Enjoy!
Lego witches, steady cooked pigs and Stalls next to walls. I must be in the midlands!
A rather weird title, I know. It is a slight (and pretty rubbish) clue as to where I went on the 16th of March. There is a few letters that don't have anything to do with the station names but the first sentence is actually 3 really, really awful clues about where I was. Can't work them out? All will be revealed in the report.
Morning (or afternoon, prevning, evening or night, depending on when you're reading this)! It's 05:30 (Alright then. I guess you know that I'm not doing the trip report at 05:30. Just add 2 months, 8 days and 6 hours and that's when I'm doing the report). Another day of heading in with dad for a midlands trip! I got ready to head out and we got out in good time for the 165. It was then into the car for the usual drive towards Leamington.
At Leam, we did the very familiar walk from where the car was parked to the station, where I got a return to Moor Street (or, as it says on the ticket, Birmingham stns. How do you even pronounce stns? How hard is it to put 'stations'?). We got onto the platform and, after a couple of minutes the 06:24 to Snow Hell was being announced. I got into position for the front set of doors and waited for the 165 to come around the corner from the grand bridge. I was very happy to ID the 165 as winner 165020 and we got into the usual bay of 2 for the run to Brum. As usual, the ride was uneventful and 68008 was the first loco viewed of the day while it was working 1H15. Since the cart was 3 late arriving at Snow Hell, getting there at 07:04, we decided to hang around to watch the 07:07 to Marylebone leave, as it was arriving when we left the cart. I was glad to see that we were late because it gave me a chance to say hi to Gingertom as it thrashed away through the tunnel to its next stop 0.75 miles away. We then exited the station and walked to the nearby Subway to get brekky - two mega melts as per usual - and then headed over to dad's work.
Breakfast was excellent as usual and we checked freightmaster to see if my last DBS 66 for sight was working the Dowlow to Walsall today, just like the last three days. 66200 had been constantly avoiding me for ages along with 66103, which had come into my view a month and ten days previously so both dad and I thought that it wouldn't stick on it four days running, especially since I was in a position to get it on this day. We were wrong! 66200 had worked it to Walsall and it was already there! This meant that I had until 12:45 to get out to Walsall. Score! After finding this out, dad and I got chatting to one of his colleges and he shown me some interesting stuff about his job and time just raced by. It was 08:35 when I looked at the clock after we'd finished chatting! Where's time gone?
I headed out of dad's work at just after 08:35 and got to New Street and bought my daytripper in time to view the 08:50 to Euston. It was a dud so I flagged it and waited to view other services. Dud, dud, dud, dud, dud. Brilliant. I'd been at New Street for just over half an hour by the time the slightly late 09:10 to Euston arrived. I didn't want to fester any longer and, even though it was a dud, I decided to go for it anyway. I thought that 390046 was a low mileage one but it turns out that it was the one that I'd had from New Street to Euston on the Inverness trip the year before! Oh well! It was a huge surprise to get a ticket check between New Street and International, especially as it was a decent enough speed all the way, taking 10 minutes. I was off at the first stop for this service and changed platforms ready for the next two services to the bat cave, one a dez and one a pendo. The dez was a dud so I decided to go for something I actually cared about mileage on and had a nicer ride on dud 390039 that I would've on a 350. After a speedy run back to New Street, I was off the pendo again and back onto a winner hunt.
This wasn't too successful and, after 20 minutes of waiting for a winner, I decided to flag it and made my way over to the platform that the 10:12 to Rugeley was due off from so I could get 66200 sooner rather than later. It rolled in from the Aston direction, with 170516 leading and a dud 153 on the back. I got a seat in the 170 because the service was supposedly 'formed of two coaches' and, after getting on board, the doors locked and the guard came over the PA to say that we were just uncoupling the rear unit and that the doors would be unlocked again in a minute. After about 5 minutes, the guard came over the PA again and said that they were having trouble uncoupling but hoped to be done soon. Then, about 10 minutes after the doors locked, they unlocked again and the rest of the passengers got on. The doors stayed unlocked for another 5 minutes and, at this point, a normal decided not to travel and got up to leave the train, getting to the doors just as they locked
! He wasn't too happy at that!
