Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hi all,
Finally I've got a chance to get my trip report up on the forum! Too much work lately to get it done before now, and I've got loads more in the next couple of weeks too, so I don't expect this to be complete before the end of August! Also, I must mention my alternative title for this thread, which I nearly went with, "Techniquest's Opera of Craziness", but I wasn't sure anyone else would recognise the quote. Anyway, without further ado, here's day 1 of the best week of my bashing career:
1st August 2011 - Day 1
After a less than great night's sleep, I get up 16 minutes early and devour a coffee and breakfast, before Mum kindly gives me a lift to Hereford. Thanks to light traffic, we're there by 0728, and I hope the 0745 to Carmarthen isn't a 158. Thankfully it's not, and 175113 takes me to Newport for my first bash on a 175 since early March. So begins the biggest week of my bashing career, and to have it in writing my mileage target is 5,000 miles. Should be easy enough with several sleeper journeys and a lot of long-distance moves! The pen is wielded and I begin writing this up and looking for moves to get the Pretendalino done on Friday. So much more annoying with London to Glasgow services not calling at Crewe in the evening, that makes no sense to me. We'll see how the week goes with that though, in the meantime I'm enjoying the ride down the North and West (aka the Marches), it's been ages! At Abergavenny, I observe up-to-date PIS screens, about time they caught up with the rest of the world! The weather's rather rancid, although not wet. Kent's supposed to be hot and sunny today, let's hope so! It suddenly dawns on me that I'm off from work all week and don't have to endure the "Asda FM...LIVE!" and associated nonsense for several days. Bliss!
New housing is observed going up on the old Panteg site, with some nice views of the railway, although that'll be ruined by some predictable high fencing in the future. In no time at all, I'm getting ready to alight at Newport, that time flew by! Next up, 43175+43181 on the 0728 Swansea to Paddington, which leaves just 1 minute late from Newport at 0840. Unusual for Newport dispatch that is from experience, that said it was the only train in the station at the time. As we cruise along the South Wales Main Line, I recall reading yesterday an ALR plan from 2008 I'd found in a notebook. The amount of HST bashing in it seems so crazy now as I look back, although I'm in no doubt I'll feel the same about this week's lot of moves when I look back in a few years time. We hit the first bit of new track for the year, Westerleigh to Wootton Bassett Junctions, as Aqua's Cartoon Heroes - my current favourite tune, why I don't know - hits the MP3 player. I regret not alighting at Bristol Parkway, as required 150120 was seen waiting to go with the 1012 to Weston-super-Mare. Another time I persuade myself. Memory Lane is being frequently visited at the moment, something which, as it turns out, didn't happen as often during the week as originally predicted.
A spot of window hanging is attempted, but soon given up on, as it's so much faster than doing the same on the crawl around the Midlands on Chiltern's loco-hauled stock that my earphones were ripped out of my ears! Nice to see we're RA Swindon to Reading too, I don't know why but having to stop at Didcot Parkway just makes the journey so much slower. By now, I've already decided I'm doing another ALR next year! A read of the Metro reveals no articles that grabbed my attention and even the cartoons didn't really make me smile. I soon realise the benefit of the ALR when I can't work out my next move and decide to go with whatever turns up next at Reading. If I'd booked a ton of Advance fares, that freedom would have disappeared and I'd be having a lot less fun I reckon. A trip to the ATM at Reading is cancelled so I can get 165135 to Wokingham to pick up 458010+458016 from there to Virginia Water. The lack of air-con on the 165 is soon noticed, so the change at Wokingham was most welcome, more so was the air-con on the 458s. It's always been the one thing I really like about the 458s, and as soon as I step off at Virginia Water the stunning weather is making me all hot and bothered again! Next up, my first 450/5 bash to Weybridge, and the line to there is hardly exciting. 455733+455731 were better, although stuck on the slows, to Surbiton and I was chuffed that they were both required. The noise 159105 had made screaming through Weybridge had been surprising, if I'd been blind I'd have almost sworn it had been a short-formed HST!
