As threatened I’m treating myself to a day out exploring as the weather’s gorgeous today. I’m currently sitting on Halifax railway station with the sun blasting out it’s welcome warmth. It’s only early but there’s already some power in those rays. I wonder if I should have packed some suntan lotion?
A packed Leeds bound train’s just come and gone. Nice day for it…
My plan is to head West for a few hours. My day not’s not going to be a marathon as Dee and I are out for a meal with friends tonight. Even so, I’m sure I can have an adventure. Feel free to keep popping in to see what I get up to…
09:25.
When the Chester train I was waiting for arrived I was somewhat disconcerted to find it consisted of a single 2-car Class 195 which was already busy at around 75% loading. I managed to secure a seat but no table so I’m typing this with my laptop balanced atop my camera bag which is perched on my lap. My fellow passengers are a real mix of young and old. In front of me is a young couple (although I suspect they’re friends rather than partners). He’s trying to impress her with his local knowledge. Problem is, I know what he’s saying he’s made up! I’m biting my tongue and resisting the urge to interject!
09:35.
The couple turned out to be two couples and they all disembarked at Hebden Bridge. I managed to nick their table and my seats have been replaced by two local ‘characters’ inked with a right mess of neck tattoos and dodgy ear-piercings. Well, when I say ‘piercings’ they’re more like bullet holes. The younger of the pair has ears like Emmental cheese. I can see today’s going to be one of those days…
09:40.
Much to my unsurprise, the ‘characters’ who joined us at Hebden Bridge left us at Todmorden. They weren’t alone. This area’s a popular hiking destination and several people with rucsacs and walking poles detrained with them. Now the train’s quietened down. Until our next stop. Rochdale.
11:00.
I’ve had a busy hour. As expected my train refilled at Rochdale to become full and standing yet again. I wandered throgh from end to end to check. As we pulled into Victoria we passed the ‘Northern Belle’ dining train which was waiting for a platform. This was too good a chnce to miss so I hung around at Victoria to get a few pictures of the crowds joining the train which was heading for Oxenholme on the edge of the Lake district. It’s great to seee these leisure services returning and see how well patronised it was. There’s nothing better than being wined and dined on a train with magnificent scenery as a backdrop.
Red carpet treatment as passengers board the ‘Northern Belle’
Shots fired (as it were) I strolled over to Piccadilly to catch my next train and bumped into John, an old friend who’d just driven it from Euston! We had time for a chatvand catch-up before I boarded the return working for this 9-car Pendolino – the 10:55 to Euston – which is rammed!
Bar the unreserved coach (C) it’s a mass of reserved setas and people milling around swapping coaches in an effort to find a seat. I’m stood in the vestibule as I gave up after trying 3 cars. Plus, I’m only going to Crewe. Here’s how F looks – and we haven’t stopped at Stockport or Wilmslow yet!
14:00.
Homeward bound now. At Crewe I caught up with a pair of the new Class 730 electric trains which have been built for West Midlands services. They’re being tested between Crewe and Nuneaton. The pair I saw weren’t in the most photographic position and left before me, but I managed to catch them up at Stafford where they were in an ideal location (better pic later).
Heading back to Crewe which has got the decorators in giving the place a much-needed coat of paint I managed a few decent library shots before catching a Transport fo Wales service back to Manchester. Every train I’ve been on has been busy, Avanti services especially so. Here’s my train from Stafford to Crewe.
16:20.
Another day, another change of plan due to the wonders of social media and the ability of people to keep tabs on each other! Whilst making my way back North I found out that an old friend and RAIL magazine colleague was also heading from Manchester. We’ve not had chance to meet up for a while so the fact we were both in the same city at the same time (albeit briefly) made us bith change our plans to enable us to have a swift pint and swap stories outside Piccadilly station before heading off in different directions across the Pennines. Manchester was absolutely buzzing as people streamed into the city to enjoy what promises to be a warm and sunny weekend. I’d have loved to have done the same but I have other fish to fry. Right now I’m ahead of schedule having caught a Northern service to Blackburn via Todmorden where I’ll pick up another (earlier) train. At least this way I escape the Stygian gloom of Victoria’s through platforms for Pennine views.
18:30.
Home again and time for a complete change of tempo – and clothing. The camera bag’s been ditched and so have the walking boots. Now it’s time to shower, don a shirt. slip on the brogues and get ready for a night out with friends at Café Thai in nearby West Vale.
After the gloomy skies and heavy rain we had yesterday, today couldn’t be any more different I woke up to wall to wall sunshine here in Clapham but with windows streaked with Saharan sand! I’m looking forward to exploring again today but my focus is going to shift to areas of the network I’ve not really visited for a while. When I still lived in London I’d regularly pop over from leafy Crouch End to travel on and photograph the South-Eastern suburban network but in recent years my focus has been elsewhere. Now change is upon the railway yet again. Now some of the BR and Metro-Cammell built ‘Networkers’ that have been the staple of suburban services since the early 1990s have been stored and replaced by Siemens Class 707s displaced from South-West Rail. Judging by my travels yesterday passenger numbers are recovering well with some services back to the levels of overcrowding we saw pre Covid. I’ll be interested to see what they look like today.
Feel free to pop back later to see how my day unfolds. But for now, it’s time for coffee and breakfast…
10:45.
Remember I mentioned that Saharan sand? Here’s how it’s left a SET Class 707 looking…
11:15.
