66710 on the blocks at London Bridge

The stock arrived with 66710 leading into the platform. It was unusual to have a railtour starting here, and it of course attracted a somewhat different crowd of folks who perhaps don't make it to some of the stuff which starts in the Midlands and north. I noticed a fair few passengers left it pretty late in arriving, including the fellow occupants of my bay! Got shots of the two locos, as I realised I'd have few chances during the rest of the day, and settled into my seat. This was my first UK Railtour and I was surprised to see the same set of stock used as for one or two of their other trips I'd witnessed. The stock was in fairly good condition by Riviera standards, and whilst I didn't quite have the seat I'd choose with other tour operators, it was comfortable enough. We set off bang on time and started with the circuit to Waterloo, taking in the Linford Street Flyover. Built for Eurostar and now all but abandoned, we screeched our way over the high concrete structure, possibly the first train since last October's Buffer Puffer in fact? A very brief stop at Waterloo, before heading off again and using the equally rare Sheepcote Lane curve (again a means of getting Eurostart stock back to their former North Pole depot) for another reversal at Kensington Olympia - a station I seem to pass through on a weekly basis at present! Now underway in earnest and with 73204 leading, we managed to escape London's gravity with a speedy run out into Kent. The target was Sheerness-on-Sea, the first of the "Nesses" which gave the tour it's title. This involved traversal of the Western Curve at Sittingbourne, one of two bits of track which made this tour essential for me. The curve is used by some early services to get a unit onto the branch, but these are pretty inaccessible. After negotiating the tight turn onto the Isle of Sheppey, we crossed the flat and empty grassland, noting a fair bit of activity in the yard near the station - with a shunter and a pair of DRS Class 37s in evidence. Dashed out into the town briefly during our break here. A busy, but rather tiny place marooned on this forlorn stretch of the Thames Estuary. Time for further photographs before getting back on board for the next leg.

73204 arrives at Sheerness-on-Sea

A side effect of Network Rail admitting their earlier error was that every effort was made to get our train back on time on the run back towards London. Several Class 1 services were looped as we sped past, making up a fair amount of the time we'd lost in the process. An uninterrupted run from Ashford to Petts Wood Junction gave the Class 66 a chance to stretch it's legs impressively, and we were soon taking the rare curve at Beckenham Junction and heading back into London. We then undertook a fairly torturous circuit to get to our final destination, heading through Clapham Jucntion to Barnes and then into the tangle of lines around Acton. The next piece of line was the second highlight of the day for me - the tight, almost abandoned curve between Neasden Junction and Neasden South. We waited for some time for permission to proceed, and I wondered given our lateness if we might end up diverted elsewhere. But, eventually we crept forward, screeching around the curve and onto the Chiltern line, stopping beyond the signal for our reversal. Mission accomplished for me! The matter of the short run into Marylebone from here should have been straightforward, but the bank at Neasden presented quite a challenge for a Class 73 working on diesel power! The engine howled in protest as it worked up the bank, dropping to around 8mph at one point. Eventually the gradient eased and we picked up speed for the run into the terminus, only around 20 minutes late despite our complicated route in.

Commendably GBRf were to run the ECS back to Woking as a charity additional train, but having calculated the options for getting back into London, I decided that this wasn't a wise move - despite a short sliver of required track I'd missed last November too. Grabbed a snap of 73204 ticking over at the buffers, and headed out into the city. It had been a pleasant and fairly uneventful day, but a successful first jaunt with UK Railtours.]]> 2010-08-21T21:48:12+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1362 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1362 London ]]> Hackney Podcast I was keen to head east again. So, managed to wake up enough to disembark at a deserted and chilly Kensington Olympia, and waited for what seemed like an age for a train to Willesden Junction whilst stamping my feet to wake up my legs from the crushing they'd received in the unit. At Willesden I was tantalisingly close to my first good coffee of the day from the platform kiosk, but with the next train due in a couple of minutes, decided against it. Onboard, and mercifully failure free given the recent record on this line, headed east towards Hackney Wick.

The loose plan was to get a much required and decent coffee at one of the cafes mentioned in the podcast, then to make a general progress west, through South Hackney and onwards towards Stoke Newington. I'd not planned this, and without walking boots I realised that I'd soon be experiencing some pain. However, I set out first for a quick circuit of Hackney Wick, a place in many ways in thrall of the Olympic development. The Hackney Pearl wasn't open yet and The Wick was teeming with builders, so I flagged them both feeling disconnect and unwilling to engage too much with people. Still no sign of coffee then, as I pressed on over the Eastway and briefly into Tower Hamlets, the borough which is responsible for the entirety of Victoria Park. I'd wanted to visit the park for some time - it's history appealed to me, and it is credited with some significance in the mythology of the East End too. There is however, a less formal strand of history based around the people who live near and use the park, and I hoped to get a sense of that. Things started well, and in the somewhat neglected eastern section of the park I passed a number of people who voluntarily wished me good morning in a multiplicity of accents and dialects. However, as I zigzagged roughly west, the tone of the space changed. Joggers replaced walkers, some running in packs and gossiping breathlessly while they padded the tidy, well-kept tracks in expensive sportswear. Organised exercise groups poured in through the park gates, and military orders were barked at them - I noted a perfectly pretty but rather plump young woman apparently blinking back tears at the ferocity of the verbal she'd received. I felt pity until I remembered she'd probably paid for this privilege - maybe even recommended by a friend? Pressing on, I stopped briefly at a kiosk which appeared to have been enterprisingly turned into a fully-fledged cafe offering a range of food. However, the thought of a fat man reclining with a coffee whilst around him the pretty people of East London toiled and sweated away wasn't appealing. I'd either be lynched or laughed at. So once again, I passed on the coffee.

