Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[andyb2706]

A great read and reminds me I need to do a Midlands trip sometime this year. I have a load of stuff to get on the NET too. Got my work cut out.

 

[Techniquest]

By gum, that takes me back.
I did the NET fairly often when it first opened (my wife lived in Long Eaton at that time and when I stayed at her house and she was at work, it's what I often did to kill a bit of time).
Looks like you a very good day.

Very much so!

You'll have to go back for the new lines soon!
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I wanted to clear the current lot before the new lines open, as there's no way I could do both new lines and all the shacks (would have been 44 of them to do!) in one day, certainly not without an overnight stay! I'll still not manage to do all of it on my next trip when the new bits open in one day, but we'll see what happens.

Glad you enjoyed the read!

Oh ok. That makes sense. Do it in 2 trips instead of 1 long one.

Aye it's planned to get done in conjunction with a East Midlands Day Ranger one day!
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I need to get on the NET again, I've only had it heading northbound from Station Street to Hucknall, so need that branch to Phoenix Park, but that can wait until the extensions open.

Sounds like a busy day in the hub of the East Midlands

You haven't done the southbound loop bit in the city centre I take it?
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A great read there, and congrats on clearing all of the (current) shacks!

I, myself, am not terribly interested in Light rail but I really enjoyed reading about this trip, and your one from Sheffield a few weeks ago. At least, I'm sure that was you. Sorry to whoever it was if I turn out to be wrong!

I did do a Sheffield Supertram bash last month so could have been mine

Light rail is not my first love, admittedly, but it can be fun and nice to do as a change occasionally!
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Been a couple of yeas since I have done any of the NET. Need to get back there (which shouldn't be too hard as my missus comes from up that way) but I never have time when i get there. Sounds like you had a good trip though. Bonus with the 222 and 156!

Good excuse for you to both visit the area again, she could visit any relatives/re-visit old stomping ground and you could do a tram bash!

Bonus indeed with the mainline winners, slowly my DMU count is coming down!
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Top read tech, productive day indeed, laughing at the use of the bat cave. Glad you had a good day mate.

I just couldn't using the Bat Cave thing, I love it too much!
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Another good one by the sounds of things. And relatively rare for you to do a day trip. This latest report reminds me that I must turn my attention to light rail at some point but there's just so much still to get on the National Network. I suppose that my thirst for mileage will slow down the rate of attrition on my wants list.

I've done a good few day trips this year, although I have also done a lot of multi-day ones too.

It is difficult to get everywhere with so many things to do across the land, but equally not spread yourself out too thin!

I'm rather keen on getting more mileage in, but for me knocking down my wants lists has been a priority for a long time. Trying to do as many different areas as I can this year, after all a bit of progress across all sectors of the land is better to me then tons of progress in just a couple of places. Plus it gives more variety!

Hoping to book some more time off soon to get a proper East Midlands trip and a trip to Anglia in, both areas I need a fair bit in and only realistic options are to do some 3 in 7 rovers in each.
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Good read as always mate. Sadly my trip to Barrow is probably off this Friday due to a massive lack of funds after a weekend in Keswick. It will be done at some point soon though.

Sounds like you at least had a good time in Keswick, but hopefully you can still do Barrow! I want to get up asap myself, but not an option for another 51 days!
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Another good read, and one I was able to follow on Twitter as well I do love a Sonic Adventure reference... even if the game wasn't very good

Will need to dig out your 2011 ALR report... It's on the forum somewhere I assume?

I loved the game at the time, Sonic 2006 however...

Glad you managed to follow it on Twitter as well. My 2011 ALR (and the 2012 one!) trip report is indeed on this forum, can't link as posting on my phone. All my old trip reports are being put into a thread on Nostalgia on the forum too, slowly!
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A great read and reminds me I need to do a Midlands trip sometime this year. I have a load of stuff to get on the NET too. Got my work cut out.

Absolutely you need to get down this way, so much to do! I should be grateful my requirements are nothing compared to years ago!

 

[Kristofferson]

Sonic 06 was hilarious. Sonic Generations is excellent, however.

Anyway back on topic!

 

[fowler9]

I'll still do Barrow on a Tractor but it looks impossible this Friday, mainly due to my poor budgeting skills. Spent a fortune in the lakes last weekend. Also giving blood this Friday. It will be done though.

 

[Kite159]

Only northbound loop for me.

I've got a rough idea to do an East Midlands Day Ranger on the saturday, stay overnight around Nottingham/Beeston and do a kangaroo ticket on the sunday to cover the tram extensions.

Probably will have to wait until November time though.

 

[crehld]

Finally got around to catching up on your West Yorkshire and Nottingham bashes. Sorry for the delay. Some great reads there and looks like good times were had all round.

Sounds like you caught the cricket crowds on your second day in West Yorkshire! Both the WY Train Day Rover and the Northern Only Rangers are excellent value. As you know I've been putting the Northern Day Rangers to good use recently

I was in Nottingham last week for a work meeting. Had the new tram extension been in operation I could have made use of this as one of the new stops was directly outside the building I was in. Had to make do with the buses instead!

