47403
Established Member
To say works been a nightmare is understating things a bit but trust me I won't bore you with it neither. Needless to say, I got a few days off together, so decided I'm getting out the way for the day. Hence the hashtag, for those of you twitter folk.
I had a choice of 2, trips out I really fancied get stuck into 1st option - was either and North East Round Robin with a move out to Sheffield added. The hope was to get some VTEC HST winners for haulage or get some of the Blunts into the bargain too. I was also hoping I could hopefully tie up a few loose ends regarding, the 3 NL units I'm after for sight(1x 144, 2x 333s), as well as trying to pick up some required GB sheds on Roberts Road or knocking round Doncaster, whilst on the way to Sheffield , where the aim was to see if I could put a bigger dint in the Cities trams sightings, as well as trying to bump out a couple more of the Meridians and EMT 158's I need for sight too.
Option 2 - Was a Cumbrian Day Ranger with a Wigan add on. A certain 37, working the Cumbrian Coast turn was much needed, plus hopefully strike off that last Pendeoino. At both Preston and Wigan, there's the chance of striking off some of my single figured requirements among NH's 142s and 150's, also there's a gap filler, that needs plugging, a rather annoying AN based Northern 156, also needed for sight, with the added bonus of a chance to rake in a few more 319's. The downside to this was getting up at silly o'clock to catch the 06.46 to Carlisle, did I really want to get up at 05.00 on my day off.
I pondered the moves over the course of the week and even up to the night before, I was still uncertain of which way I was going. In truth and this may come as a shock to young Quinn, I'm sick of the sight of zings and blunts, so I thought sod it, I may have to get up at silly o'clock but I'm going West. The plan was, get the 06.46 to Carlisle, at least it's a Jock Rail 156, could it be my errant Jock Rail 15645?, I wasn't holding my breath on that one, get to Carlisle and see which 37 is on the 2C40, 08.42 to Barrow, if its not the one I'm looking for then, it's onboard the 08.49 to Preston to catch the 2C47, 10.04 to Barrow, that way I'll have seen which 2 loco's were working, with a bit luck I'd snaffle a certain 37.
The morning starts, well quite frankly, bloody frantically, I over slept by half an hour. In short its ablutions, bag packed, flask prepared, phone and charger and out and into a taxi by 06.15. Outside Central, I have a ciggy and then go for my tickets and walk over to the far platform to see what chariot awaits. I walk onto the platform and there's a gleaming spotty Jock Rail 156 sat there, what's more, its winner 156509, I'll have that, thank you. The doors are unlocked and it's gleaming inside too. I get a table seat to myself and get ready to enjoy the 156 working its guts out over the Tyne Valley, as usual it didn't disappoint. A bang on time arrival, in fact, we were a few early and were held outside Carlisle, waiting for a path.
There's a few of the local cranks out today, which normally means 2 things a) they're expecting a busy morning or b) nowt else better to be doing in Carlisle at 08.15. However I digress, I get a bacon sarnie at pumpkin and wander over the bridge, pop into Smith's to see if Kites mate, Jacqui is in, I didn't really I went outside for a quick ciggy and then whizzed back over the bridge and walked to the south end of platform 3 to await the arrival of the 2C40.
5 mins later, a large logo 37 came off the Barrow line, would it be 37401, 402 or 403? Result 37403, thus meaning I didn't have to go looking for it now. I quickly jumped aboard the coach nearest the loco and settled in for a journey to Maryport, where I had a +5 onto a unit from Whitehaven back, single platform too, no hassles crossing bridges etc and basically unless we failed, the unit wouldn't be in ahead of me, a win win situation. Winner 37403 errr trundled out of Carlisle in a very sedate fashion, I'm not knocking 37 haulage in this day and age, not by any of the stretch of the imagination but what have they done to the refurbed 37401, 37402 and 37403, have they put mufflers on them, they don't seem to be the same loco's, this rather resplendent beast pushing this working, should be growling it's arse off at every given opportunity, the only bit of thrash I had was out of Wigton. Still its 37 haulage and I won't overly criticise. I bail all too soon at Maryport, waving goodbye to 37403
I had time for a quick ciggy in the adjoining car park at Maryport Station, I had my fingers crossed, it wasn't one of Northern's bouncing bombs(142), I was certainly pleased when AN based and winner 156471 rolled in to take me back to Carlisle, 3 out of 3 on the winners front, so far, so good and one of my objectives cleared to boot.
