16th February – Glasgow Daytripper

After arriving into Paddington we had an hour to get across to Euston. We made our way over to Euston Square on the Hammersmith line and once we arrived we had a wonder round to see what was here. With the renumber of the Pendolinos I still needed a fair few to see (and one 350 and 378 unit). Saw a new 390 and that was it. About 20 minutes before our train was due to leave a Class 47 rolled in near our platform with a charter train to Carlisle. A photo was taken of this and then it was onto a dud Pendolino to Glasgow. I've not done the West Coast in its entirety in daylight before so it was a bit new for me. There wasn't much to see for the first hour or so as daylight was only just appearing. Luckily we needed the most light as we passed the likes of Crewe and Carlisle. Of all the locos spotted on the way only one required 66 was seen at Kingmoor. Better than nothing!

As we neared Glasgow this was the time I needed to be most alert. I still need a lot of Scottish units. We arrived on time and we bought forward the plan I had set by an hour (made for contingency). We grabbed some lunch and then went for a trip down to the newly electrified Paisley Canal branch. This on a winning 314205 and we returned on the same unit. Next up was a trip to Gourock on 380006. We then headed back to Paisley Gilmour Street on 380014. We had a short wait for the train to Wemyss Bay so we popped out of the station to get a drink in the Wetherspoons. It was then onto Wemyss Bay on 380008.

Now because we were an hour ahead and we needed to get back onto the plan (it wasn't all clockface) we had spare time. Once we got back to Glasgow we did a Central to Central train to cover some new route on 314216. It was then back onto plan and off to Largs. Another 380 unit (010) took us there and then back to Saltcoats. Whilst we were waiting for the train to complete the Ardossan Harbour branch we popped into the Wetherspoons. It was then off to the Ardossan Harbour before returning to Glasgow on 380110. Back at Glasgow it was time to find the travelodge and check in.

Upon doing that we headed out to find something to eat at a Wetherspoons not yet visited. After this we popped back onto the train for a bit. We walked to Charing Cross and headed to Partick on 320310. We then headed back on 318252 (my first ever 318!) before jumping on 334012 to Dalmuir which meant I completed the Yoker route. It was then a return to Queen Street on 334019 before we used the clockwork orange to Buccanan Street which was the nearest station to our travelodge.

A good first day. Plenty of winners for both sight and haulage. Also a lot of new route now covered over the 635 miles we travelled. Tomorrow would be the start of the Central Scotland Rover.    

15th February 2013 – Night Riviera to London

Today would see the start of my trip to Scotland with my Dad. Well only just! We had from the Saturday until Wednesday but to maximise our time we headed out on the sleeper from Plymouth which left just before midnight on the Friday. We had sleeper berths so we did get a reasonable nights sleep. The route the train took was Via Westbury then Melksham. This was a 240 mile journey to start the trip away and we arrived into Paddington on time.

14th February 2013 – Ride Cornwall

I had enjoyed the week before so much I decided to do another Ride Cornwall and do a similar thing. Initially my ultimate plan for the day was to get Menheniot in the book. Its an awkward station on the Cornish network as it could entail a long wait but I found a window where only a 2 minute wait is required before the next train. Ideal!

But my plans changed when it transpired the cement train was running to Moorswater! My day off and its running? This changed the days plans. I headed to Liskeard and then onto the Looe Branch. I wanted to see it in the valley so Coombe Halt was the station required. I had plenty of time so down to Looe and back where I got off. A walk back was going to be needed as no train would be stopping at Coombe Halt until the evening now! Anyway I waited patiently for the Cement train. I had no phone (well internet) signal so was very frustrating as I couldn't see the whereabouts of the train. After 30 odd minutes someone else turned up. That was a good sign. We waited and after another 15 or so minutes we could see it coming down the hill. After it passed we crossed the line and ran up to the station. He then offered me a lift to Moorswater itself and we headed there for some lineside photos. Was very pleased with my efforts. After this I headed up to Liskeard for a well earned pint. Another pub knocked off the Looe Valley Trail. I then headed West Penzance before returning to Plymouth. Another 180 odd miles, one new station and one new pub! But I was now getting excited! Tomorrow would see the start of my trip with my dad to Scotland!  

7th February 2013 – Ride Cornwall

Not been very good at keeping this up to date! Never mind! Ok so after my trip away to Leeds/Manchester it was back in the south west. After a discussion I had had with Peter about stations we had alighted at I found a list of all of them on the National Rail Website. I imported them into a spreadsheet and marked off the ones I had been to. When I say been to I mean caught a train to or from it and then caught another train or made my way elsewhere by other means of transport. It surprised me to find I had been to nearly 500!

