It has been a while since I put together a trip report and I have a little spare time today, so thought Id put something together for the West Midlands Challenge that took place on Saturday
My day was starting from Wakefield Westgate today, where I was leaving my car for a couple of days. 220020 duly turned up on the 08:23 service to Plymouth and was already fairly well loaded although I had a reserved seat at a table, it was fully occupied so I went off and found an unreserved seat elsewhere and settled into browsing the Internet as I often do. The journey passed by without much ado and I was joined by trentside at Derby for the rest of the journey into Birmingham.
Arrival was on time at 10:07 and there was a bit of time to kill before the challenge start at 12noon. nNetwork Daytripper for the day purchased, it was off onto the 10:23 Aberystwyth service as far as Smethwick Galton Bridge the first time I have heard the announcement of all stations to Pwlheli. 158836 and 158828 turned up and we took a place on the back set for the short hop. On arrival, our intention was to head back towards Birmingham but through confusion ended up on the Stourbridge platform and having just missed the Birmingham service, boarded 172340 on the 10:32 service for a shack scratch at Langley Green. The 10:44 was next (which we would have otherwise waited for at Smethwick GB), formed of 172333 for a further shack scratch at The Hawthorns where we went to join the tram. One of the main things I wanted to do was get a new tram in, and I did as Urbos 3 number 25 turned up for the hop to Jewellery Quarter. Last move for now was 172334 and 172217 for the move back to Moor Street from where we had half an hour to wander the Bullring before meeting the others
The challenge was to begin at Moor St and we had a fair sized gathering for the start (Moor St being chosen as New St attracted penalties for use before the end due to the ongoing work there) the start came and people disappeared off, though quite a few of us stuck together, being quite laid back about the outcome of the day. I wont try and name all that were on the initial trains as Ill leave someone out, but a number of us went for the 12:09 to Smethwick GB (again!) formed of the same pairing me and trentside had earlier, 172217 and 172334. At Smethwick we left SickyNicky behind as we headed onto the Aberystwyth service (another again!) to Wolverhampton joining the front of the 158840 and 158820 pairing before a walk to The Royal where we picked up Urbos Tram 18 for the drag into Snow Hill.
From arrival at Snow Hill, we watched tractakid get lost and consequently miss the tram we had just alighted whilst the rest of us went for the 13:47 service to Whitlocks End on 172213, which we took all the way a slightly odd sense when we briefly alighted on seeing green signals at both ends of the station! The same unit took us back about 10 minutes later to Shirley where 185143 failed to make the resident PERTIS machine accept money. It was now on a bus to Kings Norton, a relatively short journey, at which point we split up. I was now with 185143, trentside and Mojo and our first port of call was Longbridge courtesy of 323209 it was my first time here and I got one heck of a shock at the ramp to leave the platform, it being insanely long! We also pondered at what point the staircase may have been taken out of use and whether the platform to it was ever in use. 323221 was next up on the long slog on the 15:12 service as far as Butlers Lane before 323220 back to Aston.
There was a little wait at Aston, thankfully ahead of the football game finishing, and was full of little surprises. To add to the weather experienced, Aston experienced a brief hail shower, during which time a 323 to Lichfield turned up the back cab door opened, an umbrella appeared which was opened before the guard appeared clearly not wanting to mess up their hairdo! The second surprise was the Walsall stopper we had been waiting for turning up in the form of 170632 vice the expected electric. Our penultimate hop was to take us to Perry Barr, a location odd for having a floating PERTIS (though attempts to obtain an example werent forthcoming as the ticket office was open at the time). The final move of the day was the 16:44 service to New Street (an allowed interchange for the last train of the day) which arrived in the form of 323205 where we met the group we split off from at King Norton, alighting from which we got confused and ended up at the wrong end of the station to the meet point and had a bit of a walk to find the others. Arriving back just in time, I believe the group I was with scored 40, a number which appeared to be a common theme. However, given we were the last to arrive back with this number, it wasnt going to win this time, but a commendable effort given we set out just to have an enjoyable day in Birmingham. The overall winner, I believe, was TEW.
Following on from the meet, there was a forum meal, and although I was going elsewhere later, given the venue was The Malt House in the rather nice area around Brindley Place, I joined the group for a little while to grab a drink before I had to go. For the walk back, I was on my own, having had to leave the group before they headed off I was going to aim for Snow Hill, but given my geography skills, wasnt quite sure where I would end up! With the advice from the forum members ringing in my ears, I did manage to find Snow Hill, although did a lap of the area trying to find the way in, given you cannot enter from platform level, despite being able to see the trains going through! I was heading to Solihull and it was quite apparent that I should have researched the train times given I had to be there for a given time I think I had just missed a Dorridge service with 20 minutes until the next. I hopped on 172211 for the short jaunt to Moor Street, given it seemed a better place to wait all round. I also came to realise I didnt know where I was heading in Solihull now either (last time I checked was weeks ago and I had forgotten the walking route) but with my phone on 2%, I was a bit stuck on this. However, I was able to be a bit cheeky and stood next to an ECS Chiltern 168 for long enough before it departed to get some maps up on my tablet. 172335 provided the last traction for the day for the journey over to Solihull.
As an addition, on the Sunday I was travelling back after spending the day at the NEC for an event. 221124 provided the interchange from International to New Street before 221123 had arrived in very good time to provide the onward connection to Wakefield. What I hadnt realised, even when booking, was the significantly longer journey time slightly confused I checked RTT to find we were going from Birmingham New St to Derby via Nuneaton, Leicester and Loughborough, with a further 27 minute wait at Derby before continuing North, which came as something of a surprise (though sadly no new track on this diversion!)
My day was starting from Wakefield Westgate today, where I was leaving my car for a couple of days. 220020 duly turned up on the 08:23 service to Plymouth and was already fairly well loaded although I had a reserved seat at a table, it was fully occupied so I went off and found an unreserved seat elsewhere and settled into browsing the Internet as I often do. The journey passed by without much ado and I was joined by trentside at Derby for the rest of the journey into Birmingham.
Arrival was on time at 10:07 and there was a bit of time to kill before the challenge start at 12noon. nNetwork Daytripper for the day purchased, it was off onto the 10:23 Aberystwyth service as far as Smethwick Galton Bridge the first time I have heard the announcement of all stations to Pwlheli. 158836 and 158828 turned up and we took a place on the back set for the short hop. On arrival, our intention was to head back towards Birmingham but through confusion ended up on the Stourbridge platform and having just missed the Birmingham service, boarded 172340 on the 10:32 service for a shack scratch at Langley Green. The 10:44 was next (which we would have otherwise waited for at Smethwick GB), formed of 172333 for a further shack scratch at The Hawthorns where we went to join the tram. One of the main things I wanted to do was get a new tram in, and I did as Urbos 3 number 25 turned up for the hop to Jewellery Quarter. Last move for now was 172334 and 172217 for the move back to Moor Street from where we had half an hour to wander the Bullring before meeting the others
The challenge was to begin at Moor St and we had a fair sized gathering for the start (Moor St being chosen as New St attracted penalties for use before the end due to the ongoing work there) the start came and people disappeared off, though quite a few of us stuck together, being quite laid back about the outcome of the day. I wont try and name all that were on the initial trains as Ill leave someone out, but a number of us went for the 12:09 to Smethwick GB (again!) formed of the same pairing me and trentside had earlier, 172217 and 172334. At Smethwick we left SickyNicky behind as we headed onto the Aberystwyth service (another again!) to Wolverhampton joining the front of the 158840 and 158820 pairing before a walk to The Royal where we picked up Urbos Tram 18 for the drag into Snow Hill.
From arrival at Snow Hill, we watched tractakid get lost and consequently miss the tram we had just alighted whilst the rest of us went for the 13:47 service to Whitlocks End on 172213, which we took all the way a slightly odd sense when we briefly alighted on seeing green signals at both ends of the station! The same unit took us back about 10 minutes later to Shirley where 185143 failed to make the resident PERTIS machine accept money. It was now on a bus to Kings Norton, a relatively short journey, at which point we split up. I was now with 185143, trentside and Mojo and our first port of call was Longbridge courtesy of 323209 it was my first time here and I got one heck of a shock at the ramp to leave the platform, it being insanely long! We also pondered at what point the staircase may have been taken out of use and whether the platform to it was ever in use. 323221 was next up on the long slog on the 15:12 service as far as Butlers Lane before 323220 back to Aston.
There was a little wait at Aston, thankfully ahead of the football game finishing, and was full of little surprises. To add to the weather experienced, Aston experienced a brief hail shower, during which time a 323 to Lichfield turned up the back cab door opened, an umbrella appeared which was opened before the guard appeared clearly not wanting to mess up their hairdo! The second surprise was the Walsall stopper we had been waiting for turning up in the form of 170632 vice the expected electric. Our penultimate hop was to take us to Perry Barr, a location odd for having a floating PERTIS (though attempts to obtain an example werent forthcoming as the ticket office was open at the time). The final move of the day was the 16:44 service to New Street (an allowed interchange for the last train of the day) which arrived in the form of 323205 where we met the group we split off from at King Norton, alighting from which we got confused and ended up at the wrong end of the station to the meet point and had a bit of a walk to find the others. Arriving back just in time, I believe the group I was with scored 40, a number which appeared to be a common theme. However, given we were the last to arrive back with this number, it wasnt going to win this time, but a commendable effort given we set out just to have an enjoyable day in Birmingham. The overall winner, I believe, was TEW.
Following on from the meet, there was a forum meal, and although I was going elsewhere later, given the venue was The Malt House in the rather nice area around Brindley Place, I joined the group for a little while to grab a drink before I had to go. For the walk back, I was on my own, having had to leave the group before they headed off I was going to aim for Snow Hill, but given my geography skills, wasnt quite sure where I would end up! With the advice from the forum members ringing in my ears, I did manage to find Snow Hill, although did a lap of the area trying to find the way in, given you cannot enter from platform level, despite being able to see the trains going through! I was heading to Solihull and it was quite apparent that I should have researched the train times given I had to be there for a given time I think I had just missed a Dorridge service with 20 minutes until the next. I hopped on 172211 for the short jaunt to Moor Street, given it seemed a better place to wait all round. I also came to realise I didnt know where I was heading in Solihull now either (last time I checked was weeks ago and I had forgotten the walking route) but with my phone on 2%, I was a bit stuck on this. However, I was able to be a bit cheeky and stood next to an ECS Chiltern 168 for long enough before it departed to get some maps up on my tablet. 172335 provided the last traction for the day for the journey over to Solihull.
As an addition, on the Sunday I was travelling back after spending the day at the NEC for an event. 221124 provided the interchange from International to New Street before 221123 had arrived in very good time to provide the onward connection to Wakefield. What I hadnt realised, even when booking, was the significantly longer journey time slightly confused I checked RTT to find we were going from Birmingham New St to Derby via Nuneaton, Leicester and Loughborough, with a further 27 minute wait at Derby before continuing North, which came as something of a surprise (though sadly no new track on this diversion!)