My feet were hurting a little in my tight work shoes, and I wondered if I should really be doing this? However, I wanted to sleep tonight - and being physically tired seemed like a good way to combat the insomnia which has stalked me lately. Thinking of an uninterrupted night of sleep brought on by gentle exercise and deep lungfuls of Olympic dust was appealing, so I pressed on out of the park, and towards thundering and steaming Mare Street. A brief diversion here took me to Broadway Market. I'd not visited at a weekend before, and I wasn't quite prepared for the assault on the senses! Rich, exotic food smells mingled with expensive perfume, and hosts of young, clever and well-dressed people snaked in and out of stalls selling artisan breads, ripe cheeses and obscure dishes. The cafes spilled out onto the pavement, and an accordian was playing woozily. I caught snippets of conversations - ill-advised sexual liaisons, stealing from work, amateur art criticism, how hammered we'd be getting later - all topics for the cafe queue. Having seen this well-kept street with its row of time-burnished yellow bricks and low garrett-above-the-shop accommodation on a non-market day, this just seemed to exploit the idea of a market. Like one of the strange touring Christmas markets which are popular nowadays, but this destined to run and run as long as people wanted to browse these wares and take "time out on a weekend morning". I wanted purposeful, grubby Ridley Road, not this.

With my badly chosen shoes beginning to hurt my feet, I hopped on a bus here. The 106 was cool and quiet, and sped me through the confused jumble of Hackney Central. I'd hoped to walk this part, but given my wish to get away from Broadway Market swiftly the bus seemed like a compromise. The route meandered, along Amhurst Road to the station, then into Clapton and over the Lea Bridge Roundabout with it's deserted nightclubs and bus depot. I was on uncharted territory here, and enjoyed watching unfamiliar streets pass by. Hopped off just before the bus reached Stoke Newington High Street - it's always important to enter a new street on foot at least on the first occasion I think - and made for the first coffee shop I could find. I got lucky here, the establishment was cool, quiet and run by an open-faced and smiling waitress who chatted happily to everyone who came in. The coffee was great and cheap, and made me feel guilt for my open support for the brand leaders in the market. I wish I felt more communicative and could have struck up a talk about the area, but with the mornings exertions preying on my feet and rather turbulent and confused thoughts I wanted to get down on paper, I was content to sit and write. I was also considering my next move.

Chapel, Abney Park Cemetery

The cemetery is comfortably disordered, nature reclaiming space...

I'm ashamed I'd never visited Abney Park Cemetery. I'd read lots about it, and understood it's origins and importance - but it was on a list of 'get there eventually' locations. Today though, was the day - and as I walked north on the High Street, I was surprised by the sudden opening out of a small courtyard, with the famous egyptian pillars set back a few yards from the busy road. There is always the awkward moment when entering a burial yard - particularly a closed one - is it seemly to take pictures? Should one browse like at an art gallery? My approach is to wander aimlessly and see where I end up - and in fairness this has worked from Bunhill Fields to the Glasgow Necropolis, so I aimed for the same. Oddly though, Abney Park is strangely informal. Small groups of people enjoying a short burst of sunshine on the otherwise dull morning sat chatting, people used the space to walk, exercise - a dedicated woman using the hidden war memorial as a venue for circuit training. There was a sense that the community and the cemetery were at peace - mutually appreciative. Unlike many such places, Abney Park felt safe - it was patrolled, used well and despite its warren-like density of routes, it was impossible to be wholly alone here. I passed a mum and her young child, who begged her to only use the "big paths" and assured her that they "wouldn't see any deads". I saw his point, the tangle of tiny paths between the jumbled, leaning graves must have seemed impossibly horrible to him! I took one, to reassure myself, and found a strange, quiet and cool world under the trees. There was no traffic noise, despite the site being surrounded on three sides by busy London thoroughfares. Just warm, green silence and cold marble memorials.

I spent a little longer than planned at Abney Park, because it was a welcoming and open place where wandering was the norm and not a strange or suspicious activity. The natural environment seemed like a fitting burial place - more so than the ordered and crimped cemeteries which are the norm nowadays. I pondered this back to Liverpool Street on the train, and sat for a while in yet another a coffee shop - this time one which has recently opened in an impressively panelled room in the former Great Eastern Railway station buildings. I also thought I should do this more often - these walks lift my spirits, even the gloom which Milton Keynes seemingly dispelled. I also planned a lazy circuit back west - firstly heading east into familiar territory, then south of the river. The plan was to walk to the new Shoreditch High Street station on the East London Line. I accomplished this via a fraught crossing of Bishopsgate, then a dash down Brushfield Street. The familiar outline of awe-inspiring Christ Church loomed over a range of new boutiques and stalls in the revitalised but partially-destroy Spitalfields Market. Then, along Hanbury Street and into Brick Lane, the sudden pulse of life coinciding with a brief shower of rain. I didn't let it worry me, and watched people scurrying into shops and under the new railway bridge as I pressed on. The walk here is always so inspiring and diverting I barely noticed how wet I was as I turned into Sclater Street - the remnants of the market now a couple of rough stalls on a car park and some remarkably well-stock vintage clothes shops tucked into the old railway arches. The sign for the old Spitalfields Station still in the condition I found it two years ago, bent back on its pole and pointing the wrong way to a long-deleted terminus. The new station, a concrete and glass box - but with some impressive views over the former goods yard, was cool and pleasant to wait in despite the rather narrow platforms!