Back at Carlisle, I await the next pendo, for a move down to Lancaster, where I may go to Silverdale for a move past Carnforth Depot but that depends on what's going that way, whatever it is, it'll be in the bay when I arrive there. A bouncing bomb can bugger off but a required 156, would sway it. I'm also, more than keen to get to Preston, to hunt out some, if indeed there is any, NH 142s and 150s I require for sight and hope and pray that errant Northern 156 is kicking round.
A quick ciggy break, I've got quarter of an hour spare, I walk onto the platform and a couple of minutes after and I'm rewarded with winner number 4as 390011 rolls in. I clamber on board coach C and get a decent table seat that you can actually see out the window of, it's reserved from Lancaster but I'm getting off there anyway. I go in my bag for my power bank, to it up for later in the day and realise its not there and one of the side pockets of my bag is wide open. The words bollocks and a few more unsavoury words are said under my breath, I put my phone on to charge instead and ring my flat mate, unfortunately and fortunately, my power bank is on the kitchen bench at home, at least I hadn't lost it, which was my original fear.
I bail at Lancaster and there's a 156 in the bay, however it's total mega dud 156451, so I flag Carnforth, the next pendo's about half an hour away but there's a Northern working from Barrow to Preston in about 10mins, so I elect to get that that instead, a quick butchers at RTT reveals sprinters, so I assume 156. Fine by me.
Double duds, all good things come to an end, 156425 & 156484 will take me to Lancaster, I climb in the back portion of 156484, where its relatively empty and get a table seat. Unfortunately an elder woman and an a slightly elderly gentleman, are sat a few seats down from me and it soon becomes apparent the have a few issues, the woman has seemingly got Tourette's, she keeps involuntarily volleying out a fair few industrial words, the older guy, keeps telling her to be quiet and this makes her worse, so he moves seats. Her phone rings and this seems to make her worse. Eventually she quietens down but every 5mins she shouts, Ernie I love you, the guy just replies with, ok love. I try and ignore them but two old dears opposite seem a bit perplexed by it all.
After a rather eventful journey I bail at Preston, where I decide its ciggy time, Christ on a bike, there's RPI's everywhere, Is Preston synonymous with fare dodging? I return about 10mins later, showing my Rover ticket via a myriad of RPI's. After a good hour or so and with no sign of the aforementioned NH based 142s and 150s, the errant 156 and pendo, I decide to bail for Wigan North Western via the Liverpool bound 319s. I waltz over the bridge towards Platform 2, to find yet more RPI's, showing my ticket to Wigan and I'm allowed to pass. Whist waiting for said 319, 150118 arrives on platform 1 with one of the required NH 150s in tow, 150273 which certainly pleased me. Shortly after I climb aboard winner 319369 and get a seat in the motor coach for a bit of 319 noise, not that there was a great deal but as wer'e leaving a 142 passed, I got the side number 55708, sure that's 142058, I'm sure I need that one, I tell myself, I check my NREA and sure enough it was cop, 142058, wow 2 cops and a winner 319, in roughly 2 minutes. Pleased wasn't the word, inroads at last.
Bailing at Wigan, I got the number of another 319 parked in the opposite platform before going through the underpass up onto the south departing platforms , I walked down to the bay platform, past a pint glass full of puke, fermenting in the afternoon sun and stood pretty much as far away from it as possible, at the very end of said platform, so I could see what was going down into Wallgate station. After roughly 45mins of, will it or won't it, nothing required showed it's face, so after 66082 with a bin liner train going via Wallgate station, I decided to appease my stomach, it was basically playing a drum solo of it's own. So I wandered off the station in order to find some sustenance. About a 100yds away and opposite what I assumed to be the heavily boarded up front entrance of Wallgate Station. There was a Bakers by the name of Galloway's, plentiful tasty looking options on show too, it'd have been a crap bakers without I suppose but the hot pot pies, sounded inviting fare but cheese n bacon slices won the day, I got 3 for £4.50, which seems a princely sum but trust me folks, they were worth every penny. For the record, there was a newsagents next door and a café, next door to that, so if you were in need of pastries, a paper or ciggies and a coffee, then this is just perfect, without having to wander too far off the beaten track.
