Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hi all,
Meant to do this yesterday, but had to work and just didn't feel up to writing this lot up afterwards. Since I've got today off, perfect excuse to get it done!
1st February 2011
Having gotten 4 days off in a row again, the night before I finally, finally, decided on where I was going. I had spent ages going through the various rangers and rovers to make the decision, when I found the Lancashire Day Ranger. That was me sold, based on the amount of track I needed in that area. Booked a night at The Everton in Liverpool and the trip was organised. An all-nighter due to being way too excited about the upcoming day was imminent, and after a series of farces with getting ready to go ("I've got over an hour, I'll pop online and play some music, should have plenty of time to finish getting ready", not making that mistake again) resulted in my leaving with mere moments to spare by the time I got to the station! So I managed to get a copy of the Metro as 158950 rolled in on the 0604 to Cardiff.
An uneventful journey to Bristol saw me manage to easily get a table seat on 221125 on the 0700 to Manchester. We encounter some rather slow running and stop a bit after Ashchurch for Tewkesbury. After what felt like ages, we're told there's a massive power failure in the Bromsgrove area, so we're being diverted via Kidderminster. Never had a Voyager via that route, which I had always wanted to do when I was a Voyager ned. It felt mighty strange going non-stop through Worcester Shrub Hill, something I'd wanted to do for many years! Passing Kidderminster, an interesting sight in the form of 20177 in faded BR blue livery is seen. Never heard of that one before! A slow journey to Birmingham New Street follows, with a bonus on this trip of getting Galton Curve covered in the northbound direction at last. Just before Birmingham, we're told the train terminates there due to the late running. No further information on other services or whatever, but thankfully there's LM services to Liverpool. We leave after what felt like ages waiting (I foolishly thought it left at 0921, not 0936
) on 350258, which was required for sight too.
Nothing particularly exciting up to Crewe, but I do get required for sight 70002 at Basford Hall, as well as finally seeing that new PowerHaul livery on 86622 and 86637 on Crewe LNWR. I spy a Corus liveried (or at least a silver livery) 08 shunting around there, couldn't quite get the number though (anyone got the gen?), before also spying 4 Fertis 56s to the west of Crewe. Oh yes, and there was a DRS 37 in Crewe Heritage Centre as well as a BR blue 37, undergoing a repaint by the looks of it. No numbers known, would like to know which ones they are though! The rest of the journey to Liverpool's uneventful, and we arrive smack on time.
Having been able to get my Lancashire Day Ranger from the guard on the 350, off I go downstairs to the Wirral line. The North West bash proper begins on 507031 to Liverpool Central, followed by 508127 to Ormskirk. I swear we went through Aughton Park non-stop, but I don't know for sure. Definitely don't recall seeing the station at all. A 24 minute wait results in 153359 (which was my last one for sight in 2008, I had wondered if it would produce and sure enough, it did!) taking me to Preston. Some welcome DMU noise now after modern plastic junk/EMUs so far! We arrive into platform 3C, a required scratch!
The entire day's plan went flying out of the window after the delay earlier on, so I decided to go with the flow and see what happens. I need the route to Hebden Bridge (or at least the junction near Todmorden), so required 158757 on the next service over that was welcome. Most comfortable and an enjoyable journey through some nice scenery, we even arrived a couple of minutes early! After much faffing with timetables, I discover the next one back to Burnley isn't until 1438, which was about 40 minutes away. No thanks, I'll get moving quicker than that ta! A coffee is bought from the cafe, which was quite rateable for £1.20! There's a 1408 to Manchester Victoria, that'll do me fine. I can get in place to get the Kirkby line out of the way that way. 144022 rolls in on it, which I require and is my first 3-car 144. Stopping at nearly every station en-route (only missed out Walsden I believe), we finally arrive into Manchester at 1452.
Kirkby was the plan, but there was a 1500 to Clitheroe going out, and as I needed Bolton to Blackburn, which would give me an option to get to Colne, I went for it. Bonus in that it was required track out of platform 5 too, so I get on 150276 and 153328 on the Clitheroe. Unfortunately, we were about 3 minutes too late for the Colne train, but 60040 was present on a trial working to Immingham. Got that photo, and after some deliberation, I get 158909 on the 1610 to Blackpool as far as Accrington. Shack scratch! There, I find the next Blackpool South train is a few minutes late, and jump on for a quick leap on required 142012 to Church and Oswaldtwistle. Shack scratch again and a better shot of the 60 here, so job done. 60040 came through around 1642, nice to see a 60 working on a freight again, especially something other than tanks!
