Slept incredibly well as usual at The Crewe Arms, and despite still feeling under the weather managed an energetic early start. Had planned for the 0635 stopping service to Manchester, but since it was in the platform and pleasantly empty, stepped onto the 175 forming the 0627 non-stop service. An easy run into the city via Wilmslow, depositing me in Piccadilly much earlier than planned. This gave me time at least to get my bearings, drink plenty of coffee and generally just watch the world go by which is by far one of my favourite occupations. Today's itinerary was a strange and rather shorter than usual one in terms of distance covered - a run out to Whitby on the east coast before doubling back into West Yorkshire to cover more little branches.
Boarded the Middlesbrough service, realising that the track between Manchester and York would be some of the most travelled this week. Always a relaxing journey though, and since I was feeling pretty rough, I decided to just sit back and enjoy the scenery. Our train picked up a lot of business around Huddersfield and we were full even in First by Leeds, but the journey from there on was much quieter and beyond York seemed quite lonely. We seemed to lose a few minutes around here somehow, and I suddenly realised that my eight minute connection into a very infrequent service to the coast was in jeopardy. Lost concentration around Thornaby - but did note a couple of decaying class 56s in the yard. Recalled a previous heroic leap at Middlesbrough station - which still seems to have a quite badly planned interface between Northern and Transpennine services - and just hoped for the best.
In the event, all was well. A failure in the information screens and some late running was causing enough confusion to delay things generally, and there was time to buy some lunch whilst waiting for the chaos to subside! Northern finally decided that the externally shiny but internally rather tattered 156 on the platform was going to Whitby, and a fair sized crowd of us soon departed for the rather stately plod into the moors and out to the sea - just about on time despite the confusion at Middlesbrough. Regular readers and old friends will know that I'm fascinated by seaside resorts. Having spent most of my life in two of them in the South West - sadly at the tail-end of their terminal decline - I'm always interested to see how others have fared. The journey to Whitby in itself is an attraction - the moorland scenery and village stations certainly evoke times gone by, and the steaming locomotive awaiting connecting passengers from our train at Grosmont added to this feeling. No time for a trip down the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (made famous by TV's permanently 1960s-trapped Heartbeat) today, but interested to note they are expanding their operations on the infrequently used Whitby branch during the summer. Almost something of a relief to return to civilisation as we entered Whitby, with just over a half-hour break in the town before heading back.
Still feeling pretty grim and finding swallowing painfully difficult now, didn't sample any of the locally caught fish delicacies. Instead wandered the harbour area of the town and avoided a light shower of rain which didn't seem to deter the tourists at all. Whitby deserves a better visit at some point, and I noted that it still hosts a popular Gothic Weekend which I confess I had a vague memory of reading about somewhere before.
Too soon, back to the station and the meander back to industrial Middlesbrough which presented such a contrast to this. A local youth stared intently at me for the entire journey back as far as Gypsy Lane, which was as much irritating as unnerving. Otherwise an uneventful trip and a simple enough connection at Middlesbrough into a Darlington service which covered a little more new track, leaving the rest of this area's more obscure highlights for a tour coming up during July if all goes to plan. At Darlington, stumbled off the train feeling possibly worse than at any point so far with this stupid and persistant cold. Pottered up and down the platforms trying to make myself feel better with coffee. Watched the service for Leeds (again, 9O26 which I'd caught from Edinburgh yesterday) get later and later. Relieved to finally see it arriving, and soon curled up in my seat trying to figure out how much of a pain my next set of wanderings would be during rush hour if I couldn't make the connection.
In the event, appeared in Leeds with about four minutes to spare and amazed myself with my high-speed dash over to the Ilkley train just in time for it to leave. Surprisingly busy, so parked myself in a vestibule for the first bit of the the journey. First ride on a 333 and pleasant enough for commuting. Got a seat after Guiseley and enjoyed the rest of the trip, envying the facilities available to travellers in PTE areas. Far too exhausted to wander much in Ilkley, but noted that the station was a shadow of what appeared to be its former glory. A few youngster hanging around making a nuisance of themselves made exploring thoroughly fairly difficult. Straight onto the Bradford Forster Square train when it arrived for another bit of track and my first proper visit to the city. Found the Midland Hotel at the top of the ramp down to the station and noted reception was a little swankier than perhaps I'm used to! The room was fairly spartan though - but comfortable enough considering how exhausted I was feeling. A brief wander into the confusing heart of Bradford which was perhaps not at its best in its damp and rainy darkness. There appeared to be some fairly attractive Victorian buildings likely related to the industrial links in the area, but this was no weather for tourists. Off to sleep, thinking about tomorrows itinerary.
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.
