Scotrail Chasing and Stalking Trains Tuesday 2nd June 2015
After my recent holiday to Fort William I realized I was in a desperate need to have a day or two on the network getting some haulage and shack bashing in. The perfect scenario would probably be a Freedom of Scotland pass, but I do not have the time at the moment to do that so a day trip will have to suffice. So early morning I jump in the car (this is just like going to work!) and head off into Manchester as I have found a car park near to Manchester Piccadilly that is only £2.80 for all day and seeing I am expecting a late return coupled with an early start I didnt feel like mucking round with Metrolink tonight.
I arrive at Manchester Piccadilly in plenty of time and the usual ritual of an early morning start is observed by the purchase of the obligatory bacon bap and coffee in their breakfast deal from Greggs, so then it is off to platform 14 for my steed to Glasgow for which I have a 7minute wait for the train to arrive. The 0717 to Glasgow rolls in and would you believe it, it is 350410 yet again! Okay I dont need any of the 350/4s for haulage but this is the third time I have travelled between Manchester and Glasgow in the last fortnight and all three have been on 350410. That is roughly 688 miles on one unit. The rest of the 350s have some catching up to do.
So I find a table with a spare window seat and settle down. Im beginning to feel like I am at home on this unit. Not much to report about the journey, except that I sat on the wrong side of the train for Kingsmoor and missed a load of DRS locos
DOH!!
I come up with a plan to try and concentrate on the older EMUs to begin with as I usually get attracted to the sparkly newer ones so with only having had two rides on the 314 units it is them that I am going to concentrate on first. Arriving at Glasgow at 1030 I have 5 minutes to get to the Neilston service, which if I am right is usually operated by a 314, and yes I was right a good 314203 for a short hop to my first new shack of the day.
At Mount Florida I leave the Neilston train and have a 2 minute wait for a return service to Glasgow Central and 314201 arrives to take me as far as Pollokshields East were again I only have 1 minute to wait for my next train (see I still havent learnt the 5 minute rule!!) which is formed of 314204 to take me to Crosshill. Here I have a breather for 7 minutes before 314214 whisks me of to my next station stop at Queens Park. Here I have an eternity to wait, or it seems so after the last 30 minutes. After a 15 minute wait 314216 arrives to take me back to Glasgow Central, now for a 45 minute stint 4 new shacks and 5 new trains for haulage I think is a pretty good return.
At Glasgow Central I hunt down my next newbie and come across 314209 working the 1142 to Paisley Canal and after a quick check on RTT the only way I can do this and not being sat around for a while waiting for the same train to bring me back is to get off at Dumbreck, but there is a snag, after looking at Google Maps Dumbreck is not an island platform and there is no overbridge you have to go up onto the road and over the road bridge and back down to the platform and I have 1 minute to do it on! I take the gamble and if I should miss it I would have a 30 minute wait for the return trip or I could do a 15 minute walk to Maxwell Park, there were options. So we depart on time and actually arrive at Dumbreck a minute early so I have a whole 2 minutes to cross to the other platform. So a fast march was in order and even that was nearly not enough, just as I was getting to the top of the ramp of the other platform, and believe me they are long ramps at Dumbreck the train rolled in, the fast march turned into a uncontrolled run down the ramp and coughing and wheezing (okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit but I did have to run) I jumped on 314205 to take me back to Glasgow Central. Just as I were arriving at Glasgow Central I noted 314202 departing, another one needed for haulage, darn you!! So RTT checked for when it would be back in the area and my next moves planned to try and meet it on one of its other journeys which left me enough time for PNB, although it cost me 40p!! Sure it is still under 30p in London. Back to the moves and I boarded the 1215 Cathcart Circle going anti-clockwise and was formed of 314213 to take me to Langside where I then picked up a dud 314204 (from earlier today) to take me to Maxwell Park (wanting to type Maxwell House!!) During this 10 minute break and seeing it had turned midday I turned my attention to thinking about which train do I get to go home this evening. I had a choice of three: 1710 direct to Manchester Piccadilly (knowing my luck 350410 again!!) so no. The 1740 Euston and change at Preston, could do or the 1840 to Euston changing at Preston and being home for about 2230, reasonable time so it was decided the 1840 because it also gives me longer for newbies.
At Maxwell Park I have a 13 minute wait for what I am hoping will be 314202 to take me through to Newton where I have a 10 minute wait for the service to Dalmuir so that I can do another new shack and I was pleasantly surprised to get another new unit in the form of 314201, at Ruthglen we were delayed by 5 minutes while the train crew rescued a gentleman in an electric wheelchair who had become totally stuck in the stone that forms part of the platform. I noticed this type of surface the other week on the West Highland Way and am still wondering why they use this type of surface because it is not really that wheel friendly. Once the gentleman was freed we were on our way and I left the train at Anniesland and only had 4 minutes to wait for the 1354 to Airdrie which was formed of a pair of newbies so I jumped on 320304 to as far as Charing Cross were I then transferred to 318253 as far as High Street where I had a short wait for 320320 to arrive to take me through to Partick.
