Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hi all,
Yes I know I've trip reports from earlier in the year still to do but this one will be the most interesting in my opinion. So whilst I'm off work ill, it's high time I got on with some of my trip reports! The other ones will come along soon, don't worry!
11th March 2013 - Benelux Interrail Bash, Day 1
Finally, the biggest bash of 2013 (so far) is here! Getting up with the alarm at 0630 was surprisingly easy, and annoyingly final preparations take ages! I finally leave at 0712, to find shortly after I'd left my phone behind. A run back to get that also sees me miss the bus, good thing I didn't realise later than I did! The current copy of The Railway Magazine is read all the way to town, and an ATM move is needed before picking up my tickets for today and Saturday's domestic legs of the bash. It should then have been coffee time, alas the hot drinks machine at Pumpkin is broken. Good thing I've still some Dr Pepper from home still left then, it's a long way to Birmingham otherwise. Yes I could have got a soft drink from Pumpkin but didn't fancy it somehow. 153334 and 170514 are working the 0849 to Birmingham New Street from Hereford, that's me on the 153 for sure. We leave on time and it's also time to read a copy of the Metro, which takes me to Great Malvern. Back to The Railway Magazine then until University, at which point I determine it to be time to prepare for alighting. We arrive at 1022, smack on time into Birmingham New Street's p10b.
390115 provides the first win of the day, indeed the only winner on domestic rail for a while on the 1030 Birmingham New Street to London Euston. Strangely, I didn't have it in my list of 390/1s in my notebook, so it's a definite winner for sight too. Photos taken at Birmingham International, then it's off to the airport.
DSCN0142 by 43002, on Flickr
Well, that is after a quick stop at Euroexchange after seeing the difference in currency rates on their sign compared to the airport. No commission fee either here, well I can hardly complain about that then! €150 seems like plenty for this trip [I wish... - Ed], which I think was about £135. Off to the airport on the cable-operated link thing, then I finally get my first coffee since about 0700 from Costa, absolutely heavenly! A homemade Cornish pasty is had for lunch, then I head to security where I find the e-ticket I finally got printed last night (after much farce!) didn't have the barcodes printed on it for some reason. Off I race to the Flybe desk then to get it re-printed, which thankfully is done without difficulty. Security is then passed without any issue, and another Costa coffee is deemed to be needed.
EDIT: OK then, let's carry this on. So after the Costa coffee was had (again heavenly, I do enjoy my coffee from here, and boy wasn't it missed all week. But I'm getting ahead of myself!), I sourced a bottle of water from the duty free shop as usual for the flight, then sit down to get the notebook updated. From somewhere I can hear Wiley - Heatwave. I blame one of my former colleagues, nay very good friends, for getting me hooked on that. It always reminds me of good times
I see I'm to head to gates 1 to 21, so off I go and end up getting a coffee from Soho Coffee Co to fill up my collector card a bit more. Eventually the gate is announced at 1408 and it's very swiftly off to gate 14. And since I've never flown with Flybe, it's a 100% guaranteed winner for fly-age with G-ECOE. Seat 12A provides me with a most excellent view (no, not sarcasm!) in my eyes too:
DSCN0148 by 43002, on Flickr
Not bad at all the atmosphere on these Dash 8s either, the first of them I've been on:
DSCN0146 by 43002, on Flickr
We're informed the reason for the delayed start to the flight was due to last minute de-icing of the plane. Shouldn't have been surprised, it was bitterly cold in that wind today and with the random and heavy but short snowfalls before we boarded it was bound to be needed. Doors are closed at 1430, pushback at 1433 and we're in the air at 1439. I see in the onboard magazine the Flybe network is quite extensive, and that one of the new routes is a Norwich to Den Helder one. Might have to take advantage of that one someday. The flight is nice and enjoyable, helped hugely by being right next to the engine
The weather above the clouds is far better too:
DSCN0149 by 43002, on Flickr
At 1505 I hear we're at 23,000 feet with the weather in Amsterdam the same as in Birmingham. Nice and cold then! It sounded a bit like he said ground speed was 140mph, but that sounds way too low. Faster than normal, whatever it was, due to a strong tailwind which will help us recover the lost 13 minutes (13 minutes late start is got from the departure time being 1420, and I note the time of departure to be when the pushback begins, in this case it was 1433. Much like arrival time is when we've come to a full stop at the terminal, not the time we touch down on the tarmac) earlier. 1523 and mainland Europe has come into view, 3 minutes later I see my first Dutch train, a pair of 3-car EMUs. Or was it 4 cars? We land at 1529 UK time, and a few minutes later arrival at the parking bay for a connecting bus to the terminal itself. Didn't realise just how big a base for KLM Schipol is, I seriously filled my AFQR here!
DSCN0150 by 43002, on Flickr
The train station is easy to find too, alas the ticket machines don't like my non-Netherlands card so I have to use the ticket office which incurs a 50c charge. So it's €3 for a single from Schipol to Amsterdam Zuid, not too bad, especially compared to the Metro, but again I'm getting ahead of myself. NS ICMm 4026 and 4068 take the honour of being the first Dutch trains I travel on on a service to Groningen. I'm only on for the short leap to Zuid though, however I'd have happily carried on all the way as these things are actually really comfortable!
DSCN0153 by 43002, on Flickr
I'm really hungry now, so I go to Burger King and fork out €8.05 for a really big double cheeseburger meal. 50c of that was for ketchup, if I'd realised there was a charge I'd have not got it. Still, it was an incredibly tasty meal and I'm so glad I had it. Into the GVB Metro office now to get a single to Henk Sneevlietweg, the nearest station to my hotel for the night. The NS single from Schipol was incredibly good value to the Metro, as it was €2.80 for a 4 minute journey! For those who've never been on the Amsterdam metro system, the trains are similar to the DLR. 106 and 101 sandwich 90 on line 50 to Isolatorweg. I cram myself in and am amazed at how short the distance was to the next stop after Zuid, if I'd paid €2.80 to there I'd have been tamping!
DSCN0155 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0156 by 43002, on Flickr
Fortunately the route to my hotel is fairly easy and I find HEM Hotel without too much difficulty. For those reading this staying there, there's also a Lidl and a local supermarket almost right next to it. Very handy for supplies gaining. I was glad it didn't take long to find the hotel, it was getting rather nippy out! The hotel staff at the desk are very friendly and helpful, and I find my hotel room to be of a very good size, with the bathroom also very well sized. The range of TV channels is quite good and the bed quite comfortable. After receiving a call from home (it was cheaper to text home and for them to ring me back. Still spent a fortune on calls and texts in the end mind, around £6.65 I think when I looked on 21/03/13!) I get the books out to update them, watch TV and use the free WiFi to do the usual things like Facebook and emails. No kettle or tea/coffee facilities in my room, but that's about standard practice for European hotels in my experience. I also went to the local shop/supermarket (I didn't note the name of it, but it's opposite Lidl) to get some stuff for the day after, rather well priced in my opinion and for once, I found Dr Pepper outside the UK! Guess who got 2 1.5L bottles for something like €1.62 each 
Overall then, a very good start to the trip with plenty of winners, a good bit of mileage and some new coverage. The day went far too fast though, let's hope the rest of the week is as good but doesn't go too quickly [oh I tempted fate there didn't I! - Ed]! The Interrail itself starts tomorrow, first one ever and I'm keen to get it started now!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Right, typing break over, let's carry on smashing it out!
12th March 2013 - Benelux Interrail Bash, Day 2
After only a few hours of sleep, due to being too excited about the rest of the trip, it's up at 0600 and I'm in dire need of co-coffee [that's a Futurama reference, if you got it I tip my hat to you! - Ed] this morning as well as food. I decide to pay the €10 for the breakfast, a bit steep at first but it turned out to be very much worth every cent. Seriously recommended if you stay here, in short my next trip to Amsterdam will involve staying here! I get directions to Lelyaan station, as it's got mainline trains so I won't need to pay the epic ching on the Metro again. By cripes didn't the wind pick up massively during the walk, took some doing to fight against it at one point! Thankfully Lelyaan station is found easily enough and it's only a short wait for the next train to Amsterdam Centraal. 9569 and 8667 have the honour of the first NS VIRM EMUs I travel on, my first Dutch double-decker train and the first trains of the Interrail pass. This train is through to Lelystad Centrum, and I refer to the map in the booklet I'd picked up on train travel in Holland yesterday, deciding to stay on to the end. Naturally, I went upstairs, I can sit at ground level in the UK!
DSCN0165 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0166 by 43002, on Flickr
Amsterdam Centraal gives me my first ICE sighting in the form of 4611, can't wait to try one out one day! Much in the way of sightings are had, and I mis-hear the announcement coming into Almere Centrum, thinking it was Lelystad Centrum. Thankfully the PIS screens are really good at most NS stations and I jump back on before it's too late to carry on to Lelystad Centrum. Onwards and upwards with a Leeuwarden service next on 8655, another VIRM, and it's back upstairs for the best possible views on the leap to Zwolle.
DSCN0170 by 43002, on Flickr
I've discovered since that Lelystad Centrum to Zwolle only opened in December 2012, seems weird to have new railways opening in the 21st Century! And boy, isn't Zwolle a big station! I only have about 5 minutes to find my next train, the 0850 to Kampen, thankfully platform 12 is found easily enough and I join 3422 and 3403 on it.
DSCN0172 by 43002, on Flickr
First NS DMUs then and they're fairly decent, even on this short branch line. It's coffee time again now at Kampen, so after getting a video clip of the NS 3400s leaving I take some photos and get a coffee from the station cafe. €1.85 and it wasn't too bad [but why the insistance on calling it milk if it's far more like cream?! Makes coffee much less nice! - Ed].
DSCN0176 by 43002, on Flickr
Soon enough it's back onto 3403 and 3422 on the 0933 to Zwolle, wonder where else they operate in the Netherlands. More photos taken here and I wonder why my cabin bag is struggling to be pulled along. I'll find out why soon, but not before a good few sightings are had before I get on Arriva Netherlands' 517 on the 0950 to Emmen.
DSCN0180 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0183 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0187 by 43002, on Flickr
These Arriva EMUs aren't bad either, certainly could think of a few places where they'd be welcome in the UK, and to my surprise they're comfortable. My first ticket check of the day comes after Marienburg, and it must be mentioned the weather is rather lush up in this neck of the woods too. Lots of sunshine and blue skies which is most welcome after the miserable weather of late. Coffee time again in Emmen, €2 for the same coffee as in Kampen. I consider chinging out for the bus to Groningen, but pass in favour of additional mileage. Was that a good idea I wonder. Back onto 517 to Zwolle, and it's a shame I can't get the WiFi to work as it would have been really useful. I finally looked at why my cabin bag was struggling to be pulled along, and I discover it's because one of the wheels has developed a serious flat surface measuring 2-3" long. Bearing in mind these wheels are made out of fairly tough plastic and you have to wonder how it not only managed that but developed a big enough crack for me to simply pull the wheel apart and chuck away! So that means carrying the bag everywhere for the next 4 and a half days, oh isn't that going to be ginormous fun...Onwards then from Zwolle on ICMms 4025 and 4085 on the 1223 to Leeuwarden, a nice and fast run too.
DSCN0189 by 43002, on Flickr
The Thomas Cook timetable is studied. And studied, and studied, and studied some more [I'm referencing a scene from Futurama I believe here, maybe the one where the Grandmaster Slurm is tasting the Slurm, not certain - Ed]! Eventually I decide to do Leeuwarden to Harlingen Haven, back to Leeuwarden, over to Groingen and then down to Utrecht Central and onwards to base camp. Time is starting to run out already today, and it's already 1250 as I write this into the notebook. Almost 7 hours after I got up, how fast does time want to fly by?! [see, told you I tempted fate yesterday! - Ed] A quick interchange onto another Arriva Netherlands train, this time a 2 car DMU, at Leeuwarden is welcome as it's already pretty full on 235, working the 1319 to Harlingen Haven
DSCN0192 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0194 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0195 by 43002, on Flickr
Not much to note to be honest on the run to Harlingen, except that I'm rather hungry by now. Not eaten since breakfast time to be fair, so it really did turn out to be worth €10 (especially since it was the only time I got hot food for breakfast on this trip until the Saturday, ie back in the UK)! Subway is my savior this afternoon, from where a ham and BBQ sauce 6" sub and cappucino is sourced for €5.25. Such a small coffee though, hardly worth having. However the stomach has been satisfied for the duration, so it's all worth it. 248 is got back to Leeuwarden, and the 24 minute journey passes by updating my books. No time to hang around at Leeuwarden, and the line to Groningen is out of the window now as I head onto ICMm 4222 on the 1444 to Rotterdam Centraal on a short 6 minute connection.
DSCN0197 by 43002, on Flickr
Time to rip out that timetable again, and I determine my arrival time at base camp, Eurotel Atlas Valkenburg, to be at 2031 after also doing the Kerkrade Centrum branch whilst down that way. Seems like decades away, but as much as I detest the idea it'll be dark soon. The European rail map is also out to get that updated, and already it looks far better. We have a 10 minute fester at Zwolle, and I devour the last of the rather large bag of crisps I bought last night (having eaten shed loads of them last night), then it's back onto new track to Utrecht Centraal. Absolutely flew by those 2 hours from Leeuwarden, it has to be said! It's also here I note for sure the smoking areas (rookzone I believe it's called) NS have on many (if not all) stations in the Netherlands. A very funky touch, and they're clearly well used. Absolutely truckloads of sightings here!
DSCN0198 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0199 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0200 by 43002, on Flickr
I also note my first European version of the UK Class 66 too on a northbound freight, alas I didn't have my camera ready in time. DE684/653-10 it was for the record. 9480 and 8636 were joined on the 1708 to Maastricht, just as well as we could have done with another VIRM on the back really. It was seriously packed, I was jammed against the doors for just over half an hour. Felt like a long, long time! It emptied out somewhat at s-Hertogenbosch, and I rushed to find a seat on the lower level of the VIRM, which is an odd experience being so close to platform level, as this photo at Eindhoven (where the train really emptied out) shows:
DSCN0203 by 43002, on Flickr
Now I have room, it's time to get the books out and updated again. The snow has indeed fallen a fair bit down this way, but not as bad as I was told to expect. At Sittard I note a DB loco, alas the darkness has come down too much to identify it
And boy isn't it cold again now!
DSCN0204 by 43002, on Flickr
Almost the last train of the day now, and I join Veolia Netherlands' 651 on the 1914 to Kerkrade Centrum. Damn I'm hungry again, and this time I have nothing in the bag to devour. This is going to be fun...Ahead of actually doing it, I update the rail map with the Kerkrade branch and the rest of the day's coverage
DSCN0206 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0207 by 43002, on Flickr
Too cold to do much but a quick photo stop at Kerkrade Centrum, and it's back onto 651 on the 1959 to Maastricht Randwyck as far as Valkenburg for me. 13 hours and 8 minutes of cranking today by the time I get off the train, a well earned rest tonight I hope! It's incredibly easy to find the hotel, literally no more than 2 minutes walk from the station! With nothing else to eat in town I could find, I end up in the hotel restaurant and get a mixed grill and a pilsner lager called Brand for €26.50. Not at all cheap, but I seriously needed the food and it wasn't too bad at all. It's a holiday anyway! Time then to chill out with the TV, have a call from home and get the books updated. Annoyingly I can't get the heater to work, nor the WiFi. Good thing I don't need the latter, but the lack of heating means sleeping in my clothes and still not warm enough then. Now I just hope the snow goes away pronto so it doesn't screw up my bashing this week! Been another great day for mileage, coverage, sightings and haulages!
The remainder of the trip report will follow in due course
Yes I know I've trip reports from earlier in the year still to do but this one will be the most interesting in my opinion. So whilst I'm off work ill, it's high time I got on with some of my trip reports! The other ones will come along soon, don't worry!
11th March 2013 - Benelux Interrail Bash, Day 1
Finally, the biggest bash of 2013 (so far) is here! Getting up with the alarm at 0630 was surprisingly easy, and annoyingly final preparations take ages! I finally leave at 0712, to find shortly after I'd left my phone behind. A run back to get that also sees me miss the bus, good thing I didn't realise later than I did! The current copy of The Railway Magazine is read all the way to town, and an ATM move is needed before picking up my tickets for today and Saturday's domestic legs of the bash. It should then have been coffee time, alas the hot drinks machine at Pumpkin is broken. Good thing I've still some Dr Pepper from home still left then, it's a long way to Birmingham otherwise. Yes I could have got a soft drink from Pumpkin but didn't fancy it somehow. 153334 and 170514 are working the 0849 to Birmingham New Street from Hereford, that's me on the 153 for sure. We leave on time and it's also time to read a copy of the Metro, which takes me to Great Malvern. Back to The Railway Magazine then until University, at which point I determine it to be time to prepare for alighting. We arrive at 1022, smack on time into Birmingham New Street's p10b.
390115 provides the first win of the day, indeed the only winner on domestic rail for a while on the 1030 Birmingham New Street to London Euston. Strangely, I didn't have it in my list of 390/1s in my notebook, so it's a definite winner for sight too. Photos taken at Birmingham International, then it's off to the airport.
DSCN0142 by 43002, on Flickr
Well, that is after a quick stop at Euroexchange after seeing the difference in currency rates on their sign compared to the airport. No commission fee either here, well I can hardly complain about that then! €150 seems like plenty for this trip [I wish... - Ed], which I think was about £135. Off to the airport on the cable-operated link thing, then I finally get my first coffee since about 0700 from Costa, absolutely heavenly! A homemade Cornish pasty is had for lunch, then I head to security where I find the e-ticket I finally got printed last night (after much farce!) didn't have the barcodes printed on it for some reason. Off I race to the Flybe desk then to get it re-printed, which thankfully is done without difficulty. Security is then passed without any issue, and another Costa coffee is deemed to be needed.
EDIT: OK then, let's carry this on. So after the Costa coffee was had (again heavenly, I do enjoy my coffee from here, and boy wasn't it missed all week. But I'm getting ahead of myself!), I sourced a bottle of water from the duty free shop as usual for the flight, then sit down to get the notebook updated. From somewhere I can hear Wiley - Heatwave. I blame one of my former colleagues, nay very good friends, for getting me hooked on that. It always reminds me of good times
I see I'm to head to gates 1 to 21, so off I go and end up getting a coffee from Soho Coffee Co to fill up my collector card a bit more. Eventually the gate is announced at 1408 and it's very swiftly off to gate 14. And since I've never flown with Flybe, it's a 100% guaranteed winner for fly-age with G-ECOE. Seat 12A provides me with a most excellent view (no, not sarcasm!) in my eyes too:
DSCN0148 by 43002, on Flickr
Not bad at all the atmosphere on these Dash 8s either, the first of them I've been on:
DSCN0146 by 43002, on Flickr
We're informed the reason for the delayed start to the flight was due to last minute de-icing of the plane. Shouldn't have been surprised, it was bitterly cold in that wind today and with the random and heavy but short snowfalls before we boarded it was bound to be needed. Doors are closed at 1430, pushback at 1433 and we're in the air at 1439. I see in the onboard magazine the Flybe network is quite extensive, and that one of the new routes is a Norwich to Den Helder one. Might have to take advantage of that one someday. The flight is nice and enjoyable, helped hugely by being right next to the engine
The weather above the clouds is far better too:
DSCN0149 by 43002, on Flickr
At 1505 I hear we're at 23,000 feet with the weather in Amsterdam the same as in Birmingham. Nice and cold then! It sounded a bit like he said ground speed was 140mph, but that sounds way too low. Faster than normal, whatever it was, due to a strong tailwind which will help us recover the lost 13 minutes (13 minutes late start is got from the departure time being 1420, and I note the time of departure to be when the pushback begins, in this case it was 1433. Much like arrival time is when we've come to a full stop at the terminal, not the time we touch down on the tarmac) earlier. 1523 and mainland Europe has come into view, 3 minutes later I see my first Dutch train, a pair of 3-car EMUs. Or was it 4 cars? We land at 1529 UK time, and a few minutes later arrival at the parking bay for a connecting bus to the terminal itself. Didn't realise just how big a base for KLM Schipol is, I seriously filled my AFQR here!
DSCN0150 by 43002, on Flickr
The train station is easy to find too, alas the ticket machines don't like my non-Netherlands card so I have to use the ticket office which incurs a 50c charge. So it's €3 for a single from Schipol to Amsterdam Zuid, not too bad, especially compared to the Metro, but again I'm getting ahead of myself. NS ICMm 4026 and 4068 take the honour of being the first Dutch trains I travel on on a service to Groningen. I'm only on for the short leap to Zuid though, however I'd have happily carried on all the way as these things are actually really comfortable!
DSCN0153 by 43002, on Flickr
I'm really hungry now, so I go to Burger King and fork out €8.05 for a really big double cheeseburger meal. 50c of that was for ketchup, if I'd realised there was a charge I'd have not got it. Still, it was an incredibly tasty meal and I'm so glad I had it. Into the GVB Metro office now to get a single to Henk Sneevlietweg, the nearest station to my hotel for the night. The NS single from Schipol was incredibly good value to the Metro, as it was €2.80 for a 4 minute journey! For those who've never been on the Amsterdam metro system, the trains are similar to the DLR. 106 and 101 sandwich 90 on line 50 to Isolatorweg. I cram myself in and am amazed at how short the distance was to the next stop after Zuid, if I'd paid €2.80 to there I'd have been tamping!
DSCN0155 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0156 by 43002, on Flickr
Fortunately the route to my hotel is fairly easy and I find HEM Hotel without too much difficulty. For those reading this staying there, there's also a Lidl and a local supermarket almost right next to it. Very handy for supplies gaining. I was glad it didn't take long to find the hotel, it was getting rather nippy out! The hotel staff at the desk are very friendly and helpful, and I find my hotel room to be of a very good size, with the bathroom also very well sized. The range of TV channels is quite good and the bed quite comfortable. After receiving a call from home (it was cheaper to text home and for them to ring me back. Still spent a fortune on calls and texts in the end mind, around £6.65 I think when I looked on 21/03/13!) I get the books out to update them, watch TV and use the free WiFi to do the usual things like Facebook and emails. No kettle or tea/coffee facilities in my room, but that's about standard practice for European hotels in my experience. I also went to the local shop/supermarket (I didn't note the name of it, but it's opposite Lidl) to get some stuff for the day after, rather well priced in my opinion and for once, I found Dr Pepper outside the UK!
Guess who got 2 1.5L bottles for something like €1.62 each Overall then, a very good start to the trip with plenty of winners, a good bit of mileage and some new coverage. The day went far too fast though, let's hope the rest of the week is as good but doesn't go too quickly [oh I tempted fate there didn't I! - Ed]! The Interrail itself starts tomorrow, first one ever and I'm keen to get it started now!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Right, typing break over, let's carry on smashing it out!
12th March 2013 - Benelux Interrail Bash, Day 2
After only a few hours of sleep, due to being too excited about the rest of the trip, it's up at 0600 and I'm in dire need of co-coffee [that's a Futurama reference, if you got it I tip my hat to you! - Ed] this morning as well as food. I decide to pay the €10 for the breakfast, a bit steep at first but it turned out to be very much worth every cent. Seriously recommended if you stay here, in short my next trip to Amsterdam will involve staying here! I get directions to Lelyaan station, as it's got mainline trains so I won't need to pay the epic ching on the Metro again. By cripes didn't the wind pick up massively during the walk, took some doing to fight against it at one point! Thankfully Lelyaan station is found easily enough and it's only a short wait for the next train to Amsterdam Centraal. 9569 and 8667 have the honour of the first NS VIRM EMUs I travel on, my first Dutch double-decker train and the first trains of the Interrail pass. This train is through to Lelystad Centrum, and I refer to the map in the booklet I'd picked up on train travel in Holland yesterday, deciding to stay on to the end. Naturally, I went upstairs, I can sit at ground level in the UK!
DSCN0165 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0166 by 43002, on Flickr
Amsterdam Centraal gives me my first ICE sighting in the form of 4611, can't wait to try one out one day! Much in the way of sightings are had, and I mis-hear the announcement coming into Almere Centrum, thinking it was Lelystad Centrum. Thankfully the PIS screens are really good at most NS stations and I jump back on before it's too late to carry on to Lelystad Centrum. Onwards and upwards with a Leeuwarden service next on 8655, another VIRM, and it's back upstairs for the best possible views on the leap to Zwolle.
DSCN0170 by 43002, on Flickr
I've discovered since that Lelystad Centrum to Zwolle only opened in December 2012, seems weird to have new railways opening in the 21st Century! And boy, isn't Zwolle a big station! I only have about 5 minutes to find my next train, the 0850 to Kampen, thankfully platform 12 is found easily enough and I join 3422 and 3403 on it.
DSCN0172 by 43002, on Flickr
First NS DMUs then and they're fairly decent, even on this short branch line. It's coffee time again now at Kampen, so after getting a video clip of the NS 3400s leaving I take some photos and get a coffee from the station cafe. €1.85 and it wasn't too bad [but why the insistance on calling it milk if it's far more like cream?! Makes coffee much less nice! - Ed].
DSCN0176 by 43002, on Flickr
Soon enough it's back onto 3403 and 3422 on the 0933 to Zwolle, wonder where else they operate in the Netherlands. More photos taken here and I wonder why my cabin bag is struggling to be pulled along. I'll find out why soon, but not before a good few sightings are had before I get on Arriva Netherlands' 517 on the 0950 to Emmen.
DSCN0180 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0183 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0187 by 43002, on Flickr
These Arriva EMUs aren't bad either, certainly could think of a few places where they'd be welcome in the UK, and to my surprise they're comfortable. My first ticket check of the day comes after Marienburg, and it must be mentioned the weather is rather lush up in this neck of the woods too. Lots of sunshine and blue skies which is most welcome after the miserable weather of late. Coffee time again in Emmen, €2 for the same coffee as in Kampen. I consider chinging out for the bus to Groningen, but pass in favour of additional mileage. Was that a good idea I wonder. Back onto 517 to Zwolle, and it's a shame I can't get the WiFi to work as it would have been really useful. I finally looked at why my cabin bag was struggling to be pulled along, and I discover it's because one of the wheels has developed a serious flat surface measuring 2-3" long. Bearing in mind these wheels are made out of fairly tough plastic and you have to wonder how it not only managed that but developed a big enough crack for me to simply pull the wheel apart and chuck away! So that means carrying the bag everywhere for the next 4 and a half days, oh isn't that going to be ginormous fun...Onwards then from Zwolle on ICMms 4025 and 4085 on the 1223 to Leeuwarden, a nice and fast run too.
DSCN0189 by 43002, on Flickr
The Thomas Cook timetable is studied. And studied, and studied, and studied some more [I'm referencing a scene from Futurama I believe here, maybe the one where the Grandmaster Slurm is tasting the Slurm, not certain - Ed]! Eventually I decide to do Leeuwarden to Harlingen Haven, back to Leeuwarden, over to Groingen and then down to Utrecht Central and onwards to base camp. Time is starting to run out already today, and it's already 1250 as I write this into the notebook. Almost 7 hours after I got up, how fast does time want to fly by?! [see, told you I tempted fate yesterday! - Ed] A quick interchange onto another Arriva Netherlands train, this time a 2 car DMU, at Leeuwarden is welcome as it's already pretty full on 235, working the 1319 to Harlingen Haven
DSCN0192 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0194 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0195 by 43002, on Flickr
Not much to note to be honest on the run to Harlingen, except that I'm rather hungry by now. Not eaten since breakfast time to be fair, so it really did turn out to be worth €10 (especially since it was the only time I got hot food for breakfast on this trip until the Saturday, ie back in the UK)! Subway is my savior this afternoon, from where a ham and BBQ sauce 6" sub and cappucino is sourced for €5.25. Such a small coffee though, hardly worth having. However the stomach has been satisfied for the duration, so it's all worth it. 248 is got back to Leeuwarden, and the 24 minute journey passes by updating my books. No time to hang around at Leeuwarden, and the line to Groningen is out of the window now as I head onto ICMm 4222 on the 1444 to Rotterdam Centraal on a short 6 minute connection.
