Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[crispy1978]

I forgot about the Tyne & Tees Day Ranger

*goes off pondering to try and book a couple nights in a cheap hotel with a late check-in to go up Friday night and come back on the Sunday*

I did that in November 2013 - managed to get through all the stations we could within a day, and that included travelling to and from Scarborough- was a really good day!!

 

[Techniquest]

A week today and I'll be bouncing off the walls with excitement! I still have no idea where my holdall is yet, hopefully I find it tomorrow as I have nowhere near enough room in my backpack for 6 days of books, clothes and other supplies! If not then I will have to pop into Sports Direct and get a new one on Tuesday.

I don't know when I'll get the trip report done, as I'm taking the money I had received to buy a laptop and putting it in my savings on Tuesday. The reason will be revealed eventually, pending how the year goes, but if it all goes to plan 2016 will be extremely epic!

 

[FQ]

A week today and I'll be bouncing off the walls with excitement!

And about 2 weeks today you will be bouncing off the walls on a pacer!

 

[Techniquest]

And about 2 weeks today you will be bouncing off the walls on a pacer!

2 weeks today I'll be recovering at home, catching up on missed TV (Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, Pawnography at least. No more Big Bang Theory for some months now, grr!), hanging out with the family and getting on with uploading the photos and the trip report! Not to mention processing observations for the 'Trains you've seen working' thread, nor to mention getting my moves all put on RailMiles!

 

[Segedunum]

Good to see you'll be up doing some Metro moves, I've been shack scratching in my spare time on the Metro recently, and I'm pretty far through clearing them. The stock and (normal passenger) track are long cleared. The ones remaining on the map are my required shacks

 

[Techniquest]

Good to see you'll be up doing some Metro moves, I've been shack scratching in my spare time on the Metro recently, and I'm pretty far through clearing them. The stock and (normal passenger) track are long cleared. The ones remaining on the map are my required shacks

Easy to clear that lot in no time, I've got something silly like 39 stations on the Metro to do! Aye I'll have a good few Metro moves when I'm up there, I do like the system and the trains on it

In other news all, I've got my March trip booked now, after spending a lot of time on Booking.com and even Premier Inn's website. I'm doing something I never thought I'd do again, but for the ching I'll happily take it on. £62 versus around £90 for a non-chain hotel that was even close to acceptable, and even then those all looked dubious anyway!

Much to my incredible but very pleasant surprise, I've got tickets from Hereford to London Euston that include Virgin Trains from/to Birmingham New Street. For very acceptable ching too, very happy about that and once the confirmation of booking came up, there was a flail going on!

So what am I doing that I never thought I'd do again? Stay at a Travelodge! I've booked into Borehamwood Travelodge, even though it's a dud one. I need the Studio Way Travelodge but that was an extra £9. Edmonton was also required, but was £75 so since I can get 319s to/from Elstree and Borehamwood I figured the saving was well worth it. Of course, there's a mile walk to/from the Travelodge before I get on a train but hey ho!

Bring it on already, 2 months today to go until my epic clearout in London is to begin!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Will report back on my, much dreaded, TL Stay 7th-9th Feb, seeing as we both have identical issues Re there horrid gastly beds.

 

[Techniquest]

Will report back on my, much dreaded, TL Stay 7th-9th Feb, seeing as we both have identical issues Re there horrid gastly beds.

I shall look forward to seeing your trip report, that there is no doubt of! At least I know I'll get a decent shower and a decent kettle with tea/coffee supplies (and not feel bad about asking for more as I do in non-chain hotels)! Oh and no shared bathrooms, good God ain't London packed full of such hotels!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I wouldnt bet on the decent shower iether, last TL Showers Iv had have been rather bad and the stay prior to this one they wouldnt restock my tea and coffee iether. The shared bathroom thing is the norm on a budget in London it would seam and as to this TL Stay coming up it was
only
due to proximitty to the Victoria Line, allowing me to finally clear the North end of it! ↲
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Other things will include finally finishing part of the Central to Epping as attending a function out that way but this will still leave the Hainault section grrr. Also planning a trip to Hampstead Underground Station on the Northern as although Iv no intention of clearing every single one on the system I do like to do the unusual ones and this one meets that chriterior by being the deapest bellow ground so needs doing, as do the high speed lifts that transport you to street level.↲
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Also tempted by the new SE High Speed rounder services as can clear a lot of track by simply spending 3.5 hours doing the out and back, made possible by the TT Changes earlier this month and with the added bonus of a good thrash along HS1. I also have a number of new bits on the DLR to do!

