55013's Contemporary Trip Reports

[55013]

Thanks.
It is quite a dull trip, which is one reason I cracked on and did the lot - no need to ever do it again

 

[Techniquest]

An excellent read as always, and like everyone else I find the Halfway branch ridiculously boring! It can take some doing to spend all day on trams, so fair play to you for sticking it out!

 

[Kite159]

Agreed that branch does get boring after a while, but as you said it is done and you don't have to do it again

 

[Kristofferson]

Nice job! Seems it's all travel cards and trams on here these days

*adds to list*

 

[55013]

An excellent read as always, and like everyone else I find the Halfway branch ridiculously boring! It can take some doing to spend all day on trams, so fair play to you for sticking it out!

Agreed that branch does get boring after a while, but as you said it is done and you don't have to do it again

Cheers lads.
Apart from the festers at Birley Moor Road, Hackenthorpe and Arbourthorne Road it went surprisingly fast.
I really enjoyed some of the inclines but yeah, the last few miles are a bit monotonous.
I'll make sure Sheffield Wednesday aren't at home the next time I visit and the shacks to that side of the city can be attacked.

Nice job! Seems it's all travel cards and trams on here these days

*adds to list*

Well, we're off to Wales in the morning on holiday.
Some trains will probably be involved but neither travel cards nor trams will feature

 

[jayalongtheway]

A good day out in the Steel City. It is a bit chilly granted so kudos for getting out there. Made of sturdier stuff than me!

 

[55013]

It wasn't too bad, to be honest.
At least it was dry.
In February 1990 a mate and I did a Freedom of Scotland, dossing on the train most nights and on Carlisle station on the return home, when the WCML was shut by snow.
That was some real cold weather shenanigans.
Mind you I was a bit hardier then, now I'm old and feeble
There's a report on the forum somewhere, posted when I used to write them up individually rather than in one thread,

 

[Techniquest]

Nice job! Seems it's all travel cards and trams on here these days

*adds to list*

Oh don't worry, it won't be like that on my next trip report!

*Massive hint dropped*

 

[jayalongtheway]

There's a report on the forum somewhere, posted when I used to write them up individually rather than in one thread

I have trawled through quite a lot of archive material on trip reports and have just reaquainted myself with that particular one. Brings back memories of being in Scotland myself at that time, just having started on the job and receiving my free travel made it accessible. Funnily enough one of my regular companions on these trips was from the Leeds area himself.

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Thanks for sharing the latest trip - fab read as ever ! Like others, I agree it seems to be all trams & travelcards but at least folk are getting out and about in what's supposed to be the off season.

I've yet to hit Sheffield trams but that's all coming very soon. If the Halfway branch is half as boring as you make out, I'll make sure that I plan to do the line/shacks early on in my day so that I will at least have the odd winner or two to keep me awake along the way.

 

[45135]

Is that the part of the Supertram network that resembles a roller-coaster in places? I've done Herdings Park, several years ago, which is about halfway to... oh, you've already said that.

 

[55013]

I'm currently sitting in front of a roaring fire, in a Welsh castle built by Edward I (Well, he told somebody else to build it) and won't be visiting the forum much over the next week.
I will hopefully be getting a move in that involves new track, required shacks and hopefully a winning unit or two.
No travelcards or trams will be involved

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I'm currently sitting in front of a roaring fire, in a Welsh castle built by Edward I (Well, he told somebody else to build it) and won't be visiting the forum much over the next week.
I will hopefully be getting a move in that involves new track, required shacks and hopefully a winning unit or two.
No travelcards or trams will be involved

I'm sorry to hear that - Wales is almost as bad a place to visit as "the South"...

Be sure to watch out for some friendly pacers, though...

 

[FQ]

Enjoy, it sounds like a great time! *Goes and sits next to his own roaring fire on the boat*

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Yes, it does sound nice *Goes and sits by the fire at the local pub with a pint whilst watching the darts*

 

[backontrack]

Agreed, it sounds great *goes and does homework, you lucky people*

 

[Techniquest]

Funnily enough I'm also in front of a lovely coal fire, and I'm about to celebrate hours spent on RailMiles with a bottle of Old Peculier!

 

[47403]

if it was of any consolation whatsoever, there was no coalfire involved but heating was absolutely blaring though, sitting chilling after a 10hr shift with a cold bottle of Marston's Resoloution, watching Justified.

No pacers or HST's were harmed or mentioned during the typing of this post although the whine of a voyager could be heard passing the house.

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh, Marstons Resolution! Love that stuff!

I'm finally enjoying my Old Peculiar, didn't have it after all last night. Still got a fire though! Hope you're having a great holiday 55013!

 

[55013]

Well, we're back.
A great time was had, thanks.
Fully rested and with more train moves than I anticipated.
A report will, of course, appear in due course.

