21st July – Greater Manchester Rail Ranger & a Voyage Home

21^st July – Greater Manchester Rail Ranger & a Voyage

I decided when I was booking my trip to Preston for the tour, that the Sunday would be a Greater Manchester Rail Ranger, followed by a trip to Basingstoke on a voyager, mainly because it was cheaper (£24 for a single to Reading, I could have saved ~ 10p by doing a 3 way split, but for a small saving it wasn’t worth it) on the 15:27-ish service.  Normally on Sundays there is a price cliff with Virgin advances from Manchester where after around 2pm the lowest fare jumps.  Also going via Reading meant I could save money on the Thursday with only an advance fare to London.

My original plan was to head to Wigan, pick up a GM Rail Ranger and sample a diverted Pendo to Stockport, and purchased a £2.20 advance fare for a service from Blackpool for the 15 mile leg to Wigan (bit of a bargain compared to the any permitted fare), this was around 9am, so with the breakfast room opening in the hotel at 8am, it was rude to turn down a breakfast (seeing as I had already paid for it in the room price).  The breakfast was reasonable, just enough to kick start the day as I checked out and headed to a quiet Preston station, noting a few cancellations already showing on the screens (plus looked like the planned cancellation of the Victoria – Blackpool stoppers), has the bad days of Northern in the North West Sunday workings returned?

Anyhow low mileage 319377 was my required move to Wigan, pretty much had the motor coach all to myself, and I even saved time by buying my rover from the guard who was happy to sell it (saved me a job at Wigan).  Once at Wigan North Western it was a short wait before winner 195120 rolled in from Preston, it was time to make a decision because this unit heads back towards Preston via Bolton [but doesn’t call at Bolton, only Lostock] so I wouldn’t get it in my book, knowing the Pendo following wasn’t anything of interest I boarded the 195 for the run towards Piccadilly, where it sits on platform 13 for a while before departing towards the airport.  As the 195 was rolling in I caught note of a Blackpool bound 319 being a low mileage unit so one to chase down later.

I had a quick scan around the platforms to see if there was anything of interest (mainly units I need for 10 miles), but nothing popped out as I returned to platform 13 just as low mileage 156426 rolled in from Liverpool, so it was time to head to the airport.  My time at the airport was brief as checking the unit it was attaching to (I assume) I crossed over to board 195120 once more to take me back to Piccadilly, where it was a cross platform to board low mileage 390138 for the run to Stockport where with 10 minutes before the next Manchester train I popped out to the Sainsburys for some lunch.

Back at Stockport, I noted a Chester bound service was a low mileage 150 attached to an unknown 156, so like the 319 it was one to chase down later.

The next Manchester bound service was a 323 from Stoke, I wasn’t holding out much hope as I only need 2 Northern 323s for mileage (and had done a mini-plan based on the following EMT service), but my luck was in as it was low mileage 323234 which was taken over the line with the run to Oxford Road, where I remained on board for the trip back to Piccadilly, allowing me to get a good seat on a Windermere bound 195121 for the run to Wigan North Western (probably not the last time I will get a 195 into my book with a Manchester – Wigan run).  Anyhow it was to platform 2 to board a Stalybridge bound 142052 & 142046 for the run to Bolton, stepping back to await the train from Blackpool.  I knew something was a bit dodgy when it was losing time at every stop (as the previous Barrow – Manchester train had been cancelled) and I was right as 319382 rolled in pretty much full & standing.  You can tell the difference between crush loading in the south and crush loading in the north, as bags are put in overhead luggage or on people, with little kids sitting on their parents to free up more seats.  I was very lucky in managing to squeeze on for the run to Piccadilly, for it was time to intercept that 150 from Chester.

By the time the 319 managed to roll into Piccadilly, my options to reach Stockport had been reduced, so after a quick check at some of the other options available highlighted nothing, I boarded a busy 390134 from Scotland for the run to Stockport, crossing via the subway to await the arrival of the train from Chester.  A northbound 390 arrived a good few minutes early, as well as 150225 with 156424 behind it, the run to Piccadilly will be enough for the 150, but not for the 156, and annoyingly I could take it back to Stockport there wasn’t anything which would give a good connection to my booked train home (which I had discovered was short formed, 4 vice 8) so I had to let the 156 go.  I had enough time for a quick spin to Oxford Road and back to Piccadilly, just as a time wasting move with 156486 to Oxford Road and 156459/156455 back, before heading towards the voyager sat on one of the terminal platforms.

My home for the next 3 and a bit hours was 220005, thankfully I’ve learnt from previous experiences when booking seats to ignore the 2^nd voyager so I had a seat for the trip south.  The unit in coach F departed full, but nobody standing in the saloon area (standees by the bog), emptied out as time went on before loading up again at Wolverhampton & New Street, but by Coventry most of the standees could get a seat if they wanted.  The trip was its usual slow self, but I was comfortable enough, but I was glad to alight from the voyager at Basingstoke for some fresh air and to have a good walk (mainly to a local pizza place for a pizza, because there isn’t a lot around Basingstoke open on Sunday evenings).  With pizza eaten, I sat on the platform at Basingstoke waiting for the 20:06 service to roll in with 159019, 159022 & 159014 doing the honours for the final leg of the journey.  Worth noting the only time I had a ticket check was between Reading & Basingstoke.

Once I got home, I had time to reflect on a successful day for my unit requirements; Northern is looking a bit better.  I shall have to bare that voyager move in mind for future trips to the Manchester area later in the year; it might not be as fast as going via London, but if it works out to be cheaper than it’s good.  Next weekend sees a return to Yorkshire with hopefully 4 more Northern stations getting the big tick, hopefully I will sample a 331 and with a BLS tour of Sheffield Supertram on the Sunday which should be interesting.