47403
Established Member
A bit late but my old faithful laptop had the equivalent of a generator flashover and is now in the WNXX pool.:-x
This trip was totally unplanned, the 6wks holidays and keeping kids entertained, costs a small fortune, especially when adding the cost of the, annual great school uniform rip off. Needless to say, the few quid I had put away, managed to survive, without taking a massive hit but with only 2 days till I had a couple of days to myself, getting a cheap day return from Newcastle to Leeds or Doncaster, well let's just say,it wasn't. £43 quid to Leeds and Donny close to £60. I thought sod that, plan C was Carlisle, when I wondered if I could get a day ranger over there, a quick glance at the GB Rail Rover guide and lo and behold, I found the North East Round Robin, that got me to the original plan of Leeds, ok, it was £3 more, granted BUT totally worth it. I went all in, as they say in Poker, for an extra £8.10, I got a Leeds-Donny return and saved £4 the price I was quoted on advance tickets, a result of sorts.
The plan was to make a right day of it, out early, home on the last bus. Main aim, get as many of the re-numbered East Coast, Grand Central and Cross Country HST's scratched off, as well as trying to wipe the floor with my remaining NL DMU's and EMU's and hopefully bump into my last 185 for sight, the very elusive 185143, well it is for me.:roll::roll:
l'm not usually too positive about Central Station, variation, is sadly lacking, 91's are old hat, those damn voyagers nark the hell outta me, unit wise it's the same old and 185143, refuses to attend, unless I'm at work
, thankfully the aforementioned HST's give me something to try and scratch off, as well as the odd rake of coaching stock. This morning however I'm treated to 5 required HST's, 2 East Coast, 2 Grand Central and 1 XC, power cars and 4 freight workings, it's a thriving metropolis this morning, however the Thunderbird is still 67015. The 2hrs flew over.
My ticket valid I take the 08.59 outta there and 91110, even though it's the best of the bunch, livery and naming wise, its still a dud, this takes me to Darlington, I'm thinking do I do an hour or so at Northallerton, as 185149 rolls in, I decide against it on time restraints. Next up is mega dud 91104, should've taken the 185, my brain screams.
56312 on York Yard lightens the mood, as does 20303 and 305, in the station, non required but just the mere sight of some loco's that were mainstays from the BR days from my youth, keep this nostalgic fool reasonably happy.
After a call at the cash point, smiths for a magazine and a good hour at York, I jumped aboard 185103, a winner, on the Scarboro-Liverpool to Leeds, a route not uncommon for my friends and I, we travelled on this service regularly, when it was a loco hauled turn. 31/4's, 45's and 47's were the norm in them days however and if that didn't produce anything exciting, there was always the York-Plymouth to turn to before the HST's ruined a perfectly good turn.
As we approached Leeds, Neville Hill was so crammed with EMT's HST's you could see nothing else, please god, don't renumber them too
After 15mins trying to pick the units off the station, I was heading towards the platform where the EMU's reside for a trip up to Skipton, when I heard the familiar gurgle of a Brush Type 2, I turned to see 31465 on a test train, right before my very eyes, even better 97301 was on the rear, I watched them roar away, bound for Neville Hill I guessed, before moving on and jumping aboard 333007 for my maiden voyage on the class. Iwas gonna go to Skipton but bailed at Saltaire, big big big mistake. As I went out the Station to get to the other platform, I went to return my ticket to my wallet, however the wallet had fell out of my pocket, I checked and double checked my bag, no luck. I flew down the platform, I'd arrived on and checked there, I tried to tell a female guard who arrived with another Skipton bound train but she'd closed the doors, my head was gone with panic, so I jumped on a train to Shipley, I think it might've been 333008 but I honestly cant tell you, I informed the guard and he told me to tell them in the ticket office, I duly did and 20mins later I was told, sorry it aint been handed in. Great news, NOT!, I whizz to Leeds on 333007 and go find a Lloyds Bank, 45mins later, card cancelled, and the £4 I saved, has morphed into a £41 overspend and that was before, having to draw more money for the rest of the day. Someone had a good day at my expense. I was in Leeds Station, trying to calm myself down. I was down by about 2hrs, So I decided, sod it, I'm off to Donny, try and enjoy the rest of the day, In the platform was an HST waiting to go to the Cross, ah my train to Donny but by the time I got served, due to a ticket machine going off, the train had left
I went to the bar and ordered a beer and sat and chilled.
Composure gathered, my mood took another blow when a) 91128 another mega dud took me to Donny and b)when my phone wouldn't charge,. However Doncaster was as busy as always after about 3hrs in Donny I retreated back to Leeds but not without scratching off a few more HST's, a few units and a few of Hull Trains 180's.
I jumped on board 43317 and 43319, both winners, to Leeds, again, I tried to charge my phone, no luck, fine when plugged in but just wouldn't charge at all. The plan was spend sometime in Leeds before getting to York and whizz back and forth between Newcastle and York, with maybe a hour at Northallerton, if time permitted. 43321 and 43304, more winners, rolled in after half an hour or so and I made for York on these.
However the plans went right out the window, when a text come through off the ex, saying she had to take our daughter to hospital, try as I might I couldn't get through to her or find out why, my phone died completely, so I jumped on 91130, at last a winner and gave up, I plugged my phone in and by Darlington, news came, the daughter had some viral infection, nowt serious but by then, I'd seriously had enough. The next day she was right as rain and my phones battery had to be renwed, another £5 to the bill, a week later the laptop knackered.