I returned back to the station, had a ciggy and returned to my vantage point of before, passing the pint of puke, which had now gathered a few flies and after pouring myself a coffee from the flask, devoured my chessey bacon and pastry feast. Delicious they were too, if I was being hyper critical, maybe a little salty but no doubt that was the bacon. A good hour passed without gaining anymore requirements, so I packed up and made for the next 319 back to Preston. Winner 319368, took me back up to Preston, where I was desperate for a hot cup of coffee, my flask was now empty and diet coke wasn't hitting the desired spot. So after bailing at Preston, passing through immigration, erm sorry, I meant the RPI's, I went straight over to Ritazza and ordered a large Cappuccino, scoured the platforms but no winners, however it was getting to peak, so hope sprang eternal.
It was ciggy time again and one thing about not being able to smoke in public places, you invariably get talking to like minded folk, today it was a Spanish guy, who was frantically looking for his lighter, until I offered him to borrow mine. Afterwards he said, excuse me, could you do me a favour and handed me his phone, I said, depends what you want me to do, I'm not ringing your mother am I, he laughed and pointed to the traditional English telephone boxes, will you take my photo in one of those, I'm Spanish and would like a photo in one. I just burst out laughing and said, ok. Now I dunno if I fell asleep and woke up looking like David Bailey, I must check in the mirror but this is getting to be a bit of a recurring theme. I gladly said ok. I had to get a pic of said fellow, standing there with the phone receiver in his hand, showing him standing there. afterwards he seemed happy enough and said gracias, to which I replied ,de nada. You speak Spanish?, a little I said, Dora the Explorer, my daughter loved it as a kid, ah yeah I know of Dora before laughing, plus my mother lives out there, so I know a little. We bade Adios, he went to wherever and I went in hunt of some requirements.
I saw on the boards there was a train off to Ormskirk, now last time I was here, returning home from Blackpool I ensnared a NH 142 on that, so I made my way to the south end bay, where it would leave from, it wasn't a 142 this time but my hunch was right and I copped none other than 150110, thank you, that'll do just nicely. 66301 then rolled through on rake of ballast hoppers before 142043 rolled in, I wasn't sure if that was required or not, so I sought my NREA out the bag, it wasn't but the git was book ended by 042 and 044 that were. The agony didn't last long as 150135 rolled in with cop 150145 on the rear. Get in.
I was going to do that Silverdale move, had the 185 been a winner, unfortunately 185110 was a complete dud, so remained on the platform, just as well too because 150146 rolled in on platform 2, just as it left, phew that was lucky. I was now thinking of moving northwards and would wait for a winning pendo. 390114 was flagged but had 390107 been going North instead of South, I'd have been on that and outta there. A pair of 156's off to Blackpool came in the same platform after 390114 left, 156488 and hold on, jeez it's 156420, whey hey I've got you at last you annoying little git. Gap filler 2 accomplished. I had a smile as wide as the Tyne.
I waited for the next pendo, my phone was running on fumes now, it needed charging big style. So when winner 390138 turned up, I and half of Preston Station got on, no chance to charge the phone, so I made the decision to bail at Lancaster and wait for another to follow behind for what turned out to be the penultimate move of the day, the plan was to get to Carlisle and go out to meet the 2C47 at some station, likely Maryport again, however as I stood on Lancaster my move was about 10 down, what's more I was worried, when the announcer said, Virgin trains operated service to Edinburgh, normally they say, 9 or 10 coach pedolino, please god not a bloody pair of voyagers, I was heartened to see a pendo coming into the station, I waked up towards coach C, I was happy to see it was a winning pendo too but not just any Pendo but none other than ALL ROUND winner and LAST pendo needed for sight 390136. Get the fluff in, I said rather industrially under my breath to myself.
