Iskra's Odysseys

[Iskra]

Intercity - The Master Cutler 26/5/25

A nice easy one this. I started at my house in Sheffield, driving down to Meadowhall station. I used my Season Ticket on a Northern service into Sheffield, where a guard tried to tell me it wasn't valid, despite it being obviously valid (Sheffield-Leeds season ticket). Once I disputed his claim, he started to back down once he realised that I knew more than the average rail traveller and he said he'd allow it on this occasion. No other Northern guard has ever had a problem with my ticketing arrangements, and I find the vast majority of the Northern guards to be excellent, possibly this one was having a bad morning but it's a bit odd to be picking arguments over tickets that are clearly valid and threatening the prospect of Penalty Fares!

At Sheffield, the station was very busy with Liverpool fans. I did question how many matches the platform full of fans had been to across the season... The Intercity railtour drew in right on time and looked splendid for the healthy number wanting a photo of the occasion. Traction today was Peak 45118 in BR Blue, with Intercity-liveried 47593 on the rear. Both machines were dud for me, but today I was more interested in track and supporting a relatively affordable rail tour from my home city. I have to say that while the Peak did look excellent, I thought the 47 looked better. That's possibly my personal bias being a 90's kid though. On board, I'd got very lucky as there was one empty bay of 4 in our carriage, and I was permitted to move into it, so it was a spacious and enjoyable trip in the already excellent carriages.

The tour set off down to Chesterfield, then to Toton where I was on to new track. I was surprised by the scale of Toton depot and the many locomotives there, having never visited before. We then headed down to Melton Mowbray, taking the new line for me to Corby, which was surprisingly green and pleasant. We then crawled towards St Pancras from there. This means I have now completed the EMR route map!

At St Pancras, I headed out to Kentish Town on a Thameslink service, sampling the declassified First Class. I arrived just in time to film the ECS for the tour coming through and see some nice 47 thrash.

It was then back to St Pancras where I killed time before the ECS came back in again.

The journey home was a bit of a drag due to pathing until around Wellingborough, this seemed to send many who had been drinking to the land of nod. From there though we picked up some nice speed and it was an enjoyable run, with the novelty of non-stopping Leicester which is quite rare.

Overall it was a nice, easy and quality day out with some new route coverage as a bonus. Another great tour from Intercity.

 

[xotGD]

I have to say that while the Peak did look excellent, I thought the 47 looked better.

I hope you didn't try to share this opinion with any members of the "Peak Army"!

 

[Iskra]

I hope you didn't try to share this opinion with any members of the "Peak Army"!

Most certainly not, I was very diplomatic!

 

[47403]

I hope you didn't try to share this opinion with any members of the "Peak Army"!

The words ....... blood bath are coming to me Must be something in the water, cos at the Severn Valley I thought 46045 was one of the stars. Yes I really said that. Whilst 57003 looked the part.

 

[Iskra]

Chasing Tornado

West Coast’s rolling stock/locomotive situation means they’ve come to an agreement to run the very flexible 60163 Tornado on some of their tours. I hadn’t seen this locomotive for a while, and I have a modest pile of Northern complimentary tickets to get through, so I thought I’d follow it around a bit. The railtour in question was meant to be Tornado all the way from Bradford Forster Square to Carlisle, but gauging issues at Shipley for the locomotive meant diesel was to be used South of Hellifield.

I took the 0656 Northern Class 333 EMU from Leeds as far as Keighley to film the railtour’s ECS heading down to Bradford. This worked out quite nicely, with the footage coming out good and the driver giving me a little toot on the horn. Next I took a 4-carriage 158 formation up to Hellifield, where Tornado had arrived early and was waiting for me in the platform. Here I filmed the locomotive manoeuvring around its Support Coach and shunting. The plan was to film the diesels arriving with the railtour, and then catch a Carlisle-bound service to Dent to film Tornado pass through there.





All was going well, until shortly before the tour was due in, when the signal man appeared and started kicking around in the ballast near the points behind Tornado. This was no doubt an awkward moment for the signaller as he had the railtour due in, and a train for Morecambe and Ribblehead (from Rochdale) all approaching. The signaller obviously couldn’t resolve the issue as a Network Rail team appeared. All this meant that services were now running 30 minutes late. I filmed the 3 trains due to arrive including the railtour hauled by the diesels into the siding. I then caught my planned Carlisle train that had been stuck behind the railtour up to Dent. This was a 2 car 158 and it was very busy indeed. I spent the journey sat in the luggage rack. The Settle & Carlisle Line trolley boarded right next to me at Settle, which meant that I could at least grab a much-needed coffee and support the line at the same time.

Arrival at Dent was 38 minutes late, which means I get to claim another Northern Complimentary ticket. I then took up my usual spot overlooking Dent station and took in the beauty of the area. There’s no phone signal here so you just have to watch in the distance to see the railtour coming. You can see a long way and the railway curves, hugging the valley side so you get plenty of notice. During this time, a Freightliner class 66 headed South through the station. A few spots of rain then followed, before the sun appeared once more. That was the only rain I endured, which is pretty good for Dent. It wasn’t too much longer before I saw a wisp of steam in the distance plodding towards me.



I was quite happy with this footage. Ideally, I’d have liked to film the return leg passing over Ribblehead Viaduct, but I’d started this trip straight after a shift at work and now the need for sleep was real and my bed was calling. Due to the delays, I didn’t have too long to wait before a Southbound service, only around 15minutes. Thankfully, it was another 4 carriages of 158 which was still pretty busy, which took me all the way to Leeds. There was an impossible 3 minute connection at Leeds onto a Hallam Line semi-fast, so I had a bit of a wait before the extremely tedious, 150-formed Sheffield stopper via Moorthorpe & Rotherham turned up to take me to my car at Meadowhall. Mercifully, this train was quiet and it was actually quite a nice journey with the summer air coming through the hopper windows.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Iskra]

Well, it’s that time of year again when I visit Italy. The plan was to take the same route as has become customary in recent years, but it could be the last time I take this route as the prices on the Italian side have shot up. There have been some rolling stock changes and there was a substantial divert which added some additional interest to the journey.