And so, via Brunel's tunnel under the Thames and a change of trains at the ever impressive Crystal Palace station, I made my way back to Victoria with a little time to spare. Parking myself in a convenient coffee shop I jotted notes about my strange weekend and watched the comings and goings around the station. It had been a frustrating and surprising weekend in equal measure. Now I had to deal with more immediate issues, and rather unusally spirits beckoned! A visit to London is never wise for helping one be objective.]]> 2010-08-14T18:05:08+01:00 London http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1361 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1361 News ]]> I arrived at the very same square today, under skies just as leaden despite the season. Recalling that I was travelling light and didn't have a coat, I set off for my hotel with the chill wind seeping through my clothes and speeding up my pace. The first thing I noticed was the lack of a horizon here. Wherever the pedestrian in Milton Keynes stands, there is only the view of a straight path ahead, undulating via underpasses to avoid at-grade crossings. This makes it impossibly tricky to judge distance, and not really having any sense of how far I needed to walk I set off along Midsummer Boulevard, part of a complex of streets named after Avebury, Silbury - an attempt to link the geometry of the street to an ancient tradition perhaps? This main road sets the pattern for similar thoroughfares here - a wide dual carriageway, with brick-surfaced service roads and patches of parking alongside. A generous but badly maintained pedestrian and cycle way runs alongside, with occasional covered walkways leading onto the road. There is, however, no safe means of crossing at these points. Some bear the stark message "Pedestrians Do Not Have Priority" in black on yellow. I pressed on, cresting a subway and seeing my hotel's sign - deceptively close as it was much taller than surrounding buildings. When MK was planned - with no building "taller than the tallest tree" a series of glass and concrete blocks lined this road. Many of them survive, extended - often with inexplicable canopies covering nothing at all. Does it rain more here than elsewhere? It certainly did today, and despite the proximity of the hotel, I was forced to shelter under one of the purposeless canopies for a while.

After checking in to a comfortably faceless chain hotel, I wandered up to the shopping area. MK is zoned aggressively, and boasts the longest 'covered High Street in Europe'. I can understand why, because this concept of shopping is bizarre. Once inside the listed shopping building, via a new glass atrium filled with food chains, one is drawn endlessly along a high-ceilinged greenhouse with shops lining one or both sides. Occasionally portals open onto the street, and nearby shops over the seemingly impassable road can be glimpsed. What you want is always 'over there' and the signs point hopefully towards the destination, with no disclaimer based on the high-speed traffic between you and your goal. Among the usual high street names, rather poignantly, small independent retailers remain. Their shopfronts harking back to the 1960s when this zone was built - oddly out of place in the modernist enclosure of the shopping building. It's uncomfortable, and they seem lost and decaying here. A sports shop, crammed with goods, sits off the main line of shops with a wooden shopfront and a joyfully retro plastic sign. I'd have taken a picture, but I was already beginning to attract the attention of the bored security guards, particularly when I snapped the infamous Concrete Cows, temporarily at home in the shopping area. I realised I was browsing - the rest of the visitors, a small stream at this time of day, were trudging by without looking. I must seem like I was casing the joint! Dodged out through a strange, grubby marketplace. The alley between the stalls a dark, menacing and stinking slot. Opted instead for an ill-advised road crossing to get to a supermarket. Even this felt odd, and I was chastised for walking around the aisles the wrong way. Around now I realised I was being followed. Not by security, but by a small group of teenagers. They laughed and pointed - and this I'm used to, as I am of somewhat novel appearance I suppose. But the continued to do so, over the road, into the supermarket. I felt more disturbed than threatened. Was this the most interesting thing to do here?

Pedestrians Do Not Have Priority

What appears a uniform - or even simply possible - walk from the air is different from the ground - the long straight boulevards are just as disturbingly linear as they appear, but the undulations as the path snakes under bridges and around parking zones makes walking Milton Keynes difficult. For that reason, as a confirmed pedestrian, I could only skirt the fringe of some parts of the place. There was a bus service - seemingly frequent and connecting all the aspirationally named suburbs to the hub - but even this was a little tired. No modern, rapid vehicles to suit a modern town here - lots of tiny operators running clapped out minibuses alongside some ageing single deckers. The whole service seemingly designed to be be frequent enough to make crossing the road impossible.

Back at the hotel, I looked out over the wet vista. The dome of Christ the Cornerstone - even the church wilfully earthbound in its allusion to the building process - dominated the skyline. Beyond, lines of trees announced the border of the housing zones - tiny communities defined by a grid and self-contained. The roof of the leisure building also zoomed high above the offices. I hadn't got that far, and didn't intend to. I'd seen enough of Milton Keynes for now. Contemplated a very early morning departure, but realised a check out would be difficult. I was condemned to a full night here, aching from my walk and sleepless from my over active mind.

I should have liked Milton Keynes. I like the thrill of modernism, and the regularity of planned spaces. I've deliberately sought out the model suburbs elsewhere, and this planned community on a grand scale should have been the ultimate in the line. However, it has aged poorly. An old building left to decay has stately dilapidation to look forward to, whilst a modern building has none of the glamour. The buildings here are tired, often pointless, usually poorly accessible. The car was king when MK was planned, and now it is emperor - rendering the place as unfriendly to pedestrians as many US cities, despite it's efforts to provide for the foot passenger. The lack of scale, of distance and of horizon is uncomfortable, cloying and ultimately disorienting. I don't think it's possible to be truly at ease here.]]> 2010-08-13T20:29:44+01:00 News http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1360 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1360 Railways ]]>

