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UK Trip: Monday 22nd October 2012
Day 6:
This day hadn't been fully fleshed out in the planning process of this trip, but I had an aspiration to travel on the Open Access Operators from Kings Cross and do the Sleeper train from Aberdeen.
Therefore it was an early alarm clock call from my hotel in SW London to get to Kings Cross for the 0720 Kings Cross - Hull, Hull Trains service formed of 180109. The 180 lived up the dire performance of the class and was failed in Hull upon arrival. Grand Central 180101 was on hand to replace it for the 1030 back to London.
Decision time on what to do for the rest of the day and where to spend the night. Aberdeen looked a good option and I went to the Travel Centre to book a berth for the Sleeper to London. The people of Hull mustn’t book many sleeping car berths as it took about 10 minutes to find and complete the booking, unlike in Birmingham NS on Wednesday where the booking was completed in a matter of minutes.
Sleeping Car booked and RAIL and Rail Express purchased from WH Smith I boarded a busy 170302 for the sprint to Selby. Being engrossed in my W.H. Smith purchases, the Conductor sent me into a panic when he announced we were arriving into Selby. Cue me throwing stuff into my bag to get ready to leave the train. He then corrects himself and says it Brough we are calling at. Relax and keep on reading for another few minutes.
From Selby to York I got a rather shabby (interior) Northern 158 to York to await the arrival of Grand Central's 1123 London - Sunderland. A surprise sight was 60009 Union of South Africa making an appearance not long after I arrived.
Waiting on platform 9 at York I was delighted to see the GC was an HST, only the rear Power Car was working and the most unlikely looking train driver ever - I wasn't complaining though :)
Never being to Sunderland before I had heard many stories about the station. They weren't wrong. It is a bad as Birmingham New Street. I got the next Metro to Newcastle for a 91 to Edinburgh and a busy peak hour 3 car 170 to Aberdeen.
The sleeper was already in the platform when I arrived with 67007 at the helm. After a walk around the town I boarded the sleeper and settled down for the evening with the alarm set for 0710 to get ready for the London arrival at 0743. Little did I know at the time at 0710 I would only be at Shap Summit. More of that in Tuesday's gallery
Read MoreThis day hadn't been fully fleshed out in the planning process of this trip, but I had an aspiration to travel on the Open Access Operators from Kings Cross and do the Sleeper train from Aberdeen.
Therefore it was an early alarm clock call from my hotel in SW London to get to Kings Cross for the 0720 Kings Cross - Hull, Hull Trains service formed of 180109. The 180 lived up the dire performance of the class and was failed in Hull upon arrival. Grand Central 180101 was on hand to replace it for the 1030 back to London.
Decision time on what to do for the rest of the day and where to spend the night. Aberdeen looked a good option and I went to the Travel Centre to book a berth for the Sleeper to London. The people of Hull mustn’t book many sleeping car berths as it took about 10 minutes to find and complete the booking, unlike in Birmingham NS on Wednesday where the booking was completed in a matter of minutes.
Sleeping Car booked and RAIL and Rail Express purchased from WH Smith I boarded a busy 170302 for the sprint to Selby. Being engrossed in my W.H. Smith purchases, the Conductor sent me into a panic when he announced we were arriving into Selby. Cue me throwing stuff into my bag to get ready to leave the train. He then corrects himself and says it Brough we are calling at. Relax and keep on reading for another few minutes.
From Selby to York I got a rather shabby (interior) Northern 158 to York to await the arrival of Grand Central's 1123 London - Sunderland. A surprise sight was 60009 Union of South Africa making an appearance not long after I arrived.
Waiting on platform 9 at York I was delighted to see the GC was an HST, only the rear Power Car was working and the most unlikely looking train driver ever - I wasn't complaining though :)
Never being to Sunderland before I had heard many stories about the station. They weren't wrong. It is a bad as Birmingham New Street. I got the next Metro to Newcastle for a 91 to Edinburgh and a busy peak hour 3 car 170 to Aberdeen.
The sleeper was already in the platform when I arrived with 67007 at the helm. After a walk around the town I boarded the sleeper and settled down for the evening with the alarm set for 0710 to get ready for the London arrival at 0743. Little did I know at the time at 0710 I would only be at Shap Summit. More of that in Tuesday's gallery