I'm sorry to hear that - Wales is almost as bad a place to visit as "the South"...

Be sure to watch out for some friendly pacers, though...

Nah, this was all good.
Snowdonia visible on one side, the Menai Strait a few feet from our front door and no Pacers in sight

Now to catch up with everyone's trip reports.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Thanks to typing a lot of it up on my tablet whilst returning to Pwllheli in the dark each evening my very long report is finished
So here goes.

Every January Mrs 13 and I have a different kind of holiday.
We go with a company that specialises in historic property breaks called Landmark Trust and choose January because that's the cheapest month and we try and be careful with our brass.
As you might expect these holidays often involve one or two train trips.
We first stayed in an Elizabethan gatehouse near Axminster in 2013, so Devon rovers were used, this was followed in 2014 by a Fenland Pump House Stoker's cottage, which was near Ely and handy for Anglia Rovers.
Last year it was a Victorian folly in Cornwall, naturally resulting in use of the appropriate rovers.

This year has been the oldest building by far, Caernarfon Castle.
Not all of it, of course, but a single turret, four floors, that has been renovated by the Landmark Trust
LT have a policy of no TV, telephone or Wi-Fi at any of their properties and it's absolute heaven.

Anyway, enough about that, on with the moves.
Our first night was Monday and so our first day exploring was Tuesday.
We began by visiting a Neolithic burial mound on Anglesey before heading on to Beaumaris Castle.
Our plan after that was to go and view some Neolithic cave art but unfortunately it kept getting vandalised by scumbags and so access is restricted. We phoned the place that holds the key but we were informed it was closed until April.
Bah.
The up side of this was it gave us an opportunity for a train trip.
Hurrah, you shout, I was wandering when he was going to get to the trains.

Anglesey is home to quite a famous station and even Mrs 13 agreed it needed to be done.
Now we were very close and had some time to kill.
In the dim and distant past (2015), you may remember I set myself a challenge of getting a winning haulage from every class of unit possible.
I had failed in this task by being unable to rope in a required class 175, so it was with a mixture of triumph and irritation that I boarded winner 175001 at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Unfortunately we had arrived at the station one minute before the train was due, with the next one not for some time an un-researched leap had to be done.
After looking at the timetable it became apparent that there was no choice but to go through to Holyhead.
Once at Holyhead there were two options, stay there for an hour and a half or return to Llanfairpwll (I’m not writing all that out again, I’ll use the name on the tickets) by a more roundabout way with a winning shack included.
Which option won out?
Have a guess.
175001 was re-boarded and taken to Bangor.
A short fester was followed by 175109 to my second new shack, Bodorgan where another short wait was had before my second winning DMU of the day, 158829, appeared for the run to Llanfairpwll – this was the same train that would have been done from Holyhead had the fester option been selected.

It proved a bit difficult (impossible!) to get both the station sign and the unit in the shot without a bit of a lean:
DMU 158829_2016.01.19_1_Llanfairpwll by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Not bad for a none train day!

Wednesday, by contrast, was most definitely a train day.
This was the day in every holiday when we do our own thing and my thing is trains
My plan was to cover some track that I'd never travelled on previously.
Aberystwyth has been done several times but the line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli had never been graced with my presence.
Until now.
Naturally I was also hoping for some new units and a few stations as well, although the latter was a foregone conclusion of course.
In the event, both my hopes were realised when I boarded 158832 at Pwllheli for a run down the coast.
I couldn't pass up the opportunity of raking in one of the more interesting stations on the network and so I left 158832 at Dovey Junction
Here I changed my plan.
There were two dud units stood in platform 2, one going to an unrequired station and one to somewhere new.
I had intended to go to Machynlleth but instead went to the far end of the platform and got on 158821, which I took to Borth.
I had a short wait here before 158821 reappeared to take me back to Dovey Junction.
This connected with the next Pwllheli service which I was disappointed to find was worked by dud 158828.
When I had been heading East on 158832 in the morning I had seen required 158835 heading West and decided to see where I could meet it off 158828.
This turned out to be Aberdovey as 158828 was running a bit late and I didn't fancy having to run over at the passing point of Tywyn.
158835 produced as hoped and I did this through to Machynlleth.
Not only was this a winner, it meant I did the bit of track between Dovey Junction platform 1 and the point where the tracks join up, which I know would have bugged me if I hadn't done it.

After a fester of about an hour a double 158 set arrived from Birmingham.
The front set was bound for Aberystwyth and the rear was my train home.
However, the front unit was required and so another visit to Dovey Junction was needed.
158836 was the unit in question and was duly taken for the necessary three and a bit miles.
My train back to Pwllheli arrived a few minutes later and was worked by winner from yesterday 158829, which at least meant I could clear the unit by riding in 52829
Once back at Pwllheli it was back to the castle for steak and chips for tea.

