Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[fowler9]

I must have managed OK then to keep you reading, even though trams aren't your thing. Always a sign of a good writer if you can get people hooked on finding out what happened next, a page-turner sorta thing.

I don't normally do trams myself, but they need to be done eventually. All of the tram/light rail routes in the UK are all covered now at least, bar that PSUL curve on Sheffield Supertram and Blackpool trams. Now there's an idea for a trip...
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Two different races dating hock:

Crikey, that long ago? Didn't know it had been that long!

ha, I was 18 when it started running. I did the route to Bury when it was still 504's for someones birthday trip on the East Lancs!

 

[Kite159]

All of the tram/light rail routes in the UK are all covered now at least

Until the Midland metro extension is completed and the Nottingham tram new lines are completed

Or until Metrolink decides to add another line in somewhere

 

[alexf380]

Until the Midland metro extension is completed and the Nottingham tram new lines are completed

Or until Metrolink decides to add another line in somewhere

Or the much anticipated Edinburgh Tram extension to Granton

 

[Techniquest]

Oh yeah, forgot about the Midland Metro extension! NET's new lines are apparently due to open by September, something to do in the autumn I suspect.

I've not heard anything about Metrolink's planned extension to Trafford Centre lately, or indeed the extension from East Didsbury to Stockport Town Centre. Second City Crossing is on its way slowly but surely though, already a plan for 2017

If Edinburgh's tram line actually gets extended anytime soon I'll be pleasantly surprised!

So what's next for me and my trips? 14 days time I have my 3 day bash in London, which I'm counting down the days for, it's going to be hellfire! Hashtag and trip title to be developed in the meantime, already got some ideas brewing for those

 

[crehld]

Well Tech, I can honestly say you've gone Metrolink Mad! Great that you managed to clear the whole network ... Before they start adding to it again. Have only managed the trip between Piccadilly Gardens and Victoria myself And thanks for the accommodation tip. Very useful to know for those nights out in the city!

I've not heard anything about Metrolink's planned extension to Trafford Centre lately, or indeed the extension from East Didsbury to Stockport Town Centre. Second City Crossing is on its way slowly but surely though, already a plan for 2017

Line to Trafford centre is still on the cards I think, but long term plans only as far as I'm aware. Second City crossing taking the priority at the moment as I imagine any further extensions need this to be sorted first for capacity.

So what's next for me and my trips? 14 days time I have my 3 day bash in London, which I'm counting down the days for, it's going to be hellfire! Hashtag and trip title to be developed in the meantime, already got some ideas brewing for those

Sounds great... I may even have to set up a Twitter account to keep updated!

 

[Techniquest]

Glad you found the read interesting, and the tip on the hotel useful Thanks for the gen on Metrolink, I guess we'll see what happens in the coming years!

It's ages away, but I've just booked my first railtour of 2015 UKRailtours' The Yorkshire Byways in August is what I've gone for, absolutely loads of freight-only track I need so gone for it. I hope I don't get allocated to that Bank Holiday Monday now, but I'm now not available for it so it's tough cheese now!

Not booked hotels or owt yet, will do soon enough though all being well. Over 5 months to go until the trip so plenty of time yet.

In other news, London is only 10 days away now and I'm getting rather excited! Hashtag and trip title have both been decided upon, I just need to get on with checking the hashtag hasn't been taken on Twitter now. That can be done later

I've also finally got all 3 outstanding reviews from the last lot of accommodations done on TripAdvisor, they're awaiting verification at the TripAdvisor end now. Still need to do the moves book and get on with adding the moves to RailMiles from Metrolink Madness yet, just caught up with everything on the forum!
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I've FINALLY got my mileages all done from Metrolink Madness, I did indeed do well with approximately 136 miles over the 2 days just on Metrolink trams Not bad mileage had out of my £12 (£5 off-peak ticket on Day 1, £7 peak ticket on Day 2) there at all, and if I'd been going for the full time on both days that mileage could have been much higher. Quite, if I'd done less insect leaps to score shacks I have no doubt that figure would have been much higher!

I am now in a position to chuck in some statistics for the trip. I was also going to get the photos uploaded tonight but that's gone out of the window as I cannot use the laptop any further tonight

Metrolink Madness Statistics:

Total mileage: 365 miles and 21 chains
Day 1 mileage: 196 miles and 55 chains
Day 2 mileage: 168 miles and 46 chains

Move of the Day, Day 1: Didsbury Village to Rochdale Town Centre on 3063, as it finished the bulk of the Metrolink network!
Move of the Day, Day 2: Pomona to Langworthy on 3094, as it got that infernal curve avoiding MediaCity UK done, thus finishing the entire Metrolink network!

Highlight of the trip: Obviously, finishing the Metrolink!
Lowlight of the trip: Feeling rather ill in the middle of Day 1

Bargain of the Bash: The fish and chips in Rochdale Wetherspoon for £2.99, so much food for that money!
Rip-off of the trip: Nothing to speak of

Accommodation cost of the trip: £29
Fares cost on this trip: £28.10 (Advances brought down to £12 after RTVs, plus two Metrolink day tickets, plus the bus fare home)
Cost of everything else: £32.36

Total cost of the bash: £89.46

Not bad a cost for such a trip really!

