Back on the platform

[The_Train]

Nice day at the local there Mr Train. 3 winners is not to be sniffed at all.
37409 video was very nice indeed, the best 37/4 I had on the Cumbrian Coast turns. The driver thrashed its guts out, was a very enjoyable experience from Corkicle to Carlisle that day. I'd have enjoyed much much more without the bars at the droplight window. Talking of 37 haulage, I'm sure you'll have a cracking time on the short set out of Norwich, especially if 37716 is still doing them too. I had a whale of time doing them myself, so I guess you'll be really looking forward to that too.

By God Mr Train, that's good going, your down to 10 Fred's already, your doing very well on that front. I'm after 7 for sight myself. Mind you, unless you go into Teeside, they're getting rarer up here, apart from the odd engineers trains out of Tyne Yard, the infrequent York-Blyth turn and a couple of light engine moves from Millerhill-Leeds Midland Road or vice versa(a working I try to get out for when possible, as sometimes it can be a convoy of 4 or 5 locos))other than that, i don't tend so see many freds these days. GBRf and Colas seem to monopolise the freight up here now. You may hit lucky at Ipswich for any of your errant sheds.
But here's a taster of what could greet you in Norwich.
View attachment 63913 View attachment 63914
View attachment 63915
minus the 68 now mind but I hope that whets the appetite for you Mr Train.
Another good read, enjoy Anglia mate.

Certainly does whet the appetite for my trip. A bit more of that would go down just nicely.

As for the 'freds' (I like that name for them ), I was slightly surprised to find myself so close to completion but I guess I am blessed with FLR workings through the local. Completing the set will be tough though as I need all of their gronks

 

[The_Train]

Shame to hear the micropub has gone!

I didn't know the 1400 off Norwich was booked 321s, when I was last properly active on the scene it was just an evening London to Norwich and 1930 return trip on 321s. Clearly things have changed!

For maximum enjoyment of the 321s, I highly recommend sitting in the motor coach. Memory tells me they're numbered 63xxx, if it's a nice warm day ensure you open the hopper windows and settle in for a nice and noisy run!

Oh yeah, I doubt there will be anything there this time of year, but worth checking the sidings on the right hand side of Stowmarket when heading to Ipswich. Track machines may be all that's on there if anything, I believe it's usually only during leaf-fall season anything more exciting will be there.

Left hand side then on the approach to Ipswich for anything waiting on Bacon Factory Curve (container trains normally, might be lucky to see one waiting to head north) and of course for anything on the sidings. Might well have a 66 or a 70 sat there waiting for a path, if not multiple of them!

Depending on your connection time in Ely there is a nearby Tesco for picking up supplies too.

I'm basing my diagram info on the PDFs I found on this website - http://www.class90electriclocogroup.co.uk - which seems to be as up to date as anywhere. I'm getting the impression I might enjoy the 321 ride anyway

Thanks for the other information, will all come in handy

 

[Kite159]

Shame to hear the micropub has gone!

I didn't know the 1400 off Norwich was booked 321s, when I was last properly active on the scene it was just an evening London to Norwich and 1930 return trip on 321s. Clearly things have changed!

For maximum enjoyment of the 321s, I highly recommend sitting in the motor coach. Memory tells me they're numbered 63xxx, if it's a nice warm day ensure you open the hopper windows and settle in for a nice and noisy run!

Oh yeah, I doubt there will be anything there this time of year, but worth checking the sidings on the right hand side of Stowmarket when heading to Ipswich. Track machines may be all that's on there if anything, I believe it's usually only during leaf-fall season anything more exciting will be there.

Left hand side then on the approach to Ipswich for anything waiting on Bacon Factory Curve (container trains normally, might be lucky to see one waiting to head north) and of course for anything on the sidings. Might well have a 66 or a 70 sat there waiting for a path, if not multiple of them!

Depending on your connection time in Ely there is a nearby Tesco for picking up supplies too.

Assuming the 321s haven't been refurbished with air cooling fitted with the windows sealed up

 

[The_Train]

Just a little update after a wander down to the local this morning following a bit of gen from @Kite159 regarding a railtour he is currently partaking in.

