Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hi all,
Here follows my trip report/story from my 3-day trip to, from and in Northern Ireland. Be warned, it's quite long!
To Northern Ireland, 17th January 2011
The plan was made the day before when I discovered I had 4 consecutive days off following a rota change at work. A rail holiday was therefore going to happen, something I've been dying to do for a long time. Since I needed to get to Northern Ireland for some 450 action, I looked up the fares and booked a night at Belfast International Youth Hostel. A bargain at £11 (including a £1 service charge on HostelWorld) as it turned out. With the plans set in stone by the early hours of 17th January, things had to be gotten together quickly. Time went flying by and it was soon 0544. Time to make my way to the station.
I start things off with the 0604 from Trowbridge, which was run by 158959. Surprisingly to both the guard and myself, the ticket was purchaseable on board (the ticket office was not open yet). £64.70 and I had my ticket to Belfast. Randomly it wouldn't allow a route via Holyhead though. The guard reckoned there'd be no problems though (I found out some hours later that it was due to the Y-P discount, most likely, according to the guard from Chester) although that didn't stop me worrying until Holyhead!
We're a bit late into Newport, but thankfully there's still about 4 minutes until my train is due to leave. 175108 is on the 0720 Cardiff to Holyhead this morning, which I duly get on and find a table seat in coach B. The trolley comes round after Cwmbran, and I indulge in a coffee. £1.70 for a rather small coffee which is rancid even with two sugars. Bah! Not buying a coffee from ATW again! Thankfully there's about 10 minutes at Shrewsbury, so I take advantage of this time to get a coffee from Pumpkin. £1.80 later and I have a super large coffee which is far superior!
Now maybe it's just me and being rather tired, but Shrewsbury to Chester was extremely boring! I get some doss after Wrexham, waking up as we approach Chester. A change of guard here got me an offer to get my ticket excessed at Holyhead for the Stena ferry from there. Thankfully, the nice scenery soon kicks in and the weather is stunning, which made for a lovely trip along the coast. Passing Valley, I see an ex-Fastline Freight and a DRS 66 pairing on the triangle. Can't get any numbers from here though. We arrive at Holyhead at 1206, 7 minutes early. Still can't believe how long it takes from Newport!
The ticket office clerk insists there should be no problem with my ticket though. For the ferry part, maybe, but the Irish Rail part I doubt it. After speaking to the Stena Line staff, they were perfectly happy with my ticket, but agreed with my doubts on the IE part. So back to the ticket office and he finally agreed to excess my ticket. Time to pop into town and get some sterling, in case my card doesn't work in the ATMs in Northern Ireland (I wasn't certain, even though it's a Visa debit one, so best to be sure!). As it turned out, it worked in both Dublin and Belfast with no problem. At least I know for sure now.
Time flew by and boarding commenced what felt like 5 minutes after we got to Holyhead. Must say that the terminal bus we had was hellfire! Departure from Holyhead was 3 minutes early according to my phone. Not a lot I could find the energy to do, so the journey was taking up watching the horizon going up and down over a minorly choppy sea, watching most of Knight and Day (which is an alright film, but it takes too long to explain the plot for my liking) and divulged in a coffee. Not much difference in size to the cup on ATW, and £2.05. Wasn't the best coffee I've ever had, but it was better than nowt. The time seemed to fly by in the end, thanks to watching the film, and we arrive pretty much on time into Dublin Ferryport.
Departure from the ferry to the terminal for foot passengers was delayed by about 10 minutes, due to waiting for the bus driver to show up. When he did, the very short journey on what I suspect was an Optare Excel was nice and thrashy. The link into town was free, and I jump on 04-D-25453 to Connolly.
Time next for tea, as it's been a good 5 hours or so since a combined breakfast and lunch of ham sandwiches. I spent what felt like hours looking for an ATM that would issue a 10 Euro note. I gave up looking in the end and settled for getting 20 Euros. I knew I didn't need that many, hence the want for just 10 Euros. No such luck, so now I have something like 12 Euros left over. An excuse to go on another foreign bash!