 

[Kite159]

See you in August

 

[Techniquest]

See you in August

You're on that one too I take it? I booked my hotels for it last night, just the Advances to/from London to deal with nearer the time

 

[Kite159]

Yep, I'm hoping for no engineering works around that weekend which means not having to stay overnight in London on the Sunday. 7:30 from the Cross is doable from the 5:25 departure from here.

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds a bit risky, I'm staying near St Pauls to make sure I manage it OK. Staying in Croydon on the Monday night, as the same hotel was outrageously expensive for that night.

You could always book a hotel for the Sunday night and have a London bash during the day. Or are you getting bored of London?

 

[Kite159]

I miss my Sunday trips to London, might have a return for the 29th for a double reversal diversion from Woking to Surbiton via Guildford, i.e.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W96814/2015/03/29/advanced

Probably stay up overnight, appears that the guest house in Acton is £30 with free cancellation (I'm staying overnight next month so can cancel if it's crap), allows me to use Basingstoke station so no worrying about an hour delay for the 23:40.

 

[47403]

another london bash techniquest, you'll be going home with jellied eels in your back pack soon
happy hunting mate #techsjelliedeels or #techspearlykingsnqueens

 

[Techniquest]

another london bash techniquest, you'll be going home with jellied eels in your back pack soon
happy hunting mate #techsjelliedeels or #techspearlykingsnqueens

This will be my first London bash in quite a while, and I don't understand the jellied eels or the pearly kings and queens thing I'm afraid!

 

[47403]

jellied eels supposed dish of the londoner and the pearly kings and queens, predominantly from east end of london, jackets with loads of sequins and stuff on.

 

[Techniquest]

jellied eels supposed dish of the londoner and the pearly kings and queens, predominantly from east end of london, jackets with loads of sequins and stuff on.

I never knew either of those before! My east end experience will be on the East London line and GA trains to/from Stratford, neither of which could be considered pearly!

Meal wise I only eat fast food normally, the idea of eels makes me feel ill!

 

[fowler9]

I never knew either of those before! My east end experience will be on the East London line and GA trains to/from Stratford, neither of which could be considered pearly!

Meal wise I only eat fast food normally, the idea of eels makes me feel ill!

Ha ha, well a few local cultural tips anyway.

 

[37038]

bar that PSUL curve on Sheffield Supertram and Blackpool trams. Now there's an idea for a trip...

Might be able to help you on that PSUL SST move. Use the following, and you'll get the bracketed done on the supertram network.

28 Mar - 8 May
Blue Tram Fitzalan Square > Shalesmoor Rtn (Shalesmoor crossover)

11 May - 3 Jun
Green Tram Sheffield Station > Meadowhall Rtn (Both directions of Park Square PSUL Curve)

4 Jun - 28 Jun
Blue Tram Fitzalan Square > Sheffield Station Rtn (Sheffield Station crossover)

29 Jun - 28 Aug
Yellow Tram Fitzalan Square > Hyde Park Rtn (Park Lane East crossover)

Thanks

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh now that is interesting! 11th May to 3rd June inclusive is that? I could well be popping up there for that curve!

 

[37038]

Ooh now that is interesting! 11th May to 3rd June inclusive is that? I could well be popping up there for that curve!

I've been reliably informed so yes. I'm not personally 100% sure but I trust my mate! Funnily enough that curve is 200m from my bedroom window and yet I can never be bothered to get out at 05xx or 23xx to do it!

 

[andyb2706]

Looks like you had a good trip up my neck of the woods on your Metrolink Madness. Figures very impressive, while mine are a bit pathetic seeing it is my local network. Still need 14 trams of the ones that are currently in service and still need 59 more shacks. Hope to knock a few of them off this weekend all being well.

Let us know next time you're up this way and I will buy you that pint. Noticed you visited my one of my local stops at Brooklands.

 

[Techniquest]

Looks like you had a good trip up my neck of the woods on your Metrolink Madness. Figures very impressive, while mine are a bit pathetic seeing it is my local network. Still need 14 trams of the ones that are currently in service and still need 59 more shacks. Hope to knock a few of them off this weekend all being well.

Let us know next time you're up this way and I will buy you that pint. Noticed you visited my one of my local stops at Brooklands.

I'm doing better than you on the shacks front then, but only by 19 as it stands (depending if you do a Metrolink bash or not this weekend lol).

I was going to get in touch for my last trip up there, for some reason I ended up not doing so, can't for love nor money remember how come! Shall make sure I do next time though
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Just TWO days left now until the epic London bash! Hashtag has been confirmed as #techscapitalbash and as usual,tweets will begin from around 0630 on Thursday. As I'll probably be on the Underground a lot during the three days I expect there'll be a good few occasions where tweets get bundled together but we'll see.

