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Oh I have been waiting SO long to use the post title 'Branchlines Of Desire' but on trips I've made in the past year I've not really had the chance to use it effectively. Yesterday I managed to get the chance to do it.
Past few weeks I've wanted to get out and about but things kinda got in the way. and September looks like a Rail wipeout for me with maybe only a small number of miles. So I did what I like and planned.
I've now got about 2 further trips planned for Greater Anglia and it's branchlines. with I think 2 or 3 more to plan.
On to yesterday's report I hear you cry.
A very early start for me meant I was in East Croydon Station to get the 9R06 Gatwick Airport to Bedford train (700116 non winner). It was a bit of a snap decision to be fair as I was going to wait for the diverted Hastings to London Bridge train. Once on, I thought about the Elizabeth line (I have to plan a day once it has opened fully to cover the whole thing. (Thought: about getting a minimum of 5 miles per 345 using the Lizzy Line)). I had originally planned to change at London Bridge and catch the Jubilee line to Stratford to start my Anglian Adventure, but it occurred to me that I could change at Farringdon and get the whole 0m 57ch in to Liverpool Street. I've never done the interchange there so was a bit apprehensive that I may not have enough time. I need not have worried as it took me about 8 minutes to cover doors open on Thameslink to sat on a 345. It may take a little longer with SWMBO as we may have to use the lifts but even then maybe 15 minutes should be more than enough to do it casually.
Of course photos were taken of the station. 9U16 Paddington to Abbey Wood was formed by 345015 - Winner. At Liverpool street it was a bit longer interchange I estimated about 12 minutes from door open to standing in front of the Liverpool Street Departures board and location my train. It also left me enough time to go grab lunch for later and have a look around to see what was in.
First on the list 1F10 Liverpool Street to Braintree 720529 Winner and cleared for 5 miles. the train was almost empty and it gave me a chance to look around it (a review will follow sometime soon). At Braintree I had time to have a small look at the station take some photos and board the same unit as 1F31 Braintree to Liverpool Street for the return with quite a few more people on it.
Braintree Branch ✔
Witham was my change point and as all the Braintree trains depart and arrive on platform 1 I crossed to platform 2 for 2F24 Liverpool Street to Colchester Town (formerly known as St. Botolph's it was renamed in 1991) 720511 (winner and cleared for 5 miles) doing the honours for this one. It's an interesting little station and if passenger numbers increased substantially there may even be scope to reintroduce a second platform. Departing on 720511 on 2F25 Colchester Town to Colchester gave me more track then I crossed back to platform 2 for the next leg of my trip.
Expecting a 720 I was pleasantly surprised with a pair of "Dusty Bins" forming 1N16 Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea. 321319, 321323 both winners and both cleared for 5 miles. I managed to find a seat amongst the throngs of day trippers with dogs, loud kids and cases.
Clacton-on-Sea station reeks of a station that, in it's heyday, had a lot more passengers than today. There are sidings on the right as you approach with a couple of extra roads at the station that housed a pair of 321s. There are four platforms but I cannot imagine that all are in use at the same time, but maybe during the Clacton Air show. Strangely you're made to wait to board your train by gates the guard opens and closed. I've not seen this done in years. Back on the the Dusty Bins as far as Thorpe Le Soken. I think I'll write something up about my thoughts on this station.
Clacton-on-Sea branch ✔
2F32 Colchester to Walton-on-Naze rolled in as a 4car 321330 another winner and cleared for 5 miles. Walton has a wide platform but only one and the station building is rather new. A couple of nice looking booklets were free at the station on walks from the Essex station. Well worth getting a copy of them if you can.
Walton-on-Naze branch ✔
Back on the Dusty Bin to Thorpe Le Soken where I crossed over to catch 1N37 Clacton-on-Sea to Liverpool Street 720555, 720549 both winners and both cleared for 5 miles. Had I stayed on the train from Walton I would have had to change at Colchester and arrived in to Liverpool Street at 14:15 but because I changed I'd be in Liverpool Street at 13:30 meaning I could indeed get an earlier train to Stansted Airport. And that's what I did.
1B72 Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport formed of 745101 which was a winner and cleared for 5 miles whisked me there in time to be able to transfer on to a train to Audley End. 2K76 Stansted Airport to Norwich was a bi-modal unit, 755406. I've only had two 755s for haulage and 406 was one of them.
I alighted at Audley End and I have to be honest at 15:00 there is nothing there or to do. Luckily I only had 20 minutes there. In rolled 720567 working 2H41 Cambridge North to Liverpool Street. It was a winner and cleared for 5 miles. Whilst on my trip down to London I formulated a plan to get a couple more units in before heading home.
Stansted Triangle ✔ (I want to do it in reverse one of these days).
I arrived in at 16:16 and had planned to catch a couple of class 710s. First up was 710107, 710122 on 2U56 Liverpool Street to Seven Sisters both winners and both cleared for 5 miles. Then the return units were 710262, 710128 on 2D47 Cheshunt to Liverpool Street. 262 was a winner and cleared for 5miles.
Back at Liverpool Street I decided to catch Crossrail and Thameslink back. Down the tunnels I went and caught 345016 working 9Y43 Abbey Wood to Paddington a winner, then at Farringdon I go a little lucky when 700025 appeared on 9T49 Bedford to Brighton train. Not a winner but I did clear it for 20 miles.
From East Croydon I boarded 2J50 Caterham to Streatham train 377316 being a strange single unit for service.
All in all a darn good day.