PeterY
Established Member
- Joined
- 2 Apr 2013
- Messages
- 1,363
Armed with my new Senior card, I embarked on a two week First Class ALR. It had been in the planning stages for months with countless revisions and even changed "the plan" on the day. I started Friday 31th August.
I don't do unit numbers but tried to cover as many new lines as possible.
Day 1. Hemel Hempstead, London Marylebone, Birmingham New Street, Nottingham (Cross Country diversion around Derby), Lincoln, Peterborough, London, Birmingham and Reading.
Day 2. Reading, Birmingham, Stansted, London, Swindon back to Reading.
Day 3. Reading, Exeter, Plymouth, Exeter, Okehamton, Exmouth.
Day 4. Exmouth, Falmouth Docks, back to Exmouth.
Day 5. Exeter, London, Chester, Rhyl, where I met up with my daughter.
Day 6. Rhyl, Warrington, Oxenholme, Windermere, Edinburgh, Tweedbank, North Berwick, Glasgow via Carstairs.
Day 7. Glasgow, Oban, Glasgow, Edinburgh via Shotts, Glasgow via Falkirk High. Lanack.
Day 8. Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Carlisle, Preston, Manchester, London and Hemel Hempstead.
Day 9. Hemel Hempstead, Manchester, Sheffield (I stayed with a friend)
Day 10. Sheffield, London, Watford. It was my least mileage day but I had things to do.
Day 11.Very early start, Watford, London, Doncaster (using Hull trains), Leeds, Carlisle, Crewe, Derby, London, Watford.
Day 12. London, Cheltenham, Cardiff, Aberdare, Barry Island, Penarth, Cardiff Bay, Coryton, Cardiff.
Day 13. Cardiff, London, Nottingham, Worksop, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Hadfield/Glossop (all sides of the triangle done) Stockport.
Day 14. Stockport, Leeds, Preston via Bradford. Ormskirk, Liverpool, Stafford (met another friend for a meal), Stafford, Hemel Hempstead and got home about 22.30.
THOUGHTS
IEP's. The first class seats are as comfortable as sitting on a churches wooden pew for several hours. Numb bum.
Voyages still got "that" smell.
I'm pretty good at finding my way around railway stations but Edinburgh baffled me. I prefer to use Haymarket.
I always thought Virgin West Coast offered the best First Class service until I went on Hull trains. They were outstanding and wow, they used Yorkshire Gold teabags. I even thanked the hosts.
I'm glad, I don't live anywhere near Barry Junction South Wales, when a pacer is due. The noise levels. with the flanges, ear splitting.
Looking at various Metro systems, South Wales fares very badly, compared to other big cities.
On my travels I picked up at least 50 Uglies (chocolate bites from Virgin). I gave my daughter loads and I've loads in the larder still. I'm addicted.
I never ever want to travel from Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport in a 2 car 170 again. It was wedged most of the way, including the first class compartment.
Was it worth it. Yes. I'd never do an ALR unless it was first class and I must've had at least £200+ of freebies and made good use of the first class lounges.
The highlight of the whole trip. A ride on 142060 , bus seat pacer with chrome handles on some rough, some jointed track between Preston and Ormskirk. One thing off of my to do list.
Planning in my head, my next ALR.
Total mileage 5,308.
I don't do unit numbers but tried to cover as many new lines as possible.
Day 1. Hemel Hempstead, London Marylebone, Birmingham New Street, Nottingham (Cross Country diversion around Derby), Lincoln, Peterborough, London, Birmingham and Reading.
Day 2. Reading, Birmingham, Stansted, London, Swindon back to Reading.
Day 3. Reading, Exeter, Plymouth, Exeter, Okehamton, Exmouth.
Day 4. Exmouth, Falmouth Docks, back to Exmouth.
Day 5. Exeter, London, Chester, Rhyl, where I met up with my daughter.
Day 6. Rhyl, Warrington, Oxenholme, Windermere, Edinburgh, Tweedbank, North Berwick, Glasgow via Carstairs.
Day 7. Glasgow, Oban, Glasgow, Edinburgh via Shotts, Glasgow via Falkirk High. Lanack.
Day 8. Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Carlisle, Preston, Manchester, London and Hemel Hempstead.
Day 9. Hemel Hempstead, Manchester, Sheffield (I stayed with a friend)
Day 10. Sheffield, London, Watford. It was my least mileage day but I had things to do.
Day 11.Very early start, Watford, London, Doncaster (using Hull trains), Leeds, Carlisle, Crewe, Derby, London, Watford.
Day 12. London, Cheltenham, Cardiff, Aberdare, Barry Island, Penarth, Cardiff Bay, Coryton, Cardiff.
Day 13. Cardiff, London, Nottingham, Worksop, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Hadfield/Glossop (all sides of the triangle done) Stockport.
Day 14. Stockport, Leeds, Preston via Bradford. Ormskirk, Liverpool, Stafford (met another friend for a meal), Stafford, Hemel Hempstead and got home about 22.30.
THOUGHTS
IEP's. The first class seats are as comfortable as sitting on a churches wooden pew for several hours. Numb bum.
Voyages still got "that" smell.
I'm pretty good at finding my way around railway stations but Edinburgh baffled me. I prefer to use Haymarket.
I always thought Virgin West Coast offered the best First Class service until I went on Hull trains. They were outstanding and wow, they used Yorkshire Gold teabags. I even thanked the hosts.
I'm glad, I don't live anywhere near Barry Junction South Wales, when a pacer is due. The noise levels. with the flanges, ear splitting.
Looking at various Metro systems, South Wales fares very badly, compared to other big cities.
On my travels I picked up at least 50 Uglies (chocolate bites from Virgin). I gave my daughter loads and I've loads in the larder still. I'm addicted.
I never ever want to travel from Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport in a 2 car 170 again. It was wedged most of the way, including the first class compartment.
Was it worth it. Yes. I'd never do an ALR unless it was first class and I must've had at least £200+ of freebies and made good use of the first class lounges.
The highlight of the whole trip. A ride on 142060 , bus seat pacer with chrome handles on some rough, some jointed track between Preston and Ormskirk. One thing off of my to do list.
Planning in my head, my next ALR.
Total mileage 5,308.
