2 minutes before the doors closed of the 1001 East Coast 'stopping' service to London Kings Cross. This very lightly loaded train would take me on the relatively unremarkable journey as far as Retford. Although not great for scenery, this part of the journey was at least fast. I enjoyed the chance to make the York - Doncaster journey given how expensive this piece of track has now become for walk-up tickets, on my York to Lincoln advance. The spotters at Donny were of a far lower class than those at York to judge from their external appearance - as alleged by Searle at least :P [You suggested I check next month's 'RAIL' - but you'll have to look and tell me yourself so I'm not caught reading it ].Retford seems like a rather sleepy town. Not much to see and do, and in the 45 minutes I had there I couldn't really locate the 'Town Centre' such as it must be, despite the assistance of a map on a board opposite the station. Retford's main station has at least been shown some TLC by EC recently - the subway still smelled of paint and everything was clean and tidy. Shame the same hasn't been paid to the low level! I waited on the Eastbound LL platform cursing the delay of the Northern service from Scunthorpe to Lincoln via Sheffield. I had hoped to make the tight but potentially doable connection from this train arriving in Lincoln at 1203 to the 1210 to Peterborough in order to scratch Metheringham. However, as it was not a booked connection I wouldn't receive a refund if I missed it and had to ditch that part of my journey (I'd planned to buy at Retford or on the train from the Northern guard). After the passage of countless noisy HSTs and 91-sets high above, the WY 144 screeched it's way in to the station and I jumped aboard. The guard stood talking to a raucous bunch of guys sat in the bay seats in the middle of one coach for most of the journey - I have no idea who they were but they were having a right laugh about the fact he was now old enough to be in Link 2 (he modestly downplayed it, saying the shift times were scarcely different, if anyone cares). At Gainsborough a fairly large number of people boarded, and the lady who sat in front of me had a slightly interesting journey. She explained to the guard she wanted to go to Lincoln, and then get off and get another train to a place beginning with s - but neither I nor the guard could divine where this place was, due to her very strong accent (the guard himself had quite a thick Yorkshire accent too, though I'm well used to that). She was asked to describe its location but couldn't do that either... perhaps understandably as after I plucked my atlas out, I was fairly sure she wanted to go to Swinderby - and there appears to be absolutely bugger all there! I found it very difficult to understand her, but there was a moment when the guard asked if it was near Sheffield, and she said no, this seemed to convince him he had found her destination - and she got charged £22 something with a railcard... so I am sorry to say it seems she bought a ticket to Swinton (Manchester)!!!! The price wasn't questioned, and she paid by card. I can only hope somebody noticed later or on her return journey and helped her sort it out! I did think £20odd was a lot, but I had no idea where Swinderby was, it could have been the other side of Nottingham for all I knew (note - I was thinking of Sileby) so I could not intervene at the time.
A stroke of luck showed me that the elusive Doncaster <> Lincoln Dogbox was on its way northwards a few minutes after my train arrived at Saxilby, so I decided to bail and go for that as we were too late for me to make the Peterborough train at Lincoln, giving me 'two for the price of one' or should I say for the price of £5.15, as that's how much a new return from Lincoln to Gainsborough [Note: NOT 'GAINSBOROUGH STNS' - I wonder why?] cost me!
I alighted at Saxilby to discover actually incredibly little was in the immediate vicinity - no real surprises there though - with the exception of one absolutely humongous piece of metalwork recently installed in order to close the foot crossing. Network Rail Green really does kinda take over places like this doesn't it?
I was put in mind of Woodlesford, West Yorks, which recently received similar treatment for the same reason.
Crossing the monster of a footbridge, 153321 soon turned up, which I recognised from my journey from Longport to Kidsgrove less than a week previous - by it's slightly unhealthy sounding engine! I remember thinking then that it has a little bit of an identity crisis, it's a bloody Dogbox not a 321!
Much like 153 319 in that respect, which also emitted some very strange noises the last time I was on it This part of the country is deathly dull to look out of the window in - but then I already knew it would be like that. What I really wanted to see was Gainsborough Lea Road station - and I was not to be disappointed. I disembarked and there were a surprising number of intending passengers on the platform. One had a ticket to Sheffield and had clearly been puzzling over the meaning of the words 'Any Permitted' (as I remember I used to do, before I was initiated into such things) to see if it meant he could go via Doncaster. The guard readily admitted him to the train, which stood at the short and awkwardly narrow platform for several minutes, before departing and still sounding more than a little bit wrong on the underside! I walked down to the front of the platform, where the same gentleman was leaning over the fence taking pictures as when I'd passed through before. I then took what was clearly supposed to be the level access to the station... but it was all broken and subsiding, and had been bodged back together with a bit of cement. I wondered how well someone in a wheelchair might get on here, and thought about how well catered for they would now be at Saxilby. It's not the first time I have wondered how we manage to allocate funding to accessibility projects in a way that doesn't seem at all based on usage! The story of the ramps was only going to get crazier at Lea Road station though - because of the unbelievable modifications that had been made to the far side of the station to provide a ramp to the Lincoln platform.
What on earth were they thinking building a ramp out of red bricks, timber and little 'huts', for want of a better word, each with individual slate tiled rooves!? It's like nothing I have ever seen. I would really appreciate anyone local or from the local Community Rail Partnership who may be reading to point me towards some history here? The station also had a very strangely worded sign, I thought:
[Sign reads: Polite Notice South End 0f Platform Reduced By 15 Meters Due to Temporary Works]
Only the 'to' has a lower case, 'metres' is incorrect, and that's a '0' in place of an 'O'! Ah well
Also, we're hardly lacking for space to fit a pacer this platform, let alone a Dogbox! And I'll be the judge of whether it's polite or not, thank-you-very-much! I wonder what they are doing? Something to spruce the place up? Ha! The white paint on the inside of the strange shelter-cum-entrance to the Lincoln platform was very cracked and dirty - and the stairs up to this platform were rusting and in poor condition, and there was evidence of a collapsing concrete platform - perhaps where an old shelter used to sit. There was at least a little store for gardening supplies used by the station adopters, although I don't remember seeing where they were gardening.
Unfortunately, the station has a very... decrepit air - which is a shame really, given the town seems to have some followers in it's campaign to improve service on this and the Brigg line, which I wholeheartedly wish them well in. It would be eminently sensible to try to operate a few more peak time trains to and from Gainsborough given that the currently Saturdays Only Gainsborough Central station is available in which to do so - and at a more convenient location for the actual town too. Lea Road has a poster about the Sheffield - Cleethorpes service up which is obviously supposed to go at Central / Kirton / Brigg because it contains the warning about there being no trains from 'this station' Sunday to Friday! That bit could do with a sticker going over it! There's also information about doing their Survey - and the stated aim of the Friends of the Brigg and Lincoln Lines is:
I agree! But they forgot to add; bums that have bought tickets! So I have done that much for them at least :P
An ex-ATN 142 arrived, heralded both with an absolutely awful automatic announcement that sounded like it said 'SAXOORBY' on a text-to-speech system and one of the people who'd been waiting, an interesting fellow with a sort of yellow bag and a red hoodie, who referred to the train as 'the passenger' and seemed to be on very friendly terms with the driver and the guard (I'm less sure about the Driving Standards Manager*also in the cab). He didn't get on the train, either.
*May not be the exact title, sorry...
The little thing bounced me off to Lincoln, where I arrived shortly after 13:00. I noticed that a small contingent of staff and other enthusiasts, including the driver and guard of the Northern train, were waiting at the end of the end of Platform 4, one commenting on the route set along one of the centre roads as a signal lit up green.
What should come speeding through? But that 68! Or at least... I think it was! It had certainly come from York at any rate, so 68008 appeared to be stalking me - boy was I surprised
It had quite a following at both locations too. Shortly after that the Leicester train arrived, hot and very full. Everyone piled off and I took a seat at a table at the rear.
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