It's 158829 again:
DMU 158829_2016.01.20_1_Dovey Junction by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Unfortunately, things took a negative turn that night as my wife was unable to sleep due to severe toothache.
In the morning we made our way to a local dentist and she got an emergency appointment for 11.15.
Obviously, this put the mockers on our plans for the day.
Ever thoughtful, Mrs 13 suggested I go back out for some more railway action.
I was reluctant and felt like it would be abandoning her but she insisted that she would feel even worse if she felt my holiday was being spoilt by her being unwell and so off I went for an unexpected bonus day on the rails.

I got to Pwllheli in time to make the 11.37 departure, which was formed by 158841, and took it to Tonfanau.
Winner 158820 was next, taking me to the quaint little shack of Llandnwg, a station that requires you to board and alight from the middle doors of a two car unit as it's so tiny
After a fairly short wait, made to feel longer by a howling gale, another new DMU, 158831 arrived to take me to Fairbourne.
I was going to go one stop further South, to Llwyngwril, but had come up with an idea involving that particular station for later in the week.

Fairbourne has a narrow gauge railway very close to the full size one and a diesel shunter was running up and down in the platform so I mooched over to have a look.
By the time I got my camera out the driver had parked up and wandered off, so no clag shot.
This little diversion helped kill some time before the unit that I'd done from Machynlleth to Dovey Junction the day before, 158836, arrived to take me back to Pwllheli.

It's GWRIL:
GWRIL_2016.01.21_1_Fairbourne by Phil Wood, on Flickr

The next day, Friday, found Mrs 13 much improved thanks to antibiotics and strong pain killers.
The weather was quite pleasant, still windy but sunny and dry.
This meant it was a good time to put my plan into action.
Mrs 13 likes the seaside and I had come up with an idea that sated our individual pleasures as well as our combined love of history and sightseeing.
Once again it was to Pwllheli for the 11.37 departure, today in the hands of dud 158831, and we made our way down the scenic line to the station I elected to ignore yesterday, Llwyngwril.
I had chosen this as it meant a short wait and involved a run East of Fairbourne that has particularly spectacular scenery and a run along the side of a cliff that my wife greatly enjoyed.
She was also very taken with adornments that had been recently applied – the station has been subjected to an attack of “Yarn Bombing”.
Apparently, this is a practice that involves a group of people, presumably mainly female, decorating a chosen spot with various brightly coloured crocheted/knitted items.
I'd never heard of this practice but Mrs 13 had.
I guess the idea is to take somewhere drab and make it a more pleasing and welcoming place.
I have to say it works.
Another unrequired unit, 158840, was taken for a short run to Morfa Mawddach.
Now it was one of the highlights of the holiday as we walked to Barmouth, crossing the famous bridge and taking in the wonderful sights.

Barmouth Bridge, shame it wasn't a pair of 25s or 37s on a Summer Saturday service:
DMU 158840_2016.01.22_7_Barmouth by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Once in the town we had time for a look round and a drink in a cafe before the next Northbound service arrived to take us back to Pwllheli.
Happily this was a winner 158827 and the station, Barmouth was also new to me, of course.

Saturday saw us visiting a couple of castles and once again we did our trip by train.
158822 was on the 09.37 from Pwllheli and we took this to Harlech.
We very much enjoyed the magnificent castle and our visit just nicely fitted into the two hours between our arrival and the next service North.
This was worked by 158825, once in Ginster's Cornish Pasty livery.
We had another castle in mind and so bailed at Criccieth.
Criccieth Castle is wonderfully situated but there's not much left of it and so after we had seen it all and spent a while soaking up the spectacular views we found we were back at the station some forty five minutes after leaving it.
We now had a choice, wait for an hour and fifteen minutes for the Pwllheli service or re-board 158825 for a run South.
Obviously we chose the latter and I had the chance to rope in one final station for the week.
This was the delightful shack Tygwyn and we had ten minutes there before the final unit of our holiday, 158824, arrived to takes back to Pwllheli.

With Harlech Castle (also dud ) dominating the skyline, 158824 approaches Tygwyn:
DMU 158824_2016.01.23_1_Tygwyn by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Our holiday continued for a few more days but no more trains were involved.
Well, that was how it was supposed to be!

We were heading home on Monday and we planned to visit a National Trust property near Colwyn Bay in order to extend our holiday a bit.
After loading up the car we left our castle behind and went to the Weatherspoon's in Caernarfon for a fry up.
Whilst there we looked up our intended destination and found out it's shut on Mondays.
Bah.
I asked my wife what she wanted to do and she surprised me by saying that she had enjoyed our trip to Barmouth so much that she fancied doing it again if it was possible.
Was it possible?
I made sure we could do it and what's more I saw the chance of adding to my new shacks total.

