Robert's Blog

The first time I have used this blog in ages, but given recent events I thought it best to revive this and return it to its previous and original intention - things that have happened to me!!! I should preface this with two facts - one of which is a disclosure A) I had been supposed to have been invited to one of the launch events by David Horne - the head honcho at LNER (I know and talk to quite a few people at the company as well as other TOCs), but seems that the comms team forgot about it B) The last part of this blog post was done on a complimentary trip from LNER On Wednesday 15th May, I went to Doncaster to see for myself the first "in-service" runs of LNER's new Azuma train. As expected, there was a large number of enthusiasts, camera crews, some reporters and ordinary members of the public there to catch a glimpse of the new unit. Mobile phones and laptops were consulted for up to the minute position reports via various websites and friends on the train

Well, after waiting since their last service train last year, the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway started their 2018 on a cold and dreary 10th February. The weather was terrible which was a shame really as the social media team there had done their very best in order to get lots of people excited and "keyed up" for the weekend - so it was a shame to have, at least at one point, sub zero temperatures, howling wind and endless amounts of pouring rain. That being said, I arrived at Lakeside station for the first train of the 2018 season well ahead of time and purchased the first ticket of the year - perhaps a BLS record! I had expected " Effie " to haul the service given that the first day might not have a lot of people, but the railway put on a rake of 5 coaches and a miniature LNER 04 Class No.6284. After talking to the driver and guard and catching up with all the new things they had done during the closed period, the pair of them vanished and re

After arriving at the station via a previously unknown National Express service between Hull and Cleethorpes (it goes to London) and a quick hop on a local Stagecoach, I purchased an All Day Ticket  at Lakeside Station and went to the platform where the coaching stock was being prepared. Unusually, this was a train formed of just four coaches and the reason was made clear when the train's loco for the day came down from the shed - Effie making a rare appearance... At least it was for me! I made myself known to the driver who remembered me from past visits and to the guard who seemed friendly indeed. Departure was prompt at 10:50 from Platform 3 (1 and 2 are OOU most of the time and used for storing coaching stock and only really used when there are major events on) for the first run of the day to Kingsway. We stopped at the loco sheds though to allow a small party of people to get off there to work on engines and other items. Upon restarting, it was discovered Ef

The day started off well for me with a good cup of tea and some french toast - known to me for all my life as "eggy bread" - before having my dad take me to the station in plenty of time to pick up my Northern Day Ranger. I headed to Platform 2 for 2R82 0902 Hull to York which, this day, had Class 142 142012 in charge. This has become a booked pacer turn as it was once a Pacer turn, then a 155 turn, back to a Pacer, then a 156 diagram before ending up as a 158 run. The return to it being a 142 run is very much welcomed by me! After arriving at Selby, I got off and watched the unit disappear into the distance to finish its journey to York There was then a 12 minute wait on the adjacent Platform 3 until 2W69 0954 Selby to Huddersfield set off in the charge of Class 144 144009 and Class 153 153307 - the 144 was leading on this service. The run in was good until Bradley Junction (I believe) when the train started riding the brakes for a quarter mile until the signal p