Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[D841 Roebuck]

MIA? Missing in Acton? (Shack scratching in Ealingshire?)

 

[Techniquest]

MIA? Missing in Acton? (Shack scratching in Ealingshire?)

If only squire!

Fishquinn, I'm viewing the forum on my phone via the app so I can't view attachments or photos.

 

[FQ]

MIA is the station code for Mancc airport so could it be that?

There are 2 photos of 390016 at Sandwell and Dudley (working the 13:15 from New Street to Glasgow earlier).

 

[Techniquest]

Fair games on the photos. Nope it's nowt to do with Manchester Airport, although I wish it was!

 

[55013]

Your Ireland trip seems to have been a bit like the curate's egg.
In my experience, trips with none enthusiasts are best left as none enthusiast trips.
It just ends up with neither party being satisfied.

It's been a few years since I was in Ireland and I must make the effort to go back as I still need two 201s for haulage.
A lovely place, but since the demise of much of the loco haulage I just haven't had the inclination.

 

[Techniquest]

Well, umm, yeah. Tomorrow is kinda out of the window at present, me and Mum ended up doing Birmingham today as a last minute thing. What's happening tomorrow is entirely unknown, I might still go for a bash, but now I've seen the new New Street I'm tempted to go elsewhere.

Stay tuned for a special trip report on the visit to Birmingham New Street, which I'd imagine will go up in the next couple of days. I have taken some photos so aiming to upload them later.

Time for tea before a decision gets made!

 

[Kristofferson]

Might have to skip the photos hope you get to go on a bash tomorrow!

 

[Kite159]

Decision time is always hard

 

[Techniquest]

Didn't go on a bash in the end today, didn't sleep well and been feeling tired all day as a result.

The trip report for yesterday is all done, I just need to upload photos then it will hopefully go up tonight. At the moment other priorities have raised their ugly heads, once I've had food shortly all should be better. If I deal with one very urgent matter today, I'll be better off again and just in time for Christmas!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Mmkay then, here we go!

27/09/2015 - Tech's Birmingham New Street's Revamp Review

Firstly, apologies for the postponement of Tech's Been MIA. This was down to my Mum deciding on Saturday night that we could go to Birmingham on Sunday, so she could see this new John Lewis store and me to see the new New Street. It was decided to be considered by Sunday morning, and by 1040 during the break on How I Met Your Mother [I'm going to have to get the DVDs again for a HIMYM spree! - Ed] on E4 it was decided, yes we'd go. It was a gorgeous day, well suited to going travelling. After about 35 minutes we were ready to go, a miracle in itself if you ask me, and much to my surprise we make it to Hereford with time to spare for the 1200 to Birmingham New Street. It's 170516 and 170510 today, and we set off 2 minutes late. My Mum's not used to just sitting there on a train journey, so she wasn't a fan to be honest. That fester at Shrub Hill on this working, good grief isn't it long! It is one reason why I will avoid services reversing at Shrub Hill if at all possible, the festers can be ridiculous.

So after arriving at 1338, we fight our way out of a busy train and up the escalators. These things really weren't designed for large passenger flows, which I find simply unbelievable for one of the most important stations in the country! Anyway, here we go and through the barriers, which just feels so weird at New Street. It gave me my outward portion of my Off Peak Day Return back, which I found a bit strange, perhaps it's been set this way for the time being? Here we are, after all these years of waiting, what will the new concourse be like?

20150927_134512 by Julian Whitby, on Flickr

Well it's a bit of an eye opener to be honest. It's very light in here indeed, although I suspect it wouldn't be so nice on a dull day [as it's turned out to be in Herefordshire this morning - Ed], but it's all very confusing here today. There's crowd control systems in place for access to the shopping centre, which just looks odd. With the amount of people going up and down there though, it was perhaps sensible. So far, I'm not impressed and I want 'my' New Street back! You know, the New Street almost everyone moaned about for years, the one that actually functioned as a railway station, the one that felt like a railway station. None of this fancy pancy nonsense, did we ask for New Street to become St Pancras, to become Kings Cross, to become a rich person's shopping playground? No we didn't! What did we ask for? Better access, better connections, better conditions at platform level. What did we get there? Yes the platforms are a little tidier than they used to be, and it's a little more modern on the bit above the platforms, but we also lost some of what a major railway station should have!

20150927_134515 by Julian Whitby, on Flickr

20150927_134520 by Julian Whitby, on Flickr

What do I refer to here? We have no fast food outlets that aren't SSP operated or too expensive for most tastes (you don't see many people in Mi Casa Burritos for example), and we have no pub now. I know it wasn't cheap but no-one expects a pub on the railway or at an airport to be cheap. Why couldn't we have a McDonalds and/or Burger King? Yes there's a lot of food outlets in Grand Central shopping centre, but one must remember we didn't wait 4 years for a shopping centre to be built, we waited 4 years for an improved railway station!