I got myself a table seat, put my phone on charge and basked in the glory, I'd successfully achieved what I set out to do, get 37403 for haulage, made inroads, albeit not big ones, on them required NH 142s and 150s, got my last Northern 156 and at the death cleared my pendo's for sight. What could go possibly wrong.
Well firstly I missed my connection for the 2C47, firstly we were late in, I went for a ciggy and misread the departure board, thus meaning as I walked back over the bridge, said unit, which was dud 156451, was departing, no worries though, it was a returning 37403. I then decided, rather than wait freezing my extremities off, at a very quiet Carlisle station, I'd get the 19.38 back home. I'd rang my flatmate, to tell him to warm the curry and mushroom and onion pilau rice, I'd made the night before and I'd call and get some onion bhaji's and nan breads at the local tandoori and be in for half 9. I was now about ready to eat at horse. I stood awaiting the 19.38 Carlisle to Middlesbrough to turn up. Imagine my horror on seeing a bouncing bomb come down the platform towards me, a dud bouncing bomb too. 142078, I wasn't hanging round for another 90 minutes, for a dud 156, even it was a 100 times more appealing. I bit the bullet, I was raging, last move of the day on this tin can. I mean, who the hell diagrams one of these on a journey that far, whoever it is, is having a laugh. I tweeted Northern and asked, when indeed the 142s would be turned into razor blades, I'm reliably informed by 2019, I hoped it was the time that day, sadly it was the year though.
142078 bounced along, so I transferred my sightings from Dictaphone to notebook and by Hexham it was done and I nodded off till we arrived at the Metrocentre. Arriving into town around 21.00, I note down that 67030 is the thunderbird and walk out the station, ring the Tandoori and make my order, jump in a taxi. As I'm walking down the street towards the house, 66124 passes on the Mossend to Tees intermodal and just before half 9, I'm tucking into my tea. ALL bar the last move, it's been a very productive day. A case of Mission Accomplished.
Scores on the doors
total cops - 7
winners for haulage - 8
I had a choice of 2, trips out I really fancied get stuck into 1st option - was either and North East Round Robin with a move out to Sheffield added. The hope was to get some VTEC HST winners for haulage or get some of the Blunts into the bargain too. I was also hoping I could hopefully tie up a few loose ends regarding, the 3 NL units I'm after for sight(1x 144, 2x 333s), as well as trying to pick up some required GB sheds on Roberts Road or knocking round Doncaster, whilst on the way to Sheffield , where the aim was to see if I could put a bigger dint in the Cities trams sightings, as well as trying to bump out a couple more of the Meridians and EMT 158's I need for sight too.
Option 2 - Was a Cumbrian Day Ranger with a Wigan add on. A certain 37, working the Cumbrian Coast turn was much needed, plus hopefully strike off that last Pendeoino. At both Preston and Wigan, there's the chance of striking off some of my single figured requirements among NH's 142s and 150's, also there's a gap filler, that needs plugging, a rather annoying AN based Northern 156, also needed for sight, with the added bonus of a chance to rake in a few more 319's. The downside to this was getting up at silly o'clock to catch the 06.46 to Carlisle, did I really want to get up at 05.00 on my day off.
I pondered the moves over the course of the week and even up to the night before, I was still uncertain of which way I was going. In truth and this may come as a shock to young Quinn, I'm sick of the sight of zings and blunts, so I thought sod it, I may have to get up at silly o'clock but I'm going West. The plan was, get the 06.46 to Carlisle, at least it's a Jock Rail 156, could it be my errant Jock Rail 15645?, I wasn't holding my breath on that one, get to Carlisle and see which 37 is on the 2C40, 08.42 to Barrow, if its not the one I'm looking for then, it's onboard the 08.49 to Preston to catch the 2C47, 10.04 to Barrow, that way I'll have seen which 2 loco's were working, with a bit luck I'd snaffle a certain 37.