I got down early as I'd caught sight of another special that was working from Milton Keynes to Appleby and after watching dud 66514 roll by, the always fantastic sight of 47593 appeared with its rake of classic coaching stock (all required) and D1944/47501 at the rear
BR Blue Large logo 47593 by The_Train

There was a good number of enthusiasts about considering it was early on a Saturday morning and none were left disappointed with this formation. After this beauty had departed (fair play to the driver as well, he certainly opened her up for her audience) I headed across to P5 to take up a position in readiness for the next special (this one being the one with railway royalty on board) and was able to spy dud 66502 working from Basford Hall to Southampton and then, after a bit of a delay whilst the signallers cleared a few LNWR services, it was the turn of DBC 66083 to enter the fray with 66078 at the opposite end
DB 66083 by The_Train

Both locos turned out to be duds which was a shame, but it did give me a chance to nab the 12 MK1 coaches that made up the formation. After a short layover, and with a good chunk of the enthusiasts who had witnessed the pair of 47s now aboard this service, the sheds departed for their jaunt around the little used lines of the North West and on to the Freightliner terminal at Garston

And after a couple more dud sheds, that was it for my unusual Saturday visit to the trains but it was a worthwhile exercise to see some nice traction and nab a few classic coaching stock as well.

Summary for this short visit:

For Sight

Winners: 0
Coaching Stock Winners: 22
Classes completed: N/A
Sub classes completed: N/A
T/FOCs completed: N/A
T/FOC sub classes completed: N/A

 

[47403]

That is a fantastic pic of 47593.

 

[Kite159]

Glad you got some more carriages for your book of sights

 

[The_Train]

Glad you got some more carriages for your book of sights

Thanks for the heads up. Hope you're enjoying the trip

 

[xotGD]

Making a trip out specifically to see coaching stock...

...It will be wagons next!

 

[Techniquest]

Kite, didn't realise that had happened to some of the 321s! I am a bit out of touch though Even so, the motor noise should be fine even with the closed up windows?

The_Train, oh yes 321s are good fun. Not on the same scale as classic Networkers, or indeed 323s before they got quieter, or even a 313/314, but 321s are still enjoyable. If the 90 group says the 1400 is 321s I'd be believing them too!

Freds was a nickname for Freightliner 66s a long time back and I've not heard it be used for ages. Almost a nostalgia moment that was for me! I think you'll like the name for DRS 66s too, Dreds. I think Colas got them so much later than the big 3 FOCs that they didn't really get nicknamed as such.

Looking forward to your trip report that's for sure, if it's up on Thursday I'll have something to read on my coach journey from Manchester!

 

[The_Train]

Making a trip out specifically to see coaching stock...

...It will be wagons next!

It's a reason to go to the local as there is very little in the way of winners there these days. And with no new stock appearing for any of the TOCs who run through there in the near future (except for the 2nd hand 350/4s) coaching stock was the next best thing.

Can't do wagons though, it makes me nauseous as they fly past and I try to read the numbers

 

[Kite159]

It's a reason to go to the local as there is very little in the way of winners there these days. And with no new stock appearing for any of the TOCs who run through there in the near future (except for the 2nd hand 350/4s) coaching stock was the next best thing.

Can't do wagons though, it makes me nauseous as they fly past and I try to read the numbers

Especially those newer wagons with long international numbers!

 

[The_Train]

Especially those newer wagons with long international numbers!

They are just crazy. I'd manage to read the numbers on the first wagon and the last wagon of any train that doesn't stop

 

[Techniquest]

They are just crazy. I'd manage to read the numbers on the first wagon and the last wagon of any train that doesn't stop

After a while you'd learn which numbers are the most relevant to the spotting though! Practice makes perfect and with the aid of a fast hand or a voice recorder you'd be surprised how easy it can be...

Not that I'd go back to doing that again, good god no! Which reminds me, while I wait for bacon to finish cooking for a pre-work meal:

I don't know how you note carriage numbers, but back when I was doing them regularly I used to set up space in my notebook. So for HST sets I'd start with leaving space for 8 numbers (9 if on the ECML) and a 4 at the beginning of each space. Or if I knew First Class or coach A was leading begin the list with enough 41s or a 44, then set up 5 spaces for the 42s and a 40. Bit difficult to describe without a visual aid to be honest! Or I'd start the list, on GA for example, with a 10 for Standard Class (11 for First Class), separating each entry with a comma and just the last 3 numbers. When the first two numbers changed, note that down then just the last 3 numbers. Given it would be known they'd all start with the same two numbers (a 10 from memory for buffer cars and 12 for Standard Class) it helped save ink and increased the speed at which I could note the numbers. Certainly ideal if the set was moving at a decent rate of speed!

 

[The_Train]

After a while you'd learn which numbers are the most relevant to the spotting though! Practice makes perfect and with the aid of a fast hand or a voice recorder you'd be surprised how easy it can be...

