3rd August – How the North was Won

3^rd August – How the North was Won

Back a few months ago when I was pencilling in dates for trips, this would have been my finale in my master plan, but the Conwy Valley closed and I had the car accident in June, and with Bishop Lydeard joining my list due to the GWR summer shuttles meant it wouldn’t be a case of saying “England, Tick”.   However I would be able to say “Northern, Tick”, which considering the various issues over the last few months would be nice to do.

Anyhow for the first time in many months, it was an 04:45 alarm call for a short walk to the station for the 05:27 service towards Waterloo, 159015 was doing the honours and it was actually quite busy, in the past it used to be dead quiet until Basingstoke (where passengers from Southampton/Winchester board due to their service turning into a stopper).  Anyhow a nice trip to Waterloo, crossing over to arrive in platform 16 which felt unusual being that far across on a diesel (but again it’s been many months so this could be usual for this service).

Onwards to Kings Cross St Pancras, with 3554/3253 taken to Oxford Circus on the Bakerloo, with 11077/11078 to Kings Cross on the Victoria line, a quick visit to Tesco for something to eat (and cold to drink), before picking up my rover from the ticket office (just saves a job for later).  Sadly due to overhead wire damage in the Fitzwilliam area, the Leeds branch of the ECML was closed for traffic, cancelling several services with passengers for Leeds told to go via York.  The next York bound service was the 08:00 Edinburgh, one I know from past is already busy so it was a case of boarding as soon as it was announced to grab an available seat.  The service left full & standing, not only was it carrying its usual passengers but passengers for Leeds and sneaky passengers from a cancelled Grand Central service who didn’t want to go via Manchester.

The old guard at Kings Cross

91131 was up front, for potentially my last fast 91 hauled set to York (although at the time of writing I have no bookings for LNER, the next time is in October coming back from Inverness which will most likely be a long trip on a HST).  A good fast trip (compared to last week where it was on a stopping service), and at York I had the option of waiting for a delayed TPE for Liverpool or boarding a Blackpool bound Northern 158.  After asking the guard for permission to board (the website only mentioned ticket usage for TPE) I took a seat on 158759 for the fast run towards Leeds, calling at Church Fenton only.  I met up with my friend, Dan, during the layover at Leeds and we carried on to New Pudsey to intercept a pacer shaped object coming from Manchester Victoria.

153332 rolled in with low mileage 142039 on the back, another northern pacer into my book for mileage; sadly it looks like I will miss out on getting more than a mile from 142033 as that one is earmarked for being sent off-lease in the next couple weeks, so it will leave me with 2.  Both weren’t really gettable today (one was on Preston – Blackpool extras, the other was on Morecambe – Lancaster shuttles & the third was heading towards Brigg).  Anyhow it was to Leeds, before boarding 142052 to Wakefield Kirkgate because Dan needed the curve linking the two Wakefield stations, followed up by a busy 158842 to Leeds.

When the 158 was running into Leeds, we ran in alongside a 170 from the Harrogate line, and after checking my list noted it was low mileage 170476 which was taken to Horsforth for a ~ 20 minute connection for 170455 back to Leeds (at least it’s over the ten mile line now, leaves just the single Northern 170 for mileage).  Earlier in the day I had spotted my last 322 for mileage on the Aire/Wharfdale servides, knowing these units are numbered I worked out a rough plan and caught 333005 to Shipley for a short fester before 322481 rolled in from Skipton to clear the class.  Back to Leeds on the 322 and after lunch it was onto winner 800113 for my first Wakefield Azuma leap, first but by no means will be the last time!  A short connection over to the footbridge and it was onto 43274 & 43290 with the former EMT “It’s never dull in Hull” set (the one with the IC70 seating but with plug sockets).

Another short connection at Leeds before I eyed up low mileage 150272 on the Huddersfield via Brighouse stopper, so it was a trip towards Huddersfield, mainly to cover the curve heading from Brighouse, the first TPE service back towards Leeds wasn’t of interest and was busy, neither was the second but with one eye on the time we didn’t have much choice so back to Leeds standing in the ballroom on 185115.  After a bit of shopping I said farewell to Dan, nice to have a little social catchup, and headed towards a late running 144016 on the next Sheffield stopper to take me to Woodlesford for a random platform scratch.  This was a bit of a gamble because the Goole train was showing as “formed of 1 coach”, but the screens lie as former the former West Midlands 150107 rolled in.

The train emptied out along the way, but unlike last week where I had a pacer to myself there was at least 4 others on board after Knottingley, 2 of those alighted at Whitley Bridge and maybe someone boarded at Hensall, but I was all alone in alighting from the 150 at Snaith to allow me to say “Northern, Tick” (unless Manchester Utd FC Halt reopens as I need to board there, but as it hasn’t been served since around November 2017 it’s been mothballed in my eyes).  Anyhow with an hour to kill I took a walk towards the town centre to buy food from a local Co-Op before returning to a litter filled platform to eat said food and relax, waiting for 150107 to return, trying to work out where in the day 153330 had been swapped out.

Northern, Tick

150107 returned from Goole, there was 2 others on board, and someone else boarded alongside me, but nobody else joining at the other two stations, in a way I’m glad I don’t have to come back out this way again, and doing this line not on a pacer felt odd.  At Leeds it was a short connection to a late running 156466 bound for Manchester, where it stopped outside the station due to the signaller trying to send the unit via Dewsbury instead of via Bradford, but I took the unit to New Pudsey, but alas my hunch was incorrect as the next Leeds service was 153332 & 142039 from earlier in the day.  No idea what happened to 153330 but it will be around for a few extra months, but at this point I was coming up with ideas what to do, keeping my eye for my final trains to get me to Bradford.

The decision was made as winner 800108 was sat on the opposite platform bound for Bradford Forster Square, so onwards to Shipley (where it used platform 4 due to the length and was a set-down only call).  A quick walk between platforms saw me onto 333007 for the run to Guiseley for a short wait for 333003 for the short hop to Menston before 333007 returned from Ilkley on the final Bradford bound train.  It reached Guiseley and sat on the platform for a good 20 minutes, the guard coming through to say we were awaiting a member of Network Rail staff to inspect the line as this unit caused a transformer to trip previously (in all fairness it was a loud pop with sparks) between Guiseley & Baildon.  Eventually the train pulled forward but stopped again before the junction, eventually getting going once again, going via Baildon and reaching Bradford Forster Square a good 45 minutes late.

I started the day with overhead wire issues; I ended the day with overhead wire issues, ah well these things happen as I walked towards the Ibis Budget, doing the usual attempting to cross the road at a crossing which lacks traffic lights.  I crashed into the bed after a quick derance, the end of a successful day.

Shipley Azuma