Anyway I'll come back to that monstrosity, I need to take a breather and discuss something positive. After I left my Mum go shopping, I decided to head towards Moor Street as the 1350 to London Euston was dud 390011. There's one good thing I noticed here on the way out, that there were several cash machines. I found tbe pub, it's an All Bar One thing now. Not for me ta, they're too expensive and snobbish for my tastes! So the station entrance on the Bullring side is much nicer than it was, think the old Kings Cross entrance and the difference they made there, a similar job was done here. It's been years since I last used this entrance, and much to my delight they haven't totally destroyed the view over the east end of the platforms! Yeehaa, finally a couple of major positives to report! No more dangerous unreliable pedestrian crossing when you get to the end of the square either, they've done this bit right. So in a sense we have got better connections, this never used to be an easy crossing. Now if only we could have a more secure feeling going through that bit along side the road to Moor Street we'd be well away! I'm sure most of you know the bit I mean, along Moor Street Queensway or whatever it's called exactly. I don't enjoy it in darkness that's for sure.

A check on Frequently Requested Diagrams on the forum reveals the only southbound 68 left ages ago. OK then that option's out. I'm absolutely starving now, so obviously I head straight back to Grand Central for a good meal. Just kidding, of course I don't! Into Bullring I go as I know there's a Burger King in there. The queue is massive but I'm through it in just over 10 minutes to my amazement. The usual meal and I feel much better, ready to take on Grand Central [no, not the TOC! - Ed] once I get out of here. I always forget New Street is accessed via level 2 and you're on level 1 when you enter from the Moor Street side. The Bullring shopping centre was packed too, took some moving to get around in there. So, back to the shopping centre and convenient platforms, sorry, Birmingham New Street station.

20150927_134736 by Julian Whitby, on Flickr

20150927_134742 by Julian Whitby, on Flickr

For completeness I thought I really should check out the shopping bit, after all I could hardly complain about it if I didn't see what it was like. After navigating the queue system I get upstairs and it's packed up here. Most surprisingly was several places were not yet open, one of which was a bookshop which at least had the decency to apologise for being late opening, due on 1st October I think it said. More important to me was finding Costa, so I had a good walk about which took a while due to the crowds. Lots of expensive shops for the rich to one day visit, nothing any good to me that's for sure. I looked around every corner of this place, and I could not find Costa. I believe I counted at this stage 9 places not filled or open, which is not a good show! Amongst these places are Costa and Nandos, the former I was not amused about. There's a covered walkway into Debenhams in the Bullring centre with a couple of other little places here, and the old access ramp from HSBC at street level is still there thankfully, although we have lost Poundland forever too. There is a revamped Tesco Express in Grand Central now, although if you hadn't noticed the Tesco Express thing in silver in the window you'd not have recognised it.

One last thing to note about New Street, announcements advise people where to wait for their train, for example passengers for a train to Redditch were advised to wait in tbe Yellow Lounge. What nonsense is this then, first Network Rail change the station into a shopping centre, now they're trying to make it into an airport, what's next, border controls? Biometric scans before boarding each and every train? Come on guys, rail travel's supposed to be relaxed and enjoyable, not an excuse to make us spend more money before our journey, nor is it supposed to be treated like air travel!

I was now bored, so had a look at the Midland Metro tram extension and its progress. We've been waiting for years for this, and it's a safe assumption 2015 will be gone before we get it. I've lost track of how many years we've waited for this, but the platforms outside New Street are looking close to completion now. The street has been relaid, so they've clearly finished the works underground now. The wires still need to go up yet mind, so there's still a long way to go yet, I think there were still works going on with track laying works towards Snow Hill, but we're finally getting there. I wanted coffee so went to my usual Costa for one, then afterwards returned to find my Mum. By chance I find her without any issue!

