Whitnet Railways

Paignton & Exmouth 5.11.24

9 November 20246 November 2024 by admin

Purpose of the trip

The plan for today is a relatively simple out and back trip to visit the end of the line (in passenger terms) at Paignton and the physical end of the line at Exmouth as I do not believe I have been to either on a passenger service.

The plan for today is:

Head code	Dep time	Route	Arr time	NRT	Railmiles
1V39	0910	Sandhurst to Reading (5)	0930	11.5	11mi 52ch
1C75	1003	Reading (7) to Exeter St Davids (4)	1154	137.75	137mi 39ch
1C75	1156	Exeter St David's to Paignton (1)	1239	28.25	28mi 20ch
2F19	1255	Paignton (2) to Exeter St Davids (1) (R)	1347	28.25	28mi 20ch
2F19	1351	Exeter St Davids to Exmouth	1417	11.25	11mi 18ch
2T22	1423	Exmouth to Exeter St Davids (3)	1454	11.25	11mi 18ch
1A89	1542	Exeter St Davids (6) to Reading (11)	1742	137.75	137mi 39ch
1O81	1749	Reading (5) to Sandhurst	1807	11.5	11mi 52ch
				377.5	377mi 18ch
Things did not go to plan so these trains were taken
2F20	1320	Paignton (2) to Exmouth	1447
2T23	1457	Exmouth to Exeter St Davids	1525
1O82	1821	Reading (5) to Sandhurst	1839

Notes:
As before my thanks to Real Time Trains for the material in the links.

Operations on the Day

Today should be straightforward, local train to Reading, fast train to Paignton, local train to Exmouth, reverse back to Exeter St Davids and then a reverse of the outward journey. The aim is to visit Paignton as I am not sure I have been there by train previously, although I have left the station by the Dart Valley Railway a few times, and Exmouth for a definitive first visit.

Sandhurst to Reading runs smoothly and the train is slightly early, having noted that at least temporarily the Happy Christmas bridge has lost the graffiti which has adorned it for many a year. It will be interesting to see what it says tonight.

At Reading we depart on time but then Mr Pete Tong arrives. For reasons not made clear we are making extra stops a Kintbury, Hungerford, Bedway and Pewsey. At Kintbury at least one passenger is not in the right coach to emerge, despite the announcements and we are stuck for five minutes or so. The other additional stops, all of which are of course places which should be passed at speed makes the delay greater. On board the announcements do NOT say why the additional calls are made – apparently a previous service was cancelled – but the last time I sought extra stops on a service it was refused due to “pathing problems”, which of course this service will now be causing – however staff did know at Paddington that the extra stops were being made.

On board the information panels are confusing and conflict with the passenger announcements as it is reporting that the next station will be Westbury as the onboard system does not seem to know about the change in train plan and yet it is also saying that at the next stop there will be limited egress from certain coaches – which at least one person thinks is Westbury because the announcements are simply not good enough. The information panels never show the right next station and yet can advise that the next station has short platforms – this is simply poor. If making extra stops the panels need to be turned off and an announcements saying why they are off – if they cannot show the right information.

Last time I came this way earlier this year the service used the Westbury avoiding line but today we serve the station. The mileages in the Sectional Appendix are odd around here and are worth noting (all still recorded in miles and chains and not metricated):

From Line of Route GW560:
Heywood Jn is 94m 45ch
Westbury North Jn is 95mi 33ch / 109mi 49ch
From Line of Route GW500:
Fairwood Jn 97mi 02ch / 111mi 18ch
In consequence and using the back of envelope (literally) the avoiding line is 2mi 37ch. Using the line through Westbury totals – 2mi 37ch. So the avoiding line is as long as line through the station!

The connecting Weymouth service is then held at Castle Cary (the connection is normally at Westbury) – but again a short platform so people are running through the train to leave – and the slower train in front impedes our recovery time.

We are 15 late into Taunton and there is a delay repayment announcement – so that is positive I suppose. Can we now recover more time as we head westwards? Slight improvement arriving at Exeter St David’s about 14 late but I have only a 16 minute connection at Paignton. If it were not a grey day I would be able to enjoy this picturesque part of the journey alongside the Exe estuary; it is always great to see those on the beach, mainly dog walking as rumble along.

However at Dawlish Warren it gets worse. We are looped to allow another (Penzance) train to pass on the through line and then we pull forward to our stop at Dawlish. Now considerably later we end up in Paignton some 18 late and as we approach the station my planned next train heads out of the station.

Departures from Paignton are half hourly so I wander over the footbridge to take a picture of the incoming train which heads into platform 2 and I join it to await departure back towards Exeter, retracing my earlier steps. Ticket is checked just before we reach Marsh Barton.

At Exeter St Davids the service reverses leaving the former GWR line and taking up the L&SWR line which climbs up to Exeter Central at which point quite a few other passengers leave to access the City Centre. We then swing on to the Avocet line which runs along the other side of the River Exe from the GW main line to the terminus of Exmouth. The view of the Exe estuary is perhaps not quite as good from this side and now getting a little boring as this is my third viewing today! The line is mainly single track with a crossing point at Topsham but enjoys a decent service frequency. We wait slightly at Topsham as the other unit is slightly late.

A ticket check including amazingly a railcard request – perhaps I do not look my age – on the return to Exeter!

The London train is waiting patiently and I had allowed some spare time so am making a connection into my booked train. A late departure due to an engine problem is announced – this line should be electrified – but reportedly resolved by the time we leave. Slightly to my surprise there are refreshments on this service, so getting a coffee prior to departure was unnecessary. Some other operators could learn a lesson – after all this journey is only a couple of hours long!

We seem unable to recover any of the lost time whilst running on diesel and there is no explicit pathing time until just before Westbury – which is only a minute. It will be very tight at Reading – especially as we are over long in the station at Castle Cary where we lose another two minutes. I note that generally approach to stations is often gentle and I suspect the leaf fall season is partially to blame to ensure that stops are made safely.

An annoyance throughout the day is that getting the iPad to connect to the train Wi-Fi reliably seems difficult. The phone (which is much newer) seems to work reasonably well but perhaps the older chips in the iPad are simply not connecting smoothly. I try to upload files from the iPad to Dropbox – but that does not seem to work at all – Google Drive works but uploads the files with the same name which is not overly helpful.

As we head into Reading the guard usefully confirms that my connection home will be departing from Platform 5 – after all it is a legal connection for Reading and in normal circumstances I could make it. However at Reading (reminder brand new station) the relevant up escalator is blocked off and cannot even be used as a stairway – why not? – so it is a long trek and the lift is filling and I just make it. I pound along the bridge and down the escalator then much of the length of platform 7 and I can see the tail lights of my connecting train at the far end of the platform. So much for that connection.

So that will be about 30 minutes late. Except that when the train comes to leave we have no guard as they have not arrived on an incoming service (I know just how they feel) and we depart a couple of minutes late meaning we are around 3 late into Sandhurst so it will be a 30 minutes plus delay repay claim.

Looks like the repainting is making progress.

Costs / Ticket Checks

Today cost more than I would have liked. I did not book the outward Advance ticket early enough to get the cheap prices so the costs added up a bit:
Sandhurst – Reading day return: £4.90
Reading – Exeter St David’s: £35.95
Exeter – Paignton return: £6.75
Exeter – Exmouth return: £4.25
Exeter – Reading: £24.95
Total: £76.80

So this trip is just over 20p / mile which was part subsidised by my birthday present (thank you Katie) and will reduce further once my delay repay claims are authorised. It will depend on how they treat the split tickets as at the point that the two main line tickets ended both were under 15 minutes late (14 late at Exeter, 7 at Reading) but it is the knock on impact of taking a later service which is relevant. I have not claimed for the delays on the trains to and from Exmouth as it is simply too difficult to explain.

Update One of the delay repay claims has been approved with a refund of £13.71 for the delay on the return journey so reducing the cost to £63.09 and the mileage cost to 16.7p per mile.

Rolling Stock

Little variety today with modern 800 units on the main line and class 165/6 units on the branches at both ends. The former are the subject of some comment over ride and they are certainly noisier as they operate on diesel west of Newbury – so the cabin noise is inevitably higher than an HST. Operationally losing time on the outward journey was a fact of life and with speed limits needing to be strictly observed the potential for recovery is close to zero. The lost time generally had little impact on me – apart from getting home later than planned. The microwave saved the day.

Summary

Disappointed by the time keeping. Pleased to find some refreshments available on the return working – not needed but nice to know they are there. Train loadings on the branch lines generally good and providing a solid reliable service for the local residents.

Swanage Railway 7.9.24

9 September 20248 September 2024 by admin

Purpose of the trip

I have previously been advised that T3 563 will be in service today on the Swanage Railway. I first saw this locomotive in (I think) the very early 70’s at Clapham Transport Museum – certainly before I went to University in 1972. A stylish Victorian product by William Adams (built in the long closed Nine Elms locomotive works) most of the class had been withdrawn by 1933 but three survivors soldiered on with 563 being refettled for light steaming duties at the 100th anniversary celebrations at Waterloo Station in 1948.

Then as part of the National Collection the locomotive was loaned for stage productions of “The Railway Children” making it to Canada before return to the UK and a decision by the Science Museum that it could be transferred to the ownership of the Swanage Railway Trust in 2017 after three years of negotiation. Subsequently the locomotive underwent a very full overhaul and rebuilding at the Flour Mill in South Wales and I have made very modest contributions to the work undertaken leading to the locomotive returning to active service in October 2023. I was unable to participate in the launch then and I have been waiting for a date when I am able to travel behind the locomotive.

Use in recent months has allegedly been limited as 563 was unable to leave the Swanage loco shed as the turntable immediately outside the shed had been damaged when being used by a Bulleid Pacific and the turntable needed repairs before it could be crossed. However given the age of the locomotive it cannot be expected to be in regular service compared to more modern locos – and at the moment the Swanage Railway works on a one engine in steam service with the second service being provided by either a DMU or class 33 on a rake of coaches. No doubt the economics limit the use of steam.

Factually I do know that in early 2024 563 caused some lineside fires and a spark arrestor was to be added before it could return to active service – so it may be a combination of reasons has been responsible for it being a rare sight in recent months. Today it is so wet that the chance of a lineside fire even without a spark arrestor must be close to nil!

Operations on the Day

I join the 10:40 train at Norden (the station closest to Wareham and where there is extensive parking as there is no longer a service to and from Wareham unlike my last [undocumented] visit, aided by the service being 5 minutes or so late as the timing was a bit close!

South of Corfe Castle there is a rising gradient of 1 in 80 heading towards Swanage and the loco briefly loses her footing on the damp rails and slips but it is soon brought under control. The steam service operates between 5 and 10 minutes late for the rest of the day whilst I am travelling and this imposes a similar delay on the diesel service as they cross at Harmans Cross.

