Over the last couple of days I've been pottering around the house and generally enjoying being on leave and having nothing to do. Because I had a fairly substantial trip planned for the coming weekend I was content not to do too much else. Then, sometime yesterday, things started to conspire against my trip! With a prediction of bad weather, the transport networks were expected to fall to pieces and in true British fashion, we were all supposed to stop doing anything non-essential and just panic-buy bread and milk from our local supermarkets. I was led to expect to wake this morning to a generous carpet of snow and ice, capable of stopping trains and causing chaos. It didn't sound good at all.
In the event, I woke today to a cold and damp morning with no sign of the promised weather. In fact the trail of salt left to melt a path to the station proved more treacherous than the predicted conditions! However, not missing a chance to use a good excuse First Great Western had already cancelled the 06:19 to Bristol. With the earliest departure replaced in part by a bus which had already left to meet the train at Weston, I was stuck hoping that Virgin would honour my ticket on a later train. Then, rather oddly the service appeared to be reinstated on FGW's website, but not on National Rail Enquiries. Decided to set out and chance the 06:19 anyway. The passenger information system at the station was reporting the train running, but bizarrely missing out Bristol Temple Meads and Bedminster on route to Filton. I suspect someone pressed the wrong buttons, because eventually the train terminated at Bristol and didn't go forward to Filton at all. Anyway, the good news was that despite a guard who was rather slow to operate the doors, the rather reluctant sounding 153305 struggled into a slightly white underfoot Temple Meads only a few minutes late.
A fairly swift change onto the 07:29 which was to take me all the way to Glasgow. Found my seat and was almost immediately served fresh coffee. Happily settled in for the longest journey of the year so far. Surprised as we were leaving Bristol by the site of 33025 in the loco spur, apparently on snow-related duties! The journey northwards was fairly uneventful as far as the Midlands, but it was fairly clear from the drivers footprints when he left the cab to telephone at a faulty signal near Barnt Green that the snow was deeper here, and was likely to stick around for some time. With the signal fault and general weather-related slowness, we arrived around 20 down at New Street, where astonishingly another Class 33 (this time 029) was awaiting action!
Not having to worry about a connection, I was happy to let things rumble on at their own pace, and the train became a little busier as we headed north - mostly with people advised to join this as following trains were either late or cancelled. We sat at Crewe for a fair while, as Network Rail tried to decide whether to send us via Manchester to avoid a failed freight at Winsford. Eventually the train limped into a loop and we passed slowly by, now around an hour late. Once North of Weaver Junction the snow had all but disappeared, and we made fair progress northwards. As we crossed the border at Gretna, a slight glow in the sky indicated there was some sunshine up there somewhere, and by the time we were crossing the Clyde we were blessed with bright winter sunshine in the already way too hot carriage!
Having decided to make the most of my time up here, I speedily checked into my hotel for the weekend which was located a couple of doors from the Union Street entrance of Central Station, and was back and rebooked in time for the 14:45 to Largs. The plan was to spend today and tomorrow covering as many as possible of the branches we wouldn't touch on the McBuffer Puffer tour on Saturday. Set out on familiar track via Paisley as far as Kilwhinning, where we headed for the coast via Ardrossan South Beach. Made a mental note I needed to do the branch to the harbour at some point. More pleasant sunshine as we passed the coal loading point at Hunterston and finally arrived in Largs just in time for school finishing. Tried and failed to get an unobscured picture of the unit on the blocks, but found no convenient spot to do so which I could get to quickly, grabbing a fairly poor effort through the catenary.
With a train almost full with a rather uncomfortable mix of pensioners and school pupils, we set off back towards Glasgow. Most of the passengers disembarked at either Ardrossan or Saltcoats and again I had a quiet and speedy run back to Central. With the first branchline of the week ticked off and the evening peak about to start, decided to grab something to eat then wander out to The 13th Note to celebrate. Whilst strolling along Argyle Street towards Trongate the 'click' into the Glasgow mindset occurred and I felt just as comfortable as ever in my adopted home-away-from-home City. Really glad to be here given a shaky start to today!
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