Substituting for steam, 67018 passes Highbridge

It was a strangely warm and uncomfortable ride up through Crewe, and I wondered for the first time today if I was succumbing to a virus or a cold? Distracted myself with some music and tried to avoid thinking too much about anything too concerning. Managed to doze and listen my way north, and soon found myself passing the depot near Edge Hill and plunging into the deep cutting which leads into Lime Street. My first thoughts on arrival focused on how tidy things were. The station had seen a much needed clean-up, particularly on the southern platforms which saw most long-distance trains. A new customer lounge and retail units now occupied the cab road, and the glass in the roof and station front had been cleaned to let in a huge amount of natural light. Explored a little more, before venturing out onto the newly created plaza with steps and slopes leading gently up to the impressive terminus. The work which had been in progress during my last visit, now complete, had done a huge amount to raise the profile of the station in the city. Noted however, that Liverpool Pride was due to take place today. Why am I unable to come to Liverpool without both feeling rubbish and finding some sort of parade or protest in progress? Perhaps they parade a lot more up here?

Once over the crossing and into the city centre, much remained as I'd seen it before - with the busy shopping area teeming with people on what had turned from a damp lunchtime into a surprisingly warm afternoon. Made a beeline for the coffee shop, but on the way spotted a bookshop. I've been ruminating on reading a lot this week, for a number of reasons, but realised I had nothing I particularly felt like reading. Found a couple of novels I'd thought of tackling before, before being dispatched to get a third one free by the cashier. This last choice - technically one which cost me nothing of course - took by far the longest. Found myself ending up with two books based in Glasgow and one London novel. I must be one of the few readers who categorizes their choice of reading in such a way? Got the coffee as planned, and made contact with the outside world, before heading back into town. By now, the sun had appeared and Liverpool seemed to have burst into life. Particularly impressed by the strange entertainment consisting of children being zipped into huge transparent plastic balls and hurling themselves around a small pool of water in the middle of the city. Made my way back to the station to find the patron saint of silliness himself in statue form, with Ken Dodd cast in a surprise meeting with Bessie Braddock MP. This has been here for sometime, but with the scene now lit from behind by sunshine, I had a chance to look at it properly. This also gave me an excuse to turn to get a picture of 390009 arriving to form my next service.

390009 'Treaty of Union' snakes into Liverpool Lime Street

Slumped into the uncomfortable Pendolino seat feeling grim, and almost immediately dozed off. A couple of newlyweds nearby were enjoying a picnic of over-ripe cheese and other pungent treats which wasn't especially helping - though the service was good, with a Scouse host who would have happily dished out the entire contents of the complimentary refreshment trolley if he'd found takers for it. Half-snoozed my way south, waking at various points along the route and feeling surprised at how quickly we'd got there! Certainly remember speeding south through the middle road at Crewe, and passing Nuneaton and Rugby. After that, I recall the junction at Roade, and then nothing much until somewhere near Kings Langley. Here we began to pass a procession of trains on the slow lines, and I kept myself entertained watching out for these, and for the various depots at Wembley and Willesden. I arrived at a busy, fractious Euston feeling hot and uncomfortable, and not really knowing what to do next. The new couple also seemed to be oddly affected by Euston, as they bickered about Eurostar check-in times whilst scurrying up the ramp to the concourse. Things are never truly perfect, and an elaborate picnic hamper might well hide a multitude of oddities and potential disappointments. I realised I was being uncharitable and projecting my gloom onto this hapless and happy pair. I silently wished them no harm and a safe journey and slunk on my way feeling mean.

In the event, decided to head back to Paddington. Walked to Euston Square station, passing some of TfL's new hire bikes, and picked up a recent Oyster refund in the process of descending to the platform for the Circle Line - which was today, and now rather unusually, running as a Circle! Made the short hop to Paddington, but decided to head for the street instead of the station. I'd been intrigued by the hinterland behind the station since arriving by No. 46 bus a couple of weeks back. So I crossed Praed Street and ducked into London Street. I almost gave up here, as I found myself entangled with the sinister behind-the-scenes quarter of St. Mary's Hospital. Strange old buildings loomed beside the narrow pavement, mostly for storage but some seemingly abandoned clinical facilities. One particularly eerie building had vents down below ground level, and I was amazed to hear trains being announced from below! This must have covered part of the suburban side of the station somehow. Followed a further cobbled pathway, despite not having decent footwear for such wandering, and found myself passing between the high wall at the edge of the station site and blocks of medical office accommodation. Suddenly the scene opened out, and an impressive glass footbridge was provided to cross the Paddington Basin of the Grand Union Canal. Did so, noting that the bridge looked like it might be lit up at night, being constructed with a strange lightbox as its central section. From here, wandered back to the road junction where I'd come in from Maida Vale last time, and made the walk back over Bishops Bridge and into Eastbourne Terrace, pausing only to snap a picture of the Crossrail worksite beside Paddington station.

Despite the welcome and diverting walk, I still had a long wait until the customary train home. Amused myself with coffee, reading from my recent purchases and writing - trying to exorcise my predicament and the feeling that today hadn't gone too well. In fact, everything had run very much to time, and I'd had plenty of time to enjoy a variety of interesting spots. The problem today was me - too tied up in other things to think straight, and worrying about the next lot of trips and complications when I should be enjoying this one. I'll probably never learn...]]> 2010-08-07T22:00:34+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1358 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1358 Railways ]]>

37610 is a familar sight in Carlisle

Took advantage of a few hours break to wander into town and revisit some favourite spots. No pipe band this time, but while I enjoyed a coffee The Borders Brass Band struck up. Watched the busy town scenes whilst jotting some notes and thinking lazily about work and associated things. Realised I've become rather mentally lazy lately and not considered things too sensibly. Having put myself in some strange scrapes lately - which I'd normally avoid - it was good to take stock, and wander the city in the bright afternoon sun. Revisited the beer shop too and found that the proprietor had stocked up on brews from a few new local breweries too. Chatted for a while and pondered my choices carefully, tending to go for the lighter and hoppier summer ales for our trip home. Back to the station for a snack and another good coffee from the little van just inside the entrance, before joining the vast crowd of enthusiasts watching 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' manoeuvring to rejoin her train. There was a brief time that it seemed the loco wouldn't make the gradient from Upperby to the station - but slowly but surely the stock drew into the station. Around then a further charter arrived, having come from Kings Cross in the charge of 67024 and 67021. This stopped only briefly at Carlisle before returning south. Add a couple of passing freights, and there was something of a gala atmosphere on the platforms today.