 

[Techniquest]

I guess I'll see how I go. I've done this TL before so I know on my previous visit that it's been fine, fingers crossed it will be this time too!

Of course, if it's not there will be an epic rant in both this trip reports thread and the "Accommodation you've stayed in, the good, the bad and the ugly" thread!

 

[noddy1878]

90% of my trips away see me stay in a Travelodge. Yes they're basic but all the ones I have stayed in have been clean and all I need to be honest is a place to get my head down relatively cheaply. In fact the worse one I've stayed in was near Burton on A38 and wasn't even a rail related trip! I'm in a Travelodge this week in Edinburgh and suits my needs to the ground.

 

[Kite159]

TLs are good as you can arrive late evening without a batting of an eyelid of any staff. Whereas with the non-chain hotels you really need to be there at a sociable time to check in.

 

[55013]

Travelodge's are nice, generally cheap, places to lay your head for a few hours.
Take my advice, though, never, ever, stay at the Birmingham Maypole one!

 

[crispy1978]

I've never had an issue with TLs, a couple of them a bit grubby but they are fine to rest your head and freshen up.

 

[Techniquest]

I'm just hoping the bed in my next Travelodge stay is acceptable!

Well gang the night before the trip has arrived! Alarm is set for 0600, and I'm hoping the weather does what I expect it to and behave! First big and major trip of the year, less than 10.5 hours until the alarm goes off, although I know it's going to be a poor night's sleep as I'm well excited!

Don't forget I'll be on Twitter a lot during the trip, with regular tweets each day. Each one will have a hashtag to keep track of things more easily, Monday to Wednesday it's #techsgardening with Thursday to Saturday it's #techsonthetoon Yes the trip report on here will also follow in due course, but I don't anticipate that being finished for ages yet. It'll be started next weekend though

Here's hoping it's the monster bash I really need at the moment!

 

[Kristofferson]

Have a good one! Your enthusiasm is infectious, looking forward to the tweets

 

[crispy1978]

I'm just hoping the bed in my next Travelodge stay is acceptable!

Well gang the night before the trip has arrived! Alarm is set for 0600, and I'm hoping the weather does what I expect it to and behave! First big and major trip of the year, less than 10.5 hours until the alarm goes off, although I know it's going to be a poor night's sleep as I'm well excited!

Don't forget I'll be on Twitter a lot during the trip, with regular tweets each day. Each one will have a hashtag to keep track of things more easily, Monday to Wednesday it's #techsgardening with Thursday to Saturday it's #techsonthetoon Yes the trip report on here will also follow in due course, but I don't anticipate that being finished for ages yet. It'll be started next weekend though

Here's hoping it's the monster bash I really need at the moment!

Have a great trip!!

 

[Techniquest]

Have a good one! Your enthusiasm is infectious, looking forward to the tweets

Think I know who you are on Twitter now, if you are who I think you are I hope the £2.90 was spent well! (you'll know what I mean if you're him!)

Tweets will begin anytime between 0600 and 0630 tomorrow Getting so close now!

crispy1978: Thanks, I will hopefully!

 

[alexf380]

Have a good trip! Looking forward to the repot/ epic novel

 

[postye]

I'm just hoping the bed in my next Travelodge stay is acceptable!

Well gang the night before the trip has arrived! Alarm is set for 0600, and I'm hoping the weather does what I expect it to and behave! First big and major trip of the year, less than 10.5 hours until the alarm goes off, although I know it's going to be a poor night's sleep as I'm well excited!

Don't forget I'll be on Twitter a lot during the trip, with regular tweets each day. Each one will have a hashtag to keep track of things more easily, Monday to Wednesday it's #techsgardening with Thursday to Saturday it's #techsonthetoon Yes the trip report on here will also follow in due course, but I don't anticipate that being finished for ages yet. It'll be started next weekend though

Here's hoping it's the monster bash I really need at the moment!

Sounds intriguing - one end of the country to the other. Hope you have a great trip and I'll be following updates on twitter

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Have a good one.

I hope the stabilier-rail remains ice-free for the first part of your trip, and the Northern Rail random unit generator is suitably generous on the second half.

 

[Kite159]

And please don't bring any snow with you

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Tech, have a good one. If you see 375304, remember to say "hi" to it from me (it's the only 375 that I need outright). And when you get up to the North East, I definitely be slightly envious - all those Heaton 142s & 156s .....

 

[Techniquest]

Managed to leave the snow behind on the hills! Had a bit of a strange day so far, certainly the red pen is having very little to do!

