Blindtraveler
Established Member
- Joined
- 28 Feb 2011
- Messages
- 10,543
Fun day, pitty about yet another gastly travelodge! Good luck with clearing the shack.
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Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports
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Keith Jarrett
Member
So Polesworth should be well and truly in the bag by now despite 2U21 running late this morning - bet that was a bit of a nail-biter!
Many congratulations on knocking that particular shack on the head. Also well done on the Chiltern scores yesterday. Must be getting mega difficult to find winners of any description in the West Midlands.
Many congratulations on knocking that particular shack on the head. Also well done on the Chiltern scores yesterday. Must be getting mega difficult to find winners of any description in the West Midlands.
backontrack
Established Member
Who will be first to stand on this platform?
The great race begins
Meh, I did that one on Saturday a week ago.
Just kidding.
It was Monday, actually.
***
Last edited:
urpert
Member
Thanks - I tried the outward working to Sevenoaks and it produced a couple of red 387s, which was a nice surprise!
There's an enormous picture of them here:
http://i.imgur.com/FJur9eW.jpg
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
First class "compartment" currently declassified:
http://i.imgur.com/r9HkaKD.jpg
I really like the colour scheme. But maybe that's because I'm so used to Networkers with their 50 shades of grey.
There's an enormous picture of them here:
http://i.imgur.com/FJur9eW.jpg
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
First class "compartment" currently declassified:
http://i.imgur.com/r9HkaKD.jpg
I really like the colour scheme. But maybe that's because I'm so used to Networkers with their 50 shades of grey.
Last edited:
backontrack
Established Member
Yeah, so do I! But those are 387s.
You're right though, all those white and grey networkers get so boring. Govia haven't made it any better, though I do like their shades of blue and pink.
urpert
Member
Yeah, so do I! But those are 387s.
You're right though, all those white and grey networkers get so boring. Govia haven't made it any better, though I do like their shades of blue and pink.
Whoops - edited!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Aye I'm glad you sympathise with me Blindtraveller, wouldn't have done if I wasn't in dire need!
Did I get Polesworth? If you were following on Twitter you'll know the answer, but for those of you not on there, here's the trip report:
15/02/2016 - Tech's Every Time We Bash, Day 2
I end up waking up at 0545 and it's straight onto the de-rance and final prep, leaving the Travelodge around 0628. I decide there's nothing I need in Tesco Express [a decision I'll come to regret - Ed] and head to the station to pick up my single to Blake Street, pre-booked last night to earn Nectar points. Hey, 24 points is 24 points! I then see on the screen that the 0659 to Crewe is expected at 0727. No that's not right, surely? Sure enough it is, due to awaiting train crew at Northampton. It's therefore quite the fester in the waiting room, which at least allowed me time to update some logs on my phone. Eventually it arrives and we leave 29 down at 0728 with 350373. Will the stop at Polesworth be ripped out to help recover time, as was the routing via Stoke on Trent? Please no, no no no I think every time I hear an announcement, but we arrive at 0751 and it's mission accomplished, all shacks in the WMDR area are now visited!
However, the farce continues, as I misread the 0803 bus on route 785 and realise eventually it's school days only, with Traveline confirming the next one today is 0823. So I keep my eyes open towards the village centre, thinking that's where it was coming from. Oh no, it came from the other way, which I discover too late and it charges off without me, despite the driver without a doubt seeing me run towards it! Oh fudge cakes [not exactly what came to mind... - Ed], this is bad. Traveline tells me it's an hour for the next route 785, no chance am I waiting here an hour! I find there's also a route 65 bus available, when's that then? 0908 from the nearest stop, grr! So I march off towards the village centre, but because I don't know how much the bus will be I can't use owt yet. Coffee move denied! I look around everywhere and it's ridiculously unclear which bus stop serves which route and when. It's eventually discovered the stop I finally stop at has the bus go around some housing estates first before returning to Tamworth, so I join it anyway and pay £2.50 for a single to Tamworth. So I could have got a coffee in the cafe, fudge my life...[again, not what I was thinking! - Ed]
I join Arriva/HinckleyBus' 3507 on route 65, running 6 minutes late and we go around some houses before heading to civilisation, if you can call Tamworth that! There's USB ports between seats on this bus, that's funky! A bit of a boost for the phone then before I alight at Offa Drive [the nearest stop to the station, almost right next to it - Ed] at 0929. The timetable reveals the next working for me is at 1009, so 40 minutes away. At least there's a breakfast move now available [I told you I'd regret not stocking up in Tesco! - Ed] via the cafexpresshop on the station, and I thankfully have enough to get a bacon bap and large coffee for £4.75 which went down, unsurprisingly, well! Granted it's not the best coffee in the world, but it sure hit the spot and I have a new collector card in my wallet. Eventually the train arrives and it's Super Dud 350115 [I've lost count of how many times I've had this one! - Ed] for the leap to Lichfield Trent Valley, and I easily make the short connection onto the 1020 to Redditch, today this produced Super Dud Starships 6 and 8. I obviously open the window for some noise, and fishquinn has been in touch to say he's going to join me, ooh nice some company! I fill in a Delay Repay for today, as well as one for last week, with just a Northern one outstanding now. Which would be all done by now if it actually worked online...