The cold wind is getting to me now, but thankfully the 1658 to Colne soon shows up and I get 142028 to journey's end. Not much to do here really, and get the same 142 back. For some reason, we have to change at Blackburn on 142050, but I'm not complaining as it meant a required crossover into Blackburn and another required 142! The connection onto the Liverpool train is nice and easy, jumping straight onto a 156 (I forgot to check the number as I got on, had to hope it was required!). The noise it made was a welcome change from 142s now, and was extremely loud. Best 156 I've had to date! At Liverpool, platform 4 is scratched and I photo the 156 and note it to be 156471. Excellent run that was!
Having not eaten since before 1100, I'm now famished. So it's into Burger King to get a supersize XL Bacon Double Cheeseburger meal. With Bite card discount, £5.43 is extremely reasonable and the meal thoroughly enjoyable! I get a bit lost on the walk to Everton Road, had to ask an NHS security guard where I needed to go at one point! Thankfully arrived there not much later than planned and checked in. Extremely good deal for £11.12, with a super comfortable bed, free tea/coffee/hot chocolate, free Internet, free fruit and free breakfast! The bed had the softest mattress I've ever slept on! Highly recommended hostel!
2nd February 2011
It's soon morning again, with the alarm going off at 0730. After some de-rancifying, it's time for 4 rounds of toast and a coffee. This time, I had a map for the walk back to Lime Street, although I still walked to the side entrance and not the front one! I know for next time now at least! A Saveaway is bought, and I wonder what to do for 40 minutes. Bus spotting time, although I didn't bother with Arriva's lot. It's soon time to head downstairs to the Wirral line for another leap to Central, with 508114. Onto yet another required Merseyrail 507 up to Sandhills (for the shack and unit scratch, as the Southport service was behind me), before getting the only pairing of the trip with 508103 and 507009 on the 0944 to Southport.
Due to engineering works on the northbound platform at Freshfield, we go non-stop. Looked mighty odd to go fast through somewhere on an all-stopper! At Southport, there's 4 minutes before the fast train to Wigan, but due mostly to unnecessary delays at the barriers, I miss it by about 30 seconds. Unamused! So in the meantime, it's a leap on 507027 to Birkdale, where the connection is a +/- 0, so I pop to McColls for a Mars Duo in the meantime, before getting 507004 back to Southport. The connection onto the stopper to Wigan is only 4 minutes, but I make it easily enough. The fast had been a pair of 142s, this one is 156498, which is required. Given the choice, I'd rather a 156 to a 142. I know that goes against what is fast becoming popular on here now, but hey. The connection at Wigan off the express for the Kirkby train was only +1, whereas I have a +22. Time for some spotting at least, which was good, as in only 6 minutes I got plenty of beasty First buses. If it hadn't been as chilly and raining, I'd have stayed out there longer. Never mind!
Onto 142040 next to Kirkby, and yet another uneventful trip. A decent connection here onto the next Liverpool service, which was required 508104. Stayed on through the entire 18 minute journey to Liverpool Central (the amount of times I went there on this trip...!), with a super easy connection to the Wirral line (I swear it's a longer connection coming from the Wirral line, unless I went the wrong way on that) and a 4 minute wait for the next New Brighton service. Perfect! Onto 507007 to New Brighton, surprise surprise it's required (like all of them have been!) and a smooth journey. Which was a feature of all my journeys on Merseyrail, nice and smooth, uneventful trips. I think I only encountered one delay, and even that was less than 3 minutes!
Back on the same 507 to Birkenhead North with an easy walk over the footbridge for a West Kirby service, with required 508131. The weather's gone a bit rancid here now too, so I don't see any of West Kirby bar the station. Back to Bidston next after finding out it would be a nice and easy +11 there for my next train. It felt mighty strange to be finishing the Merseyrail part of the day already, which was a shame as I'd enjoyed my experiences with them. Back to an overly familiar TOC now in the form of ATW and far too familiar type of unit, in the form of 150240. On I get for the last required track for the trip, and the noise of the 150 is welcome after virtually silent action on Merseyrail. I spot a lone brakevan, 955172 (yes I wrote down the number!) at the north end of Dee Marsh's yards, along with plenty of different wagons lurking around further south. The place looks shut down, deserted. We're soon into Shotton, and the arrival there meant I finished covering all of ATW's network!
