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I caught the 09:09 from Doncaster to Edinburgh on the 30th October, a 91 & Mk4's with WiFi not functioning in my particular carriage (circuit breaker problem) and an increasingly late arrival time in Doncaster. Was about 14 minutes late leaving and lost some more time until "we managed to catch up, so we're only a few minutes late", or, as it's probably more usually known: schedule padding.
Did manage to connect to the east coast wifi from the Glasgow train for a few minutes, seeing as I couldn't get online while on that train it was nice to get my free time after I'd left the train - it was on platform 11, I was on platform 12. The 170 gave a decent run into Queen Street, giving me the afternoon and evening to do some record shopping, have dinner, and go to the pub to watch Reading vs Arsenal and end up disappointed ...
So into Glasgow Central around 10pm, did check on the Scotrail site which suggests cabins (and seats, I would assume) available from 10pm, the staff on the station suggest it's usually available from 10:20. Tonight it's 90035 on the front for the whole journey, and the MK2 interior decor makes it feel a lot more modern inside than the MK3's on the Night Riviera I went on last year - very 1970's brown, reminded me of the old cinema in town that got demolished a few years ago. Obviously sleep is nearly impossible (especially when the braking starts), apart from an hour or so, so I watch the lights and the passing freight - think it was around Preston the 92 went past. London is reached shortly before 6:30 and it's on to the next destination after a quick Oyster card top up.
A LOROL 378 takes me back to Willesden Junction, while I don't like the seating arrangement the wider gangways are a lot better than those of the 170, for example. After the maze of WJ, it's another 378 to Stratford and a bit of a look at the Olympic venue and that Shopping centre, another maze.
A Quick journey on DLR and then it's over the river on the Cable Car, the wind and slight rain make it a slightly less comfortable journey. I also remember I didn't like cable cars when I was young, just as it's leaving for the North Greenwich side in fact, making being suspended above the Thames the wrong place for remembering that. Back on the underground into the centre of London and lunch, then back to Kings Cross, arriving in time to see someone dashing for their train and missing it ...
Two GC 180's are in platform 3 & 4, so it's guess which it will be, it turns out to be the one on 3 which has been there the longest - the other one gets a clean and then drives out. There'd been signal problems today at Alexandra Palace, there's also chaos at Doncaster when I get back, most of page 1 of the display boards is showing late trains. My train is held up just outside while waiting for a platform, A London train is on platform 8 and an XC service went into the station from the Sheffield line, which delayed us and also meant I could get a 142 back to Bentley. Stuck behind it is the Cleethorpes train, the Manchester Airport train is held up by the London train.
The 142 behaves like a 142, it just about beats walking
Did manage to connect to the east coast wifi from the Glasgow train for a few minutes, seeing as I couldn't get online while on that train it was nice to get my free time after I'd left the train - it was on platform 11, I was on platform 12. The 170 gave a decent run into Queen Street, giving me the afternoon and evening to do some record shopping, have dinner, and go to the pub to watch Reading vs Arsenal and end up disappointed ...
So into Glasgow Central around 10pm, did check on the Scotrail site which suggests cabins (and seats, I would assume) available from 10pm, the staff on the station suggest it's usually available from 10:20. Tonight it's 90035 on the front for the whole journey, and the MK2 interior decor makes it feel a lot more modern inside than the MK3's on the Night Riviera I went on last year - very 1970's brown, reminded me of the old cinema in town that got demolished a few years ago. Obviously sleep is nearly impossible (especially when the braking starts), apart from an hour or so, so I watch the lights and the passing freight - think it was around Preston the 92 went past. London is reached shortly before 6:30 and it's on to the next destination after a quick Oyster card top up.
A LOROL 378 takes me back to Willesden Junction, while I don't like the seating arrangement the wider gangways are a lot better than those of the 170, for example. After the maze of WJ, it's another 378 to Stratford and a bit of a look at the Olympic venue and that Shopping centre, another maze.
A Quick journey on DLR and then it's over the river on the Cable Car, the wind and slight rain make it a slightly less comfortable journey. I also remember I didn't like cable cars when I was young, just as it's leaving for the North Greenwich side in fact, making being suspended above the Thames the wrong place for remembering that. Back on the underground into the centre of London and lunch, then back to Kings Cross, arriving in time to see someone dashing for their train and missing it ...
Two GC 180's are in platform 3 & 4, so it's guess which it will be, it turns out to be the one on 3 which has been there the longest - the other one gets a clean and then drives out. There'd been signal problems today at Alexandra Palace, there's also chaos at Doncaster when I get back, most of page 1 of the display boards is showing late trains. My train is held up just outside while waiting for a platform, A London train is on platform 8 and an XC service went into the station from the Sheffield line, which delayed us and also meant I could get a 142 back to Bentley. Stuck behind it is the Cleethorpes train, the Manchester Airport train is held up by the London train.
The 142 behaves like a 142, it just about beats walking