With this is mind and the number of rail ale trails in the south west I thought this was an ideal time to try and visit this pubs and therefore the stations near them. It had been a long time since I had done a Ride Cornwall so I decided to do this and head West. I headed to St Erth and then onto to St Ives and headed into town. My back was killing me (put it out during my trip away during my coughing fits!) but got easier as I made my way slowly into town. I haded to the Lifeboat Inn to get a stamp in my book. I have been to this pub on several occasions before but never had the book. I then headed back to the station and then onto Lelant Saltings. There were two pubs here. Well I say two. One is nearer to Lelant but no train seems to stop there during the day! The station will have to wait till the summer when it is warmer and lighter and I will stay out longer. I walked to it and then onto the other nearby for my stamps.

Then it was onto Hayle to find one of the St Austell pubs (this was for my phone app). The station was also new for alighting. It was then back to Penzance for the London Train back to Plymouth.

An enjoyable day. I'm not going to get anything new (maybe for the year) but I did get two new stations and 4 pubs across the ale trails I am doing. And a respectable 180 miles added to my total.  

24th January 2013 - West Yorkshire Rover

It was our last day but I had something I had planned to do on my own as Peter had already done it. Basically it was route that I had planned to do when I did my freedom of the north east last year but never got to it. Leeds to York via Harrogate and York to Selby. A few cheap advance tickets saw me leaving Leeds at just after 0600. I was feeling really rough but I had already paid so had to do it. Basically I did the Harrogate route and then caught a train to Selby to complete some route required. It was then back to Leeds to meet Peter just after 0930 when the West Yorkshire Rover would start.

The first two trains were winning units but it was a dud TPE 170 to Leeds. I arrived into Leeds at the right time and knew where Peter was. On a train heading to Bradford Interchange. It left as I was coming down the stairs! Didn't matter I caught the next train and our plan would kick in from Bradford. 

We had planned to do Grand Central trains and Brighouse & Halifax Wetherspoons. Upon arriving at Bradford I found Peter on the GC 180. It was a winner for me so all was good. Upon arriving at Halifax we headed into the town to find the two Wetherspoons. We then headed back to Bradford on a dud 158. We then caught a train back to Brighouse (winning train) for lunch. By now I was really not feeling the love of anything! I had the Welsh Dragon in hope that it would help my throat! It felt better whilst eating but that was it! Back to the station we waited for the GC 180. It was a winner so that was something! Back at Bradford we waited for the train back to Leeds. It was the same 150 we caught earlier so not a winner. 

We no had some time to kill. There wasn't much we could do with the time we had left so we caught a train to Frizinghall and back. Unless a 321 or 322 fell onto the diagram i knew it wouldn't be a winning train as I had completed the 333s on last visit to Leeds. So a mileage boost it ended up being. 

It was then a dud 91 back to London. I now had sometime to kill in London. Or did I. Peter was staying in london for a few more days whilst i was heading back to Plymouth. I misread the time of my train back and did a few moves on the Thameslink thinking I had time. I picked up one new 319 during the process and then as I got to Paddington realised my mistake! I was not a happy person. Feeling worse than I had done at anytime during the trip I headed to the FGW desk (I was on advance tickets)! The first desk (Platform 12 end) had an incredibly unhelpful woman on it. She said go to the ticket office. I stopped at the other desk and the bloke was helpful and stamped my tickets! Phew! Next train home it was then! 

So that was the end of the holiday! Ignoring how ill I had become I did have a good time. A lot of route covered and plenty of winners. Thursday was the hardest day as I really didn't want to do anything. Glad I managed to do Harrogate and Selby route though! Next big plans we in Feb with my dad but there would be stuff in-between. Thats for sure! 

23rd January 2013 - Lancashire Day Ranger

Our third day would see a Lancashire Day Ranger in use. Like Monday it was a route coverage plan initially for me and then for Peter. An early start (not good for the now developing cough and headache!) saw us leave Leeds (winning 155342) at 0603 to get to Manchester via Hebdon bridge with plenty of time to get breakfast before the ranger kicked in. Again we did a few tram moves to get to Market street where we headed to Manchester and county for breakfast.

After breakfast we made our way back to Victoria and waited for the 0900 to Clitheroe. A winner in the form of 150133. Not the fastest of trips but needed to be done. We caught it straight back to Blackburn and in the interim wait for the train to Colne we headed to the Wetherspoons.

A dud 142037 carried us to Colne! Now here is where the plan changed and in hindsight for the better! The original plan had us wait for a long time at colne to get lunch at the Wetherspoons and perhaps another couple of cask marque pubs! But it was a long time to waste so we decided to catch the same train back! I said (and bearing in mind how I was not feeling well) I was going to try and make the pub, have a swift half and then run back for the train in 20 minutes! Peter also decided too try this!