The reason the 12 minutes past to Rugeley (from the bat cave) go via Aston instead of Soho is because there is the 08 minutes past to Wolverhampton and then the 15 minutes past to Scotland which it'd get in the way of. Because of the delay though, this didn't matter so we were sent out via Soho towards Tame Bridge. I decided to formulate a plan for the next part of my day involving getting a few of my required shacks in the Walsall area. I decided to continue in 79516, a winner coach, until Walsall. I got ready to scribe at Bescot, seeing 66135 there. This was dad's last DBS 66 required for sight and one of my favorite ones. For the first reason, I was hoping that it was a good sign, even though 200 is my last UK based one and that 135 was dad's last DBS one including the exported ones. I had my eyes glued to the window after Bescot (not literally glued. That'd be A) difficult, B) dangerous and C) painful, not to mention D) useless). I then saw a DBS 66 and wagons in the yard so, with both fingers and toes crossed, I got the white, slightly faded number. It read 6... 6... 2... 0... 0! 66200 had finally appeared!
I was really glad at finally getting the damn thing for sight and even the fact that it would be double duds 153366 and 170507 taking me back one stop to Brum didn't lower my mood. I got a winner coach in the 170 on this run, back to Tame Bridge Parkway, seeing 66200 again en route. You see it once and then just keep on seeing it
.
At Tame Bridge, I headed up to the booking office during my wait to ask if it'd be possible to have something to show me the walking route between the two Bloxwich stations. The ticket clerk didn't know it but he found a Birmingham A-Z and looked up Bloxwich, showing me the route in it. I looked at it for a good 15 seconds, memorizing the route, before thanking him and heading back to the Brum bound platform where I had a wait of a minute or two before the 11:07 to Wolves. This was 323204 and a new coach was scored on it with the short ride to Hamstead (or 'steady cooked pigs' as the title says), which was shack score 1. I had to change platforms pretty quickly here in order to get onto the Walsall (or 'walls next to stalls as it says in the title. Not a complete change but close enough) bound platform for the 11:14. Luckily I made this and got down onto the platform as dud 350244 was arriving. I got a bay of four on this lightly loaded service and stayed on it for the ride to its finishing point. A guy who got on the train at Tame Bridge without a ticket was issued with a penalty fare by one of the several RPIs on board and, after that procedure had finished, the dez was arriving at Walsall.
While changing platforms here, I noticed something that I hadn't any other time I'd changed platforms here. There was a large exit from the concourse of the station into a smallish shopping center and the first thing I spotted there was a non-busy Costa. It being too hard to resist the urge of a creamy cooler, I wandered over and got my BCCC, which was an absolutely brilliant one. I then took it over to the Rugeley bound platform for my train to Bloxwich (or lego witches) North. Dad had suggested getting a photo of a Belgian Chocolate Creamy Cooler to have as my forum avatar so, with one in my hand, I decided to get one. I headed to the bus shelter waiting room and put it on the bench to get a photo, which can obviously be seen on RailUK. I saw that my service was running 9 minutes late, meaning that I'd certainly be doing a risky move by walking between Bloxwich North and Bloxwich. I was texting with Tech at the time and asked if he though I should go for it or not. He didn't think it'd make but wasn't so sure so I decided while on board duds for the day 153366 and 170507 (this time in my last required coach on this one, making it a super dud). I continued to Bloxwich North as planned and, as we were only 8 late by here, I decided to try it. This gave me just over 10 minutes to get to Bloxwich before the 170 back towards Brum. The only way that I knew the route was by the Brum A-Z that I was shown at Tame Bridge so I was hoping that I'd memorized the route well enough when I went out of the station and began sprinting down the road towards Bloxwich. I kept on going all the way and eventually found myself at shack score number 3, Bloxwich, after about 10 minutes. I now had a headache though because it was a hot day but I luckily had a drink in my bag, which I downed before dud for the day 170516 arrived. I made this one a superdud on this run and it was heavily loaded, which surprised me (there were people standing upon departure from Bloxwich). I looked at RTT on this run to see what I could do next. A further plan was formulated and I got off this one at Tame Bridge, ready for my ride to shack score 4. I decided to go for a little bit more mileage before it so I decided to go to the now dud shack of Hamstead on dud 350234. I had to change platforms really quickly here in order to get onto my next dud dez (except the 165 this morning, I'm really not having a good day for required units), which was 350262. This would be the same one that I would've got from Tame Bridge so I got a new coach and a little extra mileage by going to Hamstead. 262 was taken to Bescot Stadium (shack 4), where I'd have a +15 while the dez got to Walsall and back. I had a nice time looking at 66135 but the noise from the M6 wasn't great. There were a few people at the end of the footbridge spotting stuff on the motorway and a few people at the end of the platform spotting the stuff in the depot so there was a good mix of people about between trains. It wasn't long before 350262 appeared again and I leapt on. I needed both Witton and Perry Barr as well but I was now getting hungry so I decided to take this one back to New Street and try to get Lea Hall later on instead of Witton and Perry Barr.