I’m often remarking on how London’s changed since I left. My next stop was a great illustration of that fact. I called in at Lewisham to photograph trains traversing the famous scissor junction to the East of the station and I was gobsmacked at how much the place has changed. It’s another mini-city skyscraper complex nowadays. Huge blocks dominate with cranes busy building more. The spot on the station where I’d once have stood in sunshine is now in deep shadow. More shadows fall across the junction itself. This development’s not unsurprising as the area has excellent transport links. The arrival of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) cemented that as it bridged the Thames and provided access to Canary Wharf and beyond. I’ll add some pictures later…
19:15.
“Mind the gap” – as they say on the London underground! Apologies for the absence of updates but it’s been a very bust day with me constantly moving around so having no time to put finger to keyboard. My travels took me around South-East London and afar afield as Tonbridge in Kent, a place that I’ve not visited for many a year! I’ve fond memories of it being a hub for mail and engineers trains back in BR days when the yard was full of stuff. It’s changed, but not too much. The yard’s now an important base for freight operator GBRf – hence these newly converted class 56s keeping company with those traditional old Southern region electro-diesels.
From there I made a speedy return to London and explored a few more old photo locations to make the most of the glorious sunshine. I’ll be adding pictures later. My final act was to meet some old rail industry friends at St Pancras for a swift libation before heading back North on an Avanti service to Manchester. That passenger numbers are recovering was evident at Euston as the ‘100 yard seat dash’ is back in fashion. In pre Covid times you’d see this in action daily. Just as soon as the platform number of the service you required was displayed on the board there’d be a mad dash from the concourse to the platform as hundreds of people all tried to get to the train first to find an unreserved seat. Now it’s back.
My Pendolino was packed, but part of the reason for that was the first stop was Milton Keynes where a large number detrained. This is the problem with some ‘inter-city’ services. They’re actually neither fish not fowl and end up serving multiple markets. Thankfully (on the WCML at least) HS2 will solve this problem to allow much faster intercity times and also allow a better frequency of services to places like Milton Keynes – and beyond. The other stop on this particular train was Nuneaton, another town that’s normally by-passed by the Manchester run. Clearly, these stops are slipped in because there’s a market – and there’s no paths available to allow them to be served any other way.
20:45.
I’m now on the final leg. My Pendo was late due to trespassers on the line North of Nuneaton but the 10 minute delay didn’t affect my connections. I was in half a mind to stop for a pint in Manchester just to enjoy the ambience but the Northern Quarter was packed with young revelers so with one eye on the rising Covid statistics I opted to give it a miss. Instead, I’m on a Northern 3-car back to Halifax which is pretty quiet. It’s taking a few folks home who’ve either stayed late at work or (like me) decided to call it an early night.
This may be a bit of a fits and starts rolling blog – especially as it’s taken me until 13:00 to begin writing despite the fact I’ve been up since 04:45 and travelled from West Yorkshire to London where I’ll be for the next couple of days!
Looking through my library to find pictures for a recent series of blogs I spotted some gaps in the archive plus age of the pictures so I though I’d take what may be my last chance to visit haunts old and new to record the passing of some of the the old BR built 3rd rail electric units along with some updated shots of services I’ve not shot for some time.
It’s been a good trip so far, even if the weather’s not exactly vintage. It’s been gloomy and damp, but that hasn’t affected things too much. Tomorrow is meant to be really sunny, so I’m saving some locations for then.
Here’s a little sample. A pair of Southern’s Class 455s pulling away from Norwood Junction with a service from East Croydon to London Bridge. I’d arrived on this train earlier in the morning.
14:25.
The gloomy weather’s persisted with the added fun of soft rain. Having got the shots I wanted around Norwood Junction bar one (the new high-rise Croydon as a backdrop – the weather’s too dull) I headed off to Sutton to catch some of the 455s which operate Victoria to Epsom services. En route I passed through a very old haunt – Wallington. Back in 1979-80 I used to stay with an ex-girlfriend from Liverpool who lived in a gorgeous 1920s semi that was being rented out as cheap rooms because it was blighted by a proposal to build a Motorway. I’ve never been back since but crossing the high street on the train brought back memories that are now over 40 years old. It was a very different era, with old slam door trains everywhere and little 2-car units on the service to Wimbledon via Mitcham Jn – long before the line was converted to be part of the Croydon tramlink.
My stay at Sutton was brief but productive with several different images secured. As the weather was deteriorating I decided to retrace my steps to East Croydon. In the 1980’s it possessed a grand old signalbox mounted over the tracks at the London end. I always regret I never managed to get pictures before it disappeared.
I changed transport mode by swapping train for tram to get between West and East stations. Croydon was buzzing – in more ways than one as the smell of Ganga permeated the air around the bus station and tram stop! Although life’s returned to the streets the number of shops that were vacant told a story of commerce crippled by Covid. My flirtation with trams was brief. The solid grey skies made photography unattractive so I took a spin on the Caterham branch instead and recce’d potential photo spots for tomorrow. As the weather worsened I decided to abandon picture taking for now and check out another local line, the line out to Tattenham Corner. At least i’d be dry, warm and doing something useful. I’d returned to East Croydon to change trains. Swapping between platforms using the footbridge with the spectacularly useless roof that doesn’t actually keep out the rain! Whoever designed the damned thing had never heard the expression “form follows function”.
Right now I’m sitting on a train which is splitting at Purley. The front 5 cars go to Caterham and the rear 5 to Tattenham Corner
18:10.
I’ll write up my first trip on the Tattenham branch later. Sadly, the weather was awful so there wasn’t much for the camera to do but stay dry. I’m now at Victoria after changing trains at East Croydon yet again. It was a nice, quiet train (not). Now remember, this is ‘rush-hour’ and supposedly we’re going against the flow, but Croydon has an orbit of its own nowadays…
Here we go again with another ‘dolly mixture’ day which will see me traversing the country doing all sorts of rail-related things for several people – some of which I have to be secretive and circumspect about as they’re under an embargo. Even so, feel free to keep popping in through the day as this rolling blog unfolds. It’ll see me travel from Halifax to Nottingham, then on to London before ending up back in Nottingham again. Right now it’s coffee time…
07:45.
