Since the timetable change last winter, I've been meaning to take a day off mid-week to cover the interesting locomotive-hauled diagram which was designed to fill some of the gaps left by South West Trains discontinuing services west of Exeter. It's been a while since it was possible to pick up a reasonably timed service beyond Taunton from my home shack - not since Alphaline days in fact, when this was one of my regular wanders when things were perhaps a little stressful or strange. Moving forward, the resort has seen me visit chasing locos too - the Class 47 hauled Manchester-Paigntons during the late 1990s, then the Class 67 powered Virgin Holidaymaker additionals back in 2004.

Today it was just a familiar pair of 67s as used on the local service for a while, but the walk out to Goodrington Sidings took me back to happier - and indeed some rather bleaker times. Not much has changed - a few more shops are closed, a few less people around perhaps. But the sight of a train on the level crossing in town still draws waves from the youngsters and creates something of a spectacle among the Bank Holiday crowds.

Sometimes, I don't realise how much I need to relax until I'm finally unwinding - and today was one of those occasions. Easter had crept up on me, so fast in fact that I'd neglected to do any of the traditional panic-buying that is expected of one prior to the shops closing for 24 hours. The problem being of course, that I normally shop on Sundays. In any case, it had been a long and rather eventful week - so the all too rare chance to visit my local last night, followed by a good long trip today was just what was needed. I set out early, with the aforementioned visit to the pub not causing too much difficulty in getting up on time I'm pleased to note. Onto the first train to Bristol, finding most of the concessions at the station not open until later due to it being a holiday weekend. Contented myself with coffee, beefed up with extra espresso shots, and headed for the 07:00 which was already ticking over on the platform. Despite being very quiet so far, the train was heavily reserved. There is always a vague worry at this time of year that things will get wedged and that a Voyager vestibule will be home for a couple of hours! Settled into my booked seat and enjoyed a relaxing, quiet journey north while catching up on podcasts and enjoying seeing the familiar scenery in daylight for the first time in months. The weather varied wildly, from rain and hail to bright spring sunshine as we sped north through the Midlands. Unexpectedly diverted at Soho South Junction to take the line via Bescot before getting back on track at Wolverhampton, which cost us around a 15 minute delay. Realised with some concern that the same thing next week could scupper my plans entirely! Otherwise, an uneventful and pleasant run up to Manchester Piccadilly on the ever-useful 1M21.

Despite being about 10 minutes late, had some time here to pop out to the Ian Allan shop and to find a late breakfast and more coffee. The station was busy with Chelsea and Manchester United fans here for a 12:45 kick-off. As a member of staff wryly observed this meant them arriving and leaving during the same shift - "double the fun" indeed! Despite always enjoying a bit of a wander in Manchester when the football isn't on, not unhappy today to get onto a 185 which would complete the journey to Scarborough. It's always good to do the route via Guide Bridge and under the Pennines - despite leaving Standedge Tunnel under wet and gloomy skies, with Huddersfield and Leeds blanketed by drizzle. With the train strangely quiet from Leeds, headed back out into the sunshine at Colton Junction. Noted 66412 and 301 in the Royal Mail sidings at York. Seemed odd that 66301 hadn't gone with it's sister engines to Crewe following Jarvis Fastline entering administration earlier in the week. Made a note to get some pictures on the way back through York, as we set off for the final leg of the journey to Scarborough.

I hadn't been this way for a few years, and I'd forgotten just how winding and tight some of the curves were along this line. Somewhere along the way the sun appeared again, and the last part of the journey was conducted in fine weather. We snaked into the long, curved platform 1 at Scarborough on time, leaving me with around an hour to explore the town. Set off down the main street, poking my head into the rather busy Wetherspoons to see if any of the characters from my last visit were in evidence, but it's a very different place on a busy holiday Saturday it seems! Wandered through the town to the Cliff Lift which takes people down to the beach in rather precarious-looking wooden cars down an inclined railway. Thought about doing it for the track, but given how busy it was I flagged the lift and settled for enjoying views over the see and some pictures instead. The fact I was desperate enough to consider it left a niggling worry that perhaps I should have gone with my instincts - but while Pwllheli remains undone, there is no excuse to be chasing these little bits of track! The town was certainly busy, and I noticed again how irritated I get these days with people walking aimlessly and slowly around. Negotiated the half-speed holidaymakers and made my way back to the station with the intention of getting some pictures and a decent coffee before the run back. However, as I arrived a Charter Train from Bedford which I'd completely failed to read the gen about crept quietly into platform 1 with 47787 at the helm. Just time to get some pictures before a rather sudden hailstorm swept across the platforms. Found cover and waited for the train back to York to be called, this time leaving from platform 4 under the roof of the trainshed which gives Scarborough it's 'proper railway station' feel.

