23rd October – 25th October. Flirting in Suffolk & Norfolk

 23^rd October – 25^th October.  Flirting in Suffolk & Norfolk

 

A couple months or so ago I was randomly checking prices for hotels in the Ipswich area with the idea of doing the connection between platform 3 and the main-line at Marks Tey, which only gets used by the first & last Sudbury trains of the day, the last train gives a couple options to get back to Ipswich (which is a lot cheaper than staying in Colchester).  I booked a couple nights in the Easy Hotel located around 15 minutes from the station, with the idea on the Saturday & Sunday to do some of my required stations in the Anglia Plus area, plus a couple little bits.

 

Friday 23^rd October

The trip began with the 15:59 service to London Waterloo, swinging via Tesco for some supplies (including a 2 week out of date biscuit bar which I only noticed on the Saturday) before the Jubilee line took me to Stratford before a pair of 321s took me to Ingatestone for some linear hopping.  A short wait before a pair of 317s took me to Hatfield Peverel for another short wait for a pair of busy 321s to Colchester, changing onto my first 745/1 (the Stansted Express layout) for the run to Ipswich, getting welcomed with the sound of a 37 on a RHTT service in the through line.

 

I headed towards the quiet town centre (for it was like a ghost town) and got checked into the hotel, before returning to the station to board a seemingly random Peterborough – Colchester service for the novelty of a 755 to Colchester from the north, needless to say I had a private coach on this 3 coach unit (and saw only one other passenger in the middle coach).  On arrival into Colchester, the station was in a state of chaos due to an incident at Chelmsford (RIP) with nothing going south until further notice so I decided to abandon my journey towards Sudbury and head back on the first train heading back towards Ipswich (which was a 745 from Norwich which got terminated at Colchester to form a short notice Colchester – Norwich train).

 

 

A 755 at Colchester

 Back at Ipswich, it was a short walk back to the hotel where I relaxed for the evening.  Writing this has reminded me I need to send my tickets into SWR for a refund due to the disruption.  These things happen; somebody lost their life which puts my issue of missing out on rare track as low.

 

Saturday 24^th October

An early start (well 06:55, which compared to previous Saturdays is late!) from Ipswich for a service towards Felixstowe to revisit Trimley for a photograph before returning to Ipswich for some breakfast from Greggs (not like I had many other options available) before a run to Wickham Market (which had I known now has a delightful looking café in the station building would have used for food).  A short wait at Wickham Market for the same unit to return to take me to Melton for a short wait before the next train to take me to Saxmundham where it terminated due to engineering works.

 

Work in progress at Saxmundham

 

The replacement bus was an unbranded (former London) double decker bus (LK04 NLZ) and I got a seat on the top deck for the run towards Oulton Broad South station for a few photographs before walking to Oulton Broad North, catching the next Norwich service to the remote Haddiscoe station returning towards Lowestoft on the next service.  A short wait at Lowestoft before the unit headed back towards Norwich where I had a short break for lunch from the nearby Morrisons.

 

Back at Norwich station it was onto 755335 which I had earlier in the day to Haddiscoe as the run to Brundall would be enough to clear it for ten miles, returning to Norwich on another 755 which I remained on board as it formed the next Great Yarmouth train going via Acle and into platform 4 as it returned towards Norwich via Berney Arms, which is the first time along that line for a couple years.  2 passengers boarded at the isolated Berney Arms and I alighted at Reedham for a 40 minute wait for the next Norwich service from Lowestoft to take me back to Norwich.

 

A 755 at the Yarmouth of Greatness

 

My original (revised) plan needed to change due to EMR falling over with the cancelation of the 17:50 Nottingham service which would call at March so a quick play on RTT after a visit to Morrisons for dinner items saw me onto a required 745 for the run to Ipswich, changing onto a Peterborough train for the long run to March, changing over to the opposite platform for a XC service to Ely for a ~ 40 minute fester for the same 755 to return from Peterborough to take me back towards Stowmarket for a short wait before a required 745 arrived to take me the 11 miles back to Ipswich, for a gentle walk back to the hotel and relaxing for the remainder of the evening.

 

Big Red Double Decker

 

Sunday

 

I checked out of the hotel and headed to the station (via McDonalds for a lovely sausage muffin) to board the first Cambridge bound train of the day, which I took all the way to Cambridge, remaining on the same unit for its return leg back towards Bury St Edmunds for this is an off-pattern departure which is booked to use the platform loop at Dullingham so the next Cambridge train can pass, sadly my attempt at a photo of the Cambridge train passing came to nothing as it was speedy.

 

This is a loop I attempted to do back in February time but got bowled out with the first Cambridge – Ipswich train getting cancelled due to overrunning engineering works around the Ipswich area so I was glad to get the loop done.  Anyhow at Bury it was a short wait for another 755 back towards Cambridge (and my luck with required 4 coach 755s on this trip has been bad!).  A trip to a nearby Co-Op to grab lunch before heading to the next King’s Lynn service (getting shocked to see a 3 coach 755 being used on the Cambridge -> Cambridge North GA shuttles to connect with replacement buses for Audley End, as I would have pictured that being a 379, or even a 317).

 

It's never dull at Dullingham

 

A quiet 387 was waiting on platform 7 (engineering works everywhere today!) which I took to Littleport for a short wait, making use of the new entrance to the southbound platform as the barrow crossing has been closed due to the northbound platform getting extended to allow 8 coach units to call.  A busier 387 arrived from Kings Lynn which I took back to Ely, changing over to a required 755/4 on the next Ely – Ipswich service which I took all the way to Ipswich where it would be a replacement bus to Stansted Airport as means to escape, as pretty much the entire line from Liverpool Street to Ipswich was closed today!

 

Littleport station

 

Outside Ipswich station it was a choice of 2 double deck coaches, I picked the first option which was an older bus (V66 SUN) by Barker Bus, slightly unusual with the entrance door being nearer the rear, but I managed to bag the prime seat at the front of the bus for excellent views of the trip out of Ipswich, then onto the A12 before the A120 to reach Stansted Airport with time to spare before the next Stansted Express service.  Annoyingly it was the same 745/1 I had on Friday evening but never mind, my red pen will come back out to play another time.

 

A big Flirt at Stansted Airport

 

I took this service to Tottenham Hale, changing over to the Victoria Line (first time I think I’ve used the direct passageway link) for the run to Oxford Circus, changing over to a busy Bakerloo for the run to Paddington.  First option (out of 3) was a 802 for Plymouth (via Bristol) which I took to Reading, changing over to a pair of 158s on the Salisbury stopping service for the speedy run back home, for a walk home.