She's all done thankfully, so as we're advised to head to the Red Lounge (it's not an airport Network Rail!) for the 1558 to Hereford. I don't know where these 'lounges' are then, as we followed the signs for the Red Lounge and simply ended up back the other side of the barriers! Down to platform 8b [platform EIGHT B! I used to love Phil Sayer's announcements here - Ed] and we make it down there just as 170633 arrives in. Eventually the crowd gets out of the way and we can board. Just as well we got here in plenty of time, as this train was rammed well before departure time and we were lucky to get seats, 18 minutes before departure! Full and standing was definitely the case when we left at 1559, 1 minute late, and at Bromsgrove we thankfully lose a lot of the crowds. Even beyond Worcester it was very busy, and only at Great Malvern did we lose standees but still not a lot of seats about! Arrival at Hereford is at 1731 and we've got to wait for ages to pick up my sister off her train from Shrewsbury. We end up sampling the refurbished, under new ownership Mr Chips to try and kill some time, and they're not too bad. Much better than it was in the final days before it changed hands, I might try them again next time I'm on a bash to get a proper review going on.

I had considered going on a proper bash today, but a very disturbed sleep meant that was not going to happen. So after a while I give up trying to have a decent kip and get the tablet out to type this lot up. I don't yet know when my proper bash is going to happen, but it'll have to be fairly soon as these trips with norms are just so dull. I've now seen the new New Street and I'm not a fan, in case it wasn't obvious. If you enjoy shopping then it's fine but I'm not personally fussed about it, I'd welcome knocking it all down and having the New Street of 2011 back!

 

[sprinterguy]

So far, I'm not impressed and I want 'my' New Street back! You know, the New Street almost everyone moaned about for years, the one that actually functioned as a railway station, the one that felt like a railway station. None of this fancy pancy nonsense, did we ask for New Street to become St Pancras, to become Kings Cross, to become a rich person's shopping playground? No we didn't! What did we ask for? Better access, better connections, better conditions at platform level. What did we get there? Yes the platforms are a little tidier than they used to be, and it's a little more modern on the bit above the platforms, but we also lost some of what a major railway station should have!

To be fair, since the 1960s rebuild New Street station has always been incorporated into a shopping centre. The difference is that, before, the station was entirely buried beneath the shops: The worst of both worlds. At least now the shops are arranged around the outside and the station itself actually sees a decent amount of natural light.

There's still clearly a lot of work to be done at platform level before it is finished.

I found tbe pub, it's an All Bar One thing now. Not for me ta, they're too expensive and snobbish for my tastes!

All Bar One is a bit pricey, but The Shakespeare on the old link bridge had a diabolical drinks range and was overpriced to boot. I stand a much better chance of procuring a decent pint between trains at New Street now that there's an All Bar One (though I'd have to be really pressed for time not to head out of the station to sample any of the fine hostelries in the vicinity), and I'd imagine that it's a damn sight more inviting to the general punter.

I'm currently just waiting on an announcement on where the New Street Tap is going to be opening. I'm reckoning that it might be at The Crown: It's showing signs of having been recently done up, and it is right at the bottom of the massive set of stairs out of the new Hill Street entrance of the station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I don't know where these 'lounges' are then, as we followed the signs for the Red Lounge and simply ended up back the other side of the barriers!

I think that the "lounges" idea simply refers to the three barriered areas. This makes some sense for the established link bridge at the "B" end of the platforms that has been open since 2013, where there are shops and plenty of seating on the ticketed side of the barriers, but no so much for the two new areas that cover the "A" end of the platforms, where I've yet to spot any seating.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Thanks for the report.

New Street sounds hell on earth - makes Leeds seem appealing in comparison!

If I get the chance to do a WMDR in the future, I'll have to remember to access Moor St and the Moggies via Smegwick Thalton Bridge or Leamington Spar...

I sympathise with not going out - didn't bother myself in the end either!

 

[Techniquest]

I've always got a need to use New Street on my Midlands bashes, accessing via Smethwick takes way too long. Sadly I can't avoid it too easily if I'm on a bash that way.

I've been using some spare time today to get cracking on looking up stuff for the New York trip, which is kind of important as we're intending to book it all on Thursday night!

On which note I see the New York is rather chingy, but the Metrocard is very good value. I must look up the New York Subway map shortly, but I hear it is ridiculously extensive. Certainly it's going to be cold apparently in March, going by Holiday-Weather.com!

Yep, I'm really determined to make it work, after 10 years of going to do it I shall be reaching the USA! Yes it's not going to be a South West Chief bash as per the plan in 2005 but this will be a nice introduction to the USA! Not cheap mind, and just for once I might actually take more spending money than normal, after all London appears to be dead cheap compared to New York!

 

[FQ]

Hopefully it will be better when the crowds have died down. It was brilliant at 07:00 a week ago when the only people there were a few commuters, the news and the radio!

