It was hard to imagine how yesterday's Route 66 could be bettered. Aside from one small sliver of track at Warrington, it had covered the whole extremely complex itinerary. Of course one big difference today, and something which had sold a few seats vacated by those who couldn't manage a two day pass, was the presence of 55022 at one end of the train. Deputising for 40145, on the mend but not yet mainline ready, the Deltic would not be on it's home turf today. Nor would it being doing what it does best - sustained periods of high speed running on mainlines. However, as the loco rumbled majestically into Crewe any doubts about it's suitability were soon forgotten. Back into Coach G with the same suspects as yesterday, and with the sun burning off a little early autumnal mist, we headed off via the Manchester line as far as Sandbach.
Here we took the Middlewich line. I've done this line before, on tours and diversions, but it was good to revisit and have the benefit of some local knowledge as we headed for Northwich. Here we took the eastern side of the triangle, and things started to go a little awry. The plan was to head into Lostock Works, connected via a short spur off the non-platformed loop at Northwich. However, we proceeded along the full length of the loop, passing the connection. A minor disagreement ensued between Network Rail and DBS and their respective controls about who the train 'belonged to' and where the limit of National Rail's jurisdiction actually lay! The argument was finally solved in our favour, but we'd taken a hefty time penalty. So, a further reversal beyond the connection, then a very quick run down the branch as far as the gates before reversing and heading west again. Using the connection at Hartford, we joined the WCML and picked up some time with quicker running. A brief slow down at Warrington however, where we managed to cover the non-platformed line as planned and missed yesterday. So far then, a 100% record on the track front. Impressive stuff indeed!
This left us with a largely uninterrupted run towards Ribble Junction where we took the steep dive down to the docks branch, descending beside Preston station. Having visited before on a previous BLS excursion I wasn't too concerned about our curtailed stop here. Time to get a quick snap of the Deltic on very unfamiliar territory and call home before settling in for the rest of the day's entertainments. We were soon heading back over Strand Road Crossing, with an impressive crowd out to see 55022. As we began to climb the gradient to Ribble Junction though, it became clear that this was too much for the Deltic. Whilst a powerful beast, it wasn't built for this kind of sustained, low speed effort - and it complained bitterly before slipping to a stand. The tell-tale whirr behind us of 66066 firing up confirmed it would need assistance and we were soon back on the mainline, reversing to head through the station via the Parcels platform. More quick running here as we sped north through Lancaster and took the curve onto the Morecambe and Heysham lines. These lines run as two parallel single lines, and we stuck to the southernmost of the pair which allows access to the Heysham branch. However, in Morecambe station we took the very rarely used non-platform loop, reversing to head onto the Heysham branch. A little outside Heysham Port, we curved onto the Power Station branch. Here again things were uncertain. Permission to enter the site had not been forthcoming and the paperwork situation on using the branch was unclear. With the security level being raised recently too, it was perhaps unsurprising to see the Civil Nuclear Constabulary out alongside the site security team as we approached the gates of the Power Station. A fair amount of spectators and photographers had also caused them a bit of a worry I suspect! As we waited to reverse, the CNC officers refused to engage with people on the train at all, and at one point returned to their worryingly unlocked car to retrieve sub-machine guns from the back seat! Not sorry to be reversing once again, this time using the platformed line at Morecambe, but travelling into the headshunt which is not used by service trains.
On leaving Morecambe there was something of a triumphant air on the train. I was quiet - at least until we'd successfully covered the north curve back onto the mainline. It's possible to do this on a service train, but only by being in the area really early or late - and I'd omitted this on my jaunt up to Lancaster a couple of years back. With this curve done, I settled back to enjoy the remainder of the day rather sociably. At Carnforth we took the line towards Hellifield, a bit of a slow trudge, but by now the sun was high in the sky and the day was surprisingly warm. Passing Blackburn, we used the very same goods lines which had been our escape route on an earlier, ill-fated tour. From here we headed towards Manchester, passing through the cityscape at Dusk which is always an interesting experience. After crawling through Piccadilly, we crossed over to the slow lines, passing Longsight via the goods loop - one last piece of rare track before the dark journey back to Crewe via Altrincham and Middlewich.
