55013's Contemporary Trip Reports

[Kite159]

That is one mighty fine Aqueduct

 

[55013]

The aqueduct is fabulous, even my wife considers it the highlight of the holiday.

 

[55013]

Our holiday finished on Friday the 27th. It had been another good one and many interesting things had been seen and done.
Chief among the latter was a first for me.
I have had many locos for haulage but now there’s one that’s had me
If you’re interested in seeing how far you can move a steam locomotive then the Enginuity museum at Ironbridge is the place to go.

Anyway, I digress.
Mrs 13’s friend was now home from hospital but largely housebound.
Naturally another visit was planned.
Happily for me she lives about half a mile from one of the newer NET termini so a repeat of the previous week’s adventures was on the cards, this time from the other end of the network.

Thankfully both the M6 and the M42 were clear today and good time was made.
I dropped my wife off at her mates in Toton and made the short drive to the Park and Ride at Toton Lane.
Having been overjoyed to see it the week before, I was less happy to see the next departure was 201.
Nevertheless I chose to do it rather than wait ten minutes for the next one.
I did, after all, have a limited time.

My plan was to go after new shacks.
I figure that I would still pick up a few winning trams that way and it’s better than sitting around awaiting a requirement, especially in the Winter.

201 was taken as far as Cator Lane where I waited about two minutes for another dud from the previous week, 220, which I took to Inham Road.
I had observed all the trams going towards Toton Lane so knew the next one back towards the city would be a winner.
The first red pen of the day was 221, which I took for a longer run, on to Meadows Way West.

221 approaching Inham Road:
Nottingham Tram 221_2017.01.27_1_Inham Road by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Last (for now?) of the fleet, 237 was up next and this was done to 47444, sorry, University Of Nottingham.
I knew that the next two Hucknall bound services were winners so I decided to bite the bullet and do something that I don’t normally do, a bit of linear bashing.
230 to Queens Medical Centre and ten minutes later 229 on to Gregory Street.
A couple of very short runs (38 and 27 chains respectively) but at least they’re in the book.
The next move was a bit further, to University Boulevard and produced another winner in the shape of 224.
My time on the NET was coming to end but I still had plans for a few more stops.
Dud 210 took me from University Boulevard and I was intending to take this to the railway station but I received a text from my wife asking me to pick her up in three quarters of an hour, causing me to re-plan and go for remaining requirements on the branch.
There were still six required shacks between Meadows Way West and Toton Lane.
It didn’t take a lot of thought to realise that getting them all today was an impossible feat.
I left 210 at dud Queens Medical Centre and began my journey back towards Toton on winner 231.
There was no benefit as far as I could see in getting back early as my wife wouldn’t be ready, so I bailed at Beeston Centre and caught 217 for another 27 chain move, this time to Middle Street.
Dud for the day 201 was next and I thought that the moves were over.
However, I knew from earlier that the tram behind it was required and I figured I would be able to do that and arrive at my destination bang on time.
I decided to go for it and so left 201 for the fourth time in eight days, this time at High Road-Central College.
Sure enough, 216 rolled in ten minutes later and this was taken through to the end of the line.

New and old front end comparison:
Nottingham Tram 216_2017.01.27_2_Toton Lane_& 201 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Today had given me eight new trams and eleven shacks.
Not too bad

 

[FQ]

I do like the Pontcysyllte aquduct - it's a great viaduct and has a great loco that used to carry its nameplate (67013).

I'm glad to see that your WMDR included some tram action - I still haven't had any GWR ones this year!

68015? So dud . I believe it's currently on 710 miles, too!

Finally, I loved the 47444 reference - it was certainly a hellfire brush from what dad's said!

 

[55013]

Whenever 45135 and I are covering the Chiltern loco hauled services 68015 is out of service at Crewe
One day, it will be captured.

As for 47444, yeah it was a beast.

47444_1989.04.26_1_Mirfield by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I had forgotten that 67013 was named after the aqueduct - appropriate as it's my favourite 67.

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Pontecysyllte aqueduct - ah, remember it well! About 5 or 6 years ago, the KJ family were on a canal boat holiday and the week's cruise was the full length of the Llangollen canal. It was eldest son and I on the footplate (or whatever boaters call it), younger son permanently playing on games machine except when require to assist with locks and Mrs KJ taking in the air and keeping the workers supplied with refreshments.