There was snow still quite heavy on the ground and it was all up hill but some how we made it in less than 10 minutes! The quickest half pint ever followed by a run down the hill gave us 5 minutes before we left! I think it nearly killed us but we never have to worry about that spoons!

With the branch complete I have now almost completed the route on a Lancashire ranger. Only the annoying curve into Morecambe from Carnforth is left!

We stayed on the train to Preston and the plan would see us head to Blackpool. The plan changed though when I saw one of my final two 221s (221111) roll in heading north. We caught that to Lancaster and headed into town to do the spoons. I had already done one of them on a previous visit to the area but needed the other. After that we headed back to the station and decided to go to Morecambe. It was a winner in 156440 and Peter needed the branch and the spoons that we went too.

Then the opportunity arose to catch the train to Leeds from Morecambe that would traverse the annoying curve (winning 150274)! We decided to do it and bail at Carnforth! Brilliant! Then it went wrong!

The points were stuck and we headed back to Lancaster! Doh! We got off then. Gutted! Still got that bit to do! So now we made our way to Blackpool. But in reverse to the original plan. We went to Blackpool south via St Anne's. Here we headed off to get dinner in the Wetherspoons. It was then onwards to Blackpool south. From here another swift drink in the nearest Werherspoons before a tram to the tower! The Albert and the Lion was visited before the newest Wetherspoons in Blackpool (one i needed).

It was now back to the station! There was no plan but we were going to bail at Preston. But we both fell asleep and didn't wake up! Oh dear!

Luckily the train was heading to Victoria so we could bail there. We made kur way to Piccadilly and got a train to Leeds from there. I was feeling really rough now and all I wanted was my bed to honest.

All route I went for its now done! Only managed 6 winning trains but despite feeling a lot worse was a successful day. Another early start tomorrow was closing in but I had to just see it through!

22th January 2013 - South Pennine Day Ranger

Tuesday was going to be a more relaxing day (if it could be called that as I was now coming down with something). We were getting a South Pennine Ranger which allowed travel between Leeds and Manchester via 3 routes. There was no route to get today so it was purely unit scratching. The Ranger wasn't valid until 0845 so we had a lie in as well!

After breakfast we headed to the station and caught a winning 185133 to Manchester Piccadilly. Once we arrived it we looked for what was needed. A winning 390126 to Stockport was next and it was at this point me and Peter split and arranged to meet at a later time. We both needed different trains so it made sense. He went on the next train but I had to wait for a while before a winning train came in. Eventually 150224 arrived and I got on. Once I was back at Piccadilly I jumped onto another Pendo. This time 390138. Another 20 odd minutes later a winning 323231 rolled into Stockport. I jumped on this back to Piccadilly and just as we were arriving I saw Peter on the same train!

We decided to see what was on the Norwich - Liverpool train. 158813 and was a winner so we took this to Oxford Road. A winning 142060 back to Piccadilly before 156471 (winner) back to Oxford Road. We needed to get back to Piccadilly as we decided to go to Stockport for lunch in the Wetherspoons. A dud 185115 to Piccadilly and then we split to get to Stockport. Peter took the first Pendo to Stockport whilst I waited for the one behind as I needed it.

After lunch we made a move back to Manchester on winning 150118. Now we decided to head to Sheffield and we ended up doing a few mileage moves. A winning 158854 took us to Sheffield. We then spotted the return train was a double winning 158810 and 846. The return back to Sheffield was 158863 and 785 (winner). During this we spotted 70016 at Castleton which was required for me.

We then spent some time making moves between Sheffield and Meadowhall. We did two out and back moves and each time got me a winning unit. After the third out move to Meadowhall we decided to head to Wombwell. There was a Wetherspoon there (quite a walk though) so we made our way to it. Another winning unit took us there and back to Meadowhall. It was then a move back to Sheffield and a 30 minute wait for the East Midland HST that would take us to Wakefield. We popped out of the station for this time and popped into a cask marqued pub.

When the HST did turn up it was a dud for me but we headed to Wakefield to continue with the plan. At Wakefield 91119 (had this on Sunday!!!!) rolled in and we took it to Leeds. We needed to be back at Wakefield for the next HST so we took a dud 322481 back.

We then did a brisk walk/run to the Wetherspoons in Wakefield (which didn't do my cough much good). Back at the station the HST rolled in and leading power car 43073 was a winner! Nice!

That was it for the day. I was feeling more under the weather which was not good but plenty of winning trains and miles in the bag. It was back to the hotel as an early start in the morning was needed. Despite my cough worsening I had bought all my tickets so was going to use them!