A day off work, fine weather and a bit of an event to attend. After a lazy start to the day, headed for Bristol on the 09:21. Noted a couple of fellow employees joining at Weston who appeared to be heading for the same event. Arrived with time to spare, which I spent drinking coffee and wandering around the station - something I haven't done for quite a while. Just after 11:00, went to platform 6 to register for my name badge, and enjoyed the hospitality on offer. Noted another First celebrity across the station, in ScotRail liveried 158741 which was heading for Brighton!
Highlight of the day was of course the newly reliveried HST set working from Paddington to Penzance. After a short speech and a fanfare, the set purred into the platform with MTU enginged 43004 and 43009 in charge. A brief speech from Alison Forster, MD of First Great Western and we were on board and heading for Weston. Lots happening once we set off, with magicians and a barbershop quartet on board! Plenty to eat and drink too.
Other stations en route seemed to have joined in, and at Weston we had a welcoming committee of most of the station staff including the manager.
An enjoyable morning and a good show by First. Would have stayed on longer, but I suspect that it might have become quite crowded later in the journey. Noted later that the first weekday of the franchise had been plagued with short formations and cancellations. First have lots to do - if they throw as much effort into fixing these issues as they did into today's celebrations, we should see some changes soon enough.
Another long and convoluted week at work, another hastily planned trip cobbled together at a moment's notice! Needed to blow away some cobwebs and get out and about. Lots to think about, and a nagging urge to get new track - harder and harder as time goes on of course. Settled on a circular tour centring on the Welsh border town of Wrexham.
So, having watched the inaugural Penzance train call, caught my usual 2M02 - the first northbound First Great Western Local service to leave Highbridge in fact. The guard was resplendent in new indigo uniform. Off at Weston to sort tickets, and found staff there also looking smart and tidy, and comparing notes on their new kit. A really optimistic feel about this new beginning. On time, 1M42 arrived and I found a spot in the Quiet Carriage to think and work my way to Birmingham. Breakfast once supplies came aboard in Bristol too.
Not long to wait at Birmingham for the 09:33 to Chester via Shrewsbury. A familiar 158, but a pleasant journey nonetheless. Leaving Wolverhampton, passing Oxley Depot and onto the old Great Western line via Telford and Wellington. Ominous delay at Shrewsbury drags on for a full 35 minutes when it becomes clear that a rostering error has occurred and our relief guard is nowhere to be seen! Doesn't affect my schedule much, and we're soon away via Gobowen and into Wrexham General.
I remember coming to Wrexham a long while back, and once oriented the walk into town was familiar. Quite a bit has changed though, including a lot of new retail development. A mission I'd completed last visit was to locate Wrexham Central station - then an isolated and bare platform behind the town centre, now the same platform is surrounded by a retail park and has a slightly overdone entrance given its a single platform terminus! This time, the mission was to go one better and actually catch a train. Planned to go as far as General, but hatched a cunning plan whilst waiting for the 153 to arrive!
It worked like this - if I caught the train from Central to Shotton, I could change for the North Wales coast line towards Chester, then to Crewe and home on 1V61 as planned. Boarded, booked and enjoyed a slow meander on the borders of Wales. Soon arrived at the curious Shotton station. On two levels, arranged as a cross, this station allows interchange between the line I arrived on, which then heads onto the Wirral, and the line from Holyhead to Chester. Needed food first, so I ventured out into the single street which is Shotton. A slightly tired, rather grim spot really. Couldn't find much of interest in the shops, and the couple of pubs I spotted didn't appear promising. A few specks of rain in an otherwise clear and bright day too made me feel unwelcome here. Back to the station for a ticket, then a strange slog alongside the tracks, over a bridge, and down onto the Low Level platforms in time for 175109 to arrive.
A short trip into Chester, with a quick change for the unit to Crewe. Flagging a bit here, perhaps not realising how tired the week and my early start today had left me. Found a bite to eat, and soon enough the Voyager was in and I settled into a comfortable first class seat for the homeward leg as far as Bristol, with some occasional interjections from a gent behind me who was having a spirited discussion with himself!
A fine day, some new track and some old haunts. Couldn't ask for much more - except perhaps a decent pint in Shotton!
As I write, the last couple of Wessex Trains services through my local station are on their way. In just a couple of hours the last train will have run (23:55 Paignton-Exeter St Davids), and it will all be over. During the last week, things have accelerated towards the new franchise - station signs getting covered in tape to obliterate the old operator, units losing vinyls, and service running around with a 'Wessex Trains 2001-2006' headboard.
Today, on arriving to catch my last ever Wessex service (8 minutes late, just to keep to tradition!) I noticed a slightly sad message on the departure screens ending 'Wessex Trains 2001-2006 RIP'. In the pleasant spring evening, I also noticed a single enthusiast at the platform end getting a last picture of a Wessex liveried 150. Strange times.
Despite having all week to think about where to go today, managed to leave it until the last minute. The pressure of trying to find a little bit of brand new track to cover each week was clearly bearing heavily on me, but having hit on the plan of finishing up things I started years ago, I thought I had it sorted. To Shoeburyness to finish the former LTS line which I'd covered to Southend. As a bonus, all c2c services were departing Liverpool Street today, and going via Tilbury - another bit of track I'd missed.
Set off early on a somewhat spring-like morning, and everything seemed to be going well enough. The day promised reasonable weather as I sped from Bristol to Paddington on the 08:00. The only potential problem with this journey is the tube leg to Liverpool Street. It's tripped me up before, but then again I've been unlucky here before. However, the tube ran pretty well and delivered me onto the concourse at Liverpool Street for an earlier departure to Shoeburyness than I was expecting... Which was soon cancelled.
After two more services, including my planned train were either cancelled, or marked delayed until they disappeared from the departure board, I got a little concerned. A chat with One customer services didn't get me far: There were OHLE problems. They didn't know how long things would take to get fixed. They wouldn't accept tickets to Southend Victoria.
Found something to eat and purchased a Mother's Day card, while watching more trains disappear from the board. Noted a message telling customers to go to Fenchurch Street - apparently closed due to engineering works - but National Rail Enquiries were unaware of any services running. With time running out fast, and not much chance of help from the staff at Liverpool Street who simply repeated their "it's not one of our services" mantra, I decided to head for Fenchurch Street.
Arrived at Tower Hill and walked the short distance to the station, noting a film crew in a local pub under the arches. The back entrance to the station was closed, and there was no obvious sign of trains or people on the viaduct. Wandered around to the front - all closed up except for one door, guarded by a couple of shaven-headed security goons. "No trains today mate" he offered as I lurked about outside. My face must have betrayed my confusion as his coworker helpfully added "try Liverpool Street". Checked National Rail Enquiries. Still no departures listed from Fenchurch Street. Headed back to Tower Hill with no clear idea of what to do next.
With no hope of new track now, and being the wrong part of the month to lash out more cash on a new plan, I decided to call it quits. I'd had a decent run up to London and enjoyed a wander around Liverpool Street. I would of course be trying to get my money back on the ticket. So, feeling a bit deflated I headed back to Paddington and the 12:30 back to a very wet and windy Bristol. I have to confess I'm almost relieved I broke the 'new track every week' record for the year, because it was becoming unsustainable. Now I can seriously think about how to do those 57 hauled Holyhead trains!
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.
