RochdalePioneers
Member
- Joined
- 2 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 527
Update on the final legs. Arrived at Armadale to find the ferry 10 minutes late. A 25 minute connection at Mallaig so with the rain settling in and the sea starting to chop we checked with the excellent crew who took numbers connecting to the train and informed Scotrail of the delay. Nice to see that a multi-mode bus-ferry-train journey with guaranteed connection actually guarantees them (more then you can say for trains - our late running Perth - Inverness train looked set to miss the Aberdeen connection by a minute and control told the train manager they wouldn't hold it, happily we were on an adjacent platform and just made it).
Anyway, made the 18:15 Mallaig - Fort William without problem, and it was pretty empty barring the dozen of us off the boat and a family who boarded in Arisaig. Our 156 arrives into Platform 2 at Fort William but doesn't couple to the other set in front on the platform.
Following morning and the weather has cleared. Both units still sat unattached on P2, then our set from the previous night shunted onto P1 waiting for the incoming set from Mallaig. The 11:40 is the first train South on a Sunday and as expected was nearly fully loaded (with most passengers on seat reservations so not a problem). These are perfect units for the West Highland line - low backed seats, good window alignment, hopper vents to let that 60foot joint clickety clack in. Outside Crianlarich we wait for 10 minutes as the ex-Oban is late and we need to couple on its tail. Interesting note - the Oban train continues to Glasgow, our ex-Mallaig service technically terminates at Crianlarich to be attached onto the Oban - Glasgow. Which means its the Oban crew and headcode continuing forward.
On arrival into Glasgow Queen Street its utter chaos with large crowds for the games. We let the first Edinburgh service go as its 2x170 and standing room only. There's another just 9 minutes later also a pair of Turbostars which is quieter so we go on that. A few hours in Edinburgh (where it's alternately blinding sunshine or heavy rain) then we board the 19:00 Kings Cross service back to Darlington. There are 5 services to Kings Cross on a Sunday between 17:00 and 19:00 and ours was heavily loaded! First class service was a full hot then cold drinks round on Departure then again after Newcastle. Food was boxed sandwiches plus crisps and a bakewell cake, but due to heavy loading they needed to make it one per person, which is fair enough.
And that was it! 1,900 miles, 12 trains, 7 buses, managing Scotland England Wales the Republic and Northern Ireland all on 31st July. A lot of fun. And tomorrow I travel to Alicante. Via Train then night bus to Heathrow to Madrid then connection into the capital then AVE to Alicante then TRAM to my destination.....
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Anyway, made the 18:15 Mallaig - Fort William without problem, and it was pretty empty barring the dozen of us off the boat and a family who boarded in Arisaig. Our 156 arrives into Platform 2 at Fort William but doesn't couple to the other set in front on the platform.
Following morning and the weather has cleared. Both units still sat unattached on P2, then our set from the previous night shunted onto P1 waiting for the incoming set from Mallaig. The 11:40 is the first train South on a Sunday and as expected was nearly fully loaded (with most passengers on seat reservations so not a problem). These are perfect units for the West Highland line - low backed seats, good window alignment, hopper vents to let that 60foot joint clickety clack in. Outside Crianlarich we wait for 10 minutes as the ex-Oban is late and we need to couple on its tail. Interesting note - the Oban train continues to Glasgow, our ex-Mallaig service technically terminates at Crianlarich to be attached onto the Oban - Glasgow. Which means its the Oban crew and headcode continuing forward.
On arrival into Glasgow Queen Street its utter chaos with large crowds for the games. We let the first Edinburgh service go as its 2x170 and standing room only. There's another just 9 minutes later also a pair of Turbostars which is quieter so we go on that. A few hours in Edinburgh (where it's alternately blinding sunshine or heavy rain) then we board the 19:00 Kings Cross service back to Darlington. There are 5 services to Kings Cross on a Sunday between 17:00 and 19:00 and ours was heavily loaded! First class service was a full hot then cold drinks round on Departure then again after Newcastle. Food was boxed sandwiches plus crisps and a bakewell cake, but due to heavy loading they needed to make it one per person, which is fair enough.
And that was it! 1,900 miles, 12 trains, 7 buses, managing Scotland England Wales the Republic and Northern Ireland all on 31st July. A lot of fun. And tomorrow I travel to Alicante. Via Train then night bus to Heathrow to Madrid then connection into the capital then AVE to Alicante then TRAM to my destination.....
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk