Noddy - They cover the fares (obviously), going into detail like working out permitted routes and stuff like that, also including very handy loopholes. It's up to whoever attends what they cover though.
Kite - You've cleared the Kyle line and have made a harsh dent in Whitby but you haven't yet had the easy, hourly shacks? Could you please explain your logic?
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The winner metals
The day after my short shack scoring session on the Borderlands line was the 19th of July and a Tuesday. I'd been given the whole day out on the rails so had put 4 plans together involving a ranger that I'd never done before, the Lancashire day ranger. This would validate me in a large area of which I needed loads of track so that was the main aim for the day which obviously avoiding pacers. That's why I had so many plans for the day along with lots of tight connections on some of them (such as a +1 at Preston onto a tractor to Lancaster on one of my plans). All but one plan, D, involved heading up from Penyffordd to Liverpool and then over to Ormskirk for a train to Preston, where they split (A taking the tractor to Lancaster, B giving me a +3 onto a pair of 156s to Mancc, C giving me a +34 onto a 158 across the Calder Valley). D sent me from Penyffordd to Liverpool, either up to Wigan and down to Bolton or straight across to Mancc depending on pacer gen and then up to Clitheroe. Which one would be used? You'll have to read on to find that out (or use a search command if you can't hold the suspense
).
My day began at 06:30 when I woke up and got a quick brekky, preparing my bag after that. I'd have a morning walk to the station now, leaving Granny's at 07:20 for the walk to the station, getting there in good time for my train at 07:47. It was shaping up to be a lovely morning, which is to be expected on the hottest day of the year, and I had a pleasant fester before dud
150240 arrived.
150240. by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I got a seat easily and relaxed for the 150 thrash up towards Bidston. The guard came through upon departure from Penyffordd but had to get to the doors for Buckley before being able to sell me my tickets, a return to Liverpool Central and the obvious Lancs day ranger. He did this without any problems and was a friendly, cheerful guard that helped to make the morning journey even nicer.
After a good 150 run, everyone who remained on the train after Upton (including driver and guard) left it and either waited for a connecting train (like me), left Bidston station (poor them) or changed ends of the train (obviously the driver and guard). I got a couple of photos of the 150 before it left and then turned my attention to the approaching headlights from the West Kirby direction.
Waiting for departure by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
Gone! by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I got the camera ready for another photo and it snapped dud
507016 as it arrived.
Heading to Liverpool by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
This service was fairly busy today but I didn't go for the end coach as I usually do as it was a dud. Instead I got the last remaining seat in a bay of 4 in the required middle coach. There were quite a few people standing upon departure from Bidston too so I was quite lucky to get the seat. I only remembered to check my forum gen request as we left Birkenhead Park and the darn thing took a while to load so we had entered the tunnel and my phone signal had gone before it loaded. Now it was decision time. I could risk Ormskirk and have my day completely ruined if it was a pacer, something that seems to be happening more and more recently or I could play it safe and go with plan D by heading through to Lime Street and starting there. There was a lot of advantages and disadvantages going around in my head but after I heard the announcement reminding me that Merseyrail trains for Southport, Ormskirk and Kirkby weren't stopping at Moorfields, I decided to go with D (because it'd be a very tight connection at Central onto my chosen train). I didn't have too long to get onto my next train after getting to Lime Street so I ran it and got onto dud stalker
319383 in time. I then loaded my gen again (thanks to
DMU180 on the forum) and found out that it was good news. The Ormskirk-Preston shuttle that I'd flagged was a 142 and my move from Wigan Wallgate to Mancc was a 156 (it'd been a 150 and 156 every time that I'd asked for gen on it though so I thought that it would be).
I was on the 09:00 service to Wigan that was a stopper but I didn't think it'd be too bad. I was wrong! The journey dragged on and on and on and it was such a boring (although winner after Huyton) route. I was certainly pleased to see the WCML and Springs Branch depot signaling that it was almost over. Although it took ages, timekeeping was fine and we arrived bang on time (which is 4 early when you take padding into account) at 09:48. I hate Wigan and think it's an absolutely vile place but wasn't outside of North Western station for long as shack score 1, Wigan Wallgate, was right next to North Western. There were some RPIs at the entrance to Wallgate station so after I passed them it was down onto the island platform with a short wait for the 09:54 to Mancc. As the gen said, this was dud
156428.