After a basic trip to the Bat Cave, I exited the station and headed for meal deal, getting my usual chicken and bacon baguette meal deal for £1.74. I then ran back to the station and down onto the platform that the 13:39 to Birmingham International was due out from, just getting onto 323221 before it headed off. That's right - I was going for Lea Hall. This should be a +0, which, if missed, would give me a half hour fester. As the connection was an ex Euston dez though, I was hoping that it'd be slightly late so I could make the connection. Lunch went down really well and I hadn't finished by the time the starship was arriving at shack score 5. I left the train here and changed platforms, getting onto the other platform a couple of moments before the 2 late dez rolled in. I was glad that the connection was made and that I just needed Adderley Park in order to clear the shacks between Wolverhampton and Berkswell but wasn't so glad that the dez was dud 350370.
I got back to New Street after a run on a pretty busy service but I didn't know what to do once I was there. A check of the departure boards showed that there weren't many of my winners in the area but that the 14:02 to Reddich was running 15 late and would be running fast to Longbridge. That was too good to resist so I headed over to 323219 and got a seat for the run. Just before we departed New Street it was announced that we'd be running fast to Longbridge so I got ready to enjoy some fast London Midland starship noise in one of the motor coaches. Sure enough, we sped thourhg Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bourneville, Kings Norton and Northfield before arriving at Longbridge. This was a winner shack but I decided that it'd be better to head out to Barnt Green for a shack score there before continuing towards New Street by linear scoring Longbridge because I had the time. I continued to Barnt Green, getting shack score 6 for the day, scoring a little winner track in the process because I need the Reddich branch. A change of platforms and I waited in the sunshine and leafy greenery for the next service heading towards Birmingham, which was 323205. I had a nice chat with the guard on this service while it was heading to Longbridge and I was soon bailing at my last shack score of the day, number 7. The service from Brum that'd form my one back hadn't yet arrived but it came in just after 205 had headed off and then crossed to the turnback siding before forming the 15:02. Someone asked me when the next train was as it was arriving so I just had to point at the approaching starship. This was 323240 and I got a bay of four for the run back to Brum, stopping everywhere instead of nowhere, which was a shame. All in all, an uneventful ride back to the bat cave.
I'd spoken to dad en route and he said that he'd only be able to get coffee and cake at Moor Street instead of at our usual coffee place so I knew that I had a little extra time after getting to New Street. I left the station and walked across to Moor Street, where I decided to do a Snow Hell leap and then walk over to dad's work so I could walk to Moor Street with him. I called him to confirm my plans and then leapt onto the 15:29 through the tunnel with 172342 providing traction. It got me a winner coach so it was certainly worth it. I then headed back over to dad's work and waited a few minutes for dad to come down before we walked back across to Moor Street together. A caramel shortcake and a chocolate brownie were got along with a coffee for dad and a summer fruits oasis for me before we went to board 1H62, with Titan powering us back today. The cakes were cut in half on board, us each getting half of one, half of the other. At 15:55, 68009 powered up and began to thrash us back home. Leam came way to soon and we let Titan thrash off towards Marylebone after a great day out. I got several new shacks, cleared my DBS 66s in the UK, scored one of my last few Chiltern 165s and, most importantly, I cleared my DBS 66s in the UK!
Lego witches, steady cooked pigs and Stalls next to walls. I must be in the midlands!
A rather weird title, I know. It is a slight (and pretty rubbish) clue as to where I went on the 16th of March. There is a few letters that don't have anything to do with the station names but the first sentence is actually 3 really, really awful clues about where I was. Can't work them out? All will be revealed in the report.
Morning (or afternoon, prevning, evening or night, depending on when you're reading this)! It's 05:30 (Alright then. I guess you know that I'm not doing the trip report at 05:30. Just add 2 months, 8 days and 6 hours and that's when I'm doing the report). Another day of heading in with dad for a midlands trip! I got ready to head out and we got out in good time for the 165. It was then into the car for the usual drive towards Leamington.
At Leam, we did the very familiar walk from where the car was parked to the station, where I got a return to Moor Street (or, as it says on the ticket, Birmingham stns. How do you even pronounce stns? How hard is it to put 'stations'?). We got onto the platform and, after a couple of minutes the 06:24 to Snow Hell was being announced. I got into position for the front set of doors and waited for the 165 to come around the corner from the grand bridge. I was very happy to ID the 165 as winner 165020 and we got into the usual bay of 2 for the run to Brum. As usual, the ride was uneventful and 68008 was the first loco viewed of the day while it was working 1H15. Since the cart was 3 late arriving at Snow Hell, getting there at 07:04, we decided to hang around to watch the 07:07 to Marylebone leave, as it was arriving when we left the cart. I was glad to see that we were late because it gave me a chance to say hi to Gingertom as it thrashed away through the tunnel to its next stop 0.75 miles away. We then exited the station and walked to the nearby Subway to get brekky - two mega melts as per usual - and then headed over to dad's work.
Breakfast was excellent as usual and we checked freightmaster to see if my last DBS 66 for sight was working the Dowlow to Walsall today, just like the last three days. 66200 had been constantly avoiding me for ages along with 66103, which had come into my view a month and ten days previously so both dad and I thought that it wouldn't stick on it four days running, especially since I was in a position to get it on this day. We were wrong! 66200 had worked it to Walsall and it was already there! This meant that I had until 12:45 to get out to Walsall. Score! After finding this out, dad and I got chatting to one of his colleges and he shown me some interesting stuff about his job and time just raced by. It was 08:35 when I looked at the clock after we'd finished chatting! Where's time gone?
I headed out of dad's work at just after 08:35 and got to New Street and bought my daytripper in time to view the 08:50 to Euston. It was a dud so I flagged it and waited to view other services. Dud, dud, dud, dud, dud. Brilliant. I'd been at New Street for just over half an hour by the time the slightly late 09:10 to Euston arrived. I didn't want to fester any longer and, even though it was a dud, I decided to go for it anyway. I thought that 390046 was a low mileage one but it turns out that it was the one that I'd had from New Street to Euston on the Inverness trip the year before! Oh well! It was a huge surprise to get a ticket check between New Street and International, especially as it was a decent enough speed all the way, taking 10 minutes. I was off at the first stop for this service and changed platforms ready for the next two services to the bat cave, one a dez and one a pendo. The dez was a dud so I decided to go for something I actually cared about mileage on and had a nicer ride on dud 390039 that I would've on a 350. After a speedy run back to New Street, I was off the pendo again and back onto a winner hunt.
