2nd September - London Bash
Unlike my last bash this one had been on the cards for ages and I was back to reasonable ching for it! My mate met me at Plymouth for our usual 1A40 trip up to London. I know it was the summer holidays still but it was really busy! So busy in fact there was literally no room in the two seated coaches. We headed to the buffet coach and checked if it was alright if we could sit in there. We could so all was well!
57303 was doing the honours (so I have now had 770 miles off her!) and we went via Melksham. Into Paddington on time we set off more or less straight away to the Hammersmith lines for dud 21333 and 21334. We were both after different units which meant we would split and not see each other again until lunchtime! We parted ways at Kings Cross and I headed down onto the Northern line for the the tube to London Bridge. I got down there and saw a train was due in ten minutes. Thats fine. Eleven minutes to London Birdge and I would be there for the first train I wanted. At this point I should add that I had a little bit of gen of some of the first diagrams of some of my required units. This still meant some careful planning and working out what would drop onto what but it was a start. Anyway ten minutes came and went and there was no sign of the train. Hmmmm! The next one was due in four minutes now. It was due for four minutes for the next nine minutes! What was going on! Eventually (after a 27 minute wait and quite a full platform by now) a train finally turned up (51716 and 51602, both dud) and it was off to London Bridge I went. During this time I did see L52 on the other platform and I managed to get a reasonable photo on my phone considering it was moving.
Once at London Bridge I went up to the Terminating platforms. I had obviously missed my first train so I went of the next one. All still good! 455810 with winner 455829! I took this to Tulse Hill and returned to Peckham Rye on 455807 and 812. From here I moved to the other platforms for the next Thameslink service. A nice double set of 319384 and 385 (both required) was taken to new shack Nunhead. I wasnt here long. 319454 and 457 took me all the way to Elephant and Castle. If my gen was right (and my calculations) 319003 would be on the next train. It was (with 319012) and this was taken back to Peckham Rye. So far so good.
Up next I needed to be over at East Croydon. The next train that came in was a bonus for me. It was the one I had originally tried to catch before being held up on the Northern Line! I had no idea what its next moves were as I hadnt looked so this was a nice surprise. I took 455808 and 837 for the short hop to East Dulwich for a shack scratch and then another bonus in the form of 822 and 814 to West Croydon. Well that was two 455s down which I thought Id lost or hadnt yet worked out where theyd be!
I needed to be at the East Station so it was on to the tram. I needed Wellesley Road as a scratch and made the most of the fact 2548 was literally seconds in front of 2554 (and was also needed). Once at East Croydon I went down and waited for a train from Caterham/Tattenham Corner (cant remember which one it was!). My gen was a gain correct and it was 455806 which I took to Norwood Junction. Another short wait and 455839 was had to Penge West (shack scratch). I then headed back towards East Croydon. I jumped onto 378217 for the almost pointless leap to Annerley. I thought it was a new station but when I got home and checked my notes it appears I have been there before! Never mind.
Double 455s 843 and 838 were had back to East Croydon. By now I had three units of which I still had gen for left to find. Two them I had long lost (couldnt work out what they did) and the third to be honest I wasnt very hopeful for as it had nearly been six hours since the first diagram that it did! For the final unit I needed to be in the Thameslink Core but I still had a bit of time left. So now it was jump on what I need for a while!
With that in mind and being at East Croydon, I was hoping I wouldnt be waiting very long, and I wasnt! Mega winning train formed of 377314, 313, 327 and 304 took me to Victoria! It was then a jump back to Clapham on 377317 and 328 for 377151, 307 and 303 back to Victoria! That was six 377/3s scored in no time at all! Now was time to head to the Thameslink core where I would meet my mate for lunch and with any luck another 319! Dud D stock 7509 and 8098 from Victoria to Blackfriars. As I headed up to the main station I was nearly stopped by someone trying to sell something but avoided them and kept going. Good job. I just managed to make it onto triple winning 387102, 104 and 110 which I took to Farringdon. It wasnt long before another two 387s were had to St P, this time 387105 and 117.
Now it was back to Blackfriars to meet my mate. I already knew he was on the train I wanted (he needed it too) so I knew I would get another 319! I took 319448 and 437 to Blackfriars before the jump back to Farringdon on 319217 and 421. With that morning (and a rather good one at that!) complete we headed to Sir John Oldcastle for lunch.
After lunch (food good but disappointing pint of Adnams Lighthouse) we stayed on the core for a bit. My mate still needed 319s but it was 377s and 387s I was after! After going with him on some trains we split again. I was scoring nothing! Wed had 377215 and 505 to St Pancras, 319431 and 426 back to Farringdon and 377210 and 207 to Blackfriars. A required 387 came in for me (387116 and 126) so I jumped on it to Farringdon. This turned out to be a good move as a triple set rolled in the other way made up of 387127, 109 and 128. I needed two of those. What happened next really annoyed me! I fell asleep! We were waiting ages to go and I shut my eyes before we even left Farringdon! I opened them again as we were leaving Blackfriars! Doh! Off on the what feels like a year long excursion to East Croydon then!
When I finally got there I headed back the way I came. I couldnt stray to far as time was now running out and I needed to be back at Paddington for 1803 home! So dud 377518 and 515 to Farringdon. Why Farringdon. I could hover between Thameslink and Met then and get what was needed. As it turns out I ended up back at Blackfriars on 387120 and 103. 377514 and 516 back to Farringdon where I thought that would be it. I was just about to get on the next Met train to Paddington and I saw a winning 377508 had rolled in! I pegged it and made it just! One more trip to St Pancras and then back to Farringdon (I didnt want to walk at St Pancras!)! 377502 and 520 were duds back to Farringdon and then I left for Paddington on dud 21375 and 376.
43133 and 43183 took me home and in the comfort of first class (I may have said it before but I really like the new refurbished GWR first class interior). Only problem was I had forgotten my phone charger so that was in danger of running out! Id hammered my phone earlier in the day trying to work out what trains I needed but it all worked out! A good and enjoyable day! 27 winning units and 1 new tram. Three new stations and one new tram stop. 550 miles (excluding underground as I have yet to work that bit out)!
My next trip was due to a Freedom of the North West at the end of September but I have decided to do something I havent done since May 2013! A Freedom of the Severn and Solant! The aim is to see if I can find my last two FGW 150s (shouldnt be too hard I imagine as they operate in and around Bristol) 158962 and 175109 (Cardiff hopefully). Once that is done it is stations in the area that Ill be going after!