I left my home in Sheffield via an Uber X, as there was on offer on these of £5 off, which was a good saving on the relatively short journey to Sheffield station. The driver arrived outside my house around 10 minutes early, which I liked. The car provided was a fancy Tesla, and it was my first time in such a model. I liked it, but I wouldn’t buy one due to the person who owns the company. The taxi driver was a legend however, so I tipped £2 which I don’t often do.

At Sheffield, I tried the new Cafe Local. It was all pleasant enough and will be useful in future during times of inclement weather, but it was pricey. I didn’t mind on this occasion as I was very much in holiday mode.

Normally, when heading to the airport I take Transpennine services. However, I have a renewed confidence in Northern’s offering across the Hope Valley, and I quite like the route via Marple, Romiley et al. The price was good at around £8 too. The rolling stock provided was a 3 carriage 195 that provided a pleasant ride and only started filling-up with passengers on the approach to Manchester.

At Manchester Piccadilly I had a swift change over to the far platforms, where I was expecting a 331 to take me to the airport. It was however 6 carriages of 323 instead and it was nice and quiet in the lead unit. I ditched the headphones and listened to the motor sounds instead.



Northern had been most efficient. Manchester airport was easily navigated and fairly quiet, but then it was Ryanair’s turn to let the side down, with my flight to Milan Malpensa delayed by an hour. This didn’t matter so much, but it did have an impact on what I could accomplish in Milan in the evening.

When the flight arrived the police boarded it and escorted a passenger away.





On boarding it was noticeable from the seat-type, that this was an older aircraft. Unfortunately the base of my seat was damaged so it was over-firm. Not the end of the world on a two hour flight. I’d booked a window seat on the emergency exit for additional space and I’d tried to do it tactically as this created a middle seat on its own which I thought nobody would then purchase. This worked out so I had plenty of space and it wasn’t a bad flight, although a little turbulent when passing through the clouds on each occasion.

For some reason at Malpensa there was an incredibly long walk to passport control, but once there it was easy to get through and get my passport stamped. I’d pre-booked a ticket to the next station on from the airport- Busto Arsizio Nord, but needed a ticket office for my next ticket as trying to buy online wasn’t working. At the ticket office, the lady told me the ticket I was asking for wasn’t valid in heated fashion. Once I explained that I already had a ticket, and that it was for later on, and showed her my existing ticket, she was able to sell me the ticket along with an explanation that I must exit and Validate my next ticket at the next station.

At the next station I exited and validated my IO VIAGGIO OVUNQUE IN LOMBARDIA . This is a day ticket with generous coverage in both 1st and STD class on all public transport in the Trenord/Lombardy area for around 17 Euro, so very useful and very good value.


Busto Asizio Nord is an awful station, presumably deliberately so to punish spit-ticketers. It’s dark, dingy, dirty, has narrow platforms. Passengers congregate around the entrance/exits despite the platforms being vast so you have to request them to move and then some of them choose to smoke, giving the whole station a feel of the 1980’s - Down In The Tube Station at Midnight would be the soundtrack for this dreadful place if it had one. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long until a Malpensa Express unit carried me off to the much more agreeable Milano Centrale.

Here, I’d planned to jump on a loco-hauled commuter service in any direction, or alternatively complete a triangular route via Padua and a place called Cordogno that would cover a new line. Sadly, the Ryanair delay made a triangular journey too time consuming, and surprisingly there were no loco-hauled commuter sets in Milano Centrale when I arrived so that plan went out of the window. I jumped on a double-deck unit headed for Brescia, as I’d worked out I could get there and back. I sat in the first class area, which was little different to standard class. We then passed a freight yard so I changed my plan again as I’d seen one of the services back from Brescia was running 25L so I didn’t want to get caught up in any disruption. I alighted at a place called Treviglio to hopefully film a few trains come through the station. On the platform, I realised I’d made a mistake; the town had an avoiding line so I was unlikely to see much. This station was a pleasant enough place, and a freight train and a Freccia train did come through so I saw something, but it was mainly just commuter trains. Back to Milan Centrale it was then.

At Centrale I got some some food at the excellent Bistrot, and then some provisions for the journey ahead. It then wasn’t too long before my sleeper train was due in. Milano Centrale is simply stunning.




The Sleeper (ICN 765) looked stunning in the platform. One of the most evocative carriage liveries, at one of the most evocative stations.



With it being a Friday night, there was a noticeable buzz of excitement about the place and the train and it was a little lively onboard for the first couple of hours. I, however had been up since 4am so once the formalities were done it was straight to bed for me.

The cabin was in reasonable condition but the seal around the window must have been damaged, so there was a whistling of wind as we travelled. Now, being a rail enthusiast I didn’t mind that so much, but along with the grim toilets onboard, it is clear that these carriages are in decline. Yet, the prices have gone up significantly over the last year. I had significant issues on a different Trenitalia sleeper journey last year too, so although I enjoy sleeper travel these trains in their current state are becoming difficult to justify travelling on considering the rising prices. The driving of the train was pretty vigorous for the first couple of hours, so not conducive to sleep at all. Once I did get to sleep, I did sleep very well waking up at Bari Centrale at 7am. Espresso and an improved, fresher croissant than before were delivered soon after. That Trenitalia espresso is a godsend.

New rolling stock has been provided on the Ionian Coast line, replacing the venerable D445 loco-hauled services. With the new rolling stock, has come a journey time improvement, meaning that the connection time at Taranto has been improved from 10 to 20 minutes. Now, I never missed my connection at Taranto, but that’s a much more relaxing connection to be relying on.

The new rolling stock is Hitachi bi-mode units and it was my first time trying these out.




These look smart, both in and out. It’s a 5+ hour journey to my destination on this train, so I shelled out 25 Euro in total to travel in first class. I was impressed with the seat and cabin quality and the ride was decent too. Standard class was also pretty smart. One thing that I didn’t like was that the floor is uneven but isn’t marked as such so it’s difficult to walk up and down the train when it’s moving.