Fishquinn joins me at Chester Road and I finally meet the young sir. It's revealed he's had a good morning so far, and when we finally reach the Bat Cave at 1101 we march to Moor Street. Last time I was here with Kite159, the 1112 off Snow Hill had a 168/3 on it. No such luck today, ah well it's off to the trams then! Dud 33 kicks things off with a trip to Soho Benson Road, and having spotted a winner for me [Mr Quinn only needs 17, 19 and 37 - Ed] we leap over and join dud 23 back to Jewellery Quarter to intercept it. Winner tram 24 was also a score for sight, happy days! Off now to The Hawthorns, where I get another score for sight with winner 30 for a leap to Winson Green Outer Circle. Dud 25 takes us back to The Hawthorns, where we end up joining dud 34 to Handsworth Booth Street. It's worth pointing out all these dud moves were more for killing time than owt else, but it's all extra mileage!
30 is back to take us to West Bromwich Central, where dud 36 is then taken to Kenrick Park. Dud 20 is next to Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall. Yep, I know, one heck of a mouthful! 33 in all its dudness is back, which we do a leap to Trinity Way, and 34 is dud for the trip to Dartmouth Street. Bah, 29 must have gone back to depot, it was on the 0705 from Bull Street apparently. Shame, I needed that one, and poor Quinn hasn't had any luck at all. Dud 25 takes us to Jewellery Quarter, the last tram move of the day and we're both in dire need of a PNB now! After a short wait, Super Dud 172333 takes us to Snow Hill. For some time now we've been keeping an eye on RTT, as there's a convoy of brand new GBRf 66s coming our way on the way from Newport Docks to Doncaster Roberts Road. Oh yes we simply must chase aftet that! I'm glad Quinn gave me the gen! However, it's not been reporting for a while, this is not good, after all it has been running early all the way so far, so we don't want to miss them. We get a Costa, and mark your calendars, I had reasonable service in a Costa in Birmingham, finally! There's a first for everything!
Quinn sources lunch from Meal Deal, and we end up in the Bat Cave to see what's going on there. 150283 surprises us both on an ATW training run, of course a few snaps [not great ones, but hey it's the Bat Cave, it's not easy! - Ed] are taken. We randomly bump into another forum member, a fairly new one, but I forget your username right now sorry! The arrival from Liverpool is on platform 1, which I initially get excited about as I've never headed west out of that one. Alas, it's going to be platform 3 for us, which is 350243 on the 1401 to Liverpool Lime Street. Quinn doesn't need it, but I need two coaches off it so I score 61543 on it, so close to another Super Dud! Off we go on time for a leap to Smethwick Galton Bridge, and we trek up and over to join the 1412 to Kidderminster. The 66s had started reporting again thankfully, yes we'll make them OK at Rowley Regis still, phew! Quinn's dad is on board 172332, which gets one step closer to the necessary status, and we join him.
At 1423, 66708 is clagging nicely and is pulling 66773, 774, 775, 776, 777, 778 snd 779 behind it. One of them is covered so as not to spoil the unveiling at the NRM. Will this actually be the last batch of 66s we get over here, after all they've been saying that for far too long! Time will tell of course. 172336 is a Super Dud already and we take it to Moor Street, leaving Quinn's dad at Snow Hell [sorry Quinn, I'm nicking that! - Ed] and we mosey on over to see what 168/3 is on the 1455 to Marylebone. Dud for me but a winner for Quinn, who is understandably chuffed, 168324 is on it. I thought Chiltern said a 2 car train is sufficient for this and the 1210 from Marylebone, umm no it's not! 172340 takes us back to Snow Hell, another one closer to that exclusive club. 172332 is spotted by Quinn who points it out to me, reminding me [he's got a good memory! - Ed] I can make it a Super Dud now on the leap back to Moor Street. Good man, I could do with having this youngster on more of my trips! Obviously we join it and 172332 joins the League of Super Duds.
We are of course going for some Cat action, it would be rude to turn it down! 68014 is on the 1555 to Marylebone, and Quinn's dad joins us. We get supplies in, I owe him a coffee, most gratefully received as I was flagging badly by now [should have done that supply raid... - Ed] so it was most welcome! I score not only 12620 but 12610 for sight in this set, nice! Just 12613 to score for sight out of the Chiltern MK3s now, and I score 12620 for haulage. Not many left to go!
After parting ways with two top blokes, I join 172335 to Dorridge, scoring 79335 in the process. I had expected to score the other end too, but it went out of service here, oh well. 172217+172219 take me to Widney Manor to make 172219 a Super Dud, and I await a pair of 172s back to Dorridge. Why the obsession with this end of the line you ask? I'm waiting on a 165 on the 1632 stopper from Leamington, so might as well fill the book somewhat! Sadly it's a pair of Super Duds, 172333+172345, taking me back on the slow trip to Dorridge [can they not speed up that Down Passenger Loop?! - Ed] and I'm in place. Winner number 3 for the day, 165028, is indeed on the 1632 from Leamington and I happily score it, my first winning 165 in an unknown time. Back to Moor Street I go, and having not eaten since 0953 or so I'm passing on more trams. The queue at Burger King was big, so nah I'll pass. Tesco Metro to the rescue, and the important bit was a can of Monster Khaos for a quid. Oh yes this got me wired alright, otherwise I'd have not been able to type up the trip report!
