16th February 2012 - The Great Escape

So I managed to get a bargain London Midland Great Escape ticket for today and I decided I would start and end in London. This meant the 0553 off Plymouth to get there for the Off Peak start time.

It took me a while to decide whether to go for units or route and in the end route won. Now on the London Midland Network I only had 5 bits left to scratch off. These are Watford - St. Albans Abbey, Bletchley to Bedford, the WCML to Northampton, Lichfield Trent Valley to Aston and a tiny bit in the Runcorn area.

Now a tour later in the year should take care of the Bletchley to Bedford bit. So I looked at scratching as much of the rest off. The plan I came up with would cover three bits (in hindsight I could possibly have done all of it but didn't spot the move until it was too late).

So I left Euston at 0936 and changed at Watford for a service behind to Lichfield Trent Valley. This got me the section between the WCML and Northampton. A winner off both trains was also a bonus with the second required for sight too. Only two left for sight completion.

From Lichfield it was the slow but all new route until Aston to Birmingham New Street. Again another winner. From Birmingham I managed to make the 1236 to Liverpool Lime Street. This was earlier than my plan so all was good. This would get me to Liverpool earlier and scratch the bit of track required through Runcorn over the River Mersey. This is where I saw a move that would get me back South earlier. At Liverpool South Parkway I should have bailed and got the next London Midland south as I have already done the bit into Lime Street. But it was too late. Never mind.

So I continued to Liverpool Lime Street. After a wait here (took some photos but saw nothing new) I took the same train back to Liverpool South Parkway. I did bail here though. I was effectively 30mins ahead of my plan so I decided to get off, get Parkway in the book and take some photos. There was also the chance that the next train was a winner. And it was!

I didn't want to go back to Birmingham so I got off at Stafford. A quick stop at Pumpkin to grab a tea and on the Train to London 10 minutes later. I stayed on here until Watford Junction.

There was not enough time to get to St. Albans Abbey and back so that will have to wait (the move I spotted too late would have got me here an hour earlier!). I did have time however to visit the two Wetherspoons in Watford.

With this done I headed back to Euston on a productive 12 carriage train, containing two winners! It was then back to Paddington and back home to Plymouth.

I managed 875 miles today which I think is the most I've ever done in a single day. Ok not many winners, but three bits of track scratched. I also spotted a couple of new 66s and a 60.

A long but good day. Left Plymouth at 0553 and am now on the train that should return me by 0011! Will update this if anything more happens!!!!