Hope you've all enjoyed the tweets so far, been plenty of them thanks to free WiFi on the HST! Currently on the last part of my outward trip, accelerating like mad in the London tunnel to Stratford International as I type, enjoying the noise in a motor coach

 

[47403]

more snow up in the north east, bitterly cold too. Happy hunting young sir.

hope you enjoy your trip in the North East. Judging by your twitter feed, beating the Kent bash, up in the North East will take some doing.

 

[Techniquest]

I seem to have managed well up here in the North East to be fair! As my tweets will no doubt show, both portions of the trip have been a right royally good time!

On the last night of the trip, it's back home tomorrow morning. Going to be very sad leaving such an amazing time behind, but I've loved it and already can't wait to see what adventures I'll be having next! I have no idea when the trip report will be done, Internet and phone line issues at home currently, but I'll be working on it as much as I can over the next couple of weeks. Let's just say in advance it's going to be an enormous read, quite a few photos to put in it too.

My observations files are quite numerous, and to save spending more weeks processing them fully they'll be copy-pasted off my phone soon enough. The post on Red Pen 2015 will take a while to do too!

I will be catching up on missed threads at some point too, in particular I know this sector of the forum has plenty to catch up on! In the meantime, good night all, it's time for tonight's Big Bang Theory!
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OK then gang, I've managed to type up Day 1 this morning. No photos included due to issues with the Internet here at the moment, so for now here's Day 1. I've not processed all my journeys into RailMiles yet, that's a job to be cracking on with later or tomorrow I suspect.

02/02/2015 – Techniquest’s Gardening, Day 1

This trip title relates to Kent being ‘the Garden of England’, and since I’m on a Kent Rover for 3 days, it sounded like an excellent title for the first 3 days of this 6 day adventure!

FINALLY on a bash again for the first time in 4 weeks! Good golly gosh January felt like forever going by, especially the last week before this trip! So then, how did I end up on a Kent Rover? Well I booked this week off back in mid-November 2014 as it needed to be booked and used up ASAP, and during December 2014 there were weeks of TPP [for those new to these write-ups, Trip Planning Process - Ed] stages to go through. It takes until mid-January to get it all decided upon for Kent and to get hotels and travel booked, then I had the tough decision of what to do after the 3 days were up. Would I go home and use the rest of the week to just laze around? That idea lasted about 30 seconds, no way on Earth was I sacrificing bashing time to do nothing! Weekend travel is rare enough for me, especially in the daytime on a Saturday, it would be sacrilege to give up such freedom! So since I’ve been wanting to do Newcastle again for a long time, and had East Coast Rewards points to use for a free Standard Class ticket, I found suitably priced accommodation and got that booked too. All the long-distance travel was booked, the rover/rangers and Metro travel would have to be done at the time. Now it was simply a case of waiting for the trip to begin! Yes I could have done a day trip in the meantime to help me get through it, however a need to save money in the meantime for 2016 [yes I really am starting to plan that far ahead! One day, when it’s booked, I’ll explain that one – Ed] so to make it happen, there have to be some sacrifices. Should it all come together, it’ll be more than worth the effort!

After getting a lift into town, and morning preparations having taken longer than expected, making me very glad I got up at 0540 not 0600, it was time to begin the most eagerly anticipated trip in some time! 67029, to my surprise, was on the 0533 Holyhead to Cardiff Central this morning, and I score MK3 12179 for sight at last. To the droplight on the way out of Hereford, obviously with photos having been taken, to listen to the noise! I haven’t had this 67 for almost exactly 7 years to the day [9th February 2008, according to my RailMiles – Ed], so it was a welcome top-up mileage move on it! A most enjoyable journey is had down the Marches, even though we’re stuck behind the 0630 Manchester Piccadilly to Milford Haven and had to stop at Pontrilas for a while waiting for it to clear the Absolute Block section. It really is about time Network Rail got this line modernised, it’s ATW’s most important route and still using ancient equipment in this day and age should be relegated to lightly-used lines only if at all. I can’t remember when I last did Hereford to Newport, but it was certainly a good few months ago now and would have been whenever I got 150235 in the book. A bit of a fester at Newport is enjoyed before 43180 and 43030 roll in on the 0955 Cardiff Central to London Paddington, and I thankfully have a table seat. Of course, there was the mandatory 2 minute delay to leaving Newport, some things never change! [this refers to how virtually every single Paddington HST leaves 2 minutes late from Newport in my experience, of which I have a LOT from years ago! The fact that it still happens is interesting – Ed] Free WiFi on this HST is most welcome, and I enjoy some tunes while I renew my membership of The TGS Club [the HST version of the Coach A Club! – Ed] and enjoy a trip down Memory Lane on the cruise through South Wales. Ahh, memories of desperately looking for required 60s and 66s on East Usk and Llanwern, that really was a good few years ago!