A smooth ride back to York in pleasantly hail-free conditions, although it was raining when we arrived despite being wonderfully sunny once again! 66412 had disappeared from the sidings apparently to rescue the tour at Scarborough, which explained the large noisy thing which had zipped by our train unexpectedly around Malton. Calculated that disappointingly I wouldn't have time to wait and see the return working before my train home. In any case spent a fine hour at York chatting with the platform-enders, getting some pictures and finding another good cup of coffee before the long catering desert which is CrossCountry these days. My train back to Bristol arrived in good time, and again was heavily reserved - but I note not many of the reserved seats got taken this time. Perhaps the will-they won't-they strike had put people off travelling? I had a quiet ride back south, with an absolutely stunning sunset over the Malvern Hills which reminded me of my very earliest rail journeys. A fine ending to a long, interesting and ultimately very relaxing day out on the rails. Next week's equally opportunistic trip will, I hope, provide more of the same...

As the season starts in earnest, so events start to clash - and there was a fair choice of things happening in the West today. With a sizeable Diesel Gala occurring at the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, and a Steam Event at the West Somerset the humble home-fleet only gala at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway might not have got quite the crowd it hoped for. For me though, a chance to potter down to Cornwall for the first time this year along with a chance to sample 33110 for the first time seemed like a sensible option. Set off on the convenient 06:01 which took me directly from home to Bodmin, stopping almost everywhere. The day seemed to promise some decent weather and it was good to be heading along the seawall and through Devon and Cornwall again. There will hopefully be a number of visits in the course of the next few months with more inspiring choices of traction too! Arrived at Bodmin Parkway with a little under an hour until the first train. Took advantage of the time to visit the Signal Box Cafe for breakfast and plenty of coffee before heading over the bridge to watch 33110 arrive around the curve. The loco didn't sound in the best shape, but made an impressive racket once we got going up the bank towards Bodmin General!

With 37142 out of action at present it was left to 33110 along with 50042 and 47306 to ensure things ran smoothly. Sticking closely to time for most of the day, we soon got into the rhythm of the loco swaps, with double-headed journey's to Parkway interspersed with top and tailed trips out to the railway's current extremity at Boscarne Junction. The buffet car was stocked with some decent local beers too, which made for a very pleasant and relaxing day out enjoying the scenery and the event. No mad dashes to change trains or difficult choices of which turns to cover today! Took a brief break around lunchtime to wander out to the Beacon Road overbridge in search of possible photographic opportunities. Despite negotiating one of the most complicated footbridges I've ever seen, which seemed to wind its way around a fine old iron road bridge, no real views over the line to Bodmin Parkway. Back to the station in time for the next spin out to Boscarne Junction.

With a final couple of runs complete, we decided the 17:10 arrival for a 17:12 train homewards was a little optimistic, and elected to wait time at Parkway. Our hunch proved correct, and it was pleasant to wait in the improving weather for the HST back to Taunton. The train home was fairly busy, and I'll confess that several bottles of Tribute and an early start meant a rather sleepy ride back. A frustratingly long wait for a connection at Taunton, with a station buffet which couldn't seem to decide if it was open or not - just when coffee would have been very helpful! Overall, another fine day out at Bodmin. It would be fantastic to get some guest locos along sometime to work on the impressive banks and curves of this fine little railway which seems to spend a lot of time ensuring the small resident diesel fleet earns its keep.

This tour was originally scheduled for the end of last October, and was re-dated when Western Champion suffered some engine problems. However, with the usual care and attention lavished by The DTG things were soon sorted. One hangover from the original date however was the early start, which saw me staggering across the bridge to Temple Meads from my hotel at around 05:30. I wasn't feeling great - a sleepless and painful couple of days with a damaged ankle had left me tired and miserable - but I was determined to enjoy today's journey. Despite my fantastic vantage point above the station, I hadn't seen D1015 moving around either last night or this morning - and indeed there was no sign of the stock in the station. Wandered down to check if coffee was available yet and was disappointed. However, with the train crawling into the station with D1015 producing a cloud of blue smoke I used the time productively to get an atmospheric shot in the gloom of the station.

