Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[Techniquest]

Oh yeah! I had forgotten about that

If not in June I'll be on it during the proposed Lancashire Day Ranger in the summer

 

[Kite159]

£9.10 for a day return from Todmoren to Burnley (from NRE)!, so one for a Lancashire Day Rover for me as well later in the year

 

[Techniquest]

Ugh, another bash which didn't go to plan! See for yourselves below:

27/04/2015 - Tech's Going In Blind

I know, you all want to know what the trip report title is about! It's inspired by fellow forum member andyb2706 and his recent trip, where in the report he mentions not getting any gen before heading out for the day, going blind as he put it. I was trying to decide the hashtag the other day for this trip, considering whether to request gen before going out, then decided against genning up, choosing to go blind. So my thanks to andyb2706 for that one! I had been going to cancel this day out, having been out quite a bit this month already, but when I realised it would be another 2 weeks until my next planned bash, it was back on! With everything prepped the day before, as is usually the case, and finances confirmed for the day [after spending as much as I have lately I'm getting a bit short! - Ed], it was just a case of waiting for the alarm to go off at 0600. I'm up and about early at 0535, so a casual morning is had with a lush breakfast. Soon it's out for the first bus to town, and there's nowt to do this morning but stare out of the window, music flowing, and ponder. It occurs to me it's going to be weird next week, as I won't be out on the rails! I haven't made a firm decision yet on today's moves either. Midland Metro should have plenty of required trams running by now, and of course Chiltern have 68s on Silvers now. There's also a chance of scoring a Chiltern 165, but then there's 7 390s to hunt down too. Hmm, once I get to Birmingham I'll make a decision.

Good grief it's cold out this morning, wish I'd taken a travel mug of coffee with me after all! As I'd not long finished one when I left the house I had assumed I'd not want one, a foolish decision! En-route to The Ford,spending much time looking at my NREA, I make the decision to go crazy on hunting 390s, the 7 of them [1 /0 and 6 /1s - Ed] I need are really annoying gaps in my NREA! I get off the bus before the station, a change of pace I know but I wanted coffee and had one of those instant win McDonalds Monopoly stickers to use up. Since I quite like their coffee it was a no brainer, and I also have a full collector card for a free coffee from there another time now, bonus! I make a request for one bit of gen, and I hear you all tutting and shaking your heads! However for 350369 [last member of the LM fleet that I need - Ed] it was worth making an exception. Sadly it's not coming to the Trent Valley this afternoon, so back to Plan A. Just as well, a less expensive day out will be had!

170506 and 153366 are on today's 0849 to New Street, and of course I'm going for the DBT! We get held briefly at Shelwick Junction for the 0533 Holyhead to Cardiff Central, and I happen to look and see 67023 is on it! I knew I should have gone to Bristol, bit late now! Hmm, time to figure out if it can be done later. After looking at the options, I decide it's easier to try for it tomorrow morning before work, of course I'll be checking the gen in the morning to see what's happening. My fault for not checking the gen group for 67s really, never mind! The usual delays through Worcester, due to nowhere near enough time allowed to load/unload passengers, is endured and as a result I get my Daytripper from the guard as we head north. The 1030 and 1050 to Euston are both dud 390s, so I go and redeem my completed McDonalds coffee card before owt else. Back on the platforms and I see the arrival for the 1130. That's also dud, so I go to platform 1 just in case. When I see FC is in coaches E and L I know it's booked a pair of Voyagers. No thanks, especially when I see the 0943 Euston to Glasgow arrive with a 390. Will it be a winner, or do I go to International and fester there, I wonder. YES! Winner 390137 is here so on I get and plug my phone in for a charge [already down to 57% charge! - Ed] and find the facilities. Off I go right time to Sandwell and Dudley, pleased as punch I'm down to 6 390s to get! It's turning out lovely and warm as I update the trip report, and it's dud 350248 running 3 minutes late to take me back to BHM. I now wonder if I'll make it in time to see the 1150 to Euston, and I have my doubts! Thankfully the 1150 was a dud, as we arrived at 1149 so would never have made it! Costa time before going back down to see a dud on 1043 Euston to Edinburgh, and it's dud 390136 [first had Warrington Bank Quay to Preston on Day 14 of my 2012 ALR - Ed] to International.