I find a takeaway and get fish and chips for tea for 3.95 Euros. Pretty decent and probably the most reasonable value I was going to get anywhere near Connolly. A 2L bottle of Diet Coke at 2.39 Euros sufficed as a good source of liquid refreshment. A cheap one anyway! I spot a couple of trams whilst enjoying my tea, although most of them avoided Connolly, must be a new line to somewhere then. All too soon it was time to get up to the Enterprise waiting room (I must come back to Dublin again at the first opportunity to do some more Darts and the trams. I have a soft spot for the Dart, quite enjoy those) and awaiting boarding time for the 1900 to Belfast. The loco in charge today was 230, and I find a seat in the closest carriage I could join, which was the second from the front (the front being for online bookings only). Not that it would have made a difference, with the plug doors you can't hear the loco anyway!
This was my first time on the Enterprise, and I must say I liked it. Good comfortable seats and decent sized windows to see out of. Although with it being dark, there was no chance of seeing much anyway! At Portadown, I note my first three Class 3000 NIR stock. The 2 hours and 10 minutes flew by, in part by arriving 8 minutes early at 2102. Off to Botanic to get to my hostel for the night. 3018 does the honours for the 3 minute journey. The walk is nice and easy, and I'm impressed by the place right away. The staff are very friendly and the place is very clean and modern. I pay a quid to go online for 20 minutes and update Facebook to let anyone curious know I was in Belfast. After an explore of the place, it's time for bed.
In Northern Ireland, 18th January 2011
After a very enjoyable stay and a quality breakfast, consisting of a bacon and sausage sandwich and large coffee for £3.35, I walk to Great Victoria Street to get my iLink card. £16.50 and I am armed with my day pass for all of Northern Ireland. Another C3000, which I was writing into my notebook as CAF (as I assumed that's what they were, so CAF in the rest of this report = Class 3000). 3010 takes me round to Central, where I see a 450 come in ECS. Shame it wasn't going to Bangor as the screen suggested! Never mind, another one turns up on the 0912 to Carrickfergus. We leave about 5 minutes late waiting for a late-running CAF to Ballymena and connecting passengers. Off we go on 8452 then to Carrickfergus, on which I soon discovered why these units are highly rated. I was sold on them by Yorkgate!
The guard on board was very friendly and I got the gen that an 80 was out today. We saw it pass us at Whiteabbey, sounding mighty fine. At Carrickfergus, I take 8452 back to Clipperstown to get the Larne Harbour train from there. Minimal mileage on that move, but it all counts! 8090 rolls in from Belfast and I get a seat at the front. Didn't take long for me to be sold on these either! Time for another photo stop at Larne Harbour before joining 8094 back to Belfast. At Whitehead, a 450 arrives for Larne, which I tried to get to, but decided it wasn't worth risking missing it. At that time, I didn't know they were common on the Larne line. I re-join the 80 back to Belfast. Just as well, as I didn't see it out and about again all day after that! So I'm glad I enjoyed it whilst I could! I saw what looked like the next Larne train which was a CAF! Very fortunate I didn't fall onto that!
Time for a quick break for a coffee from Pumpkin, which was free now as I had enough times on my Pumpkin card to get a free coffee. It tasted so much sweeter as a result! Knowing, thanks to the guard on 8452, that the Portrush branch should be a 450, I plan to get the next CAF to Coleraine. It was tempting to scoop 207 on the next Belfast, but those locos can wait until my next visit. So it's onto 3020 all the way to Coleraine. I get reminded of my trip on 170393 on the Highland Main Line with the journey on this, probably by a similar interior and noise, not to mention the single line sections. Surprisingly, the journey goes by quite smoothly and we arrive only 1 minute late. At Antrim, I saw 8454 going south. I had no idea where it was going, what it was doing or anything, and got into a bit of a flap. Turned out, when I overheard later, there had been some problem with it so they swapped it with 8453.