The journey was pleasant. At Sibari we took a long diversion to the opposite coast of Italy to Lamezia Terme. This was due to electrification works around Crotone. From Lamezia we then took the branch line to Catanzaro Lido back on the Ionian Coast and then continued on the normal route to Locri where I alighted. The journey took the same amount of time as before, so clearly with electrification in the Crotone area and without a massive diversion these multiple units are capable of significantly reducing Intercity journey times on the route in the future.

Thanks for reading

 

[D6130]

Well, it’s that time of year again when I visit Italy. The plan was to take the same route as has become customary in recent years, but it could be the last time I take this route as the prices on the Italian side have shot up. There have been some rolling stock changes and there was a substantial divert which added some additional interest to the journey.

I left my home in Sheffield via an Uber X, as there was on offer on these of £5 off, which was a good saving on the relatively short journey to Sheffield station. The driver arrived outside my house around 10 minutes early, which I liked. The car provided was a fancy Tesla, and it was my first time in such a model. I liked it, but I wouldn’t buy one due to the person who owns the company. The taxi driver was a legend however, so I tipped £2 which I don’t often do.

At Sheffield, I tried the new Cafe Local. It was all pleasant enough and will be useful in future during times of inclement weather, but it was pricey. I didn’t mind on this occasion as I was very much in holiday mode.

Normally, when heading to the airport I take Transpennine services. However, I have a renewed confidence in Northern’s offering across the Hope Valley, and I quite like the route via Marple, Romiley et al. The price was good at around £8 too. The rolling stock provided was a 3 carriage 195 that provided a pleasant ride and only started filling-up with passengers on the approach to Manchester.

At Manchester Piccadilly I had a swift change over to the far platforms, where I was expecting a 331 to take me to the airport. It was however 6 carriages of 323 instead and it was nice and quiet in the lead unit. I ditched the headphones and listened to the motor sounds instead.

View attachment 181572

Northern had been most efficient. Manchester airport was easily navigated and fairly quiet, but then it was Ryanair’s turn to let the side down, with my flight to Milan Malpensa delayed by an hour. This didn’t matter so much, but it did have an impact on what I could accomplish in Milan in the evening.

When the flight arrived the police boarded it and escorted a passenger away.



View attachment 181573

On boarding it was noticeable from the seat-type, that this was an older aircraft. Unfortunately the base of my seat was damaged so it was over-firm. Not the end of the world on a two hour flight. I’d booked a window seat on the emergency exit for additional space and I’d tried to do it tactically as this created a middle seat on its own which I thought nobody would then purchase. This worked out so I had plenty of space and it wasn’t a bad flight, although a little turbulent when passing through the clouds on each occasion.

For some reason at Malpensa there was an incredibly long walk to passport control, but once there it was easy to get through and get my passport stamped. I’d pre-booked a ticket to the next station on from the airport- Busto Arsizio Nord, but needed a ticket office for my next ticket as trying to buy online wasn’t working. At the ticket office, the lady told me the ticket I was asking for wasn’t valid in heated fashion. Once I explained that I already had a ticket, and that it was for later on, and showed her my existing ticket, she was able to sell me the ticket along with an explanation that I must exit and Validate my next ticket at the next station.

At the next station I exited and validated my IO VIAGGIO OVUNQUE IN LOMBARDIA . This is a day ticket with generous coverage in both 1st and STD class on all public transport in the Trenord/Lombardy area for around 17 Euro, so very useful and very good value.

View attachment 181575
Busto Asizio Nord is an awful station, presumably deliberately so to punish spit-ticketers. It’s dark, dingy, dirty, has narrow platforms. Passengers congregate around the entrance/exits despite the platforms being vast so you have to request them to move and then some of them choose to smoke, giving the whole station a feel of the 1980’s - Down In The Tube Station at Midnight would be the soundtrack for this dreadful place if it had one. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long until a Malpensa Express unit carried me off to the much more agreeable Milano Centrale.

Here, I’d planned to jump on a loco-hauled commuter service in any direction, or alternatively complete a triangular route via Padua and a place called Cordogno that would cover a new line. Sadly, the Ryanair delay made a triangular journey too time consuming, and surprisingly there were no loco-hauled commuter sets in Milano Centrale when I arrived so that plan went out of the window. I jumped on a double-deck unit headed for Brescia, as I’d worked out I could get there and back. I sat in the first class area, which was little different to standard class. We then passed a freight yard so I changed my plan again as I’d seen one of the services back from Brescia was running 25L so I didn’t want to get caught up in any disruption. I alighted at a place called Treviglio to hopefully film a few trains come through the station. On the platform, I realised I’d made a mistake; the town had an avoiding line so I was unlikely to see much. This station was a pleasant enough place, and a freight train and a Freccia train did come through so I saw something, but it was mainly just commuter trains. Back to Milan Centrale it was then.

At Centrale I got some some food at the excellent Bistrot, and then some provisions for the journey ahead. It then wasn’t too long before my sleeper train was due in. Milano Centrale is simply stunning.

View attachment 181577
View attachment 181578

The Sleeper (ICN 765) looked stunning in the platform. One of the most evocative carriage liveries, at one of the most evocative stations.

View attachment 181579View attachment 181580

With it being a Friday night, there was a noticeable buzz of excitement about the place and the train and it was a little lively onboard for the first couple of hours. I, however had been up since 4am so once the formalities were done it was straight to bed for me.

The cabin was in reasonable condition but the seal around the window must have been damaged, so there was a whistling of wind as we travelled. Now, being a rail enthusiast I didn’t mind that so much, but along with the grim toilets onboard, it is clear that these carriages are in decline. Yet, the prices have gone up significantly over the last year. I had significant issues on a different Trenitalia sleeper journey last year too, so although I enjoy sleeper travel these trains in their current state are becoming difficult to justify travelling on considering the rising prices. The driving of the train was pretty vigorous for the first couple of hours, so not conducive to sleep at all. Once I did get to sleep, I did sleep very well waking up at Bari Centrale at 7am. Espresso and an improved, fresher croissant than before were delivered soon after. That Trenitalia espresso is a godsend.

New rolling stock has been provided on the Ionian Coast line, replacing the venerable D445 loco-hauled services. With the new rolling stock, has come a journey time improvement, meaning that the connection time at Taranto has been improved from 10 to 20 minutes. Now, I never missed my connection at Taranto, but that’s a much more relaxing connection to be relying on.