Yep, in the manner of Pauly D [of Jersey Shore fame - Ed]: IT'S DECKCHAIR TIME! I make use of the waiting rooms at International to charge my phone, it's a bit breezy here! I do detest the presence of 221s on Virgin services along the Wolverhampton to Rugby corridor, it's making it harder to find 390s! YouTube comes into use at one point during the deckchairing session, and with a seemingly endless series of booked 221 runs with Virgin I give up. Time next for a go on Chiltern, and I'm sure you can all guess what I'm after now! National Express West Midlands' 4062 (V62 MOA) turns up after what felt like forever waiting, taking me to Solihull Town Centre on route 966. It's been some years since I last did this route, and to score a V reg Trident was a most pleasant surprise! I'm still going blind here, as I didn't expect to need notes on Chiltern's Silver trains today. I didn't know the 966 no longer went to Solihull station, this wasn't the case according to the posters at Birmingham International's bus stop. Oh well, thankfully it wasn't far to the station by foot, about 5 minutes' walk away. No Chiltern timetables available here, so I'm totally blind as to what's loco-hauled and what isn't now. Maybe I should have stayed at International, gone with LM back to New Street and gone tram bashing instead! I've had lunch now so feeling a bit more refreshed. Coffee time again now from the cafe on the station, although it's not a patch on the Costa coffee I had earlier! Deckchair Mode, engaged! I download the Chiltern timetable and see the 1444 to Birmingham Moor Street is booked for a Silver set. We'll soon find out! It was indeed a Silver set, but instead of the expected Class 68, which would have been my first one, it was dud 67008! I flag it as I have the option potentially of a 165 from Leamington a while afterwards, so opt to sit back down and wait. My luck today really hasn't been good at all! I hope it will be better shortly but we'll soon see. Nope, dud 165001! Well it joins the League of Super Duds now. I have to get this one to make sure I get home, not been the best day! Granted it's better than last Monday, as I actually got a winner this time, but I did actually expect to get 2 or more 390s, or at least my first 68 on the Chiltern Silver sets! Oh well, I won't be going blind next time!

170505 is rather full about 15 minutes before departure, and a few minutes before departure 153365 is banged on. Excellent, a more enjoyable ride will be had then! Time to update the moves book on the way home, then it's off to Spoons to have a pint and catch up with two colleagues from work. Next time I will be hunting gen like nobody's business!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Take it your working next Monday with it being a bank holiday?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hard lines on your bad day, sounds disapointing

 

[Kite159]

Maybe do some Manchester festering to see if your remaining 390s decide to show up, so you can do a quick Stockport run No Virgin 221s there.

 

[crehld]

What a shame the day didn't go as planned. At least you got one winner in, and you've got some mileage too. It all counts! Onwards and upwards eh

 

[Kristofferson]

Sounds like your day was as much fun as mine [emoji14] an entertaining report all the same!

 

[Techniquest]

Take it your working next Monday with it being a bank holiday?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hard lines on your bad day, sounds disapointing

Very good chance of it, need to check tomorrow, especially if it's time and a half! The more money to fund trips the better, May and June are getting expensive months!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Maybe do some Manchester festering to see if your remaining 390s decide to show up, so you can do a quick Stockport run No Virgin 221s there.

Aye I won't be chasing 390s on the Wolvo to Rugby corridor without gen again! Obviously if I find one I need I'll go for it. Piccadilly to Stockport runs are easier than New Street to International that's for sure, and the lack of 221s with Virgin up there makes things much easier!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What a shame the day didn't go as planned. At least you got one winner in, and you've got some mileage too. It all counts! Onwards and upwards eh

Aye, two poor bashes in a row. Which probably means another one is due, but we'll see how it goes! As you say it's all progress, one less 390 to look for now!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Sounds like your day was as much fun as mine [emoji14] an entertaining report all the same!

