09:40.
Having abandoned Bigland Towers for a couple of days I’m on my way to London to join the annual railway carols service and meet up with friends and colleagues from across the industry.
Having walked to the station on a grey but dry day it became duller once I boarded Grand Central’s 09:10 service to Kings Cross, where I was greeted with an announcement that there’s no buffet service due to staff shortages. Oh, and the wifi’s kaput too! This leaves me unable to do the work I was hoping to – and blogging from my phone – so please excuse the more than normal amount of typos!
10:00.
We’re currently crawling our way from Wakefield to ‘Pontycarlo’ (aka Pontefract) having picked up an almost full complement of passengers already after stops at Brighouse, Mirfield and Wakefield.
I’ve not seen any great progress on TRU work en-route but then a lot is due to be delivered over the Christmas blockade. I did notice that the relaid fan of sidings at the sute of the old Healey Mills marshalling yard contains a rake of ballast wagons, which is the first traffic I’ve seen. In contrast, the relaid (at great expense) DB loco stabling sidings at Wakefield are housing nothing but rust. I’ve never seen them used once since they were put in.
10:15.
This GC service has been retimed and now cuts out a lot of the crawl to Doncaster as it joins the main line at Hare Park Junction, allowing our 221 to stetch its legs. Observing the flooded fields and streams the colour of builders tea we’ve passed en-route it’s obvious just how much rain we’ve had, although the weather remains dry, for now.
The amount of passengers waiting to board this service at Doncaster was rather impressive. I doubt there’s a spare seat left now. I’ll check later once the melee has subsided. Right now it’s a chaotic mess of suitcases and bewildered people.
The sidings between the station and old railway works are empty – apart from a massive pair of Ainscough hire cranes. I can only assume they’re here to remove the decaying footbridge that linked the works with the outside world by crossing above the station.
11:10.
We sped through my old stomping ground of Peterborough 6 minutes late. It’s changed a bit since I first got to know it at the end of the 1980s so I’m glad to see the railway expanding there again thanks to freight compaby GBRf, who’ve made it one of their main locomotive depots.
Sadly, that was the only bright spot as the weather’s turned very dull indeed – evidenced by the amount of industrial sites where the yard lights have come on! My hope that we’d make up some tine have been dashed too. We’re currently crawing our way towards Huntingdon, which suggests we’re stuck behind something. The new ECML timetable came into force at the weekend, leaving thus a very congested railway. Something that building HS2 to Leeds and Church Fenton would have solved, until short-sighted and short-term politicians screwed that up.
11:39.
Bugger. We’ve just passed Potters Bar at the time we should’ve been arriving at Kings Cross. Plus, the rain’s arrived.
12:40.
Here we are..
18:45.
Sorry for the gap but it’s been a busy day. Right now I’m on this old train on my way to meet up with other friends.
Paul Bigland 