Approaching Pont-wotsit all the others jump off the boat with cameras etc to record the scenery and other bits of photographic noteworthy, leaving just me on boat. I was not aware of the lack of railings on the non-towpath side until too late. Nobody had even checked whether there was anything coming the other way! But I made it over and collected all the family and promptly handed over control of the boat to eldest son for the final run up to Llangollen. That was just as entertaining on account of the depth (or lack of it) of the water. But he made it. Boat was parked up in the marina and we went for a ride on the Llangollen railway. Can't remember the loco but it was definitely a line in the book - may have been a pannier tank.

-----

Anyway, Mr 13, sorry to hear you've been laid up. Hope you're on the mend now and chomping at the bit to get out and about.

That excellent photo of Ironbridge triggers memories too. Mrs KJ and I went there in 1987BC (before children) for a day trip and had a fab time. Traction was some 86 to Wolverhampton, a CD 47 forward to Telford and an antiquated Bedford OB to Ironbridge which also took us to Blists Hill and other parts of the area. We found our way back to Telford for a 150 back to Wolverhampton and another 86 back to The Smoke.

 

[Cowley]

Wow there really is no railings on that side. I had to go back and look at the picture. Great reports 55013, looked like a very nice holiday in an interesting area (I always had a soft spot for 444, Mums side are from Nottingham).

 

[Techniquest]

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my stomping grounds 55013! I've never understood why they don't install a crossover at the Shrub Hill end of those single lines, it would make for a more resilient service when someone goes belly up and potentially for service improvements.

That aqueduct looks like an interesting experience, I was up that way earlier and it is very high up just passing on the railway!

67013 is my favourite 67 too, and I was looking at them in my NREA earlier. It occurs to me I may never get 67007 or 67030 into my book, what with the very limited passenger work these days for the class.

Another highly successful little spin in Nottingham there I see, you simply must get back down there to clear out your needs. The comment "for now?" on 237 being the last one raises a fine point, one day the original trams will need replacing. Thankfully I'm not aware of any extensions proposed for NET in recent times, so there *should* be no more trams coming for a while!

Favourite tram system for me is Metrolink, so expansive and such variety in scenery, speed of runs and so on.

 

[Kristofferson]

Hope you're on the mend, Mr 13! That aqueduct is spectacular - what a view! The trains weren't too bad either.

 

[55013]

Keith - nice to know I brought back a few good memories.

Cowley - the lack of railings on one side surprises me as well, especially in this health and safety obsessed age.

Tech - I did indeed enjoy my brief visit to your stomping grounds, of course I'll have to go back for Colwell and Ledbury
I think you've made the same aqueduct error as I did - I too saw the impressive structure from the train and decided I wanted to walk across it.
It actually turns out that the one visible from the railway is Chirk aqueduct, Pontecysyllte is 87 metres longer and 17 metres taller and is further down the canal.
I still want to do Chirk, though - Mrs 13 had reached her aqueduct quota for the day.

Kristofferson - I'm much better now, thanks. Back to work on Monday. Glad you liked the photo.

 

[Techniquest]

Colwall You won't find much around there, and as you're most likely to have a fester at Ledbury (there are ways to linear hop around those two shacks) you'll find a Tesco around 5 minutes fast walk away from the station. There are pubs and other shops further away, but no takeaways open before 1600. Never been into the pubs in Ledbury (despite numerous visits over the years, which reminds me of an anniversary I'll be celebrating on 22nd March) so can't comment on them.

Sure there's a pub in Colwall not far from the station, again never been to it to check. Any advice on bashing in my local area, feel free to ask

 

[47403]

Hope by now your feeling much better, sure Mrs 13 could've rubbed some Vic on your chest for you.

Your, do your own thing days, whilst on your hols, is always a good feature, usually very productive too. That aquaduct is quite an impressive structure.

As for the 47444 reference, I was on it like a flash. 47444 was a beast, however 47550 and 47555 were better.

 

[55013]

Colwall You won't find much around there, and as you're most likely to have a fester at Ledbury (there are ways to linear hop around those two shacks) you'll find a Tesco around 5 minutes fast walk away from the station. There are pubs and other shops further away, but no takeaways open before 1600. Never been into the pubs in Ledbury (despite numerous visits over the years, which reminds me of an anniversary I'll be celebrating on 22nd March) so can't comment on them.

