07:00.

I’ve had a good night’s sleep here in central London, now it’s time to explore the city’s railways and those of Essex and Herts before beginning my roundabout journey North. Feel free to keep popping back to see where I get to…

Not a bad place to start the day…

10:45.

I’ve ventured out into darkest Essex, having caught a quiet Crossrail service to Farringdon I changed on to Crossrail – sorry, the “Elizabeth line” (pix later) to reach Liverpool St for a above surface Crossrail train to Forest Gate and a short walk to Wanstead Park on the ‘Goblin’ line (my old local line) for a trip out to its new terminus at Barking Riverside, an extention that only opened the other month. It’s impressive but I see the station follows the modern trend for roof canopies that are neither use nor ornament!

Doubling back to Barking I’ve travelled to Southend via Grays to see the enormous amount of railfreight traffic this area generates.

The weather’s beautiful in ‘Sarfend’ but I can’t stay. I’m here to swap routes and head back into London…

13:30.

I’m now back in London after sampling a Greater Anglia Class 720 ride from Southend Victoria. Those 3+2 seat coaches are horrible. Even Twiggy would struggle to get down the gangways!

Now I’m about to venture North from Euston to Birmingham on an Avanti West Coast service. When I can find one running…

In the meantime, here’s a couple of Lizzy line pics.

15:30.

I’ve left London and the South-East behind – as well as the sunshine! I’m currently on an Avanti West Coast service to Birmingham New St. I’d expected the trip to be crowded, especially as some services have been cancelled, but in fact it was only packed as far as Milton Keynes. I’m on an old friend – set 390014, which Richard Clinnick and I once spent 26 hours on, following its whole diagram! Now it’s been refurbished and looks rather different on the inside.

19:30.

I’ve been on the move too much and swapping between trains to blog. Now I’ve swapped West for East coast via the Midland Main line. Here’s my train from Doncaster to Leeds which is pulled by an earlier East Coast racehorse in the shape of 91111 ‘For the fallen’ which is looking superb in its renewed wrap.

I’ve a small favour to ask…
If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website –  https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/

Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312

Thank you!