Not that I'd go back to doing that again, good god no! Which reminds me, while I wait for bacon to finish cooking for a pre-work meal:

I don't know how you note carriage numbers, but back when I was doing them regularly I used to set up space in my notebook. So for HST sets I'd start with leaving space for 8 numbers (9 if on the ECML) and a 4 at the beginning of each space. Or if I knew First Class or coach A was leading begin the list with enough 41s or a 44, then set up 5 spaces for the 42s and a 40. Bit difficult to describe without a visual aid to be honest! Or I'd start the list, on GA for example, with a 10 for Standard Class (11 for First Class), separating each entry with a comma and just the last 3 numbers. When the first two numbers changed, note that down then just the last 3 numbers. Given it would be known they'd all start with the same two numbers (a 10 from memory for buffer cars and 12 for Standard Class) it helped save ink and increased the speed at which I could note the numbers. Certainly ideal if the set was moving at a decent rate of speed!

Bacon at 0430? I think I've only ever done that after a night out (in my younger days of course).

My approach has been to leave the relevant space for the approaching formation. So for a HST set, for my prep I would write 43 then leave the relevant spaces for the number of coaches and then write 43 and then complete accordingly as it went past. Find this way particularly helpful with those sets that make stops at wherever I am as I would write whichever numbers I'd seen and then find I was logging a DMU before finishing the coaching stock...So I'd have random 153s Int he middle of a HST set haha.

As for writing the coach numbers, I tend to log the last 4 numbers and then add the 1 or 4 to the front afterwards. It's a system my dad used to use when I was younger to help me get everything logged and its just easier for you to read and register 4 digits instead of 5 because it allows the brain to break the 4 digits into 2 sets of 2 so as an e.g. 44071 changes from being read as forty-four, zero, seventy-one to forty, seventy-one. Maybe it's just easier on my brain but certainly easier to process whilst not leaving any confusion as to what the full number is

 

[Techniquest]

That's fair enough, not a bad system to be fair that. Yes I was indeed eating bacon in the early hours, as I was starting work at 5am and needed breakfast! Turns out a bacon sandwich wasn't enough this morning, and 7 hours later I am rather hungry!

 

[DavidGrain]

Be careful with going on to wagon numbers, you might start to recognise the different graffiti artist's tags and start collecting them!

 

[55013]

I'm currently trying to work my way through a large backlog of reports.
Your Newcastle trip in particular looks like it was very enjoyable.
Due to being excessively lazy I only tend to record things I have for haulage/riding on.
Wagons don't feature very much

 

[The_Train]

I'm currently trying to work my way through a large backlog of reports.
Your Newcastle trip in particular looks like it was very enjoyable.
Due to being excessively lazy I only tend to record things I have for haulage/riding on.
Wagons don't feature very much

Well I was up to date with trip reports until a few appeared throughout today. I've still got yours to go so will save that for tomorrow when I'm not quite so tired and can enjoy it more.

Newcastle was a particularly good outing. Not just for the fact that the book of sights was kept busy, but I got to meet some top people (and @47403 ) as well which just adds to the day.

As for what you record, one thing I learnt quickly from you guys on here is that everyone does this hobby slightly differently and also has different reasons for doing it. One of the beauties of it is that it can be so flexible in terms of what it offers based on what you want to get out of it.

And as for the wagons, I believe you can become a YouTube 'sensation' by riding on wagons......Well you can in North America anyway

 

[47403]

I got to meet some top people (and @47403 )

Cheers mate.

 

[The_Train]

Cheers mate.

Thought you'd appreciate that

 

[The_Train]

Just the tiniest of little trips to the local today (just for practice ahead of my outing tomorrow) and it was a fairly busy time.

I decided to get my morning plans complete early on so that I could get out to see which Colas 70 was on the Carlisle stone train. Turned out it was dud 70815 but it did allow me a chance of a photo after the debacle of previous attempts at getting a photo of this class
70815 by The_Train

Another freight working came by soon after and as it's a run I don't see very often I'd hoped for something new, but it turned out to be dud DB 66097 on the Ripple Lane to Peak Forest
DB 66097 at Stafford by The_Train

There was a couple of light loco moves that were active on RTT and after a few of the usual local duds, we were blessed with the sight of 4 Freightliner sheds heading from Hinksey Siding to Crewe Basford Hall
A FLR Fab 4 by The_Train

Surely out of 4, at least one would be a requirement. Well it wasn't a good start as 66585 was the lead loco and 66416 was just behind. However, the third loco was 66614 and very much required and although dud 66536 took up the rear that one need took my FLR shed requirements into single figures

