DH Trip Reports

[87electric]

I used to buy the Boundary Zone ticket for Gatwick from the Clapham Jn ticket offices. Never no fuss whoever was selling it. Victoria has always been useless in my eyes for tickets. Queues too big as well.

 

[Kite159]

I used to buy the Boundary Zone ticket for Gatwick from the Clapham Jn ticket offices. Never no fuss whoever was selling it. Victoria has always been useless in my eyes for tickets. Queues too big as well.

If it isn't pre-planned I use the TVMs which can sell tickets from other destinations, there is a couple TVMs located away from the main bank (opposite the ticket office) on the way towards the higher numbered platforms, which tend to be quieter [as they are more out of the way].

 

[Dhassell]

Always nice to start a bash with a winner when you still need stuff in your local fleet!

Quite the fun day out, clearly!

I gotta say, I love the new Class 387's with GWR! Very comfy and they have a lovely new smell to them!

I used to buy the Boundary Zone ticket for Gatwick from the Clapham Jn ticket offices. Never no fuss whoever was selling it. Victoria has always been useless in my eyes for tickets. Queues too big as well.

I also had that idea when I was in Clapham station but decided against it, Victoria ticket office was a bit of a nightmare waited 15 minutes in a queue for nothing!

If it isn't pre-planned I use the TVMs which can sell tickets from other destinations, there is a couple TVMs located away from the main bank (opposite the ticket office) on the way towards the higher numbered platforms, which tend to be quieter [as they are more out of the way].

I will look out for them next time!

 

[55013]

It seems everybody is getting those GWR 387s in.
I might just have to visit that side of London when next I'm down that way.

 

[Dhassell]

It seems everybody is getting those GWR 387s in.
I might just have to visit that side of London when next I'm down that way.

Enjoy em! They are well worth the ride! The best change for both sets is Acton Main Line as you have a 10 minute wait for the next set back in, at Ealing Broadway its a tight +2 connection

 

[FQ]

You certainly get to London a lot more often than me! I still haven't got any of the GWR 387s (I've had several GTR ones though, including one 'red' one), but that should hopefully change on the 18th of Feb. Were you expecting the same tram set back as you got to Padd? Mega mileage!

 

[55013]

Enjoy em! They are well worth the ride! The best change for both sets is Acton Main Line as you have a 10 minute wait for the next set back in, at Ealing Broadway its a tight +2 connection

Cheers - Acton Mainline is a required station as well

 

[Dhassell]

You certainly get to London a lot more often than me! I still haven't got any of the GWR 387s (I've had several GTR ones though, including one 'red' one), but that should hopefully change on the 18th of Feb. Were you expecting the same tram set back as you got to Padd? Mega mileage!

273Mi 02Ch behind those two power cars on Saturday! Was not planned either, sometimes it happens weirdly enough, I would rather another 1 or 2 winners on the way home though!

Cheers - Acton Mainline is a required station as well

Was for me as well until Saturday!

 

[Techniquest]

I saw 43005+43036 yesterday strangely enough!

55013, I wouldn't worry as I still need all GWR 387s. Got the first 4 for sight, but the rest are required for everything. This needs to change...

 

[Dhassell]

Reading, Cherwell Ranger 11/2/17

Not going into detail on this trip as there wasn't really a lot of bashing, I mainly went to try and photograph as many buses as I could around Oxford,Reading and Didcot!
I will list my moves below.

0724 Weston-Super-Mare to Didcot Parkway 43134 + 43098
0926 Didcot Parkway to Oxford 165116
1018 Oxford to Banbury 165119
1108 Banbury to Oxford 165119
1237 Oxford to Didcot Parkway 165127 + 165128
1331 Didcot Parkway to Reading 165116
1621 Reading to Didcot Parkway 165109
1656 Didcot Parkway to Swindon 43087 + 43127
1731 Swindon to Weston-Super-Mare 43134 + 43098

Winning Units: 5
Shacks cleared: 2 (Oxford, Banbury)

165119, Banbury 11.2.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr


Shacks Cleared YTD: 10
Trains Cleared for Haulage YTD: 67

 

[Kite159]

Mmm Turbo thrash

I hope your pictures of the various buses in Reading turned out well

 

[Dhassell]

Mmm Turbo thrash

I hope your pictures of the various buses in Reading turned out well

They did actually

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dshtrains/sets/72157668488698095
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dshtrains/albums/72157678066100372

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like a nice and easy day out!