This weekend has been entertaining, and hopefully successful for the Society too. Any prospective members who are unsure will hopefully look at this trip, which despite it's complexities delivered everything planned and landed close to the planned times too. Here's to the next one in November...
I'd been looking forward to this weekend for some time. It's easy to mock us Branch Line Society members - and we seem to have attract an almost unrivalled disdain among the wider group of much reviled railway enthusiasts too. However, I think it's utterly unfounded, and having been a proud member for a number of years, I look forward to these unique tours immensely. This weekend was particularly special, with the society offering two full days of seeking out the rarest and most difficult-to-reach extremities of the network. Yesterday I'd made a slow wander up to Crewe in surprising sunshine. Thankfully, the hotel had got my booking right this time, and I settled into my home for the next few nights feeling a bit deflated. There was lots going on back at home and I almost wished I'd made the trip north after work instead of taking a day off. However, I soon settled in and decided on a decent nights sleep if I was to survive the morning without dozing off and missing some of the highlights.
I woke feeling surprisingly refreshed and much less maudlin than yesterday. A relatively late start to the day also helped, and I was soon enjoying breakfast on board the stock and awaiting the 07:50 departure. My recent work with the Society on Branch Line News meant I'd been seated with some of the other sub-editors and it was good to meet these folks and compare notes on our experiences. This also meant we were in the fairly spacious TFO near the end of the train, which made for a much more comfortable weekend. So, things kicked off in a sociable and optimistic manner, only to start looking a little concerning early on as we sailed past the platform at Warrington Bank Quay rather than taking the non-platform line which had been missed on a previous tour too. A little less of a worry as we could potentially pick this up tomorrow. However, from here onwards things seemed to work out remarkably smoothly despite a very complex agenda with lots of reversal on route.
Having visited almost every loop between Crewe and Carnforth, we turned towards the coast, with a visit to Ramsden Dock at Barrow-in-Furness. By taking the line outside the BNFL compound we reached as far as practical, with the tracks disappearing under the ballast prior to reaching a large concrete block. This stretch of line had been used as a storage space by a wind turbine supplier until recently, and it's testament to the hard work of the organisers that this part of the trip was possible at all. Passing again three Algerian Navy vessels berthed at Barrow, we retraced our steps and made a slow circuit of the Cumbrian Coast. A bit sleepy here as there was little of interest until Workington where we used the Reception Line, before passing workers dismantling the temporary Workington North station which had been constructed after the floods in the area washed road links away. The station had closed only yesterday in fact. Soon back on the hunt for rare track, with a series of dizzying reversals which saw us using the independent lines avoiding Carlisle station in nearly every possible combination.
Eventually, we passed through the station using one of the non-platformed sidings to the west and made slow passage of Kingmoor Depot on the goods line nearest to the stabled lines of locomotives. Here we veered left into the yard, passing between rakes of wagons and a lone Class 380 unit dumped temporarily due to a problem with software during testing. Another reversal, and we were soon climbing and curving away from the yard to meet the formation of the former Waverley route to Edinburgh. With the front of the train as close to the buffers at Stainton Crossing as possible in true BLS style, we reversed again and crossed over the yard and the mainline as far as the compound gates at Brunthill. Quite amazing really to imagine that this was once the much-missed alternative route through the Borders to Edinburgh, and the communities which suffered due to it's withdrawal. Some comfort can of course be drawn from the decision to rebuilt the northern extremity of the line, but the potential strategic advantages of a through route seem to have been lost under a mountain of red tape and short-termism. It remains a sad fact that rail re-openings are much more common in Scotland and Wales than in England.
After reversing back to Stainton, we used the through lines in the yard to return to the mainline, but only as far as Mossband Junction where we turned east onto the line to MOD Longtown. This area, along with Gretna and Eastriggs has a long connection with ammunition and defence storage, and this vast site has also housed stored railway vehicles at times too. Rather late now, we made a fairly swift trip along the edge of the site, as far as Bush-on-Esk No.2 crossing beyond which the line divides to circle the site, and to head off to Smalmstown on a disused branch which picks up the Waverley formation once again. A quick reversal, and it was back to Carlisle, via the flyover and further lines in the yard and around Kingmoor. With the sun starting to sink almost on cue, there was much congratulation for the organisers and the driver who, also a member, had done us proud in getting as far as the train physically could at all our locations.