66434 prepares to head to Newcastle via the Tyne Valley

Things all ran surprisingly efficiently from here, with us heading onto the line through Mexborough via the Goods curve, then using the 'old' line through Thrybergh Junction to avoid the closed section, then sitting briefly in Brightside Loop outside Sheffield to wait time before calling at the station. Here we were joined by another regular, doing a part fare back to Birmingham. Celebrated with further beer and had a very quick ride back with 37259 performing a little better after some attention during our stop at Brightside. Noted some inexplicable crossover activity at Chesterfield South and Clay Cross too, as we sped south towards home. Soon pulling into New Street, where the train was due to complete a final circle to regain the line to International without a reversal or run round. Headed back to my hotel, having had a strange and rather distracted day - but ultimately a sociable and pleasant one. Good to see a few more trips lined up too, and some from nearer home. However miserable I might sound sometimes, I'm never happier than when I'm travelling...]]> 2010-07-31T22:28:09+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1356 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1356 Railways ]]> I had time for a coffee at New Street before heading down to the platforms, but with the stall short-staffed and the queue moving very slowly, I found an alternative place to sit and ended up downstairs earlier than planned. Strolled out into the sunshine and awaited the Holyhead train. This arrived as two units coupled, but would divide at Shrewsbury. Found my way to the front, so I didn't have to make any changes on route - though others didn't seem to pick up on this message straight away, which meant a mad dash to the front later. A fairly uneventful ride out via Wolverhampton and Telford, but somehow we managed to pick up a few minutes delay - not least perhaps because there was quite a crush in the front unit now. This intensified after Shrewsbury where the remainder of the passengers from the rear until squashed in too. Relatively healthy crowds at the intermediate stations of Ruabon, Chirk and Gobowen added to this - and by the time we made Wrexham General around five minutes down, I had to push and struggle to reach the doors. Noting the Wrexham and Shropshire train waiting at the opposite platform, I crossed over and took a picture whilst the staff prepared for departure. Marvelled at the refurbishment job done on the Mk.3 coaches, which - particularly in First Class - looked fantastic. Settled in comfortably for the long jaunt down to Marylebone.

67012 is prepared for departure from Wrexham General

By now we were entering the suburbs of London, and I started to think through the remainder of the day. With plenty of railway interest along this stretch of line I rarely use, I didn't even notice a bit of slow running resulting from an earlier bridge strike and the driver having to inspect the line as we edged over the structure. Arrival at Marylebone was also an interesting experience. It's not a station I've often used - and more often for leaving than arriving - so it was good to see the impressive and expanding station in fine shape and developing into a really important transport hub after its decline in the 1980s. Explored a bit before hitting the buses and heading up to Finchley Road and Frognal station - the plan was to pick up where last week went so horribly wrong, and to hunt down one of the new Class 172s working between Gospel Oak and Barking. The bus journey was interesting in itself - taking in Swiss Cottage, Lords and then a short stretch of Finchley Road before arriving at a nondescript overbridge which a huge orange 'London Overground' sign luckily visible from a distance. Descended with a minute or so before a train to Stratford was due. Perfect timing.

172005 at Gospel Oak

This was always going to be series of insect leaps, as the troubles of my last visit were still fresh in my mind and I didn't particularly want the hassle again. So, a couple of stops east to Gospel Oak first, and some disappointment as I noted an ex-Silverlink 150 in the bay platform. Decided to take this for a couple of stops, as this would pass an incoming unit and I'd see what else was working. So, waited in what had become very warm sunshine for departure, heading as far as Upper Holloway. A quick change of platforms, and noting a photographer waiting with camera ready, some hope that things would work out today. The train was around five late already, but by my calculations the usual move home would work provided there were no failures. Eventually, the raised lens of the photographer across the track signalled my attention and 172005 began to slow for the stop. Mission accomplished!

From my very brief hop back to Gospel Oak, the units seem fairly basic and clean. The seats are fairly basic and firm, and the air-conditioning appears to be set as aggressively as that in the 378s, which is fine for me but cold, I'd suspect for many. Soon back into Gospel Oak for a quick photograph - which always feels a little ill-advised and risky in London - and then time to wander over to the westbound platform for a train to Willesden. Things went well as far as Hampstead Heath, where we prepared to leave, the doors closed and we moved a matter of inches before they opened again. This continued for around ten minutes before the driver admitted he was having problems which he couldn't easily fix. Some quick investigation indicated a possible bus route, so dashed out of the station, heading the opposite way from previous trips to Parliament Hill, and found myself in a pleasant little urban oasis of shops and green space. It occurred to me I'd made probably hundreds of journeys through the cuttings and tunnels around here and barely surfaced at many of the stations at all. Found the stop for the No.46, and waited for what seemed like ages for one to turn up. A quiet single decker was soon full to bursting with refugees from the stricken train. The route went uphill and northwards, into Hampstead, then turned south and briefly retraced my earlier steps along Finchley Road and around Swiss Cottage, before diving west into Maida Vale. Rather suddenly, spotted the Grand Union Canal beside us and realised I was approaching 'Little Venice' from an unfamiliar angle. The curve of the roof spans of Paddington could be seen, and a quick swing under the Westway and over Bishops Bridge brought me into Eastbourne Terrace.