Wigan Wallgate by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
Lots of people were waiting for this service and I knew that there'd be people standing upon departure. Luckily most people left the train here and, as I'd got a perfect waiting place for the door, I easily got on board and got a table seat. It filled up and I got wedged out but I wasn't on it for too long, alighting after all winner track at shack score 2, Bolton. I now had a short wait before the Clitheroe train and, as I was expecting a 150, I was surprised to see a 156 approaching. I certainly wasn't complaining at this as it would be a much more pleasant journey although it was a shame that it was yet another dud,
156471. I'm certainly not having much luck with required units today!
The winner track started the moment we left Bolton and took a sharp right hand curve away from the track that I'd just come down. It was then a fun trundle along the branch up to Bromley Cross where we waited for about 5 minutes before continuing on the journey. We stopped at Entwistle and then continued along the line to Blackburn. I enjoyed the twisty-turny track around Entwistle and it was a shame to say bye to all of that with Blackburn. What a disappointment (of a place
). I'd had all of the Calder Valley before so it was a bit of dud track as we stopped at Blackburn and continued through the tunnel before leaving the 'main line' again and continuing on the branch to Clitheroe. The scenery after Ramsgreave & Wilpshire was excellent and it was a great little run. I made a mental note to get a couple of piccys on the way back down the branch.
Shack score 3 was Clitheroe and it was a pleasant little station. I had to go down a ramp and then under the railway using a little road bridge to get to the other platform and main station building. The station building is fantastic and the town centre looks excellent. The station is right next to a main road which had pretty much non stop cars but on a first look it seems that Clitheroe is a lovely place. I waited for a gap in the cars and had a wander up the high street to kill time on my half hour fester before wandering back down to the station and getting back on
156471, which had shunted out of the station and come back in on the other platform. Not many people had boarded just yet so I easily got a right hand side bay of 4 for the next part of the journey.
Clitheroe 156 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I made sure to get some photos of the scenery as the 156 thrashed along the line towards Blackburn once again.
View from the line by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
It was a pretty uneventful run once again and we were soon arriving at shack score 4, Blackburn.
156471 at Blackburn. by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I needed to change platforms here to get onto a service across to Preston but I got a phot of 471 first and then descended the stairs into a load of RPIs. After getting my ticket checked it was under the subway and up onto the other platform where I saw a red death come through before my train arrived. I was glad to see that this was a winner (my first of the day!) and
158758 was a good chariot across to Preston.
158758 at Blackburn. by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
This wasn't a busy service and I easily got a bay of 4 to myself in the front coach. This is a York-Blackpool service and is non-stop to Preston so it was a nice enough run and we were soon joining the WCML and arriving at Preston. There was no winner track on this run and Preston was my first dud shack in a while (I thought it was a winner when I got there but it turns out that I've had a tour from there).
Lunch was well and truly needed when I got to Preston so I exited the station and headed down the high street. I didn't have too long until my train so jogged, glad about the buildings giving shadow from the intense heat. I was on the lookout for a chippy but instead found a 'pound bakery' with excellent prices for food! Two pies for £1 with two cakes for £1! I grabbed two meat and potato pies and two Belgian buns, leaving £2 lighter! Excellent prices!
I went via a little Newsagent on the way back and picked up a large bottle of water for £1 and got back to Preston station with a few minutes before my train so opened up the packet of pies and began eating. You certainly can't tell that they're only 50p each - the quality is certainly good! The first pie had gone by the time my pair of 156s to Mancc arrived, duds
156466 and
156460. It was a fairly busy service but I got a seat and finished my second pie and Belgian buns by the time I alighted. It was winner track when we left the WCML and an OK run was had all the way to Manchester Piccadilly where I bailed. I had quite a while to get across to Victoria so headed straight to the Metrolink and had quite a while to wait before dud
3011 arrived and took me out to Piccadilly Gardens. I'd noticed that another pair was right behind us so it was only a short wait before double duds
3054 and
3039 arrived and took me over to Victoria, getting there with just enough time before my next train. This was the 14:16 to Leeds and, as expected, it was a 3 car 158. This was a winner one,
158755, so I was happy enough with that. The AC wasn't working in the middle coach (I boarded at the rear and walked through as I didn't have long at all until departure) but it was in the virtually empty front coach, which was certainly a relief. It was a nice journey out to Hebden Bridge... or not. When we got to Rochdale (the first stop), I noticed the PIS said 'trains may be delayed or cancelled due to a signaling failure on the Calder Valley. Ticket acceptance with Metrolink is in place.' I very quickly got my stuff together and headed for the door, getting off before it closed. It was then a run down the platform to where the guard was to check if it was true. He confirmed it so I thanked him and went to exercise the second part of the message!
I ran over to Rochdale Railway Station tram stop (a shack score, as was Rochdale) and immediately got on dud
3046 to its terminus at Rochdale Town Centre (shack score 7) and hopped on and off the tram to claim the shack before getting a seat again. Some of the Rochdale scum joined the part of the tram I was in here so I discreetly moved to the front and we were soon underway again. I needed all of the track to Central Park so I'd still be scoring lots and we were soon clear of Rochdale and racing along between stops. I saw a couple of my required trams en route but unfortunately couldn't get them before my train back from Victoria.
