Quick before it Goes 26.3.24

by
Southend Pier Train
Southend Pier Train

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  However the main attraction today is that at the end of the week the Tilbury – Gravesend ferry is to be withdrawn – and so a day has been devised around that journey.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 TimeHcodeRouteArr TimeRailmilesNRT
08421O61Sandhurst to Guildford090814mi 25ch14.25
09342P26Guildford to Waterloo101630 mi 1 ch30.25
Jubilee line to West Ham7mi 41ch
11022R84West Ham to Grays112715mi 48ch15.75
11482D26Grays to Tilbury11511mi 62ch1.75
1203Bus
1230Tilbury - Gravesend12??
1242Gravesend - Tilbury12??
Bus1318
13202D32Tilbury - Southend Central135420mi 16ch20.25
Southend Pier Railway (rtn)2.5
15112D57Southend Central - West Ham 161640mi 66ch41
Jubilee line to Waterloo7mi 41ch
17001P53Waterloo - Guildford173330mi 1 ch30.25
17441V57Guildford - Sandhurst181114mi 25ch14.25
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 Ferry
Tilbury Ferry

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 222nd 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.

Ever Increasing Circles 27.2.24

by
Curve to St Albans Abbey line at Watford

Purpose of the trip

The underlying aim of the plan was to cover four sections of track which I do not believe I have previously travelled – for a variety of reasons.

The plan was as follows:

HcodeDep timeRouteArr timeNRTRailmiles
1V390907Blackwater to Reading093013.513mi 16ch
1D180948Reading (9) to Oxford (4)101527.527mi 31ch
1Y291019Oxford (2) to Princes Risborough (2)105730.530mi 39ch
2A231132Princes Risborough (1) to Aylesbury (1)11487.57mi 17ch
2V251156Aylesbury to Aylesbury Vale Parkway12032.752mi 25ch
2C401213Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Marylebone131940.541mi 13ch
2F231518Euston (11) to Watford Jn (11)153917.517mi 5 ch
2K411600Watford Jn (8) to Bletchley (3)163829.2529 mi 20 ch
2S231645Bletchley (6) to Bedford (1A)172716.7516mi 17ch
1H481741Bedford (2) to St Pancras18224949mi 53ch
1B311918Paddington (4) to Reading (8)19413635mi 70ch
1O881954Reading (4) to Blackwater201213.513mi 16ch
284.25283mi 2ch

I should thank Real Time Trains for the ability to record the services used in the linked documents.

Oxford – Bicester

I had covered this when it was a freight only line, presumably on a railtour, but had never traversed the chord at Bicester linking the cross country line to the line towards London enabling a service between Marylebone and Oxford (operated by Chiltern) which became fully operational in 2016.  A slightly tight connection at Oxford was some concern before the day but was made with ease.  The journey certainly seemed to be enjoying good patronage – with the obvious attraction of Bicester Village on the line.

Princes Risborough – Aylesbury

This stretch of line being “new” is open to question as I have a feeling I did attempt to cover it at some point – but do not have any record of doing so.  My service is held up outside Princes Risborough and I later discover that the main route between Aylesbury and London Marylebone is not running smoothly.  I have arrived over 30 minutes before the onward journey and that period here enables some photos to be taken as trains are passing in all directions.  There are significant works on this line as it has been raised to enable HS2 to pass underneath and the landscape currently shows significant earthworks in progress in all directions.

Aylesbury to Aylesbury Vale Parkway

The service was extended here from Aylesbury in 2008 and I had been Aylesbury and over the line northwards, again on a railtour, many years ago but the station had not been visited.  There is a lot of new development around the terminus but in terms of passengers from Aylesbury beside myself there was a couple and a dog.  I assume it is busier at other times.

Euston to Watford Jn

The track concerned here is covered once a day and it is the curve from the main line to Watford Junction platform 11 which is used by the shuttle to St Albans Abbey throughout the day – with a daily unit changeover being organised by running this service from London Euston into platform 11 – so having previously covered the branch I leave once the curve has been traversed and head into the main station to catch a stopping train northwards towards Milton Keynes.

Bletchley – Bedford

Further up I referred to four pieces of track – and this is a fifth!  I do not believe that this covered any new track – but Bedford St Johns was relocated in 1984 onto the curve into Bedford station and therefore there is an additional station which was not there previously.  For a line that has been closed for a significant period it is noticeable that passengers numbers were indicating decent usage and the Bedford St John’s station was where the majority of remaining passengers alighted as it is presumably closer to the town centre.