8453 is my carriage to Dhu Varren, after we left 3 minutes late from Coleraine the driver seemed determined to floor it as much as possible, the noise and clag reverberating nicely off the nearby buildings. I alighted at Dhu Varren for the shack scratch, knowing I could get Portrush on the next trip. Back to Coleraine and we have a fair few minutes before going back again. So I sit down and enjoy the idling sound for about 15 minutes. We're soon off again to Portrush, where I was surprised to see 3 platforms (although I doubt 2 and 3 are still in use). Off again to Coleraine a few minutes later, from where I head back to Belfast on 3020. Too many CAF miles already!
I take 3020 to Great Victoria Street (GVS), to go to the bus station in order to get gen on when the bus to the ferry port leaves. The last one left at 1500! What ****ing use is that?! Taxi is the other option, stuff that. Back to GVS and the 1725 express to Larne Town is 8454, which I get on and find a seat near the front easily. Photos by now are near impossible to get due to the cold and low light combining to give me lousy shots. I'm nearly out of tape too, as I couldn't find my unused ones. An enjoyable run to Larne Town was had, where we arrive late and leave late. Back to Belfast now, and my stomach has had enough and wants food. So I go outside for a bus into town, but want to see 8454 leave first. Which meant missing some buses, then the next ones after it left were ages away then, when they came by, didn't stop anyway! So train to GVS instead? Nope, another 25 minutes! Back outside and I've just missed a bus. Stuff it, I'll walk then!
About 15 minutes later, after following road signs seemingly pointing me everywhere, I find McDonalds. Everything else but KFC was shut! A large Quarter Pounder with cheese meal for £4.39 was well worth the money, considering it was a combined lunch and tea. The large coffee also went down well! Didn't take long to eat that lot, I was very hungry! 13 minutes later, I was back at Central. I see the 2030 doesn't start here, so I dread a CAF coming in from GVS. Thankfully, I soon see and hear 8458 roll in. Which I duly take and gets me away from the Mormons who wanted to chat to me. All the way to Larne Harbour, and I scoop the other platform too. On time all the way, but we randomly leave 2 minutes late back to Belfast. 8458 is on the 2230 to Larne Harbour, as I expected, so up to Greenisland to have a safe +17 for 8459 on the 2230 Larne Harbour to Belfast Central. Shack scratch at the same time!
I considered taking it to Belfast and back to Yorkgate, but I also wanted to get to the ferry terminal soon, and I couldn't be sure if the 2330 Belfast to Larne was going to be the same 450 anyway, or if the plus was safe. So I watch it leave and enjoy what will probably be my last 450 ever. Sounded so fine!
From Northern Ireland, 19th January 2011
The walk from Yorkgate was much more than the projected 30 minutes. It took pretty much a solid hour! Didn't help the Stena Line terminal was the furthest one away! Farce time, with the 0320 ferry not being for foot passengers! Things have obviously changed since the timetable I picked up on the ferry the other day! The harbour police came to tell me this, and they got security to contact the manager, who came to let me in. He went to try and sort out if I could be let one anyway. After quite some time of getting that sorted, someone brings up a mini bus to pick up me and take me onto the ferry thankfully. It was extremely cold, so was glad to be out of it! We leave 20-odd late, not sure why. Time for a coffee to warm up, after which I end up falling asleep. I wake again at 0555, turn the alarm off and go back to sleep, waking up when the captain announced we would shortly be arriving at Stranraer.
A jog from the exit terminal after being dropped off by another mini bus driver, jogging partly to keep warm and partly to ensure I arrived on time at the station. I still have a few minutes, so pick up a timetable, a coffee from the vending machine (small cup but only 60p) and get a photo. On next then to Kilmarnock with 156445. We're looped between Girvan and Maybole, and I wonder which 156 is heading to Stranraer. 156474 goes the other way, which was my last one for sight! Excellent! My first sight of the new 380s comes shortly with 380005 and 380102 stabled south of Ayr. We're a few minutes late by Prestwick because of a swan on the line!