At Swanage there is a rapid run around and we head back along the line and with a load of five well occupied coaches the locomotive certainly seems to be able to cope well. We do not get any later – although it is steadily getting wetter. I hop off at Corfe Castle to take some photos and then take the return trip to Swanage where this time I leave the station to go to the nearby overbridge to be able to take some photos as it departs on the 12:40 service. As 563 departs a brake van trip also leaves the other platform which to my mind does not enhance the photographs – but in reality a sunny day is needed for that.

I take the next diesel service to Corfe and await 563 arriving from Swanage for some final photos then take the service to Norden where I leave the train and after some final photos head for home.

Costs / Ticket Checks

£27.50 for the line rover plus £4 for parking – with a need to return to the car to put the ticket in the window. Ticket checked on the first train but no further inspections thereafter.

Rolling Stock

Mark 1s throughout. A number of toilets were out of use – that may have just been my bad luck – the stock on this line has a problem in that they do not have any significant under cover storage. A few years ago there was a plan to provide a facility at the Wytch Farm oil facility at Furzebrook which had closed for rail extraction being replaced by pipelines. However the site is protected by various conservation laws and the planning permission for the site required the removal of the rail facilities when no longer needed and no new permission could be granted to the railway for much needed coach storage (and potentially locomotive works which are currently “off-railway”. So stock maintenance is very difficult for the line.

Summary

Bluebell Railway 20.8.24

27 August 202421 August 2024 by admin

The last documented trip I made to the Bluebell Railway was some ten years ago at the very start of this record. This time around I was accompanied by my grandson, Max, who has been with me on some other undocumented outings to railways down the years. I did make a brief visit in 2015 but only travelled over part of the line and for once did not feel welcomed as they were unable to easily sell me the right tickets.

The initial plan was to do the entire trip by rail as I did last time – after all if the line runs to East Grinstead then making use of the National Rail connection means no driving. However someone, somewhere has not realised that to do so a decent service is needed. An unlikely two minute connection at Redhill (given the GWR operation to that point) and a rather stupid hourly only service to East Grinstead off-peak giving a very poor connections at both East Croydon and at East Grinstead mean that driving is vastly more attractive – when are the TOCs going to realise that leisure travel means having proper off peak timetables again – after all it now dominates. So we arrive by car at Sheffield Park – just like the vast majority of my other visits over the years

In steam are Sir Archibald Sinclair and Camelot. The first is hauling our 10:30 departure from Sheffield Park which is the Mark I rake. We travel up to East Grinstead and then return to Horsted Keynes. With Max being older (and costing me full fare!!) I can point out the meaning of the gradient posts and the different styles of the stations from the eras they represent as well as the replacement brickwork on platform 5 at Horsted Keynes and the branch to Haywards Heath.

At Horsted Keynes we cross the platform to where the second rake of much older vehicles is waiting behind Camelot and I choose to travel in LC&DR 114 which is the oldest vehicle running today.

The coach was originally on a six wheel chassis but at present is running on a new four wheel chassis built for its return to operation from a previous life as a cottage in Devon.

Sir Archibald Sinclair has only recently returned to the railway’s available roster and makes light work of the trip. Camelot on the lighter set does sound like it is being worked slightly harder and certainly the ride on four wheels is at points rougher than in a bogie carriage.

Being the school holidays the railway has a decent number of travellers but I would say that it could be busier. Max now travels on an adult ticket whilst at least my fare is a member’s fare and we are on rovers which seems to be the norm these days.

A reminder that the Bluebell is often used for filming – this resides at Horsted Keynes.

After lunch we go into Steam Works and I can introduce Max to Stepney – closing on 150 years old – and amongst others Birch Grove – a loco I would dearly love to see return to service but accept that it is unlikely in my lifetime now. Outside the shed is new build “Beachy Head” – the Atlantic built around an ex-GN boiler which has taken nearly 40 years to go from a bright idea to a locomotive in service. She formally returned to service a few days after we visited the railway – at this time there was the odd wisp of steam so she was being readied for the big day.

London 1.8.24

26 August 20242 August 2024 by admin

Purpose of the trip

Every so often I go to London – in recent years there seems to have been new infrastructure to visit with trips along the Elizabeth Line, the overground extension to Barking Riverside, underground extension to Nine Elms and the new route through Bank where the narrow platform has been abandoned to enable greater capacity (although with Working From Home it may be many years before it is needed).

Today is a little different and my main aim is to travel on Mail Rail – the remnant of the railway that used to run from Paddington in the West to Whitechapel in the East to enable mail to be moved around without adding to London’s traffic.

Among the exhibits is a remnant of a much earlier pneumatic railway with a car from that line which ran between 1863 and 1874 – although with limited success – which has been found in recent times. A lost railway and one of which I was unaware.

The Mail Rail train completes a loop around the remaining network of lines under Mount Pleasant which was a major sorting office with traffic coming from the connected main line rail companies and then rerouted back to the termini for despatch to their destination. Before my trip I had not found a map of the route (so with thanks to Dave Cross) his blog has a map and I would concur that the trip operated around something that felt like that layout.

Being a single traveller I was given a “compartment” to myself at the very rear of the train so could not see along the line – although being underground there is not a lot to see – but then originally passengers were not carried. The train stops at various platforms to enable videos to be played telling the story of the line and how the postal workers moved the mail around between the trains and conveyor belts to platforms or sorting offices and it was pretty continuous with mail volumes so much higher than current levels.