Operations on the Day

For most of the day the services ran largely as anticipated.  1Y29 was late into Princes Risborough no doubt due to diverted services from Aylesbury using the route to London.

2C40 the train from Aylesbury to London Marylebone was also diverted via Princes Risborough – I was quite surprised to be back on the branch line I had left not much earlier retracing my steps and running over the old GC/GWR route!  The direct route distance (shown above) is 41mi 13ch.  Via the actual route it 45mi 64ch so adding 4mi 51ch to the distance travelled today.  However as the link notes with zero stops we actually arrived 1 minute early into Marylebone.  At the latter station there was  no indication of any disruption and no announcements so presumably the problems had been fixed.  However it appears that the problem is actually a significant earth slip.  Quite how the displays at Marylebone were not reporting this I am not sure – as this was ongoing for some time.

1H48 was a service from Corby to St Pancras and was running late due to a train fault earlier in the journey.  I had hopes that as it had already recovered some time before  reaching Bedford that it would recover more on the run into London but presumably as the path had been lost it eventually ended up losing more time.  I already knew the potential connection into the service from Paddington was tight and it is a long walk from EMR trains to the Hammersmith and City line station.  The ticket opened the gate but the hoped for service was leaving the platform as I reached it.  It is also a long walk at Paddington from the Hammersmith and City platforms and whilst I am sure I used to use the footbridge with signs to the relevant platforms that all appears to be closed at present (with the exception of Heathrow Express) and so it is a long walk to the concourse.  The ticket did not open the gate at Paddington and in retrospect that was because the train I now intended to catch – 1W36 – which runs to Great Malvern – is one of those which is not permitted on Off Peak Days returns (p7) restriction.  I showed the ticket to the man on the gate and he let me through – which was nice.  Indeed having rechecked the restrictions I note that the originally planned 19:18 departure (see above) is also banned!  Naughty!  In reality I do wonder if these restrictions out of Paddington need to be reconsidered, although I cannot deny that the Great Malvern was fairly full close to the rear I suspect the front coaches had a lot of seats.

Overall the original train home was achieved so no real problems.

Tickets and Cost

When I was planning the day out I had great difficulty with the tickets.  No-one believes that Sandhurst residents want to go to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and so there is no fare via the route I wished to take – the only approved route is via London, even though it is probably shorter via Oxford!  Split Tickets indicate that the solution is a day return Sandhurst to Wokingham and a day return from there to Aylesbury Vale Parkway which as “any permitted route” allows the outward journey taken – quite why the logic allows a different permitted route from Wokingham is far from obvious.  A number of the ticket offerings were limited to “via London” which could not be over-ridden and so finding the right combination provided a challenge (even if the train out of Paddington was not allowed).  It also opened the gate at St Pancras for the Underground.

The ticket from Euston to Bedford is (and the guard on the service to Bletchley agreed) valid from Euston to Bletchley, although the journey planners tend not to use that route and certainly not with a change of train at Watford Junction – but I did not leave the station so it is not really a break of journey.

Tickets were actually bought from GWR and SWR this time around as follows

Blackwater – Wokingham Off Peak Day Return £4.80
Wokingham – Aylesbury Vale Parkway Off Peak Day Return £24.75
Euston (actually Underground Zone 1 & 2) – Bedford Off Peak Day Return £22.30

So total costs of £51.85 so around 18p per mile – not as cheap as the previous trip but that was aided by Advance tickets which tend not to be available on shorter journeys such as this.  If I had travelled via London from Sandhurst the cost would have been less – but only by about £2.

Ticket Checks

Unusually my ticket was checked before Wokingham.  The next check was on the service to Bletchley and then again on the line to Bedford so kudos to the operator.  No checks at all on Chiltern and the gates were open at Marylebone and again at Euston – which both seem odd.  At Euston the train was announced and I was able to reach the platform but the train itself was not open to passengers – poor given that the time from boarding to departure was not very long.  A ticket check out of Paddington would have shown an illegal journey – so for that I should be grateful!