The PIS says the 1749 from the Bat Cave is formed of 2 coaches, oh great that'll be fun. Thankfully it corrects itself eventually to say 4 coaches, but then an announcement adds to the confusion by saying to join the front 4 coaches. Make up its mind I say! I also note the 1742 to Derby actually leaves near on time, almost 2 minutes late. That makes a change! The empties from Tyseley roll in and it's 170515+170502 tonight. We leave just before 1751, and as soon as the Monster was finished [it didn't take long! - Ed] I fire up both the tablet and Tech' s Mobile Disco! It then takes until Colwall to bring it all up to date, not as bad as I thought. Time for a PNB, and to be honest I might as well leave the snacks until later, I can go to the chippy soon!
After arriving at 1922 and making two final observations for the trip, I go to an ATM and get cash for the chippy move. Like last Monday, tea is a large chicken curry and chips. Having not eaten for 9.5 hours I was proper famished! With the stomach most satisfied, I then head to Spoons and have a well earnt pint, with the main desire also to use the free WiFi. The bus home will be here soon, so some stats:
Winners: 3
New shacks: 1
New sights: 11
Bus fares; £6.60
Rail fares: £17.30
General expenditure: £16.05
Total: £39.95
So ends two amazing days, quite impressive for a trip on my local patch! Hope you all enjoy the read and indeed those on Twitter enjoyed following the action live!
Did I get Polesworth? If you were following on Twitter you'll know the answer, but for those of you not on there, here's the trip report:
15/02/2016 - Tech's Every Time We Bash, Day 2
I end up waking up at 0545 and it's straight onto the de-rance and final prep, leaving the Travelodge around 0628. I decide there's nothing I need in Tesco Express [a decision I'll come to regret - Ed] and head to the station to pick up my single to Blake Street, pre-booked last night to earn Nectar points. Hey, 24 points is 24 points! I then see on the screen that the 0659 to Crewe is expected at 0727. No that's not right, surely? Sure enough it is, due to awaiting train crew at Northampton. It's therefore quite the fester in the waiting room, which at least allowed me time to update some logs on my phone. Eventually it arrives and we leave 29 down at 0728 with 350373. Will the stop at Polesworth be ripped out to help recover time, as was the routing via Stoke on Trent? Please no, no no no I think every time I hear an announcement, but we arrive at 0751 and it's mission accomplished, all shacks in the WMDR area are now visited!
However, the farce continues, as I misread the 0803 bus on route 785 and realise eventually it's school days only, with Traveline confirming the next one today is 0823. So I keep my eyes open towards the village centre, thinking that's where it was coming from. Oh no, it came from the other way, which I discover too late and it charges off without me, despite the driver without a doubt seeing me run towards it! Oh fudge cakes [not exactly what came to mind... - Ed], this is bad. Traveline tells me it's an hour for the next route 785, no chance am I waiting here an hour! I find there's also a route 65 bus available, when's that then? 0908 from the nearest stop, grr! So I march off towards the village centre, but because I don't know how much the bus will be I can't use owt yet. Coffee move denied! I look around everywhere and it's ridiculously unclear which bus stop serves which route and when. It's eventually discovered the stop I finally stop at has the bus go around some housing estates first before returning to Tamworth, so I join it anyway and pay £2.50 for a single to Tamworth. So I could have got a coffee in the cafe, fudge my life...[again, not what I was thinking! - Ed]
I join Arriva/HinckleyBus' 3507 on route 65, running 6 minutes late and we go around some houses before heading to civilisation, if you can call Tamworth that! There's USB ports between seats on this bus, that's funky! A bit of a boost for the phone then before I alight at Offa Drive [the nearest stop to the station, almost right next to it - Ed] at 0929. The timetable reveals the next working for me is at 1009, so 40 minutes away. At least there's a breakfast move now available [I told you I'd regret not stocking up in Tesco! - Ed] via the cafexpresshop on the station, and I thankfully have enough to get a bacon bap and large coffee for £4.75 which went down, unsurprisingly, well! Granted it's not the best coffee in the world, but it sure hit the spot and I have a new collector card in my wallet. Eventually the train arrives and it's Super Dud 350115 [I've lost count of how many times I've had this one! - Ed] for the leap to Lichfield Trent Valley, and I easily make the short connection onto the 1020 to Redditch, today this produced Super Dud Starships 6 and 8. I obviously open the window for some noise, and fishquinn has been in touch to say he's going to join me, ooh nice some company! I fill in a Delay Repay for today, as well as one for last week, with just a Northern one outstanding now. Which would be all done by now if it actually worked online...