River Thanes — Obligatory view from Blackfriars over the Thames

Having travelled around the line I walked back to Farringdon and caught a Thameslink to Blackfriars and travelled one stop to Monument. Many, many years ago I walked the warren of passages which link Bank and Monument. However since then the Docklands Light Railway has opened and today I wanted to travel on the latter. It is further than I remember – but that could just be my memory!

The DLR has one entry in PSUL and so although I think I have been that way before I travel to Lewisham from Bank to ensure that I cover the curve concerned.

At Lewisham I walk over the the National Rail station and take up residence at the end of platform 1 so that I can photograph the trains as they pass over the crossovers at that end of the station. This enables me to get a decent selection of side shots of the various types operating on SouthEastern. I am highly conscious that I do not have decent side shots of earlier rolling stock showing the underframes – so although there is far less visible detail these days I now should be able to find an example of just about all classes in the photos – one advantage of digital is that there is minimal cost whilst historically every shutter press had a significant cost.

Finally having upset the station staff by my presence (I was ordered away from the end of the platform) I catch a train into Waterloo East. I believe we run to time but it strikes me as very slow as we trundle into London Bridge. Then the peak timetable only offers a half hourly service to Farnborough – which feels frankly like not enough given the way the car park is filling up these days – it is more occupied than it was before the additional deck was put in place and we had a better service then.

Quick before it Goes 26.3.24

2 April 202427 March 2024 by admin

Purpose of the trip

Most of my trips are designed around visiting rail routes not previously covered – which in some ways is true of today. However the main attraction today is that at the end of the week the Tilbury – Gravesend ferry is to be withdrawn – and so a day has been devised around that journey.

Back in the latter half of the seventies I had a week commuting to Southend and thought that I had planned the week to cover all possible routes to and from London to what was then the town of Southend and which now has City status. My records (created years later) show that this may not be the case or that my memory is faulty – so the plan ensures the track is covered.

The plan for today is:

Dep Time	Hcode	Route	Arr Time	Railmiles	NRT
0842	1O61	Sandhurst to Guildford	0908	14mi 25ch	14.25
0934	2P26	Guildford to Waterloo	1016	30 mi 1 ch	30.25
		Jubilee line to West Ham		7mi 41ch
1102	2R84	West Ham to Grays	1127	15mi 48ch	15.75
1148	2D26	Grays to Tilbury	1151	1mi 62ch	1.75
1203		Bus
1230		Tilbury - Gravesend	12??
1242		Gravesend - Tilbury	12??
		Bus	1318
1320	2D32	Tilbury - Southend Central	1354	20mi 16ch	20.25
		Southend Pier Railway (rtn)			2.5
1511	2D57	Southend Central - West Ham	1616	40mi 66ch	41
		Jubilee line to Waterloo		7mi 41ch
1700	1P53	Waterloo - Guildford	1733	30mi 1 ch	30.25
1744	1V57	Guildford - Sandhurst	1811	14mi 25ch	14.25
				182mi 6ch	167.75

Notes:
Railmiles excludes bus, water and Pier Railway miles
NRT excludes Jubilee line, water, bus and Pier Railway

As before my thanks to Real Time Trains for the material in the links.

Operations on the Day

Sandhurst – Waterloo

I attempt to buy a ticket from the Guard on the GWR service to Guildford. Their ticket machines only issue floppy paper tickets which do not work on TfL gates so as ever a polite refusal. Luckily because of the appalling GWR timetable I have time to go to the ticket office at Guildford. The continuing problem where by a ticket issued at Guildford station (commencing at Sandhurst) does NOT open the ticket gates at Guildford continues. I am sure this is capable of being fixed but obviously we are on NGAD railway once again. Having re-entered the station we have an on time run to Waterloo.

Jubilee Line

Down into the depths of Waterloo and take the Jubilee line to West Ham where I am regularly advised that the lifts are not functioning. There is time to take some photographs of the stock operating through the station. Not much to say about the Jubilee line apart from it being hard to believe that it simply did not exist when I first came to London. Only the National Rail platforms actually appear to have numbers. Entrance to these platforms is at one end – but c2c prefers to park its outbound shorter trains at the far end of the platforms rather than having a shorter car length stop mid-platform.

West Ham to Grays and thence to Tilbury Town

This route is one of those not shown as having been previously traversed on my records and travelling on it today I admit I have no recollection of it. Along much of the route it is closely tracked by the main line to the Continent – and to show how much it is used only one Javelin set passes by! All that infrastructure and not that many obvious trains! My first train terminates in the bay platform at Grays and there is then a wait for the onward service. This line used to carry a more regular service but that now runs via the line through Ockenden.

This wait is marred by a bunch of young men considering it is their right to abuse the security guard adjacent to the ticket gate stating that one (and maybe more) would be travelling without a ticket and the obviously outnumbered security guard having little choice but to give way. They missed the departure of the train from the bay platform so had to cross over to the far side but the shouting and unpleasant behaviour continued. I journey onward to Grays on a train which has arrived from Chafford Hundreds which I shall visit later.