Sure there's a pub in Colwall not far from the station, again never been to it to check. Any advice on bashing in my local area, feel free to ask

Cheers.
I'll bare all that in mind.

Hope by now your feeling much better, sure Mrs 13 could've rubbed some Vic on your chest for you.

I'm back to full fitness now, thanks. And whose to say she didn't

As for the 47444 reference, I was on it like a flash. 47444 was a beast, however 47550 and 47555 were better.

47555 was the first loco I ever "officially" saw, on the day that I decided to join my mates in a bit of trainspotting on the old midland mainline near Wakefield.
47444 was always one of my favourites on the Pennine's though.

 

[55013]

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

After a week stuck in the house my chest infection had greatly improved and I was getting more than a little stir crazy – I just had to get out.
Where to go?
Well, as Magnus Magnusson used to say, “I’ve started, so I’ll finish”.
Nottingham trams it was.

I started in the same place I finished a week earlier, Toton Lane, where I boarded winner 222 for a lengthy run to my first new stop, Noel Street.
My plan for today was to go after the shacks, hoping that winning trams would avail themselves along the way.
Noel Street, of course, is one of five stops that can only really be got by linear bashing and I needed all five.
With this in mind it was 235 for the short hop to Beaconsfield Street, followed by dud 230 round the corner to Shipstone Street.
The first thing from there was 205, which I took as far as Wilkinson Street as my next target was my one remaining requirement on the Hucknall line and 205 was off to Phoenix Park.

Another dud, 211, was used to get me to Moor Bridge and that was all the stops that side of Wilkinson Street out of the way.

211 arrives at Wilkinson Street just as its younger sister 223 departs:
Nottingham Tram 223_2017.02.03_1_Wilkinson Street_& 211 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Unrequired for the day 222 was next.
This was wedged with rowdy kids, so I bailed at David Lane and got the one behind it, worked by 217.
This was done to Radford Road for another spot of linear bashing.

The last of the five was Hyson Green Market and this was attained via 230.
After a run of dud trams it was back to winning ways with 234 to Lace Market, followed by 236 to High School and 233 to Royal Centre.
Nottingham Trent Universty was now the only one of the original stops that I required and I got there from the Royal Centre on newly dud 235.

I needed to be back home by tea time so began to think about what to do now.
I wanted to get my last three stops on the Toton Lane branch but also needed the whole line to Clifton South and wanted to get that in, hopefully with one or two shacks.
It made sense to finish with the stops on the line that would take me to my car, so the Clifton branch was hit first.

224 was taken to Ruddington Lane with 233 up next, to Wilford Village.

233 at Wilford Village:
Nottingham Tram 213_2017.02.03_3_Wilford Village by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Winner 223 then provided me with a decent run, through to the end of the line at Clifton South and then back to Nottingham Station, just a few yards from the now closed Station Street stop, which I had done several times during my visits in 2004.

Unrequired 208, also dud from 2004, took me to dud shack High Road/Central College in order to get another original tram, 202, back to Chilwell Road.

Yet another of the first fifteen, 207, then took me on to Eskdale Drive before I rejoined 208 to rope in my final Toton Lane line stop, Bramcote Lane.
From there it was 229 back to the park and ride and I was home in plenty of time for my evening meal.

My last haulage of the day approaches:
Nottingham Tram 229_2017.02.03_Bramcote Lane by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I’m now left needing four NET trams and nine stops, all on the Clifton line.
In the spirit of Magnus I will be returning at some point in the near future.

 

[Techniquest]

A reasonable haul of scores there, despite the requirement to be home by a fixed time.

Glad to see you back on the rails!

 

[55013]

Cheers.
It was good to be back out.
Even though it had only been seven days, it was not a very pleasant week!

 

[55013]

After just two days back at work I was off once more, although this time it was annual leave that I was taking.

My sister got married on Wednesday the 8th of February.
Did this event involve trains?
You may well ask and the answer is no, but given that Mrs 13 and I had to take a day off work in order to attend, it obviously made sense to have the rest of the week off and indulge in our respective enjoyments.

This was to be my first trip of the year to that there London and I was staying until Sunday.
In order to save a bit of money I booked on a later than usual service South, thus negating the need to pay ten pounds a day to park at Wakefield Westgate.