I see the new IEP depot at Stoke Gifford is coming on well, and after Bristol Parkway my flask of coffee is empty, thanks to this morning’s traffic caused by an accident on the south side of Hereford, in which time I shared some with a good friend and colleague who we gave a lift to. So it’s off to the buffet car for a coffee. Will I resist? I should, but can I? No, no I can’t! A bacon baguette had to be added to my order too, they’re just so very nom nom nom! £6.90 all in but it’s money extremely well spent in my eyes. Caffeine need sorted, stomach happy [in all fairness, I’d only had 2 crumpets at 0615 or so this morning so I was going to be hungry! – Ed], time to enjoy some 125mph running! Foxhall Junction has a lot of construction work going on, I can only assume they’re doing electrification works. Same at Moreton Cutting, and I see a number of bases in place or almost in place for the electrification works, further on the towers are up or almost up. We’re getting closer to a modernised Western Region, it’s only taken since 1984 to do since it was first planned to be done! There’s a new flyover in place at Reading for fast line trains from/to the west, hoping we do indeed get it done as it’ll be my first new track of 2015. I’m assuming platform 10 is the new regular eastbound platform for Up fast trains, I really have to get re-acquainted with Reading! Next stop, one of my Top 5 places in the entire world, London Paddington! We get held outside Paddington for a few minutes and arrive at 1205, 3 minutes late.

No time to hang around today, I only have 47 minutes between one train and another, so I march straight off to the Bakerloo line. Service update notices of severe delays concern me until I see they’re around 2 hours out of date, that’s really clever TfL…[note the extreme sarcasm there! – Ed].I score winner 3246 for the trip to Oxford Circus, and I foolishly forget that I had jumped on last second and not noted the rear set until it’s way too late! It’s double duds 11038 and 11037 on the Victoria line to Kings Cross St Pancras, and I’m outside St Pancras station by the Southeastern side at 1230. I always, ALWAYS, forget how long it takes to exit from the Victoria line here! If I’d stopped for photos and to soak up the atmosphere at Paddington I’d have been cutting it too fine, there’s only 20 minutes before my train onwards as it is. Dud 395024 is on the 1252 to Faversham, the last of my booked and therefore mandatory moves of the day. Off I go to Gravesend, of course enjoying the acceleration once we’re away from St Pancras. If you’ve still not sampled it, get yourself over there and get in one of the middle coaches for the noise too [I tend to go for one of them nearest the end coaches personally, always had some good noise there! – Ed]. It’s better on an Ashford-bound train, especially when flooring it out of Ebbsfleet, but that’s my view. A 24 minute trip is soon over, and it’s time for a break at Gravesend. I end up going to Costa for my usual coffee, deciding to sit inside just for a change. Feeling much better, it’s back to the station to get my Kent Rover, and I’m let through the barrier to get to the ticket office on the other side (I didn’t see the route to the main entrance!). The system seems to take forever to allow the guy to issue it, but £39.50 later I am armed with an excellent value rover. I just make it back over the bridge to platform 2, noting the very different layout here to my last visit a few years ago. No through lines any more, and there’s 2 through platforms now with a bay platform too. Dud 395028 [really SET? - Ed] takes me down to the line to Strood, and I had completely forgotten Hoo Yard existed, however I make no positive IDs here.

Off to the Medway Valley now for some shack scratching, starting with dud 375310 [it’s going to be like this is it then?! – Ed] for the trip to Aylesford. A 20 minute wait here gives me the opportunity to observe a step-entrance Dart thrash past me, phwoar it’s been a LONG time since I last heard that noise! Dud 375309 takes me for the BSB to New Hythe and shack scratch number 2, and it’s 375307 back down the line to score off Maidstone West. I’m running low on fluids, so I try a bottle of mango Oasis from the shop next to the station. Not bad at all, well worth having again! 375309 is back now to take me to Beltring, shack scratch number 4. It’s also the third 375 today to become a Super Dud, not been a good start to the trip for winners! I update my trip report and NREA while waiting for 375309 to come back, and I plan my next moves carefully. I’ve also had to bin 3 pens for not working, good thing I brought lots with me! It’s off to East Farleigh now for shack scratch 5, and I have a +4 here onto 375310 to Yalding, which clears Strood to Tonbridge stations finally. A bottle of cider from home is opened here, with a rock with just the right edge on it, to celebrate this, recycling the bottle in the bottle banks in the car park. 375307 is back before I know it to cart me off to Paddock Wood, and I see the 1733 to Charing Cross is formed of 12 coaches. Interesting, in that case forget 375810 on a Dover train, I’m going for that! Just as well, as it’s triple winners 375620, 375914 and 375927! Finally the day’s looking up for winners, and it’s off to Sevenoaks with the intention to head to Swanley then towards Faversham.