A dead connection at Surbiton means I have 30 minutes to wait for the next train to Guildford, just as well as I can now do the ATM move. The Coronation Hall, the local Wetherspoons, gets a visit for a large coffee, only the second one I've had since 0650! More required track coming next to Guildford and on a pair of winner 455s, 907 and 866. Today's turning out good for the red pen! The hopper windows do as much as expected, that is next to nothing, for providing cool air inside the 455s, and I find the line to be ultra dull with no real interest whatsoever. Possibly due to the fact we're hardly going at much decent speed, feels like a right ol' backwater this! At 1232, we finally arrive in Guildford where announcements alert me to flooding in the South Croydon area. Thank Goodness I'm not going that way, and jump on another pair of winners, 455871+904, as far as Clandon for a station grice and to avoid hanging around Guildford for a dud pair to London. Seems hard to believe there's flooding in Croydon when it's such a lovely day! At Clandon, 455731+733 get photted and filmed going to Guildford, and I finally make a start on the Diet Coke I've brought with me. Such a nice day has resulted in a massive thirst so far, so I'm glad I brought 5 litres of drinks with me!
Back on 455866+907, this time I notice the shed at Effingham Junction and I'm impressed by how big it is, and I also notice we're going a bit faster than before, which is most welcome. This time we're going the other way to London, via Leatherhead, as Effingham Junction to Leatherhead was required. I realise that not bringing the Quails with me was a good idea for space reasons, as I'm chronically short on that, but annoying as I've done a fair bit of track to colour in in the Quails! The TM and I briefly chat about her trip to Scotland, a topic brought up by my Baker, after I check the walk to Waterloo East isn't too far, and we're soon in London. Even so, I head out of the wrong exit, twice, but eventually make it to Waterloo East for a scoop on 465173 to Charing Cross. Some quick timetable collection now before checking the 1440 to Ramsgate does indeed go the way I want it to. Yes it does use the curve at Minster, thank Goodness for that! Over to platform 5 then for 375305 and 375619, sadly 305 is dud from a bash in 2008 but 619 is thankfully required.
En-route to Ashford International, I spy 466043 and 319005 for sight, both required, the 319 being the last one I needed of the sub-class for sight. Well chuffed! We pass a megaton of Networkers and Electrostars in various depots and sidings, no doubt all of the ones I still need are in them, but impossible to ID any of them for sure. We're not due into Ramsgate for ages, 1714 in fact, so I hope there's something there for tea! We dump 375619 at Ashford International and head on around the coast for what felt like a tour of Kent around Dover. Nice to see the white cliffs again though as I recall the UKRailtours tour around these parts last year with 66710 and 73204. A coffee is devoured off the trolley, and for £1.80 isn't cheap but did the job well. About the same stuff and size of cup that GNER used to do, probably the same price too. I get down to my last 375/6 for sight, having got 375611 just before Dover. For some reason, we use platform 1 here, no doubt due to 395026 being in the way. We eventually reach Ramsgate at 1713, so 2 hours and 3 minutes aboard 375305, my longest 375 bash by quite some way! With nothing of interest near the station, I settle on a cheese and bacon burger and a large tea from Pumpkin for £4.14 (with Bite card discount). I know now at least I don't like red onion, the burger was full of it. When will Pumpkin's suppliers learn to fully detail this sort of thing on the label...
375802 is rejected on the 1734 to Victoria, as it wouldn't get me anywhere near Strood in time to pick up the 395 to Maidstone. Back to 375305 then on the 1740 to Charing Cross as far as Ashford. Minster to Canterbury West is required, so not a bad idea to get it done now. The Baker's updated once we come to a stop at Canterbury West, and I'm now looking forward to my first diesel train in several hours from Ashford. Due to the flooding in Croydon and a lineside fire in the Tunbridge Wells area, 171730 is incredibly full on the 1832 to Brighton. I hear on board the flooding was caused by a burst water main, bet Southern and FCC had fun with that lot of disruption then! The fire concerns me, as I need to pass through Tunbridge Wells on my way up from Hastings. As it turned out, I had no need to worry. A trio of 375s arrived into Hastings, headed by 375920, several minutes late but in plenty of time to be cleaned, have 375920 taken off and get everyone on before leaving on time at 1950. I'd got 375618 at Ashford for sight, finishing that sub-class, and 375920 at Hastings was also required for sight, so not many 375s left at all now to get!