The morning starts, well quite frankly, bloody frantically, I over slept by half an hour. In short its ablutions, bag packed, flask prepared, phone and charger and out and into a taxi by 06.15. Outside Central, I have a ciggy and then go for my tickets and walk over to the far platform to see what chariot awaits. I walk onto the platform and there's a gleaming spotty Jock Rail 156 sat there, what's more, its winner 156509, I'll have that, thank you. The doors are unlocked and it's gleaming inside too. I get a table seat to myself and get ready to enjoy the 156 working its guts out over the Tyne Valley, as usual it didn't disappoint. A bang on time arrival, in fact, we were a few early and were held outside Carlisle, waiting for a path.
There's a few of the local cranks out today, which normally means 2 things a) they're expecting a busy morning or b) nowt else better to be doing in Carlisle at 08.15. However I digress, I get a bacon sarnie at pumpkin and wander over the bridge, pop into Smith's to see if Kites mate, Jacqui is in, I didn't really I went outside for a quick ciggy and then whizzed back over the bridge and walked to the south end of platform 3 to await the arrival of the 2C40.
5 mins later, a large logo 37 came off the Barrow line, would it be 37401, 402 or 403? Result 37403, thus meaning I didn't have to go looking for it now. I quickly jumped aboard the coach nearest the loco and settled in for a journey to Maryport, where I had a +5 onto a unit from Whitehaven back, single platform too, no hassles crossing bridges etc and basically unless we failed, the unit wouldn't be in ahead of me, a win win situation. Winner 37403 errr trundled out of Carlisle in a very sedate fashion, I'm not knocking 37 haulage in this day and age, not by any of the stretch of the imagination but what have they done to the refurbed 37401, 37402 and 37403, have they put mufflers on them, they don't seem to be the same loco's, this rather resplendent beast pushing this working, should be growling it's arse off at every given opportunity, the only bit of thrash I had was out of Wigton. Still its 37 haulage and I won't overly criticise. I bail all too soon at Maryport, waving goodbye to 37403
I had time for a quick ciggy in the adjoining car park at Maryport Station, I had my fingers crossed, it wasn't one of Northern's bouncing bombs(142), I was certainly pleased when AN based and winner 156471 rolled in to take me back to Carlisle, 3 out of 3 on the winners front, so far, so good and one of my objectives cleared to boot.
Back at Carlisle, I await the next pendo, for a move down to Lancaster, where I may go to Silverdale for a move past Carnforth Depot but that depends on what's going that way, whatever it is, it'll be in the bay when I arrive there. A bouncing bomb can bugger off but a required 156, would sway it. I'm also, more than keen to get to Preston, to hunt out some, if indeed there is any, NH 142s and 150s I require for sight and hope and pray that errant Northern 156 is kicking round.
A quick ciggy break, I've got quarter of an hour spare, I walk onto the platform and a couple of minutes after and I'm rewarded with winner number 4as 390011 rolls in. I clamber on board coach C and get a decent table seat that you can actually see out the window of, it's reserved from Lancaster but I'm getting off there anyway. I go in my bag for my power bank, to it up for later in the day and realise its not there and one of the side pockets of my bag is wide open. The words bollocks and a few more unsavoury words are said under my breath, I put my phone on to charge instead and ring my flat mate, unfortunately and fortunately, my power bank is on the kitchen bench at home, at least I hadn't lost it, which was my original fear.
I bail at Lancaster and there's a 156 in the bay, however it's total mega dud 156451, so I flag Carnforth, the next pendo's about half an hour away but there's a Northern working from Barrow to Preston in about 10mins, so I elect to get that that instead, a quick butchers at RTT reveals sprinters, so I assume 156. Fine by me.
Double duds, all good things come to an end, 156425 & 156484 will take me to Lancaster, I climb in the back portion of 156484, where its relatively empty and get a table seat. Unfortunately an elder woman and an a slightly elderly gentleman, are sat a few seats down from me and it soon becomes apparent the have a few issues, the woman has seemingly got Tourette's, she keeps involuntarily volleying out a fair few industrial words, the older guy, keeps telling her to be quiet and this makes her worse, so he moves seats. Her phone rings and this seems to make her worse. Eventually she quietens down but every 5mins she shouts, Ernie I love you, the guy just replies with, ok love. I try and ignore them but two old dears opposite seem a bit perplexed by it all.