 

[Techniquest]

Glad you enjoyed the reads, nay drama about the delay. Aye I did notice you've been enjoying those excellent Northern rangers, jealous!

That must have been more than irritating with being in the right place but the wrong time for the new NET lines! Hopefully you'll be back for another meeting there once the lines open!
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High time I got on and posted some details of my next massive trip, the third such trip of the year thus far but also the longest too. I've been hinting about it all for some weeks now after all

The trip's hashtag was decided weeks ago, and while I'll remind you all nearer the time too it's #10thbasherversary. I suspect that's got you all curious already! 2015 marks (at some point in the year!) 10 years of having graduated from spotter to basher. For those of you yet to do so, while it gets more expensive by some considerable amount, it's also way more fun in my eyes! I was still working on getting the recording of my moves done to a level I was satisfied with, and it was still a long while until I recorded both HST power cars (and years before I would record all the MUs in the consist!), but that's always going to be how it is with new stuff, it takes time to master the art!

Anyway, this trip got expanded massively when I realised this, and goes a bit like this:

29th July-1st August Freedom of the North West 4 in 8, before ending the last day in Birmingham for a National Express coach up to Glasgow (the coach was booked before the rover part). An absolute ton of shacks and trains to go for across the 4 days, with day 4 also hopefully scoring some winning track with Frodsham Curve!

2nd August is a SPT Daytripper, with day 6 of the trip rounding it all off with a day in London and what is scheduled to be an enormous clearout of shacks and required trains across the board!

All in all it is lined up to an exhausting and expensive trip, but will be at least partly a throwback to when I would do such ridiculously long trips without a second thought or care that it would involve 1 or more all-nighters. It'll also be a celebration of how much I've done in that 10 years, and how things have changed significantly in that time too.

I really can't wait for this one!

 

[alexf380]

Wow, busy times ahead Tech. A fun filled week by the sounds of things, hope you have a cracking time! Have you really been doing this for 10 years?!

 

[Techniquest]

Wow, busy times ahead Tech. A fun filled week by the sounds of things, hope you have a cracking time! Have you really been doing this for 10 years?!

I started on the scene in autumn 2003, but bashing properly since 2005. Trip report writing since 2004 on a regular basis!

It's going to be a monster 6 days for sure, just feels like a long time coming!

 

[adrock1976]

Regarding your big bash of the North West and SPT that is upcoming soon, and how it got expanded, my big bash for the North East Rover in mid August originally started out as the Tyne & Tees Day Ranger, the East Yorkshire Round Robin, West Yorkshire PTE, and part of the East Midlands and Lincolnshire Rangers were all merged together. This was after I had built the above regions around the PSUL moves in draft form, and also after when I was unable to do the Tyne & Tees Ranger back in January. Furthermore, I have realised that I have accumulated enough Delay Repay vouchers to cover the cost of the FNE Rover.

At some point in July or August, it is my intention to do a 156 crankfest in the SPT area, as I require 27 of the Scotrail units.

In peace

Adam

 

[Techniquest]

Ah yes a FoNE. Rather expensive when I did one in 2007 and when I had a railcard! Still a very good one to do mind, I expect I'll be adding it to my list of stuff to do in the coming years.

The 156s north of the border, I'm of the impression that they're coming down south in the coming years which suits me! Obviously if I can get them up there first I'll be rather happy mind!

 

[Segedunum]

Ah yes a FoNE. Rather expensive when I did one in 2007 and when I had a railcard! Still a very good one to do mind, I expect I'll be adding it to my list of stuff to do in the coming years.

Aye, they're up to £71.95 with a railcard and £109 without! Not a cheap rover but quite a good bit of coverage as you get Berwick-Retford on the ECML to play with along with things like Knottingley-Goole which isn't on any other ticket.

 

[sprinterguy]

The 156s north of the border, I'm of the impression that they're coming down south in the coming years which suits me! Obviously if I can get them up there first I'll be rather happy mind!

Ten units will be going off lease (and presumably coming south), the rest of the Scottish 156s will be staying up there for the duration of the franchise. It's mainly 170s that Scotrail will be releasing.

 

[Blindtraveler]

And, from my point of view anyway they woant be missed! I think, other than the bus seated examples with Northern the Scotrail 156 fleat are the only ones now with low back, orrigional seating, unless theres any more kicking about?

 

[sprinterguy]

I think, other than the bus seated examples with Northern the Scotrail 156 fleat are the only ones now with low back, orrigional seating, unless theres any more kicking about?

Yeah, just the Scotrail units remaining with the original seating: The former North West and Central (England) area units all received Chapman seating around the turn of privatisation, the North East units got Richmond seats when they were refurbished by Northern Spirit around the turn of the millennium.

 

[Blindtraveler]

what about the units now with Anglia?

 

[sprinterguy]

what about the units now with Anglia?

They were part of the former Regional Railways Central allocation, and have retained Chapman seats following the recent DDA compliance refurb.

 

[Techniquest]

The 156s north of the border, I'm of the impression that they're coming down south in the coming years which suits me! Obviously if I can get them up there first I'll be rather happy mind!