My ticket says “Tilbury Town or Riverside” – the latter station having closed and vanished in the nineties, with no obvious evidence now remaining that it existed. The line has been replaced by a bus service and there is a group of passengers waiting for the bus – some with cases are obviously going to the International Port adjacent to the ferry terminal from where cruise ships depart. The pier for the ferry to Gravesend is pretty basic in comparison. Whilst Real Time Trains shows departure times for the bus to Riverside and the PA announces where to catch the bus the staff at the station seem unaware of the timetable when asked (by another passenger) and I cannot find a timetable at the bus stop. Not helpful. I do not test my ticket being accepted and instead proffer my bus pass which is accepted without question – or any obvious record.

Tilbury – Gravesend Ferry

Jetstream Tours are the current ferry operator using “Jacob Marley” a 98 person capacity Class IV vessel of catamaran design and smartly transfers the assembled passengers to Gravesend. This moves us smartly across to Gravesend where I remain on board. The passengers are clearly a mix of locals and those travelling for the last time before the service ends and before long we are on the return journey. Uneventful is the best description. I later find that my bus pass would have been valid so someone has made money as I paid £5.50! Once back on the pier head I take some photographs before heading back to the bus – and despite my extended stay I just make it before it sets off on a grand circular tour of the Tilbury area. Not exactly the most desirable area I have visited recently. I have a long wait at Tilbury Town station once reached so it must be lunchtime.

Tilbury Town – Southend Central

A lightly loaded 357 appears for this service and it is largely a pleasant run, much of it Thameside, as we head east to the second destination of the day. It steadily becomes more prosperous as we head through South Essex. Emerging from the station (gates open – no staff visible) there are signs for the seafront and pier and I avoid the new lifts from 2016 on the downward journey – walking down steps is not difficult. Across the road is my planned destination – the Pier and the railway.

The Southend Pier Railway

The track gauge is 3ft and the pier is 1.25 miles long. Those I can see on the pier itself are well wrapped up – so I am taking a return journey (£4). One of the new battery electric units is in use today, the other one is standing spare. These date from 2021 with one of the 1986 diesel trains stored at the pier end allegedly as a “spare” although it cannot see much use. The 1986 and 2021 sets were all built by Severn Lamb. From 1889 to 1978 it operated as a 3′ 6″ gauge electric railway and was then closed until 1986 when it re-opened with the diesel sets following rebuilding.

There are two platforms at the land end (one housing the spare battery electric unit) and a passing place half way along the pier with two platforms at the sea end (one housing the spare diesel set).

A half hourly service was running on the day of my visit and this seems to apply apart from the busiest days. The journey takes about 8 – 10 minutes and so there is only about 5 minutes before the service returns on the quarter hour.

Southend Central – West Ham

I take the new lifts to the town level before wandering back to the station. It is many years since I last visited Southend and like many seaside towns I do not get the feeling it has improved in the interim. Southend Central station platform roofs look like they need attention and the (now) City looks generally depressed. On my return I need to find my ticket as the gateline is now staffed.

My return train is waiting in the bay platform and it retraces my earlier journey as far as Tilbury Town before taking the line through Chafford Hundreds – opened in May 1995 to serve the extensive local housing and Lakeside shopping centre. It is single track on this section and it is my belief that this is likely to have been my first coverage of the line as it was for a while an Upminster – Grays shuttle, calling at the only station, Ockenden and I do not think it featured in my travels. So new track I believe. In 2022/2023, Chafford Hundred Lakeside had 2,127,970 entries and exits, making it the 222^nd most used station in Great Britain. This makes it the busiest single platform station in the UK beating Windsor and Eton Central (1,580,166). With thanks to Railway Data Centre for providing easy access to these numbers.

At West Ham I do not hang around – straight to the Jubilee and onto Waterloo station.

Waterloo – Sandhurst

I just miss the 16:45 departure – I am at the gateline as the train gets the route. So I can snaffle a coffee with the 17:00 is at the adjacent platform and get on board and get comfortable thinking that this last part of the journey will be straightforward and with no worries. Departure time comes and we don’t. The guard comes on the PA. Apparently a member of train crew – namely himself – was on the wrong platform. So a minor mistake is likely to ruin today’s excellent timekeeping.

When we do get underway it is far from the usual whoosh out of Waterloo and running is sedate for some minutes with further time lost. Once we get out of the canyon of buildings along the line it is possible to get a data signal and so I can check train running – and eventually identify that for some reason the service from Redhill is running late, so unless we lose a lot of time the connection will hold. We recover a little of the time lost and once at Guildford the late running train to Reading is confirmed.

Home is reached ten minutes or so late – but much better than my excursion a couple of months ago.

Costs / Ticket Checks

I was uncertain as to running times for the bus/ferry combination so bought a return ticket to Tilbury (£26.75) and from Tilbury to Southend (£7.65) which would have been cheaper as a single ticket. I could have saved £5.50 on the ferry and the only other item was £4 (concession) on the Pier Railway. The rail expenditure was therefore 18.9p per mile – not quite as cheap as other trips.

The only attempt at a ticket check was on the first train where I stopped the guard to try and buy a ticket – he was not seriously checking tickets. Gates at Southend were open on arrival. At Tilbury Town the gateline was working as it was at Waterloo. Only Guildford station gates refused to work for the ticket and this is a long standing nuisance.

Rolling Stock

165 on GWR service, 444 on Portsmouth line, 357 on the c2c services. 720s were seen on the c2c lines but none presented for travel on the designated services. The 357 fleet started entering service between 1999 and 2002 so most of them are in good condition. The 357 are part of the Electrostar fleet and so comparable to similar units elsewhere on the network. Nothing unusual.