The new rolling stock is Hitachi bi-mode units and it was my first time trying these out.


View attachment 181592

These look smart, both in and out. It’s a 5+ hour journey to my destination on this train, so I shelled out 25 Euro in total to travel in first class. I was impressed with the seat and cabin quality and the ride was decent too. Standard class was also pretty smart. One thing that I didn’t like was that the floor is uneven but isn’t marked as such so it’s difficult to walk up and down the train when it’s moving.

View attachment 181593

The journey was pleasant. At Sibari we took a long diversion to the opposite coast of Italy to Lamezia Terme. This was due to electrification works around Crotone. From Lamezia we then took the branch line to Catanzaro Lido back on the Ionian Coast and then continued on the normal route to Locri where I alighted. The journey took the same amount of time as before, so clearly with electrification in the Crotone area and without a massive diversion these multiple units are capable of significantly reducing Intercity journey times on the route in the future.

Thanks for reading

Benvenuto in Italia di nuovo! Great report as always! One small correction if I may....your planned triangular route from Milano via Padua and Codogno should read via Pavia and Codogno. It's getting rather too hot for me here in Tuscany now....exceeding 30 most afternoons. I'll be glad to be back in Yorkshire at the end of the month. Buona vacanza!

 

[Iskra]

Benvenuto in Italia di nuovo! Great report as always! One small correction if I may....your planned triangular route from Milano via Padua and Codogno should read via Pavia and Codogno. It's getting rather too hot for me here in Tuscany now....exceeding 30 most afternoons. I'll be glad to be back in Yorkshire at the end of the month. Buona vacanza!

I knew someone would spot the one Italian word that I didn’t double check, thinking nobody would know the place

Yes, summer has truly arrived, thank you!

 

[Iskra]

Yesterday, I had a vague intention of filming Tornado as it passed through West Yorkshire. Inbetween however, I was at a loose end. I was considering visiting the excellent West Riding Refreshment Rooms at Dewsbury station as it’s an old favourite place of mine but I haven’t visited for some time now. However, I then spotted that the KWVR were running a steam timetable, and they have good beer offerings too from my favourite brewery, so I headed that way instead.

I got a lift to Castleford Station, where I filmed Tornado passing through on an overbridge. A Northern 158 took me to Leeds. A 6-car 331 formation then took me and a number of others to Keighley for the KWVR.



The Taff Vale Tank was operating today, and the train was pretty busy for midweek. At Damems, there was something of a surprise. It was unusual that we stopped, as when only one train is in service you normally pass through. Thus, I headed to the droplight to see what was afoot, expecting perhaps an engineering train or something. Instead the semaphore raised and the distinctive nose of a class 20 edged around the corner. I was thrilled by this, as this locomotive is fresh from overhaul, looks amazing in its new livery and I very much appreciate a Class 20.




Unfortunately, when we reached Oxenhope there was some bad news: the 20 had failed at Keighley so there would be a delay. That was no problem for me as I wasn’t in a rush and was quite happy to sample another Boltmaker’s at the bar. Most customers were relaxed about this, but some alighted for alternative transportation to meet connections.

After a while, we proceeded down the line to Haworth, where a class 14 appeared and piloted our train down to Keighley. Here, the engines ran around and the Class 20 was rescued in an interesting consist. Although delayed, I must credit the KWVR for continuing with the rest of the timetable rather than cancelling any train. All the volunteers were great during the day and the delays didn’t bother me at all- I was just happy to see and hear the class 20 and the interesting rescue formation.


Next I headed to Kirkstall Forge station to film Tornado passing through again. This was my first visit and it is a surprisingly good location. A 60 and an LNER 225 set passed through before Tornado appeared looking very impressive.





It was then back to the Wakefield area after an enjoyable and good value day out.

Thanks for reading/watching!

 

[xotGD]

Is it just me who sees a yellow face on the front of the 20? A bit of a Thomas the Tank Engine vibe going on!

 

[Iskra]

Is it just me who sees a yellow face on the front of the 20? A bit of a Thomas the Tank Engine vibe going on!

My mum just said the exact same thing!

Could be a winner for themed events!

 

[xotGD]

"Charlie the Chopper" or "Billy the Bomb"?

 

[Iskra]

A Western Adventure 2/7/25
Originally, I'd planned to take a TPE 397 up the West Coast Mainline to Carlisle, then use a Northern Complimentary ticket to head back along the Settle Carlisle Line to film the iconic Sig Nigel Gresley and D1015 Western Champion pass through some scenic locations. Alas, the Sir Nigel Gresley outing was cancelled, so I re-planned. The Transpennine 397 remained in the plan as I'd been meaning to try out there 'West Coast Kitchen' offering for some time now and it looked good.

I started the day off at Meadowhall on a Transpennine 6-car 185 formation. I sat in the lead set which is the first class compartment that would normally have the catering on a double set. Alas, none was provided on my journey. I found this a little disappointing as a train timed after 6am from Sheffield is peak time for coffee consumption if you ask me, and also peak time from a fares persepective. Nevertheless, the journey was comfortable, scenic and otherwise enjoyable across the Hope Valley.

At Manchester Piccadilly it was an easy same platform change onto my next service. The platform was pretty calm on my visit.



The smart-looking 397 glided in and I took up my seat, with bottled water provided at every one. Onboard service was a little slow to get going; they were pretty much just setting up until near Preston, but when they did get going they were great. The coffee was nice and I ordered a Full English breakfast, which was a really strong offering. At Preston we passed 37508 & 37418 on the Caroline inspection saloon. From here, we raced the traffic on the M6 and I watched the scenery pass by on one of my favourite lines. At around Penrith I was offered another drink and piece of cake. This was appreciated as it saved me buying another coffee in Carlisle, for now at least.