Fishquinn joins me at Chester Road and I finally meet the young sir. It's revealed he's had a good morning so far, and when we finally reach the Bat Cave at 1101 we march to Moor Street. Last time I was here with Kite159, the 1112 off Snow Hill had a 168/3 on it. No such luck today, ah well it's off to the trams then! Dud 33 kicks things off with a trip to Soho Benson Road, and having spotted a winner for me [Mr Quinn only needs 17, 19 and 37 - Ed] we leap over and join dud 23 back to Jewellery Quarter to intercept it. Winner tram 24 was also a score for sight, happy days! Off now to The Hawthorns, where I get another score for sight with winner 30 for a leap to Winson Green Outer Circle. Dud 25 takes us back to The Hawthorns, where we end up joining dud 34 to Handsworth Booth Street. It's worth pointing out all these dud moves were more for killing time than owt else, but it's all extra mileage!
30 is back to take us to West Bromwich Central, where dud 36 is then taken to Kenrick Park. Dud 20 is next to Lodge Road West Bromwich Town Hall. Yep, I know, one heck of a mouthful! 33 in all its dudness is back, which we do a leap to Trinity Way, and 34 is dud for the trip to Dartmouth Street. Bah, 29 must have gone back to depot, it was on the 0705 from Bull Street apparently. Shame, I needed that one, and poor Quinn hasn't had any luck at all. Dud 25 takes us to Jewellery Quarter, the last tram move of the day and we're both in dire need of a PNB now! After a short wait, Super Dud 172333 takes us to Snow Hill. For some time now we've been keeping an eye on RTT, as there's a convoy of brand new GBRf 66s coming our way on the way from Newport Docks to Doncaster Roberts Road. Oh yes we simply must chase aftet that! I'm glad Quinn gave me the gen! However, it's not been reporting for a while, this is not good, after all it has been running early all the way so far, so we don't want to miss them. We get a Costa, and mark your calendars, I had reasonable service in a Costa in Birmingham, finally! There's a first for everything!
Quinn sources lunch from Meal Deal, and we end up in the Bat Cave to see what's going on there. 150283 surprises us both on an ATW training run, of course a few snaps [not great ones, but hey it's the Bat Cave, it's not easy! - Ed] are taken. We randomly bump into another forum member, a fairly new one, but I forget your username right now sorry! The arrival from Liverpool is on platform 1, which I initially get excited about as I've never headed west out of that one. Alas, it's going to be platform 3 for us, which is 350243 on the 1401 to Liverpool Lime Street. Quinn doesn't need it, but I need two coaches off it so I score 61543 on it, so close to another Super Dud! Off we go on time for a leap to Smethwick Galton Bridge, and we trek up and over to join the 1412 to Kidderminster. The 66s had started reporting again thankfully, yes we'll make them OK at Rowley Regis still, phew! Quinn's dad is on board 172332, which gets one step closer to the necessary status, and we join him.
At 1423, 66708 is clagging nicely and is pulling 66773, 774, 775, 776, 777, 778 snd 779 behind it. One of them is covered so as not to spoil the unveiling at the NRM. Will this actually be the last batch of 66s we get over here, after all they've been saying that for far too long! Time will tell of course. 172336 is a Super Dud already and we take it to Moor Street, leaving Quinn's dad at Snow Hell [sorry Quinn, I'm nicking that! - Ed] and we mosey on over to see what 168/3 is on the 1455 to Marylebone. Dud for me but a winner for Quinn, who is understandably chuffed, 168324 is on it. I thought Chiltern said a 2 car train is sufficient for this and the 1210 from Marylebone, umm no it's not! 172340 takes us back to Snow Hell, another one closer to that exclusive club. 172332 is spotted by Quinn who points it out to me, reminding me [he's got a good memory! - Ed] I can make it a Super Dud now on the leap back to Moor Street. Good man, I could do with having this youngster on more of my trips! Obviously we join it and 172332 joins the League of Super Duds.
We are of course going for some Cat action, it would be rude to turn it down! 68014 is on the 1555 to Marylebone, and Quinn's dad joins us. We get supplies in, I owe him a coffee, most gratefully received as I was flagging badly by now [should have done that supply raid... - Ed] so it was most welcome! I score not only 12620 but 12610 for sight in this set, nice! Just 12613 to score for sight out of the Chiltern MK3s now, and I score 12620 for haulage. Not many left to go!
After parting ways with two top blokes, I join 172335 to Dorridge, scoring 79335 in the process. I had expected to score the other end too, but it went out of service here, oh well. 172217+172219 take me to Widney Manor to make 172219 a Super Dud, and I await a pair of 172s back to Dorridge. Why the obsession with this end of the line you ask? I'm waiting on a 165 on the 1632 stopper from Leamington, so might as well fill the book somewhat! Sadly it's a pair of Super Duds, 172333+172345, taking me back on the slow trip to Dorridge [can they not speed up that Down Passenger Loop?! - Ed] and I'm in place. Winner number 3 for the day, 165028, is indeed on the 1632 from Leamington and I happily score it, my first winning 165 in an unknown time. Back to Moor Street I go, and having not eaten since 0953 or so I'm passing on more trams. The queue at Burger King was big, so nah I'll pass. Tesco Metro to the rescue, and the important bit was a can of Monster Khaos for a quid. Oh yes this got me wired alright, otherwise I'd have not been able to type up the trip report!
The PIS says the 1749 from the Bat Cave is formed of 2 coaches, oh great that'll be fun. Thankfully it corrects itself eventually to say 4 coaches, but then an announcement adds to the confusion by saying to join the front 4 coaches. Make up its mind I say! I also note the 1742 to Derby actually leaves near on time, almost 2 minutes late. That makes a change! The empties from Tyseley roll in and it's 170515+170502 tonight. We leave just before 1751, and as soon as the Monster was finished [it didn't take long! - Ed] I fire up both the tablet and Tech' s Mobile Disco! It then takes until Colwall to bring it all up to date, not as bad as I thought. Time for a PNB, and to be honest I might as well leave the snacks until later, I can go to the chippy soon!
After arriving at 1922 and making two final observations for the trip, I go to an ATM and get cash for the chippy move. Like last Monday, tea is a large chicken curry and chips. Having not eaten for 9.5 hours I was proper famished! With the stomach most satisfied, I then head to Spoons and have a well earnt pint, with the main desire also to use the free WiFi. The bus home will be here soon, so some stats:
Winners: 3
New shacks: 1
New sights: 11
Bus fares; £6.60
Rail fares: £17.30
General expenditure: £16.05
Total: £39.95
So ends two amazing days, quite impressive for a trip on my local patch! Hope you all enjoy the read and indeed those on Twitter enjoyed following the action live!
Kite159
Veteran Member
Congrats on finally getting Polesworth in the book 
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Thank you good sir!
Also, in reply to Keith: Yes it is incredibly difficult to score much on my home turf now, just 7 trams, 6 168/3s, 2 172/1s, some Chiltern 165s and any blue 68s is all I need now!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks! Aye but it'll be hard now, so little left to get!
Also, in reply to Keith: Yes it is incredibly difficult to score much on my home turf now, just 7 trams, 6 168/3s, 2 172/1s, some Chiltern 165s and any blue 68s is all I need now!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A good couple of days there. Shows there's always good progress to be made in one's local area! Well done on Polesworth!
Thanks! Aye but it'll be hard now, so little left to get!
backontrack
Established Member
Congratulations on Polesworth! 
You beat Quinn to it in the end...I'm surprised that you had coffee in lieu of a creamy cooler! :P Just kidding, obviously.
You know that you've been on RailUK when it's not just train journeys that you describe as 'moves', but trips to WH Smiths as well.
Do you ever say "I've scored myself a new Upper Crust shack today"? :P Once again, I'm joking.
You beat Quinn to it in the end...I'm surprised that you had coffee in lieu of a creamy cooler! :P Just kidding, obviously.
You know that you've been on RailUK when it's not just train journeys that you describe as 'moves', but trips to WH Smiths as well.
Do you ever say "I've scored myself a new Upper Crust shack today"? :P Once again, I'm joking.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
I have noted a new Costa before, although it's worth pointing out I don't have a list of them!
I daresay Quinn will get to it eventually, and thanks!
I daresay Quinn will get to it eventually, and thanks!
Kristofferson
Member
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2012
- Messages
- 1,132
Congrats on Polesworth! Certainly elicited a cheer from the missus too
Looking forward to those pics and video of the 66 convoy if you upload them.
Looking forward to those pics and video of the 66 convoy if you upload them.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Video has been shared via Twitter, the photos aren't great to be honest 
Glad you enjoyed the read, we'll convert your missus into a train head yet
Glad you enjoyed the read, we'll convert your missus into a train head yet
Hey Tech, I didn't know you were in to aviation as well! (It least I don't think I did). Flightradar 24 is a dead good app. I don't mark off anything any more but if I did that would be really handy for aviation. The question I ask myself is would I count what Flightradar told me I had seen? What are your feelings. We get a load of flights from Manchester going Transatlantic that are really low that you can clearly see, would you count it if Flightradar told you what it was?
47403
Established Member
A job well done sir, Polesworth in the bag, a clutch of new GBRF sheds, few winners for haulage and 11 in toal for sight. I say you had a good cople of days indeed.
Did fishquinn and his dad go out for the test train?
Did fishquinn and his dad go out for the test train?
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Considering your needs in Devon, that's almost miracle-status!
It's all slowly drying up now though, and there's also only 20 days until I go to New York!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I don't do a lot of aviation to be honest, and I don't know much on it but I certainly like to try and do some plane spotting now and again. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford the decent pair of binos I need mind!
One of the guys likened the app to a TOPS report, which I agree with.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Very good couple of days indeed, especially on my local turf!
Not sure if they did to be honest, you'd have to ask them
Kristofferson
Member
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2012
- Messages
- 1,132
I can't imagine there's a big "aviation bashing" scene...
"Checking in two hours before departure, it's time for a quick insect leap to Malaga where I check into my hotel after an hour on an airport transfer bus and... Well, that's all I had time for!"
"Checking in two hours before departure, it's time for a quick insect leap to Malaga where I check into my hotel after an hour on an airport transfer bus and... Well, that's all I had time for!"
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Aye it's a very different game to bashing on the rails! You can't turn down a dud in the hope of a winner!