Once again, a failure on the Overground had caused a tricky situation, but this time - fending only for myself and with a little time on my side, I'd made it back in good time. Shopped a little, had a coffee and boarded the train back home. It had been a long, varied and relaxing day which had seen me right a couple of wrongs - doing a Wrexham and Shropshire service for the full length of the route, and getting a brief ride on the new Class 172 units. As I plough into another week of uncertainty and mixed messages, it's days like this which keep things ticking over.]]> 2010-07-24T22:12:26+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1355 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1355 Railways ]]> At Paddington, with the Circle out of action for one of it's regular weekends of engineering work, some quick footwork was needed to get onto a 205 bus and underway for the trip to Liverpool Street as soon as possible. After seconds at the stop, one sailed up and we were heading along Euston Road in pleasant morning sunshine. Fairly confident that the 10:00 connection would be made easily, I was able to sit back and watch the city pass by, a favourite passtime. At Liverpool Street, made a beeline for coffee and then straight onto the waiting train. Found a seat right at the end of the train next to the locomotive. As 90006 was pushing as far as Norwich, the Class 47 would be added to the rear of the train and we'd get the full effect of it's noise and smoke as we headed for the seaside. It's the little things you see! We were soon off, and thundering through Bethnal Green and into Essex, watching unfamiliar local trains passing by. This journey has always been a quiet and rather relaxing one, so sat back and enjoyed the views as we entered Suffolk and passed through the small towns which dot the map here. It didn't seem long before we were creeping into Norwich, with 47790 waiting to join the train. Lots of enthusiast activity here and a bit of an exodus into First Class too. Right on time, the 47 roared into life and produced a huge cloud of black smoke as we took the curve around the back of Crown Point depot and headed for Great Yarmouth. I've done both routes into Yarmouth before on local units, but this was a rather special way of making the trip. We soon diverged, taking the line via Reedham rather than Acle - though I'm told the later dragged train does use the other route. This meant passing the incredibly remote Berney Arms station, subject of some legend - as it seems only to serve a pub and a windmill!

47790 prepares to run around the train at Great Yarmouth

Our first farce of the day occurred on arrival at Yarmouth. The driver slammed on the brakes as we entered the long platforms, and we stopped rather short. The Train Manager seemed to think we'd be pulling up further and the doors remained locked. Then we heard 47790 fire up and draw forward. After some time, they let us out onto the platform with a half-hour layover reduced by a good few minutes. The marooned 90006 and coaches were well back from the buffers, and a bunch of orange-jackets seemed to be tugging the points of the shunt-release line by hand to let 47790 run around! Watched and grabbed some rather poor shots - partly because the sunshine had disappeared behind black clouds, and partly because some fellow enthusiasts seemed to be incapable of avoiding my attempts to get a picture. Finally gave up and headed onto the concourse. No time to make the walk into town, so sampled the fairly good burger van which sits in the station building. Ate whilst queuing to get onto the return working of the train, which 47790 had pushed back into the station a little way. Soon into the same seats we'd used on the run up, and able to watch 47790 clagging around the curve out of the station, looking not unlike a steam engine!

Another timely departure from Norwich once 47790 was detached, and we began retracing our steps to London. Somewhere during this journey a plan was hatched which was to be our undoing. Having noted that c2c services were departing from Liverpool Street as Fenchurch Street was closed, I suggested we could take one as far as Barking which would cover the unusual track from Forest Gate Junction to Woodgrange Park Junction and the flyover at Barking. This became an even more ambitious undertaking when it was also noted that new unit 172004 was undertaking it's first trips in passenger service today - the first for the entire class in fact. If we could possibly get a Barking to Gospel Oak service we might just encounter it. Did some calculations and there were a couple of options - one solid connection involving a quick dash on arrival at Liverpool Street, and one later one which left little margin for error. With renewed interest in the day's events, we pressed onward towards London. Somewhere around Colchester, things began to unravel a little. Some slow running, seemingly because the driver was inspecting either the line or the overhead line equipment, left us running about ten late. Throughout the journey we made up a little and lost a little more. The early option wasn't lost though if we made a set-down only stop at Stratford as many expresses do....but not, alas, this one. We sped through, arriving at Liverpool Street with about ten minutes to make the slightly later option - so we dashed for platform 18 and boarded the busy Class 357 - a rare visitor to this station aside from a couple of late night workings. Set off on time, and as planned used the Forest Gate to Woodgrange Park line. Just before we traversed the flyover at Barking, we paused. As we waited to get into the station, 172004 chugged past in the opposite direction. Had all gone to plan, we'd have easily made it! Cursed myself, and the bumbling idiots who meandered about as I tried to get over the bridge for the next Gospel Oak train, a shuddering, filthy and close-to-expiry 150148.