Summary

The day worked well – all objectives achieved and return home almost on time without serious concerns.

Reboot – 2024 – A New Start

8 February 202414 January 2024 by admin

Having now been retired about 10 years the changes in the last couple of years have brought about a change in thinking. When I retired I started getting out and about for a few months until getting involved with other activities.

During covid thoughts turned to undertaking a railrover – indeed planned and booked until a rail strike was called. Some 18 months or so later that threat has receded and so one is planned – but even so there are large parts of the rail network never visited. So 2024 and a reboot. There will be visits around the rail network – circular trips where ticket validity allows or pricing has some impact. Whilst the old Southern Region was covered a long time ago the aim is to try and see much of the rest of the rail network.

So this old repository has been repurposed and is being rebuilt for the reboot.

Swanage Railway

8 February 202412 July 2014 by admin

Back in about 1971 or thereabouts I attended a very early meeting to preserve the Swanage Railway. Sadly at the time my finances and resources were insufficient to maintain my involvement and membership lapsed a long time ago. There have been infrequent visits and of course the big news is that plans are now being put in place for re-opening to Wareham and a commuter service from Autumn 2015.

My outing commences with a class 444 as far as Winchester. My first ride in this direction in a long time. Although unable to see the identification we pass a new Colas Rail locomotive. In the fields the corn is ripening. There is huge clearance of the bank at Winchfield. There are new housing estates visible at most towns until Basingstoke.

Another class 444 from Winchester to Wareham. The growth of container traffic is evidenced by the changes at Southampton plus the various new loco stabling facilities. Our train loses a little time approaching Bournemouth.

At Wareham I can stand in the sun until the bus comes. A very helpful bus driver who makes sure I can find Norden station – my previous arrivals have been by car as this station was created to keep cars out of Corfe and Swanage and to encourage use of the train service. I just about make the 12:40 departure which consists of Class 33 6515 (which has now been named Lt Jenny Lewis RN; she was the daughter of one of the owning group; sadly she was the first UK Naval servicewoman to lose her life whilst on active service) plus 3 coaches.

At this time the Swanage runs an interesting timetable with two trains in service, one diesel headed and the other by a steam loco. The website normally identifies the locos in service but I remained in ignorance of the other one until we reach Harmas Cross where the trains cross on this timetable – to find it is Bulleid Pacific 34028 “Eddystone” hauling the steam service. 34028 is coming to the end of her ten year boiler ticket and is due for withdrawal later this year.

I travel through to Swanage and head for the Bird’s Nest Cafe for lunch which is a sausage in a brown bap. Service speed is not high (for the cafe) and the diesel departs before I can get more photos. More interestingly 60103 “Tornado” is on a visit to the Railway and I walk around to the overbridge at the end of the stations to obtain a photo – the first time I have seen the newest UK steam locomotive.

Finally I join the steam service with 34028 plus 5 coaches back to Norden. Loco runs round and I return to Corfe Castle and an ice cream.

Bus is late and at Wareham I can see the train in the station. Run like mad. Make the train and drop into a seat. On my way home.

Kent and East Sussex Railway

8 February 202426 June 2014 by admin

Time to go to deepest, darkest Kent, on another bright, sunny day. Oddly the K&ESR was visited as recently as August last year so in many respects there is likely to be far less change here than noted on many other recent visits.Start off with South West Trains 444012 on 09:30 ex Farnborough and the wapping sum of £24.70 to Ashford International. And this is the first time that the cost of travelling by public transport exceeds the variable cost of using the car. We live and learn. Once at Waterloo I take the Northern line from Waterloo to Warren Street then Victoria line to Kings Cross St Pancras and head for platform 12 where my train is waiting.

It is reasonably well sign posted to Platform 12 walking under the roads (but it is quite a walk) where I catch 395 009 “Rebecca Adlington”; the service running to Margate. This is my first Javelin trip, although the route is identical to a previous Eurostar trip to Paris (and thence to Nice). London Tunnel 1 is 7.5km (and interestingly is largely directly below the North London line recently visited, the routes splitting soon after Homerton) so a lengthy run before emerging on the approach to Stratford International where another passenger’s bicycle in the doorway prevents an individual joining the coach, leading to an athletic sprint to the next coach. We return into tunnel, this time the snappily named London Tunnel 2, for 10km before we emerge into daylight., shortly before passing under the A13 in the delightful Essex countryside and Dagenham Dock station is to the left. We head across Rainham Marshes partly running alongside domestic services before again descending into another tunnel under the Thames for 2.5km. On the other side of the river we emerge back into daylight and reach Ebbsfleet International. HS1 to Ashford International then passes over the Medway viaduct (1.2km) and under the North Downs (3.2km) and through the Ashford Tunnel at 1.5km before arriving at Ashford International.

Time to change the mode of transport and it is eventually a Stagecoach bus running late and costing £6 return to Tenterden and a gentle walk down to the station in the sun. This week there is a special offer – a “Pensioner’s Treat” of £10 for a Rover ticket; so this cuts the cost slightly!

Tenterden signal box on the day of this visit is in the charge of a female signaller who is also responsible for the manual opening and closing of the gates over the line to the car park (or the line to Rolvenden depending on how you look at it). This requires a walk to and from the box by her in uniform but without (I am pleased to record) a hi-viz jacket. And indeed unlike some railways there are no hi-viz jackets worn by other operational staff. A nice touch.