This wasn't too successful and, after 20 minutes of waiting for a winner, I decided to flag it and made my way over to the platform that the 10:12 to Rugeley was due off from so I could get 66200 sooner rather than later. It rolled in from the Aston direction, with 170516 leading and a dud 153 on the back. I got a seat in the 170 because the service was supposedly 'formed of two coaches' and, after getting on board, the doors locked and the guard came over the PA to say that we were just uncoupling the rear unit and that the doors would be unlocked again in a minute. After about 5 minutes, the guard came over the PA again and said that they were having trouble uncoupling but hoped to be done soon. Then, about 10 minutes after the doors locked, they unlocked again and the rest of the passengers got on. The doors stayed unlocked for another 5 minutes and, at this point, a normal decided not to travel and got up to leave the train, getting to the doors just as they locked
! He wasn't too happy at that! The reason the 12 minutes past to Rugeley (from the bat cave) go via Aston instead of Soho is because there is the 08 minutes past to Wolverhampton and then the 15 minutes past to Scotland which it'd get in the way of. Because of the delay though, this didn't matter so we were sent out via Soho towards Tame Bridge. I decided to formulate a plan for the next part of my day involving getting a few of my required shacks in the Walsall area. I decided to continue in 79516, a winner coach, until Walsall. I got ready to scribe at Bescot, seeing 66135 there. This was dad's last DBS 66 required for sight and one of my favorite ones. For the first reason, I was hoping that it was a good sign, even though 200 is my last UK based one and that 135 was dad's last DBS one including the exported ones. I had my eyes glued to the window after Bescot (not literally glued. That'd be A) difficult, B) dangerous and C) painful, not to mention D) useless). I then saw a DBS 66 and wagons in the yard so, with both fingers and toes crossed, I got the white, slightly faded number. It read 6... 6... 2... 0... 0! 66200 had finally appeared!
I was really glad at finally getting the damn thing for sight and even the fact that it would be double duds 153366 and 170507 taking me back one stop to Brum didn't lower my mood. I got a winner coach in the 170 on this run, back to Tame Bridge Parkway, seeing 66200 again en route. You see it once and then just keep on seeing it
. At Tame Bridge, I headed up to the booking office during my wait to ask if it'd be possible to have something to show me the walking route between the two Bloxwich stations. The ticket clerk didn't know it but he found a Birmingham A-Z and looked up Bloxwich, showing me the route in it. I looked at it for a good 15 seconds, memorizing the route, before thanking him and heading back to the Brum bound platform where I had a wait of a minute or two before the 11:07 to Wolves. This was 323204 and a new coach was scored on it with the short ride to Hamstead (or 'steady cooked pigs' as the title says), which was shack score 1. I had to change platforms pretty quickly here in order to get onto the Walsall (or 'walls next to stalls as it says in the title. Not a complete change but close enough) bound platform for the 11:14. Luckily I made this and got down onto the platform as dud 350244 was arriving. I got a bay of four on this lightly loaded service and stayed on it for the ride to its finishing point. A guy who got on the train at Tame Bridge without a ticket was issued with a penalty fare by one of the several RPIs on board and, after that procedure had finished, the dez was arriving at Walsall.
While changing platforms here, I noticed something that I hadn't any other time I'd changed platforms here. There was a large exit from the concourse of the station into a smallish shopping center and the first thing I spotted there was a non-busy Costa. It being too hard to resist the urge of a creamy cooler, I wandered over and got my BCCC, which was an absolutely brilliant one. I then took it over to the Rugeley bound platform for my train to Bloxwich (or lego witches) North. Dad had suggested getting a photo of a Belgian Chocolate Creamy Cooler to have as my forum avatar so, with one in my hand, I decided to get one. I headed to the bus shelter waiting room and put it on the bench to get a photo, which can obviously be seen on RailUK. I saw that my service was running 9 minutes late, meaning that I'd certainly be doing a risky move by walking between Bloxwich North and Bloxwich. I was texting with Tech at the time and asked if he though I should go for it or not. He didn't think it'd make but wasn't so sure so I decided while on board duds for the day 153366 and 170507 (this time in my last required coach on this one, making it a super dud). I continued to Bloxwich North as planned and, as we were only 8 late by here, I decided to try it. This gave me just over 10 minutes to get to Bloxwich before the 170 back towards Brum. The only way that I knew the route was by the Brum A-Z that I was shown at Tame Bridge so I was hoping that I'd memorized the route well enough when I went out of the station and began sprinting down the road towards Bloxwich. I kept on going all the way and eventually found myself at shack score number 3, Bloxwich, after about 10 minutes. I now had a headache though because it was a hot day but I luckily had a drink in my bag, which I downed before dud for the day 170516 arrived. I made this one a superdud on this run and it was heavily loaded, which surprised me (there were people standing upon departure from Bloxwich). I looked at RTT on this run to see what I could do next. A further plan was formulated and I got off this one at Tame Bridge, ready for my ride to shack score 4. I decided to go for a little bit more mileage before it so I decided to go to the now dud shack of Hamstead on dud 350234. I had to change platforms really quickly here in order to get onto my next dud dez (except the 165 this morning, I'm really not having a good day for required units), which was 350262. This would be the same one that I would've got from Tame Bridge so I got a new coach and a little extra mileage by going to Hamstead. 262 was taken to Bescot Stadium (shack 4), where I'd have a +15 while the dez got to Walsall and back. I had a nice time looking at 66135 but the noise from the M6 wasn't great. There were a few people at the end of the footbridge spotting stuff on the motorway and a few people at the end of the platform spotting the stuff in the depot so there was a good mix of people about between trains. It wasn't long before 350262 appeared again and I leapt on. I needed both Witton and Perry Barr as well but I was now getting hungry so I decided to take this one back to New Street and try to get Lea Hall later on instead of Witton and Perry Barr.
