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The plan was simple. A trip along the Bidston line but as usual something came up – A Weather Warning! So a even simpler trip was planned in to do the Sheringham line and complete East Anglian lines.
Bold = Haulage, RED = Winner, All others are sightings.
Due to some engineering works on Thameslink the first choice of train from Croydon was the 05:54.
9S00 East Croydon to Farringdon 700124 non winner [12m 11ch]
Then downstairs (well escalators) to the Elizabeth Line. When the Lizzie line was being built I couldn’t see how it would benefit me but since then I have used it a lot to/from both Liverpool Street and Paddington.
9U19 Farringdon to Liverpool Street 345007 non winner [0m 57ch]
Thankfully I had enough time to have a little look around what stock was in the station and pop to Greggs for the now traditional Sausage and Bacon Roll with Brown Sauce of course. The inbound service was a couple of minutes later but nothing significant.
1P06 Liverpool Street to Norwich 745004 winner [114m 69ch]
It was a lovely quiet trip up and was on time all the way through. I really do like the cl.745s and as they are pretty similar, the cl. 755s as well.
At Norwich I had a good while before my next train. So I wandered out of the station and took a photo or two then back in to the station to see what was about. I noted my train would be on platform 5 so I took wander there for a few ore photos. Once the doors were released then I boarded and got settled down.
2S12 Norwich to Cromer 755402 755402 winner [26m 52ch]
We set off on time. So far so good. At North Walsham we left about a minute late and ground to a halt. The reason: Signal equipment failure norther thereof. The poor OBS/Guard announced that the train would terminate at Cromer and there would be a bus to Sheringham. A very audible sigh resonated around the carriage and highly likely the whole train. A look at Real Time Trains showed that the previous train made it to Sheringham with only a slight delay.
2S11 Cromer to Norwich 755402 non winner [26m 52ch]
While on this one I formulated a plan to maybe get up to Doncaster then on to Grantham to meet the wife. At Norwich the train pulled in alongside the next Sheringham. I asked the guard if he was heading all the way through to Sheringham and he confirmed. I was lured in to a false sense of security!
2S16 Norwich to North Walsham 755420 winner [15m 77ch]
Excellent I thought and off we went … At North Walsham the poor guard announced the train was terminating at Cromer again. I got off straight away and waited for the next train back to Norwich. Infuriatingly the train I would board had come from Sheringham!
2S13 North Walsham to Norwich 755331 winner [15m 77ch]
It was at this point I decided the only course of action was cider! Back in to Norwich and I decided against a ‘Spoons but went to ‘ The Compleat Angler’ instead. A very good meal and a pint went down very well. Back to the station and a bit of a sit on the platforms and await my train to Ipswich. Also it was amusing seeing two snowploughs (ADB965209, ADB965208) there in the blistering sunshine.
1P49 Norwich to Ipswich 745006 winner [47m 17ch]
This one picked up a delay on the way to Ipswich as well. A rather nice surprise at the sidings on the up side heading in to the station awaited me. 90040 which I have been after seeing for many, many years. Somehow I think I did see it back in the 80s but I never wrote it down, but there is was in its red livery.
1P51 Ipswich to Colchester 745008 winner [17m 07ch]
This was also a bit late but it didn’t really phase me.
1P53 Colchester to Liverpool Street 746107
At Liverpool Street I headed for the Elizabeth line so I could go up to Kings Cross amd meet the wife.
9T69 Liverpool Street to Farringdon 345018 winner [0m 57ch]
Taking my time, I got on to the platform and waited for the very next train to St Pancras International. Using Trasky I saw one on the approach. It appears the headcode had not changed.
3M52 Farrington to St Pancras International 700018 non winner [m ch]
While sat on the platforms at Kings Cross waiting for her train to arrive I realised that apart from some of the 379s I have already seen everything that comes in and out of Kings Cross. Once she arrived and we had a bite to eat we went back to get a train home but of course it wasn’t that easy!
Thameslink was having a lot of problems and this meant a number of cancellations. So instead of getting a train from St Pancras to Croydon we went to London Bridge.
9T69 St Pancras International to London Bridge 700018 non winner [m ch]
We had a little time at London Bridge and was amused by the chap who had had more than enough to drink and was staggering about. Luckily a member of staff was watching him. Then it was on to the last train of the day.
2J69 London Bridge to Selhurst 377624, 377614 non winners [11m 02ch]