 

[Dhassell]

After 2 mini trips last week my totals are now:

Shacks Cleared YTD: 10
Trains Cleared for Haulage YTD: 74

later I will add details of those 2 trips!

 

[Dhassell]

18/2/17 Cardiff

A quick afternoon trip to Cardiff to travel on some diverted XC voyagers from BRI - NWP via BPW.

13:39 Weston-Super-Mare to Bristol Temple Meads 150131
14:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Newport Via BPW 220030 + 220013
15:22 Newport to Cardiff Central 175115
16:42 Cardiff Central to Cardiff Queen St 150227
16:56 Cardiff Queen St to Cardiff Central 143601 + 142073
17:17 Cardiff Central to Newport 43071 + 43164
18:04 Newport to Bristol Temple Meads Via BPW 221128
18:54 Bristol Temple Meads to Weston-Super-Mare 158763

Was nice to see some old friends that I hadn't seen for a year and was a nice trip if only to clear a couple of units.
A normal trip report should resume next week!

 

[FQ]

Why would you want to travel on an unspeakably horrible thing to and from Newport when you could get trams?! That's just crazy!

 

[Dhassell]

Why would you want to travel on an unspeakably horrible thing to and from Newport when you could get trams?! That's just crazy!

I find voyagers quite bearable if they are quiet. The HST's were not going direct from Bristol to Cardiff and where using North Somerset curve plus I wanted to get to Cardiff before it got dark so voyager it was!

 

[Techniquest]

A mini bash getting lines in the book is better than nothing!

 

[Dhassell]

26/2/17 London (And a ride to Brighton)

So as usual I was up bright and early (well it was dark out) and headed down to the station for the usual 06:24 GWR Service towards London Paddington, today formed of required 43153 and dud 43128 on the rear. I alight at Reading and 5 minutes later await a service from Newbury to arrive at 08:21 winner 166220 rolls in to take me onwards to Paddington. From Paddington I wait 10 minutes for the next Circle line train and board winners 21451 + 21452 all the way around to Victoria. 25 minutes later I arrive into Victoria and with the tips from Kite I am able to pick up a Boundary Z6 to Gatwick Airport ticket, I miss a double 387 by two minutes and pick up a Mcdonalds breakfast whilst I wait for the 10:45 to Gatwick Airport, formed of single winner 387206, ashame it was only a single!
Gatwick Airport station was also a new shack so that was a bonus!

Gatwick Express 387206, Gatwick Airport 25.2.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr

On arrival at Gatwick, the plan was to spend around half an hour here taking a few photos of planes and then getting a train back into Victoria, but that plan did not stick and 25 minutes later I found myself in the station concourse purchasing a Thameslink only ticket to Brighton! The time was 11:10 and I notice there is a 11:13 to Brighton, I sprint through the gates and down to platform 7 just as double winners 377425 + 377106 pull in to take me down to Brighton. The destination boards on the platform said it was a Thameslink service but the PIS onboard the train was saying it was a Southern service! I assumed the board was right because the train might have been hired to Thameslink! After around 35 minutes the train arrived into Brighton, I spent 25 minutes here collecting Class 313's for sight as well as photographing a few buses outside before picking myself up a hotdog and boarding the 1235 Thameslink service back to Gatwick Airport formed of 377520 + 377509. The time was now 13:08 when the train arrived into Gatwick, I watched a few planes roll in including a rare HiFly A330 from LAX. I spent another 35 minutes here before boarding the 13:45 service back to London Victoria formed of double winners 387209 + 387217 arriving back into London Victoria at 14:15.

HiFly CS-TFZ, Airbus A330, Gatwick Airport Approach 25.2.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr

After 10 minutes waiting to get through the barriers at Victoria (because most of the people didn't know how to use them!) I headed down to the Victoria Line and picked up 11054 + 11053 for the one stop run to Green Park, from here I walked over to the Jubilee Line platforms and jumped onboard 96019 + 96106. As soon as the doors locked four men brought out instrument and started playing Jazz on the train! One cheeky sod even came around with a plastic cup asking for money and not leaving you alone till you told him to politely bugger off! I alight at the next stop, Waterloo. The band also alight and run into the next coach to start all over again! I head over to the Ian Allan book shop next to try and purchase a new AEB book for 2017, they don't have any! Well that was a bit of a wasted trip! I head down into the Waterloo & City line platforms and jump on double winners 65501 + 65502 to Bank before walking over to Fenchurch Street and only just making winner 357328 and dud 357029 to West Ham.

