HMS Ark Royal
Established Member
(Or How I Had A Good Time And Got A Happy Ending)
Note: backontrack and maybe fishquinn need to ask their parents about that phrase...
Key:
Complete units
Carriage numbers
Due to the confusing booking system rules, I had to travel to Brough via a TPE 185 to take advantage of the £20 single First Class fare to London. Although the service was good, the presentation of the Weekend Breakfast was somewhat lacking with food served on napkins and slightly uncomfortable ride which one of the VTEC team blamed on East Midlands Trains!
Arrival to London Kings Cross was on time and I purchased a Zone 1-6 travel card before making my way to the Northern Line where 52572 took me to Moorgate. After getting off, I got on 22469 which whisked me away to the wonders of Embankment. After a quick look around topside, I went back and to Monument in company of 22353 where I switched to the DLR and took 122 to Shadwell and returned almost at once onboard 91. I took 3550 to Embankment where I went outside and walked round to Charing Cross and got onboard 465179 to Waterloo East. It was not a long journey, but I knew that it for certain was a valid journey which was what counted. A walk on the connecting bridge brought me to Waterloo where 458505 awaited to take me to the mythical land of Clapham Junction. Word of my fame must have spread far and wide as 455871 arrived to carry me back to Waterloo like a hero returning from battle.
24342 was taken quickly to Farringdon where I quickly got on board 319005 for my first 319 ride as well as my first Thameslink service. 24462 bore me to London Liverpool Street where I jumped onboard 360110 for the short dash to Stratford. Repeating the adventure at Clapham, I got straight onboard an incoming 315861 back to LST whereupon the dependable and rotund 24306 got me to High Street Kensington. 21490 was offered to take me to Olympia and then very kindly agreed to return me as far as Earl's Court where I switched to 616 for a run up to Green Park to pay a courtesy call to Her Majesty on behalf of the RailUK Forums. An unidentified Borismaster brought me to Charing Cross followed by an unknown carriage transported your noble writer to Embankment where he found himself some repast and refreshment whereupon 14006 got me to Kings Cross from Victoria where I managed to sneak in an out and back to Farringdon with 319008 outwards and 377523 inwards.
Now, it was at this point I nearly collapsed after walking for so long and so decided to call it a day and go to the East Midlands Trains to collect my Megabus ticket for the 1915 from there to East Midlands Parkway. After the train had boarded, and letting certain people know I was on my way home I received a Personal Message in twitter from East Midlands Trains saying that they were aware I had boarded 1915 STP - EMD and were offering a complimentary upgrade to First Class for the part of the journey home operated by them. I then got to the First Class coach stunned at my luck and questioning EMT as to why when all I'd asked them for regarding the service was a pair of their finest 43s - though this was some days before hand. They refused to say why exactly, only that they knew I was on the train and there was the upgrade on offer. I therefore relocated from A to J and enjoyed all the comforts of First Class travel and all the perks for just an £8 megabus ticket
Now THAT is what i call valued friendship from a TOC. People who know my twitter handle may well have seen the legendary overnight two hour game of I Spy conducted via twitter when the services had closed and there was nothing for them to do until they had trains to run. We've done all sorts included swapping cake recipes, planned ways to get a 158 to St Pancras instead of a 43 or 222 or the inspired Cryptic Clues game that took nearly three hours to complete using only stations they served (this was before I joined the group here) as possible answers.
For a better formatted list of stations visited, please see the 2016 Shack Attack thread
For just the units used, see the 2016 Red Pen thread
Note: backontrack and maybe fishquinn need to ask their parents about that phrase...
Key:
Complete units
Carriage numbers
Due to the confusing booking system rules, I had to travel to Brough via a TPE 185 to take advantage of the £20 single First Class fare to London. Although the service was good, the presentation of the Weekend Breakfast was somewhat lacking with food served on napkins and slightly uncomfortable ride which one of the VTEC team blamed on East Midlands Trains!
Arrival to London Kings Cross was on time and I purchased a Zone 1-6 travel card before making my way to the Northern Line where 52572 took me to Moorgate. After getting off, I got on 22469 which whisked me away to the wonders of Embankment. After a quick look around topside, I went back and to Monument in company of 22353 where I switched to the DLR and took 122 to Shadwell and returned almost at once onboard 91. I took 3550 to Embankment where I went outside and walked round to Charing Cross and got onboard 465179 to Waterloo East. It was not a long journey, but I knew that it for certain was a valid journey which was what counted. A walk on the connecting bridge brought me to Waterloo where 458505 awaited to take me to the mythical land of Clapham Junction. Word of my fame must have spread far and wide as 455871 arrived to carry me back to Waterloo like a hero returning from battle.
24342 was taken quickly to Farringdon where I quickly got on board 319005 for my first 319 ride as well as my first Thameslink service. 24462 bore me to London Liverpool Street where I jumped onboard 360110 for the short dash to Stratford. Repeating the adventure at Clapham, I got straight onboard an incoming 315861 back to LST whereupon the dependable and rotund 24306 got me to High Street Kensington. 21490 was offered to take me to Olympia and then very kindly agreed to return me as far as Earl's Court where I switched to 616 for a run up to Green Park to pay a courtesy call to Her Majesty on behalf of the RailUK Forums. An unidentified Borismaster brought me to Charing Cross followed by an unknown carriage transported your noble writer to Embankment where he found himself some repast and refreshment whereupon 14006 got me to Kings Cross from Victoria where I managed to sneak in an out and back to Farringdon with 319008 outwards and 377523 inwards.
Now, it was at this point I nearly collapsed after walking for so long and so decided to call it a day and go to the East Midlands Trains to collect my Megabus ticket for the 1915 from there to East Midlands Parkway. After the train had boarded, and letting certain people know I was on my way home I received a Personal Message in twitter from East Midlands Trains saying that they were aware I had boarded 1915 STP - EMD and were offering a complimentary upgrade to First Class for the part of the journey home operated by them. I then got to the First Class coach stunned at my luck and questioning EMT as to why when all I'd asked them for regarding the service was a pair of their finest 43s - though this was some days before hand. They refused to say why exactly, only that they knew I was on the train and there was the upgrade on offer. I therefore relocated from A to J and enjoyed all the comforts of First Class travel and all the perks for just an £8 megabus ticket
Now THAT is what i call valued friendship from a TOC. People who know my twitter handle may well have seen the legendary overnight two hour game of I Spy conducted via twitter when the services had closed and there was nothing for them to do until they had trains to run. We've done all sorts included swapping cake recipes, planned ways to get a 158 to St Pancras instead of a 43 or 222 or the inspired Cryptic Clues game that took nearly three hours to complete using only stations they served (this was before I joined the group here) as possible answers.
For a better formatted list of stations visited, please see the 2016 Shack Attack thread
For just the units used, see the 2016 Red Pen thread
:roll:
