North East Rover Day 1 Part 2
I get to Leeds and Im straving, so I head off the station and head to Greggs, I come away with 2 chicken bakes and a doughnut, I put them in my bag and head back to the station.
As usual the Rover doesnt work with the barriers at Leeds, it'd be a shock if it did, I'm let through by the guy there and I ask him why rovers never ever work with these barriers? I met with a shrug of the shoulders and I dunno. I scan the boards and look for a move over to Sheffield via the Pennistone branch, for a move to Wakefield Kirkgate, basically to have a nose whats on Midland Road. I see one due off in 5mins, so I make over the bridge and jump onto (AR)winner
150270, I quite like the 150's and spirited run up to Wakefield Kirkgate is had, dictaphone at the ready, we pass Midland Road and I manage to get the 7 loco's I can see, no cops among them though. I bail of the 150 and make over to the 144 on the island platform, its 144014, damn, sp close, Im after 015,. I make my way through the underpass, to see how long I have to wait for the next one back to Leeds, that isn't a pacer of any sort, even if it was 1 of the 3 I'm after. I get to the top of the ramp, turn round and I'm greeted by a 158 coming in, oh smashing that'll do I tell myself, even more sp when it's winner
158848. The second trip past Midland Road reveals nothing more than I've already viewed but there was boatloads more round the back.
Im back in Leeds quicker than expected, even so, it was depressing seeing the sight of a VTEC rake of mark 4's heading south with 2 EMT power cars on, as I was pulling into Leeds on the 158. I thought, oh well, may as well make a move to Donnie and hopefully catch them coming back. However that was easier said, than done, I soon discovered, the ECML had fell down spectacularly, a mixture of the battering winds and a points and signalling failure further south, had kyboshed everything, 1 train from Leeds to the capital had already bit the dust. After god knows how long and even comtemplating riding the souped up tin can that is 144012 somewhere or riding some winner 185 to Huddersfield, eventually dud 91118 arrived and it was announced that seat reservations, were invalid, so to the awaiting massed crowd, it was get on and get a seat anywhere you can. sod this, I jumped on and stood in the vestibule and made hay to Donnie. If I thought riding a dud blunt was bad, as we got out the station winner zing 43272 and unknown partner, were coming in. I swore silently to myself.
At Donnie it became apparent how bad things had fallen on the ECML, the smallest delay from the capital was 50mins, I had some time doing a bit spotting, unfortunately 67013 wasn't here, apparently it had buggered off to Wigan
When I got there it was slow, boring even, never thought I say that about Doncaster, nothing was getting through. I should've went to Sheffield to be honest, I thought go to Connisbrough for a lok see if theres anything on Roberts Road before it gets dark, I went over to platform 8 and it was a 142, no thanks, I stayed put, then a dud 185 came in, again I stayed put again, back over to platform 4, this time it was a dud blunt, so that kyboshed a move to York, platform 8 and double pacers, a 142 and 144012, arrived, they were unsurprisingly winners, given I avoid them like the plague, my head said go on, jump on the 144, tough it out, my heart screamed, you dare and your a hypocrite, needless to say, I let my heart rule my head. Just as well too because dud 43367 had winner
43310 with it, I decided to get to Wakefield Westgate and hopefully come back on required 321901, which so far I'd managed to miss twice today.Needless to say it was chocker, so it was standing in the vestibule again. I bailed at Wakefield in hope that more stuff would be getting through and coming this way, I was wrong one dud blunt a voyager and a couple of pacers, meant a bit of a fester, I went to Costa and got a cup of Hot Chocolate to warm me through and get a ciggy, the word Hot should've been removed and replaced with the word tepid. I went and had a look at the boards and saw the words Cross Country HST was due in 15mins, okey dokey, theres my move to Leeds in hand, even that was an hour down. I positioned myself at the end of the Leeds bound platform, so I could see what powercars were at each end, it was blowing a hooley and the wind was icy, I was numb and regardless of what they were, I was getting on it, even if it was just to stave off hypothermia. Fortunately I was in luck, double winners
43285 and
43301were a welcome sight indeed, not just to get out the freezing cold. I could've taken this all the way home if I'd wanted but I wasn't done just yet, slightly perished I'll gladly admit but not beaten. Having just seemingly thawed out enough, were in Leeds, where I bailed and made haste having a butchers round the EMU platforms, I was rewarded when my last of the Northern 321's was parked up,
321903 was duly copped as was,
155342, leaving just 341 to find now. It got better too because parked in a bay, locked out was one of my required 144's,
144022, leaves 15 and 18 to find over the next 3 days, surely thats doable.
Bouyed by 3 winners for sight, I saw todays rascal, ready to depart to Doncaster, I made haste over the bridge and climbed aboard the required
321901. A maiden voyage on the 321's for me, I sat in the motor coach obviously, in a largely empty train. Have to say I quite liked it too, however that sound when we stopped as it was ticking over sounded like a 4yr old child banging away on pots and pans in a makeshift drum kit, all I could think of was the duracel advert, where the toy rabbits play the drums to show how long duracel lasts longer over other cheaper batteries. However it was bearable and all too soon we were in Donnie, where thoughts of returning home, it was after 8 and after a look at the boards, things hadn't improved in fact they'd probably got worse, my intended train at 21.20 was cancelled, marvelous, the 10pm one wasn't due till 22.51 and was getting later by the minute, however all was not lost, the 19.33 was due in just after 9, so I was going home on that regardless of what it was. I was going to do a filler move but thought better of it, the next 50mins or so brought 6 trains in, three unneeded sheds, a winning 170 and 2 158's, one dud, one required, If I was gonna move anywhere, which I wasn't.
Shortly after 21.00 in rolled double winning zings,
43309 and
43317, for the journey home. I managed to get myself a table seat and put my phone on charge, it was running on fumes. I sat back and contemplated the day, it had been a tad frustrating, with the ECML falling down, quite spectacularly but I'd enjoyed myself no end, I'd got plenty winners for haulage and a fair cops over the course of day. Even so, when I got home and discovered, I'd missed 73967 73968 92038 and 92010 in convoy from Polmadie to Doncaster, i was a little miffed indeed, the 73's especially would've been massive cops. Nevermind thats life, I got home at 23.30 and devoured curry rice and chips and promptly climbed into bed, zonking out very soon after midnight.
Thanks for the kind words lads, much appreciated. Yeah totally unexpected 158787 tech, greatfully recieved nonetheless mind. Well thanks to you too Richard for the bus gen, I'll sleep a lot easier knowing that
I forgot to add, during the making of this, no zing was window hanged at all.
:roll::roll: