Today the 5 became 4. Aubrey’s had to head home early as a jury’s being sworn-in (long story not for me to tell, but he works in the legal profession), so our numbers have shrunk. This morning I let the girls go off on their own for some female time whilst I wandered solo with the camera.
Having seen the antiquities yesterday I’ve stayed ‘our’ side of the river to wander uphill to Taksim in search of one of the vintage tram routes. It’s been an interesting trip as I can go at my pace ans stop and stare as I will. This side of the city has a different feel. There’s a bit of a boho air in some parts that belie the current conservatism of the government – but that’s capital cities for you. There’s some fascinating architecture – and cats. Lots and lots of cats. They’re one of the reasons I like the place. A city where people think cats are cool can’t be all bad!
Eventually I tracked (literally) the trams. Or I should say tram as there’s only one running. It’s difficult to get a decent picture of it due to the preponderance of people who like to have their picture stood in the way of things, but here it is…
Tram 410 at Taksim.
13:45.
Having worn down a fair bit of shoe-leather I’ve stopped to rest my weary feet and have a beer close to home. I’m sat outside a bar in the backstreets enjoying an Efes and listening totheir choice of music. Right now it’s Johnny Cash singing ‘House of the rising sun’ which brings back a few memories.
I’m having a fantastic wander with the camera, people and architecture spotting (as well as the odd tram, obviously!) earlier I passed the Greek consulate which was indulging in some top trolling by flying both their national flag and that of the EU.Remember when ‘vote leave’ ran their lying campaign claiming Turkey was about to join the EU and 80 million Turks would be flooding into the UK? It was total bollocks of course, but it did appeal to some Britons racism and xenophobia. Truth is, Turkey is further away than ever to joining the UK due to the actions of the Erdoğan government.
Politicans aside, I have to admit I’m really enjoying Turkey. I’ve found people really friendly. Sure, in the tourist areas you get the usual salesmanship and hassle from a few people but once you get away from those areas it’s far more relaxed. I love street photography and Istanbul’s a wonderful place to practise that art because there’s so much life on the streets.
To give you an idea of how relaxed things are here, the bar I stopped at has two parts – on opposite sides of the street. The staff consisted of one chap with very little English and his young son, aged about 12. I was the only customer, so dad wandered off to do some shopping, leaving the young lad in charge of both establishments. When I’d finished my beer and wanted to pay there was only the young lad there, who then had to shoot off to find dad, leaving me in possession of two bars! Here they are…
14:50.
I’ve had to nip back to the hotel as I realised I’d left my phone charging cable behind, so despite having a power-pack with me I’d no way of connecting the bloody thing! As I was back at home I’ve taken a few minutes to download the camera, so here’s the first of the street photographs. This guy was happy for me to take his picture, but you have to wonder who owns whom? A minute before the cat was sitting across his shoulders…
20:30.
Here’s another shot I took earlier of the fishermen on the Galata bridge. There’s dozens of them lining each side and they hook a huge amount of fish.
I met up with the girls a few hours ago in time for dinner at what became our ‘go to’ restaurant – the Afrodit on the harbour front in Karakoy. We discovered it a few days ago when we popped in for a drink and to admire the views across the harbour from the top floor. Yesterday we tried the food and we enjoyed it so much we went back today. Not only is the food excellent, the staff are also. Oh, and the views across the Bosporus and the shipping lanes are brilliant – as you can see from this shot taken with a 400mm lens.
Tony Smith is a Bulk Carrier sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. Her gross tonnage is 33044 and deadweight is 56498. The ship was built in 2011.
Right, time to bring things to an end. We’ve had a wonderful time here in Istanbul but we fly back to the UK tomorrow. I’kk try and blog about our return and talk more about Istanbul when we get back.
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Finally, after having this break planned for so long that we kinda forgot about it – we’re off to Istanbul with the gang. Dee’s finishing her packing whilst I’m on coffee duty and pottering around and making sure various devices are fully charged so that I can cut down on the amount of kit I’m carrying. We’re only away a few nights so it’s hardly packing for Asia.
Today’s a good day to be heading off. It’s snother grey, misty day here in the Calder Valley alhough this morning’s political news has added a bright spot. The local election results that have come through in overnight counting show the Tories suffereing heavy defeats, UKIP being annihilated and the Reform party getting nowhere. It’s not looking good for the Tories in either ‘red wall’ seats or their Southern heartlands…
We’ve less than an hour before we get picked up to begin our journey to Manchester Airport to join a Turkish Airlines flight. Admittedly, I’d rather be getting there on the Orient Express, but those days are long gone and Brexit has just killed off the last lingering UK leg of that romantic train. I’ll blog through the day (time and wifi) permitting. It’s a four-hour flight and Aubrey’s arranged transport at the other end to get us straight to the hotel, so we should be having a pleasant late afternoon in Istanbul. Let’s see how it goes…
09:45
We’ve had an easy and stress-free taxi trip from Halifax to Manchester Airport, even the infamous ‘cobbled motorway’ (M62) played ball. Now it’s time to check in at terminal 2.
11:40.
Here we go…
The 5 off on another adventure…
Our flight with Pegasus was rather good. An Airbus A321 Neo carried us to Istanbul. Here’s take-off from Manchester.
For much of the 3hr 40m flight it wasn’t possible to glimpse ground due to heavy clouds but every so often we got a decent break to compare different field systems in different countries. The one thing all the countries had in common was rapeseed crops. The bright yellow flowers are a bit of a give-away.
Once off the plane we breezed through customs snd immigration, which made a pleasant change. Aubrey has arranged a vehicle to take us straight to the hotel so that part was simple too. The roads were rammed but surprisingly free of hassle. No-one used their horns but the amount of people driving whilst using their phone’s was a bit of an eye-opener!
My first impressions were that arriving in Istanbul was very similar to arriving in Athens. Busy roads, lots of concrete and apartment blocks. The only difference was mosques and minarets.
We’re staying in the Wolf Hotel in the Karakoy district. The barrow streets are full of cafes, restaurants and bars – but not cars, which makes for a relaxed atmosphere and outside tables are great for people watching. There’s a fascinating mix of people, both tourists and locals. The biggest difference to the UK is the amount of smokers. Even conservatively dressed young Moslem women can be seen sitting outside cafes puffing away, something you’d rarely see in Britain.
More to follow…
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/
The sun doth shine so I’ve escaped the office and the Calder Valley to have one of my regular looks at progress on the Trans-Pennine route upgrade. Right now I’m on a Northern service heading into Manchester from Sowerby Bridge in order to access the route from the West and begin my examinations there before heading through the Colne valley back into West Yorkshire.
I’m not the only one making the most of the weather. This off peak 2-car Class 158 is busy with day-trippers doing the same.
I’ll be updating this blog throughout the day so feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to…
158860 arrives at Sowerby Bridge en-route to Wigan Wallgate.
12:20.
Due to disruption and late running with services via Victoria I’m taking the ‘scenic route’ via Salford Crescent where I picked up a very busy Northern Class 331 electric to get me to Manchester Piccadilly where I’ll connect with a Newcastle bound TPE service to Stalybridge. Here it is, worked by 802213.
12:45.
I’m now on the late-running 12:33 which still has plenty of free seats at this point in its journey. It won’t be like this once it gets to Huddersfield.
I don’t envy the passengers joining the nearby Transport for Wales service to Cardiff Central. They’ve got this 75mph ‘delight’ in store today…
13:30.
On the move again! The trip to Stalybridge via Guide Bridge was interesting as it allowed me to glimpse the work done on the curve between the two. The chord’s now full of TTLs (two-track cantilevers) waiting to be fitted out and the wires added. The irony? This section of track was originally electrified as part of the 1500v DC Woodhead line scheme from the 1950s and some of the original lighweight masts survive – although not for much longer.
Things hadn’t changed majorly at Stalybridge despite bank holiday works. No new TTLs or portals had appeared but the structures that did were being fitted out with downpipes and registration arms.
I didn’t hang around. Now I’m on a local TPE service to Huddersfield. Thus section of the route shows no descernable progress other than vegetation clearance and a few concrete hardstandings installed for future worksites or lineside cabinet locations. Don’t even ask about the new line from Liverpool to Marsden which exists only in the imagination..
13:50.
My stop at Huddersfield was brief in the extreme. 5 mins to change trains and grab a quick picture. Huddersfield stations about to undergo major changes as part of the TRU, so savour views like this whilst you can.
The grade 1 listed Huddersfield station will be seeing a major rebuild with the two small bay platforms behind the camera abolished and two new through platforms provided instead.
14:50.
At my next stop (Dewsbury) train times went pear-shaped again as my connecting service is 20m plus late. Oh, well. Time for a swift half in the station’s West Riding refreshment rooms. Choices, choices…
16:45.
I’m now heading home from Batley after an interesting interlude looking at the TPU work and also reminiscing about the town which is hardly a place I can say I know well but it seems to keep cropping up in my memories and mentions.
The work to install the footbridge and abolish the foot crossing is well advanced. Most of the earthworks are complete and sections of the footbridge have arrived on site. On a Facebook forum one of the signallers working the box has said it will close on June 23rd. Here’s a look at work today.
The location of the footbridge is made clear by the abutment wall next to the rails.The wider view from Lady Anne crossing looking towards Batley. The two people in PPE in the left foreground are standing on what will be a tarmac’d ramp from the footbridge down to the site of the level crossing out of shot to the left. Sections of the footbridge have already arrived on site. They can be seen in this picture sat on the back of a pair of HGV trailers. A TPU compound has been established adjacent to Batley station on the site of the old GNR platforms and yard. It extends beyond the industrial unit to the left. You can see one of the new tilting, ladderless signals that are being installed in the cess to the right of the picture.
21:55.
I’m now back at home and winding up today’s blog after an interesting day out. Walking back into Batley I noticed that that the pub next to the station had reopened. Located in the basement of one of the lovely old Victorian buildings that line the exit to the station, the Cellar Bar closed suddenly in December 2022 after six and a half years but reopened under new management at the end of January this year. It’s well worth a visit as it has a selection of hand-pump real ales as well as the usual lagers, wines and spirits.
Having had a swift half I made my direct train back to Sowerby Bridge with minutes to spare. After picking up some shopping en-route I’ve had a leisurely evening being a good husband and cooking for us both whilst Dawn’s been out to visit her hairdresser! Tonight’s meal was made up from these ingredients. To use the catchphrase of a discredited Australian artist – ‘can you tell what it is yet’?
I won’t keep you in suspense. These are the ingredients of a hearty chorizo and Cannelloni bean stew.
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I’m taking advantage of the sunshine across West Yorkshire to get out and look at more Trans-Pennine route upgrade (TRU) work and other bits of the rail network in what’s fondly described as ‘God’s own country’.
As Dawn was going into the office today she gave me a lift into Huddersfield so I could catch a train East. Walking over to the island platform I was shocked and saddened to see that the famous station buffet run for many years by husband and wife team of Chris and Gez had closed for good whilst I was away in Asia. Calling in for one of their excellent bacon rolls was often the start to a days adventures. Sadly, the strikes and Covid had taken its toll on their business over recent years, so they took the decision to close their doors on February 18th. They’ll be missed by many rail staff – if not by their waistlines!
Heading East my first stop was at Batley where I walked down to the old level crossing to update pictures of the old level crossing and signalbox which will be replaced by a new footbridge.
Stood by the signalbox looking across to the old GNR embankment and site of the new footbridge.
13:30.
After walking back to Batley and retraching my steps to Dewsbury I’m now in Leeds ready to head off to the next location I want to document improvements at, although this is off the main TRU route. Photography’s becoming more of a challenge as clouds are rolling in, although for some shots that’s no bad thing. Leeds station’s busy but not at the frenetic levels we see at the peaks.
Right now I’m sat on one of Northern’s 2-car Class 158s which is welcome because the wind’s really taking the heat out of the sun and Leeds station’s notorious for being cold. Feeling the strength of the solar rays through my seat window is a far more pleasant experience to being stuck out on the platform.
A variety of front ends and train classes at Leeds
My route out of Leeds follows the corridor HS2 would have used to enter the city. Mothballing this route is just another example of the criminal myopia and lack of ambition of our political classes. It does nothing for ‘levelling up’ or the environment. Truly, we have a government that knows the cost of everything and value of nothing (unless you count bungs to its friends and donors).
14:15.
My next stop was at Castleford, a tpwn I’ve not visited for a dozen years. The single platform station is having its second reinstated along with a new footbridge with lifts to link the two. Track improvements and resignalling have added to the package of improvements so that the station can be a useful diversionary stop away from the main Trans-Pennine route whilst its closed for upgrade work. It’s a great example of the spin-offs from TRU work that has long-term benefits other areas.
I didn’t hang around to explore the town. I’ll save that for another time. I merely used the 10 minute window in between services to get the pictures I wanted before catching the next train back to Leeds.
15:30.
There were two good reasons to get back to Leeds when I did and they arrived one after the other. First up was a Cross-Country double HST power car move from Derby to Neville Hill depot in Leeds.
Right behind it was the ‘Blue Pullman’ liveried HST set which had set out from Crewe on its way to Nevill Hill.
17:50.
Last stop of the day is Ravensthorpe station and LNW junction. This are will undergo massive changes as part of the Trans-Pennine route upgrade. The station you see will be closed and a new one built West of the junction (and behind the camera)so that it can serve both routes. The old London and Northwestern line to Dewsbury to the left and the old Lancashire and Yorkshire line to Wakefield on the right. Plus, the fast LNW Trans-Pennine lines will cross the L&Y lines in a dive-under rather than the existing capacity-constraining flat junction.
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Walking to Halifax station was enjoyable this morning. No rain for a change, even if the Calder valley was shrouded in mist.
Traffic was light too though dog-walkers were out in force. Having left the house at 06:50 I had time to spare to catch the 07:39. I ended up walking straight on to the 07:20 which was running 7 mins late due to a fault on one of the two Class 195/0s forming this four car train.
This service calls at Low Moor, the new (ish) intermediate station between Halifax and Bradford. I’m rarely on services that call here so I was impressed to see dozens of folk waiting to join us.
After a rapid exchange of passengers at Bradford Interchange and with enough time for the crew to swap ends we’re now on our way to Leeds. Looking around I’d say this car is 50-60% full. I’ve no doubt that’ll increase on our way into Leeds.
0755.
Sure enough, our call at New Pudsey resulted in one departing passenger replaced by seven joining – and that was just in my car. Passengers on this train are a mix of commuters and holiday-makers. I’m sharing a table with a couple in their mid 30s in high-vis cycling jackets and a young lad whom I’m assuming’s on his way to work.
08:45.
Being ahead of schedule has allowed me to get ahead of myself and take the scenic route. I had 6 minutes in Leeds to make a dash for LNER’s 08:15 to Kings Cross which I’m taking as far as Doncaster. Yes, Doncaster. OK, I lied about the ‘scenic’ bit! My trains formed of a 9-car Azuma and the loadings are healthy. Here’s coach H.
09:05.
My visit to Doncaster was brief. I had long enough to grab a couple of pictures and admire the varied collection of stock outside the Wabtec works (an AET ”Networker’ and Chiltern’s 165004 plus sundry Mk3 coaches) before it was time to jog over to platform 0, which I’ve never used before. I’m now on Northern’s 09:05 to Goole which is being worked by a 2-car class 158.
11:40.
S’cuse the gap. As soon as I arrived at RaiseE I was thrown into a round of introductions or discussions with old friends. Sadly, many of the conversations were pessimistic. Wether it’s Brexit or the shambles that’s government policy and rail finances (not to mention internal problems of some major players) the picture’s not a happy one.
However, the event focussed on the positive aspects and opportunities for the future. More of that later..
Harry Hill from Enable Ltd and Lucy Prior from Trough-Tec Systems Ltd with a joint presentation on collaborating with the supply chain to create a greener rail industry.
17:35.
The conference finished after lunch and after saying some goodbyes I left to make the most of the glorious sunshine. I realised I’d never really taken pictures around this way and that my ladt visit was in 2010 so I decided to make amends. The rail network’s a shadow of its former self as the dock lines are disused and the new Siemens factory – whilst rail connected – isn’t generating any traffic.
However, the docks are still used by shipping and the distinctive ‘salt and pepper’ buildings dominate the skyline nearby.
There’s also this rather interesting building that looks remarkably similar in style to certain London Underground stations. I’m guessing they were designed by the same architect.
Having spent an hour exploring I took a trip to the end of the line at Hull to add a few more library pictures. I’m glad I did. The classic view of the station throat is rapidly being closed off by tree growth.
22:00.
I’m now back at home after retracing my steps from Hull to Goole, back to Doncaster and thence on to Leeds and Bradford before arriving back in Halifax. The weather’s been glorious and the travel really interesting. I’ll flesh out more of this blog shortly but for now here’s a couple more pictures from my travels.
158853 works a Hull – Doncaster service past ‘salt and pepper’ the two water towers that dominate the Goole skyline. Hull has become a good place to find the seven members of Class 155. Built by British Leyland in 1988 for Calder valley services they’re rarely seen on their former home turf although they do put in appearances on the Hull – Halifax shuttles. Goole signalbox. It was built in 1909 by the North-Eastern railway to their standard ‘S4’ design. Over the years its lost the external wooden walkways with metal handrails that allowed access to clean the windows. The locking-room windows have also been bricked up which was probably done during World War 2 to add protection from bomb damage.
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/
Hooray! The rain’s stopped here in the Chilterns. Instead (according to the forecast) we’re in for a day full of dull cloud and no sunshine. Looking out of the skylight in my room in the pub we stayed in last night that certainly seems to be the case. Even so, there’s plenty of HS2 sites to see in the area and as we travel Northwards so I’ll post a few pictures through the day as we visit places. But first, it’s time for breakfast then to find somewhere to charge up Penny’s electric car. Charging EVs is a logistical exercise in itself and adds a whole new dimension to travel planning.
As well as HS2 construction sites one thing we’ll be looking at is the ecological work and mitigation planting. If you believed the scaremongering nonsense the opponents of HS2 put out tree planting either doesn’t happen or the ones planted are all dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s a (large) site on the South edge of the West Hyde construction site that we visited yesterday. Do these look imaginary or dead to you?
I’ve many more close-up shots of the impressive growth of this recently planted (2017) wood that I’ll add to my Zenfolio gallery on HS2 construction.
11:10.
Well, we’re not doing much exploring righ now but I am learning a lot about the pros and cons of electric cars! We’re currently in the car park at Morrisons in Aylesbury, waiting for the car to charge. There was no charging point at the pub, so we couldn’t charge the car overnight so we only had 30 miles left on the battery. Not enough to get anywhere. The nearest chargers were in Aylesbury. Then it’s a question of finding a fast (50kw) charger and pray no-one else is using it. So, you spend a lot of time faffing around because the last thing you want to do is run out of juice in the middle of nowhere. You can’t exactly walk with a Jerry can to the nearest garage for a bucket of electricity! Penny’s car is currently charging at 1 mile oer minute. There’s another complication. This charger has 3 charger cables. Only two are compatible with the car and one of them (the fastest) is knackered. It’s a common problem apparently. So, if you don’t want to suffer ‘power anxiety’ – buy a hybrid. This car (a Renault Zoe) has a real maximum range of +/- 200 miles so 100 miles range out and back before you need to think about finding a charging station. Oh, and that’s without driving too fast or using stuff like heaters etc..
Time to sit and compose a few emails and blog whilst watching the miles build up.
19:30.
Another day that didn’t quite go to plan but was still an excellent one anyway. Well, until I ended up on a train full of pissed-up Stoke City fans on their way back from Coventry (but more of that later).
Having charged up the car enough to do what we wanted to do (with a margin of error) we headed back to the infamous Jones’ Hill wood, scene of some of the most dishonest anti HS2 protests. I’ve blogged before about the lie that the wood had anything to do with Roald Dahl. This area (between Wendover and Great Missenden) is ‘nimby central’, not that any of their scaremongering achieved anything but it’s very interesting to compare the reality with the hype.
Whilst a Western edge of Jones’ Hill woods has been sliced off to make way for HS2 there’s a huge amount of new tree planting to the East which is doing really well. This will link the isolated Jones’ Hill with nearby woods to create a much larger wildlife habitat.
One of two ponds on the new mitigation planting site at Jones’ Hill woods with the wood in the background and new planting in the foreground. Behind me is another wood which the planting will link to Jones’ Hill. The HS2 trace is below Jones’ hill to the left .The Southern edge of Jones’ hill wood. Part of the wood had to be taken to build HS2. This picture was taken from the middle of the haul road. A footpath crosses the road and security staff let you across when it’s safe to do so. Looking North from Bowood Lane along the route of HS2 towards Wendover. So much for the ‘outstanding natural beauty’ of the Chilterns! To the left is the noisy A413 whilst the row of ugly pylons stretches the length of the valley. In contrast, when HS2’s completed most of it will be hidden from view.
Ironically, the ‘eco-warriors’ who were supposedly ‘protecting’ Jones’ hill woods have left their abandoned camp cluttering the woods.
Moving on from Jones’ Hill we headed back to Wendover to look at HS2 construction work nearby. Quite how HS2 was meant to cause so much disturbance to the village when it’ll pass in a green tunnel with the incredibly noisy A413 and Chiltern railway in-between has always been one of life’s mysteries. At the moment work isn’t as advanced as on other parts of the route so it’s hard to make out the trace of HS2, although this will change over the course of 2023. Funny, the local Nimbys have never complained about the unsightly line of high-voltage pylons that parallel the HS2 route in these parts!
Odd how those who tell us the Chilterns AONB is pristine and stunning fail to mention this row of plyons that dominate the valley between Gt Missenden and Wendover – or mention the persistent traffic noise from the A413! Here’s the view from above Wendover (off to the left) looking South towards Great Missenden. The trace of HS2 is starting to take shape. It will pass between the two nearest pylons, having crossed over the A413 and Chiltern railway at the bottom of the valley here.
Another place we visited was the small Wendover memorial wood for people who passed away at a local hospice. You may remember HS2 antis and media opportunists exploited this place in a disgraceful attempt to smear HS2 for desecrating a “childrens memorial” when it was nothing of the sort.
To be honest, it’s a sad, neglected place that looks pretty much abandoned. The memorial trees are too densely planted and look awful as no-one ever looked after them once they were planted, which is why many have their protective sheath still wrapped around them long after they matured. The place is unkempt, overgrown and covered with litter and other detritus. There’s little sign of the work HS2 carried out there, other than what likes a narrow path through some of the trees. The place doesn’t look like many people visit.
Moving on we bypassed Aylesbury and headed towards Quainton, stopping en-route to admire another mitigation site where (on first glance) tree- planting appeared to be less successful than other sites. On closer examination this proved to be untrue as many trees had been replanted, they simply hadn’t stuck their heads above their protective tubes yet! The trace of HS2 was very evident at this point.
North of Quainton we crossed the former route of the Great Central railway which (until recently) carried waste trains and HS2 construction trains as far as Calvert. Now the sites been transformed into a construction site as the old road bridge is being replaced and the road diverted (pics later).
The view from Whitehills bridge looking towards Quainton. The Calvert binliners and HS2 materials trains used this part of the old Great Central until recently. In the foreground excavations have begun for the piles for the replacement for the bridge I’m standing on. Whitehills bridge looking North towards Calvert.
Our final visit was to Calvert itself. The place has changed a lot since my last visit with the E-W rail line embankments taking shape either side of the HS2 overbridge. Several other E-W bridges are being replaced as part of the same contract whilst roads are being diverted and the site of the HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) is being laid out. Whilst we were here we were blessed with some lovely low sunlight whic made a real change from the dull day we’d had up to that point.
The site of the old Calvert station looking South. HS2 tracks will occupy this site in a few years time. Looking North from the same bridge. This site was a major railhead for bringing HS2 construction material in by rail. The new E-W rail overbridge at Calvert under very moody skies.The site of the Calvert HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance depot is beginning to be laid out. To the right is the route of E-W rail whilst the new bridge in the background is the remodelled Addison Rd.
Both of us would’ve loved to have lingered longer but when I checked train times back home we realised we’d need to make a dash for Banbury in time for me to make a sensible connection. This got a bit fraught when we got into Banbury as their was traffic chaos because the police had the main road towards the station blocked off. Instead Penny drove back to Leamington where I made my train by the skin of my teeth – but only because it was running five minutes late.
I was breathing a sigh of relief and considering staying on this Cross-County service all the way to Manchester until we pulled into Coventry where my coach was invaded by Stoke City fans. Their behaviour was appalling. They kept up a stream of foul-mouthed, misogynistic and borderline racist chants all the way to New St, at which point I’d had enough of too much testosterone and too few brain cells (as had many others in the coach). I baled and caught my original connection, the 19:03 Cross-Country service direct to Leeds. This is much quieter and far more pleasant – and neither sight nor sound of a football bore.
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/
Another silly o’ clock start. I’ve been up for an hour getting ready to head South to meet up with my ‘partner in crime’ for a couple of days exploring HS2 railway construction and mitigation sites, but first I’ve got to get to Banbury. The weather’s looking bleak. The rain’s already started here in the Calder Valley so Dawn’s being a star and giving me a lift to the station so that I don’t get a soaking from the off! I’ll be blogging throughout the day, so feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to…
07:30.
Thanks to Dee I arrived at Halifax station dry and in plenty of time. Having bid Dawn au revoir I caught the 07:14 Halifax-Hull, an earlier train than planned which gives me an extra 6 minutes in the bank. As it’s starting from Halifax it’s also far less crowded, despite being worked by a 2-car Class 158 today. No doubt that situation will change once we’ve reached Bradford and beyond.
Even so, I’ve bagged a table seat, plugged my phone into the USB socket to keep it charged and begun to catch up with the waking world.
Almost as soon as we left the cheerful Guard conducted a ticket check. With the train being quiet we swapped cheeky banter as I asked when the trolley service came round!
07:40.
As I predicted, the train filled up at Bradford Interchange. My bay and the opposite table are now full. There’s a young businessman of Indian extraction sat opposite whilst the rest of the seats have been taken by a mother and daughters – also of Asian extraction but further South and East. I haven’t heard them speak so I can’t tell where they hail from originally.
Now we’re heading towards Leeds on a miserable day weather-wise. The sky’s a monotone grey, producing the light drizzle that soon has you soaked as it has the ability to permeate almost any clothing.
08:25.
My time at Leeds was brief, just 15 minutes. I hardly had time to get the camera out but then there wasn’t much of interest to photograph on such a grey day. Making my way to platform 15 I waited for Cross-Country’s 08:11 to Bristol Temple Meads which arrived spot on time. Consisting of two four-car Class 220s the service was reasonably busy. The was plenty of custom for it at Leeds, although several were only going as far as our next stop at Wakefield Westgate where we exchanged them for more long-distance travellers. The cross-country network is all things to all people. Some use it for short hops as the timings are convenient whilst others appreciate its reach and use it for far longer journeys – students and senior travellers especially.
Cross-country may not be the biggest operator but it’s certainly the most far-reaching. Although the network’s been cut back from its height its tendrils radiate from Birmingham afar as Penzance and Aberdeen. What a shame the dept of transport have no idea what to do with it other than cut its train-fleet by forcibly retiring their high-speed train fleet with no plan for replacement. Their capacity is desperately needed in the summer, especially now passenger numbers have bounced back and the state of the economy’s forcing more people to holiday in the UK.
11:00.
My trip to Birmingham was uneventful, although it gave great views of the HS2 construction sites at Washwood Heath and Curzon St, where the pillars for the elevated station deck are springing up like mushrooms. I filmed this as we passed.
Building HS2’s Curzon St station.
Birmingham’s wet. Very wet, so I was glad to seek shelter on Chiltern Railways 10:55 from Moor St which will carry me to my rondezvous in Banbury.
In a sign of the times I popped into a shop in New St which sells baguettes. It was always a busy place. For years the filled baguettes cost 99p and made a cheap and tasty meal. Then, post Covid they increased to £1.20. Today they’re £2.20. It may have been the time of day but the shelves were full but the shop empty. I was the only customer.
20:15
Apologies for the gap in blogging but we’ve been busy. I’m about to get something to eat then I’ll come back and fill in the gaps. In the meantime, here’s a few pictures to tease..
We were here at the Chiltern tunnels South portal where one of the ‘porous portals’ is being constructed now the area is cleared and the TBMs are over half way to the North portal. This one is over the London-bound track. Progress on the Colne Valley viaduct is impressive. It’s really come on since my last visit. Here’s a view of the launching girder ‘Dominique’ seen from the Denham waterski club site. One of the thousands of precast bridge segments that have been made on site at West Hyde is moved along the completed bridge to the launching girder ‘Dominique’ where it will be lifted and then turned before being dropped into position. The segments are made on site then moved from the factory along an internal haul road and onto the viaduct.
23:25.
Right, time for bed. It’s been a busy day although the latter part was foiled by the weather when the skies opened and stayed open, making photography next to impossible. Even so, we reconnoitered a few more HS2 construction sites which will allow us to pop back tomorrow when the weather’s improved before moving on to look at others.
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/
We’re packed, all electronic devices charged and ready and about to head off to the station to begin our journey to Nottingham to prepare for the Community Rail Network conference. I’ll blog about the trip en-route so feel free to pop back later to see what we get up to…
11:00.
We’re on our way on a bright but bitterly cold day. We even had a snow flurry before we left. Right now we’re on Grand Central’s 10:40 train from Halifax to London which we’re using to get to Wakefield where we connect with Northern’s Leeds-Nottingham service. This GC class 180s busy and even more so after calling at Brighouse where a few dozen were waiting to join. The latest ORR statistics show that GC services have really bounced back from Covid. They’re currently at 103% of pre-Covid figures. Great news for an open-access operator.
The section of line between Ellend (where a new station’s due to open in 2025) and Brighouse has recently been opened up by a huge amount of lineside tree clearance which makes it feel less like a green tunnel.
11:45.
We had 10 minutes for a cross-platform interchange at Kirkgate, where a new building has appeared on the island platform 2-3. Built on behalf of Grand Central it’s a substantial 3 room structure that replaces the draughty and basic shelter that used to be there. There’s staff accommodation at one end, a seated waiting area in the middle and what looks like a potential retail outlet or small office at the other. Only it doesn’t appear to have any power sockets, just a fuse board, which is odd!
The new structure at Kirkgate.
Our Nottingham train arrived spot on time. Thankfully, it’s formed of a 2-car Class 195 so we can make the most of the power sockets and wifi as there’s other members of the CRN team aboard too.
14:15.
Having reached Nottingham and the venue in plenty of time I’ve a few hours to kill before I’m needed I’ve nipped out to make the most of the good weather and grab some new library shots whilst I’m here. East Midlands Railway have had many Class 170s cascaded to them from other operators to start replacing their old BR built fleets. Some have come from Anglia, via Transport for Wales, such as this example.
With Nottingham Eastcroft depot in the background 170271 works 1K67, the 13:43 from Newark Castle to Crewe. To the left is the former parcels depot. The building’s intact and used as a Virgin active health club.
16:40.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of hours exploring and getting pictures of railways, trams and the town. One thing that struck me is how many vacant shops there are now. Parts of the town centre are almost deserted. One street I walked along was 90% derelict. Here’s a couple of phone pics to be going on with. I’ll add camera shots later.
The old parcels depot which is now a fitness studio.There’s one mad Tory Chiltern Cllr who insists that reopening the Great Central is a viable alternative to building HS2 as most of the route is intact. Really? This was the Great Central through the centre of Nottingham. Nothing remains.
Having tired of being tied to my desk (and home) I checked the weather forecast firs thing this morning and found it was more optimistic than 24 hours earlier and decided “bugger it, it’s time to stretch my legs”. I’ll be blogging throughout the day so feel free to pop back and see what I get up to…
Right now I’m on the 09:59 from Sowerby Bridge to Manchester en-route to Liverpool to have a look at one of the few positive stories about UK railways right now – the introduction of the Stadler Class 777 train fleet which have ushered in the era of level-boarding across Merseyside.
Journey’s beginning…
The weather en-route has been moody to say the least. There’s gangs of marauding rain clouds lurking but so far we’ve escaped any deluges. This Wigan bound train’s made up of a pair of Class 158s which are now relegated to secondary duties after the arrival of the CAF units. Loadings across the Pennines were low until we called at Rochdale were dozens joined us for the run into Manchester.
11:45.
I had 30 mins to spend between trains in Manchester which gave me time to observe activities. Trans-Pennine Express were busy. A pair of Class 185s arrived from the East. Having disgorged dozens of people (the service was well loaded) the units were split. The rear set returned East as the 11:01 to Saltburn whilst the rear set worked empty stock back to Ardwick depot on the other side of the city. I was waiting for another TPE service, the 11:21 to Liverpool Lime St. This arrived (on time – heavens!) worked by 802216. Finding a free table in the front car as it’s not a busy train I’ve set up the mobile office so I can download a few pictures en route. The journey only takes 40 mins so there’s little time to do much else. The good news is the weather’s picking up the further West we go. Muscly white clouds are edging out the rain to leave space for blue skies and sunshine to follow.
12:45.
After an on-time arrival and brief photo stop at Lime St I’m now aboard 777049, the first Merseyrail Class 777 to enter service which I picked up at Liverpool Central. I’m posting this via my phone and the trains wifi which even works in the tunnels. My phone’s also charging up via the under-seat sockets whic have a 3-pin connection and 2 USB sockets. First impressions? I’m impressed. It’s not the first time I’ve been on board a 777 but this is the first time in regular passenger service on the route they were built for. I’m sitting at the back of the train behind the driver’s cab and over the bogie, but the ride is still smooth (until you hit switches and crossings). Acceleration is impressive and also smooth. More soon…
13:00.
We’ve arrived at Kirkby…
Having got some pictures I stayed on the same unit as far as Rice Lane (a stones throw from where I entered this world) to see how the ride was by the leading cab. There was a lot more hunting coming out of Kirkby but I suspect that has as much to do with track quality as much as the trains.
The 777s are good. Very good. I like the controlled saloon lighting that changes when you pass under bridges and tunnels, and the LED strips around the doors which aid access.
18:00.
Apologies for the gap in blogging but the day took a bizarre turn – as I’ll explain in a minute. My trips on the Kirkby were really interesting. 2 of the 3 sets operating tge service were 777s. The other was fleet pioneer 507001. Sadly, of the two 777s set 009 was clearly having problems. There were isdues with the doors and the PIS system which meant it was taken out of service a couple of times, leading to gaps in the service. It’s surprising as the sets should have had plenty of time to ‘bed in’ during their mileage accumulation runs. But then, these things happen. I’ve no doubt the problems will be fixed, but it’s embarrassing when the units have just been introduced.
Whilst I was out I posted a 777 pic to a WhatsApp group I and a few close friends have – only to get a reply from an old friend and colleague who was out with his boss doing exactly the same as me! We arranged to meet up at Lime St where his boss got a train back to London, but Hassard dallied, so we had time for a spin out to New Brighton – a place he’d never visited before. I rather enjoy New Brighton and so did Hassard as he was fascinated by the river views and the artwork adorning many of the buildings.
Mersey rovers…
We had time for a quick beer so stopped off at the “Bow-legged Beagle” micropub where the second co-incidence happened.
The chap we sat next to saw our cameras and struck up a conversation. It transpired he also had an interest in railways and travel. Clearly, his accent wasn’t local but it was only in passing he mentioned he was on a day out – from Sowerby Bridge! He lives about a mile away from me! What’s the odds of two Yorkshire neighbours (one there totally by chance) bumping into each other like that?
Having headed back into Liverpool I bid adieu to Hassard so that he could head back to London whilst I caught TPE’s 17:54 service to Manchester. I’ll blog more later when I’ve had chance to download some of today’s pictures. Right now I’m heading back across the Pennines aboard another Northern Class 158 en-route to Sowerby Bridge and home.
21:30.
Home again, so here’s a last update with a few more pictures from today.
777009 was the other new unit working Kirkby services but it wasn’t having the best of days. Here it is calling at Fazakerley with a service from Ormskirk. As you can see, the PIS isn’t working – hence the ‘not in service’ displayed on the front. I had to persuade an elderly woman who questioned me that – yes, this train was going to Liverpool. Once on board I saw a Stadler engineer busy on his phone, making it clear the train would need to be taken out of service at Kirkdale. Having abandoned 777009 at Rice Lane to get some more pictures I travelled on to Kirkdale before walking to Bank Hall where I caught 507001 (the first of the BR built EMUs) passing the depot where 777009 sits in the background in disgrace. Meanwhile, just the other side of the road to the last shot, here’s 508124 and 508112 calling at Bank Hall with services to and from Southport. When I was a kid this station had four platforms – hence the disused lines on the left. To say the area’s changed a bit in 50 years would be an understatement.