After a basic trip to the Bat Cave, I exited the station and headed for meal deal, getting my usual chicken and bacon baguette meal deal for £1.74. I then ran back to the station and down onto the platform that the 13:39 to Birmingham International was due out from, just getting onto 323221 before it headed off. That's right - I was going for Lea Hall. This should be a +0, which, if missed, would give me a half hour fester. As the connection was an ex Euston dez though, I was hoping that it'd be slightly late so I could make the connection. Lunch went down really well and I hadn't finished by the time the starship was arriving at shack score 5. I left the train here and changed platforms, getting onto the other platform a couple of moments before the 2 late dez rolled in. I was glad that the connection was made and that I just needed Adderley Park in order to clear the shacks between Wolverhampton and Berkswell but wasn't so glad that the dez was dud 350370.
I got back to New Street after a run on a pretty busy service but I didn't know what to do once I was there. A check of the departure boards showed that there weren't many of my winners in the area but that the 14:02 to Reddich was running 15 late and would be running fast to Longbridge. That was too good to resist so I headed over to 323219 and got a seat for the run. Just before we departed New Street it was announced that we'd be running fast to Longbridge so I got ready to enjoy some fast London Midland starship noise in one of the motor coaches. Sure enough, we sped thourhg Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bourneville, Kings Norton and Northfield before arriving at Longbridge. This was a winner shack but I decided that it'd be better to head out to Barnt Green for a shack score there before continuing towards New Street by linear scoring Longbridge because I had the time. I continued to Barnt Green, getting shack score 6 for the day, scoring a little winner track in the process because I need the Reddich branch. A change of platforms and I waited in the sunshine and leafy greenery for the next service heading towards Birmingham, which was 323205. I had a nice chat with the guard on this service while it was heading to Longbridge and I was soon bailing at my last shack score of the day, number 7. The service from Brum that'd form my one back hadn't yet arrived but it came in just after 205 had headed off and then crossed to the turnback siding before forming the 15:02. Someone asked me when the next train was as it was arriving so I just had to point at the approaching starship. This was 323240 and I got a bay of four for the run back to Brum, stopping everywhere instead of nowhere, which was a shame. All in all, an uneventful ride back to the bat cave.
I'd spoken to dad en route and he said that he'd only be able to get coffee and cake at Moor Street instead of at our usual coffee place so I knew that I had a little extra time after getting to New Street. I left the station and walked across to Moor Street, where I decided to do a Snow Hell leap and then walk over to dad's work so I could walk to Moor Street with him. I called him to confirm my plans and then leapt onto the 15:29 through the tunnel with 172342 providing traction. It got me a winner coach so it was certainly worth it. I then headed back over to dad's work and waited a few minutes for dad to come down before we walked back across to Moor Street together. A caramel shortcake and a chocolate brownie were got along with a coffee for dad and a summer fruits oasis for me before we went to board 1H62, with Titan powering us back today. The cakes were cut in half on board, us each getting half of one, half of the other. At 15:55, 68009 powered up and began to thrash us back home. Leam came way to soon and we let Titan thrash off towards Marylebone after a great day out. I got several new shacks, cleared my DBS 66s in the UK, scored one of my last few Chiltern 165s and, most importantly, I cleared my DBS 66s in the UK!
