Woke up to bright sunshine - had doubts about braving the replacement bus service, but decided it was too nice a day to waste. Had planned a low key trip down to Southampton, and thence to Lymington Pier. Another little branch I'd not seen before, and a bit of track through the New Forest which I'd not visited for a long time!
All ran incredibly smoothly. Noted the services running to Taunton via Westbury. Might be an interesting diversion to get a 220 or 158 along that way before the diversions are over? Brief rainstorms at Southamtpon, waiting for the chaos surrounding an earlier fatality at Redbridge to subside. Did so soon after my arrival, and it was off to Brockenhurst, and then to Lymington on a 4CEP which according to fleet lists should have been a 3CEP! Strange. I didn't hang around at Lymington Pier - not much to do for an hour there really, so headed straight back - braving the awkward "didn't I just see you?" moment with the Guard during his ticket check.
Very smooth journey back, despite getting the very same 150 I had on the way down. Almost ran out of reading material however, which would have been a disaster. Coach driver back from Temple Meads was rather boisterous, much to the concern of one or two passengers. He would bark "STAY THERE!" at them as they waited to get on whilst others alighted, then when they finally got on board would be disarmingly nice to them.
Booked hotel for an evening in Edinburgh, despite my nagging concern that Virgin have yet to deliver the free tickets promised.
Today was the first day I've felt almost normal, so I decided it should be the day for one of my pointless but entertaining epic dashes to get mileage and new track. After haggling over a Portsmouth ticket yesterday, and coming away with a rather expensive but completely unrestricted one, I set out on the 0628 for Bristol expecting a long day.
Pleasant enough ride down to Portsmouth. Last visit I went straight to the Harbour for the ferry crossing, so this time I hopped off at Portsmouth & Southsea and explored a little around the station, which is an unusual split-level half terminus and half through station affair.
Next leg was a run up to London Waterloo via Petersfield on what turned out to be a 5WES unit. I'd forgotten how comfortable these were, and despite being based on the Mk3 coach design, how much better they'd turned out. It was also somewhere on this journey that I decided that I could get back to Portsmouth by another route later... But doing another route home meant missing out on the planned London to Guildford via Effingham Junction leg. So, on arrival at Waterloo I threw caution to the wind and made an absurd double-back to Guildford, staying for only a quick coffee and a brief potter around the station environs.
Returned to Waterloo and crossed London under a threatening bruise-like sky. Spent some time exploring and people-watching at Victoria, one of the terminii I use little - so it retains the mystery of the 'big London station' in my imagination. Wondered if I'd get 377s back, but instead got (what I think was) a 4VEP and a 4VOP. Southern units confuse me - I'm learning, and will no doubt have it sorted in time for the complete withdrawl of slam-door stock. Granted, at current rates that could give me some years however!
So, left via Gatwick and Three Bridges on a Portsmouth/Bognor Regis train, which divided at Barnham. Now, this happens all day every day, but I really felt the pain of the South Central staff - offering repeated, detailed explanations of where people should be on the train, but still finding people in the wrong place, or just plain ignoring them!
Arrived back in Portsmouth in good time for the 1724 to Bristol. Now the fun starts. It was solidly packed most of the way, and despite starting on time, leaked minutes for no reason at all! By Trowbridge we'd just stopped. Later heard that someone had been taken ill on the platform and the train preceding us had stayed until medics arrived. More delays due to lost paths near Bristol brought us in 41 late by my reckoning.
Still, I set out for an epic day, and fifteen hours of travelling later I arrived back, tired but happy enough. I've never quite been able to explain why I do this kind of thing - best guess is that it's the nice, safe suburban version of explorers who get themselves lost to see if they can get home!
Woke up still feeling gruesome, but determined to get out and about. Set about getting to Alton, exploring some more tricky bits of Hampshire, and to perhaps potter around some more South West London surburban routes.
It was an incredibly beautiful day to be out travelling. For the first time this year, the sun was actually beginning to warm things up a little, and the clear skies left it cold and crisp. In normal circumstances, perfect weather for me, but today the cold seemed to aggravate my persistent (and embarassingly over-dramatic sounding) cough!
To Reading first, then a series of little hops to get to Alton. This included a stop at Aldershot, and the least convenient Convenience Store I have ever visited. Well, I suppose it might be convenient if the only things you needed were the very limited range of items he had in stock! At Alton, paused for a much needed bacon sandwich and a brief look at the Mid-Hants Railway's preserved stock. Narrowly missed returning on a pair of SWT's new Class 450s. Rebooked and headed towards the captial, getting a wonderful view of the vast Victorian cemetary at Brookwood, which was the terminus (appropriate term!) of the Necropolis Railway.
More short hops, included short waits in the sunshine at West Byfleet and Virginia Water, which were really quite pleasant! Back to Reading on one of the comfortable, but sadly already vandalised Class 458s.
Noticed I was losing my voice, so booked tomorrow's ticket at Bristol just in case, before heading home. Not sure a day out in the cold was entirely the best thing for my health today, but I certainly feel much less irritable and frustrated, so it can't all be bad!
Today was a strange one. I set out for my customary weekend escape, this time intending to seek new track in West Wales. Set out from Weston on the replacement bus service to Temple Meads, and thence to Newport. At this point the full effect of the disruption due to a fatality at Paddington early this morning became clear, with everything going West very heavily delayed. I was unlikely to make any sort of reasonable connection to Milford Haven now, ill-served as it is at the best of times. I pressed on to Cardiff with no clear idea of quite what to do, in a 142 full of unhappy punters who I didn't even have the energy to stare disapprovingly at!
On arrival at Cardiff I'd decided that I'd be giving up and sending for a refund on this one. Decided to try to clear up the few remaining Valley Lines branches on a One Day Ranger. Set out first to get the City Line as far as Radyr, with a thought of 37's to Rhymney later. The guard on the Radyr train asked me if I was going to the 'naming at Merthyr?'. I'd read about this but utterly failed to connect it with today...37417 was being named "Richard Trevithick" in honour of the 200th anniversary of the Penydarren's first run today. Thanked the guard for the tip, and resolved to try to get to Merthyr.
On arriving at Radyr I was one of a small group of photographers and spectators freezing quietly on the platforms. The train was working push-pull with 37406 "The Saltire Society" leading up to Merthyr, and was running as the 11:56 service train. It was reported wedged leaving Cardiff, as it was reduced to three coaches (one full of dignitaries) to fit both 37's onto the short platforms at Merthyr. Hence, it was not calling at stations south of Pontypridd. A few minutes later through the hazy winter sunshine we saw 37406 thundering off the curve. The train stormed through Radyr and disappeared up the valley. Philosophically I accepted I wasn't getting those 37's today, and set about some more Vallery wanderings, with the help of a friendly driver who promised to 'take it slow round the shed' so I could see what was at Canton Depot. Nice people up here!
Arrived back at Queen Street in time to notice that 37417's return run was due in at any time...squeezed into the rear coach and got 0.75 miles behind 37417 into Central!
Finished the day with a trip out to Maesteg and then to Penarth, meaning I've finally finished the valleys, with a little history thrown in for good measure!
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.