Ha ha. I have had some good kops though. An LAN A340 from Auckland to Santiago and VH-OEB in Melbourne Grand Prix colours from Hong Kong to Melbourne. Not easy to get, ha ha, not like I had any choice what I got.
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47403
Established Member
andyb2706
Member
You'd be wrong there. I used to be a part of it years ago but it became too expensive and with the tightening of security too time consuming to organise.
Did a few aviation bashing trip with the group based at Manchester Airport with the biggest trip being (of top of my head):
Manchester-Dubai-Singapore-Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne-Sydney-Auckland-Honolulu-Seattle-Vancouver-Detriot-Amsterdam
In 3 weeks!!!!
Only just got round to reading this because we've had internet problems the past few days! It was great to have some company on the bash that doesn't moan all of the time!
Alas, we didn't get out for the test train. Shame as 68017 is a winner for sight. But I think severn 66 winners is good enough for a day in the midlands!
Alas, we didn't get out for the test train. Shame as 68017 is a winner for sight. But I think severn 66 winners is good enough for a day in the midlands!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Glad to hear your internet issues have been resolved!
Glad too you enjoyed the company, and shame indeed on the test train but it'll be back for all of us before we know it!
Aye in this day and age, getting 7 66s for sight is a monumental feat for me, what with fairly low numbers of anything required for sight across the country!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Let's try this again!
22/02/2016
So much for spending two days at home doing bookwork eh? Having done the core of it [Quails and moves book still to do - Ed] on Sunday, and happening to view a decent weather forecast for Mid Wales, I enter into a 40 minute TPP Mode session. Once the moves were confirmed as doable, with a bus move to make it work, I was all set to do a shack scratch mission on the Heart of Wales line. Llanwrda and Llangadog are two of the easier ones of the 10 I need on the line, and there's a possibility of 2 more on top as well. The mission for the year has therefore been expanded, as well as avoiding Voyagers all year I'm now determined to get all the shacks on this line done before the end of the year. As things stand this morning, I need 89 shacks across the entire ATW network, and I want that number to start dropping!
The bus driver isn't happy that I have a £20 note for my £5.10 fare this morning, as they apparently only get a limited float on the 0600 to Llandrindod. Not that I had much choice, the ATM had no £10 notes! It was fortunate I was there early too, as we left 3 minutes early! A non-stop run all the way, lots of Solo thrash! At 0637 150236 shunts in from a siding, although it's next move is unknown. I head to Tesco for a supply raid, and a meal deal,a 2L bottle of Dr Pepper and a packet of Galaxy cookies [those cookies aren't a healthy breakfast Tech! - Ed] are sourced for a total of £5. There's still 45 minutes to kill somehow! A search for an open cafe yields no results, so for my caffeine needs I source a can of Monster Khaos for £1.19 from the newsagents near the station. All of a sudden, at 0730, the PIS reports the 0556 Shrewsbury to Cardiff Central to be 18 minutes late, so was 150236 running really late on the 0618 Llandrindod to Shrewsbury, therefore late at Knighton where it passes my train? My +20 at Llanwrda is now out of the window, as it involves a 13 minute walk to Llanwrda School for route 280! Much changing of plans is required naturally, and I suddenly realise why I haven't done the rest of the shacks on this line, the reliability of services is not great!
Eventually 153320 turns up and we leave 20 minutes late, and I give up for today on my original choices and settle for Pantyffynnon, parting with £9.30 for the privilege. The guard confirms they were held at Knighton for 25 minutes waiting for the northbound train [must have been 150236 then - Ed], that can't have been fun! The cookies are finally devoured, but they're not as nice as the Mars Secret Centre ones. Time on the long move to get to work on the moves book! I'm part way into 11th January by the time we leave Llandeilo at 0903,now just 9 minutes late, thanks to pathing time at Llanwrtyd Wells and Llandovery. 0920 and I'm at today's first shack score, Pantyffynnon. Due to Network Rail doing work on the station building, there's nowhere to sit so I can't carry on with the moves book as per the plan! There's no buses to anywhere for ages either, so it's photo taking and nothing else to do until 1013. I could only get 2G data signal in Llandrindod, but I can get 4G here, much to my surprise! Tech's Mobile Disco helps fill the time, and the times of the buses do not work in my favour to now score Llangadog or Llandwrda, so I give up on those two for today. At 1014 the semaphores finally drop and 153327 finally comes in to take me north, with one other passenger boarding and no-one alighting.
It's a very busy service, with only a few airline seats left. I request a stop at a most unusual stop...I get a fair bit done in the moves book (almost the end of 26th January now) before the on-board catering host asks if I want anything from the trolley. I know it's Frothbucks coffee but it'll have to do! At Sugar Loaf, I alight for today's second shack score, and even the driver and conductor are shocked at it! I doubt too much I could walk to Cynghordy in time, so I remain at the tiny station and carry on writing up this year's moves, getting to the end of 29th January before my hands froze up!
150236 produces as expected on the 0914 Crewe to Swansea via Llandrindod, I think the guard was surprised to see me again! It's sadly already a Super Dud. I see the main road I'd have been following, no way would I have made the walk to Cynghordy! Next up for me is Llandybie, the guard pronouncing it rather differently to how I did so I confirmed my choice in the Baker to make sure it was right!