Ten units will be going off lease (and presumably coming south), the rest of the Scottish 156s will be staying up there for the duration of the franchise. It's mainly 170s that Scotrail will be releasing.

Ahhh, then I'd best make an effort to get on with them in that case north of the border! 170s coming down suits me though, although my requirements on those is surprisingly low following last year's Central Scotland rover!

As for the FoNE at £109, that is quite the ching! Maybe in 2017 then

 

[Blindtraveler]

Just been looking at the coverage area for it and unless you want to score loads of 43s, 91s and Voyagers for haulage then most of the branches etc could be bashed for less Id have thought. Its still an absolutely belting ticket though!

 

[47403]

Just been looking at the coverage area for it and unless you want to score loads of 43s, 91s and Voyagers for haulage then most of the branches etc could be bashed for less Id have thought. Its still an absolutely belting ticket though!

I think for the coverage its a reasonable price but as blindtraveller put it, unless your looking to scratch off the VTEC HST's, 91's and god forbid, Voyagers for haulage, other than the 185's and the 2, sometimes 3 ScotRail 156's a day, from Glasgow Central via Carlisle, there aint a great deal of variation, especially if your from the North East and have traversed on most of HT's units.
I suppose that can be said of most Rail Enthusiasts and their various home fleet though.

 

[sprinterguy]

Aye, they're up to £71.95 with a railcard and £109 without!

A 4 days in 8 is a bit cheaper and offers more flexibility if you're fairly local to the area: With a railcard it works out at just over £15.50 a day. There's a lot of interesting days out that such a ticket can facilitate - I don't really "get" this unit/loco ticking thing I must admit, I'd rather be off the train and looking around somewhere interesting.

 

[Kristofferson]

Different strokes for different folks

Everyone collects something - whether it's films, video games, stamps, model trains, actual train numbers etc.

Personally I love rail travel both as a way to get somewhere, and as an experience in itself.

Anyway! Back on topic and I'll close my can of worms.

 

[Techniquest]

I would add thoughts on that, but I think that's a job for another day!

 

[47403]

sounds like one helluva week your gonna have there tech.

 

[Techniquest]

sounds like one helluva week your gonna have there tech.

Oh yes, going to be an amazing time! 1 month and 6 days to go, which is going to be turning into a chant by the last few days at work!

 

[crehld]

High time I got on and posted some details of my next massive trip, the third such trip of the year thus far but also the longest too. I've been hinting about it all for some weeks now after all

The trip's hashtag was decided weeks ago, and while I'll remind you all nearer the time too it's #10thbasherversary. I suspect that's got you all curious already! 2015 marks (at some point in the year!) 10 years of having graduated from spotter to basher. For those of you yet to do so, while it gets more expensive by some considerable amount, it's also way more fun in my eyes! I was still working on getting the recording of my moves done to a level I was satisfied with, and it was still a long while until I recorded both HST power cars (and years before I would record all the MUs in the consist!), but that's always going to be how it is with new stuff, it takes time to master the art!

Anyway, this trip got expanded massively when I realised this, and goes a bit like this:

29th July-1st August Freedom of the North West 4 in 8, before ending the last day in Birmingham for a National Express coach up to Glasgow (the coach was booked before the rover part). An absolute ton of shacks and trains to go for across the 4 days, with day 4 also hopefully scoring some winning track with Frodsham Curve!

2nd August is a SPT Daytripper, with day 6 of the trip rounding it all off with a day in London and what is scheduled to be an enormous clearout of shacks and required trains across the board!

All in all it is lined up to an exhausting and expensive trip, but will be at least partly a throwback to when I would do such ridiculously long trips without a second thought or care that it would involve 1 or more all-nighters. It'll also be a celebration of how much I've done in that 10 years, and how things have changed significantly in that time too.

I really can't wait for this one!

Sounds like it's going to be fun, if exhausting!

 

[Techniquest]

Exhausting is right, but I really can't wait!

I'm out and about tomorrow for my first bash in a little while (excluding a couple of bits on a family break last weekend, wasn't deemed necessary to provide a trip report), off to Birmingham for some Chiltern 68 action! Yes, finally I'm catching up with several forum members and getting on with it. Well, hopefully at least!

Hashtag is techspurring and tweets to begin around 0630. All being well I'll even be including photos this time, although to do so means delaying the trip report significantly so it may not happen yet. Bring on tomorrow though!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Id post the report and then add the phots later!

 

[47403]

Exhausting is right, but I really can't wait!

I'm out and about tomorrow for my first bash in a little while (excluding a couple of bits on a family break last weekend, wasn't deemed necessary to provide a trip report), off to Birmingham for some Chiltern 68 action! Yes, finally I'm catching up with several forum members and getting on with it. Well, hopefully at least!

Hashtag is techspurring and tweets to begin around 0630. All being well I'll even be including photos this time, although to do so means delaying the trip report significantly so it may not happen yet. Bring on tomorrow though!

Enjoy Mate. meeeeooowwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kristofferson]

Enjoy it Tech - should be able to follow these more closely and be more active on the forum again now I have some time back!