I was enjoying the deckchairing for a while, but when it was Voyager, Voyager, dud 390, Voyager, dud 390 and another two Birmingham bound Voyagers with more on the way and all dud 390s coming back, it got really annoying!

 

[andyb2706]

Sorry you had such a bad day Techniquest, wish things had gone better for you. You should have come down to Bristol as I was there earlier today before heading down to Exeter. Could have had a coffee at least.

 

[55013]

Shame you had a poor day.
Still, the bad days help make the good ones all the sweeter
Better luck next time.

 

[Techniquest]

Sorry you had such a bad day Techniquest, wish things had gone better for you. You should have come down to Bristol as I was there earlier today before heading down to Exeter. Could have had a coffee at least.

I suppose the difference in ching helped make the decision. £15.80 (plus a £6.40 Daytripper) versus £27 is a significant difference. I wouldn't have reached Bristol until at least 1022 when I suspect you'd have been long gone.

Luck of the draw really, if allocations had been different in the morning the day could have been hugely different!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Shame you had a poor day.
Still, the bad days help make the good ones all the sweeter
Better luck next time.

Oh definitely, I've got some big bashes coming up in the next few months which should more than make up for the last two bad Mondays!

 

[47403]

Well and truly out of luck there tech, the way I see it though, better to be out and about than not at all, some days you win and all that, however doesn't make it any easier to take, least you scratched off 1 pendo I suppose, slight crumb of comfort.

 

[noddy1878]

Ouch! Reminds me of the days I was down to my last FGW HST or 150 (but now I need to go after two more 150/9s!) on a Devon Ranger. I had many a day out with nothing and a lot of waiting around! As 47403 says, better to be out and about.

 

[Techniquest]

Well and truly out of luck there tech, the way I see it though, better to be out and about than not at all, some days you win and all that, however doesn't make it any easier to take, least you scratched off 1 pendo I suppose, slight crumb of comfort.

Aye that is true, took me most of the way home yesterday to realise that mind! I suppose I've been spoilt by days full of winners galore several times this year already, so it's a shock to the system when the opposite happens!

2 390s was my target yesterday, anything more would have been amazing, so not far off the target but the invasion of Voyagers on Brum to Euston runs was forgotten on the way up yesterday morning
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Ouch! Reminds me of the days I was down to my last FGW HST or 150 (but now I need to go after two more 150/9s!) on a Devon Ranger. I had many a day out with nothing and a lot of waiting around! As 47403 says, better to be out and about.

Aye I remember the days of chasing FGW HSTs and the last few took forever! Worth remembering I got my last FGW power car on 12th May 2008, long before Twitter was about and gen wasn't too easy to come by!

I also need 150925 and 150926, as well as 150216, 150120 and 150131 and even 158960 to clear the FGW fleet. I'm waiting for the chance to do a FoSS/Devon Day Ranger to go for that lot though.

I was supposed to be getting up this morning to go get 67023, but I turned the alarm off and went back to a deep sleep. Whoops! Going to try again tomorrow now!

 

[37038]

Oh dear, no luck there Tech but you seem to have done very well for yourself in the past. Everyone has an off day or two and sometimes I've even gone out armed with gen and diagrams to find everything's either:
a) Swapped diagrams
or
b) Been cancelled due to something or other!

Better luck next time and an enjoyable read all the same

 

[55013]

Yeah, gen isn't infallible.
Many years ago I was sat at home on a day off when the gen came through that 37605 was going to work the Brighton - Glasgow to Birmingham.
A quick look at the timetable and I figured I could do a fast car move to International, get something to Coventry and have a short but winning run.
I arrive at International, park up and check my phone - 37605 had derailed in Brighton station.
Bah was not the word I used

 

[PHILIPE]

Aye that is true, took me most of the way home yesterday to realise that mind! I suppose I've been spoilt by days full of winners galore several times this year already, so it's a shock to the system when the opposite happens!