The connection at Kilmarnock is still nice and safe, so time to get another coffee from the cafe downstairs. 90p and pretty reasonable quality. 156434 turns up soon for Carlisle. I insisted on going this way as I needed Kilmarnock to Gretna Green Junction, so since the opportunity was there I took it. Arrival after a bit of a boring journey at Carlisle was 1 minute early, allowing me slightly more time to get a Diet Coke for the onward journey. Which ended up lasting me until somewhere near Bath! 221106 arrives to take me to Birmingham, which was the quickest way to get home. I did see an ETL 86 at Carlisle before we left though, no idea which one.
Nothing particularly exciting to note on the way to Birmingham really, although I got a required 66 for sight, 66429, south of Carlisle. A 70 passed us north of Preston on a coal train, sadly no idea which one. Another ETL 86 was in Crewe LNWR, so I assume so far that's both 86701 and 86702 seen. Unless there's more of them on the way. A required 350/2 was seen at Stafford, another tick in the book. Arrival at Birmingham was 4 early, so 21 minutes to wait for the next train to Bristol.
221131 rolls in soon enough with the 1412 to Plymouth, and another non-exciting journey. I keep seeing stuff go by and picturing CAFs and 450s everywhere though! Arrival at Bristol Temple Meads was slightly early, allowing for a smooth plus onto 150130 home. Easy pluses were welcome by this stage, as my feet had blisters. The walk home from the station was, therefore, not fun!
Which pretty much wraps this up. Photos (most not captioned yet) are at:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/43019/Techniquest in Ireland/
Hope you enjoyed reading this. Video, all 9 minutes of what I could record on my tape, will be uploaded as soon as possible.
Here follows my trip report/story from my 3-day trip to, from and in Northern Ireland. Be warned, it's quite long!
To Northern Ireland, 17th January 2011
The plan was made the day before when I discovered I had 4 consecutive days off following a rota change at work. A rail holiday was therefore going to happen, something I've been dying to do for a long time. Since I needed to get to Northern Ireland for some 450 action, I looked up the fares and booked a night at Belfast International Youth Hostel. A bargain at £11 (including a £1 service charge on HostelWorld) as it turned out. With the plans set in stone by the early hours of 17th January, things had to be gotten together quickly. Time went flying by and it was soon 0544. Time to make my way to the station.
I start things off with the 0604 from Trowbridge, which was run by 158959. Surprisingly to both the guard and myself, the ticket was purchaseable on board (the ticket office was not open yet). £64.70 and I had my ticket to Belfast. Randomly it wouldn't allow a route via Holyhead though. The guard reckoned there'd be no problems though (I found out some hours later that it was due to the Y-P discount, most likely, according to the guard from Chester) although that didn't stop me worrying until Holyhead!
We're a bit late into Newport, but thankfully there's still about 4 minutes until my train is due to leave. 175108 is on the 0720 Cardiff to Holyhead this morning, which I duly get on and find a table seat in coach B. The trolley comes round after Cwmbran, and I indulge in a coffee. £1.70 for a rather small coffee which is rancid even with two sugars. Bah! Not buying a coffee from ATW again! Thankfully there's about 10 minutes at Shrewsbury, so I take advantage of this time to get a coffee from Pumpkin. £1.80 later and I have a super large coffee which is far superior!
Now maybe it's just me and being rather tired, but Shrewsbury to Chester was extremely boring! I get some doss after Wrexham, waking up as we approach Chester. A change of guard here got me an offer to get my ticket excessed at Holyhead for the Stena ferry from there. Thankfully, the nice scenery soon kicks in and the weather is stunning, which made for a lovely trip along the coast. Passing Valley, I see an ex-Fastline Freight and a DRS 66 pairing on the triangle. Can't get any numbers from here though. We arrive at Holyhead at 1206, 7 minutes early. Still can't believe how long it takes from Newport!