It was pretty chaotic on Saturday when I went there: the busiest I have ever seen New Street. And to make things worse, I kept on going up the wrong stairs from the high numbered platforms to get to platform 1. I had to go through 3 different sets of barriers to get there each time I did that!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I knew this was going to be bad but the horror portrayed in that there writeup is just grimness of a new and depressing kind. Nout wrong with a few shops at a station but this kind of thing is overkill. The likes of boots, a supermarket or convenience store and a couple choices of coffee shop with at least 1 of the above offering a decent range of sensibly priced hot and cold sarnies, smacks and the like and somewhere doing hot meals be it BK or whatever is what IMO is needed at a station.

Good news on the connections out front, the slow but steady tram work and the free cash machines but my worst feers have now been confirmed and we now have a shopping and entertainment complex which just happens to have trains running through it, with crappy shopping centre escalaters to match!

 

[sprinterguy]

I knew this was going to be bad but the horror portrayed in that there writeup is just grimness of a new and depressing kind. Nout wrong with a few shops at a station but this kind of thing is overkill. The likes of boots, a supermarket or convenience store and a couple choices of coffee shop with at least 1 of the above offering a decent range of sensibly priced hot and cold sarnies, smacks and the like and somewhere doing hot meals be it BK or whatever is what IMO is needed at a station.

Good news on the connections out front, the slow but steady tram work and the free cash machines but my worst feers have now been confirmed and we now have a shopping and entertainment complex which just happens to have trains running through it, with crappy shopping centre escalaters to match!

The shops are on a completely different level to the station though. You don't have to go near them when using the station.

I'm scratching my head as to why some seem to see the new arrangement as worse than the previous layout, given that there are probably fewer shops now than there used to be when the Pallasades covered most of the station footprint. Is it simply a case of "out of sight, out of mind"?

 

[Techniquest]

You still have to venture past the new shops through that new area to get to the platforms. Unless you come in from the Navigation Street side.

Yes the shops are on a different level. The Pallasades was certainly out of mind, if you didn't want to use it then you didn't get the shoppers in the way at all. The station and shopping centre were very defined different areas, now they're one.

The lounges are a stupid idea, you do expect to find a proper waiting room when you go through the barriers! Which would actually be nice, oh and to top it off there were no seating areas beyond the barriers at the B end of the shopping centre (sorry, station) yesterday!

Maybe, just maybe, when it's quiet it's not going to be too bad. However these days I would (and Fishquinn will think I'm mad!) rate Snow Hill over New Street!

 

[Kristofferson]

Sounds like the missus would like it for sure! I skipped past the pictures (of course)

The lounges thing sounds ridiculous - New Street isn't (wasn't) that big as I remember it, but I'm sure it reduces crowds on the central concourse.

Although I'm glad Tesco Express returned (assuming Greggs is gone forever?), I can assure you there will be at least one person in Mi Casa Burrito on the day I go, was a fan of those for dinner during my time as a Brum commuter.

 

[Techniquest]

Burritos just don't sound right to me, you're welcome to them.

If she loves premium shops then yes she'll love the place. There are premium shops for men too, more up your street than mine I should imagine, since I buy my stuff from Primark and Asda

I hope you've got a couple of empty credit cards

EDIT: Yep, Greggs is gone.

 

[Kristofferson]

Ah you've met me Tech - I'm not a fashionable man and most of my spending is on food & model trains! In fact I balk at the idea of having to purchase new clothes at all, even when necessary. Asda and Primark all the way for me

Anyway, back to trains

 

[Kite159]

It's not going to be the nicest places to be around December time with the Christmas shoppers.

Clothes are an evil which I try and avoid spending money on, Asda & Tesco for me mainly.

 

[crispy1978]

Nothing wrong with Asda, Primark, Matalan and Sports Direct!

That's where 85% of my wardrobe is from! Even Amazon is good for clothes too!!!

 

[Techniquest]

Ah you've met me Tech - I'm not a fashionable man and most of my spending is on food & model trains! In fact I balk at the idea of having to purchase new clothes at all, even when necessary. Asda and Primark all the way for me

Anyway, back to trains

Good lad, let's leave the lasses spend all their money and time on clothes should they so desire! Mind you, some of the women I know spend their money on alcoholic beverages and tar-soaked dry leaves, not to mention covering themselves in ink. Quite why I don't know, it must be a green army thing...

Back to trains, oh I can quite happily chat about that for ages. I am proud to announce the hashtag for March's trip, the biggest trip I'll have made to date. I have mentioned it already in this thread what it will be about, I'm going to launch a new thread for the planning phases (well advanced it must be said already), but have a guess at where I'm going by this hashtag:

#techsinNYC

This trip is not all about trains, but there will be some involved. I also intend the trip report to have a LOT of photos in it too, so save your mobile data allowance for the long read gang! This time it is a norm trip, but I've always wanted to go to the USA. Me and a male norm mate are going in March (hopefully his holiday time will be authorised asap), early March is the plan. Just a sightseeing mission, a taste of America so to speak. I've been looking up the relevant stuff today and I really can't wait!