At Carlisle the plan was to film D1015 Western Champion arriving. I wanted to get away from the station as it can be crowded and you have the risk of other trains in the way. I'd spotted a couple of potential locations on google maps a modest walk away from the station, so I set out in the light drizzle. The location I headed to was near the old Upperby depot, and as I approached I could hear the distinctive sound of a class 20 in the distance. Sure enough, a pair of Railfreight 20's were sighted and there was some construction work going on in the LSL compound. From here, I'd spotted a footbridge over the railway near the Carlisle City (note: not United) football ground. However the sides of the bridge were too high to film from, although you could see into Upperby Yard from the stairs. I thus continued my exploratory walk, until I came to a dead-end, appropriately in a cemetery. I doubled-back and walked beside the mainline back towards the city centre where I then found a nice embankment with views of the mainline and also into Upperby. This would have to do. No, sooner than I'd found a nice spot did a torrential downpour arrive. I was very much caught in it, with no nearby shelter. Luckily, I'd packed a light waterproof (anorak? ). I then took partial shelter under the only suitable tree around. I got soaked through. Luckily, the rain did cease ahead of the Western's arrival.



Once the tour had passed, I then walked back to Carlisle Citadel, with a stop for Pizza to warm me up from Dominos. A medium pizza collected is only £8, which is a decent price and plenty of food so would keep me going for the rest of the day. At Carlisle I took photographs and filmed the shunt moves.





While filming, I got talking to a young enthusiast who had come down from Kirkcaldy to see the Western, which I thought a valiant effort. He then told me that he was intending to travel down to Appleby on a service train to film the Western again there. I suggested that he rethought his plan and followed me instead. I'd already agreed a part fare with Vintage Trains ahead of the tour to take me over the Settle and Carlisle to Blackburn. I'd spotted that the train stopped at Appleby so as I settled my bill on board, I asked if they had room for one more to Appleby, and of course they did. The very friendly and kind onboard staff also offered the use of a Mk1 First Compartment, which are splendid. The young enthusiasts day was made, and I took care of his ticket back to Carlisle from Appleby, although at no cost to myself.









The run down to Blackburn was fantastic. The weather improved significantly, to reveal the Settle & Carlisle in all its splendour for a very enjoyable run behind a classic locomotive. The onboard stewards were incredibly hospitable, and part way through the journey they invited me to stay on as long I wanted. I quickly re-planned my trip home, so that I could ride down the West Coast Mainline as far as Crewe and still make it back to Sheffield.

The journey home from Crewe was on the 2010 EMR 170 to Derby which had a very friendly guard, followed by an EMR 222 to Sheffield which was a nice journey and finally a TP 185 for the 'last mile' to Meadowhall.

A fantastic trip out, with some great first class food and an excellent experience with Vintage Trains, who are really showing how railtours should be done in the modern age.

Thanks for reading, here's the footage from the day if that's your thing:

 

[Royston Vasey]

A Western Adventure 2/7/25
Originally, I'd planned to take a TPE 397 up the West Coast Mainline to Carlisle, then use a Northern Complimentary ticket to head back along the Settle Carlisle Line to film the iconic Sig Nigel Gresley and D1015 Western Champion pass through some scenic locations. Alas, the Sir Nigel Gresley outing was cancelled, so I re-planned. The Transpennine 397 remained in the plan as I'd been meaning to try out there 'West Coast Kitchen' offering for some time now and it looked good.

I started the day off at Meadowhall on a Transpennine 6-car 185 formation. I sat in the lead set which is the first class compartment that would normally have the catering on a double set. Alas, none was provided on my journey. I found this a little disappointing as a train timed after 6am from Sheffield is peak time for coffee consumption if you ask me, and also peak time from a fares persepective. Nevertheless, the journey was comfortable, scenic and otherwise enjoyable across the Hope Valley.

At Manchester Piccadilly it was an easy same platform change onto my next service. The platform was pretty calm on my visit.

View attachment 183058

The smart-looking 397 glided in and I took up my seat, with bottled water provided at every one. Onboard service was a little slow to get going; they were pretty much just setting up until near Preston, but when they did get going they were great. The coffee was nice and I ordered a Full English breakfast, which was a really strong offering. At Preston we passed 37508 & 37418 on the Caroline inspection saloon. From here, we raced the traffic on the M6 and I watched the scenery pass by on one of my favourite lines. At around Penrith I was offered another drink and piece of cake. This was appreciated as it saved me buying another coffee in Carlisle, for now at least.

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At Carlisle the plan was to film D1015 Western Champion arriving. I wanted to get away from the station as it can be crowded and you have the risk of other trains in the way. I'd spotted a couple of potential locations on google maps a modest walk away from the station, so I set out in the light drizzle. The location I headed to was near the old Upperby depot, and as I approached I could hear the distinctive sound of a class 20 in the distance. Sure enough, a pair of Railfreight 20's were sighted and there was some construction work going on in the LSL compound. From here, I'd spotted a footbridge over the railway near the Carlisle City (note: not United) football ground. However the sides of the bridge were too high to film from, although you could see into Upperby Yard from the stairs. I thus continued my exploratory walk, until I came to a dead-end, appropriately in a cemetery. I doubled-back and walked beside the mainline back towards the city centre where I then found a nice embankment with views of the mainline and also into Upperby. This would have to do. No, sooner than I'd found a nice spot did a torrential downpour arrive. I was very much caught in it, with no nearby shelter. Luckily, I'd packed a light waterproof (anorak? ). I then took partial shelter under the only suitable tree around. I got soaked through. Luckily, the rain did cease ahead of the Western's arrival.

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Once the tour had passed, I then walked back to Carlisle Citadel, with a stop for Pizza to warm me up from Dominos. A medium pizza collected is only £8, which is a decent price and plenty of food so would keep me going for the rest of the day. At Carlisle I took photographs and filmed the shunt moves.

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While filming, I got talking to a young enthusiast who had come down from Kirkcaldy to see the Western, which I thought a valiant effort. He then told me that he was intending to travel down to Appleby on a service train to film the Western again there. I suggested that he rethought his plan and followed me instead. I'd already agreed a part fare with Vintage Trains ahead of the tour to take me over the Settle and Carlisle to Blackburn. I'd spotted that the train stopped at Appleby so as I settled my bill on board, I asked if they had room for one more to Appleby, and of course they did. The very friendly and kind onboard staff also offered the use of a Mk1 First Compartment, which are splendid. The young enthusiasts day was made, and I took care of his ticket back to Carlisle from Appleby, although at no cost to myself.

