Tuesday 16th August - Another One Bites the Dust
I could not find a suitable album for musical references for the next group of KJ wanderings but I’m sure that various tracks from Queen’s wide repertoire will more than suffice. As is becoming customary for August, I tend to have a larger number than normal of trips out on the rails. Work’s quiet, Mrs KJ cannot secure leave, Virgin hold silly seat sales etc. etc. so why stay at home? This will be the first of four trips that I’m doing courtesy of Mr Branson’s largesse.
The alarm awoke me from my slumbers at silly O’ clock and within 20 minutes I was ready to leave home and head for the Northern Line. 1995ts 51570+51571 was the first train north and while it was a repeat from last Sunday, I did not want to waste any time so off we went. Using the time-saving cross platform swap at Stockwell, I was soon moving again with 11033+11034, bailing as might be expected at Euston. Going upstairs, I was confronted by the normal sea of Pendolinos but would there be any requirements amongst them and more importantly, would the Railway Gods ensure that I had something decent on my booked train. Most definitely so as the Gods had determined that 390126 was appropriate traction for my journey northwards. Winner number one of the day without even trying. Only seven Pendolinos left to get and they are all 390/1s. I had no real plan for the day but had considered either shack bashing on the Barrow-in-Furness line or trying to get odds and ends of track. My track needs in the North West comprise six distinct bits but they cannot be all done in one day unless you are starting out in Cheshire at some ungodly hour. Nah, I’ll do them in at least two shifts. My Northern DMU requirements comprised 3*153, 2*156 (and both Heaton) and 2*158 so the chances of scoring in the North West were remote so I thought that a combination of shacks with a little track thrown in would definitely be the best.
When the West Coast is working properly, then you are guaranteed some decent runs and today was one of those. Winning 390126 put in an exemplary performance and recorded a four-minute early arrival in Crewe. I had about half an hour before my next train and as ever, there’s always something to look at while waiting at Crewe, even if it’s an EMT 153 or and Arriva 175. My next train out appeared on time with 390157 which was dud but I could not waste any time waiting for a mileage requirement or even a winner. I opted to bail at Wigan as there was a Transpennine 350 right behind – that was 350407 and also dud but I was not in the mood for hanging around so I jumped on board to Preston.
Now, to aim for the Furness line with a conveniently placed loco-hauled train. Yes, you’ve guessed it. I am aiming for the infamous 10:04 off Preston which starts out with 20 of miles of pure tractor thrash along the West Coast. I left 350407 behind and wandered over to 37403 – this was to be my first encounter with this loco since 6th April 1998 when I had it from Newport to Cardiff. Then it was in BR green with Ben Cruachan nameplates whereas today it sports a nice retro large logo blue livery and Isle of Mull ‘plates. Leaving a couple of minutes late, the run along the West Coast Main Line did not disappoint. I was aiming for somewhere like Dalston as all the Furness line shacks west of Carnforth were required with the exception of Grange-over-Sands. But as we left Carnforth, my plans were set to change. My mate who has access to the Magic Box e-mailed me with the gen on my Northern 153s and 156s. One of the 156s was accessible and if it stuck to diagram, so was one of my 153s. “Quick. Abandon Ship!” In reality this meant bailing at the next stop, Silverdale (shack scratch, thankfully).
Using the barrow crossing to switch platforms, I grabbed a couple of shots of 37403 before it powered away. Minutes later a dud 156444 came in from Barrow-in-Furness and I jumped on board for the run to Lancaster. At Lancaster, it was a simple cross-platform transfer onto 350405 to Preston. I now had about half an hour to get to Chorley for my 156. 142057+150273 were heading that way so I leapt aboard and then while interrogating RTT about the 156’s working, I noticed that I could do an intermediate leap at Buckshaw Parkway – shack scratch time! 150273 was deficient in the mileage stakes but by the time we parted company at Buckshaw Parkway, I was able to offer 150273 membership of the Ten Mile Club. A ten-minute wait ensued before 185119+185150 materialised. 185119 was interesting as this immediately became the target of recruitment to the Ten Mile Club and the short run to Chorley would permit a successful application! It was a theoretical +2 at Chorley but my target 156 and its train were five down. That extra time allowed me to comfortably switch platforms rather than it being a mad dash. If anyone is contemplating using Chorley at the moment, the station is like a building site with the Preston-bound platform being a temporary structure in the car park!
With another shack scored, I had a few minutes to wait before 156448+156459. As they say, “Another One Bites the Dust” (or in this case two) – 156448 and 156459 both winners leaving just 156490 to clear Northern’s 156 fleet. I originally thought that 156459 was simply a long term absentee fro The Haulage Book but a spot of inaccurate copying of data from the notebook meant that 156459 turned out be a winner too. The train was full of day trippers heading for Blackpool but for me I was off at Preston where our arrival coincided with 350409. “Better go and grab that” I thought, “It’s my last 350/4!” Winning 350409 was equally packed, heading for the tourist hotspot of Manchester Airport but a winner is a winner so I squashed on for the run down to Wigan North Western. There was a bit of a wait for something back to Preston but when it did appear, it was dud 390016. I was not in the mood for hanging around for a match with the wants list so jumped on.
