Despite starting our journey from relatively close at hand, set out early and arrived in Stratford in time for a stupidly expensive breakfast courtesy of The White Swan. Stratford is, after all, a town designed to fleece passing heritage hungry tourists of their cash - and early on a Saturday morning there are few options but to dig deep. Ate lots to make up for it, and hoped there wouldn't be any queasiness on the bus to Long Marston. Made our way back to the station in time to start the queue for the bus, which despite a lack of information arrived bang on time to meet the train. A short trip through the Warwickshire countryside to the former MOD base, and we were soon queueing to enter Long Marston with it's untold riches of stored locomotives and rolling stock.
Sneezed my way into the site, clearly finding lots of unfamiliar pollen we just don't get down south. Greeted by the site of a single Class 87 reminding us of the purpose of today - to bid a sad farewell to an entire class of West Coast Mainline workhorses which it seemed would just keep going on! However, they sit here in the countryside, miles from the nearest overhead line, awaiting shipment to Bulgaria and a new useful life.
The scale of the site was simply vast. After working our way up and down the lines of stored locos and wagons, we continued to find new things hiding in corners - I can honestly say that few open days have held my attention for so long on the basis of the exhibits alone. Once we'd photographed, noted and discussed all the stock we could, headed for the small platform near the East Gate for the DMU ride around the site to the West Gate and a little beyond. A decent run, around some very tight curves. More stock and wagons spotted on the run. The only things remaining out of sight being a group of 31s we'd seen a while back at Meldon Quarry and the ill-fated Pendolino 390033 which was stored, respectfully out of view given it's recent history.
Mid-afternoon the UK Railtours service arrived on site, with a pair of 66s creeping around the busy area. As the railtour guests swelled the ranks in the site, we decided to consider leaving having had a happy, dry and fruitful day.
The highlight for me was to hear about the possibility of 87002 'Royal Sovreign' working future railtours on classic electric mainline routes. A re-enactment of the Electric Scot Farewell might be fun?
The world is changing - my Mother and Father are recommending hardware to me!
They just purchased an Olympus C-160 digital camera and got the first set of prints. By all accounts they were excellent. The camera is small, light and neat, and shares the same style as the Olympus camera a friend of mine brought back from Canada some years back which just worked well for me. I seriously thought of buying an Olympus back then, but then decided on my Kodak DC215 digital which has given excellent service.
I'm a bit confused by the Linux support, but it seems I will be able to access it as a USB mass-storage device at worst, which should be OK. Should arrive for collection next Monday. Thanks Mum and Dad!
Daylog Entry for Thursday 07/06/2001 25 years ago
Posted in Updates on Thursday 7th June 2001 at 12:00am
Early physiotherapy appointment hurts quite a bit. Off to vote and do shopping. Thoughtful afternoon leaves me feeling reasonably OK about *most* things (if a little confused about others). Managed to cook OK today, which was encouraging, and played catch-up with things I want to start hacking on. Prepared for an all-night Election Special since sleeping is so bloody random anyway. Aware this page has crossed yet another temporal boundary, but to lazy to attempt to split it up yet.
Daylog Entry for Wednesday 07/06/2000 26 years ago
Posted in Updates on Wednesday 7th June 2000 at 12:00am
The hayfever is kicking in. Too lethargic to do much workwise, but ended up researching immigration from the US for the soon-to-arrive Americans. Interesting fact - it is required that spouses entering to remain should have met their husband at some point prior to doing so!
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.
