08/06/2017 - 5AM Tech, Day 1
Title references a Brewdog beer, 5AM Saint, and I've been going to use this for ages. The plan is to be up and about by 0500 on Day 2, so it finally felt appropriate. This trip came out following the cancelling of my presence at a norm mate's birthday bash, deciding a mini London bash would suit me better, and that 3 weeks without a bash before the ALR was too much to bear!
Of course, work had to be endured first and I took advantage of a slightly early finish for a supply and to get to the station and collect my Advances before joining 150105 to the Bat Cave, armed with coffee. It had been advised to me the previous day that 2 out of 3 LM 150s were out of action for repairs, so my journey on the 1639 from The Ford might be a 170. With that in mind, I went on a mission to get some music on my phone to re-create Tech's Mobile Disco, much missed in recent weeks. No way was I willing to endure 90 minutes of droning, rattling and, just as bad, a racket from the college brats on the way north! It also helped make my commute to work much more lively, bouncy and fun as I had some classic tunes from Bonkers albums on here too from the early 2000s. Not all of my favourites mind, but it was a start and a trip down Nostalgia Avenue! Anyway, back in reality, thankfully I didn't have to endure a 170 after all.
Arrival at the Bat Cave was 3 down in the end, and I made my way swiftly to Super Dud 350116. Yes, you read that correctly, I didn't visit Pret or anywhere else! A table seat was got with ease, and I spent the majority of the journey using LM's excellent free WiFi to catch up on Twitter, Facebook and the forum. All in the company of Tech's Mobile Disco of course. Most frustratingly I couldn't quite ID a GBRf 66 emerging from the tunnel just north of Berkhamsted, annoying as I don't need too many more of them! Arrival at Euston was 2 up at 2046, and I was on the Northern line's Charing Cross branch just 8 minutes later with dud 51646 and winner 51645 to Goodge Street. Double winners for everything 51521+51522 took me one stop to Goodge Street, what an excellent start to the mini London bash!
Double winners 51551+51711 took me onwards 7 minutes later to Tottenham Court Road, and wow how much brighter this station was compared to the last two! To Leicester Square with double winners for everything 51674+51673 and a change to the Piccadilly line. Winner for everything 246 and dud 205 took me to Piccadilly Circus, with dud 890 and winner for everything 243 was next to Green Park. Double winners for everything 864+143 took me onwards to Hyde Park Corner. To Knightsbridge, with winner 236 and dud 119. Winner for everything 235 led dud 224 to South Kensington, and I know this part of the trip report has not been entirely exciting reading, it is very difficult to make a series of LU Bus Stop Bashes interesting to read. I sure wasn't a fan of the horrid smell here mind, so I was glad to leave on double duds 854+181 for the leap to Gloucester Road. Mind you, I was pleased this was my first all-dud move in London of the night! Winner for everything 197 and dud 122 ended my moves for the night at Earls Court.
After sourcing a winner beer in a Sainsburys Local, I eventually made it across the busy A4 into easyHotel Earls Court. Once I managed to dig out my reservation number, something Croydon never ask me for, I got my keycard for room 307. It's a LOT of effort to climb the stairs, with no lift, as those stairs get very steep after the first floor! It's one of the tiny rooms too, which I really don't like, that will teach me not to have forked out for a decent size room! Like the branch in Victoria, I'm not a fan of this easyHotel. Blindtraveller will be along in a minute to remind me that he warned me about this one, but I do know for myself now so I guess next time I may listen to him! You know it's bad when a series of Thameslink Staggers overnight is more appealing...
09/06/2017 - 5AM Tech, Day 2
After a poor amount of sleep during the night, I was up with heavy eyes with my alarm at 0415. Having de-rancified last the previous night, in an excellent shower, I had tons of time to spare and was outside Earls Court for longer than I'd like. An ATM move got me cash for a Nescafe & Go coffee from the Food & Wine outlet next to the station for £1.69, after which I was still hanging around waiting!
Eventually the station opened at 0502 and I got my Zones 1-4 Travelcard. After some more waiting, my first move of the day fell to double winners 21489+21490 to High Street Kensington's platform 4 which was a microgrice I needed! A change of plan was had next, meaning a run up and over the bridge, to just make it onto double winners 21507+21508 to South Kensington. About 8 minutes later a pair of duds rolled in so I changed plans and headed to the Piccadilly line, where a lengthy fester was ahead. I had a game plan, having looked it up on RTT...It was also the first time I've done festering on the Tube with Tech's Mobile Disco on, and I learned again why I dislike the Piccadilly line as it's beyond infrequent in the mornings. After 8 minutes on the westbound platform, the screen finally wakes up to tell me that there's a Heathrow train 14 minutes away. Umm, yeah, no that's no way to spend a limited time in London, back to the the S stock!
30 minutes after arriving at South Kensington, I was back on the move with double winners 21553+21554 to Westminster, and this resulted in a landmark or otherwise noteworthy figure. Between the S7s and S8s, I only needed 100 S stock half-sets for haulage! Would I have scored more sets if I hadn't gone for that Piccadilly fester? Possibly, possibly not, one will never know, but I can tell you I felt a lot more alive for having some bouncy tunes on, all of which are finding their way onto Tech's Top Tunes 2017 which I intend to share in due course. Now I could have stayed on the SSL platform, where I noticed a Costa is coming soon on the westbound platform, and done my moves book update. However I chose to head to the reason I bailed at Westminster in the first place, the Jubilee line. I just missed a winner sadly, and even at 0612 the eastbound platform was filling significantly.