Ex-BR Pannier tank 1638 is in charge. An interesting loco as it is built in 1951 to a design which dated back about 80 years at that point. The engine has often operated in an unauthentic GWR green livery (although given the history of the design one can understand why). At present however it is in plain BR black which may not be as attractive but certainly feels good.

It is a busy day on the railway – we are told by the trolley staff that there are 40 diners being served in the restaurant and wandering along the five coaches just before departure there are not many empty seats.

51571 & 50971 form the heritage DMU service which we pass at Wittersham Road, which only has a platform on the north side of the line, so the DMU heading eastwards does not stop. This is operating the two non steam return trips of the day and both are clearly identified as such not only on the timetable but also on the train departure boards at each station. Nice touch.

This being a Col Stephens Railway time keeping does not seem important as we drift through the afternoon and along the line to Bodiam arriving close to the time shown as departure. As ever Bodiam Castle has a wonderful presence to the north of the line. Many travellers disembark but there are significant numbers waiting to join having visited the castle and if anything the return trip is heavier.

At Rolvenden there is the opportunity as we pass to inspect the new carriage shed to the north of the line. On the visit last August this was simply cleared land. Now new pointwork and track runs alongside the running line and then there are points acting in kickback fashion into the newly erected carriage shed with access from the western end. There are as yet no tracks inside the building but the sleepers and rails are waiting outside the shed to be positioned and another railway will soon have proper protection for its passenger rolling stock.

Time for the reverse journey from Tenterden! The bus proves slightly difficult to catch – and turns into a mainly school bus service as we race around the Kent countryside visiting some small villages before reaching Ashford almost back on time. Javelin 395016 ex Ashford Int., runs to time but there appear to be no rubbish bins on Southeastern (either trains or station; I suppose we are still afraid of bombs), so I am well into the Underground before one is found – inevitably full! – before I can dispose of a coffee cup. For the return Underground journey I go via the Victoria line then changing at Oxford Circus to the Bakerloo. This turns out to be a same level walk though, no stairs or walkways, much the fastest link between two lines!

I manage to catch 17:53 ex Waterloo to Basingstoke – a 12 coach 450 formed working. Had I managed to catch the traditional service departure from Ashford International at 16:33 I would have been at Waterloo East (theoretically) at 17:50. So catching the 17:53 would probably not have been possible (nor the purchase of a magazine at W H Smiths) – but the High Speed line is not the only way to go. Reach Farnborough on time at 18:39. A good day out.

Talyllyn Railway

8 February 202412 June 2014 by admin

A visit was made to Tywyn and the Talyllyn Railway on 12 June 2014 specifically to ride on the Victorian Train, a special operation allowing passengers to travel on the original TR (and other) coaches. It is a blisteringly hot day and it will probably turn out that this is summer for the year! £25 each but it is not a simple return trip today.

Many years since my last visit – and the station buildings have undergone a significant extension – vertically upwards – since then. Sympathetically done this has provided additional office space and allowed extension of the cafe area and shop which occupy the ground floor. This rebuilding took place in 2003/4. Passenger numbers reached around 100k in 1973 but the last 30 years has seen many other railways open and now about 45k are carried each year.

Once on the platform we meet our train of the day headed by No 2 Dolgoch which was built in 1866 by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. The coaches in use on the Victorian train were TR nos 2, 3, 4 and 5 – the brake van containing the ticket window from where tickets were sold in the early years of the preservation era. All vehicles date from 1866/7 with no 4 coming from the Lancaster Wagon Co, the others from Brown, Marshalls and Co. Also in the formation were a Corris Railway third, numbered 8 when on the CR, but is now Talyllyn number 17 and Glyn Valley Tramway no 14 of 1892.

There is a warm staff welcome at Tywyn Wharf where one can cross the line without a hi-viz jacket to take a picture on the sunny side. All of the platforms are on the north side of the line and there are no doors on the southern side of the line; so getting a photograph with the sun shining on the locos is never easy. Good patronage but we are encouraged to take seats anywhere in the formation and also to move around at the various stops to try the different coaches (although all are fairly spartan I would suggest).

Our first stop is Rhydyronen where Dolgoch sets back to allow a runpast – and all of the photographers again cross the line (with approval) to obtain decent photographs. Whilst most passengers travel the entire line there is an adjacent caravan and camping park. We continue up the line to Dolgoch Falls station and here we have two special treats. First Dolgoch takes water from the original water source via a pretty basic route (a wooden u shaped channel) from an old water tank. Then Dolgoch sets back twice onto the bridge over the Nant Dolgoch stream to commence a couple of run throughs enabling pictures in the green wooded area.

On my first visit to this line Abergynolwyn was the operating limit as we approach the station we can see No7 “Tom Rolt” waiting for us to clear the line so that the service train can return to to Tywyn. No 7 was built by the railway using parts from another locomotive. However no longer buffer stops here and we continue through to Nant Gwernol. A service provided on this Victorian Train is for a volunteer to join various coaches and to tell us some of the history of the line; in this case pointing out the the incline down to Nant Gwernol village; the links to the Rev Awdry stories many of the early ones being closely linked to the Railway and also stories the former Abergynolwyn catering manageress. A pleasant and welcome variation from a simple train ride. Go and read the Four Little Engines! Our train runs on up to Nant Gwernol, the opening of which in 1976 required an Act of Parliament to allow extension of passenger working beyond Abergynolwyn stipulated in the original legislation. Dolgoch runs round and we then run back to Abergynolwyn where the passengers take lunch. The Ioco and train stand in the loop, away from the platform.