The trip back to Crewe wasn't wasted either - as the train covered virtually every southbound loop on the West Coast Main Line too. Chatting with fellow sub-editors and committee members on the way back, I reflected on what a diverse bunch we were and how our common interest in the routes and operation of the railway linked a fairly motley bunch. There had been the inevitable, slightly humourous practice of people wedging themselves into the vestibule to get as much of the mileage as possible, and a few very odd people were on the train it has to be said. But, with a full train, a really pleasant atmosphere and a very successful programme, I can't help but feel our Society will be around for a while to come!
The second week of my self-devised ramblings which fill a gap in the more organised trips which have dominated lately. This time, I'd decided to head north - for no reason other than it had been a while since I'd wandered around some of the places I regularly end up visiting for what seems like mere minutes. The plan was a circle - up the Midland to Sheffield, across the Pennines to Manchester and home via the West Coast Main Line. It meant the customary early start, and I confess that it was a bit of a struggle hauling myself down to the station in the cold and dark today. Summer, in its various forms, has been pretty kind to the weekends this year and it's been a while since I've felt quite as challenged by the elements. My thoughts were moved to snow shoes and slippery trips to the station. I wasn't sorry to see the train arriving - all six carriages of it. The reason for the extension to the usual pair of coaches was the Ryder Cup golf in South Wales. Yesterday's poor weather meant they were starting play very early, and I arrived at Temple Meads to find the station really busy. As the crowd was predominantly middle-aged and male in character, the breakfast resources at the station had been decimated. Consoled myself with coffee and watched the unusual activity for this time of the morning, whilst waiting for the 07:30 to arrive.
Regular observers of my travels with realise that this is a little later than my usual departure. However, there was something appealing about a non-stop service to Yorkshire today. As we headed north the sun began to rise rather provisionally, but eventually managed a low winter glow which warmed the carriage. The train was busy, partly a football season effect I suspect, and I was condemned to share my seat for much of the way, but managed a relaxing and lazy trip nonetheless. There is something really uplifting about being able to get out and about for a fairly low Advance fair, finding yourself in another city by 10:00am or thereabouts. Today I'd allowed myself time to wander in Sheffield - the first proper chance since a visit early in the year at the end of a week of heavy snow. I didn't get far from the station on that visit, but it was certainly more about the freedom of getting out and about than any particular railway related goal on the occasion - which had something in common with today I suppose. First stop was a chance to get a few photographs in the now clear, bright morning. Started with the impressive curved steel fountain which scythes across the station forecourt, before heading over the Sheffield Hallam University Union 'pods'. Wandered a little from here and identified the now up-for-sale Axis Studios, location for Slow Club's It Doesn't Have to be Beautiful video. Another snap before snaking my way through the city to find coffee and a pleasant time spent watching people coming and going. Whilst I realise that the city centre on a busy Saturday morning is probably far from representative of the great mass of Sheffield, I found myself struck by the generally prosperous, happy and attractive local populace. Then I recalled it was Freshers' Week!
Back to the station via a moment to admire the concrete wall of Park Hill snaking along the hill behind the station. Evidence of regeneration and improvements to part of the building are promising, and I maintain this is one of the finest views of modern architecture in an urban setting there is. Others disagree, some vehemently I know. Time for more coffee before boarding the 13:11 to Manchester via the Hope Valley. Settled back and enjoyed the remarkable views of Mam Tor and Kinder Scout once again, whilst listening with amusement to the antics of a bunch of off-duty soldiers on the way to a football match. The weather worsened as we headed west, and by the time we began to descend towards Stockport it was looking pretty grey and bleak. I'd hatched a plan for the rest of the afternoon based on a half-read news item, which was to cover the recently opened MediaCityUK branch of the Metrolink network. After a lot of hassle trying to get a ticket among dodgy machines and crowds heading for the rugby match, finally boarded an Eccles Line tram - in fact one of the recently delivered new ones. Spacious, surprisingly few seats and so far, clean and tidy. As we headed out of the city I wondered if the tram would do as predicted and reverse at MediaCity, using both sides of the triangular junction. It didn't, turning the curve to Broadway instead. I hopped off perplexed, and walked the short distance back to the Harbour City stop, crossing the new track in the process. There was no sign of any movement from the new terminus, and the signal remained set for the curve. Checked the Metrolink website on my 'phone and read the rest of the story - the incident which had occurred left the new service entirely suspended at present! Back onto a Piccadilly bound tram, realising that the one bit of railway interest I'd worked into today had failed miserably.
The evening had brightened a little, and given how busy the coffee shop at the station was, I decided to have a break outside on the tables usually frequented by smokers. Watched the orange, wintry glow over the city descend as I waited for my train back to Bristol. It was another busy trip, and again I found myself sharing a seat. Snatched a few moments to listen to music, but got drawn into a conversation instead which had its own very strange and meandering logic. In any case, this entertained me back to Bristol and beyond...ending with a comedy farewell at Weston with bags flying and doors unopened. A strange ending to an unusual day. Testament though that these trips can still surprise and amaze, even after all these years.
It feels like I'm rarely at home on weekends these days...certainly, this summer has seen me disappearing off on numerous Friday afternoons, and not reappearing until sometime on Sunday with huge mileages under my ever expanding belt. This has all been at a cost - a financial one of course, but to some extent a personal one too. I've sort of lost touch with my local area - not entirely a bad thing given how frustrating it can be - and I've neglected friendships closer to home perhaps? In any case, today it was back to the usual pattern. Up early and out on the first train from Highbridge. My first thought was for how dark it was. Doing early starts on railtours meant I'd lost touch with how late the sun is rising as winter approaches. Made the switch onto the first London train at Weston, and settled in to listen to the week's podcasts and doze my way east into the rising sun. The buffet was inexplicably closed for much of the journey, so deferred breakfast until later. The sky was amazing as the day shaped up into a clear, cold one as I sped along. Sometimes, in the rush to do more exotic trips, these simpler pleasures are forgotten.
The pressure was off today too. I'd decided to re-enact a journey I'd taken many years back and to visit Southend using both routes to the seaside town. I calculated I'd done this sometime in 1998 or 1999, but couldn't remember for sure. My only hazy recollection was of a strange outdoor 'escalator to nowhere' near Southend Victoria station. I've visited since, the last time most memorably when on Pathfinder's overnight Buffer Puffer 7.0 when a quick turnaround and and 04:20 departure meant this wasn't an ideal photostop. The rapidly developing H1N1 virus I was about to suffer from probably made it a less than ideal time to call on the place too!
Firstly though, I had to negotiate London. With the Circle Line out, I resorted to the buses once more. However, the No.15 had disappeared - despite it's presence on the TfL website, the route has been divided up into two, far less useful parts. After a pointless walk around Paddington looking for a non-existent bus stop, I settled on a 23 which I'd abandon in The City. Enjoyed the unexpected spin through the West End, a trip which oddly I'd been talking about only yesterday in fact. The day had stayed cold and bright, and it was a pleasure to watch Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square waking up slowly. After a spin along The Strand, and up Ludgate Hill, I hopped off at the Bank. I decided to do the next bit instinctively on foot. My wanderings in the City have been sparse lately, but my feet seemed to remember the way unprompted, along King William Street and then a little diversion into Eastcheap and Rood Lane to reach Fenchurch Street. Rather wonderful to be tramping around the City again, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking to the station. Remarkably, despite dallying over my transfer, I arrived in good time to get the breakfast I'd missed, and catch the train I'd planned to take. So, onto the 10:00 to Southend Central, and a quiet and bright spin along the long stretches of viaduct, curving tightly through Limehouse and heading out of the city. It's hard to be pessimistic about the East End in weather like this, so I settled back to enjoy progress as we passed from urban sprawl to Essex countryside strangely suddenly, somewhere around Upminster.
