Glad you all enjoyed the read, Day 2 will be more exciting I promise! It has been started, and Day 3 has not long ago finished. Rather productive day and not looking forward to having to go home in 13 hours!
Advance warning, a Tech's Bookwork Weekend *may* be coming up
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04/08/2016 - Tech's Bashers' Fantasy, Day 2
So yeah, all was going well and a good sleep was being had until 0448 in the morning. Not just once, twice, but FOUR times the fire alarm went off! As it went off but turned off relatively quickly, we didn't leave the room straight away, then discovered the lifts were functional and that someone been smoking in their room. Really, for ********** sake! Naturally enough, the heart is still racing for quite a few minutes upon return to the room, then the alarm was going off at 0700. That wasn't fun, I can promise you all that much! After de-rancification and bag sorting, it was off to Sainsburys for some breakfast supplies before heading to Dingwall Road, the other side of East Croydon station. The morning's main move was the 0825 X26 to Heathrow, as BT was in need of track out there, and we both wanted to cover the route.
BN12 EOS, a Merecedes Citaro, takes us on the long journey but it's rather good fun aboard this thrashy beast. We arrive at 1020 into Heathrow Central Bus Station, then make the long trek to Terminals 1,2,3 [yes I know T1 is gone now - Ed] for a trip to Terminal 4 aboard 360203. It's a long turnaround here, so we go for the Piccadilly line from here next. It's not marked on any signs, in the lifts or anywhere else, so we end up riding up and down a couple of times before we end up asking someone. Right to the other end of the terminal and into those lifts, and if you didn't know that even the big yellow signs here don't point it out until you get near the lift. I'm sorry but for the UK's busiest airport that's disgraceful.
We've not had coffee yet, so when we discover the shop by the Piccadilly line platform sells coffee for £1.29 we can't resist! Not bad stuff to be fair as well. Double winners for everything
233+232 take us around the loop to Hatton Cross, where we finish our coffees before joining dud 119 with winner
224 back around the loop through T4, as BT needed the last bit of the loop. At T123 again, it's only a short wait for double winners for everything
180+231 for the short trip to T5. Getting over to the Heathrow Express platforms takes longer than I remembered, but we join double winners
332008+332005 for the short trip to T123. This was my first use of 332s in years, wow the refurb is quite nice! All the track done here now, we decide to pay out the extra ching for a Connect single to Hayes and Harlington. It's super chingy, that's for sure, and it's a fair ol' fester, but we're eventually heading for daylight again on 360203.
I still can't be sure what's what with the Stockley Flyovers at Airport Junction, but I might well have scored a new bit of track now too! We bail for something more interesting, and end up on 165116 which joins the League of Super Duds for the run to Paddington. Hassaanhc joins us now and this Turbo is certainly more fun than the 360! Once at Paddington we make our way to the Bakerloo line, as hot as always, and despite the recent long closure it's no tidier down here than it was before! Dud 3237 led winner for everything
3449 for our trip to Oxford Circus, and the first Victoria line train north was dud so we wait for the next one shortly behind. Happy days, as it was double winners
11051+11052 for the fast trip to Finsbury Park!
We split ways for now with hassanhc as we're heading out of the zones, but first we visit the little shop just outside the station [Station News I believe - Ed] and source some drinks and snacks, it having been some time since the last food or drink and a long time until we get another opportunity to get some. Back on the station, dud 365511 takes us to Letchworth Garden City, the aim being to score Hitchin Flyover. This is also BT's first 365 bash, and he seemed rather impressed. The track did indeed produce, and wow doesn't it go a long way out and around with several curves to get back to the Cambridge line! The day's first winner shack scored now, and it's a fester with moves planning now for 20 minutes.
313050+313045 work the 1450 Letchworth Garden City to Moorgate, and naturally we get in a motor coach for the noise, 313045 now becoming a Super Dud. We go via Hertford North on this, a winner route for BT, and the thrash is great but I'm also glad to get to the end of the run for a leg stretch. All GN 313 territory covered on the class now too, and we meet up again with hassanhc at Finsbury Park on this move. Having got gen earlier on my last GN 313, we do a BSB back to Old Street on 313057+313055 and fester for 20 minutes. The Danger Music was now playing, but eventually winner
313035 rolls in with dud 313056 on the back. It might be a BSB but it's in the book now at long last, no more need to hunt 313/0s, oh happy days!
It's time to achieve another objective next, get a good run on a D stock. Double winners for everything
21029+21030 take us on a BSB to Liverpool Street for double duds 21485+21486 [dud from the previous London bash I believe - Ed] for the short trip to Tower Hill. Deckchair Mode, engaged! The fester was for only 8 minutes in the end, and we join double winners
7504+7079 all the way to Richmond as BT needed that branch of the District. It was a cracking 43 minute run as it turned out, and we see off hassanhc here as he went chasing an unusual working of a London double decker [you'd have to ask him which one - Ed] which he missed and ended up with him doing an S stock bash.
Meanwhile, BT realised he needed part of the Overground network from Richmond, so we went to join 378201. However, I noticed Puccinos is in a new location here and BT agreed to make his first visit to a Puccinos, having heard me wax lyrical about them in the past. Thankfully he's quite pleased with his coffee and is slowly becoming a fan too! We then go and join dud 378208 for the long run to Highbury & Islington, which then completed the North London Line for BT. It's a sloooooow journey and I'm glad we sourced a hot beverage for it! We're also more than glad to have bailed here, as the 378 became very busy indeed, with people being left behind for the remaining run to Stratford. I dread to think how it would have been on 4-car 378201 earlier!
Down to the Victoria line and it's double duds 11057+11058 to Victoria on another nice and fast run. 11 minutes is all it took to cover quite a bit of mileage, always impressed with the performance on this, my favourite LU line. It's now more than overdue for a meal, so we visit Burger King for a most delicious feast before joining dud 465152 and winner
466003 to Beckenham Junction. We had considered using Southern Failway to Croydon, however they were undergoing the usual delays, cancellations and general horridness, so Southeastern was an easy choice! The noise off the 466 was more than welcome too, oh my don't I love a good Networker bash!
Winner tram
2554 is next up to take us to East Croydon, and oh my goodness me, how uncomfortable did they want to make these seats?! By the time we eventually get off the pile of junk 21 minutes later, we were more than glad to be off it. I feel sorry for the poor souls who have to use these regularly! It's now back to base and a general wind down after a most enjoyable day, despite being tired for much of it. 17 winners today too, most decent considering it wasn't a pure red pen moves day!