Thursday began with my usual work day bus to Bradford Interchange, followed by 180101 to Leeds.
The move proper got off to a good start with low mileage 91116 propelling me to Kings Cross.

On the way I scored two of my remaining nine class 66ers for sight; 66760 at Peterborough, which had been preceded by 66776 at Doncaster.
That leaves me with five GBRF and two DRS ones to get.

Once in the smoke it was over to Liverpool Street on a Hammersmith & City line service, sat in 21554.
My hope was that I would get one or two 321s in as my needs list for them is massive.
I was also on the look-out for some of my last few TfL 315s.
Given that these two classes were top of my list it should come as no surprise to find it was 360116 that gave me my first haulage, to Romford.
This arrived there at the same time as a 321 was due heading towards London.
Luckily this was a few minutes late so I mooched over to see what it was.

I needed eighty members of the class, so surely this would be a winner.
Nope.
Blast!
The Dusty was pretty full so I flagged it and made my way back to Liverpool Street on 315853, which had 315825 for company.
The pain of the dud 321 was soon forgotten when I observed a required PEP waiting to leave.
315818 was duly captured, once again to Romford.
315855 was the front unit.

EMU 315818_2017.02.09_Romford by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I had spotted another required 315 so came up with a plan to get it that involved going back to Liverpool Street on the next booked 321.
This one was bound to be required.

Would you believe it!
Despite my massive needs list, it was yet another dud.

I decided to forget 321s as they were obviously conspiring against me.
This did mean that I could pick up my required 315 earlier than planned and it wasn’t a long wait before 315847 arrived, with 315836 on the rear.

These were done to Harold Wood, where I waited around for the same pair to come back before doing them to Stratford.
I decided to move on at this point.

After all my visits to that line in recent months I was getting a bit fed up of it, although I’m very pleased with the number of 315s I’ve managed to get (just five TfL ones required now, will I manage it before the 345s get introduced in May?).
My 317 figures have also benefitted from the number of trips I’ve done there, albeit to a lesser extent.

As is usual when I have a multi-day London move my accommodation was the Croydon Central Travelodge.
I made my way South by doing 378213 from Stratford to Clapham Junction.

EMU 378213_2017.02.09_Clapham Junction by Phil Wood, on Flickr

This was followed by 378139 to my only new station of the day, Shadwell.
378137 then took me to Croydon West before a reunion with the Croydon Tramlink and 2553 round to Wellesley Road.

I was pretty tired by this point and it was proper brass monkey weather so I decided to get supplies from Sainsburys before checking in, ringing my wife and settling down for the night.

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good little day, apart from the dud 321s

 

[55013]

Aye, 321 nonsense excepted it wasn't too bad a start.

 

[Cowley]

Good couple of trips there 55013. I'm not one for modern trains particularly but I do like the look of the 378s, they look quite well proportioned to my eyes.

 

[Techniquest]

Wahey, Mr 55013 has been back out on a proper bash!

Nice work on the 315s but a shame on the 321s not playing ball. I need tons of them myself and the odds are highly against me getting anywhere near finished with them. Same with the 315s, time is against me now so I'm not expecting to finish them now either. Might do with the LO ones but again doubtful. I suppose it doesn't help that nearly all my free time has been taken up by work lately mind!

As always an excellent read, I look forward to the continuation!

 

[ash39]

Good read as always, looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Struggling to work out how you need over 120 Class 321's though when you already have some and only 117 were built?! Unless you're counting all 320-322's as one collective?

 

[55013]

Wahey, Mr 55013 has been back out on a proper bash!

Nice work on the 315s but a shame on the 321s not playing ball. I need tons of them myself and the odds are highly against me getting anywhere near finished with them. Same with the 315s, time is against me now so I'm not expecting to finish them now either. Might do with the LO ones but again doubtful. I suppose it doesn't help that nearly all my free time has been taken up by work lately mind!

As always an excellent read, I look forward to the continuation!

Thanks - hopefully day two will be posted tomorrow.

Good read as always, looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Struggling to work out how you need over 120 Class 321's though when you already have some and only 117 were built?! Unless you're counting all 320-322's as one collective?

Struggle no more - it was an error on my part!
I need eighty of them.

 

[noddy1878]

Your report on the NET has made me more determined to clear that this year. Good little report. As for the 321s in London, that was harsh! Annoyingly the way it falls at times though.

 

[55013]

Your report on the NET has made me more determined to clear that this year. Good little report. As for the 321s in London, that was harsh! Annoyingly the way it falls at times though.

Thanks.
I suppose it's getting knock backs that make the winners all the more satisfying.
It's frustrating at the time, though.

Anyway, here's day two:


A few months ago, my credit card company had e-mailed me a series of special offers, as they frequently do.
Most of the time these consist of food, wine, make up or hotels but this one caught my eye.
It was a pretty hefty cash-back deal on Heathrow Express.
I had only got two 332s in the book and any way of reducing my expenditure on these costly services couldn’t be sniffed at.
I had a look at the deal and decided to buy a carnet of six journeys.
Once purchased, the tickets had sat in my inbox until now (they have a twelve-month validity).
Naturally, my plan was to use them today.

First things first, however.
Croydon trams are never far from my thoughts when I’m down that way so I figured I would let the worst of the London bound commuters get out of the way and fester for winners.
Obviously, Wellesley Road isn’t a position of strength as it only serves East bound services, so I began with dud 2557 to East Croydon.

My patience for festers isn’t great but luckily I didn’t have to wait very long as required 2538 soon appeared on a West Croydon Service.
This was perfect, so it was a trip to there, followed by me staying on board and heading back to my festering position at East Croydon.

Once again it wasn’t too long before a winner appeared, this time one of the two newbies, 2564.
This was also on a West Croydon service so another run round the loop was partaken of.
My plan now was to make my way to Wimbledon, so I boarded 2539.
This was very busy so I decided to have a bit of a break by bailing at Belgrave Walk as I had seen from the information screens at various stops that there was another service two minutes behind.

It was a fortuitous decision as winner 2562 proved to be working it.
What’s more, it was empty.

Wimbledon (LU) was then scored when I boarded 21419.
Unfortunately things then went a bit pear shaped as a failed train in front of us had caused chaos.
Although this had been cleared the driver came on the tannoy to announce that there was a train in every section between East Putney and Earls Court.
Talk about a stagger.
According to my railmiles the train averaged 8.6 miles an hour and that includes the bit between Wimbledon and East Putney when we were running as normal!

Once at Earls Court I boarded 21519, which would take me to Paddington.
Only it didn’t.
The train had no sooner left Earls Court than the driver announced that it would be terminating at the next stop.
This caused uproar amongst the assembled passengers.
On the plus side, it did mean that I scored High Street Kensington.

There was a unit stood in that would do the job but the driver closed the doors after only a few people had made it round.
He was looking out of his window down the train and got a few mouthfuls from people (not me, I hasten to add) but he was unmoved, unlike his train which soon set off.
The exasperated punters had a lengthy wait of four minutes before another set arrived and we all boarded, with many still chuntering away, mostly to themselves.

Once at Paddington I headed upstairs and made my way to the HEX platforms.
A good start, with double winners 332007 and 332010 powering me to Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.
Once there I swapped from 007 to 010 for the run to Terminals 2 & 3, or Heathrow Central as all the announcements were calling it.
I then headed over for 360205 which I took to Terminal 4 and back before beginning a series of moves that really boosted my 332 numbers.

360205 a couple of minutes before I saw the signs saying "no photographs"' Oops:

EMU 360205_2017.02.10_2_Heathrow Terminal 4 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

332002 and 332008 took me to Paddington, via Terminal 5 in order for me to change units, then 332004 and 332005 back to Central via 5 for the same reason.

I had been lucky so far in that neither of my two duds, 332011 and 332014, had put in an appearance and my luck held as it was 332003 and 332006 that were up next.
As usual it was one, 006, to terminal 5 then the other back to Paddington.

332003 back at Padd:

EMU 332003_2017.02.10_2_Paddington by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I now needed four members of the class and knew at least one was out as I’d seen it arriving at Paddington as I was leaving on an earlier service.
The identities of the next couple of departures were known to me so I now took the opportunity to do a move that had been recommended by users of this very forum.

It was my first taste of GWR 387 action.
387132 was sat in as far as required station Acton Main Line.
387133 was on the front.
During my wait there I was pleased to see my required 332 heading towards Paddington with another needed member of the class.
387134 was up next, leading 387136, back to Padd.