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/
There’s another rolling blog from me today as I’m on the move again. It’s time to say goodbye to KL and begin the trek back towards Singapore ready for my flight back to the UK on Saturday. Shortly, I’ll begin my journey from Pasir Seni to KL Sentral to catch train EG9321, the 12:10 to Gemas, which is the junction for the ‘jungle railway’ up the East Coast to Tumpat. It’s also the present limit of electrification so it’s where I change to a diesel-hauled service which will take me down to Johor Baru.
I’ll blog throughout the day, so feel free to keep popping back and see how the trip goes. I won’t get to JB until late this evening which means there’ll be plenty to write about…
12:34.
The journey to KL Sentral was easy. The MRT station at Pasir Seni was only a couple of hundred yards away from my hotel.
First train of the day. On the MRT heading to Sentral
From there it’s one stop to Sentral which despite it’s size, is hardly a busy station as there’s so few trains at the moment due to the Klang valley double tracking project having such an impact on capacity. There’s also acres of wasted space.
Waterloo it ain’t…
Sadly, KTM have gone down the airline route of corralling passengers in waiting areas, only letting them down onto the platform a few minutes before the train’s due.
When my train turned up it was stopped short on the long platform to allow departing passengers off first. It then crawled forward to pick up the next load – us! I can sort of see the logic in this but when you consider how most railway work this does seem a time-consuming faff.
Now I’m on-board ETS 204. One of the earlier CRRC sets built in 2014.
14:00.
A few minutes ago we left Seremban. It’s the furthest point on the KL commuter network and home depot for the SCS trainsets. It also retains one of the old station buildings which makes it a rather attractive place.
15:15.
Despite our late departure from KL our train had no trouble making up time and delivered us to Gemas spot on 14:50. It’s a cross-platform Interchange here so I went from this…
ETS204 at Gemas, having left Butterworth this morning the set’s preparing to head back North.To this! ‘Blue Tiger’ 26113 ready to take us to Johor Baru. It’s unusual to find this class of loco working passenger trains.
17:15.
We’ve just stopped in the middle of nowhere to let a Northbound service pass. Whilst the track has been doubled at the MP 642.75 (just North of Paloh) it hasn’t been fully commissioned and only works as a passing loop. It was a great location to stop as the rather nice house on a hill was nearby, surrounded by new palm oil plantations.
There’s worse places to live, and at least you won’t get flooded…
23:30 (Malay time).
Apologies for the blogging gap. It’s been for several reasons One was because I was too busy watching the world go by, and the second was that my Singaporean friend Nicholas Lim had travelled up to Kluang to join me on the trip down to Johor Baru! What I’d missed whilst I was in KL was that the state of Johor had been hit by torrential rain this week which has led to extreme flooding. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never known it as wet this time of year, but Johor really has copped for it. When we left Gemas I saw sights around the railway like this. Low-lying land totally under water. Thankfully the railway has been rebuilt and raised otherwise there’s no way I’d have got back to Singapore by land.
The next person who tells me climate change is a myth is going to get a real mouthful. I’ve been travelling this part of the world for 31 years and I’ve never known the weather to be so unpredictable.
Fortunately, the floods were subsiding and the weather was picking up, so I could snatch the occasional picture from an open train door, although this crew were rather strict about me doing so.
Passing an up train in the middle of nowhere North of Paloh. This is a temporary loop until the double-tracking is completed.
Nick joined me at Kluang. As we’d seats reserved in different coaches we adjourned to the buffet car where we could sit together. Now, I know Mark (the man in seat 61) recommends independent ticketing companies where you pay a fee, but I’d heartily recommend the KITS app from KTM. Not only is it so easy to use but you get to choose your seat (the others don’t let you) you also get to see just how many seats are available on the train you’re looking at. Plus, you get instant confirmation that you have a ticket and you can download it straight away, or just save it in the app.
We had a great journey, with Nick giving me some very interesting historical and background info on Malaysian railways operations. At JB we parted company until tomorrow. I’m back in the hotel I stayed in when I first arrived but I have to say it’s not what I first experienced. I’ve now got a crap room on the 5th floor which is lacking so many things – a flushing toilet being one of them! If I was staying for more than one night I’d be kicking up merry hell, but it’s literally just a place to crash for the night. Johor Baru’s an odd place. You’d think it would be trying to mirror Singapore on the other side of the causeway – and in some (foreign investment) ways it does, but it also feels really seedy. Looking at my hotel I’m surprised they don’t rent rooms by the hour. There’s a few very unattractive ‘ladies of the night’ hanging around the main drag, although I suspect ladies may be too gender specific. There’s a backstreet off the main drag called Jalan Meldrum (no, really!) which seems to have the most life as one side of the street’s lined with restaurants. I did escape my hotel for an hour and had a rare (and bloody expensive) beer so that I could watch the world go by. Like everywhere in Malaysia all the different communities mixed freely, but it’s not a patch on Georgetown.
I don’t believe it!
Anyways. I’m off to nice, clean and even more expensive Singapore tomorrow. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the place – far from it. When I’ve been travelling the backwaters of Asia it was always a great place to dip into for a few days. I christened it ‘the land where everything works’ (even in the cheap seats). It’s just all a little more safe and sanitised.
Time to bring this blog to a close. I’m going to be up early as there’s a lot of pictures I want to get before catching the 11:30 shuttle train across the border to Woodlands.
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/
Paul Bigland 