Lunch is had with the meal deal from earlier, then back to the books. I'm determined to get it all up to date by the time I get to Llandrindod tonight! An explore of Llandybie finds me a bus stop and route 103 with First Cymru [here comes the ching... - Ed] is due to produce a bus here at 1414 towards Llandeilo. That will take me to Ffairfach for shack score 4, oh yes I am interested! A can of Rockstar Xdurance Blue gets me a caffeine hit while I fester for it, and I have no idea if the bus driver will understand where I want to get off! No problem as it turns out, and 69237 (MX56 AFN) takes me there in just 8 minutes. It's certainly not safe to walk along the A483, so £3.50 well spent. I have an hour here, and Llandeilo is walkable from here. So after standing on the station [photting a timetable poster from 1997! - Ed] I do the hard uphill walk in 25 minutes, stopping at a butchers and asking two locals for directions to New Road. I'm not far away, with more uphill walking. Good thing the weather's good today!
So why not the train forward? Well memory had told me there should be a route 280 soon, and having downloaded the timetable [thankfully! - Ed] in Pantyffynnon, it confirms there is one at 1500 towards Llandovery. I make it with about 8 minutes to spare, and at 1504, 4 minutes late, Morris Travels' MX06 ACO an Optare Solo, takes me to Llangadog. I had toyed with going to Llanwrda, but it looked a little risky for the walk from bus to train. Much more reasonably priced this move too, £2.20 for a fast run via Manordeilo. 150236 produces as expected on the 1435 Swansea to Crewe via Llandrindod and I have my 5th shack score of the day, more than I originally hoped for. Getting the last 5 [out of 28 between Llanelli and Craven Arms, not including those two! - Ed] will not be as easy! Yes I have looked at it already, Cynghordy is going to be a tight pain in the face to get!
The moves book is finally up to date just before we leave Llanwrtyd Wells, and it's coffee time. Yes I know it's still Frothbucks coffee but it had to do, I needed it. With the Baker and this trip report also updated, there were just a couple of notes left to bring back up to date before I get to Llandrindod 3 minutes early. The next bus home is at 1720, so time to get Tech's Mobile Disco back on and do the stats. One helluva fast run home, back in just 32 minutes which is just brilliant for the distance! So, the stats:
Winners: 0 (obviously)
Shack scores: 5 (93 scores for 2016 so far!)
Rail fares: £9.70
Bus fares: £10.80
General expenditure: £11.78
Total: £32.28
Glad too you enjoyed the company, and shame indeed on the test train but it'll be back for all of us before we know it!
Aye in this day and age, getting 7 66s for sight is a monumental feat for me, what with fairly low numbers of anything required for sight across the country!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Let's try this again!
22/02/2016
So much for spending two days at home doing bookwork eh? Having done the core of it [Quails and moves book still to do - Ed] on Sunday, and happening to view a decent weather forecast for Mid Wales, I enter into a 40 minute TPP Mode session. Once the moves were confirmed as doable, with a bus move to make it work, I was all set to do a shack scratch mission on the Heart of Wales line. Llanwrda and Llangadog are two of the easier ones of the 10 I need on the line, and there's a possibility of 2 more on top as well. The mission for the year has therefore been expanded, as well as avoiding Voyagers all year I'm now determined to get all the shacks on this line done before the end of the year. As things stand this morning, I need 89 shacks across the entire ATW network, and I want that number to start dropping!
The bus driver isn't happy that I have a £20 note for my £5.10 fare this morning, as they apparently only get a limited float on the 0600 to Llandrindod. Not that I had much choice, the ATM had no £10 notes! It was fortunate I was there early too, as we left 3 minutes early! A non-stop run all the way, lots of Solo thrash! At 0637 150236 shunts in from a siding, although it's next move is unknown. I head to Tesco for a supply raid, and a meal deal,a 2L bottle of Dr Pepper and a packet of Galaxy cookies [those cookies aren't a healthy breakfast Tech! - Ed] are sourced for a total of £5. There's still 45 minutes to kill somehow! A search for an open cafe yields no results, so for my caffeine needs I source a can of Monster Khaos for £1.19 from the newsagents near the station. All of a sudden, at 0730, the PIS reports the 0556 Shrewsbury to Cardiff Central to be 18 minutes late, so was 150236 running really late on the 0618 Llandrindod to Shrewsbury, therefore late at Knighton where it passes my train? My +20 at Llanwrda is now out of the window, as it involves a 13 minute walk to Llanwrda School for route 280! Much changing of plans is required naturally, and I suddenly realise why I haven't done the rest of the shacks on this line, the reliability of services is not great!