The ticket office clerk insists there should be no problem with my ticket though. For the ferry part, maybe, but the Irish Rail part I doubt it. After speaking to the Stena Line staff, they were perfectly happy with my ticket, but agreed with my doubts on the IE part. So back to the ticket office and he finally agreed to excess my ticket. Time to pop into town and get some sterling, in case my card doesn't work in the ATMs in Northern Ireland (I wasn't certain, even though it's a Visa debit one, so best to be sure!). As it turned out, it worked in both Dublin and Belfast with no problem. At least I know for sure now.
Time flew by and boarding commenced what felt like 5 minutes after we got to Holyhead. Must say that the terminal bus we had was hellfire! Departure from Holyhead was 3 minutes early according to my phone. Not a lot I could find the energy to do, so the journey was taking up watching the horizon going up and down over a minorly choppy sea, watching most of Knight and Day (which is an alright film, but it takes too long to explain the plot for my liking) and divulged in a coffee. Not much difference in size to the cup on ATW, and £2.05. Wasn't the best coffee I've ever had, but it was better than nowt. The time seemed to fly by in the end, thanks to watching the film, and we arrive pretty much on time into Dublin Ferryport.
Departure from the ferry to the terminal for foot passengers was delayed by about 10 minutes, due to waiting for the bus driver to show up. When he did, the very short journey on what I suspect was an Optare Excel was nice and thrashy. The link into town was free, and I jump on 04-D-25453 to Connolly.
Time next for tea, as it's been a good 5 hours or so since a combined breakfast and lunch of ham sandwiches. I spent what felt like hours looking for an ATM that would issue a 10 Euro note. I gave up looking in the end and settled for getting 20 Euros. I knew I didn't need that many, hence the want for just 10 Euros. No such luck, so now I have something like 12 Euros left over. An excuse to go on another foreign bash!
I find a takeaway and get fish and chips for tea for 3.95 Euros. Pretty decent and probably the most reasonable value I was going to get anywhere near Connolly. A 2L bottle of Diet Coke at 2.39 Euros sufficed as a good source of liquid refreshment. A cheap one anyway! I spot a couple of trams whilst enjoying my tea, although most of them avoided Connolly, must be a new line to somewhere then. All too soon it was time to get up to the Enterprise waiting room (I must come back to Dublin again at the first opportunity to do some more Darts and the trams. I have a soft spot for the Dart, quite enjoy those) and awaiting boarding time for the 1900 to Belfast. The loco in charge today was 230, and I find a seat in the closest carriage I could join, which was the second from the front (the front being for online bookings only). Not that it would have made a difference, with the plug doors you can't hear the loco anyway!This was my first time on the Enterprise, and I must say I liked it. Good comfortable seats and decent sized windows to see out of. Although with it being dark, there was no chance of seeing much anyway! At Portadown, I note my first three Class 3000 NIR stock. The 2 hours and 10 minutes flew by, in part by arriving 8 minutes early at 2102. Off to Botanic to get to my hostel for the night. 3018 does the honours for the 3 minute journey. The walk is nice and easy, and I'm impressed by the place right away. The staff are very friendly and the place is very clean and modern. I pay a quid to go online for 20 minutes and update Facebook to let anyone curious know I was in Belfast. After an explore of the place, it's time for bed.
In Northern Ireland, 18th January 2011
After a very enjoyable stay and a quality breakfast, consisting of a bacon and sausage sandwich and large coffee for £3.35, I walk to Great Victoria Street to get my iLink card. £16.50 and I am armed with my day pass for all of Northern Ireland. Another C3000, which I was writing into my notebook as CAF (as I assumed that's what they were, so CAF in the rest of this report = Class 3000). 3010 takes me round to Central, where I see a 450 come in ECS. Shame it wasn't going to Bangor as the screen suggested! Never mind, another one turns up on the 0912 to Carrickfergus. We leave about 5 minutes late waiting for a late-running CAF to Ballymena and connecting passengers. Off we go on 8452 then to Carrickfergus, on which I soon discovered why these units are highly rated. I was sold on them by Yorkgate!