Umm, yeah, no that can’t be done yet, Red Pen Fever has taken effect! Double winners 375911 and 375919 were leading dud 375916 on a southbound service so I couldn’t resist, no way could I leave them go without me! This one calls at Hildenborough, from where there’s only a 4 minute wait for a Cannon Street train. Trying to fight my way through the crowds to get to the platform ready for it though was quite a different matter, a very large number of people getting off! Fortunately I made it, and it’s double winners 375706 and 375814 which deserved a silent bellow of “Excellent!” when I saw that in my NREA! In approximately 40 minutes I’d scored 7 required 375s, 52 to go. I think it’s fair to say I plan to come back here for the next two evenings in the peak, so many triple 375 workings to go for! Will it work out, will I score any more 375s in this fashion? Keep reading this lot and you’ll soon find out! My stomach’s raging by now, as it’s well gone 1800 and it’s been a long while since I devoured my lunch of ham sandwiches earlier (around 1410). There’s a chippy across the road from the station, a battered sausage and chips for £2.60 was definitely money well spent and went down beautifully. Another mandatory move this week I reckon! I really need to start heading to Faversham now, after all I still have to check in yet at base camp!

A fatality in the Mill Hill Broadway area has caused significant delays to all Thameslink services, eventually double duds 319006 and 319443 roll in to do the 1830 to Bedford. I toy with the idea of going via a different route, but I end up going for the 319s anyway. After all, I might never get to do a 319 down here again! A trio of dud 375s towards Dover had made up my mind even more, and we leave 16 minutes late. I see they’ve installed a new lavatory in 319006, finally one with plenty of room [I do prefer to take my bags with me if I can, just in case! – Ed] and the end of non-retention tanked 319s is coming! Due to the delay, there’s a +28 here at Swanley for the 1931 to Gillingham (Kent), and there’s nothing about and I’m bored. Not to mention cold, good golly gosh it’s nippy tonight! I’m also getting tired, it’s been a long day after all. Winner 465927 eventually saves me and it’s off to the motor coach of course. As close to a ‘proper’ sounding Networker as one can get these days! It’s all stations to Gillingham, and I really don’t want to do this run again! What do I get for my last train of the day to Faversham then? Dud 395029, what is it with my luck and 395s today?! Arrival into Faversham is at 2037, so I spent 11 hours and 37 minutes on the move today, not bad. Thank Goodness The Railway Hotel [you may remember I stayed here in August 2014 – Ed] is just across the road! £132 lighter, I have my 3 nights here paid for, and I even have the same room as I did last time. Good news as I liked it and was hoping to have it again! A call home is made, then it’s time to start chilling out for a bit. I eventually get on with updating the trip report and NREA. Some Big Bang Theory is needed too, which is on at 2300 so time to reply to everyone on Twitter and start preparations for Day 2 of the trip in the meantime. Bring it on already I say, a full day in Kent tomorrow so it should be very productive!

My Tune of the Day is Dragonforce’s Through the Fire and Flames, and I scored 6 required stations and 9 winners (1 with LU) today. Not bad but not brilliant. Mileages will be processed at some point, plenty to do that’s for sure! [I’m not kidding, the entire 6 day trip produced a LOT of moves! – Ed]

More will come soon, hopefully I'll get to type up more via the app on my phone on my commuting on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning.

 

[Kite159]

Sounds like a good first day

If I recall P10 & P11 are the main platforms for London bound HSTs, with P8 for services from the B&H line. Although you could head to P14/15 for le stopper

 

[Techniquest]

Makes sense that, will be having another go around Reading later this year all being well, lots of 165s and 166s still needed!

 

[Kristofferson]

Another cracking read there, and a good choice for Tune of the Day

Looking forward to the rest - might wait until there's a few more up and read them in one go, as this report only kept me occupied for half my commute!

Time to endure the remainder of this crowded trip into the big smoke...

 

[Segedunum]

Sounds good so far. Kent is yet to be visited by me