We're soon at Wrexham, and I make use of the cafe there, as I'd not eaten since breakfast (and it was 1530 or so by now!). Got a bacon bap and a coffee, the former being extremely rateable! The coffee was OK, but that bacon bap, mmm! Next time I go shopping, I'm buying some bacon! (I say that every week, forgot again when I went shopping earlier!) The next train to Shrewsbury rolled in with something like an 8 minute dwell, and I fortunately find a table seat with ease. Felt mighty odd being up in Wrexham, knowing WSMR had finished just a few days prior. No wonder no-one used their trains, looking at the timetable! Terrible service levels!
66157 is present on a northbound steel working at Shrewsbury, but it's time for a break now. After I come back upstairs, I see that 158827 now has a partner going forward to Birmingham. I swear that was just 158827 from Wrexham! A Freightliner coal train arrives as the 158s leave, and I rush my way down platform 7 in case it's a 70. No such luck, it's 66550. Still got a photo anyway, since I'd made the effort to get one. Not much longer until 175005 arrives with the 1650 to Pembroke Dock, and a nice and on-time run to Newport is had. We were even 3 minutes early at Hereford! I muse the idea of doing it all the way from Manchester to Pembroke Dock one day, as I've never had a 175 on the Pembroke Dock line and it would be funky to do it all the way from Manchester. When I saw it was over 5 hours to Carmarthen, my eyes went flying out of my head!
6 minutes to make the connection at Newport was thankfully plenty and I manage a casual stroll for a change. Onto 158957 for the last train of the day, and the FGW guard grips my ticket. First time it's been stamped whatsoever all the way from Merseyside! Uneventful journey again really, on which I worked out I have spent about £227 on rail fares so far this year! Not bad for 2,685 miles I reckon, especially as that includes international rail travel too!
And that's about it really. Limited variety of photos: http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/43019/North West Trip 1st and 2nd February 2011/
Meant to do this yesterday, but had to work and just didn't feel up to writing this lot up afterwards. Since I've got today off, perfect excuse to get it done!
1st February 2011
Having gotten 4 days off in a row again, the night before I finally, finally, decided on where I was going. I had spent ages going through the various rangers and rovers to make the decision, when I found the Lancashire Day Ranger. That was me sold, based on the amount of track I needed in that area. Booked a night at The Everton in Liverpool and the trip was organised. An all-nighter due to being way too excited about the upcoming day was imminent, and after a series of farces with getting ready to go ("I've got over an hour, I'll pop online and play some music, should have plenty of time to finish getting ready", not making that mistake again) resulted in my leaving with mere moments to spare by the time I got to the station! So I managed to get a copy of the Metro as 158950 rolled in on the 0604 to Cardiff.
An uneventful journey to Bristol saw me manage to easily get a table seat on 221125 on the 0700 to Manchester. We encounter some rather slow running and stop a bit after Ashchurch for Tewkesbury. After what felt like ages, we're told there's a massive power failure in the Bromsgrove area, so we're being diverted via Kidderminster. Never had a Voyager via that route, which I had always wanted to do when I was a Voyager ned. It felt mighty strange going non-stop through Worcester Shrub Hill, something I'd wanted to do for many years! Passing Kidderminster, an interesting sight in the form of 20177 in faded BR blue livery is seen. Never heard of that one before! A slow journey to Birmingham New Street follows, with a bonus on this trip of getting Galton Curve covered in the northbound direction at last. Just before Birmingham, we're told the train terminates there due to the late running. No further information on other services or whatever, but thankfully there's LM services to Liverpool. We leave after what felt like ages waiting (I foolishly thought it left at 0921, not 0936
) on 350258, which was required for sight too.Nothing particularly exciting up to Crewe, but I do get required for sight 70002 at Basford Hall, as well as finally seeing that new PowerHaul livery on 86622 and 86637 on Crewe LNWR. I spy a Corus liveried (or at least a silver livery) 08 shunting around there, couldn't quite get the number though (anyone got the gen?), before also spying 4 Fertis 56s to the west of Crewe. Oh yes, and there was a DRS 37 in Crewe Heritage Centre as well as a BR blue 37, undergoing a repaint by the looks of it. No numbers known, would like to know which ones they are though! The rest of the journey to Liverpool's uneventful, and we arrive smack on time.
