The first Monday of a new timetable is always a precarious time. Never more so that with First Great Western in charge. Their bizarre pact with the Department for Transport seems to involve maintaining and developing a service while the very rolling stock this relies on disappears to other operators around the country. In return for this, an ever increasing payment is made for the privilege of being in charge of what, until recently, was the worst performing rail franchise in the country. Today should have seen the first tangible effects of the latest kink in the strange chain of cascaded rolling stock. Exeter Depot's 142s return to Northern Rail, Arriva's borrowed 150s back to Cardiff and the splitting of the only recently formed 3 car 158s have all been subject of speculation, rumour or premonition in recent weeks. Some of this has indeed come to pass, and the weekend saw some unusual workings returning the 142s northwards, along with 143617 which having completed it's stint in Eastleigh headed for Exeter in fully refurbished form. However, from my point of view as a railway enthusiast the commencement of the first regularly timetabled locomotive hauled service in these parts for many years was perhaps one of the most significant events in a long time.
I turned up for my usual commute into work a few minutes early to account for the very slight retiming. The usual crowd of commuters shared the platform, their ranks swelled a little as the early London train had yet to turn up. I speculated on the likely arrangements for cycle stowage with a colleague who also knew what to expect today. Almost exactly on time a high intensity headlamp appeared in the mist and slowly, 67017 hummed into view hauling a rake of three blue and grey Mk 2 carriages along with a maroon BSO (a late substitute so it seems). The mist and gloom of the morning scuppered any hope of a picture of this inaugural arrival, but at least spared me 'coming out' as a crank to the assembled platform of co-commuters! Hopped aboard and watched the events as the locals milled about and the EWS guard tried his best to convince them that this really was going to Bristol, and that the 'Inter-City' branding was nothing to do with the London train! We left a few minutes down due to the confusion, but were back on time by arrival at Weston. We watched the train depart amid similar scenes of bewilderment and uncertainty, a former colleague later sending me a message to say she had "travelled on the oldest train ever today" today!
Whether this is the right diagram for this set aside and quite apart from any preference I harbour as an enthusiast, this is perhaps the sign that the relationship between FGW and DfT is changing, and that our needs as customers are being recognised. There is talk of further sets of LHCS appearing, including a 'go anywhere' set to be shared between First operated franchises to cover problems and special events. In any event, I look forward to my regular journey in a little more style than I'm accustomed to - for a while at least.
Woke to a drenched Reading city centre after not nearly enough sleep. The hotel was situated right in the centre of town, and Friday night in Reading is clearly a good night out. Set out for the short walk to the station, slithering around on a slick of grease outside the takeaway. Noted a fair collection of Rail Replacement Buses outside the station as I went in to find coffee and try to figure out which platform the train would arrive on. A complete lack of staff and information wasn't really a surprise, but by a process of elimination based on the pattern of departures and a bit of guesswork, made it to the right place to find a fair number of other cranks including some familiar faces. Almost exactly on time 59201 rumbled in. Boarded and settled in for a slightly sleepy trip up to Birmingham International for our first locomotive change. Noted a somewhat subdued atmosphere on board today, not helped by the increasingly heavy rain. Stepped out and got soaked at International, watching 59201 disappear into the gloom, and waiting...
It seems that flooding and track circuit failures down the line had caused a bit of congestion, and we watched train after train roll into the station before our Class 92 showed up. Finally left almost exactly an hour down - at least meaning we should be in something approximating a sensible path. Off the mainline at Stechford for the familiar diversion to Bushbury, followed by a curve to the left and into Basford Hall Yard a little outside Crewe. I've often passed this huge yard with it's sorting sidings and virtual quarry and wished I could get a look at the locos stabled on the other side of the long rakes of wagons. Today I got my wish as we crawled slowly into the yard in preparation for our loco change. Particularly surprised to see a trio of Class 87s in their new Bulgarian identities, ready to head overseas. An even bigger surprise was our allocation of 66957, one of the latest batch of locos to be delivered and only a few weeks in the country. Once 66957 was attached, we set off via the Independent Lines under Crewe station, otherwise known as 'The Muck Hole', surfacing at Crewe Coal Yard and heading north on the West Coast Main Line, including the little diversion via Earlestown and Golborne Junction then onto the Southport branch at Wigan. Here, 60004 came alongside us running light engine and rumoured to be our next loco from Southport. We had remained pretty steadily one hour down here, and with a revised departure time should manage a bit of a break - however the signaller had other ideas. With a unit in our preferred platform 6 and a driver unwilling to come off his break to move it, we were finally signalled into platform 5 after what seemed a long wait.
Southport was damp and busy. Much had changed since my last visit, including the replacement of the pleasant little refreshment stall with a Merseyrail-branded shop. Had a brief walk into the town and found it pleasant but oddly depressing. Not unlike Weston-super-Mare it seemed unclear on it's role. The declining seaside holiday in retreat, and nothing much filling the gap. Possibly the only place I've visited where a Sainsbury's Local store has both opened and closed. Avoided the heaving fish and chip shops and found myself back at the station chatting before long. No sign of our loco at all. We waited beyond our revised time with no show, and I gave up my wait and found my seat. During my return to the carriage, a couple of things happened - firstly, 60004 arrived, next it was directed into the wrong platform as our stock had been hauled out of the station and marshalled back into platform 6 during lunch. With the loco blocking a unit into 5 and us languishing in 6, it took a fair bit of fiddling around to get things back on track. We left around 90 minutes down, heading this time for Manchester, skirting the city and heading for the Chester line via Altrincham. Good to do this line in reverse, leading to the East to South curve at Northwich which I'd always assumed was out of use given it's overgrown state on my last visit. Now in the dark we made slow but noisy progress via Middlewich and Sandbach, staying on the goods lines in order to take the Independent Lines once again at Sydney Bridge.