From West Ham I jump onto DLR 78 + 98 for the journey to Stratford. I head up to the Central Line platforms and board 92009 + 92444 + 92106 + 92337 to Leytonstone where I wait two minutes before boarding 92227 + 92062 + 92248 + 92147 to Newbury Park. The whole point of heading to Newbury Park was to photograph some of the Replacement Buses working for Greater Anglia and let me tell you, It was madness! There was a line of cars and buses waiting to enter the station who sat at a red traffic light for 10 minutes! Only after a coach decides to run the red light and nearly collides with a car does it finally turn green, all the roads around Newbury Park entering the station where Gridlocked! I spent 20 minutes photographing the buses before jumping back into 91213 + 92xxx + 92153 + 92048 as far as Leyton before jumping off and joining 92003 + 92134 + 92240 + 92057 for the journey back to Liverpool Street. At Liverpool Street, I head downstairs to the Sub-Surface platforms and jump on 21458 + 21457 to Farringdon. Once at Farringdon I did the normal evening jumps of Farringdon to Blackfriars on dud 700107 before once again using one of Kites tips to get onboard 700002 back to Farringdon with second to spare. After a 6 minute wait I finally board 319425 + 319012 back to St Pancras International before heading down to the Sub-Surface platforms and jumping on 21406 + 21405 back to Paddington. Once at Paddington I pick up a Mcdonalds for the journey back home onboard double duds 43098 + 43134!

Winning Units: 41
Shacks cleared: 5

Winning Units YTD: 121
Shacks cleared YTD: 15

 

[Techniquest]

Very nicely done, a good bit of variety had. Not at all jealous that 377509, my last 377 for sight, produced for you though...

 

[Cowley]

That looked like a nice day out, lots of different things to see and experience. I see you caught the 'Jazz Express' too, I think they'll be sending you a bill for listening to their music.

 

[Dhassell]

Very nicely done, a good bit of variety had. Not at all jealous that 377509, my last 377 for sight, produced for you though...

Ah! I always seem to get your final required before you!

That looked like a nice day out, lots of different things to see and experience. I see you caught the 'Jazz Express' too, I think they'll be sending you a bill for listening to their music.

They were right cheeky sods. Wasn't like a quick walk around collecting money, They looked at me for a good 5 seconds!

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good and varied day in London with a trip to Brighton as well

 

[Cowley]

Ah! I always seem to get your final required before you!



They were right cheeky sods. Wasn't like a quick walk around collecting money, They looked at me for a good 5 seconds!

Ooh uncomfortable. They were probably working on the premise that people don't like being looked at on the tube. They couldn't take your hard Somerset back stare though. They don't like it up em.

 

[Dhassell]

Ooh uncomfortable. They were probably working on the premise that people don't like being looked at on the tube. They couldn't take your hard Somerset back stare though. They don't like it up em.

I gave them a f**k off look

 

[FQ]

I can't believe that you got off your tram at Reading for a 166 forward! That's nuts!

Sounds like a good day was had though, with quite a few winners!

 

[Kite159]

As for your comment regarding that "Thameslink" service southbound from Gatwick, the London Bridge - Brighton Thameslink services are quite often formed of Southern branded 377s which interwork with other Southern services [for example 425/106 could have worked a Victoria service after arriving into Brighton].

And why do you think I always tried to be near the front of an inbound Gatwick Express (apart from it being empty as some passengers will aim for the first door they come to after coming down the stairs at Gatwick, add in the mysterious first class area which some passengers don't notice the small area of standard class seating beyond)

 

[Dhassell]

I can't believe that you got off your tram at Reading for a 166 forward! That's nuts!

Sounds like a good day was had though, with quite a few winners!

Because it was required

And why do you think I always tried to be near the front of an inbound Gatwick Express (apart from it being empty as some passengers will aim for the first door they come to after coming down the stairs at Gatwick, add in the mysterious first class area which some passengers don't notice the small area of standard class seating beyond)

I was at the front of the train to start with and was the first off, Problem was I didn't get the rear 387 so had to run down the back to get it!

