07:20.

Today begins at Clapham. After a lovely evening in with an old friend, catching up with each other’s lives and events it’s time to start another busy day. First, I’ve got to get across London to Kings Cross…

Train No 1 is a busy Class 455 heading to Waterloo. Looking around the car I’m struck by how many people are ‘plugged in’ via headphones, cutting off one of their five senses. Most are also staring at screens. I see two people reading newspapers, a massive change on just a few short years when this train would be littered with discarded copies of ‘Metro’ on its next trip out of Waterloo.

07:40

Now I’m on an old haunt – the Victoria line, which is still quiet this time of day as the morning peak has spread out more thanks to flexibje working.

09:30.

Having had a very pleasant journey on a busy LNER train to Leeds from Kings Cross I’ve time for a coffee and to catch up with some emails before meeting Pip Dunn. The cafe on platform 4’s gone upmarket since I first started coming here…

10:00.

And so it starts. Next stop – Ipswich…

11:10.

The first train to be put through its paces is one of Greater Anglia’s Stadler built 4-car, bi-mode class 755. Whilst Pip’s busy with his tape-measure and spreadsheets I’ve been occupied taking pictures of different aspects and details of the vehicles internal layouts.

12:15.

Now for a completely different product for a trip from Ipswich to London Liverpool St. The all electric Anglia Class 720 ‘Aventras’ were built by Bombardier (now Alstom).

15:20.

We’re now on the way to Norwich on something a little more luxurious and stylish…

16:30.

The job ended in Norwich, by which time we’d tried out, tested, photographed and measured three different types of train. What did we think? You can read all about that in future editions of RAIL magazine!

Right now I’m heading back towards London on the same class 745 we tested earlier, only now I’m in standard class! This train’s not as busy as the one we came up from London on (that was packed) but it’s filling up as we head South. Sadly, the weather’s not really conducive to lineside photography. I’d considered stopping off on the way to get some exterior shots of the train types we’ve tested today but the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to play ball. Never mind, I’ve a camera full of pictures to edit anyway.

22:00.

Home again! The weather didn’t improve en-route to the capital so I stayed on the train all the way to Liverpool St. My, how things have changed there since I was a regular visitor. Not a single BR era train is left in service with any of the operators using the station. Now it’s all ‘Aventra’ derivatives or products from Stadler – quite a transformation for a main-line London terminus as all the others (bar Fenchurch St) still see the older fleets putting in an appearance on service trains.

Tomorrow’s our final day in this neck of the woods and the weather’s due to improve, so I’ll be making one last foray on 3rd rail metals for now. I’m not quite sure where to yet as there’s disruption expected tomorrow due to strike action ‘working to rule’ which will affect some SWR services. I’ll make my mind up in the morning.

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