Just as well I came down here really, as I landed double winners 96031+96118 for the lengthy run to Stratford. It was back to my original plan now, a GA 321 fest. A filter coffee from Pret was sourced before continuing, and I fell nicely into place onto double winners 360110+360101 for the first of several 'Stratford Leaps' to Liverpool Street. Winner 321355 took me back to Stratford. I turned down a winner 321 because a trio were coming in, however they were all dud. That'll teach me not to flag winners again! The next trio wasn't much better, with winner 321426 and duds 321314+321339 on the back. With only 4 mainline winners so far at this point, I was more than tempted to head back to LU. Fortunately upon arrival at The Street I had a nice and easy connection onto dud 321351 and winner 321350, the one I flagged earlier!
Now I should have checked the boards, but assumed at this time of day everything stopped at Stratford. Reasonable, yes? Apparently not, we went non-stop through platform 10a. At least there was some decent thrash beyond Stratford! My first 345 was seen on Ilford depot, alas too far away to ID. I did score 08700 for sight though on the same depot, which I was very pleased about. The lass in the ticket office kindly stamped a hand-written note to authorise me to travel back to Stratford, much to my relief but I'm still tamping at myself for not checking properly before boarding that train. I lost a lot of bashing time in London after all, at least 70 minutes. If Wickford had been a required shack that wouldn't have been so bad!
Double duds 321361 and former GN 321405 took me back to Stratford. Another trio of 321s were waited but they were the same ones I flagged earlier! I originally decided to go back to the Jubilee line, then changed my mind and got onto the Central line. Good grief it was busy this morning! The session was kicked with double winners 91115+92254, dud 92432 and winner for everything 91227 on the back. To Mile End, and onwards were dud 91281, winner for everything 92188 and double duds 92174+91171 on the back for the leap to Bethnal Green. I couldn't get on the next train, that's how busy the Central line was and this was 0915, just as well as it was a quadruple of duds. Winner 91003, double duds 92222+92066 and winner 91167 took me to Bank, where I was about to head to the Drain, then in rolled winner for everything 91131 with triple duds 92442+92460+91235 for company on the leap to St. Paul's.
Change of plan then! Onwards I went to Tottenham Court Road with double winners 91003+92416 with double duds 92202+91005 bringing up the rear. It was no more hanging around here, down to the Northern line. Winner 51552 and winner for everything 51567 took me to Charing Cross, and instead of some Southeastern bashing I went for double winners 51539+51707 for a leap to Leicester Square, hardly any time later joining double winners 51564+51563 to Waterloo. Like the S stock, I've now hit a milestone with just 100 95 stock sets to get for haulage. I had hoped earlier on to get the same target reached on the Central line, but that wasn't to be. An extremely urgent PNB had, which had been put off for over 3 hours, and instead of getting lunch I spotted a winner, going where I wanted to go as well.
Winner 458529 took me on a long all-shacks journey to winner shack Isleworth. My phone got a good bit of charge in the declassified First Class area and my notebook a thorough update too. The +7 here was rather dull mind, so it was a welcome relief to join dud 458502 and winner 458506 to winner shack Brentford. Winner 458507 took me the short distance to winner shack Syon Lane. Gorgeous weather today, and watching planes on approach to Heathrow was a most pleasant sight and sound. Double duds 458533+458504 took me back to Waterloo, as I'm now running rather low on time and I want to up my scores more. Yes, as per usual Red Pen Fever had taken hold! However, my hunger was more important and I got my BK meal in me. Holy fudgerockets that felt better!
The Northern line was my top choice originally on LU, having turned going for a potential score to Vauxhall then the Victoria line up. However, last second I switched my mind and went for the Jubilee line instead. Good grief it takes a while to get down there from the station, but I was rewarded with winner 96102 and dud 96099 for a leap to Westminster. By now it was 1220, and I knew the next leap had to be it. Dud 96126 and winner 96125 took me to Baker Street, where I was hopefully of an S7 score. However, my luck was out and I got double duds 21458+21457 to Euston Square. As fast as my feet could carry me, I was at Euston for 1245. A big bottle of Pepsi Max was sourced from Sainsburys, as I couldn't be bothered to look for squash and water today. To Pret for a coffee, and I noticed just before then my train was boarding 21 minutes before departure.
So imagine how pleased I was to find a short queue in Pret, and that for an unknown reason the lass gave me my filter coffee for free! Some sort of system issue it appeared to be, not that I was complaining! Either that or Lord Quest of the Shire is more famous than realised! My pleasure was soon knocked back though when I discovered that I had Super Dud 350240 for my journey north. Even at 1258 it was quite busy, and by 1313 we had a pretty healthy crowd on. My pleasure sensors were soon happy again though, as I am incredibly pleased, smiling as I type this up, that the Freightliner 66s are finally all dud for sight! 66953 was noted in the Willesden area and it leaves just two more 70s and 1 86 to see to clear Freightliner for sight!
Not long after Wolverton, the guard comes on to say that due to operational requirements, we'd be terminating in Northampton with another train to take us forward from platform 4. That worked nicely for me, as the air conditioning wasn't much cop on 350240 and the WiFi wouldn't work anyway. So me and a ton of other people trapsed over and joined 350103, with me needing only one more coach to Super Dud this one now. I was certainly liking getting a required microgrice going on, as I needed both bay platforms 4 and 5 at Northampton, and they're not the easiest to get.
Arrival was bang on time into the Bat Cave, and I noticed the ECS 153 roll in at least 20 minutes early! After getting a Pret coffee, sadly not for free this time, I joined 170513+153365 for the journey back to The Ford. Let's get some Scores on the Doors going on:
47 winners
3 shack scores
27 new sights
Not a bad haul at all in 16 hours!