The next move of note was a GBRf jaunt from Immingham to Longport and I'd guessed it would be a drag of some sort. Unfortunately a Voyager took longer than necessary to vacate P5 and it became apparent at the last moment that the 2 locos were heading into P6 and despite a mad dash across the footbridge I got across there just in time to see ex Swedish shed (or would it be a sauna?!?) 66790 being dragged by 66741 as it is taken to Longport for the relevant UK modifications it needs to enter main line service over here. Apparently there are another 2 to come as well! Despite missing the chance of a photo, it was still a nice winner to head into the book but the next loco wasn't going into the book as it already has done on many occasions with it being such a regular at Stafford
DRS 66428 by The_Train

Yes, 66428 was back again this time heading to Cliffe Hill Stud Fm Quarry before 66126 nearly caught us all out as it crept along the fast lines with the empty clay wagons destined for Bescot
DB 66126 by The_Train

DRS 37038 was the last of the run of light loco moves as it headed to Gresty Bridge from Long Marston so I decided to head home and get more of my planned jobs done
37038 heading for home by The_Train

I did venture back in the middle of the afternoon as I thought I'd grab a sight of the latest TPE Mk5A stock to arrive into the UK. It was hauled North by Europhoenix 37611 but was well wrapped and had no identification that I could see so as much as I've seen that this is set TP11, I'll wait for another day to log this set
37611 at Stafford by The_Train
TPE Mk5A stock by The_Train

And that was my lot for today and not a bad day with 3 winners at the local. Here is the full list of what I logged today:

37: 37038, 37611
66: 66097, 66126, 66142, 66177, 66416, 66428, 66536, 66585, 66614, 66790
70: 70815
90: 90016, 90044, 90047, 90049
220: 220004, 220009, 220011, 220012, 220024
221: 221110, 221111, 221112, 221113, 221114, 221119, 221132, 221134
325: 325002, 325004, 325006
350: 350105, 350111, 350114, 350116, 350120, 350121, 350125, 350129, 350231, 350232, 350246, 350263, 350264, 350265, 350266, 350267, 350372
390: 390001, 390010, 390011, 390016, 390042, 390045, 390049, 390104, 390117, 390118, 390119, 390124, 390125, 390136, 390141, 390148, 390154, 390157
OTMs: DR77002

For Sight

Winners: 3
Coaching Stock Winners: 4
Classes completed: N/A
Sub classes completed: N/A
T/FOCs completed: N/A
T/FOC sub classes completed: N/A

Anglia tomorrow so a trip report for this will hopefully be posted later in the week

 

[xotGD]

Not a bad day!

Now if only that was going to be the regular traction on the front of the TPE Mark 5As...

 

[87electric]

Good cop on 66790. I think it was previously T66403 so from Norway and not Sweden. But I stand to be corrected.

 

[47403]

Not a bad day!

Now if only that was going to be the regular traction on the front of the TPE Mark 5As...

I love the 68's but I tend to agree wholeheartedly 37s over the pennines would be fun.

 

[Techniquest]

I love the 68's but I tend to agree wholeheartedly 37s over the pennines would be fun.

Fun is not the word for a 37 thrashing over the Pennines! Just the thought of that...Had one heck of an epic flail in the kitchen while imagining that

 

[xotGD]

There is a regular opportunity to have a pair of 37s through the Pennines on the Scarborough Spa Express. And the windows open!

Have a good day in East Anglia Mr Train

 

[palmersears]

Good cop on 66790. I think it was previously T66403 so from Norway and not Sweden. But I stand to be corrected.

Absolutely correct, Norwegian. By all accounts it needs major work doing to it, including reinstating one of the cab external cab doors which was welded shut so our Nordic friends could turn the cab into a mini kitchen, microwave and all!

 

[The_Train]

Good cop on 66790. I think it was previously T66403 so from Norway and not Sweden. But I stand to be corrected.

Absolutely correct, Norwegian. By all accounts it needs major work doing to it, including reinstating one of the cab external cab doors which was welded shut so our Nordic friends could turn the cab into a mini kitchen, microwave and all!

I was just going off a couple of articles I found online like this

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/first-of-three-swedish-66s-arrives-for-gb-railfreight

Maybe they just meant they were shipped from Sweden

 

[87electric]

I think they have been recently working in Sweden but initially (2003) they were in Norway. YouTube certainly confirms T66403 working in Norway in 2018.
Hope the 37s produced in East Anglia for you today.

 

[xotGD]

I noticed in the TOPS thread that you happened across a pair of 73s at Ely

If the rest of the day is anything like that it will have been rather successful!