Rolling Stock

Inevitably a huge mixture.  The GWR Turbos may be getting on a bit but internally and externally they have all bee refreshed in the not too distant past and look in good condition.  The Chiltern Turbos by comparison are equally long in the tooth and certainly internally look it – seat covers generally in poor condition, although as ever it might just be the units I utilised.  The 350 units from Euston were average.  The 150 on the Marston Vale line have been tarted up quite nicely for their revitalisation of the line and no doubt are capable of doing the job for now.  The 360 from Bedford south looked reasonable but again they have recently had a makeover.  Units used are shown on the linked Real Time sheets except for 2F23 (350107), 2K41(350405 & 350127) and 2S23 (150141), all West Midlands Trains operated and who are not as yet providing the data feed I believe.

Summary

Route and objectives achieved.  Return home on time as planned and nothing seriously went wrong – despite one route being closed due to a landslip and another service running late due to a fault.  I have to hope this can be matched on future trips.  By the end of this day I was feeling fairly tired  and I am still not used to lugging around a bag for the entire day – and I know that on a railrover that will be more significant.

Other photos from the day (all a little random) are in this album.

Figure of Eight 7.2.24

by
Gunnislake Terminus
Gunnislake Buffer stop

This is my first planned rail trip of the new series.  I am planning a Railrover later in the year and when doing the planning for that trip fitting in the Gunnislake branch (which I have never travelled) proved very difficult – the service is only two hourly and a plan could not be found so it is going to have to be a one off trip.

The plan is

Dep

Code

Route

Arr

Miles

Railmiles

08:14

1V37

Sandhurst to Reading (5)

08:32

11.5

11m 52ch

09:30

1C74

Reading (7) to Plymouth (5)

12:14

189.75

189m 42ch

12:28

2G79

Plymouth (3) to Gunnislake

13:14

14.5

14m 49ch

13:19

2G80

Gunnislake to Plymouth (3)

14:04

14.5

14m 49ch

14:15

1A88

Plymouth (4) to Exeter St Davids (5)

15:12

52

52m 3ch

15:25

1L60

Exeter St Davids (1) to Woking (2)

18:16

148.25

147m 51ch

18:24

1P57

Woking (4) to Guildford (4)

18:33

5.75

5m 74ch

18:45

1V59

Guildford (5) to Sandhurst

19:11

14.25

14m 25ch

Clicking the train code links through to the Real Time Trains report of the service concerned, for the last one see below.  My thanks to Real Time Trains for the excellent facility they provide.  Tickets were sourced from Split Tickets – see comments at the end.

The starting time is made particularly annoying by the loss of an hour in Reading.  Great Western have failed to realise that the North Downs requires a regular 30 minute interval to all stations and there is a strange timetable which does not even manage hourly repeats throughout the day with an odd minute changing in different hours.  Morning and evening peaks manage a semblance of a 30 minute service – but that needs to extend to the entire day.  So the train arrives as the Plymouth service departs – so an hour’s wait.

Once on board the Plymouth train we get off to half decent start running to time until Hungerford at which time the power drops off and we are slowing, ahead of us 800306 on a Westbury service which had been running early is delayed for some reason and is now delaying our progress and will continue to do so until Heywood Road Junction where it heads off to Westbury station and we take the loop line to Fairwood Junction; we recover a few minutes by Taunton but then remain about 7 minutes late for the rest of the journey to Plymouth.

Here I am pleased to note that the onward connection into Cornwall has been held and as we are due to follow that out of Plymouth the Gunnislake branch train has been held as well.  Smart activity gets those onward into Cornwall across the platform whilst we walk to platform 3 which is bay, although it used to be a through line – now cut with a walkway to the station entrance.  The next train is 150265 which heads initially westwards and then turns north off the main line and starts following the eastern edge of the River Tamar.

Railway Magazine visited the branch and records the line’s origins and features.  I particularly note that as we leave Plymouth the lineside mileage markers decrease as we head towards Waterloo and that our progress is soon limited by the gradients which limit uphill speed.  A reasonable number of people aboard for a lunchtime service – quite a number of children in school uniform whom I presume form an important reason for the line’s retention.  The article refers to an intention that by 2022/3 the service would have been extended over the old Southern alignment to Tavistock.  In 2024 that possibility is even more years away than 5 or 6 as implied then!

Situated at Bere Ferrers is the Tamar Belle using the station and railway land adjacent, I did not have time to stop but perhaps a revisit sometime in the future and no need for a car.