90006 awaits departure from Norwich

Still, the line is one of my favourites and I was happy enough scudding over the rooftops of Leyton and Walthamstow. We were making good time, and should - at a push - get back onto the earlier (and safer) schedule via a +5 at Gospel Oak. All again went well, until a little before the curve into Gospel Oak station we came to a halt. Checking the journey planner revealed that the 172 was very late getting in. We waited around six minutes to let it clear the platform before heading in ourselves. As we headed back to the main station from the outlying platform 3, we saw our train arrive - leaving just as we made the steps for the platform. Now near incandescent with even more pathetic behaviour at the station, I propped myself against a pillar and watched the Barking platform close as the service ended to let engineering take over once again as I waited for the next service to Willesden Junction. This arrived bang on time, and the connection into a Clapham Junction train worked flawlessly too. The Overground is becoming a fairly reliable workhorse, and building on the useful North London Line with thankfully more capacity and frequency. At West Brompton, switched onto the District Line platforms with a Paddington train due in three minutes. It had been tight, but we should make the 19:00 booked train home without problems.

And then it all went wrong...

First, the driver announced that due to a points failure and signalling problems, the service was going to terminate at High Street Kensington. Some quick re-planning indicated we could get a No.27 bus from the station front. Of course the first challenge was getting out of the station - as we'd terminated in platform 4 which has the tiniest, single width staircase. A whole train unloading, along with some fools trying to get down the stairs pointlessly as the train had terminated, made for a very slow exit indeed. Told fellow travellers they were on their own from here...I couldn't keep doing the 'responsible adult bit' as my own plans unravelled. Found the stop, flagged a first packed double-decker, and got a seat on a near empty one following. The connection now looked unlikely, but it was worth a shot! Until we came to a halt behind the packed bus I'd just flagged somewhere in Notting Hill. A drunken passenger had been taken ill, so the entire contents of the bus decanted into ours taking precious minutes, and making stops much longer as people struggled to get on and off. We passed the ambulance heading for the bus as we headed towards Westbourne Grove and I silently cursed the unfortunate drunk. Finally made it into Paddington about 10 minutes after the 19:00 had left.

A minor battle followed with the Ticket Office staff who just couldn't comprehend my Oyster Card record. Eventually found one who understood that I'd boarded the bus at 18:24 because I'd been booted off the train, and not because I'd left it too late to get to my train. With permission to travel on the 19:30, I slumped into my cool, comfortable seat and relaxed. It meant a longer break at Bristol - but it could have been worse! Got a coffee, listened to more music, wrote a little and enjoyed a fantastic sunset over Wiltshire as we sped westwards. Spent the break at Bristol people-watching, always a fascinating pass-time at a railway station - and moreso in the evenings perhaps, when a really unusual mix of people can be found on the platforms! My woes weren't over though, as not only was the 21:55 unit home late arriving, it also managed to get stuck at Uphill Junction awaiting engineers attention to a points failure. Finally struggled off the train at 23:10, tired, still rather agitated, but having had a strangely entertaining day out!

Of course, things don't always go to plan on the real railway. You'd think that, given the many thousands of miles I do, I'd encounter more trouble than most - but I can honestly say I don't run into much in the way of peturbation. However, today it seems that lots of little incidents conspired to cause an incredibly frustrating situation. I managed to keep my temper - just about - when all around me seemed to be turning into gibbering idiots. Lets hope this has used up my quota of frustration for a while!]]> 2010-07-17T23:34:24+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1354 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1354 Railways ]]> open day at Crewe Works in some ways - and though this was on a much smaller scale, there were a good few familiar faces heading north. Changed onto the quiet and thankfully cool Voyager at Bristol, and had breakfast and a chat with some cohorts before another change at New Street. A few among us hadn't experienced the Class 350 before and were pleasantly surprised as modern units go. Like always when large groups of cranks are in one place, the atmosphere became a strange mixture of humour, extreme seriousness and plain oddity. Enjoyed the ride up through Stafford to Crewe very much.

At Crewe, decided to wait for the Swindon-Llandudno charter to pass through before heading for the Depot. This had 47270 at the helm, and I was keen to get a shot as the last time I'd seen this loco it had been very dark indeed! A fair crowd was in evidence which signalled a busy day at the Depot. Had already decided to walk if the heritage bus service was busy, but on heading out of the station found one waiting with plenty of seats available for the short run down Gresty Lane to the gates. The bus used the entrance to Freightliner's side of Basford Hall Yard as a turning circle too, giving a tempting glance over the sidings! A short walk into the depot, and charitable donation made, we were greeted with a small site teeming with DRS locos. The crowds and the lack of space made moving around without getting in someone's shot fairly challenging, but most people managed to be fair and polite about it - certainly an improvement on some open days I've attended.

37409 awaits its naming ceremony at Gresty Bridge Depot

One of the highlights of the day was the naming of refurbished 37409 as "Lord Hinton" by the grandson of this pioneer of the nuclear power industry. As 37409 will play a part in the final MAGNOX decommissioning programmes, it seems fitting that the loco should be named after the man who started it all. Will be good to see 37409 out on a tour soon too, as the loco looks and sounds fantastic. Also in attendance was a line up of four out of the five 66/3s, latterly owned by Fastline until the liquidation of Jarvis, their parent company. These locos formed the boundary of the site, and there were frequent dashes to the ends of the line of engines to see what was happening on the mainline, with some interesting Freightliner manoeuvres happening. Given the recent lack of Class 20s on tours, it was notable that only two were in evidence, a very tidy looking 20308 and a rather forlorn 20306 marked up as "on decision". With the commitment to provide locos to TfL for Underground stock moves, trips behind these venerable locos will become something of a rarity. It will be interesting to see what happens to the upcoming multi-traction tour on 31st July in fact...

In conjunction with the DRS event, the Heritage Centre at Crewe was also offering reduced price entry to ticket-holders. So, after a quick lunch and a final wander around the now very busy and very hot site, we boarded the bus once again. I hadn't been to what was formerly known as "The Railway Age" for a good many years, and it was great to see the prototype APT-P still on display. The interior of a number of the coaches seemed to have been tidied up somewhat - but I don't think some among us realised quite the effort this had taken, with the project literally dumped by BR and the preservation a seeming impossibility back then. Thought a bit about how we'd got into the strange mess of imported vehicles, cancelled orders and complicated railway politics, before moving on to look at 87035 'Robert Burns' resplendent in BR Blue - another age of West Coast motive power, which had outlived the APT and only gave way almost 30 years later when we imported a train which built on our own work in the field of high speed travel.

87035 and 37603 at Crewe Heritage Centre

Shook off the gloom with a turn on the break van rides, hauled by 03073 along the short stretch of track near the relocated Exeter West signal box! Then, had spell on the viewing platform at Crewe North Junction, and a pleasant walk back to the station. Arrived to find 47826 and 47851 passing through for a crew-change, before watching the loco-hauled Holyhead arrive and detach it's loco. Plenty of activity and a chance to sit and watch the station go about it's business. At this point our little group parted - some booked on different trains, others deciding to take a different route home. So, I settled into my seat on a pleasantly cool Virgin service back to Birmingham, and caught up with some listening as we sped south. It had been a good, old-fashioned open day with plenty to see and a chance to catch up and chat with people. A welcome diversion from the strange situation I find myself in at work too. DRS put on a fine display and I hope I can somehow find a way to the next one too.]]> 2010-07-10T22:57:13+01:00 Railways http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1353 http://www.mikegtn.net/index.php?id=1353 Railways ]]>

378138 arrives at Hoxton

A quick turn around, with the notoriously efficient air-conditioning providing a pleasantly cool atmosphere. I began to find the longitudinal seating frustrating almost immediately however, particularly as I was keen to see what had changed on the route. Once through New Cross Gate, we soared over the new bridge and descended beside the depot. For a brief stretch here I was on new track, as I'd left the East London Line undone south of Rotherhithe when I first visited. At Canada Water, noted that the Jubilee Line was closed today - another possibility, which would now have to wait. Instead pressed on under the Thames on more familiar track to Whitechapel. From here the line began to climb, away from it's former alignment which terminated at Shoreditch Station just east of Brick Lane, and into the new Shoreditch High Street in a concrete box high above the street. Once underway again, the line swung onto the alignment of the former lines to Broad Street, a generous four track brick viaduct now carrying our two lines. After a curve into Hoxton the line ran dead straight alongside Kingsland Road, flying over the Hackney rooftops before dipping down into the dark, cool box of the new Dalston Junction station. No time to explore the four platform terminus as we were encouraged to leave swiftly, and I soon found myself above ground in startlingly bright sunshine with the Dalston traffic whirling around me. Wandered up to Ridley Road to take some pictures and get some provisions, before heading back to the station.

I was determined to cover all the branches and routes on the new line, so I set off again this time heading south to New Cross, the other 'leg' of the original line. After retracing our steps to Surrey Quays, the line branched with a junction allowing further expansion for the planned extensions. The line curved away to run alongside the tracks from London Bridge, terminating at a platform on the eastern side of New Cross station. Out of the station briefly before heading back onto the same unit to return to Surrey Quays, and a dash over the bridge to get a West Croydon bound service. With the lines now complete, I decided to return to Hoxton, wanting to get some pictures of the line in operation. Found the station deserted, but was troubled by the thought of security cameras. Found my spot and in my haste, shot a blurred and unfocused image. With station staff starting to take notice of me, I decided to hop on the next train up to Dalston, and to return on the other platform. Finally got my shot of the train and the city, and headed south to Wapping. This was a visit I'd planned to try many years back - but which the long closure of the line delayed. The station here is an immense brick shaft, with a spiral staircase curving around lifts. Took the lift to street level and emerged in a peaceful and very hot Wapping High Street. Explored, and finally found St. Hilda's Wharf and a worn stone staircase to the Thames shore. Spent a little while in this quiet spot, watching the city around me. Sometimes London produces these strange, quietly magical moments - and this one made up for a week of pretty difficult stuff, Sorry to leave the spot to the locals, but I needed to head back west.

Looking across the Thames to Docklands from Wapping

With the Circle Line out of commission, I decided to head back to Whitechapel, surfacing in the busy street to catch a 205 back towards Euston. Things seemed to go well until we became ensnared in traffic around Kings Cross. As time ticked by, I contemplated seeing the journey all the way through to Paddington just in case things didn't ease. However, I hit on a plan to use an old faithful route to get back - and the times worked pretty well too. So, in to Euston and onto the 16:04 train to Harrow and Wealdstone. Grabbed a drink from the now almost familiar newsagent and basked in the afternoon sunshine, watching trains from the platform. Flagged a Euston service back, and plumped for the next Milton Keynes train which retraced our steps past Willesden Depot, where a line up of new units - including several of the elusive new Class 172s - was in evidence. After diving under the mainline, we resurfaced to take the line via Acton Wells to West Brompton. A swift cross-platform change and I was soon squished into a District Line train back to Paddington, full of slightly jaded looking crowds just out of Wimbledon.

Reflecting over a quality coffee whilst waiting for the customary 19:00 back home, I realised that today was, in a sense, just what I needed. The last few weeks have been an amazing experience - and seeing vast swathes of the UK has been fantastic. But sometimes it's the unexpected twists that journeys take which make them all the more interesting. As ever, London offers more twists and turns than anywhere else - from teeming Ridley Road to the quiet beach at Wapping. The future feels terribly uncertain, but I hope I get the chance to continue with these travels.]]> 2010-07-03T22:12:06+01:00 Railways