Eventually 153320 turns up and we leave 20 minutes late, and I give up for today on my original choices and settle for Pantyffynnon, parting with £9.30 for the privilege. The guard confirms they were held at Knighton for 25 minutes waiting for the northbound train [must have been 150236 then - Ed], that can't have been fun! The cookies are finally devoured, but they're not as nice as the Mars Secret Centre ones. Time on the long move to get to work on the moves book! I'm part way into 11th January by the time we leave Llandeilo at 0903,now just 9 minutes late, thanks to pathing time at Llanwrtyd Wells and Llandovery. 0920 and I'm at today's first shack score, Pantyffynnon. Due to Network Rail doing work on the station building, there's nowhere to sit so I can't carry on with the moves book as per the plan! There's no buses to anywhere for ages either, so it's photo taking and nothing else to do until 1013. I could only get 2G data signal in Llandrindod, but I can get 4G here, much to my surprise! Tech's Mobile Disco helps fill the time, and the times of the buses do not work in my favour to now score Llangadog or Llandwrda, so I give up on those two for today. At 1014 the semaphores finally drop and 153327 finally comes in to take me north, with one other passenger boarding and no-one alighting.
It's a very busy service, with only a few airline seats left. I request a stop at a most unusual stop...I get a fair bit done in the moves book (almost the end of 26th January now) before the on-board catering host asks if I want anything from the trolley. I know it's Frothbucks coffee but it'll have to do! At Sugar Loaf, I alight for today's second shack score, and even the driver and conductor are shocked at it! I doubt too much I could walk to Cynghordy in time, so I remain at the tiny station and carry on writing up this year's moves, getting to the end of 29th January before my hands froze up!
150236 produces as expected on the 0914 Crewe to Swansea via Llandrindod, I think the guard was surprised to see me again! It's sadly already a Super Dud. I see the main road I'd have been following, no way would I have made the walk to Cynghordy! Next up for me is Llandybie, the guard pronouncing it rather differently to how I did so I confirmed my choice in the Baker to make sure it was right!
Lunch is had with the meal deal from earlier, then back to the books. I'm determined to get it all up to date by the time I get to Llandrindod tonight! An explore of Llandybie finds me a bus stop and route 103 with First Cymru [here comes the ching... - Ed] is due to produce a bus here at 1414 towards Llandeilo. That will take me to Ffairfach for shack score 4, oh yes I am interested! A can of Rockstar Xdurance Blue gets me a caffeine hit while I fester for it, and I have no idea if the bus driver will understand where I want to get off! No problem as it turns out, and 69237 (MX56 AFN) takes me there in just 8 minutes. It's certainly not safe to walk along the A483, so £3.50 well spent. I have an hour here, and Llandeilo is walkable from here. So after standing on the station [photting a timetable poster from 1997! - Ed] I do the hard uphill walk in 25 minutes, stopping at a butchers and asking two locals for directions to New Road. I'm not far away, with more uphill walking. Good thing the weather's good today!
So why not the train forward? Well memory had told me there should be a route 280 soon, and having downloaded the timetable [thankfully! - Ed] in Pantyffynnon, it confirms there is one at 1500 towards Llandovery. I make it with about 8 minutes to spare, and at 1504, 4 minutes late, Morris Travels' MX06 ACO an Optare Solo, takes me to Llangadog. I had toyed with going to Llanwrda, but it looked a little risky for the walk from bus to train. Much more reasonably priced this move too, £2.20 for a fast run via Manordeilo. 150236 produces as expected on the 1435 Swansea to Crewe via Llandrindod and I have my 5th shack score of the day, more than I originally hoped for. Getting the last 5 [out of 28 between Llanelli and Craven Arms, not including those two! - Ed] will not be as easy! Yes I have looked at it already, Cynghordy is going to be a tight pain in the face to get!
The moves book is finally up to date just before we leave Llanwrtyd Wells, and it's coffee time. Yes I know it's still Frothbucks coffee but it had to do, I needed it. With the Baker and this trip report also updated, there were just a couple of notes left to bring back up to date before I get to Llandrindod 3 minutes early. The next bus home is at 1720, so time to get Tech's Mobile Disco back on and do the stats. One helluva fast run home, back in just 32 minutes which is just brilliant for the distance! So, the stats:
Winners: 0 (obviously)
Shack scores: 5 (93 scores for 2016 so far!)
Rail fares: £9.70
Bus fares: £10.80
General expenditure: £11.78
Total: £32.28
185143
Established Member
- Joined
- 3 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 5,373
You scored shacks arriving and departing by bus if l've read that right?
Dhassell
Member
- Joined
- 22 Mar 2015
- Messages
- 1,011
Nice read once again! Lucky the driver even had a little bit of change! Our First buses normally have none! Didn't even have 20p!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Ffairfach arrived by bus, left by foot
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Wow, that's a poor show even for First!
Glad you enjoyed the read, can't be too bad a writer if I managed to make an easy going, relatively dull day an interesting read!
185143
Established Member
- Joined
- 3 Mar 2013
- Messages
- 5,373
That dosen't count surely!!Ffairfach arrived by bus, left by foot
When I say I've had all of the shacks between Shrewsbury and Llanwrytd, I mean I arrived and departed by train at all of them!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
You won't like the fact I scored some shacks arriving and departing by foot, and others arriving and departing by car then!
I've arrived and departed all of them by train too, just not got off at some of them
You have your rules I have mine!
I've arrived and departed all of them by train too, just not got off at some of them
You have your rules I have mine!
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