Here we should have resurfaced for a reversal at Gresty Green using a couple of very rare chords. However, instead we were routed directly into Basford Hall again. Some strange quiet moments while angry 'phonecalls were made at the front of the train. It turns out a sensible route into the station with a couple of reverses was agreed by Operations Control, but by that time well-meaning Freightliner folks were removing 60004 and attaching 90047. Since the wires on the curve weren't electrified, we were rather stuck! Eventually left, running very swiftly on the mainline with 047, which is an extremely rare performer on railtours and thus was a welcome event for most. All too soon arrived back at a still-drenched Birmingham International where 59201 rejoined the train for the run back to Reading. Admit I had another little doze on the way back.
Again, an enjoyable and entertaining day out despite the weather and the Network Rail related cock-ups. There was some, perhaps slighty justified, ranting about the route but I managed to score some fairly hard-to-get bits myself. A fine way to end the railtouring year, and now I'm looking forward to the tours planned for next year.
Having managed to occupy myself almost every week of the year so far on some interesting escapade or productive trip, this week threatened to ruin the record. With many closures due to engineering work in force, and the consequent lack of decently priced tickets, I'd mucked about a bit trying different options. Having got close to midweek with nothing planned, but knowing I'd need an escape once the working week was out, today's excursion ended up very hastily planned. I would retrace partly a trip I took fairly early on in my return to regular rail trips. Last time I'd headed for Maidstone it had been in the midst of a family crisis, and it was strange to look back over four years and see how things have changed. Back then, with fair amounts of track undone in the south east I'd been able to hop around covering all sorts of new ground. Today though it was a clear aim - to travel the full length of the Medway Valley route from Paddock Wood to Strood. If I could avoid getting stuck in Paddock Wood for an extended period like last time, it would be a bonus.
Once again, set off on the usual 2M06 and 1A06 combination, managing to stay alert this time and watch the sun rise on what looked to be a promising but cold day. Onto the Circle Line at Paddington as far as Embankment, where a leisurely walk up Villiers Street brought me to Charing Cross again. Struck by the amount of fairly aggressive beggars at this time of day, and that they seemed happy to cling to some of the more vulnerable, clearly worried passengers waiting for trains. Firmly sent one particularly persistent individual packing, before spotting the security staff arriving for work and the beggars leaving through the opposite entrance! Plenty of time for coffee before boarding a stopping service for Ashford which took me all the way to Paddock Wood by now very familiar routes given recent trips in Kent. No long delay this time, and a swift cross-platform change onto a fairly tidy 466. Noted the last couple of the 508 units which used to work this line stabled at Tonbridge awaiting transfer elsewhere. Soon off on a fairly well loaded service stopping at all stations to Strood. Settled back to enjoy the journey which, from Maidstone West onwards at least, was new track. Struck by how pleasant the scenery in the Medway Valley was in comparison to much of Kent which has never inspired me. A fair mix of small towns and industrial areas as we curved towards the coast, joining the route from London at Strood. A short wait in pleasant sunshine for a London Bridge bound train. I realised with a little regret that aside from the High Speed Channel Tunnel route and the odd curve and freight line, I've covered practically all of the lines in Kent now. There was a time that visits here and the dull, flat reaches of countryside weren't very interesting to me - but I have genuinely learned to love parts of it.
My late booking meant I'd missed the cheap seating allocation on the usual 17:00 train homeward from London, so had a slightly shorter afternoon to spend in the Captial than I would generally budget for. Given recent reading, resolved to head for Whitechapel via a number 40 bus to Aldgate. Off the bus at the end of Whitechapel High Street, plunging into the chaos of this cosmopolitan and bewildering thoroughfare. Walked east, for the first time in a fair while, spotting landmarks from my reading and resisting the temptation to turn aside and explore side-streets and alleyways. No particular aim here at all, but happy to be wandering on a cold and bright afternoon. Passed Brick Lane and contemplated a left turn into this strange river of memory which was again occupying quite a bit of my thinking about London, not least because of the announcement of the location of the 2009 Literary London conference, and the strange events around Iain Sinclair and his apparently postponed new book. Resisted the turn for now, and found myself surprisingly under the leering frontage of the Royal London Hospital.
From here I realised I could catch the 205 to Paddington rather than walking back to the tube. As this occupied the remaining time with a chance to see this route in daylight, waited a few minutes and was soon aboard and speeding along the street I'd just walked before plunging back into the City and ultimately heading for home on the 16:00. Some silliness at Bristol Temple Meads where an overzealous and rude member of staff decided to deny me access to a busy train which managed to achieve two things: firstly, to make me an hour late getting home, and secondly to make me incredibly angry. Spent the time using the wonders of mobile internet to report the incident to customer service (rather than further embarassing myself trying to talk to the Customer Help Desk about the incident while the member of staff was lurking behind the counter). Despite a frustrating ending, an interesting, mostly unplanned, and somewhat unexpected day.
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.
