An area where i still had a fair amount of unscratched track was Lancashire. To reach this ranger's area I got a return to Hebden Bridge and caught the 0808 off of Leeds. By the time I reached Hebden Bridge, the Ranger kicked in. A winning 158754 took me to Manchester Victoria. A short trip to Salford Crescent on a winning 142056 followed by a short 1 mile trip back to Salford Central on 156443.
Next was another winning 142 (057) on some new track to Wigan Wallgate. I then met up with 142056 again and headed north to Bolton for another stretch of new track.
Now I needed to head north to Lancaster. Two winners got me there. 185101 to Preston and then 390118 to Lancaster. Now I waited for the one train a day to Heysham Port. It was 142019, required for haulage. It came in where I didn't expect it which meant crossing the footbridge but never mind! I expected it to use either platform 1 or 2! So with the trip to Heysham port and back complete, I headed back south to Preston on a dud pendo. I did mange to spot my final 185 for sight, and with my record of haulage on them was something of a surprise!
Now for more new route. Preston to Ormskirk. It was then more new route on a Merseyrail unit. I've seen only 3 before today and never ridden on one so this was all new! I took this to Moorfields. I then took a short journey to Sandhills. And then from here to Southport. Whilst here I gave myself an hour to get some food and visit the two Wetherspoons.
Back onto the rail network and off the Merseyrail trains, I headed East to Wigan Wallgate. Still new route but on a dud 156. It was then two dud 142s to Kirkby. Then I swapped onto (I had no idea that Ormskirk and Kirkby are one long platform with single tracks meeting with two sets of buffers!) a winning Mersey unit to Moorfields.
It was then the short trip from Moorfields to Liverpool Lime Street. From here a dud 156 took me to Wigan North Western where I waited for a train to Preston. The next train to arrive was a 142 (a winner) but the train after would get me to Preston more comfortably and quicker. I opted for the winner (the pendo might have been dud!). I sill met the same train I was going to catch to Blackburn which was a dud 142 but it was all new route.
The final train and final bit of new route up to Hebden Bridge was on a 158. Again another dud but at least it was direct to Leeds. It was another late finish. I got 14 winning trains over the course of the day and lots more route covered. I also managed to complete the 185s for sight and finally my 507/508s don't look so out of place in my book! I also managed a reasonable 330 odd, slow miles.
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