Having been able to get my Lancashire Day Ranger from the guard on the 350, off I go downstairs to the Wirral line. The North West bash proper begins on 507031 to Liverpool Central, followed by 508127 to Ormskirk. I swear we went through Aughton Park non-stop, but I don't know for sure. Definitely don't recall seeing the station at all. A 24 minute wait results in 153359 (which was my last one for sight in 2008, I had wondered if it would produce and sure enough, it did!) taking me to Preston. Some welcome DMU noise now after modern plastic junk/EMUs so far! We arrive into platform 3C, a required scratch!
The entire day's plan went flying out of the window after the delay earlier on, so I decided to go with the flow and see what happens. I need the route to Hebden Bridge (or at least the junction near Todmorden), so required 158757 on the next service over that was welcome. Most comfortable and an enjoyable journey through some nice scenery, we even arrived a couple of minutes early! After much faffing with timetables, I discover the next one back to Burnley isn't until 1438, which was about 40 minutes away. No thanks, I'll get moving quicker than that ta! A coffee is bought from the cafe, which was quite rateable for £1.20! There's a 1408 to Manchester Victoria, that'll do me fine. I can get in place to get the Kirkby line out of the way that way. 144022 rolls in on it, which I require and is my first 3-car 144. Stopping at nearly every station en-route (only missed out Walsden I believe), we finally arrive into Manchester at 1452.
Kirkby was the plan, but there was a 1500 to Clitheroe going out, and as I needed Bolton to Blackburn, which would give me an option to get to Colne, I went for it. Bonus in that it was required track out of platform 5 too, so I get on 150276 and 153328 on the Clitheroe. Unfortunately, we were about 3 minutes too late for the Colne train, but 60040 was present on a trial working to Immingham. Got that photo, and after some deliberation, I get 158909 on the 1610 to Blackpool as far as Accrington. Shack scratch! There, I find the next Blackpool South train is a few minutes late, and jump on for a quick leap on required 142012 to Church and Oswaldtwistle. Shack scratch again and a better shot of the 60 here, so job done. 60040 came through around 1642, nice to see a 60 working on a freight again, especially something other than tanks!
The cold wind is getting to me now, but thankfully the 1658 to Colne soon shows up and I get 142028 to journey's end. Not much to do here really, and get the same 142 back. For some reason, we have to change at Blackburn on 142050, but I'm not complaining as it meant a required crossover into Blackburn and another required 142! The connection onto the Liverpool train is nice and easy, jumping straight onto a 156 (I forgot to check the number as I got on, had to hope it was required!). The noise it made was a welcome change from 142s now, and was extremely loud. Best 156 I've had to date! At Liverpool, platform 4 is scratched and I photo the 156 and note it to be 156471. Excellent run that was!
Having not eaten since before 1100, I'm now famished. So it's into Burger King to get a supersize XL Bacon Double Cheeseburger meal. With Bite card discount, £5.43 is extremely reasonable and the meal thoroughly enjoyable! I get a bit lost on the walk to Everton Road, had to ask an NHS security guard where I needed to go at one point! Thankfully arrived there not much later than planned and checked in. Extremely good deal for £11.12, with a super comfortable bed, free tea/coffee/hot chocolate, free Internet, free fruit and free breakfast! The bed had the softest mattress I've ever slept on! Highly recommended hostel!
2nd February 2011
It's soon morning again, with the alarm going off at 0730. After some de-rancifying, it's time for 4 rounds of toast and a coffee. This time, I had a map for the walk back to Lime Street, although I still walked to the side entrance and not the front one! I know for next time now at least! A Saveaway is bought, and I wonder what to do for 40 minutes. Bus spotting time, although I didn't bother with Arriva's lot. It's soon time to head downstairs to the Wirral line for another leap to Central, with 508114. Onto yet another required Merseyrail 507 up to Sandhills (for the shack and unit scratch, as the Southport service was behind me), before getting the only pairing of the trip with 508103 and 507009 on the 0944 to Southport.