Going to be quite a trip all in, that's for sure. Trains to Heathrow, and yes we are planning to go in style and use Heathrow Express, I'm making sure of it! Followed by my first ever BA flight (thankfully it's going to be a Boeing aircraft, one reason to avoid Virgin Atlantic apart from price!) and my first ever long distance flight, with my previous longest being London Stansted to Stockholm Vasteras! AirTrain to Jamaica then MTA Subway into town, once immigration has been cleared. Plenty more Subway moves will no doubt be involved to get around town, we're aiming to have 3 full days to see everything we want to see.

There is the cheaper option of going via Iceland with Icelandair, which is down for Boeing 757-300s I believe. They look ridiculously lush and may be what we book on Thursday night! Anyway, a seperate thread is on the way for this trip, and unlike our originally planned 10 Capitals trip this one is going ahead as we're both more than excited about it already, with a little over 5 months to go!

 

[Kite159]

Remember to book Heathrow Express nice and early to get some cheap "advance" fares, are you going to treat yourself and get a "90 Day Advance Business First" ticket for £9.99 single?

 

[FQ]

However these days I would (and Fishquinn will think I'm mad!) rate Snow Hill over New Street!

hock:hock:hocknow Hell over New Street!hock:hock:hock:

The New York trip sounds like a brilliant one! I knew what it was just by the NYC (New York City)!

 

[Techniquest]

Remember to book Heathrow Express nice and early to get some cheap "advance" fares, are you going to treat yourself and get a "90 Day Advance Business First" ticket for £9.99 single?

Certainly that'll be the plan, might as well go in style if we're going to do it! Will have to keep my eye on the ball for those ones, can't imagine there's many of them!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

hock:hock:hocknow Hell over New Street!hock:hock:hock:

The New York trip sounds like a brilliant one! I knew what it was just by the NYC (New York City)!

I know, never thought I'd prefer Snow Hill to New Street! Moor Street is top dog of the three of course!

I had a hunch the hashtag would make it fairly obvious where I was going to go, but it does make it easier to remember I should have that thread up in a bit, unless I do more research and leave the new thread to be typed up on the way to work tomorrow...

 

[Kite159]

I think they are just restricted to the date and the need to buy 90+ days in advance, not for any particular service on that day.

 

[Techniquest]

I think they are just restricted to the date and the need to buy 90+ days in advance, not for any particular service on that day.

Ah that's not too bad then. I'll do the look up on that on Thursday, once our airport is chosen. We might be flying from Gatwick, but I'll fight for Heathrow as much as I can!

 

[fowler9]

Am really looking forward to your New York trip report. One thing I will say was that whilst I really enjoyed the experience of flying long haul on BA on both a 747 and a 777 the planes were a bit scabby for want of a better word. Both aircraft had the headrests falling off. The 747 looked like the toilets hadn't been cleaned for some time. The cabin crew were surly to put it mildly. The seating was somewhat cramped. The best long haul flight I have been on was an LAN Airbus A340-300. Me and my girlfriend had the 2 outer seats near the rear and the service was excellent. I have flown with Qantas on a 747 and whilst a little cramped the plane was in excellent nick and the cabin crew brilliant. Obviously Qantas and LAN are not really options for London to the US. If going there I would look at a carrier using what would probably be an A330 rather than a 757, or 777 because it would probably have a similar seating layout to the A340. I could be tempted by a 767 which I believe are quite spacious.

 

[Techniquest]

If I could, I'd go flying on a 787 as that looks most impressive to go somewhere on!

Interesting points on the BA experience, that does surprise me for a rather large airline. Certainly it's worth bearing in mind!

A long wait for the trip report for that one gang, but I do expect to get out and about before then too. Certainly I have plans to go out this weekend for a bash again, it's been 3 weeks now since my last proper bash and I am seriously suffering Moves Envy at the moment. Tech's Been MIA could well be back in play on Sunday but it's not a definite yet. Confirmation by tomorrow, as it was to be London, but Twickenham has rugby on this Saturday so no point looking up hotels for that!

 

[FQ]

Moor Street is top dog of the three of course!

I had a hunch the hashtag would make it fairly obvious where I was going to go, but it does make it easier to remember I should have that thread up in a bit, unless I do more research and leave the new thread to be typed up on the way to work tomorrow...

Most definitely!

I wouldn't have guessed New York if I didn't know the trip was coming up though!