After a rather eventful journey I bail at Preston, where I decide its ciggy time, Christ on a bike, there's RPI's everywhere, Is Preston synonymous with fare dodging? I return about 10mins later, showing my Rover ticket via a myriad of RPI's. After a good hour or so and with no sign of the aforementioned NH based 142s and 150s, the errant 156 and pendo, I decide to bail for Wigan North Western via the Liverpool bound 319s. I waltz over the bridge towards Platform 2, to find yet more RPI's, showing my ticket to Wigan and I'm allowed to pass. Whist waiting for said 319, 150118 arrives on platform 1 with one of the required NH 150s in tow, 150273 which certainly pleased me. Shortly after I climb aboard winner 319369 and get a seat in the motor coach for a bit of 319 noise, not that there was a great deal but as wer'e leaving a 142 passed, I got the side number 55708, sure that's 142058, I'm sure I need that one, I tell myself, I check my NREA and sure enough it was cop, 142058, wow 2 cops and a winner 319, in roughly 2 minutes. Pleased wasn't the word, inroads at last.
Bailing at Wigan, I got the number of another 319 parked in the opposite platform before going through the underpass up onto the south departing platforms , I walked down to the bay platform, past a pint glass full of puke, fermenting in the afternoon sun and stood pretty much as far away from it as possible, at the very end of said platform, so I could see what was going down into Wallgate station. After roughly 45mins of, will it or won't it, nothing required showed it's face, so after 66082 with a bin liner train going via Wallgate station, I decided to appease my stomach, it was basically playing a drum solo of it's own. So I wandered off the station in order to find some sustenance. About a 100yds away and opposite what I assumed to be the heavily boarded up front entrance of Wallgate Station. There was a Bakers by the name of Galloway's, plentiful tasty looking options on show too, it'd have been a crap bakers without I suppose but the hot pot pies, sounded inviting fare but cheese n bacon slices won the day, I got 3 for £4.50, which seems a princely sum but trust me folks, they were worth every penny. For the record, there was a newsagents next door and a café, next door to that, so if you were in need of pastries, a paper or ciggies and a coffee, then this is just perfect, without having to wander too far off the beaten track.
I returned back to the station, had a ciggy and returned to my vantage point of before, passing the pint of puke, which had now gathered a few flies and after pouring myself a coffee from the flask, devoured my chessey bacon and pastry feast. Delicious they were too, if I was being hyper critical, maybe a little salty but no doubt that was the bacon. A good hour passed without gaining anymore requirements, so I packed up and made for the next 319 back to Preston. Winner 319368, took me back up to Preston, where I was desperate for a hot cup of coffee, my flask was now empty and diet coke wasn't hitting the desired spot. So after bailing at Preston, passing through immigration, erm sorry, I meant the RPI's, I went straight over to Ritazza and ordered a large Cappuccino, scoured the platforms but no winners, however it was getting to peak, so hope sprang eternal.
It was ciggy time again and one thing about not being able to smoke in public places, you invariably get talking to like minded folk, today it was a Spanish guy, who was frantically looking for his lighter, until I offered him to borrow mine. Afterwards he said, excuse me, could you do me a favour and handed me his phone, I said, depends what you want me to do, I'm not ringing your mother am I, he laughed and pointed to the traditional English telephone boxes, will you take my photo in one of those, I'm Spanish and would like a photo in one. I just burst out laughing and said, ok. Now I dunno if I fell asleep and woke up looking like David Bailey, I must check in the mirror but this is getting to be a bit of a recurring theme. I gladly said ok. I had to get a pic of said fellow, standing there with the phone receiver in his hand, showing him standing there. afterwards he seemed happy enough and said gracias, to which I replied ,de nada. You speak Spanish?, a little I said, Dora the Explorer, my daughter loved it as a kid, ah yeah I know of Dora before laughing, plus my mother lives out there, so I know a little. We bade Adios, he went to wherever and I went in hunt of some requirements.