And was I pleased that I did so, as within minutes of arriving at Preston, it was a case of “Another One Bites the Dust” because rolling in on platform 1 was winning 158794 (one of two required Northern 158s) on a York to Blackpool working. I switch platforms swiftly and eagerly got onto 158794 for the run out onto the Fylde Peninsula. Poulton Le Fylde was the next stop and with 158794 well and truly red-penned by then, and successfully enrolled in the Ten Mile Club, I bailed. There was a short wait before 158759 appeared to return me to Preston. Now I needed to get to Lancaster to meet up with a winning Skateboard. Just missing a Pendolino – which was dud – I did not know what was up behind. I was pleasantly surprised when winning 221117 rolled in. OK, I’m no fan of the so-called Vomit Comets but a line in the book is a line in the book as they say.
20 odd miles later and I’d had enough of 221117 and bailed at Lancaster. What should greet me in the bay platforms? A winning 153 that had just worked over from Leeds but it was not going anywhere for an hour or so I leapt aboard 150224 which was performing the next Morecambe shuttle. Knowing that I’d be heading down the Morecambe branch again in a wee while, I opted to bail at Bare Lane and bag the shack. Nothing of note here save for a level crossing and a couple of shops. At the station was a rack containing some interesting leaflets promoting walks in the area based around the local railways. Perhaps something to consider in the future with Mrs KJ? Thankfully it was not long before 150224 reappeared and I boarded, going back to Lancaster. I flagged 150224 on its next run which was heading back to Leeds via Morecambe and PSUL move via the north curve from Bare Lane to Hest Bank even though I needed the track. Instead, I chose to enjoy the delights of Lancaster for a further 20 minutes as my winning 153 was due to work up to Morecambe.
To kill time, I took a little wander around the immediate environs of the station and came across an information board telling us that Lancaster was the home town of one Thomas Edmondson – yes, he of railway ticket fame! What’s more, unlike many of that era, Thomas patented his machines so ensuring that he died a wealthy man. Back at Lancaster, there was less than five minutes to go before my 153 was due to depart and no signs of the crew. Was the train going to be caped and me end up losing out on a winner? And should I have played safe and suffered 150224 on the PSUL move (required track)? Then as if by magic, the train crew appeared, opened up the 153 and we were off to Morecambe! 153307 was in the book and the red pen was duly exercised. This time, instead of bailing at Bare Lane, I was through to the end of the line and technically getting a shack score as well on account of last time I visited this particular town, Morecambe station was about ¼ of a mile closer to the seafront. The four-minute turnaround at Morecambe allowed me to grab a couple of quick shots before we returned to Lancaster aboard 153307 again. At Lancaster 153307 dropped onto another 153 which was dud so my interest waned.
Instead I thought about making my way south on what ever happened to show up. First up was 390129. “Pendo Winner!” I jumped aboard and took my seat in coach U and got my red pen out of my bag yet again. By the time we had reached Preston, 390129 had been well and truly red-penned and also cleared for 10 miles so it was time to bail. What next. There was nothing of interest on the haulage front but I had identified a shack scoring move so made for 150136+150210 which were heading south. A few minutes later I was bailing at Leyland and red-penning the shack. It was not long before 319366 appeared to allow me to continue southwards to Wigan. 319366 was once a regular in The Haulage Book but since its migration to northern climes, it along with most of the 319/3s have been conspicuously absent. Bailing at Wigan North Western, I theoretically had a 15-20-minute wait for the next train back to The Smoke. But the station announcer was warbling on about late running services and within a few minutes 390134 showed up. I jumped aboard and soon discovered that this was in fact the previous train, some 45-50 minutes late. But I was comfortable on this half-empty train so I sat back and relaxed. We had additional stops at Crewe because folk had missed connections to Birmingham for the last train to the West Country and at Milton Keynes for the buffet car crew who had to work back north so the eventual arrival into Euston was only a few minutes shy of being an hour late. But as I was not delayed, I was not entitled to any delay repay!
It fell to 2009ts 11055+11056 to take me down to Stockwell where I swapped to the Northern Line and 1995ts 51577+51578 for the run to Morden and home. I looked back over the day and started to pat myself on the back. Seven winners in territory where winners are not easy to come by was no mean feat and seven more units eligible for membership of the Ten Mile Club. Throw in five new shacks and I was not complaining. OK the original plans for shack grabbing on the Furness line had to go out of the window thanks to 156448 but that’s bashing for you! Roll on the next trip.
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