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The run down to Blackburn was fantastic. The weather improved significantly, to reveal the Settle & Carlisle in all its splendour for a very enjoyable run behind a classic locomotive. The onboard stewards were incredibly hospitable, and part way through the journey they invited me to stay on as long I wanted. I quickly re-planned my trip home, so that I could ride down the West Coast Mainline as far as Crewe and still make it back to Sheffield.

The journey home from Crewe was on the 2010 EMR 170 to Derby which had a very friendly guard, followed by an EMR 222 to Sheffield which was a nice journey and finally a TP 185 for the 'last mile' to Meadowhall.

A fantastic trip out, with some great first class food and an excellent experience with Vintage Trains, who are really showing how railtours should be done in the modern age.

Thanks for reading, here's the footage from the day if that's your thing:

Yours truly making an appearance over on 6 in the final five seconds there! I just happened to have planned an evening at Crewe many weeks ago, with no idea I'd be in for such a treat!

Sounds like it was a superb tour!

 

[Iskra]

Yours truly making an appearance over on 6 in the final five seconds there! I just happened to have planned an evening at Crewe many weeks ago, with no idea I'd be in for such a treat!

Sounds like it was a superb tour!

Royalties are in the post Yes it was indeed a fantastic day out in the end

20/7/25 Midland Railway Centre Gala

With upto ten visiting DB locomotives, plus 3 peaks, a thrashy 31 and steam on offer all for only £18, this was an event not to be missed.

The drive down from Sheffield was smooth and sunny, until the last ten minutes and that was the last of the sun I would see for the day. I had a nice and reasonably priced sausage sandwich (or cob as they say in Derbyshire) at the fishing cafe adjacent to the railway car park. The car park was noticeably busier than the same event last year. I then headed over to the railway which is when the rain really started as I and many others awaited the first train of the day. This would be 66200 on a mainly Mk3 set, with dud 67007 on the rear. This train was rammed and would remain so all day, although the train had more capacity on it than the previous year. 66200 led across the picturesque viaduct to Hammersmith. 67007 then took us back down the line to Riddings. Although the 67 was dud, I have a soft spot for the class and it was nice to be behind one at a droplight window. I’d sussed out that the thing to do was to remain on this set until early afternoon as the 66’s at one end kept changing for winner after winner: 66175, 66652, 66032 all followed. At one point the set became uncomfortably busy so I did hop off for a double headed dud Peak combo (D8 and 44004) up the line and then 31108 back down. 45108 was also sampled and these two locomotives were probably stars of the show in terms of thrash for the day. As well as the runners, DB had come in force and there was the MRC’s collection on display too so a strong gathering. I stayed on the diesel sets as the steam set was only doing short shuttles at the more pedestrian end of the line, it did look nice though.






After covering everything I needed I headed off to an overbridge in a fairly scenic area, on the more thrashy end of the line to do some filming which I enjoyed and turned out well.

Overall a great day out despite the crowds and weather. There will be more videos of rides behind individual loco’s coming out on my Youtube this week, so subscribe to be notified of those Thanks for reading/watching/looking at the pictures.

 

[xotGD]

Looks to have been something for everyone at that event. Interesting to see five locos I've had for haulage this year on other heritage railways all working in the same place on the same day.

 

[Iskra]

Looks to have been something for everyone at that event. Interesting to see five locos I've had for haulage this year on other heritage railways all working in the same place on the same day.

Yeah it was quite the gathering for a relatively small line, as you say something for everyone!

 

[Iskra]

My Hovercraft is Full of Eels 01/08/25
I started the day by using the relatively rare (3tpd) Northern service from Meadowhall to York. It was a class 150 on this occasion, but I sat up front so managed to get a bay for myself for the entire trip. Loadings were pretty healthy and I definitely think this service would prosper if the line was provided with a full timetable of services. Arrival was on time, which was a relief as my connection was only 12 minutes.

I needn't have worried though as my Azuma to London had picked up a delay of around 10 minutes. There was still time for a platform change, before the Azuma appeared. I'd picked up a good value First Class ticket on this 'Dine' service, which was non-stop to London Kings Cross. I was eager to try out the Full English and to compare it to TP's West Coast Kitchen which I had recently. Onboard, I wasn't impressed by the lack of a view from my reserved seat, so I relocated to an empty table of 4 with a better view.



Breakfast was good, although I ruffled the crews feathers by requesting a poached egg as per the menu. The lady opposite me then did the same which irked the grumbly crew even more and they announced that special request breakfasts would be served last; their revenge for me inconveniencing them. I really wasn't bothered though, as there would still be plenty of time for breakfast to be consumed on this trip. The food quality has definitely improved from the sad offering before. The rest of the journey was spent gazing out of the window at the pleasant, but parched countryside which looked more like France than England and being entertained by the crews irritability everytime a passenger made a basic request.

At Kings Cross I headed to a ticket vending machine to collect my onward tickets. I'd planned to visit the lounge but this seemingly isn't permitted after your journey on a Friday, so instead I continued my journey via tube to Vauxhall. I arrived here early so I used a promotion from my mobile phone network provider who were offering a hot drink for for £1 from a chain coffee shop. I got talking to the staff member, and somehow my bill came to 20p which was quite the bargain. Vauxhall was a new station for me, so with my spare time I took a seat on one of the platforms with seats and watched the trains wizz through, before heading to pick up my own. On crossing to my platform and walking its full length to maximise chances of a seat, some excellent city and aviation views became apparent. I quite like this station.







I'll need to check my records, but this class 455 was possibly a new class for traction for me, as it whisked me to Clapham Junction. Here, some young spotters were at the end of the platform trying to get tones from the drivers, and they were successful from a cheer Gatwick Express unit driver. My Southern Electrostar then rolled in to take me to Portsmouth & Southsea. I am pretty ignorant of 3rd rail land, so I wasn't even aware that Southern served Portsmouth from London, I thought it was SWT who did that route. Nevertheless, it was a surprisingly nice journey and there was some new route coverage involved at the end of the journey, leaving an annoying gap between Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour stations.