The day itself was a good one but a bloody expensive one,I'll do it again.
This trip was totally unplanned, the 6wks holidays and keeping kids entertained, costs a small fortune, especially when adding the cost of the, annual great school uniform rip off. Needless to say, the few quid I had put away, managed to survive, without taking a massive hit but with only 2 days till I had a couple of days to myself, getting a cheap day return from Newcastle to Leeds or Doncaster, well let's just say,it wasn't. £43 quid to Leeds and Donny close to £60. I thought sod that, plan C was Carlisle, when I wondered if I could get a day ranger over there, a quick glance at the GB Rail Rover guide and lo and behold, I found the North East Round Robin, that got me to the original plan of Leeds, ok, it was £3 more, granted BUT totally worth it. I went all in, as they say in Poker, for an extra £8.10, I got a Leeds-Donny return and saved £4 the price I was quoted on advance tickets, a result of sorts.
The plan was to make a right day of it, out early, home on the last bus. Main aim, get as many of the re-numbered East Coast, Grand Central and Cross Country HST's scratched off, as well as trying to wipe the floor with my remaining NL DMU's and EMU's and hopefully bump into my last 185 for sight, the very elusive 185143, well it is for me.:roll::roll:
l'm not usually too positive about Central Station, variation, is sadly lacking, 91's are old hat, those damn voyagers nark the hell outta me, unit wise it's the same old and 185143, refuses to attend, unless I'm at work
, thankfully the aforementioned HST's give me something to try and scratch off, as well as the odd rake of coaching stock. This morning however I'm treated to 5 required HST's, 2 East Coast, 2 Grand Central and 1 XC, power cars and 4 freight workings, it's a thriving metropolis this morning, however the Thunderbird is still 67015. The 2hrs flew over.My ticket valid I take the 08.59 outta there and 91110, even though it's the best of the bunch, livery and naming wise, its still a dud, this takes me to Darlington, I'm thinking do I do an hour or so at Northallerton, as 185149 rolls in, I decide against it on time restraints. Next up is mega dud 91104, should've taken the 185, my brain screams.
56312 on York Yard lightens the mood, as does 20303 and 305, in the station, non required but just the mere sight of some loco's that were mainstays from the BR days from my youth, keep this nostalgic fool reasonably happy.
After a call at the cash point, smiths for a magazine and a good hour at York, I jumped aboard 185103, a winner, on the Scarboro-Liverpool to Leeds, a route not uncommon for my friends and I, we travelled on this service regularly, when it was a loco hauled turn. 31/4's, 45's and 47's were the norm in them days however and if that didn't produce anything exciting, there was always the York-Plymouth to turn to before the HST's ruined a perfectly good turn.
As we approached Leeds, Neville Hill was so crammed with EMT's HST's you could see nothing else, please god, don't renumber them too
After 15mins trying to pick the units off the station, I was heading towards the platform where the EMU's reside for a trip up to Skipton, when I heard the familiar gurgle of a Brush Type 2, I turned to see 31465 on a test train, right before my very eyes, even better 97301 was on the rear, I watched them roar away, bound for Neville Hill I guessed, before moving on and jumping aboard 333007 for my maiden voyage on the class. Iwas gonna go to Skipton but bailed at Saltaire, big big big mistake. As I went out the Station to get to the other platform, I went to return my ticket to my wallet, however the wallet had fell out of my pocket, I checked and double checked my bag, no luck. I flew down the platform, I'd arrived on and checked there, I tried to tell a female guard who arrived with another Skipton bound train but she'd closed the doors, my head was gone with panic, so I jumped on a train to Shipley, I think it might've been 333008 but I honestly cant tell you, I informed the guard and he told me to tell them in the ticket office, I duly did and 20mins later I was told, sorry it aint been handed in. Great news, NOT!, I whizz to Leeds on 333007 and go find a Lloyds Bank, 45mins later, card cancelled, and the £4 I saved, has morphed into a £41 overspend and that was before, having to draw more money for the rest of the day. Someone had a good day at my expense. I was in Leeds Station, trying to calm myself down. I was down by about 2hrs, So I decided, sod it, I'm off to Donny, try and enjoy the rest of the day, In the platform was an HST waiting to go to the Cross, ah my train to Donny but by the time I got served, due to a ticket machine going off, the train had leftI went to the bar and ordered a beer and sat and chilled.Composure gathered, my mood took another blow when a) 91128 another mega dud took me to Donny and b)when my phone wouldn't charge,. However Doncaster was as busy as always after about 3hrs in Donny I retreated back to Leeds but not without scratching off a few more HST's, a few units and a few of Hull Trains 180's.
I jumped on board 43317 and 43319, both winners, to Leeds, again, I tried to charge my phone, no luck, fine when plugged in but just wouldn't charge at all. The plan was spend sometime in Leeds before getting to York and whizz back and forth between Newcastle and York, with maybe a hour at Northallerton, if time permitted. 43321 and 43304, more winners, rolled in after half an hour or so and I made for York on these.
However the plans went right out the window, when a text come through off the ex, saying she had to take our daughter to hospital, try as I might I couldn't get through to her or find out why, my phone died completely, so I jumped on 91130, at last a winner and gave up, I plugged my phone in and by Darlington, news came, the daughter had some viral infection, nowt serious but by then, I'd seriously had enough. The next day she was right as rain and my phones battery had to be renwed, another £5 to the bill, a week later the laptop knackered.
The day itself was a good one but a bloody expensive one,I'll do it again.
