My All Line Rover report

[James Wake]

Day 1: Monday 15th September
With my ALR and Y-P railcard in my pocket, I head off to Three Bridges for the 0622 to Clapham Junction. It arrives punctually from Havant via Worthing, but I didn't get the numbers in my notes. I then crossed over to Platform 10 to catch a train to London Waterloo, 8 car, led by 5738 (didn't see the rear unit), and arrive at Waterloo at 0703. I then cross to Platform 8, despite 30 mins until departure, the 0735 Weymouth is in and advertised, so I immediately board 444014 and take a seat in the front coach. This train is a single 444 all the way to Weymouth, the train fills up at Waterloo and Woking, but after Southampton is quite empty. I enjoy the views through the New Forest and Dorset, especially Poole Harbour, before alighting at Weymouth at 1034.
I then have a PNB and get some cash before waiting on platform 1 for the 1110 to Bristol Temple Meads, today formed of 150244, which I will take as far as Castle Cary. I enjoy the ride on the 150/2, despite the conductor having a long discussion with people who didn't have tickets and not enough money on them who were sitting opposite me. I alight at Castle Cary, a lovely peaceful station. Before 150244 departs, a HST heads through for Paddington. I await the down "Mayflower", the 1106 Paddington to Plymouth, it arrives on time led by 43022, and I board, surprised the Quiet Coach (A) is busy, but find a seat that is reserved, but the passenger has missed the train, so stay there until Exeter, then move into the window seat as the passenger next to me alights, and have a clear view out of the left of the Dawlish coastline, and take some good photos (but I don't know how to upload them off my home laptop, help please). I manage to get the paper side board off the staff member sorting the reservations as a souvenir. We arrive in Plymouth 5 mins early, so then head to Platform 3 for the 1454 to Gunnislake, pleased to find 150129 operating it, having been on this unit when it was with Silverlink and LOROL on the Gospel Oak-Barking line, and enjoy the ride up to Gunnislake and back, observing the two reversals at Bere Alston before arriving back at 1630. I then head for the Travelodge via McDonalds then retire for the night, watching plenty of TV. Day 2 to come soon.........

 

[Techniquest]

Finishing the day's travels at 1630?! Seems rather early that to me, I'd have kept going until at least 2030!

However it sounds like you've had a good time so far

 

[185143]

Finishing the day's travels at 1630?! Seems rather early that to me, I'd have kept going until at least 2030!

However it sounds like you've had a good time so far

Agreed! Although I would have finished with the Night Riviera!

 

[IanD]

Finishing the day's travels at 1630?! Seems rather early that to me, I'd have kept going until at least 2030!

However it sounds like you've had a good time so far

It was quite an early start so I can see the benefits of an early finish but I think I would made a longer day of it too. I do like to get my money's worth - but probably would have only travelled until darkness fell! Maybe taken a detour to Barnstaple/Paignton along the way. But hwo knows what the plan is for the rest of the trip - it'll be interesting to find out.

If the plan is to do Cornwall tomorrow then Plymouth is not a bad call for the overnight stop as I've not found it that easy to find cheap decent accommodation close to a station further west. I think St Austell travellodge is sometimes OK if you book far enough ahead but the one at Newquay can get expensive.

 

[James Wake]

The next day does go into Cornwall, looking back, regret not doing a run to Paignton, but may have had a 153 on the Gunnislake if I'd have done that later, the second part of the report, covering Tuesday 16th, will be written up later tonight.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I will write the post tomorrow (Tuesday), as the Forum logged me out whilst I was writing it, telling me to refresh the page and I lost everything, sorry everyone.

 

[Kite159]

Write the report into Word, at least if the forum decides to want to kick you out for inactivity you won't have lost it

 

[Techniquest]

Had that sort of thing happen many times with long posts, I always copy-paste a post if it's taken a while to do or just a massive reply. As a general rule I will use Word for trip reports as it just makes sense. When you lost the post it is a massive pain in the rear!

Looking forward to the rest of the trip report

 

[James Wake]

Day 2: Tuesday 16th September
I wake up at 8am to a nice view out of my hotel window and check myself out at 0825 before walking back to Plymouth station via Tesco on Duke Street to pick up some supplies. I am sad to leave Plymouth, as it is a fascinating city, but ready and excited to continue to Cornwall. I head into Plymouth station and kill half an hour before waiting for the 0921 to Penzance, formed of 150102, the train is busy, with a large exchange of passengers at Plymouth, but still leaves with only a few empty seats. I get one of my preferred seats and enjoy the ride over the Royal Albert Bridge into Cornwall, we stop at Saltash and St Germans in Cornwall, before I alight at Liskeard at 0951.
I cross the bridge and pass a Plymouth CityBus service 32 waiting to return back to Devon and come to the Looe platform to find 153333 in London Midland colours waiting to do the trip. I enjoyed the ride down to Looe, including the reversal at Coombe. At Looe, as there are so many people on the platform, I have to dart down the coach to the other end through the alighting passengers in order to secure my preferred seat. At Coombe, I change ends again, but stand by the door in order to get off quickly. We arrive back at Liskeard, and I cross the bridge again to await the 1113 service to Penzance, it arrives at 1111, formed of 150124. I again get a good seat and enjoy the ride through Bodmin Parkway, but just as we leave, I hear and then see a steam train of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, coming in, both drivers acknowledge each other, one whistle and one horn! Through Lostwithiel and into Par, where the Newquay train is waiting. I have 35 mins here, with the Merchant Venturer HST still due through before we leave.
I board 153377 before the HST arrives, it arrives in reverse formation, a few passengers change over, then we almost have to pull forward to the flat crossing for an elderly passenger to get on faster, the driver obtains the permission from the signaller, but it is not needed, the passenger is able to cross the bridge with help from her husband and the station staff. We set off on time, and I enjoy the ride to Newquay. As we arrive, I go down to the other end, put my bag down on the seat I want for the return journey, and offer to help the conductor get the two passengers off. By the time the conductor had done the doors and we had got back down there, the passengers had alighted themselves. I re-board for the journey back to Par.
I change there onto the 1400 Penzance service, formed of a HST (the 1006 from Paddington), with 43193 leading and 43148 trailing. Some American tourists who had arrived in Heathrow that morning asked me how to get to Newquay, I told them to cross the bridge and board the little train in Platform 3. I enjoy the ride down to Truro in a quieter quiet coach than the day before, and alight at 1426. Then the 1451 to Falmouth arrives, 150130, I was dreading having poor legroom on 153s again, but it is great, because I rode this unit when it worked the Gospel Oak to Barking line. I enjoyed the ride to Falmouth Docks and back, a pair of 153s were on the other train, so I got lucky, and alight back at Truro at 1547. I now have 40 mins until the Royal Duchy, the 1626 to Penzance (1206 from Paddington), today formed of 43147 and 43136. I end up holding the doors and pulling suitcases off the train from the large number alighting, and board for the journey to St Erth.
The journey to St Erth took me through the main tin mining countryside, still very picturesque countryside, with an on train ticket check, being asked to see my ticket twice by two different RPIs within 20 mins. I alight at St Erth and cross to the St Ives platform, the shuttle on that day being provided by 150108 and 120, I ride up in one unit and back in the other, observing and photographing some of the most scenic views on the railway system. I then return over the footbridge to catch the 1754 onto Penzance, formed of 153305 and my first unit his morning, 150102. I ride in the 153 to Penzance, and after 10 mins, past St Michaels Mount and Long Rock, we arrive on time. The 153 is detached and stabled, whilst the 150 has an hours wait before its return to Plymouth. I go for a walk around Penzance, then have dinner in the Longboat Inn, and watch some of the Arsenal and Liverpool matches (impartial as I don’t support them), before returning to the station.
At 2100, I return to Penzance Station, and on platform 1 is the Night Riviera to Paddington, I am in coach F, second from the front, in a solo berth. The gates are opened at 2115 and I wander up the front to see what is hauling it, a surprise in DRS 57310. I go into my berth, receive the what’s where from the attendant and what time I would like a wake-up call (6am), and my breakfast(croissant and tea), to be safe, not sure whether it would be microwaved bacon. I then head to the lounge car for a hot chocolate. I am first in the lounge car tonight and enjoy the comfortable seat. I then hear a South African accent from the café, I go up there to order my drink and it turns out to be Reene, who appeared on the Channel 5 series last year, now a Service Leader. I have been joined by now by three other passengers, and the lounge car fills up gradually before departure. I see the Aberdeen to Penzance Voyager arrive, then head for my cabin, using my night light, I head to bed around Camborne, hoping I sleep well. Day 3 to come…………………