The guard on board was very friendly and I got the gen that an 80 was out today. We saw it pass us at Whiteabbey, sounding mighty fine. At Carrickfergus, I take 8452 back to Clipperstown to get the Larne Harbour train from there. Minimal mileage on that move, but it all counts! 8090 rolls in from Belfast and I get a seat at the front. Didn't take long for me to be sold on these either! Time for another photo stop at Larne Harbour before joining 8094 back to Belfast. At Whitehead, a 450 arrives for Larne, which I tried to get to, but decided it wasn't worth risking missing it. At that time, I didn't know they were common on the Larne line. I re-join the 80 back to Belfast. Just as well, as I didn't see it out and about again all day after that! So I'm glad I enjoyed it whilst I could! I saw what looked like the next Larne train which was a CAF! Very fortunate I didn't fall onto that!
Time for a quick break for a coffee from Pumpkin, which was free now as I had enough times on my Pumpkin card to get a free coffee. It tasted so much sweeter as a result!
Knowing, thanks to the guard on 8452, that the Portrush branch should be a 450, I plan to get the next CAF to Coleraine. It was tempting to scoop 207 on the next Belfast, but those locos can wait until my next visit. So it's onto 3020 all the way to Coleraine. I get reminded of my trip on 170393 on the Highland Main Line with the journey on this, probably by a similar interior and noise, not to mention the single line sections. Surprisingly, the journey goes by quite smoothly and we arrive only 1 minute late. At Antrim, I saw 8454 going south. I had no idea where it was going, what it was doing or anything, and got into a bit of a flap. Turned out, when I overheard later, there had been some problem with it so they swapped it with 8453.8453 is my carriage to Dhu Varren, after we left 3 minutes late from Coleraine the driver seemed determined to floor it as much as possible, the noise and clag reverberating nicely off the nearby buildings. I alighted at Dhu Varren for the shack scratch, knowing I could get Portrush on the next trip. Back to Coleraine and we have a fair few minutes before going back again. So I sit down and enjoy the idling sound for about 15 minutes. We're soon off again to Portrush, where I was surprised to see 3 platforms (although I doubt 2 and 3 are still in use). Off again to Coleraine a few minutes later, from where I head back to Belfast on 3020. Too many CAF miles already!
I take 3020 to Great Victoria Street (GVS), to go to the bus station in order to get gen on when the bus to the ferry port leaves. The last one left at 1500! What ****ing use is that?! Taxi is the other option, stuff that. Back to GVS and the 1725 express to Larne Town is 8454, which I get on and find a seat near the front easily. Photos by now are near impossible to get due to the cold and low light combining to give me lousy shots. I'm nearly out of tape too, as I couldn't find my unused ones. An enjoyable run to Larne Town was had, where we arrive late and leave late. Back to Belfast now, and my stomach has had enough and wants food. So I go outside for a bus into town, but want to see 8454 leave first. Which meant missing some buses, then the next ones after it left were ages away then, when they came by, didn't stop anyway! So train to GVS instead? Nope, another 25 minutes! Back outside and I've just missed a bus. Stuff it, I'll walk then!
About 15 minutes later, after following road signs seemingly pointing me everywhere, I find McDonalds. Everything else but KFC was shut! A large Quarter Pounder with cheese meal for £4.39 was well worth the money, considering it was a combined lunch and tea. The large coffee also went down well! Didn't take long to eat that lot, I was very hungry! 13 minutes later, I was back at Central. I see the 2030 doesn't start here, so I dread a CAF coming in from GVS. Thankfully, I soon see and hear 8458 roll in. Which I duly take and gets me away from the Mormons who wanted to chat to me. All the way to Larne Harbour, and I scoop the other platform too. On time all the way, but we randomly leave 2 minutes late back to Belfast. 8458 is on the 2230 to Larne Harbour, as I expected, so up to Greenisland to have a safe +17 for 8459 on the 2230 Larne Harbour to Belfast Central. Shack scratch at the same time!