At Bere Alston the train stops and the driver moves to the other end and we head back out curving away from the previous L&SWR line onto an earlier, formerly narrow gauge line.  Mileage count restarts from zero and the route executes a 180 degree turn to the right before about 90 degrees to the left and across the Calstock viaduct following which there are further twists and turns as the line rises to the terminus at Gunnislake.

Destination achieved.

On a fine day I am sure the views are stunning, even today on a typical grey February day the views over the countryside are pretty good and there is a few minutes before the return journey commences as the driver again swaps ends.  The return journey, particularly after Bere Alston is downhill and speeds are therefore much higher than on the outward journey as we return to Plymouth.  Then a further GWR train this time as far as Exeter where I leave the service.

To get the best price for the day I used a split ticket supplier for the first time and the return routing (no doubt because it is slower) is over the former L&SWR via Salisbury and a pair of Class 159s emerges from the sidings.  These units are now starting to show their age – the air conditioning is pretty noisy as are the diesel engines.  We leave slightly retracing our steps before turning left and taking the sharp curves and gradient up to Exeter Central, which for the remainder of my journey is shown on the public display in my coach as the next station.

Ticket checks were experienced after leaving Reading, on the Gunnislake branch and again twice on this service.  As ever it seems that guards on North Downs services are not allowed to get out of the rear cab except at stations).

The figure of 8 comes about because at Farnborough the Exeter train passes over the line from Guildford to Sandhurst and so I disembark at Woking and await a connecting service to Guildford at which point for the first time today it all falls apart as the planned 1V59 has failed and is returning to reading as 5V59 which is not much fun because as already remarked this line has a far from desirable hourly service (and yes I know that is better than the Gunnislake branch BUT the population levels are significantly different!!).  An hour’s wait is therefore mandated by the manadarins at Swindon who know little of commuter territory and how frequent regular half hourly services can be provided.

A polite request is made via “X” (you know Twitter) for additional calls in 1V60 which would enable the stranded to make an earlier return – I doubt Control was even asked or even considered the possibility of making amends for the train failure.  In consequence 1V62 looks the appropriate option.  Tossing a coin I decide to take 1V60 to Blackwater and a hugely expensive taxi.

Fares today totalled (excluding the taxi) £53.85.  The distance covered was 448.50 miles, so the cost was 12p per mile which will be an interesting benchmark for future excursions.  This was an interesting mix of anytime single, advance singles, evening out, off peak day return which I defy any rational individual to actually discover or utilise without an online resource!

One of the reasons for undertaking this trip was also to see how I cope with a long day travelling as I have not pursued such activity for many years.  I could have done with a coffee in Exeter – and by the time I realised that the café facility on platform 1 cannot be accessed from the platform side (so would need finding ticket and so on) or returning to platform 5 I felt time was too limited.  Also the failure of the train from Guildford ruined what otherwise was a sensible day.  I will admit to having a snooze as we travelled between Exeter and Yeovil.  However other aspects were successful and I am sure some better light would have led to more photographs.

 

 

 

Reboot – 2024 – A New Start

by

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

by
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

by
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.

London’s new Outer Circle Line

by
Something different today, there are no preserved railways.

The aim was to take a look at some of the newer services which have been introduced in and around London and also one of the remaining “Parliamentary” services – being run to a limited timetable to provide proof that a line has not closed.

So Farnborough, change at Woking and Clapham Junction.  The London Overground covers a range of services provided by Transport for London being former National Rail services, but reworked to cater for outer circular routes around London to a certain extent.

From Clapham Junction there are now various services over the route to Willesden Junction via Kensington Olympia, with those provided by London Overground using the new 378 multiple units.  The 378/2 are capable of obtaining power by both third rail and overhead supply and the changeover is made on the move just north of the bridge carrying the A40 Westway, once the new Shepherds Bush Westfield shopping centre has been passed on the left.  At Willesden Junction the route is joined by the North London line which once upon a time was a third rail only service from Richmond to Broad Street, but this was altered to terminate at North Woolwich with the closure of Broad Street, then cut back to Stratford in 2006 when the route onwards was closed for conversion for use by the Docklands Light Railway.

I am not going to Stratford just yet however, having reached Willesden Junction I then transferred to the the Bakerloo line on the Underground to go to Paddington Station.