Time ran out for me this morning so there was no easy stroll to the station on this frosty morning. Instead Dee offered to give me a lift to ensure I made my train. Now I’m sat on the 07:19 from Halifax to Leeds. The train was quiet as far as Bradford but now its filled up with folks heading into Leeds. Most of those in my car are young people either off to work or college.
08:05.
Time to change trains in Leeds which is pretty busy. Here’s the scene after my 4-car service arrived. Admittedly, it’s more of a scrum than usual as the escalator’s out of action!
09:35.
I hadn’t long to wait for my Cross-Country connection South. A pair of Voyagers turned up on the 08:11 to Bristol Temple Meads which meant there was little difficulty in finding a seat so I managed to get some work done on the way to Chesterfield where I changed trains again. Funny how you don’t go to a place for ages then end up there two Mondays in a row! This time I never left the station as I was only there to transfer to a Northern service to Nottingham. This turned out to be worked by a 2-car Class 195 which was half-full. This service is an all stations stopper so it has plenty of short distance trade.
14:30.
Now, where was I? Oh yes – sorry, it’s been a really busy morning and it’s only now when I’m sat on a train from Nottingham to London for the next part of the days assignment (which I can’t talk about just yet) that I can catch my breath.
On arrival at Nottingham I just had enough time to grab a coffee before joining East Midlands Railway’s Community rail team and delegates for the community rail conference for a little side-trip before the start of the main event. EMR had very kindly laid on two different visits. One to Attenborough station to meet the local friends group and see the excellent work they’re doing, and a visit to the old signalbox at Lowdham station which has been relocated, restored and turned into a a museum. I tagged along with the latter group in order to get some pictures. Needless to say, we went by train, catching one of EMRs cascaded fleet of Class 170 DMUs. As and when they’re released by other operators these trains are gradually replacing all EMRs old BR built diesel fleet of Class 153s, 156s and 158s. They’re certainly a great improvement.
Lowdham’s a lovely station which has a superb old building on the Newark bound platform. Now the old Midland Railway signalbox takes pride of place next to it on the old loading dock. The box used to sit on the opposite side by the level crossing but this was far too near the operational to allow to to be preserved, hence it being moved. Here’s our group having the complexities of absolute block signalling and bell codes demonstrated and explained.
An older EMR Class 156 speeds through Lowdham. The signalbox used to be on the left hand side past the level crossing.
After our visit we headed back (by train again) to Nottingham in time to register for the conference then enjoy lunch. Sadly, I’ve had to shoot off just as things were starting, but I’ll be back this evening for the social side and have a full day there tomorrow.
Well, you don’t want a hard day at a conference on an empty stomach! Some of the EMR Community Rail team tuck in before the opening session.
I had enough time to dump stuff in my room have a bite to eat and get some pictures before hot-footing it back to the station to catch the London train. On the way I noticed that the Robin Hood line services to Worksop have gone rather upmarket!
Right new I’m speeding towards St Pancras on another of the EMR fleet that’s due to be replaced. This Class 222 (016 for those who care about such things) is looking a bit tatty but then it’s due to be phased out by the new Hitachi built bi-mode ‘Aurora’ Class 810 units which are due to begin entering service from next year.
15:00.
I’m less than half an hour out of London now and what a change in the weather! It’s wall to sunshine here in Bedfordshire. I’m beginning to think I might be a bit over-dressed for this jaunt as I’m in tweeds and a waterproof (which is going to get stuffed in the camera bag at this rate. Having made its last stop at Kettering the train’s very quiet. I’m in the composite coach D which is half 1st Class – half Standard. There’s only two of us in Standard and no-one in 1st. Unlike other routes the Midland Main Line doesn’t seem to be seeing passenger numbers bouncing back in the same way. I’ll be interested to see if my return train’s the same as that should be ‘peak’ time departures from London.
18:45.
I’m back! And I can now reveal where I’ve been – but no pictures (yet). When I arrived in London I headed over to Paddington to join up with other print and social media friends and colleagues for a press trip on…Crossrail. Or, as it’s now officially known, the Elizabeth line. Our group was given a tour of the new Paddington station, which looks amazing. After being used to the Central line and other deep level tubes the sheer scale of the place takes some getting used to. The architecture’s a real eye-opener too. Afterwards we were taken on one of the test trains and whisked over to Liverpool St in a matter of minutes. On the way we were given the opportunity for a cab ride and chance to get pictures (you’ll get to see some soon – promise!). We had another tour of Liverpool St station and its warren of passages, escalators and even an inclined lift. Throughout the tour we were given a lot of freedom to take pictures and mooch around as well as being briefed on various facts and figures. Sadly, I couldn’t record a lot of them as I was wearing several different photographic hats but I can tell you one. The Elizabeth line has a grand total of 10,000 fire doors and that the design of some of these was problematic (and caused delays) due to the fact there was no standardisation. I can also say that the boss of High Speed 2 (Mark Thurston) worked on Crossrail in the early days and has ensured that HS2 does have standardised components like fire doors! We returned to Paddington on another test train which gave us all chance to get even more photos and enjoy another cab ride before bidding our farewells. In fact, our hosts were so accommodating and keen to show us around that the tour overran which meant that I made it back to St Pancras in time to catch the 18:05 back to Nottingham by the skin of my teeth. As I suspected, it’s a far busier train than earlier. There’s even folks in 1st Class, but then it’s only a 4-car 222/1 – one of the sets that were originally built for Hull Trains in 2005 but which transferred to East Midlands Trains back in 2009 in a deal that wasn’t without controversy in the First Group family.
Dawn’s just breaking here in Clapham and I’m preparing to head to the station and off to work somewhere I’ve not been for a while. The weather’s looking a lot better than it was back in Yorkshire which is good. Hopefully I won’t be freezing my nuts off as is often the case on jobs like this. We’ll see. But first it’s time to boost my system with some caffeine. I’ll blog throughout the day and post pictures when I’m able. Catch you later…
07:23.
Having bod adieu to my friend, stolled down to the Junction and picked up a caffeine top-up I’m now on a Southern service to Three Bridges. This time of morning Clapham station felt like the old days with the number of people coming and going – including dozens of schoolkids.
The day’s dawned with nary a cloud in the sky which should make for some good pictures if it stays this way.
Our first stop is East Croydon which is rising into the sky at an ever faster rate. The station’s become hemmed in by high-rise residential blocks whilst the sky is full of tower cranes building more.
08:15.
Part 2 of my journey. I’m on a rail replacement bus from Three Bridges to Haywards Heath. This is a massive operation with covered walkways, marquees and a car park full of buses.
We’re even given drinks tokens!
Of course, the problem now is traffic. We got out of Three Bridges onto the A264 and now we’re stuck in a queue of traffic at a roundabout over the M23. Ho hum…
11:15.
First site visit done. Embankment stabilisation work South of Haywards Heath.
18:45
Well, that was a long but fascinating day and it went far better than I feared that it might. All the early wrinkles were ironed out and it was a joy to be trackside again being part of the amazing work that goes on during railway blockades. Plus, I can add another railway tunnel to add to the list of ones I’ve (legitimately) walked through. I’ll add some pictures later. After the work on the blockade one of my clients staff drove me around various sites across Sussex and Kent to get pictures of work they’d carried out previously – from embankment stabilization to platform extensions. We covered a lot of ground.
It was interesting in another ways in that I got to explore a lot of the area I knew by rail by road, which gave a very different perspective. I was surprised to find some villages in the affluent South that were actually looking pretty down at heel as shops and pubs had closed. Not what I remember from my time down here at all.
Our last job was recording platform extension work at Littlehaven, which was very handy as the station is served by Thameslink, so when we’d finished it was easy for me to head back North without having to cross London on the tube. Instead I had a direct train across the Thames to St Pancras. I have to admit to a fair bit of nostalgia as I took that trip. I have so many happy memories of that part of the world that some were obviously going to come to mind. What did surprise me was how busy stations like Three Bridges and East Croydon have become again. Life’s returning to the railways.
The trip across London via Thameslink is always a delight as it showcases the city’s skyline before plunging underground to deposit me at St Pancras Thameslink. My, I remember visiting this when it was just an enormous concrete box buried underground! As soon as I arrived I made a beeline for Kings Cross next door, my timekeeping was such that I just made LNER’s 17.33 to Harrogate via Leeds. When we pulled out of Kings Cross it was just like the old days. The train is absolutely rammed and I’m sharing a vestibule with a young lad from Skipton (Ryan) and his dog, ‘Trixie’.
20:00.
Despite the fact my LNER train was packed and I was stuck in a vestibule I really enjoyed the journey. Why? Because it was a return to the old days when strangers struck up conversations on trains. It’s something Covid put the mockers on that’s now returning – and it’s brilliant!
Right now I’m on my last leg. Being fleet of foot I had just enough time at Leeds to make an earlier train back to Halifax. I’m now on a service to Blackpool North – another busy train.
Yesterday I talked about the frustrations of freelance life and the way things can change at the drop of a hat. Well, it’s happened again today, only this time in a very positive way!
My plan was to work from home staying in the warm and ignoring the sleet and snow showers outside. I was content researching/writing my next article on HS2 and finishing off some other bits and pieces. Then the phone rang…
A client who I’d discussed some work with just wondered (as much as they knew what fantastically short notice it was) if I was free to work on a line blockade they were involved in South of London tomorrow? Oh, and was I free on Monday for another job too? Crikey!
A few frantic phone calls later I’m now sat on a train from Halifax heading to London via Leeds. I managed to sort out staying with a friend as you really don’t want a four hour journey starting at silly o’ clock before you go working trackside – especially in the land of the 3rd rail. Accidentally standing on something that contains 750v DC can ruin your whole day – although the juice should be turned off in a blockade as no services will be running in that section we may end up at other sites too.
Digging out my PPE and packing my overnight bag Dawn gave me a lift to the station and that was it – I was off to a very different say to the one planned…
I’ll update you on my progress when I get to Leeds.
17:30.
I’m now speeding my way to London aboard LNER’s 17:15 service from Leeds. The amount of passengers passing through the station at Yorkshire’s premier city left me in little doubt that the railways are throwing off the constraints of Covid as people return for commuter and leisure travel. This was the busiest I’ve seen the station all year.
There’s another welcome if noisy return. Trans-Pennine Express have allowed their Class 68 loco fleet to spread their wings again. They put in regular appearances in Leeds as they cross the Pennines.
My London train isn’t exactly quiet either. We’ve just left Wakefield where dozens disembarked after using the train as a fast commuter service. It’s still busy so I’ll be curious how many disembark at Doncaster and points South.
As we left ‘Wakey’ we crossed over the River Calder where the adjacent floodplains are awash with water, bearing testament to just how much rain we’ve had these past couple of weeks. It’s a sobering sight, especially as we still had sleet and snow higher up the river in the valley these past 24 hours.
18:00.
Our stop at Doncaster was as I suspected, loads of people detrained but with a fair few joining. Even so – the wifi is noticeably faster now! Another welcome development is the fact it’s still not yet dark despite some of the heavy cloud handing around. The days are getting noticeably longer which is a welcome sign that (despite the weather conditions) we’re actually beginning to leave winter behind.
As I write this we’re calling at Retford where more people are leaving us only this time they’ve not been replaced by a new influx. I’ll have to have a walk-though the train later just to gauge what the loadings are like.
18:10.
And walk through I did. I count 168 in Standard Class (I’ve no idea how many in 1st). Not a bad loading.
23:00.
Well, that was a fun day! I’m currently lying on a bed at my friend’s house with a grandstand view of Clapham Junction station. The journey across London took me from Kings Cross, along the Victoria line tube to the route’s namesake. It was interesting to see how many people think that Covid isn’t an issue anymore so there’s no reason to wear a mask.
At Victoria with its nice new colour passenger information screens (when did that happen, I was only here a month or so ago!) I caught a Southern Class 455 working to Epsom Downs as far as the Junction – which was remarkably quiet by the time I arrived, but then it was after 20:00.
As the pair of us are working tomorrow we’ve spent the evening indoors chatting, eating and watching the tragedy in the Ukraine unfold on the TV and social media. This must be the first war broadcast on Smartphones by people in the right place at the wrong time. I’m having to hold my spleen firmly in place, otherwise I’d be tempted to vent it in all its rainbow colours about Russia, Oligarchs and the way they’ve bought the collection of nare-do wells who call themselves our Government. What an increasingly difficult world most ordinary people are forced to live in nowadays as power is concentrated in the hands of the few who laugh at the needs and concerns of the many.
Anyway, enough for now. Tomorrow is another day and it’s going to be a busy and complicated one. I’lll blog about the day when I can…
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I’d planned to be working from home all day today but things changed when Dawn asked if I’d come into Huddersfield with her whilst she checked the Community Rail Network offices in the old water-tower at the station. How could I refuse? Dee also had a meeting at the offices that was still going ahead despite the weather so I made myself scarce for a few hours by nipping over the border into Lancashire to get some pictures and see how the railway’s coping with the torrential rain and storms we’ve been having. I’d had a quick look on Real Time Trains which showed Colne Valley services running with just a few delays, so I wasn’t expecting any real problems.
My first stop was at Greenfield where there’s a rather nice juxtaposition of road and rail to be had. The weather wasn’t as its best, but even so – it’s important to document our rail network in all conditions, not pretend the sun shines 365 days a year. I managed a series of shots but was curious when an Eastbound TPE service hove into sight at a very slow speed before pulling up at a nearby signal despite it showing a green aspect. The Class 802 sat there for a few minutes before moving off – as did I because I was catching the 12:14 further West.
185109 and 185139 thunder past me whilst working 1P66, the 0907 Redcar Central to Manchester Piccadilly.802201 crawls away from Greenfield after being asked to inspect flooding on the line between there and Mossley whilst working 1P23, the 1054 Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle.
My 185 arrived on time but soon slowed to a crawl. The Conductor came on the PA to announce that Control had reported flooding on the line and asked them to do a slow-speed inspection. Why soon became evident. The massive rainfall we’ve had has left the ground saturated and incapable of holding more water so any extra is running straight off the land and forming streams all over the place. The steep sloping fields on the North side of the line had released several cascades of water which where beginning to flood the line. None of it was above the railhead (the crucial measure) but it was an obvious cause for concern. We crawled on to our next stop at Mossley where we regained line speed before calling at Staylebridge where I disembarked.
Initially, the weather to the West of the Pennines was little better than the East, so I sought refuge in and old haunt – the Station Buffet bar. I’ve known the place for over 20 years. It’s always had a cracking range of real ales and a fascinating collection of railway memorabilia adorning the walls but there’s a personal touch lacking now that it’s owned by the Beerhouses pub chain who also have the West Riding bar on Dewsbury station. The famous pie and peas have disappeared off the menu too, leaving little choice for the hungry traveller.
I stayed long enough for a pint and to gather my thoughts before heading back across the Pennines to Marsden, my next stop. As I’d not planned a day out I hadn’t packed any food so the first thing I did was make a beeline for the town centre, hoping to find a ‘chippy’ and indulge in a rare threat – chips and mushy peas. Sadly, the purveyor of such products was closed so I had to make do with an cold Cornish pasty from a local bakery. On the bright side, the Riverhead Brewery had re-opened after its Covid hibernation so I was able to enjoy a quick pint and a warm before heading back to Huddersfield on a very busy local service, demonstrating that rail passenger numbers are really recovering in this neck of the woods.
21:00.
I’m now back at home with no intention of venturing out again as I’ve too much to do over the next few days. Still it was nice whilst it lasted…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
After a very pleasant evening staying with an old friend in London it’s another early start for me as I’m now heading to an assignment in Bristol this morning. Right now it’s time to walk down to Clapham Junction to catch a train to Reading. Today’s itinerary is Reading – Bristol – Westbury, after which I’ll be making my way to Cardiff where I’ll be staying overnight. Friday could prove interesting due to the next storm arriving. Snow and heavy winds are predicted for West Yorkshire so my journey home could prove to be fun!
I’ll be blogging throughout the day and (hopefully) from the event, so feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to…
07:00.
Clapham Junction staion was just waking up when I arrived. Most catering outlets were still closed but a cheery Costa Coffee kiosk on platform 10 provided me with my caffeine fix before I joined fellow travellers on platform 6 to catch the 06:58 to Reading. Dawn was beginning to break and the racous noise of parakeets made it obvious I was in London. The little buggers are slowly colonising the city and seem to be thriving.
Up the junction…
I’m now on one of a pair of 5-car Class 458s making up a 10-car set. The train’s busy, but not rammed. Hardly anyone on here will be travelling the full route like me. This is a short-hop route and many who joined at Clapham disembarked at Richmond.
08:00.
Not far to go now. I don’t often travel this route so it’s interesting to see the changes – such as the new depot on the site of the old Feltham marshalling yard site. Laid out in modern style it was occupied by several of the new Class 701s, none of which have ever turned a wheel in passenger service yet. They’re little more than expensive pigeon perches right now!
As expected, my train continued to empty out all along the route, at least until we got to Wokingham where a healthy number were waiting for us to arrive. I’m assuming we’re now in Reading’s orbit and these are Thames Valley commuters. This impression was reinforced when we called at Earley which was really busy, filling up the train again.
After all the rain and moody skies I’ve suffered recently today’s actually a great on for travelling. We have wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies. I only hope this holds out for later when I’m in a position to make the most of it!
09:00
I’m now bowling along Brunel’s ‘billiard table’ at a rate of knots aboard on of GWR’s Hitachi built Class 800/3s working the 08:27 to Britol Temple Meads. These things really can shift! The acceleration is especially impressive. Also impressive is the billion pound rebuilding of Reading station that’s left it unrecognisable from the place of my youth. But it’s not just the station that’s changed. So have most of the train fleets with electric power being dominant now. An oddity I noticed was a couple of the C2C Class 387s, three of which are now with GWR on a year-long lease, I’d forgotten about them! Covering the entire UK rail network as I do it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the changes as I can’t get everywhere all the time. I really do need to spend some time down this way again soon. I’ve lots of fond memories of this line from my days living in London as Lynn and I would often travel the route for cycling weekends in the Thames valley or longer trips to Wiltshire or Cornwall and Devon.
09:15.
Having called at Chippenham where the overhead wires run out we’ve switched to diesel power and I can feel the engine underneath me taking the strain. Cancelling the wires to Bristol (and Oxford) is yet another example of Government penny-pinching and short-term thinking. We’re in a climate emergency a should be doing everything we can to decarbonise transport for the good of the planet but our current political masters don’t have the sense to see that. Instead, we have the ludicrous situation of electric trains hauling around heavy diesel power-packs and fuel tanks to allow them to operate away from the wires.
10:15.
I’m now at the Engine Shed at Bristol for the launch of the ‘window seater’ app which is a high quality geolocated audio guide. It’s been developed in partnership with Community Rail Network and funded by Innovate (UKRI) and the Dept of Transport. You can dowload it for Apple or Android phones.
17:50
Hmm – not the day I was expecting although I did wonder if the new storm would affect me. What I hadn’t expected was that it wouldn’t just eb a minor irritant and would change my plans completely!
Initially things had been going well. The launch of the app went well. After the initial event at Bristol we all boarded a GWR train to Westbury for an audio demonstration of what it had to offer as a route guide. The content’s really varied. It covers history and also contemporary life, such as the stories of people who set up adoption groups at their local station. At Westbury the Trans-Wilts Partnership served light refreshments and gave out goody bags from their centre in one of the old station buildings. Sadly, the weather had descended into showers by the time we arrived so I didn’t hang around. Instead I retraced my steps as far as Bradford on Avon where the sun still reigned which allowed me to get a scenic shot of a train crossing the bridge over the River Avon in sunshine.
I didn’t hang around as I needed to get more pictures from the app launch away to clients, which proved easier said than done as wifi reception was a none-starter and tethering my phone to may laptop didn’t work as 4G reception was awful – even in Bath! It wasn’t until I got back to Bristol that I managed to get the pictures away. It was at this point things went even more awry.
Dawn texted me to say that the severe weather warning had been raised from Amber to Red and that Wales was cancelling all train services tomorrow – so that was my plans up shit creek! Oh, and the icing on the cake? The Met Office was predicting up to 20cm of snow in the Pennines – so even if I could get back I might not be able to make it home without breaking my neck. There was only one thing to do and that was admit defeat and journey home. But first I had to overcome the communication problems and send off the batch of pictures the client needed, which kept me hanging around for another hour. Admittedly, it also allowed to me to get a last few pictures at Temple Meads where the main arch of the overall roof’s being enveloped in scaffolding and a crash-deck in order to restore it to the former glory it once held.
Mind you, the approaches to Temple Meads have changed somewhat recently. Not only has the Eastern throat been completely redesigned and renewed, there’s some interesting new architecture as a backdrop.
17:00
And now here I am on the 16:34 Cross-Country Voyager from Bristol heading for Leeds. I’m in the rear set and whilst this 5 car Class 221’s busy it’s not overcrowded. I’ve no doubt it’ll do what Voyagers always do and be the train version of ‘hot desking’ as it makes its way up to Scotland.
22:30.
Well, I made it home. The Voyager to Leeds via Birmingham and Derby ended up very busy but not unpleasantly so. I managed to get some work done en-route and even though we were a few minutes late into Leeds I still made my connection through to Halifax where Dawn picked me up so that I didn’t have to walk for a change.
The weather back in West Yorkshire’s a lot colder, but there’s no sign (yet) of the impending storm. I’m disappointed to have missed out on Cardiff and the pictures that I had planned but I’ve plenty of things to do to do at home tomorrow as I’ve a mass of pictures to sort out. Plus, I get to spend more quality time with Dawn – and I don’t have to worry about the weather! What’s not to like?
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
After yesterday’s silly o’ clock start I had a lie-in this morning. I’ve only just finished scoffing the full English breakfast provided by my hotel here in Leamington Spa. Now I’m almost ready to face a day of variety. First off is a tour of HS2 construction sites around Warwickshire. Later on I’ll be getting the train into London where I’ll be staying the night with a friend. The weather forecast is looking interesting to say the least, so it may be a fun day. I’ll be blogging throught the day but initially that may be mostly pictures. Feel free to keep popping back to see what I get up to…
09:50.
Whilst I wait for my contact and local guide to arrive I’ve some time to spend getting pictures at the delightful old GWR built station at Leamington where the staff obviously both enjoy their jobs – and have a sense of humour!
18:30.
Now, where was I? Oh yes – abject apologies for the gap in blogging but I’ve had a fascinating day touring Warwickshire in the company of Penny McGregor, whose family have been farming land in Warwickshire for generations. Part of their land at Cubbington has been taken by HS2 Ltd as the fields have been used as part of the mitigation efforts to translocate soil and trees from Cubbington wood which the route of HS2 was unable to avoid. Originally anti the project and a supporter of the protests to stop HS2 Penny came to realise the protesters weren’t telling the truth about the project and became a ‘critical friend’ of HS2. Penny has great local knowledge and is very interested in the efforts made to mitigate the alterations HS2 is making to the landscape and track the success (or failure) of replanting and rewilding efforts. Here’s some of the pictures I’ve taken during the day…
Cubbington wood, showing the trace of HS2 which cuts through the area. This was the scene of many protests back in 2020, all of which proved futile. But then many were little more than publicity stunts. Looking in the opposite direction to the previous picture. Looking back on the last picture from the distance. Not all the new tree planting on either side. Cut down after having over 30 new trees taken from it as cuttings the base of this tree was translocated and is now bursting into life once more. But this is no ordinary tree. This is the 350yr old Cubbington pear tree that the protesters made so much about.
Oh, God, back to early starts again. Still I really shouldn’t complain as today will be a fascinating one and the somewhat cryptic title of this rolling blog will explained later this morning when I do something few people ever get chance to do and that I haven’t done for about 20 years. But first, I’ve got to top up with caffeine then get my arse out of the door and walk to the station in time to catch the 06:17 from Halifax to Leeds. Feel free to keep popping back as I make my way by train to Leamington Spa, after which all will be revealed. Of course I’ve got to get there first, which can always be fun…
06:10.
The stroll to the station was very pleasant this morning even if I did feel like a Sherpa climbing up the cobbled hill to Spring Edge. I’m carrying all my camera kit plus clothing and toiletries for a few nights away but using a rucsac not a ‘wheelie’ suitcase. Still, it got the blood pumping! Thankfully the rain had abated, leaving the roads and pavements glistening but me dry. I passed nary a soul on my way, the only noise was from the dawn chorus as the area’s birdlife sprang into song.
My progress was so swift that I missed catching an earlier train by a minute, I heard the 06:00 to Leeds powering up the incline out of town as I arrived. There’s no rush. I have a nearly 20 minute connection time at Leeds and my train (the 06:17) starts from here as its the hourly service to Hull.
As I typed this the inbound service arrived in the shape of a noisy Class 158. Emptying out a couple of passengers before scuttling off to the reversing siding in order to head back.
06:20.
I’m now enjoying the warmth and comfort (and USB chargers) of 158756 as it trundles towards Leeds.
It’s not a busy service right now. There’s only 6 of us in the first of the three cars but I expect that to change once we reach Bradford.
06:30.
Sure enough, there were dozens of passengers waiting for us at Interchange and the numbers in my car have tripled. The station’s a hive of activity with 3 of the four platforms full with trains for East and West, plus Grand Central’s first train of the day to London Kings Cross.
Oh, I didn’t get chance to post this earlier but whilst I was at Halifax this notice caught my eye. You know when you scan something with half an eye as you know what you expect to read but then your brain says “hang on a minute”!
Why spellcheckers are important…
07:30.
Arriving at Leeds as the station was slowly waking up I had just enough time to grab a couple of pictures and stretch my legs before my next train arrived in the shape of a pair of 4-car Cross-Country Voyagers. Despite the hour the train was already quite busy although enough folk departed at Leeds to allow me to bag on of my preferred seats – the airline ones nearest the vestibule which have extra legroom. I’m settled in with laptop powered up and a flask of coffee as I’m on this train for the next 2 hours 10 minutes. We’re taking the ‘scenic’ route to Birmingham via Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby and Tamworth. This will allow me to gauge just how busy this trains and the stations we call at are nowadays. Mind you, we called at Wakefield Westgate a few minutes ago where there was no shortage of trade for this train. Most rows of seats have at least one occupant now as we head to Sheffield.
The frustrating thing is that in a couple of decades time we were meant to be able to look forward to this journey’s time being slashed by 58% thanks to the Eastern leg of HS2. Now that’s been mothballed. It will still have to be built because the alternative, the Government’s (dis)Integrated Rail Plan is a fiction. It cannot possibly deliver the time savings claimed without seriously screwing up regional services and capacity on the East Coast and Midland Main Lines. Eventually, the penny will drop (it already has with industry experts) meaning HS2s Eastern leg will have to happen, but yet again we’ve kicked the can down the road in typically British penny-pinching fashion. In the meantime, it looks like I’ll be using Voyagers for some time yet, at least until HS2 as far as Crewe opens anyway…
07:55.