I considered taking it to Belfast and back to Yorkgate, but I also wanted to get to the ferry terminal soon, and I couldn't be sure if the 2330 Belfast to Larne was going to be the same 450 anyway, or if the plus was safe. So I watch it leave and enjoy what will probably be my last 450 ever. Sounded so fine!
From Northern Ireland, 19th January 2011
The walk from Yorkgate was much more than the projected 30 minutes. It took pretty much a solid hour! Didn't help the Stena Line terminal was the furthest one away! Farce time, with the 0320 ferry not being for foot passengers! Things have obviously changed since the timetable I picked up on the ferry the other day! The harbour police came to tell me this, and they got security to contact the manager, who came to let me in. He went to try and sort out if I could be let one anyway. After quite some time of getting that sorted, someone brings up a mini bus to pick up me and take me onto the ferry thankfully. It was extremely cold, so was glad to be out of it! We leave 20-odd late, not sure why. Time for a coffee to warm up, after which I end up falling asleep. I wake again at 0555, turn the alarm off and go back to sleep, waking up when the captain announced we would shortly be arriving at Stranraer.
A jog from the exit terminal after being dropped off by another mini bus driver, jogging partly to keep warm and partly to ensure I arrived on time at the station. I still have a few minutes, so pick up a timetable, a coffee from the vending machine (small cup but only 60p) and get a photo. On next then to Kilmarnock with 156445. We're looped between Girvan and Maybole, and I wonder which 156 is heading to Stranraer. 156474 goes the other way, which was my last one for sight! Excellent! My first sight of the new 380s comes shortly with 380005 and 380102 stabled south of Ayr. We're a few minutes late by Prestwick because of a swan on the line!
The connection at Kilmarnock is still nice and safe, so time to get another coffee from the cafe downstairs. 90p and pretty reasonable quality. 156434 turns up soon for Carlisle. I insisted on going this way as I needed Kilmarnock to Gretna Green Junction, so since the opportunity was there I took it. Arrival after a bit of a boring journey at Carlisle was 1 minute early, allowing me slightly more time to get a Diet Coke for the onward journey. Which ended up lasting me until somewhere near Bath! 221106 arrives to take me to Birmingham, which was the quickest way to get home. I did see an ETL 86 at Carlisle before we left though, no idea which one.
Nothing particularly exciting to note on the way to Birmingham really, although I got a required 66 for sight, 66429, south of Carlisle. A 70 passed us north of Preston on a coal train, sadly no idea which one. Another ETL 86 was in Crewe LNWR, so I assume so far that's both 86701 and 86702 seen. Unless there's more of them on the way. A required 350/2 was seen at Stafford, another tick in the book. Arrival at Birmingham was 4 early, so 21 minutes to wait for the next train to Bristol.
221131 rolls in soon enough with the 1412 to Plymouth, and another non-exciting journey. I keep seeing stuff go by and picturing CAFs and 450s everywhere though!
Arrival at Bristol Temple Meads was slightly early, allowing for a smooth plus onto 150130 home. Easy pluses were welcome by this stage, as my feet had blisters. The walk home from the station was, therefore, not fun!Which pretty much wraps this up. Photos (most not captioned yet) are at:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/43019/Techniquest in Ireland/
Hope you enjoyed reading this. Video, all 9 minutes of what I could record on my tape, will be uploaded as soon as possible.
An odd one to want TBF, and and odd station to boot. We had a family holiday at Portrush in 1987, and stayed in a self catering apartment right next to Dhu Varren station, otherwise I'd never have scratched it myself.