No problems getting through Tunbridge Wells and I jump off at High Brooms. Reason being that there was a pair of Networkers coming up on the next service and I decided to scoop them in and kill some of the fester time at Tonbridge by doing this. 465901+465924 are both winners and scooped in on the short distance to Tonbridge. Still loads of time here, so it's out with the A4 book to get the report back up to date. A pair of winner 375s, 303+605, turn up on the next run to Ramsgate so I scoop them in to Paddock Wood. Here, 73926 (I think!) is filmed passing by before 466014 turns up on the next train to Strood. We're delayed by 5 minutes due to two fare-dodging girls, and I won't write what unpolite words came to mind. When you're got only a few minutes at Strood for the last Javelin to St Pancras, 5 minutes of delay is unwelcome! Thankfully the girls get off and the driver appears to be determined to get moving! We recover 1 minute at Maidstone and arrive finally at Strood at 2228 into platform 3.
I almost get the wrong Javelin at Strood, which I put down to it being rather dark and a bit disorientated by now. Fortunately I go back to platform 2 and get the right Javelin, 395026, to London. Required and I can finally sit back and relax now. After we leave Ebbsfleet, the high speed element of the journey kicks in and I'm soon reminded me of why I like these beasts, the accleration is just awesome! Commuting on these would be immense fun, although I forgot just how far the SET platforms are from the exit on Euston Road! Fortunately, even with my holdall and jute bag, it's only around 10 more minutes until I'm at Euston and devouring a burger for a late evening snack. After discovering 90029, required haulage, is on the front of the Glasgow sleeper, I notice in the distance a test train with a 31 on it. Sadly too far away to get any IDs, or even hear it leaving, and I go find my seat to get all the books updated for the night.
Summary then of day 1: Today has been fantastic! Loads of required haulages, tons of new sightings and lots of required track done. Absolutely brilliant, the required 90 was the cherry on top of a day that was implusive but also productive and I've almost cleared Kent! SWT's lot is nearly done too, so a rating for the day at 9/10. Mileage: 878 miles, 61 chains.
Days 2 to 7 will follow soon, this lot alone has taken me an hour to write! Comments, as always, welcomed.
Finally I've got a chance to get my trip report up on the forum! Too much work lately to get it done before now, and I've got loads more in the next couple of weeks too, so I don't expect this to be complete before the end of August! Also, I must mention my alternative title for this thread, which I nearly went with, "Techniquest's Opera of Craziness", but I wasn't sure anyone else would recognise the quote. Anyway, without further ado, here's day 1 of the best week of my bashing career:
1st August 2011 - Day 1
After a less than great night's sleep, I get up 16 minutes early and devour a coffee and breakfast, before Mum kindly gives me a lift to Hereford. Thanks to light traffic, we're there by 0728, and I hope the 0745 to Carmarthen isn't a 158. Thankfully it's not, and 175113 takes me to Newport for my first bash on a 175 since early March. So begins the biggest week of my bashing career, and to have it in writing my mileage target is 5,000 miles. Should be easy enough with several sleeper journeys and a lot of long-distance moves! The pen is wielded and I begin writing this up and looking for moves to get the Pretendalino done on Friday. So much more annoying with London to Glasgow services not calling at Crewe in the evening, that makes no sense to me. We'll see how the week goes with that though, in the meantime I'm enjoying the ride down the North and West (aka the Marches), it's been ages! At Abergavenny, I observe up-to-date PIS screens, about time they caught up with the rest of the world! The weather's rather rancid, although not wet. Kent's supposed to be hot and sunny today, let's hope so! It suddenly dawns on me that I'm off from work all week and don't have to endure the "Asda FM...LIVE!" and associated nonsense for several days. Bliss!
New housing is observed going up on the old Panteg site, with some nice views of the railway, although that'll be ruined by some predictable high fencing in the future. In no time at all, I'm getting ready to alight at Newport, that time flew by! Next up, 43175+43181 on the 0728 Swansea to Paddington, which leaves just 1 minute late from Newport at 0840. Unusual for Newport dispatch that is from experience, that said it was the only train in the station at the time. As we cruise along the South Wales Main Line, I recall reading yesterday an ALR plan from 2008 I'd found in a notebook. The amount of HST bashing in it seems so crazy now as I look back, although I'm in no doubt I'll feel the same about this week's lot of moves when I look back in a few years time. We hit the first bit of new track for the year, Westerleigh to Wootton Bassett Junctions, as Aqua's Cartoon Heroes - my current favourite tune, why I don't know - hits the MP3 player. I regret not alighting at Bristol Parkway, as required 150120 was seen waiting to go with the 1012 to Weston-super-Mare. Another time I persuade myself. Memory Lane is being frequently visited at the moment, something which, as it turns out, didn't happen as often during the week as originally predicted.