Winning units enter a winning station:

EMU 387134_2017.02.10_Acton Main Line_& 387136 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

It was only a short run but I had plans for later that would involve riding on the two units that I hadn’t yet been on.
This should also see me get another new station and all four units over ten miles.
The HEX unit that I had espied earlier was 332012 and its companion was 332013.
I sat in the former to Terminal 5 then the latter all the way back as I hadn’t seen any other units out so figured my 332 bashing was done for the day.

The depot had two unidentified units sat outside and I think I caught sight of another one inside, although the doors were partially closed so it was a very brief glimpse.
This meant that I had almost certainly covered all the sets that were out.
So, having had no less than ten new members of the class I consider the reduced price carnet to have been a very successful purchase.
I now need 332001 and 332009 to clear.

As mention earlier I had a move lined up to get the two 387 pairings cleared for ten miles, however we all know about the best laid plans of mice and men.
332012 and 332013 were due to arrive a few minutes after 387136 and 387134 had left.
I was initially pleased when I saw they were still in platform 11.
My pleasure soon turned to concern when I noticed that the train appeared to be empty.
It was approaching four o’clock and empty trains out of Paddington at that time on a Friday evening are none existent.
Sure enough, it had been cancelled.
That put my plans out.

Obviously, I hadn’t expected to make them at Paddington but my move had been to do the other set out to Hayes, come back as far as Southall, then pick this pair up.
The assumption, of course, was that 387134 and 387136 were done for the day.

Once again the weather was freezing, so, when I heard them announce that a Heathrow Connect service was stood at the front of platform 11, instead of hanging around for 132 & 133, I decided to do that out and pick up the 387s later.
Because the, presumably failed, units were in that platform it was impossible to see which 360 it was.

As soon as I was through the gates I began to regret my decision.
I had only had one 360/2 for over ten miles, 360201, and was convinced that it would be this unit.
By the time I got to identify it, I was certain that’s what it was.
I wasn’t unduly disappointed then, when I saw the number 360201 on the cab.

This was taken to Southall were I was to await the 387s.
As I said, it was blooming freezing, so when it was announced that the Hayes & Harlington train was running late I lost heart and made my way to the opposite platform to see what the next Heathrow Connect would produce.
At least I knew it wouldn’t be 360201.

It was 360205 and as I had only done it for three and a bit miles on the Heathrow leap, I thought “sod it” and decided to forget the 387s for now and do this instead.

Once back at Paddington it as down to the underground and 21510 to Victoria.
My original idea would have seen me doing the 387s, then coming over here for the 18.30 Brighton, which, once again using gen picked up from this forum, I knew should be worked by a Gatwick Express rake of 387/2s.

Unfortunately, my decision to head over early meant that I had nearly an hour to wait, so I decided that, like their GWR cousins, the Gatex units could wait, given the cold.

Triple units 377456, 377424 and 377106 were done instead.
These were taken to East Croydon before tram 2554 was used, via West Croydon, to get me back to the warmth of my hotel on Wellesley Road.

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a very 332 heavy day, but I guess it beats festering around in the tunnels doing bus stop leaps between Terminals. Harsh on the 387s being cancelled but they will be around for a lot longer

 

[55013]

Sounded like a very 332 heavy day, but I guess it beats festering around in the tunnels doing bus stop leaps between Terminals. Harsh on the 387s being cancelled but they will be around for a lot longer

I hate bus stop bashes!
Sometimes I have no choice but on the whole I prefer longer runs whenever possible.
I actually enjoyed whizzing up and down on the 332s, although the music coming from the on-board TVs did begin to get on my nerves.

The 387s were as much a fill in turn as anything, I'm not too distressed but it would have been nice to get them over ten miles.

 

[507021]

Sounds like a great day out, '013. I haven't been on any 332s yet, hopefully that'll change this year now I've cleared 333s.

 

[55013]

It was most enjoyable, thanks.
If you're going for some Heathrow Express haulage be prepared for the eye-watering cost (about forty quid for a return if bought on the day!).
Mind you, they're free if you just do Terminals 2 & 3 to Terminal 5 leaps, although that can get very tedious.

 

[507021]

It was most enjoyable, thanks.
If you're going for some Heathrow Express haulage be prepared for the eye-watering cost (about forty quid for a return if bought on the day!).
Mind you, they're free if you just do Terminals 2 & 3 to Terminal 5 leaps, although that can get very tedious.

Thanks for the tip mate, I'll bear that in mind.