Bring it on I say!
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Apologies to the loyal followers of the action on Twitter, I've been exceptionally busy over the last couple of days so tweets have been rather limited! However, as I try to get to sleep in the Travelodge, ridiculously excited about the final day in London, I will say in advance of the trip report (which is nowhere near up to date!) that it's been a very successful trip so far! Not made any counts of the winners but it's sure going to be a large number

 

[Blindtraveler]

Hows the bed? still having nightmares about my last one lol

 

[Super Sprinter]

Hope you has time to visit my neck of the woods in S. London and sample some 455s and 377s.

 

[Techniquest]

Hows the bed? still having nightmares about my last one lol

Not grand to be honest, but it had to do!

Didn't have time to do Southern stuff this time around, not even today. I am miles behind with even getting the moves noted in my A4 book yet, not touched the trip report since Monday lunchtime. Expect the trip report to be rather delayed!

 

[Blindtraveler]

the sign of a good bash! i have a similar problem recordkeeping too!

 

[Techniquest]

Oh it's less keeping notes as such, just need to get them off my phone and into the A4 book. So many moves to transfer! Yesterday's moves alone aren't all in there yet and covers well over 2 sides of A4 already hock:

 

[Blindtraveler]

Re the bed, i was afraid for you that would happen
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defo sounds fun otherwise

 

[Kite159]

313s ahoy

 

[Techniquest]

313s ahoy

No spoilers now!
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Before I start the London trip report, which I must remind you all is going to take days to do, and probably won't be super detailed as I've not got comprehensive notes this time, I must get on with the Heart of Wales one.

This one's a special edition, in that it's not a trip in the normal context of my trips, but it was certainly an adventure!

Sunday 22nd March 2015 - Mid Wales Drive About

So it came to the afternoon, and my Mum was bored of sitting inside on a nice day. She ends up deciding to go for a drive about, and I figure this could be a good way of getting some shacks in my local-ish area done. She had no plan of attack as to where she wanted to go or whatever, so we head towards Wales. The Heart of Wales line has a lot of stations I need still, due to the difficulty in getting to most of them!

I don't think she intended on going down some of the roads we ended up on, single track roads with limited passing places and a lot of big hills! And I mean big hills, these were taking the mickey! So we get to the first shack I need eventually, Llanbister Road, and there's not anywhere to park. We manage to turn out at a farm then park at the top of somewhere's driveway for a few minutes.

Llanbister Road station, viewed from the roadbridge by 43002, on Flickr

Llanbister Road station, looking west by 43002, on Flickr

Llanbister Road station, looking east by 43002, on Flickr

Llanbister Road double arrow sign by 43002, on Flickr

Llanbister Road station entrance by 43002, on Flickr

On the way to Llanbister Road we'd identified a different route to the next stop, Llangunllo or Llangynllo depending where you see the name. The Baker has it as Llangynllo, the station running-in boards has both names and the road signs vary from one to the other! The roads are still unclassified (the white roads in the road atlases, for the uninitiated!) though, and the hill up towards Llangynllo station [it's worth noting that the station is at least 1.5 miles, probably closer to 1.8 miles, from the village - Ed] is absolutely insane. It goes up for ages and is beyond steep! The road also goes along the top of some other hills, the drop down which looked horrific. We end up driving right past the station, as we discovered on the way back it's hidden behind 2 houses. Fortunately a junction to a dead end road was found to turn around at and I wondered if this station was treated as private property since you've got to walk over the gravel-y ground between the two houses to access it!

Llangynllo station, looking east with former platform in view by 43002, on Flickr

Llangynllo station, looking east by 43002, on Flickr

Llangynllo station, looking west by 43002, on Flickr

I mention that I still want to get Knucklas done, and Mum's not terribly happy about the thought of more unclassified roads so we return to the main road, in this case the A488, and head there via Knighton. She mentions I've been to Knucklas before, so I point out I hadn't done the station yet. We find the station easier than any of the others so far thankfully, and I get a few more snaps using her camera. I don't know much at all about DSLRs, so they're all taken on auto [probably obvious to some of you! - Ed] and at least I've got confirmation for her that a) the camera does work and b) the SD card she got for it works!

Knucklas station platform, looking east by 43002, on Flickr

Knucklas Viaduct, viewed from the station by 43002, on Flickr

Knucklas, looking east from the platform by 43002, on Flickr

View of Knucklas station, looking west by 43002, on Flickr

After the snaps are taken, it's off home via Tuffins' Texaco petrol station, least I could do was put some fuel in the car after all that! We're home before we know it, back down better roads than a lot of the ones we'd done on this trip! It's safe to say she had an adventure and a rather different drive about to the sort her and my sister usually do! I have a feeling she won't be inviting me to join her on a drive about again any time soon

Safe to say that my original plan of ages ago, that is to get a Heart of Wales train to Knucklas or Llanbister Road and walk to the other two stations, would have been quite the eyeopener if I had done it! I certainly, after today's experience, wouldn't recommend doing it unless you are an avid walker who has the entire day to do these things, being able to drive to/from the locations etc.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I'll never get every shack on this line so well done. Thanks for doing this writeup. Awating London when you get round to it.