Whilst we are sitting in the sunshine No 6 Douglas passes through Abergynolwyn on the other service train. The loco has been with the Talyllyn since 1954 but dates from 1918, built by Andrew Barclay and fitted with a new boiler in 1995.

Once the service train has gone our driver consults on sequence of moves required at Abergynolwyn as it would appear he has not worked this before (I think this was the first or second run of 2014 for the Victorian Train). Eventually Dolgoch runs round the train but it remains in the loop. The crew of 3 (there is a trainee given instructions on the crew operated ground frame) finally get a cold toasted sandwich which they had ordered on arrival!

Douglas returns from Nant Gwernol with the service train and stables in the loop at the western end of the platform to enable the Victorian train to pull into the eastern end of the platform and we rejoin the train again moving around as before. Our special train heads for Nant Gwernol again (I said earlier this was not a simple return journey) whilst the service train returns to Tywyn.

At Nant Gwernol Dolgoch runs round and then takes the train back to Abergynolwyn.

A major development since my last visit was opened in May 2013 by Timothy West and Prunella Scales. This is “The Guest House” a carriage storage facility at Quarry Siding made possible by a bequest by a former driver, Phil Guest who has served on the line from 1969 until his passing in 2008. Like many other railways storing all stock in a dry location had not been possible and this additional facility will mean looking after the Victorian and other stock will be much easier in the future.

Our journey back to Tywyn is interrupted by a stop at Brynglas for a final photo opportunity before we pass down the rest of the line. Unlike at least one of my earlier visits to the line our progress is not delayed by a trespassing sheep. I can remember one trip being at a very slow pace as the sheep progressed and could not be encouraged off of the line and no gap could be found for the sheep to return to the adjacent field.

The attraction at Tywyn Wharf is no longer the train but a scone plus jam and cream, a cup of tea and some cake.

Heartily recommended.

Welsh Highland Railway

8 February 202410 June 2014 by admin

On the WHR traffic was being confidently handled by 138 &143 the NGG16 2-6-2+2-6-2T Garratt locos bought from the South Africa Railways to operate the line in 1997 Built by Beyer Peacock in 1958, 143 was the last Garratt narrow gauge loco built by Beyer Peacock being delivered in 1958. The WHR is also completely coal fired again.

The Welsh Highland Railway is running a more intensive service towards the end of the week but at the point we travelled the line there were two round trips, one from each end. Later in the week this extended to 2 1/2 round trips with the locos starting at the other end each day.

In many respects this is a “new” railway, travelling from Porthmadog it follows the alignment of the old line through to Dinas it is fair to say that the line was rebuilt from nothing.

The line runs out of Porthmadog in the opposite direction to the Ffestiniog generally heading north. There is a flat crossing with the National Rail line (currently non-operational due to the closure of Pont Brivet) and we pass the other Welsh Highland – the WH Heritage Railway which lies on the left hand side passing their terminus at Pen-y-mount. On this section we bowl along at a respectable speed as the line is either level or only a very slight gradient, stopping at Pont Croesor. This continues until we take a sharp left turn at what was Croesor Junction, the old Croesor Tramway continuing ahead. Afon Glaslyn is alongside to the left and shortly before Nantmor Halt we commence a more serious climbing passing through the Aberglaslyn tunnels.

This is the most scenically attractive section of the route as we are in the Pass of Aberglaslyn with rails, road and river close together. Between the railway and river is a restored pathway with many walkers and photographers observing our progress. Through Goat Tunnel and into Beddgelert station for a welcome breather. We are now at the bottom of a continuous climb at around 1 in 50. This section of the route is not easy as twice we turn back on ourselves as we climb – with sharp curves as well, once before Meillionen and once after. Just before the summit at 648ft above sea level there is a good view of Snowdon – as usual the top is lost in the clouds.

We pause at Rhy Ddu which was the terminus from Caernarfon for some time until the line was opened. It is a lot easier for the locomotive and crew now. Today we are behind No 138 which has performed well on the climb. We pass 143 which is operating the other service. Rather than the heavily wooded countryside we passed through earlier this is rather more bleak as we look at the lower slopes of Snowdon but as descend the landscape softens. Dinas houses the locomotive and carriage works for the West Highland Railway and there are clearly significant facilities here as we pass the Locomotive shed as we run into the station and then pass the carriage shed as we leave, the loco having taken on coal loaded by a mechanical digger.

The original Welsh Highland ended at Dinas with a connection into the Caernarfon to Afon Wen branch. The new railway however has adopted the old track bed and we continue onwards into Caernarfon coming to a rest at the temporary station almost in the shadow of the walls of the Castle. Indeed it has now been announced that a more permanent station is to be built to replace the temporary structure. Dinas to Caernarfon had been converted to a cycle path after closure of the rail line and some re-alignment of the latter has allowed the rail route to be re-instated.

There is one drawback to this one train each way timetable – we only just about have time to consume lunch in a pub before returning and no time to explore Caernarfon. Oddly I have been to the castle before – and there is not a lot to it. A return to be arranged once that new station is built. Even better if the line is extended through the tunnel under the town and there is continuing talk that for £40m a narrow gauge line could run to Bangor along the route of the standard gauge line closed in 1970.
The return working is even better. The clouds have lifted and the sun is shining and it is now possible to see the summit of Snowdon from the train. Pity we did not plan a day out visiting it!