I have now noticed replies, I'll read them later. In the meantime, here is Day 4:
09/05/2016 - Tech's Over Doing It, Day 4
First of all, I hope you all found Day 3 a more interesting read than Day 2, I haven't checked the forum for responses yet as I type this aboard my final ScotRail train of the trip. Apologies for a lack of tweets during much of Day 4, it was a social day rather than a manic all-out bash!
0738 and I wake up after an excellent sleep, and a very relaxed social morning is had with BT and his wife. The bacon and sausage sandwiches she made for breakfast were stunning, and more than appreciated too! It's not until just before lunchtime before we head out, with zero plans whatsoever, and Lothian's 865 takes us to Foot of Leith Walk on route 16. We have a rather long TPP Mode session, revolving around Tridents and D stocks to be bashed in London before they go. Which meant that the journey was over before we knew it, and Lothian's route 22 turfed out 337 to take us to Waverley Steps. We join Super Dud [only at least the 4th time I've had this one... - Ed] 158702 to winner shack Newtongrange, and dud 158731 joins the ScotRail Super Dud Club for a hop to winner shack Shawfair.
The tight plus didn't exist, as the next Tweedbank was cancelled due to a problem with the train, so a long 31 minutes before Super Dud 158740 takes us one stop to winner shack Eskbank. That clears the Borders Railway shacks, and we kill the 20 minutes here with more nattering, a quick bit of time on Twitter and collecting some tickets for BT's forthcoming London bash. I'm looking forward to his trip report for that! Super Dud 158702 takes us back to Edinburgh, and we get a Nescafe Alegeria coffee each at WHSmith before joining joining double duds 334020+334033 for some 334 thrash to Bathgate. 334020 now joins the exclusive ScotRail Super Duds Club, and the thrash was more than welcome! Double duds 334034+334039 take us to Haymarket, although sadly no winners turn up before we join dud 170474 to Waverley.
A quick visit to Boots is needed before we meet up with Mrs BT, then we all head to platform 19 for today's first winner, a noisy
68007 for a trip to Inverkeithing. The thrash is much enjoyed, and we alight to get Super Dud 158867 back to Edinburgh. A visit to Sainsburys for a supply raid is had, ready for later, then we head back to base on Lothian's 760. Getting bits and bobs done, along with more socialising, we then do a taxi to the nearby Toby Carvery. The taxi driver has no idea where he's going, but eventually gets us there. An amazing meal is had, and I'm glad the hot chocolate with brandy was recommended as it was stunning! After settling up, we get a better taxi driver to take us back to base, where I grab my stuff and after a PNB, I say my farewells and thanks, then join Lothian's 754 to town.
I just make it onto a pair of 170s, the back one being dud 170428. Something told me this was one to jump on and check the front one at Haymarket. Good thing I did, as it was winner
170402, 12 more 170s to go! 158868 joins the Super Duds Club on the trip to Inverkeithing, ready for the Cally Insomnie to Crewe. I could have scored 170411 if I'd waited for the Perth, which was irritating! So that was Day 5, as the sleeper leaves Inverkeithing at 0012 I'll go into that in Day 5. The trip is nearly over, and I have work when I get back to Hereford. Oh won't that be fun...
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I'm enjoying these reports Tech. HST to Cleethorpes sounds like something I need to do, do EMT still do these in the summer?
I can't share your love of ryanair I'm afraid, I have to use them on at least one return journey a year and I find them pretty poor. I have to take headphones to drown out the constant tannoy adverts and I don't rate the service. Stansted is pretty efficient at getting you on your plane, the main issues are coming back through customs on the return leg. I'm quite fond of planes too and you've got me investigating cheap domestic flights for bashing purposes.
Sounds like you had fun in the Central Belt though, with some track and unit scoreage
I don't believe an HST had been to Cleethorpes for quite a few years until last weekend, EMT run summer extras to Scarborough but those are in the hands of 222s.
Ryanair isn't to everyone's tastes, admittedly, but they suit this budget traveller well. I had earphones in a lot on the flight, I must admit, as I had Tech's Mobile Disco going on. That was more because I had some thumping tunes recently added and had them in my head!
If I've encouraged a fellow basher to use cheap domestic flights for bashing purposes then that's not a bad thing in my book!
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ooooh nice few reads there Mr. Quest! Hope the SREMUG is nice to you at some point over the next couple of days.
It was and it wasn't, required 334s would turn up but in the wrong direction most of the time! Glad you enjoyed the reads so far, more to come yet
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Great reports Tech, three thoroughly enjoyable reads. The weather was certainly on your side!
I was up in Glasgow myself over the weekend, but I didn't go on very many trains this time. Now I've cleared the 314s, I think I'll focus on getting some more winner diesel units next time I'm up there, seeing as I still need 32 156s, 42 158s and 51 170s for haulage!