Arrival at Southend Central sort of crept up on me, as I'd settled into watching the views and listening to the locals. Once off the train we were shepherded swiftly out of the station by a security guard, through an entrance on the Down side which I genuinely don't recall from previous visits. My first instinct was to head for the sea, and I noticed that the sun had started to warm things a little too. There were still crowds walking along the High Street to the seafront although it was in disarray, with some fairly heavy-duty roadworks in evidence. These must have blighted the tail end of the season too, to be this far advanced. Marvelling at this bad planning, I stepped out onto the deck around the lift down to beach level, and enjoyed a remarkable view over the Thames Estuary. Took some photographs before heading back into town for a much needed coffee. As I walked and during my time in the coffee shop, I noted that Essex was at war - with Essex itself no less. Everywhere I went there seemed to be conflict - couples disagreed loudly - about coffee, cars, where to stow pushchairs, the size of coffee cups - anything in fact. The keening esturine voices, raised in dismay, began to grate as they sliced through the chatter and background noise. The rudeness was remarkable, cold and strangely cruel. I can't say I liked this place or these people greatly. There were exceptions of course, but there seemed to be a strange local pride in assuming a blockheaded indifference to others. At the risk of hate mail here, I'll of course note that everywhere has it's strange characters - but these people were everywhere it seemed. I slunk away to Victoria Station with a brief, and I hope reassuring grin to the barista who had prepared my coffee - not local, and looking quietly terrified of the customers.
Finding Victoria wasn't so easy...I headed up to the Shopping Centre I knew surrounded it - and found it grown obscenely large in the last decade. After trying to work my way around the megalith and discovering odd and colourfully un-British buildings in the process, I gave in and walked through the centre finally detecting the torturous route to the station via a bridge over a dual carriageway. At the end of it, I took a staircase down, and realised that I was arriving at the foot of the very 'escalator to nowhere' which I remembered from my first visit! Resisted the urge to take a picture of it, now connected to the new centre and with a fine rain-shelter over it. Instead, headed into the station to find my seat on the train back to Liverpool Street, completing the circle.
The journey back was uneventful, but seemed much quicker than my run this way years back, which coloured my view of the Great Eastern lines for some time to come. In fact it all went pretty quickly, in part due to how much I've grown to enjoy a run into Liverpool Street these days. Once arrived though, I had to figure out what to do with the rest of my day. Over yet another coffee, but in the company of a far less aggressive bunch of fellow drinkers, I hatched a plan. I would head back out to Stratford and finally tackle the Jubilee Line Extension! This bit of the Tube network had now been open for around a decade, and for a number of reasons I hadn't done it - partly because it always seemed to be closed for engineering works, and also because it sort of fell into the three or four year gap where I travelled much less. I'd figured out that I could avoid escalators pretty easily - in fact it was the first deep-level line to be designed as fully accessible. So there really was no excuse for neglecting the newest bit of Tube railway we had. One I'd indeed watched the development of, but strangely had never used. Things started badly, with the train held in the platform for ages at Stratford, and the back carriage filling rapidly with people making a dash for an apparently "soon to depart" train. We were soon off, but were held at almost every station by the Controller. The new signalling system was in use today, and it wasn't coping well. Too many westbound trains meant sluggish running and attempts to reverse trains to rebalance capacity along the route. As we waited once again, this time to enter Waterloo, the driver who'd kept us informed all the way said "I can see the lights of the next train in the platform not more than half a train in front. I've been a train driver for a long time, and I've never seen anything like this!". I was unconcerned about time, so I sat back and let the line pass by slowly. Ironically we then sped up, and the driver was forced to apologise again - this time for the very short station dwell times, with platform-edge doors snapping shut after only six seconds!
With the line only running to West Hampsted today, decided to bail at Finchley Road where I knew I had a number of travel options. I elected to travel on a No.113 to Baker Street, then wander over in the pleasant evening sunshine to pick up a 205 to Paddington. Even this wasn't easy, as the bus stop was closed for works. Finally got on board a busy bus, stopped a domestic between a couple who weren't sure if the driver had stopped for a wheelchair used, and generally people-watched my way west into the sunset. London had been in pieces today, everything seemed impermanent, half-finished, dug up - from the Olympic Stadium to Marylebone Bus Stop people seemed to be remaking the place. I'm not sure I approve of all of it - but it's hard to go unscathed by a visit to London. Had a quiet, reflective trip home reading and listening to music while I watched the sun sink into a golden western sky.
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.