I saw on the boards there was a train off to Ormskirk, now last time I was here, returning home from Blackpool I ensnared a NH 142 on that, so I made my way to the south end bay, where it would leave from, it wasn't a 142 this time but my hunch was right and I copped none other than 150110, thank you, that'll do just nicely. 66301 then rolled through on rake of ballast hoppers before 142043 rolled in, I wasn't sure if that was required or not, so I sought my NREA out the bag, it wasn't but the git was book ended by 042 and 044 that were. The agony didn't last long as 150135 rolled in with cop 150145 on the rear. Get in.
I was going to do that Silverdale move, had the 185 been a winner, unfortunately 185110 was a complete dud, so remained on the platform, just as well too because 150146 rolled in on platform 2, just as it left, phew that was lucky. I was now thinking of moving northwards and would wait for a winning pendo. 390114 was flagged but had 390107 been going North instead of South, I'd have been on that and outta there. A pair of 156's off to Blackpool came in the same platform after 390114 left, 156488 and hold on, jeez it's 156420, whey hey I've got you at last you annoying little git. Gap filler 2 accomplished. I had a smile as wide as the Tyne.
I waited for the next pendo, my phone was running on fumes now, it needed charging big style. So when winner 390138 turned up, I and half of Preston Station got on, no chance to charge the phone, so I made the decision to bail at Lancaster and wait for another to follow behind for what turned out to be the penultimate move of the day, the plan was to get to Carlisle and go out to meet the 2C47 at some station, likely Maryport again, however as I stood on Lancaster my move was about 10 down, what's more I was worried, when the announcer said, Virgin trains operated service to Edinburgh, normally they say, 9 or 10 coach pedolino, please god not a bloody pair of voyagers, I was heartened to see a pendo coming into the station, I waked up towards coach C, I was happy to see it was a winning pendo too but not just any Pendo but none other than ALL ROUND winner and LAST pendo needed for sight 390136. Get the fluff in, I said rather industrially under my breath to myself.
I got myself a table seat, put my phone on charge and basked in the glory, I'd successfully achieved what I set out to do, get 37403 for haulage, made inroads, albeit not big ones, on them required NH 142s and 150s, got my last Northern 156 and at the death cleared my pendo's for sight. What could go possibly wrong.
Well firstly I missed my connection for the 2C47, firstly we were late in, I went for a ciggy and misread the departure board, thus meaning as I walked back over the bridge, said unit, which was dud 156451, was departing, no worries though, it was a returning 37403. I then decided, rather than wait freezing my extremities off, at a very quiet Carlisle station, I'd get the 19.38 back home. I'd rang my flatmate, to tell him to warm the curry and mushroom and onion pilau rice, I'd made the night before and I'd call and get some onion bhaji's and nan breads at the local tandoori and be in for half 9. I was now about ready to eat at horse. I stood awaiting the 19.38 Carlisle to Middlesbrough to turn up. Imagine my horror on seeing a bouncing bomb come down the platform towards me, a dud bouncing bomb too. 142078, I wasn't hanging round for another 90 minutes, for a dud 156, even it was a 100 times more appealing. I bit the bullet, I was raging, last move of the day on this tin can. I mean, who the hell diagrams one of these on a journey that far, whoever it is, is having a laugh. I tweeted Northern and asked, when indeed the 142s would be turned into razor blades, I'm reliably informed by 2019, I hoped it was the time that day, sadly it was the year though.
142078 bounced along, so I transferred my sightings from Dictaphone to notebook and by Hexham it was done and I nodded off till we arrived at the Metrocentre. Arriving into town around 21.00, I note down that 67030 is the thunderbird and walk out the station, ring the Tandoori and make my order, jump in a taxi. As I'm walking down the street towards the house, 66124 passes on the Mossend to Tees intermodal and just before half 9, I'm tucking into my tea. ALL bar the last move, it's been a very productive day. A case of Mission Accomplished.
Scores on the doors
total cops - 7
winners for haulage - 8
Last edited:
! The immigration at Preston bit had me laughing, that's for sure. A highly successful day there - well done at getting 37403, clearing your Allerton 156s (I assume?) and, of course, getting 390136!