Portsmouth & Southsea was a new station and I went to the bathroom before asking for directions to the Hovertravel bus stop. This brief bathroom stop cost me, as the bus drove off from the bus stop just before I got there. It was only a 20 minute wait, albeit with a few characters around. The bus journey is included in the ticket and was pretty short. I went to the Hovertravel terminal expecting to get straight on board, but it turns out that they prioritise passengers who book directly with them, over Rail & Sail ticket holders. This is not stated at the time of booking, so I was a bit miffed by this. I was on a tight itinerary so didn't appreciate being messed around. Nevertheless, I joined the standby queue and luckily I made it onboard.


As one of the last to board there wasn't much of a choice, but I did do fairly well in the end as I got a window seat (just about) on an unused priority seat. The journey was good fun and it is a really interesting experience. The crossing was quick and smooth. I was very glad to get this method of transport ticked off the bucket list, as it was the main purpose of my visit.

I'd only got a couple of hours on the island, but I'd worked out that I could cover the entire Island Line Network in this time if everything went to plan.



484002 was a new class for me, to take me to Ryde Pier Head. I then rode it all the way to Shanklin, for which the unit was busy. Finally, I took it back to Ryde Esplanade. The line was interesting mainly from an operational and historic point of view, but while the scenery was pleasant it wasn't enough to make me revisit the island anytime soon. I now had just enough time to get some chips, before the journey back home commenced.



There were no issued boarding the hovercraft on the return journey and I was able to choose a good seat. I enjoyed this ride more as I got to see more of the historic Portsmouth and we passed close behind a massive cruise ship on our flight. At the terminal, the bus was waiting for us. Unfortunately, this bit of the journey had the heart-pounding as we set off late and got even more late en route. However, I did make my connection. My travel day was already a long one, but if I'd have not made this train I would have ended up on a RRB from Derby to Sheffield arriving at 2am, so I was very relieved to avoid that! The 450 was non-stop after Guildford, taking me onto more new metals which was a bonus. We took a route that avoided Woking, that was quite rural and surprisingly nice.

At London Waterloo, I took a tube to London Bridge which wowed me with its views, before taking a Thameslink service back to St Pancras. I'd been pretty efficient on my cross-London transfer, so I had time for a nice pint at the Bejeman Arms, which I enjoyed a lot. My final train for the day was an EMR 222, which was very busy so I was relieved to see that it was a 7-carriage train. I managed to get my reserved seat and I just popped my headphones on to drown out the noise for the trundle back up the MML. At Sheffield, I needed to take an Uber back to Meadowhall Interchange to collect my car as there are no outbound trains from Sheffield by this time, and the last tram very helpfully leaves one minute before the EMR train arrives.

Overall a fantastic daytrip, with plenty of new track, completing the Isle of Wight Network, a couple of new classes for traction and ticking Hovercraft Travel off my bucket list

 

[Iskra]

The KWVR put a couple of different locomotives out over the Bank Holiday weekend, necessitating me to visit twice to get both for haulage.

On the Sunday, the newly repainted Class 20 was out and about. I like the Class 20 sound and this one looks very smart in BR Green. The BR Blue 101 was also in service; I was glad to finally get this one for haulage as it always seems to be the Pacer when I visit. The 101 is stunning inside and out and offers great views of the line. The driver also let me sit in the drivers seat and talked me through the controls. The 8F was also running but only on a private train, which was a heavy train of 8 carriages and I managed to catch it running non-stop through Oakworth station. It was being driven cautiously to minimise fire risk but it was still an impressive sight.

The day after the 8F was on regular service trains, with the 101 standing in for the Pacer. I visited again just to get haulage behind the 8F. Again, they had to drive carefully due to the extreme fire risk, so it was something of a subdued run apart from in the safety of Ingrow tunnel where they opened up the throttle a bit.

Two nice visits to the railway, and it was doing a steady trade. It was nice of the railway to put a couple of different locomotives out to provide some variety.

 

[Iskra]

Yesterday I visited the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway diesel gala.

Communication in the run up to the event was a little disappointing, with timetables and bus shuttle timetables only being published the night before. However, once at the railway I had a great day out. The main purpose of my visit was to sample a Hymek which is a new class for me, and it did not disappoint! The Hymek was joined by classes 20, 37 and 31 which I’m also fond of. The food and beer options were also strong and the coaching stock was also very nicely turned out. I particularly enjoyed the LNWR directors saloon and the LNER Thompson buffet.

 

[Kite159]

One of those lines on my list to try and visit the next time I'm in that part of the world

 

[Iskra]

One of those lines on my list to try and visit the next time I'm in that part of the world

Lots of nice walks for you in that area too

 

[Iskra]

I've fallen very behind with my reports, so I'm about to do a catch up operation so I'll probably keep them a bit briefer than usual...

On the 9th of September I headed up to Dent for some videography:

Next I headed to Italy and while there did an Italia in Tour 3 Day Pass.

The first day was essentially a spare day on a Sunday, I headed from Locri, Calabria to Catanzaro to check on the progress of the Ferrovia Della Calabria narrow gauge line that is being rebuilt. The line looks to be nearly ready and the FDC station has been refurbished, so hopefully I can ride on that line again next year. I then headed over to Lamezia Terme on one of the old Aln railcars in declassifield first class and filmed trains for a while. I then headed down the coast to Reggio Di Calabria on a very busy train, before changing there for the train back to Locri.

The day after I started my planned trip, from Locri over to Sicily. I took a modern unit to Reggio, then another to Villa San Giovanni. The Italia in Tour 3 day pass doesn't include the ferry, but as a foot passenger it is inexpensive (2.50 Euro). The winds were up so the ride across the straits was a little choppy. At Messina I had a fair wait for my Fast Regional Train towards Palermo, so I filmed the arriving Intercity trains going on to the train ferry with the locomotives in battery mode.

