Scotland 27 February 2010
If you have read some of the earlier trip report you may have gathered that in February each year a large model railway exhibition takes place each year in the SECC. A trip is normally arranged to Scotland to visit. The exhibition is generally followed by some track bashing or loco bashing before the journey home. The trip normally involves a group of enthusiast friends meeting up talking about the days when proper train ran and generally taking the **** out of each other which generally involves haven’t you got fat, old, grey, bald (insert suitable unsuitable comment).
With us now getting somewhat older in years the trip involves those of us who have offspring bringing them along. This generally adds to the entertainment as during the day you here some of the quotes “Isn’t that Scotrail 170 hellfire!!!” you have to correct them, you just can’t stop yourself. ”No it is isn’t, if it was based at Inverness was pained in BR large logo with a Stag and Highland Rail under the drivers window, was fitted with snowploughs and sounded like a tractor it would be hellfire. Class 170s are not hellfire, neither are 158s 156s 334s or any other type of plastic that now operates in Scotland. The 67s on the Fife Commuter trains are the nearest thing there is left in Scotland that is hellfire”.
Point of clarification: The previous statement of course excludes 37401 and 37425 which are currently on snowplough duties at Aberdeen and Inverness, which last time I checked are still in Scotland and these locos are of course remain hellfire as they are both ex Eastfield machines (Mary Queen of Scots and Concrete Bob). Albeit one is no longer large logo and both are missing a West Highland terrier on the side and has a strange Welsh name (never let members of the public pick locomotive names).
This trip is generally a good laugh and a chance to catch up with old friends. The trip normally takes place on the Friday as travel is better and not affected by engineering works. Last year’s trip turned into a bit of a disaster, the first time in 30 years I have not managed to get home on a train and Virgin Trains had to provide a taxi to get us home. For the full details of what happened read the trip report from 2009.
I have been deserted this year as number one son is off to London with Mrs Trackbasher to see someone called Lady Gaga at the O2 in London. This leaves me at home with number two son and number one daughter all weekend. The Friday trip was just not possible because of the concert and different school holidays in Wales.
What should we do? We have nothing planned we could either sit in the house all weekend or go the Glasgow on the Saturday. Number two son gets bored very quickly so I have hatched a plan. I will take the laptop and he could watch films if he likes at power is available on Voyagers on West Coast. That will keep him quite for hours. It will be a long day but very possible. It is not helped by engineering works, the line is open on the way up but a trip around the Settle and Carlisle is required on the return.
Scotland has also just had another huge dump of snow today (2 days before). Of well we got round between Christmas and New Year. What is the worst thing that can happen? How wrong can it go? It can't be worse than last year can it?
To be continued...........
The Plan
| Saturday 27/02/2010 | | |
| | |
| Abergavenny | 06:19 | ATW |
| Crewe | 08:25 | |
| 09:09 | VT |
| Carlisle | 11:01 | |
| 11:09 | TPE |
| Glasgow Ctl | 12:32 | |
| 12:58 | SR |
| Exhibition Ctr | 13:01 | |
| 15:32 | SR |
| Glasgow Ctl | 15:35 | |
| 16:00 | VT |
| Preston | 19:48 | |
| 20:04 | VT |
| Crewe | 20:45 | |
| 21:11 | ATW |
| Abergavenny | 23:19 | |
Saturday 27th February 2010
The year had ended up as a very poor turnout with other people having other commitments and I was the sole representative of the team.
It was very early start leaving home at 05:00 for the drive to Abergavenny. We arrived slightly earlier than planned and we are in time for the previous train due at 06:02 to Holyhead. Rather than sit in the cold we join the train and plan to leave at Shrewsbury and wait for the Manchester train we have intended to travel on. A quick check of the timetable and it was possible to make the journey via Chester and Warrington. The scheduled arrival time in Warrington was 09:16 and there was a 09:14 to Glasgow which would give a 40 minutes earlier arrival than planned. This must be worth a shot a minus 2 connection. The London – Glasgow only needs to be 5 minutes late and it’s made.  |
| The view from our Class 185 |
Arriva Trains Wales are very rarely late and today that is the case however regrettably on this occasion so are Virgin Trains and we are back on the train we have to catch at Crewe from Warrington. We have to make a further change at Carlisle onto Trans Pennine Express. I am not a great fan of class 221s but the class 185s are not best suited to this route and although comfortable they are more noisy than Voyagers. The set we join is 2 x 3 car and we manage to join the section without the refreshment trolley. No tea for this section of the journey.
The journey across both Shap Fell and Beattock are both spectacular as they have a dusting of snow on the tops.
We arrive in Glasgow a little early so it is a quick trot downstairs to the low level platforms and a slightly earlier than planned arrival in Exhibition Centre.  |
| The armadillo at the SECC |
The exhibition is good as normal. What was very strange walking down to the hall at the SECC is that a teenage Goth convention appears to be taking place and they are lining the walls of the corridors between the halls. Very strange don’t know what this was all about is this what Goths in Glasgow do for entertainment on a Saturday afternoon? Answers on a postcard or sealed down envelope.
After a couple of hours the other two members of the team are getting a bit bored and want to head back to Glasgow for slap up gourmet food. We can’t find any so it’s off the Burger King. I am sadly disappointed, no gourmet food so it’s a selection of nuggets, burger and onion rings.
I notice there is a 15:40 to Carlisle in front of the 16:00 we are planning to catch. This is a  |
| 390038 in arrival at Carlisle |
Pendolino which are slightly better the travel on than Voyagers so we elect to catch this to Carlisle and wait for the train we had planned to catch.
The journey down the Settle and Carlisle is light as Appleby with rather a nice sunset. After that it is dark. The train also covers the line between Hellifield and Clitheroe which normally does not have a passenger service. Number one son has missed this one so is going to have to return at some point in the future.
The signaller manages to turn the potentially early arrival at Preston into a late one by standing outside in Ribble Yard for 15 minutes waiting for a platform. We have a less than leisurely walk between platforms and just make the 20:04 to Crewe. I notice the train we have arrived on has become the 20:17 to Birmingham. In my opinion this is a very strange choice by Virgin they could have offered a through train from Glasgow and Birmingham but instead have two trains Glasgow – Preston and Preston – Birmingham where customers think they have a change or trains. They are the railway professionals and obviously know best.
Another Pendolino and we await the arrival of the 175 back to Abergavenny. This arrives on time and heads out of Crewe on time and takes us back to Abergavenny on time.
This was a very uneventful day with everything going to plan. Another very enjoyable day and the second snowy trip to Scotland in the last 2 months.
Traction Log:
| Abergavenny - Chester | 175110 |
| Chester - Warrington BQ | 175109 |
| Warrington BQ - Carlilse | 221109 |
| Carlisle - Glasgow Ctl | 185108+185121 |
| Glasgow Ctl LL - Exhibition Ctr | 334004 |
| Exhibition Ctr - Glasgow Ctl LL | 334013 |
| Glasgow Ctl - Carlisle | 390038 |
| Carlisle - Hellifield - Blackburn - Preston | 221114 |
| Preston - Crewe | 390007 |
| Crewe - Abergavenny | 175010 |