The next train is the one a day Chiltern Railways service from Paddington to Ruislip – not a line I have previously traversed on a service train.  Before leaving Paddington the conductor checks with the travellers that we really want to go to Ruislip – the passengers were myself and a mother and baby.  How they came to be using this unusual service I have no idea as I am sure most passengers are sent to Marylebone.

The unit heads out of Paddington and we come to a halt alongside North Pole depot which is now being redeveloped to be used by the new Intercity Express being built by Hitachi for the GW Main line.  We come to a halt, to wait the passing of an inbound service and then turn right essentially alongside the Central line onto the originally joint GWR/GCR new main line to run to South Ruislip.

Most of the route is parallel to the Central Line past North Acton, Park Royal, Hanger Lane, Greenford, Northolt and then joining the main Chiltern line at South Ruislip, with the train terminating at Ruislip Gardens.  Due to problems with points a freight train was unable to cross in front of us on time at Greenford delaying our progress leading to a late arrival at the two Ruislip stations.

Time to abandon trains and undertake a walk to Ruislip on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines where I wanted the former to take me back towards London and a transfer onto the Jubilee line at Wembley Park where I catch an all stations service to West Hampstead on a train bound for Stratford.

A short walk at West Hampstead re-unites me with the North London line (or London Overground as it is described) and I catch another train bound for Stratford.  I disembark at Gospel Oak as I am about to abandon electricity power and use the non-electrified line often known as “GOBLIN”, which is short for Gospel Oak to Barking line.  At one time the service was St Pancras (or Kentish Town or even Moorgate) to Barking (but earlier East Ham).  The current service was introduced in 1981 when a new connection was provided to Gospel Oak, an earlier one having been closed long ago.  Unloved and unappreciated the line was built for heavy passenger use with very long platforms but the unreliable service and use of old diesels lead to a marked decline.

Once under the control of London Overground from 2007 it has received some attention, with an improved service, station refurbishment (although the ends of the longer platforms are weed infested) and most recently new diesel trains (class 172/0 – two car Turbostar) which together with other modernisation work means that there can now be 8 trains an hour – four passenger and four freight services. And now electrification is finally planned. My first trip shows that passenger loadings (at least off peak) seem similar to the North London Line as we head on a curve around North East London.

Once at Barking, having taken some photos, I rejoin the same unit retracing my steps to Blackhorse Road where an easy link exists to the Victoria line.  This is merely for one stop to the line’s terminus at Walthamstow Central.  A quick cross platform change sees me retracing my steps again back towards Central London as far as Highbury & Islington and the North London Line.  It means that I am now certain I have covered the entire length of the Victoria line.

After having earlier been on a number of trains heading to Stratford I now catch a train heading for that destination and travel all the way there!  Again this is a 378/2 dual voltage running on the overhead as the third rail has been removed from this section.  The whole Stratford area has of course been redeveloped with a new shopping centre and the Olympic Park adjacent plus revised rail and DLR services mentioned earlier.  I head back around the NLL again but note that despite the frequent passenger services there is also a heavy freight presence which is typified by 70020 bringing a train through behind the service train I take.

My destination is again Highbury & Islington where the two northernmost tracks have AC electrification whilst the more southerly pair have DC 750v third rail power supply which originally applied to the entire NLL.  Joining a 378/1 (DC only) unit at platform 2 my NLL journey restarts in Eastward direction again!  This time we pick up the old route through Dalston Junction (same site but new station), Haggerston (new station, north of original station), Hoxton (completely new)  and as trains can no longer run into Broad Street we turn left into Shoreditch High Street (on the site of the long closed Bishopsgate station)  with a new line has been built in an easterly direction to join up with the former Underground line, the old Shoreditch station closing, so we are now on the East London line and pass through the historic Brunel built tunnel under the Thames.

Formerly this line had two termini south of the river – New Cross and New Cross Gate.  London Overground however has extended and the termini are New Cross, Crystal Palace, West Croydon and for me Clapham Junction.  This last section was historically the South London line from London Bridge to Victoria and was originally electrified at 6700v AC in 1909.  London Bridge is being rebuilt which is one reason the services have been re-directed.  However there is clear evidence of demand as the passenger loading into Clapham Junction is high and there is clear evidence that the Overground is bringing much larger passenger numbers into the station.