From Messina I was on to new track pretty much straight away and I really enjoyed the run across the Northern coast of Sicily, I found this coast line quite dramatic and with good views of Stromboli. At the stop before Palermo I made a tight connection on to a train heading to Agrigento. This line was absolutely stunning with steep gradients and cutting through the mountains, I really enjoyed it. Agrigento Station was nicer than I'd expected.

I'd worked out that if I took a taxi (something I don't like doing in Italy), I'd have a quick opportunity to visit the nearby archaeological site, which was very impressive.

 

[Iskra]

I'm glad I did the Archaeological site, it was one of the most impressive that I've visited. I then took the evening train back down to Palermo, which was a lovely journey with the sun setting. My hotel was close to the station, clean, comfortable but unfortunately really noisy. I thus didn't sleep well. I wasn't on top form the next morning, I wanted to do something before catching the train back to the mainland, but wasn't quite sure what. I ended up doing a return trip on Palermo tram line one, which was quite interesting actually. I then took the train back to Messina, then on the ferry again and back to Locri. It was a tiring, packed trip to Sicily but it had been worth it. I will explore Palermo more next year.

When I was safely back in England, I visited Barrow Hill for the day, which I'd never properly explored before and it had a number of classic diesels in operation. Most of all however, the first passenger run of the Class 93 had been advertised that evening, so I booked on that. It was meant to involve a Class 58 too, but unfortunately this failed on the day. Still a good day out though.

The day after that was Bahamas final weekend of operation, down at the Great Central Railway, so I went and filmed that:

More recently, I discovered the Flying Scotsman would be passing through Pontefract under its own power so I nipped out to see that and a Class 37.

This Wednesday I had a trip to York, visiting the railway museum and pubs:

And finally, I knocked something off the bucket list yesterday, I had a day driving trains at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. The experience is available for a relatively sensible price, and you get to drive a DMU and a loco on the same day as part of a small group. I was on the DMU first and the group volunteered me to be first at the controls. I was a bit nervous about the DMU as you have gears to deal with. I did approximately half the line at the Duffield end of the line going downhill, so this was all about using the brakes, but I did pretty well. After the rest of my group had had their turns, I did the uphill journey which involved more use of the throttle- 25mph feels really fast when you're at the controls!

In the afternoon we did a brief shed tour, before we climbed on board the 33. Although I enjoyed the bubble car, I preferred the 33 as it's simpler to drive and the cab is a bit cosier. It feels a lot more powerful too, and it's nosier. I managed to drive both locos pretty well, and without making a fool of myself or spilling anyone's tea. It was a great experience and something I'd definitely like to do again.

 

[Iskra]

Yesterday, I visited the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for their Flying Scotsman event.

Departure was from Grosmont and after a fairly easy but rainy drive from West Yorkshire we were directed to a parking spot on arrival. We were on the 3pm Flying Scotsman departure, thus beforehand we planned to head to Whitby on the first shuttle of the day. We watched the 9F shunt and then bank Flying Scotsman on the first departure to Pickering, which was quite the sight! The Whitby shuttle was a Black 5 hauling 3 coaches, something of an over-powered and lop-sided consist, but it looked very BR in my opinion. 3 coaches was however overkill as there were only 3 passengers in total- it was like a private train! The rain eased off and the autumnal colours looked splendid along the Esk Valley. At Whitby, there was still some time before our chippy of choice opened so we did another return journey on the NYMR shuttle to Grosmont to stay dry. Then, it was back to Whitby, returning for enjoyable fish and chips at Trenchers.



Back at Grosmont we used our £9 each cafe vouchers for coffee and cake. The 9F was parked in the platform so I asked if I could look in the cab, and the crew obliged. The 9F cab was surprisingly spacious, light and airy. This made my day, as in all honesty the 9F is far more impressive to me than Flying Scotsman.




It was then our turn on the Flying Scotsman, again banked out of Grosmont by the 9F on load 8 which was impressive. Our train was fairly quiet, it being the last departure on bonfire night, which suited us nicely. It was a pleasant non-stop run down to Pickering before a quick turnaround at a crowded station, before an atmospheric journey back to Grosmont in the fading light.




Video content of the day will be out on my Youtube Channel over the next week or so if that’s of any interest.

 

[xotGD]

in all honesty the 9F is far more impressive to me than Flying Scotsman

That's like saying you prefer a Class 60 to a Deltic!

BTW - there was a feature on Flying Scotsman on the lunchtime Look North, which I assume will be shown again on the 18:30 programme.

You might be in it!

 

[Iskra]

That's like saying you prefer a Class 60 to a Deltic!

BTW - there was a feature on Flying Scotsman on the lunchtime Look North, which I assume will be shown again on the 18:30 programme.

You might be in it!

I think I prefer the workhorses! The Black 5 and 9F make a better sound! Gresley whistles are a bit pathetic too if we’re honest

I’ll have a look at that, thanks for letting me know!

 

[Iskra]

A quick trip down to Doncaster on 91111 to film a couple of steam railtours:

 

[Iskra]

Hello all, it has been a little while.

A couple of highlights from January; firstly, I did the Avanti diverts in first class from Preston to Carlisle one Saturday. It was a fantastic journey and although it wasn't the advertised menu, the provided food was filling and most importantly of all the wine flowed liberally. The weather also played its part, with glorious sunshine but snow-capped peaks. All in all it was a great experience. My first time on an Evero too, and it was nice to do the Settle & Carlisle on a proper train. First class was pretty much full in my set, Standard wasn't too busy. I travelled home from Carlisle with Northern in the darkness.

Also in January, I took a Northern DMU up to Dent, then hiked above Arten Gill viaduct, before dropping down under Dent Head Viaduct, climbing over Blea Moor and onto Ribblehead viaduct, doing some photography on the way. A pint in the Station Inn was much deserved before another Northern service took me home. A very fufilling and enjoyable day which gave me a new found appreciation for the landscape that the Settle-Carlisle runs in.




A video of the trains I saw on that day can be found here:

 

[Iskra]

My next trip was a visit to the Great Central Railway for their Winter Steam Gala, which had a decent line up and some noteable visitors. The weather just about co-operated and it was a worthwhile trip. I just filmed on this visit, as the line is just so interesting and photogenic but I've ridden behind many of the key players there already.