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like a great adventure there, a good time on the Cornish branches

 

[37038]

Crumbs, I think on Day 4 of my ALR this year I started at Preston at 4.30am off the sleeper and finished on the 2350 sleeper off Edinburgh!

Thanks

 

[Techniquest]

I did ridiculously long days like that on my ALRs too, needed to be done to maximise the available time to bash!

 

[James Wake]

Day 3, Wednesday 17th September
Sorry the rest of the trip reports will be a bit vague, as I have lost my notes, but am doing this all from memory.
I sleep OK on the Night Riviera, having to get used to the jerky stops by the loco, but at 0540, I awake from my slumber and at 0600 precisely, the attendant is there with my breakfast, which I enjoy and then return the tray to Reene and the other attendant. I explain to them a little about what I am doing today, and alight from the train at about 0640. I walk over to the tube to catch a train to Euston Square with my Oyster, but am greeted by partially shut gates and word that the tube is suspended east of Baker Street. I walk out by the canal and alongside St Marys Hospital to catch a bus, within 2 mins a 205 arrives, so I enjoy the journey, the bus fills up at Baker Street as expected, and I alight at Euston Bus Stn at 0725. My next train is the 0749 to Birmingham New Street, which I will take as far as Coventry, to avoid the morning Virgin peak restriction out of Euston. It only starts boarding 3 mins before departure, cue a mad rush, but I get a good seat on the 350, all the way to Coventry, arriving on time at 0930. I then await the 0943 Virgin service to Edinburgh, which arrives formed of 390044. I get a seat in Coach A, the train empties out at Birmingham New Street, but I notice that my favourite seats are reserved after Warrington, Wigan and Preston, unlike on the FGW HST on Monday, all of the passengers arrive for the train, so am resigned to standing in the vestibule for the last hour, but get some great photos of the countryside on the way to Carlisle.
My next train is the 1404 to Leeds via Settle, today formed of 158905 and yellow 158849, I travel in 158905, and enjoy the spectacular Settle to Carlisle line, but only one snag, the buffet trolley was provided by the Rail Partnership, and I got a can of Pepsi, for an eye-watering £1.20, so next time am stocking up on more drinks. I arrive at Leeds after stopping for a freight train with problems on the line, around 15 mins late. Due to my disturbed sleep on the Riviera, I had to abandon my plan of going to Hull, and found an unreserved seat on the 1715 East Coast to Kings Cross, which was at a bay of 4 and tremendously cramped. The train was delayed, and I had to quickly make my way to St Pancras for the 1954 Thameslink to Three Bridges. It was a Southern liveried unit with half the front coach as first class, and I had to share a whole bay with 3 other people again, the person next to me asked me if the train was going to Brighton, so in protest, I alighted at London Bridge and crossed to platform 9 for the 2028 Southern service, 6 car to Three Bridges, which as I know from getting it sometimes was much quieter after East Croydon. I then caught a bus home and slept well in my bed, so well that I was so tired that I didn’t go out on Thursday at all.

Day 5 to come, not the longest day, but still got a few things done that I wanted to do, including HS1.