It is convoluted getting into Clapham Junction, a new link from Surrey Quays to the South London line for Queen’s Road Peckham, running on the southern most pair of tracks to Wandsworth Road, then diverging left at Factory Junction, passing under the main lines out of Victoria, through Longhedge Junction and under the main lines from Waterloo before climbing up, through Ludgate Junction to join platform 2 which is now the southern end of platform 1, whilst the old platform 1 is platform 0 but is completely disused.  Access for the train to platform 2 does not affect trains running into or out of platform 1.

And I can now rejoin an SWT service back to Farnborough.

Talyllyn Railway

by
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

by
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!

Ffestiniog Railway

by
We took a week’s holiday staying in Porthmadog allowed ongoing observation of both FR & WHR between 6 and 13 June 2014.  We actually travelled over the entire Ffestiniog line on Saturday 7 June 2014.

The timetable has four daily return trips to Blaenau Festiniog requiring the two Boston Lodge built locos using the principles of Fairlie’s patent: No 12, David Lloyd George (built in 1992) and No 11, Earl of Merioneth (built in 1979) to complete two return trips. The latter is in longstanding green livery whilst the former is in all over primer grey including the normally polished domes which looks a little odd.  However it has only recently returned to use after a heavy overhaul which included new power bogies (which have a required a £200k investment) so the grey is probably temporary.  It has also been converted to coal firing from oil burning and has acquired taller chimneys.  The railway determined some years ago that oil firing was no longer cost effective and so the locos are being converted back to coal firing on overhaul. The railway is now dependent on the Double Fairlies to operate the heavier services which dominate on the line.

Other locos were noted (possibly in steam) when passing Boston Lodge but identification proved impossible.  Shunting at Porthmadog was sometimes done by the service locomotives but later in the week the diesel Vale of Ffestiniog was seen and heard.

The most notable recent change at Portmadog is the widening of the Cob to provide room both for a new platform 2 which is used by the WHR trains and for a run round loop which is between the new platform and the road.  So the end of the Cob close to Porthmadog is now much wider and means that operating WHR is easier.  A detailed explanation of the works can be found here: http://www.whrsoc.org.uk/WHRProject/maintain/maintain-harbour2.html

On my previous visits to Porthmadog it always seemed to be a permanent traffic jam but the opening of a bypass for through traffic on the A487 in October 2011 has not only made it a nicer town to visit but also allowed the WHR to cross the road as it leaves Porthmadog Harbour station in a northerly direction but the crossing is completely ungated, merely protected by flashing lights and alarms.

Our first trip was on the Ffestiniog using the First Class coach / Observation car 100.  Comfortable and relatively new (built in 2007).  Observing a later train leaving Porthmadog it is surprising how far the steam trail from the locomotive can be seen as it heads towards first Boston Lodge and then Minfordd.  If staying in Porthmadog why not use the train to Minfordd and then walk to Portmeirion?  Eat in Castell Deudraeth at lunchtime and they give you free entry into the village for the afternoon.

The main climb is on the section to Tan-y-bwlch and the line runs through heavily wooded hillsides – the earlier justification of oil firing being to avoid starting fires can be understood.  The heavy storms of recent years can be seen at the moment to have uprooted many trees alongside the route, in addition to which the Forestry Commission is undertaking a lot of logging activity removing mature trees and replanting.  I caught my first Ffestiniog train at Tan-y-Bwlch many years ago, having walked up from the Oakeley Arms at Maentwrog – it does not look very far on the map but is quite an uphill slog!  Being 1975 my journey then was odd – a return to Dduallt and then single to Porthmadog.

The current trip carries onwards to Dduallt but now carries on around the spiral and the Deviation picking up the the original alignment at the top of the Tanygrisiau Reservoir at Tanygrisiau station.  A huge surprise to me was the line sweeping away majestically to the left as we pass through Glanypwll.  Part of the line towards Dinas was relaid in 1997 which allows access via another reverse into the new carriage shed.  Immediately after the junction for that there is a civil engineers yard and the original engine shed on the left has been reroofed and enlarged.

Our service trains now run to the joint station with National Rail which commenced operation on 25 May 1982.

No National connecting train awaits at Blaenau!  After a needed break for the driver, fireman and guard the engine (Earl of Merinoeth) runs round the 8 coaches and we are ready for the return journey which proceeds with slightly less firing activity as we are heading downhill.  Originally the downhill workings would have been gravity powered for the slate wagons and the railway does still demonstrate this from time to time.