It was good to get a better view of Newton Heath than I did from the 158 as it scored me a 153 for sight. Alas it meant stopping there but that was soon over with and we were joining on the track from Bury and arriving at Victoria. I was now very uncomfortable but had to stay on to Exchange Square just so I could have the route done end to end in one hit. I didn't need the track to Exchange Square but was fine at getting the extra chainage with 3046. I bailed at Exchange Square as there was no point in trying to hide on the tram to get the headshunt as it was a dud crossover (not that I care, it's just something I like to get) so I stepped onto the platform and waited for
3046 to arrive again.
Exchange Square tram by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I got back on board and alighted at Victoria a few seconds later.
I was now to take the 15:46 Southport service all the way to the end (I'd also checked gen for this one several times and found that it was always a sprinter). It comes out of Newton Heath but for some reason the signaling problems on the Calder Valley were affecting it so the ECS just kept on getting later and later. In the end, a platform alteration was had to a platform with a pair of 150s heading for a different place (I can't remember where - maybe Blackpool) in them. There were going to uncouple the units and send the front one to Southport on the 15:46 and the rear one to the other location with the extra unit from the depot. Passengers were directed onto the front 2 coaches even before the driver knew what was going on! Eventually the platform staff told him so he left and what I assume was a relief crew came in to take it forward. It took a very long time to get sorted and my connection at Southport was in jeopardy by the time we'd uncoupled and were on the move, winner
150273 providing the power, just over 15 minutes late.
I had a seat on the left hand side in this busy service, right next to the window. Let me say that that was my worst decision all day. I was right in line with the sun and, being up front, had no benefit from windows. It was scorching and I ended up getting a headache. I had to move and did so, just managing to get a seat again after Wigan. I needed all of the Southport branch apart from Victoria to where the junction goes off just after Salford Crescent and the bit covered earlier in the day so it got me lots of new track. The cart continued and after an incredibly dull, awful journey I was getting off at Southport 19 late. I'd missed my connection (they let it go the moment we arrived) but there was another that'd get me back to Liverpool with 10 minutes until the last train to get to Bidston before the service to Penyffordd. I waited on the station and the unit hadn't arrived by the time it was due to leave. This caused panic with me because it put my connection at Central in severe jeopardy. 5 minutes later it was arriving, a pair of units. The announcement saying to stand back from the train while it uncoupled wasn't welcome at all. We eventually all crammed on board, me just managing to get a seat. Dud
507024 was my power back to Liverpool and we eventually departed about 11 late, with a -1 onto my connection at Central! The train got busier and busier and busier ass it got closer to Liverpool and it was absolutely crush loaded by Bootle. I hated the fact that after departing one of the stations the brakes were put on heavily and we were there for about 5 minutes. Connection gone.
I called dad at Sandhills to update him. I'd spoken with him at Southport and he said to call him when I knew what was happening. With the connection at Bidston missed, the next train would be the 20:56, over two hours after the one that I'd planned to be on. This would get me back after 21:30, which I knew would make mum scream. My only options now were get that or get mum pick me up a Chester. Neither I liked. I was telling dad as we entered the tunnel and I lost signal. Damn.
I alighted at Moorfields and headed up the escalator to a place with signal as quick as possible and called dad back. We had a quick chat and I then called mum, expecting her to go with Chester. I was wrong but she certainly wasn't happy about it - neither was I. We eventually said goodbye and I called dad back to say to him. It was then time to head across to Lime Street to get some dinner.
I went down to the platform on the Wirral line and had 5 minutes to wait before superdud
507026 arrived to take me one stop to Lime Street. I went to the Merseyrail ticket office/information thing to see what train I would have to catch. It'd be either a +5 or a +35 so I checked if the station was manned at that time and, after getting a positive answer, I decided to go for the +35 to play it safe. Sainsbury's local just over the road from Lime Street station housed my dinner and I took it back to Lime Street to eat before updating mum and dad and heading for Merseyrail.
Dud
508134 was first up and it took me to Liverpool Central for the following dud
508103 to James Street. It was funky here with all of the different coloured lights and they helped take the fester away with dud
508108 taking me to Hamilton Square. It was now time to head to Bidston and dud
507018 did the honors of taking me there. I then got a seat on the bench facing in the West Kirby direction, gave dad a call, put some music on and relaxed with the 35-minute fester.
The 150 that'd be taking me back arrived right time before shunting out of the station to let a 507 go to West Kirby, letting me get this photo.
150 leaves as 507 arrives by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
Dud for the day
150240 then shunted back into the station letting me and a few other people get on board before thrashing away to Wrexham. I played some patience using my cards on this journey and it passed without any issues, getting to Penyffordd right time at 21:32. Mum was slightly delayed so I got to see 240 leave before making my way into the car park, mum and my brother arriving a couple of minutes later in the car.
Apart from the end and shortage of winners, a highly successful day was had!
)
. Actually, it'd be cleared for 400 if I took it to Jewellery Quarter (although it doesn't stop). OK, fine. If you want to split hairs then it'd be cleared for 400 if it made it to the first tram shack on the route, Handsworth Booth Street. It was on 399.75 miles 