DSCN0197 by 43002, on Flickr
Time to rip out that timetable again, and I determine my arrival time at base camp, Eurotel Atlas Valkenburg, to be at 2031 after also doing the Kerkrade Centrum branch whilst down that way. Seems like decades away, but as much as I detest the idea it'll be dark soon. The European rail map is also out to get that updated, and already it looks far better. We have a 10 minute fester at Zwolle, and I devour the last of the rather large bag of crisps I bought last night (having eaten shed loads of them last night), then it's back onto new track to Utrecht Centraal. Absolutely flew by those 2 hours from Leeuwarden, it has to be said! It's also here I note for sure the smoking areas (rookzone I believe it's called) NS have on many (if not all) stations in the Netherlands. A very funky touch, and they're clearly well used. Absolutely truckloads of sightings here!
DSCN0198 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0199 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0200 by 43002, on Flickr
I also note my first European version of the UK Class 66 too on a northbound freight, alas I didn't have my camera ready in time. DE684/653-10 it was for the record. 9480 and 8636 were joined on the 1708 to Maastricht, just as well as we could have done with another VIRM on the back really. It was seriously packed, I was jammed against the doors for just over half an hour. Felt like a long, long time! It emptied out somewhat at s-Hertogenbosch, and I rushed to find a seat on the lower level of the VIRM, which is an odd experience being so close to platform level, as this photo at Eindhoven (where the train really emptied out) shows:
DSCN0203 by 43002, on Flickr
Now I have room, it's time to get the books out and updated again. The snow has indeed fallen a fair bit down this way, but not as bad as I was told to expect. At Sittard I note a DB loco, alas the darkness has come down too much to identify it
And boy isn't it cold again now!
DSCN0204 by 43002, on Flickr
Almost the last train of the day now, and I join Veolia Netherlands' 651 on the 1914 to Kerkrade Centrum. Damn I'm hungry again, and this time I have nothing in the bag to devour. This is going to be fun...Ahead of actually doing it, I update the rail map with the Kerkrade branch and the rest of the day's coverage
DSCN0206 by 43002, on Flickr
DSCN0207 by 43002, on Flickr
Too cold to do much but a quick photo stop at Kerkrade Centrum, and it's back onto 651 on the 1959 to Maastricht Randwyck as far as Valkenburg for me. 13 hours and 8 minutes of cranking today by the time I get off the train, a well earned rest tonight I hope! It's incredibly easy to find the hotel, literally no more than 2 minutes walk from the station! With nothing else to eat in town I could find, I end up in the hotel restaurant and get a mixed grill and a pilsner lager called Brand for €26.50. Not at all cheap, but I seriously needed the food and it wasn't too bad at all. It's a holiday anyway! Time then to chill out with the TV, have a call from home and get the books updated. Annoyingly I can't get the heater to work, nor the WiFi. Good thing I don't need the latter, but the lack of heating means sleeping in my clothes and still not warm enough then. Now I just hope the snow goes away pronto so it doesn't screw up my bashing this week! Been another great day for mileage, coverage, sightings and haulages!
The remainder of the trip report will follow in due course
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Two Class 55s are also seen on a light engine move to/from somewhere at Midi, and it has to be said I like the sound they make. Certainly would welcome these diesel locos in the UK just on their idling noise (sadly I have no video clip of them, and watch this space for one of 2102. Although sadly it doesn't sound half as good on the clip I recorded on my Coolpix L25 than it did in reality)!