We left Caernarfon and instead of Pwllheli I made haste towards a new station.
We cut it a bit fine as our unit was waiting for permission to pass over the level crossing and enter the platform as we pulled into the car park!
The unit was 158826 and the station was Porthmadog.
This was a Westbound service as I spotted an opportunity for a second score.
Explaining to Mrs 13 that we might as well do this as the alternative was waiting at Porthmadog for the same unit to come back
We bailed at Abererch and strolled 100 yards down to the seashore to indulge in twenty minutes of Mrs 13’s version of cranking – watching the sea.
We made our way back to the station in plenty of time to meet 158826 for the run to Barmouth.
Once there we had a drink in a cafe and then went for a walk, crossing the bridge one way, photographing 158825 working a Pwllheli bound service, then walking back and picking up required 158819 for the short but scenic run to Tonfanau.

158825 having just come off the bridge:
DMU 158825_2016.01.25_5_Barmouth by Phil Wood, on Flickr

From there it was 158827 back to Porthmadog and a three hour drive home.

In summary, eleven new units, seventeen new stations and a new line.
On top of that we had enjoyed an all round fabulous holiday, my wife’s tooth issues notwithstanding.
Not too shabby.

 

[jayalongtheway]

Sounds like a cracking time was had Phil.

 

[Cletus]

Fantastic scenery, brilliant Dovey Junction picture.

The walk from Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth is on my subconscious bucket list.

 

[FQ]

That sounds like an amazing holiday! The line is also winner for me but I've no idea when I'll get it in. Do you have a target for 2016 yet?

 

[55013]

Sounds like a cracking time was had Phil.

It was indeed.
We've already got our next Landmark booked (Ironbridge Gorge, overlooking the bridge) and our 2018 one planned

Fantastic scenery, brilliant Dovey Junction picture.

The walk from Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth is on my subconscious bucket list.

Many thanks.
The walk over the bridge is about a mile and a half from station to station and is highly recommended with fabulous views and the occasional RAF fighter flying low overhead.
My tip would be to go out of season, it gets very busy in the summer by all accounts.
And they charge a 30p toll during the busy period, far too much for a tight Yorkshireman like me to pay

That sounds like an amazing holiday! The line is also winner for me but I've no idea when I'll get it in. Do you have a target for 2016 yet?

Aye, we know how to holiday
It took me over thirty five years of cranking to get the line in, but I won't leave it so long before my next visit.
As for my target, I've thought long and hard and decided that I'm going to follow Keith's example from his December challenge and go for an average of a winner a day, so 366 winners (it's a leap year), made up of any combination of locos, units, HSTs, light rail and stations.
That should keep me entertained.

Totals so far:
Locos: 0
HSTs: 0
DMUs:12
EMUs: 2
Trams: 11
Shacks: 47

So 70/366, pretty good going so far, I might end up raising my target

 

[Kite159]

Very good week it seems in Wales

 

[Techniquest]

My target for the year is to try and beat 2015's winners count, but with something like 604 needed to do that I'm going to struggle now. Only 595 to get this year to manage it, I'm game!

Some beautiful shots there, it must be said. It's sure ignited a major need to get to the Cambrian Coast proper and do some shack scoring. When is an entirely different question, of course, but it is going to get very much looked into!

Glad to hear you had a great holiday, I can sympathise with your wife a lot as I've had nasty dental issues recently too. One of the worst pains in the entire universe, and I can only remember one that was worse. I'm certainly not mentioning what it was, but you'd all cringe!

I can only imagine the irritance the 175 must have caused after last year's mission, but no doubt a welcome addition to the books.

An excellent read and well worth waiting for

 

[47403]

Sounds like you both had a great time. very relaxing and very much a productive holiday on the railway front too.
No TV, No phone or wifi, how would todays teenagers cope, think thats something akin to their worst nightmare

 

[Kristofferson]

Incredible scenery and photos there - what a brilliant holiday

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Excellent read. You certainly know how to holiday and apart from Mrs 13's gnasher difficulties, you both seemed to get a lot out of it.

No doubt you're content with bagging all those shacks and units. Just a pity that you could not bag a winning 175.

Funnily enough, Mrs KJ and I have been thinking of something rail based along the Cambrian coast. There's of course method in my madness as I still need the line beyond Porthmadog and of course most of the shacks in that neck of the woods.

As for the 2016 Challenge, you've committed yourself now! But as self appointed moderator of such challenges, I'll have to go away and have a think as to whether a mixed units & shacks challenge is a valid combination. But nevertheless, it's good to see you embracing the idea of a year long challenge.

 

[FQ]

Good luck with that challenge!