 

[Dhassell]

Once again, It is 5:30am on a Saturday and I am wide awake. I once again make my way down to the station for the 06:24 towards London. Again!
43124 + 43176 takes me as far as Reading, where I jump off and wait 10 minutes before boarding double winners 165121 + 166219, I head into the declassified first class compartment and get comfortable for the 40 minute ride into Paddington! The train arrives into Paddington at 09:04. Due to engineering works on the Hammersmith & City line services around to Hammersmith are every 10 minutes, and the train is due to leave towards there at 09:07! I head up the staircase down the end of the train and through the H&C line concourse, as I do this I hear the brakes sqeaul to a stop below. I run down the stairs and just as I reach the bottom there is that dreaded noise of the door close alarm! Bugger! Missed it. I now had a 10 minute wait until 10:17 for the next train.

43185 Intercity Swallow, Reading 11.3.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr

The 09:17 pulls in bang on time and I board 21537 + 21538 to take me around to new shack Wood Lane. From here I walk 200m up the road past the old BBC Television centre to White City, and board
the first train formed of 92068 + 92110 + 92263 + 92045. I take this as far as Queensway, I wait another two minutes and 92129 + 92102 + 92040 + 92xxx (yes I missed the rear car) roll in to take me as far as Tottenham Court Road. From here, I make a walk through the station to the Northern Line platforms and take winners 51559 + 51558 down to Charing Cross. In my mind this station should be called Trafalgar square as it places you in the centre of it! I head to the ticket office and pick up a Boundary Zone 6 to Tonbridge ticket and make my way to the 10:06 departure formed of double winners 465162 + 465193 as far as London Bridge. A quick toilet break and I notice the 10:13 is almost non-stop to Tonbridge, so I board double winners 375626 + 375714 to Tonbridge!

73128 Tonbridge West Yard 11.3.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr

The main aim at Tonbridge was to head down to the West Yard and see what locos I could pick off for sight. There is a very convinient footbridge that passes directly over the yard which was very handy! I took some pictures there and then started the 15 minute walk back to the station. I spent another 40 minutes at the station watching a couple of freights pass by as well as a few 375/3's for sight! The time is now 13:00 and I board double winners 465911 + 465928 for the ride back to London! After this ride I am now a great fan of Cl465/2/9 traction motors! The train arrives at Orpington and whilst stood at the platform I get the urge to jump off to score another shack. So I did so, I headed over to the bus station for 5 minutes to photograph whatever was in and then make my way back over to the platform to board 375708 + 375926 back into London Bridge! From here, I head down to the Northern Line again and board 51654 + 51655 down to Kennington before boarding double duds on the Victoria Line 11044 + 11043 back to London Victoria. There was a 8th Anniversary event going on at the coach station, so I made my way there and spent around 40 minutes there for before heading back to Victoria Station.

I head down to the Victoria Line again and miss out on a train by 5 seconds, Ironically the station assistant put out a PA to stand clear as the next train was only 1 minute behind! I board the next train formed of double
winners 11042 + 11041. The train pulls out of Victoria as just as my coach leaves the platform, the emergency brakes slam on! We where sat there for around 10 minutes with no idea of what has happened until the driver gets down to our coach 10 minutes later and tells us that someone had pulled the passcom and he has to find it! It was another 5 minutes until he got back into his cab and told us that someone in the very rear coach had felt ill and pulled it! So much for one train being a minute behind! I decide its best to alight at Green Park, and I was right, there was a backlog of passengers who all rammed onto the train, I headed to the Piccadilly Line and board 226 + 895 as far as Kings Cross St Pancras.

I head down to the Thameslink platforms and board double winners 319011 + 319007 from St Pancras to Farringdon, next I board 700015 to City Thameslink and finally 319003 to Blackfriars. From here, I leave the station and start walking along the thames as far as Embankment where I board double Bakerloo Line winners 3661 + 3260 as far as Paddington where it is time to board
double duds 43163 + 43138 back to Weston!

London Undeground Engineering Works, Farringdon 11.3.17 by DSH Trains, on Flickr

Winning Units: 30
Shacks cleared: 4

Winning Units YTD: 151
Shacks cleared YTD: 19

 

[Kite159]

If you want to access Charing Cross from the Northern Line, exit at Embankment, especially since the Northern line ticket hall area is closed [I'm guessing you exited via the Bakerloo line ticket hall]

Sounded like a good day, bar the extended fester at Victoria