It has been a while since I have been to Partick and the station concourse seems to have changed since the last time I was here. But only a flying visit and it is not long before I am back on the platform waiting for my train to my next station when 318261 rolls in and I board it for the short trip to Exhibition Centre. Here I wait for the next train and to my dismay 320301, which I had earlier today came into view but I then noticed another unit attached to the rear so I was in with a chance and the railway Gods were smiling on me today as 320308 was the train in question so I jumped aboard that unit to Argyle Street where I had a leisurely 6 minute stroll to the opposite platform for my next train which was 318261. I had planned to go on through Glasgow Central on this service but noticed 318250 stood in the opposite platform so I dived off 318266 to get 318250, unfortunately as I took my second step on the platform the doors on 318250 closed and the next trains on the lower level were not for another 15 minutes which was a bit of a waste seeing the possible box of delights that could be waiting for me on the higher level so, upstairs I went to see what was there.
I fancied a change and saw 156462 was waiting to depart for East Kilbride and after checking where it stopped there was one station that stood out so I jumped on and waited to leave.
At Crossmyloof (just HAD to visit this station with a name like that) I left the East Kilbride service and only had 10 minutes to wait for the 1533 to Barrhead which was formed of a dud 156432 but a good 156476 on the rear for a one stop hop to Pollokshaws West where a 5 minute wait saw me board 156508 back to Glasgow Central.
On arriving at Glasgow Central I still have over 2 ½ hours until my trip home so what to do next
. it was 1600 to Ayr and was formed of two 380 units, both required so I boarded the rear unit 380022 to Kilwinning where I then transferred to 380010 to take me to Irvine, by this time I was feeling hungry and I noticed a KFC, so tempting
but I was up here for a reason and time was pressing and I wanted a couple of more runs and I only had a few minutes for my next train back so food would have to wait so I made my way to the opposite platform to wait for the train back to Glasgow which was formed of 380109.
At Glasgow there was a few 380s knocking around but a mad dash, and I do mean a mad dash as it was one of those situations that if I was already on the train I would be criticizing the person dashing for the train being on the last minute, the door buzzers started going with one foot in the train, and I was on board 380106 the 1714 to Ayr for a trip out to one of nicest stations in Scotland in my opinion. Paisley Gilmour Street. There were a few trains due that could take me back to Glasgow but I let the first one go as it was dud 380012 but when the second one arrived and it was a good one in the form of 380101 I climbed aboard for my final trip before my train home.
On arriving at Glasgow Central I noticed that the inward bound service which was to form the 1840 London Euston was running about 30 minutes late and would arrive only a few minutes before its booked departure so I decide to grab some tea from Burger King and sit in to eat it. After tea I went out back onto the platform and the train had been delayed further and was showing to arrive about 5 minutes after the 1840 should have departed and with a 10 minute connection at Preston I was beginning to get a bit worried about making my connection. There was not a single announcement about the delay, not a single apology while we stood in a queue waiting patiently, plenty announcements about the good news of the postponement of the rail strike but to be honest after the dozen time of hearing I wished they would have just shut up!
The inward journey finally arrived 7 minutes after its return journey was due to depart and it was formed of a dud 390123, still not a single word of apology was said while we were waiting for the train
poor show Virgin Trains I do normally expect more from the rail company. Well we depart 20 minutes late, no chance of getting my connection at Preston now and will mean a wait of about 40 minutes for the next train so I reside myself to the fact. Although did have a good trip back as I was sat at a table with a couple of gentlemen who had just cycled the West Highland Way from Fort William to Milngavie and where on their way to London Euston, which by now was looking like just before midnight before they got there. This time I had positioned myself correctly for Kingsmoor and managed to note down a couple of 66s, 20303 and 68007.
Arriving at Preston at 2116 I had missed my Manchester train and the next one was at 2157, so a 40 minute wait I just mooched around waiting for the train to arrive and one consolation was that when it did arrive it was the First Transpennine service from Blackpool North to Manchester Airport and was formed of one of the Northern 156s and on top of that it was a requirement in the form of 156448. The car proved a very good idea as it was 2300 before I got back to Manchester Piccadilly and would definitely was not in the mood for mucking around on the trams by this stage.
So, all in all not a bad day. 25 new trains for haulage and 16 new shacks for the day cant be sneezed at. Not sure when I will have such a successful day like this again.
