This Site
Copyright
It's a little branch line operted by a little train and it's wonderful.
Bold = Haulage, RED = Winner, All others are sightings.
I've had this trip in the notebook for some siderable time. I've rechecked and amended it repeatedly over the years and this weekend I finally took the bull by the horns and did it.
I had decided to leave early and aim for the 08:02 out of Marylebone but it didn't quite end up like that.
2B03 Selhurst to Victoria 377442, 377468 non winners [9m 31ch] got me to Victoria at 06:40. Then it was the walk to the Victoria line and then 11056 from Victoria to Oxford Circus. Changing on the the Bakerloo line from Oxford Circus 3533 up to Marylebone. I expected to have a fairly long wait there for my train in which I planned to grab a bit to eat and indulge on a little Chiltern DMU spotting. I actually arrived at 06:55 which allowed me to actually catch
1R10 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street 168002, 169326 winners [111m 56ch].
It was a good trip up and the Chiltern line is a nice one and it's so much better than the WCML from Euston.
Birmingham Moor Street is a treat of a station. It mixes the old brown and cream of the GWR with the modern traction, lifts and indicator boards. I'll write a station review one of these days.
The next train was going to take me over some new track.
2V24 Birmingham Moor Street to Stourbridge Junction 172334, 172001 172334 winner [12m 46ch].
Birmingham Snow Hill to Stourbridge Junction ✅
Now comes the part I have been wanting to do for a very long time. The line is just 62 chains long and is considered to be the shortist line in Britain and is also considered to be the shortest in Europe with a daily service. I feel another article coming on about the line. The line is operated solely by the Class 139.
The moves for the line were thus;
2P55 Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town 139002 winner [0m 62ch]
2P56 Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction 139002 non winner [0m62ch]
2P57 Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town 139002 winner [0m 62ch]
2P76 Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction 139002 non winner [0m62ch]
I can honestly say the Wetherspoons is a nice one and literally only 5 minute walk from the station.
Back at Stourbridge Junction I decided that I would make my way back in to Birmingham.
I'd like to say here that I've only been between Moor Street and Snow Hill on two previous occations and consideering the size of the class 172 fleet I find it quite a downer that I get non winners for haulage. But that's what happened again.
2S53 Stourbridge Junction to Birmingham Moor Street 172335, 172004 172004 winner [12m 46ch].
I popped out of the station to grab a bottle of water and chocolate bar for the train home. I'd worked out a bit of loco haulage on the way back.
1H64 Birmingham Moor Street to Marylebone 68009 + AL03 Winners [111m 56ch].
All was going ok until just outside Marylebone when we stopped in the tunnel and was told that the unit in front was having 'Technical difficulties' whiched caused us to arrive in 8 minutes late.
From there I managed to get over to Victoria thus
Marylebone to Oxford Circus 4363
Oxford Circus to Victoria 11049
Then home on 2B02 Victoria to Selhurst 377424, 377145 non winners [9m 31]