2 390s was my target yesterday, anything more would have been amazing, so not far off the target but the invasion of Voyagers on Brum to Euston runs was forgotten on the way up yesterday morning
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Aye I remember the days of chasing FGW HSTs and the last few took forever! Worth remembering I got my last FGW power car on 12th May 2008, long before Twitter was about and gen wasn't too easy to come by!

I also need 150925 and 150926, as well as 150216, 150120 and 150131 and even 158960 to clear the FGW fleet. I'm waiting for the chance to do a FoSS/Devon Day Ranger to go for that lot though.

I was supposed to be getting up this morning to go get 67023, but I turned the alarm off and went back to a deep sleep. Whoops! Going to try again tomorrow now!

150131 went to Doncaster Works yesterday for major exam

 

[Techniquest]

Just as well I didn't go looking for that one then!

55013: Ouch, that's nasty! Much easier these days I should imagine in that situation, as it would be spread around enthusiast circles fast!

37038: Aye things do chop and change on the day, it's happened to me years ago on 90s out of Norwich, a 47 failed and trapped a MK3 set in so the one we had just rolled in on with 90035 was stepped up to work back to London just 7 minutes after it arrived!

 

[55013]

55013: Ouch, that's nasty! Much easier these days I should imagine in that situation, as it would be spread around enthusiast circles fast!

It probably was then, but I was already on my way and never read my texts whilst I'm driving!
Still, 37605 got captured later on, so nothing lost in the long run.

 

[47403]

Yeah, gen isn't infallible.
Many years ago I was sat at home on a day off when the gen came through that 37605 was going to work the Brighton - Glasgow to Birmingham.
A quick look at the timetable and I figured I could do a fast car move to International, get something to Coventry and have a short but winning run.
I arrive at International, park up and check my phone - 37605 had derailed in Brighton station.
Bah was not the word I used

Bet the word was quite similar though ( did it end in stard)

 

[andyb2706]

Aye I remember the days of chasing FGW HSTs and the last few took forever! Worth remembering I got my last FGW power car on 12th May 2008, long before Twitter was about and gen wasn't too easy to come by!

I also need 150925 and 150926, as well as 150216, 150120 and 150131 and even 158960 to clear the FGW fleet. I'm waiting for the chance to do a FoSS/Devon Day Ranger to go for that lot though.

Finally home, I still need loads of FGW HST power cars even after the last two days! Require another 200 FGW equipment all together including DMU's , although I can say 150925 is not needed, had it twice today...the second time was by accident.

 

[Techniquest]

Aye I remember the days of chasing FGW HSTs and the last few took forever! Worth remembering I got my last FGW power car on 12th May 2008, long before Twitter was about and gen wasn't too easy to come by!

I also need 150925 and 150926, as well as 150216, 150120 and 150131 and even 158960 to clear the FGW fleet. I'm waiting for the chance to do a FoSS/Devon Day Ranger to go for that lot though.

Finally home, I still need loads of FGW HST power cars even after the last two days! Require another 200 FGW equipment all together including DMU's , although I can say 150925 is not needed, had it twice today...the second time was by accident.

When there's as many FGW HSTs as there are (around 130 power cars?) it will take a lot of doing to get them. A FoSS spent just doing HSTs between Swindon and Cardiff, Swindon and Tiverton Parkway (via Bristol TM), Swindon and Cheltenham Spa and Taunton to Westbury, as well as that Paddington to Bristol via Trowbridge will clear out a lot.

Of course a Heart of Wessex Day Ranger may suit better. It includes Bristol Parkway to Swindon these days, as well as Pewsey I believe. Same for Patchway, Severn Beach and Yate, but that needs checking first as I may be mistaken. Certainly one way to get a boatload of FGW HSTs done!