A spot of window hanging is attempted, but soon given up on, as it's so much faster than doing the same on the crawl around the Midlands on Chiltern's loco-hauled stock that my earphones were ripped out of my ears! Nice to see we're RA Swindon to Reading too, I don't know why but having to stop at Didcot Parkway just makes the journey so much slower. By now, I've already decided I'm doing another ALR next year! A read of the Metro reveals no articles that grabbed my attention and even the cartoons didn't really make me smile. I soon realise the benefit of the ALR when I can't work out my next move and decide to go with whatever turns up next at Reading. If I'd booked a ton of Advance fares, that freedom would have disappeared and I'd be having a lot less fun I reckon. A trip to the ATM at Reading is cancelled so I can get 165135 to Wokingham to pick up 458010+458016 from there to Virginia Water. The lack of air-con on the 165 is soon noticed, so the change at Wokingham was most welcome, more so was the air-con on the 458s. It's always been the one thing I really like about the 458s, and as soon as I step off at Virginia Water the stunning weather is making me all hot and bothered again! Next up, my first 450/5 bash to Weybridge, and the line to there is hardly exciting. 455733+455731 were better, although stuck on the slows, to Surbiton and I was chuffed that they were both required. The noise 159105 had made screaming through Weybridge had been surprising, if I'd been blind I'd have almost sworn it had been a short-formed HST!
A dead connection at Surbiton means I have 30 minutes to wait for the next train to Guildford, just as well as I can now do the ATM move. The Coronation Hall, the local Wetherspoons, gets a visit for a large coffee, only the second one I've had since 0650! More required track coming next to Guildford and on a pair of winner 455s, 907 and 866. Today's turning out good for the red pen! The hopper windows do as much as expected, that is next to nothing, for providing cool air inside the 455s, and I find the line to be ultra dull with no real interest whatsoever. Possibly due to the fact we're hardly going at much decent speed, feels like a right ol' backwater this! At 1232, we finally arrive in Guildford where announcements alert me to flooding in the South Croydon area. Thank Goodness I'm not going that way, and jump on another pair of winners, 455871+904, as far as Clandon for a station grice and to avoid hanging around Guildford for a dud pair to London. Seems hard to believe there's flooding in Croydon when it's such a lovely day! At Clandon, 455731+733 get photted and filmed going to Guildford, and I finally make a start on the Diet Coke I've brought with me. Such a nice day has resulted in a massive thirst so far, so I'm glad I brought 5 litres of drinks with me!
Back on 455866+907, this time I notice the shed at Effingham Junction and I'm impressed by how big it is, and I also notice we're going a bit faster than before, which is most welcome. This time we're going the other way to London, via Leatherhead, as Effingham Junction to Leatherhead was required. I realise that not bringing the Quails with me was a good idea for space reasons, as I'm chronically short on that, but annoying as I've done a fair bit of track to colour in in the Quails! The TM and I briefly chat about her trip to Scotland, a topic brought up by my Baker, after I check the walk to Waterloo East isn't too far, and we're soon in London. Even so, I head out of the wrong exit, twice, but eventually make it to Waterloo East for a scoop on 465173 to Charing Cross. Some quick timetable collection now before checking the 1440 to Ramsgate does indeed go the way I want it to. Yes it does use the curve at Minster, thank Goodness for that! Over to platform 5 then for 375305 and 375619, sadly 305 is dud from a bash in 2008 but 619 is thankfully required.