Oh wasn't it just, some lovely weather had and a stark contrast to my last visit to Scotland when Storm Gertrude was coming in!
Good call on getting your DMUs in, might as well do the rare track involved on the diverts using Central too, as it involves the track from Langloan Junction to Coatbridge Junction, not a line normally used by passenger trains! Don't forget the 318s and 320s, let alone the 334s and 380s up there mind
Day 5 is currently in progress, sitting in Pumpkin at Crewe waking up with Tech's Fuel of Champions. The final train of the trip is coming up, and I've got work later too. Much coffee will be had today, that's for sure...
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Here we go all, the final instalment of the trip report. I'm off to work after a breakfast and coffee, I do reckon I'll be tired by the end of the day of course!
10/05/2016 - Tech's Over Doing It, Day 5
And so it begins, the final day of the 5 day marathon! It starts well too, with winner for everything
73968 and I even score seated sleeper coach 9810 as well! Obviously I'm on the Cally Insomnie [if you don't already know, it's my nickname for the Caledonian Sleeper - Ed] and I am right at the back, so no early morning Super ED thrash for me sadly. It obviously saddens me to leave Scotland behind, but I have a hunch I'll be back before the end of the year. Hope so at least! We arrive at 0031 into Waverley, and of course I have a look at what loco we will have forward. Thankfully, as hoped, the 90 we saw yesterday floating around here is my 90 forward, as it's winner
90042 and has been attached to my coach, excellent! As we're the first portion to arrive, we sit here for absolutely ages, and we get more seated sleeper passengers join us once another portion arrives. Quite why they're with us I have no idea, as there's no pick-up in Edinburgh for this run.
I move to a pair of single seats thankfully taken and get comfortable, after which it's not long until I get to sleep. Just as well, as it's not far off 0200 by then! I wake briefly for the arrival at Carlisle, then rudely awakened by a very rough departure from Preston at 0436. My alarm goes off at 0500, to allow me time to wake up and prepare for a bail at Crewe. We arrive 9 minutes early at 0529, and after a quick photo it's time for a PNB and a large cup of Tech's Fuel of Champions [coffee, as you will remember from Day 1! - Ed] while making observations for the Trains you've seen working thread. The last train of the trip falls to 175006 on the 0630 Manchester Piccadilly to Milford Haven. It is a great shame to end the trip, but all good things must come to an end I suppose! I also note the 0722 Crewe to Bolton, as that had 142007 and 150138 on it, a move that needs imprinting into memory as it could be fun.
68001 is scored for sight, couldn't quite tell if 68017 was definitely on depot so didn't tick it off, just in case. It's time for Tech's Mobile Disco and some more Irn Bru [I must remember I owe BT for that... - Ed] before a change of clothes and a bit of a freshen up. This trip has been an incredibly welcome de-stress after recent events outside the hobby, so my thanks to the following people, in alphabetical order, for their part in making it a trip to remember:
Blindtraveller, Hassaanhc, Kite159, Kristofferson and Mrs BT
I hope those who followed the Live Trip Report on Twitter [from what I can gather, that's quite a few people now - Ed] enjoyed the updates. I'm certainly open to hearing whether there's too many or not enough tweets, whether the level of detail is too much or too little and so on. I'm also considering finding one hashtag I like and using it for all Live Trip Reports from now on. That much I would certainly like views on!
The first rain I've seen in days is noted in Shrewsbury, what happened to the stunning weather I had in Scotland?! I arrive into Hereford at 0841, and I see a signal has been installed at the north end of Hereford's platform 1. Interesting, as until now any moves that way have been unsignalled during engineering works. I need to look into that! While you'll have noticed I've done my usual daily stats on this trip report [going old school and leaving them out, although there's also the point they've not been calculated! - Ed] but here are the Scores on the Doors for this trip:
50 winners
1 new plane
4 shack scores
1 new coach
No doubt several Lothian buses
26 new rail sights
13 new aviation sights
Not a bad result whatsoever in anyone's book! The update for Red Pen 2016 will be up soon, but I believe that puts me on 305 rail scores for 2016 so far, just over halfway to my target of 603 before the end of the year. Can I get 298 more scores in in that time? Only time will tell, but game on!
Final note, the Borders Railway were done on the rover, and it was accepted no problem by the guards on the trains! Does this mean validity has been extended, logically and at last?
) so can't comment on those.
The shunt forwards was, if you recall, due to the fact the driver pulled up waaaaaaaaaaay to shot and had left the rear coach and the power car - meaning he had to restart the engine and move forward and almost kiss the buffer stop to get the train in - even then, the rear power car overhung...