We’ve arrived at (and left) Sheffield, having traversed the rather depressing landscape of industrial and railway dereliction and decay around Rotherham. The gloomy skies and drizzle added to the effect. Some still cling to the fantasy that Brexit and empty slogans about ‘global Britain’ will restore the fortunes of places like this, but fantasies are all they are. The UK’s a service economy nowadays. We’ve not been the ‘workshop of the world’ for a century now and those days are never coming back, despite the nostalgic noises from some quarters. We need to be looking to the future, not trying to bring back the past…
My car lost the majority of its clientele at Sheffield but they were replaced by more people awaiting our arrival. My memory banks seem to remember that the average length of a journey on Cross-Country is between 50-60 miles despite the fact these trains run heroic distances like Aberdeen-Plymouth. I’m going to see how many time the two seats nearest me change occupants. Right now they’re both on their second passenger although the sex has changed from male to female in each.
08:05.
We’re now at Chesterfield and the seat shuffle begins again. Several Sheffield joiners have left, they’ve been replaced by a greater number of newbies so our numbers are still growing. Sadly, the weather’s deteriorating as the clouds have closed ranks to eject a barrage of rain. Once everyone had settled into the seats I took a trip to the loo and counted 32 people in this car which also houses the extended luggage/bike racks where the old buffet counter used to be.
08:30.
We’ve just departed a very wet Derby where the seat shuffle was less acute than before. Quite a few people have joined us but few have left and the two young ladies occupying the seats around me are still bashing away on their keyboards. The train’s obviously filled up as we’ve a constant stream of ‘walk-throughs’ (people walking along the cars looking for a free seat) passing by.
08:40
Having left Derby and turned west towards our next stop the trains really got into its stride. We’ve flown past field after field that have been turned into lakes by days of heavy rain – and there’s no end to it yet. A rapid deceleration brought us to a prompt stand at Burton-On-Trent where we picked up another gaggle of folk, leaving my coach almost full and people electing to stand in the vestibules.
08:51
We’ve made our last port of call before Birmingham. Tamworth, where several people have departed to be be replaced by a bedraggled troupe of newcomers who’ve been getting soaked in the rain which is being made worse by the wind whipping it along. I’m beginning to wonder what to expect when I get to my destination. It looks like I’m in for a soaking when I trek between New St and Moor St stations in Birmingham as I’m not sure my umbrella’s going to be much use in these conditions! We arrive there in 10 minutes so it’s time to pack up the laptop and revert to using my smartphone…
09:25.
Crossing Birmingham was just as wet and miserable as I expected. The rain seemed to have kept people at home which meant I made double-quick time between the two stations so was able to make an earlier train. It makes no difference in the long-run, it simply gives me longer to wait for my ride in Leamington. I’m currently sat on a Chiltern service to Marylebone which is pretty quiet. Or rather – it was until we stopped at Solihull!
A good indicator of how people are returning to work (via the railway) is looking at how busy station car parks are again now. At the height of the pandemic they were deserted. I’ve passed several this morning like the one on this line at Widney Manor where nearly all the spaces are taken.
10:15.
Arrived! The good news is the rain appears to be abating. The bad news is the lovely old buffet on platform 2 at Leamington Spa station has never reopened which is a great shame. It’s still a lovely looking station with its period buildings and beautifully kept garden. But I will miss the buffet. Now I’ve a little time to kill before my lift arrives…
11:33.
Now I can reveal who ‘Dorothy’ is…
This is a model of Dorothy.The real ‘Dorothy’ is in there – and I’ll going on her shortly!
17:20.
Well, that was a long day! The weather when we arrived at Long Itchington was appalling – as you can see from the puddles in the pictures which were taken from the visitor centre before we donned our PPE and headed down into the tunnel with out escort to have a guided tour of ‘Dorothy’. Visitor number are limited for safety reasons so rail engineer Gareth Dennis and I went first. These are amazing machines and you’ll be able to read the full details of my visit in another blogs and magazine articles. Here’s a few pictures to whet your appetite.
Tunnel Manager Axel Carus, our Spanish guide, who has 21 years experience of building tunnels around the world inside the tunnel with ‘Dorothy’ behind him.
Behind the business end of ‘Dorothy’ are 11 of these motors which power the cutting head.
Inside the control room aboard ‘Dorothy’ 8-10 metres under the ancient woodland of Long Itchington.
21:00.
Time to relax after a long day. I’m staying in Leamington tonight as I’m meeting a local farmer tomorrow whose kindly offered to show me around the area and some of the HS2 worksites but also (especially) some of the ecological and mitigation work that’s part of the project. If you listened to some of the projects opponents they make it sound like it’s Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes sweeping across the landscape, laying waste to everything they come into contact with. The truth is very different and tomorrow’s a chance to see exactly what’s being done on this part of the HS2 route to ensure there’s a biodiversity net gain from HS2. I’ll explain more tomorrow, as the person showing me round is anything but a member of an HS2 PR team!
I must admit to having been a little apprehensive about staying in Leamington tonight as it and I have a long history which includes some bittersweet memories. Truth be told, they weren’t an issue, which surprised me. To be honest, the place feels very different from those days. It’s shabbier for a start and I’m not just talking about the fabric of the town. Genteel is not a word I’d use to describe the place, despite its Spa moniker. Seeing rough-sleepers huddled in the doorway of the old House of Fraser on the High St set the scene. Then overhearing a quartet of young adults in a pub (that wasn’t even a Wetherspoons) loudly broadcasting their attempts to arrange Social Services support over a mobile phone was another. This is not the Leamington I remember, although on reflection, there was always an element of that. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away for so long? The other side of the coin was the fact a lot of the pubs (and I suspect other businesses too) in the centre seem to be kept alive by the town’s student population as they’re the only people out and about on an early weeknight like today.
Anyways, it’s time to draw today’s rolling blog to a close. Tomorrow is another day which will see me exploring around the local area before pitching up in London. Stay tuned – as they say…
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, 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 to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site – and right now (because of Covid), us freelances appreciate all the help that we can get to aid us in bouncing back from lockdowns. Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 