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Of course a Heart of Wessex Day Ranger may suit better. It includes Bristol Parkway to Swindon these days, as well as Pewsey I believe. Same for Patchway, Severn Beach and Yate, but that needs checking first as I may be mistaken. Certainly one way to get a boatload of FGW HSTs done!

Quite a handy little day ranger. Does indeed cover the areas that you quote so ideal for fGW HST bashing, either Swindon to Parkway or Swindon to Temple Meads. And you can pick up the XC HSTs between Parkway and Temple Meads. Service at Pewsey is rubbish so unlikely that you'll find yourself down there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Aye that is true, took me most of the way home yesterday to realise that mind! I suppose I've been spoilt by days full of winners galore several times this year already, so it's a shock to the system when the opposite happens!

2 390s was my target yesterday, anything more would have been amazing, so not far off the target but the invasion of Voyagers on Brum to Euston runs was forgotten on the way up yesterday morning
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Aye I remember the days of chasing FGW HSTs and the last few took forever! Worth remembering I got my last FGW power car on 12th May 2008, long before Twitter was about and gen wasn't too easy to come by!

I also need 150925 and 150926, as well as 150216, 150120 and 150131 and even 158960 to clear the FGW fleet. I'm waiting for the chance to do a FoSS/Devon Day Ranger to go for that lot though.

I was supposed to be getting up this morning to go get 67023, but I turned the alarm off and went back to a deep sleep. Whoops! Going to try again tomorrow now!

Sorry to hear about your woes when Pendo chasing but that's the luck of the draw sometimes. To be fair, you must have really upset the Railway God's that day.....

The two 150/9s should be easy to get if you pay a visit to the Capital of the West of England. Their booked workings have them popping in and out of Temple Meads all day although in the evening one ventures up to Great Malvern and I believe also to Cardiff.

 

[Techniquest]

Aye I hadn't offered a sacrifical lamb to the Gods of Virgin West Coast, I knew I forgot something on Monday morning!

Never mind, I've at least made up for it by getting 67023 in the book this morning, well worth the £19.70 and an early start to get it before work!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Heck thats an expensive flow and not much you can do to get it any lower really! Not many skips left for you now I dont think?

 

[Techniquest]

ATW do charge a fair bit on the North and West route aye!

Just 2 to go, 67007 and 67030 now. If they come south later this year I'll be after them!

 

[FQ]

I would think that even if 67007 comes down south, it won't be to work passenger trains as it is one of the 4 67s (004, 009 and 011 being the others) that is restricted to 90mph.

 

[37038]

It's worked a few VSOEs out of London Vic, not that that is the cheapest way to clear locos...

 

[Techniquest]

Well gang I've finally got it settled for where I'm off next! A week tomorrow (11th May) I'm off to Sheffield, after flagging many options I remembered 37038 of this forum posting on this thread about the PSUL curve becoming rather easy to do later this year. Took some doing to find the post again mind, and after eventually confirming the gen on the Supertram website I set about booking tickets.

I'm even treating myself to a First Class day return for the Derby to Sheffield section. I'm going to need the extra comfort after suffering HHVA (Horrifically Horrible Voyager Action) between Birmingham and Derby, and certainly going to want a nicer environment after enduring the Supertram for a few hours and before more HHVA back to Birmingham! I'm hoping the lounges at Derby and Sheffield will be available too, never done either of those. Shame it won't be HSTs on the EMT legs but it could mean some required 222s get underlined in the book so that'll do! Anyone genned up on any complimentary refreshments between Derby and Sheffield?

Also, stay tuned in a separate sector of the forum for "Techniquest's Rolling Review of 2015", I'm expecting to post it in the General Discussion sector. I was going to start it back at the end of January so I'm over 3 months late now but as we're now a third of the way through the year it seems reasonably appropriate to get it going!

 

[Kite159]

You can avoid Voyagers and have some XC 170 action instead

(Unless you have booked advances)