Due to engineering works on the northbound platform at Freshfield, we go non-stop. Looked mighty odd to go fast through somewhere on an all-stopper! At Southport, there's 4 minutes before the fast train to Wigan, but due mostly to unnecessary delays at the barriers, I miss it by about 30 seconds. Unamused! So in the meantime, it's a leap on 507027 to Birkdale, where the connection is a +/- 0, so I pop to McColls for a Mars Duo in the meantime, before getting 507004 back to Southport. The connection onto the stopper to Wigan is only 4 minutes, but I make it easily enough. The fast had been a pair of 142s, this one is 156498, which is required. Given the choice, I'd rather a 156 to a 142. I know that goes against what is fast becoming popular on here now, but hey. The connection at Wigan off the express for the Kirkby train was only +1, whereas I have a +22. Time for some spotting at least, which was good, as in only 6 minutes I got plenty of beasty First buses. If it hadn't been as chilly and raining, I'd have stayed out there longer. Never mind!
Onto 142040 next to Kirkby, and yet another uneventful trip. A decent connection here onto the next Liverpool service, which was required 508104. Stayed on through the entire 18 minute journey to Liverpool Central (the amount of times I went there on this trip...!), with a super easy connection to the Wirral line (I swear it's a longer connection coming from the Wirral line, unless I went the wrong way on that) and a 4 minute wait for the next New Brighton service. Perfect! Onto 507007 to New Brighton, surprise surprise it's required (like all of them have been!) and a smooth journey. Which was a feature of all my journeys on Merseyrail, nice and smooth, uneventful trips. I think I only encountered one delay, and even that was less than 3 minutes!
Back on the same 507 to Birkenhead North with an easy walk over the footbridge for a West Kirby service, with required 508131. The weather's gone a bit rancid here now too, so I don't see any of West Kirby bar the station. Back to Bidston next after finding out it would be a nice and easy +11 there for my next train. It felt mighty strange to be finishing the Merseyrail part of the day already, which was a shame as I'd enjoyed my experiences with them. Back to an overly familiar TOC now in the form of ATW and far too familiar type of unit, in the form of 150240. On I get for the last required track for the trip, and the noise of the 150 is welcome after virtually silent action on Merseyrail. I spot a lone brakevan, 955172 (yes I wrote down the number!) at the north end of Dee Marsh's yards, along with plenty of different wagons lurking around further south. The place looks shut down, deserted. We're soon into Shotton, and the arrival there meant I finished covering all of ATW's network!
We're soon at Wrexham, and I make use of the cafe there, as I'd not eaten since breakfast (and it was 1530 or so by now!). Got a bacon bap and a coffee, the former being extremely rateable! The coffee was OK, but that bacon bap, mmm! Next time I go shopping, I'm buying some bacon! (I say that every week, forgot again when I went shopping earlier!) The next train to Shrewsbury rolled in with something like an 8 minute dwell, and I fortunately find a table seat with ease. Felt mighty odd being up in Wrexham, knowing WSMR had finished just a few days prior. No wonder no-one used their trains, looking at the timetable! Terrible service levels!
66157 is present on a northbound steel working at Shrewsbury, but it's time for a break now. After I come back upstairs, I see that 158827 now has a partner going forward to Birmingham. I swear that was just 158827 from Wrexham! A Freightliner coal train arrives as the 158s leave, and I rush my way down platform 7 in case it's a 70. No such luck, it's 66550. Still got a photo anyway, since I'd made the effort to get one. Not much longer until 175005 arrives with the 1650 to Pembroke Dock, and a nice and on-time run to Newport is had. We were even 3 minutes early at Hereford! I muse the idea of doing it all the way from Manchester to Pembroke Dock one day, as I've never had a 175 on the Pembroke Dock line and it would be funky to do it all the way from Manchester. When I saw it was over 5 hours to Carmarthen, my eyes went flying out of my head!
6 minutes to make the connection at Newport was thankfully plenty and I manage a casual stroll for a change. Onto 158957 for the last train of the day, and the FGW guard grips my ticket. First time it's been stamped whatsoever all the way from Merseyside! Uneventful journey again really, on which I worked out I have spent about £227 on rail fares so far this year! Not bad for 2,685 miles I reckon, especially as that includes international rail travel too!
And that's about it really. Limited variety of photos: http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/43019/North West Trip 1st and 2nd February 2011/