Found my seat and settled in for the day. The headache I'd been nursing began to disappear once coffee was served, and we were soon speeding northwards. A particularly fun ascent of the Lickey Incline saw D1015 working hard and making a fantastic noise at the front of the train. However, noted a message about disruption along our route - the Spitfire tour (which I would have been on but for this re-dating) had already been turned back to New Street and sent via Lichfield, and it was unclear quite what we'd end up doing. So, we had a longer than expected break in Birmingham and once a pilotman was found set off via Aston for Lichfield, rejoining our booked route at Wichnor Junction. Tours almost never seem to go this way because of the intensive Cross City service, but when it suits Network Rail it is, of course a different matter. Made our booked pick-ups at Derby and Chesterfield before taking the Old Road to bypass Sheffield as we headed for Wakefield Kirkgate via the link from Hare Park to Crofton West. After slowing a little before Huddersfield, the driver opened up Champion with an almighty blast of noise which visibly startled the waiting passengers. Once under the Pennines at Standedge we worked our way south to Stockport via a break at Denton where barely a coach made it onto the platform. Whilst these journeys with D1015 are full of 'firsts', this was a truly unique moment as this tiny station which receives one train each week hosted several hundred tour passengers! Back on board for the long, hard climb up to Buxton which prompted further music from the twin Maybach engines. A memorable trip indeed.

Buxton is a strange town with a steep hill in the middle. Most of what is at the bottom is duplicated at the top, meaning that people presumable have little need to move between the two parts? Decided, in the absence of anything much to do and with a steady drizzle falling, to walk up the hill which I'd decided against on my last visit. Finding nothing much of interest, I walked back down and explored some of the historic spa buildings. The town is pleasant if a little isolated - and that strange, frontier-town vibe seems to spur the locals into some very odd behaviours. Not least, some of the slowest walking I've experienced in years. Stocked up on provisions for the trip home and set off for the station. While I can see the reasons tour operators need to mix trips for 'normals' and 'cranks' in these tricky times, I'm not convinced the technique of dumping everyone at a destination for a few hours is the right way. Spitfire's method of running mini-tours and add-ons seems to work better and avoid half the train huddling miserably at the station for an hour or so!

Once the service train had shunted over into the other platform, our train returned to the platform, and cold, damp passengers gratefully boarded. For me, the next part of the trip was the clear highlight - propelling into the former XYZ sidings, we set off southwards, curving high over Buxton and travelling alongside the Hindlow branch for a while, before plunging into a deep gorge with the road and river below. The network of railways and tramways here was complex and there were occasional tantalising glimpses of this heritage as we turned north again towards Great Rocks. This area with its regular freight workings had been a source of wonder for many years, and with the weather a little brighter, it was fantastic to pass through the rather strange scenery in the quarries as we made swift progress towards Chinley, where we rejoined the Hope Valley line. The earlier problems with debris placed on the line at Tamworth had been cleared, but a fatality near Sheffield had produced further problems, particularly for Crosscountry whose service was in tatters. Thus unhindered, we sped south and made amazing progress arriving at New Street very early. We were booked a fairly long stop here, and rather strangely were held until time - well over 50 minutes by my reckoning despite nothing much being in our way. An early departure would also have avoided the need to divert into Gloucester and run the loco around - a late addition to the timings put in solely to path us around an express on the mainline. However, we duly completed the reversal, losing time into the bargain. Started to get a little nervous, with a 16 minute connection at Temple Meads into the last train home and about 10 minutes of delay already.

I need not have worried. The run from Gloucester to Bristol was one of the most incredible journeys I've done with D1015 which must have achieved some very impressive speeds. Presented ourselves at Bristol Temple Meads early, and as is traditional we were held at signals until our due time, before being let into the station about a minute late! Made the train home in plenty of time, with D1015 still singing quietly on the platform as we set off on an HST powered by a distant relative of the Maybach engine. Whilst today was a little too damp and dull to make the time in Buxton quite as enjoyable as it might have been, there were some stunning and memorable moments with Champion and some interesting track and scenery along the way. There are to be a few more trips later in the year which might need some serious investigation...