En-route to Ashford International, I spy 466043 and 319005 for sight, both required, the 319 being the last one I needed of the sub-class for sight. Well chuffed! We pass a megaton of Networkers and Electrostars in various depots and sidings, no doubt all of the ones I still need are in them, but impossible to ID any of them for sure. We're not due into Ramsgate for ages, 1714 in fact, so I hope there's something there for tea! We dump 375619 at Ashford International and head on around the coast for what felt like a tour of Kent around Dover. Nice to see the white cliffs again though as I recall the UKRailtours tour around these parts last year with 66710 and 73204. A coffee is devoured off the trolley, and for £1.80 isn't cheap but did the job well. About the same stuff and size of cup that GNER used to do, probably the same price too. I get down to my last 375/6 for sight, having got 375611 just before Dover. For some reason, we use platform 1 here, no doubt due to 395026 being in the way. We eventually reach Ramsgate at 1713, so 2 hours and 3 minutes aboard 375305, my longest 375 bash by quite some way! With nothing of interest near the station, I settle on a cheese and bacon burger and a large tea from Pumpkin for £4.14 (with Bite card discount). I know now at least I don't like red onion, the burger was full of it. When will Pumpkin's suppliers learn to fully detail this sort of thing on the label...
375802 is rejected on the 1734 to Victoria, as it wouldn't get me anywhere near Strood in time to pick up the 395 to Maidstone. Back to 375305 then on the 1740 to Charing Cross as far as Ashford. Minster to Canterbury West is required, so not a bad idea to get it done now. The Baker's updated once we come to a stop at Canterbury West, and I'm now looking forward to my first diesel train in several hours from Ashford. Due to the flooding in Croydon and a lineside fire in the Tunbridge Wells area, 171730 is incredibly full on the 1832 to Brighton. I hear on board the flooding was caused by a burst water main, bet Southern and FCC had fun with that lot of disruption then! The fire concerns me, as I need to pass through Tunbridge Wells on my way up from Hastings. As it turned out, I had no need to worry. A trio of 375s arrived into Hastings, headed by 375920, several minutes late but in plenty of time to be cleaned, have 375920 taken off and get everyone on before leaving on time at 1950. I'd got 375618 at Ashford for sight, finishing that sub-class, and 375920 at Hastings was also required for sight, so not many 375s left at all now to get!
No problems getting through Tunbridge Wells and I jump off at High Brooms. Reason being that there was a pair of Networkers coming up on the next service and I decided to scoop them in and kill some of the fester time at Tonbridge by doing this. 465901+465924 are both winners and scooped in on the short distance to Tonbridge. Still loads of time here, so it's out with the A4 book to get the report back up to date. A pair of winner 375s, 303+605, turn up on the next run to Ramsgate so I scoop them in to Paddock Wood. Here, 73926 (I think!) is filmed passing by before 466014 turns up on the next train to Strood. We're delayed by 5 minutes due to two fare-dodging girls, and I won't write what unpolite words came to mind. When you're got only a few minutes at Strood for the last Javelin to St Pancras, 5 minutes of delay is unwelcome! Thankfully the girls get off and the driver appears to be determined to get moving! We recover 1 minute at Maidstone and arrive finally at Strood at 2228 into platform 3.
I almost get the wrong Javelin at Strood, which I put down to it being rather dark and a bit disorientated by now. Fortunately I go back to platform 2 and get the right Javelin, 395026, to London. Required and I can finally sit back and relax now. After we leave Ebbsfleet, the high speed element of the journey kicks in and I'm soon reminded me of why I like these beasts, the accleration is just awesome! Commuting on these would be immense fun, although I forgot just how far the SET platforms are from the exit on Euston Road! Fortunately, even with my holdall and jute bag, it's only around 10 more minutes until I'm at Euston and devouring a burger for a late evening snack. After discovering 90029, required haulage, is on the front of the Glasgow sleeper, I notice in the distance a test train with a 31 on it. Sadly too far away to get any IDs, or even hear it leaving, and I go find my seat to get all the books updated for the night.
Summary then of day 1: Today has been fantastic! Loads of required haulages, tons of new sightings and lots of required track done. Absolutely brilliant, the required 90 was the cherry on top of a day that was implusive but also productive and I've almost cleared Kent! SWT's lot is nearly done too, so a rating for the day at 9/10. Mileage: 878 miles, 61 chains.
Days 2 to 7 will follow soon, this lot alone has taken me an hour to write! Comments, as always, welcomed.
hock: 