A Day on the Trans Pennine Express 31/01/20

Friday 31/01/2020

With the Class 68 diesel's finally getting out in numbers on the Liverpool to Scarborough services (4 diagrams at present) I thought it was about time I sampled them - and of course drank some beer!
A work colleague sent me the info on which locos were working at about 0530 including the news that my last class 91 loco, 91121, was working into Leeds this morning.
I worked out a move to get me to Doncaster for the 91, however while on the bus into town I found out that Northern had now cancelled the train from Meadowhall to Doncaster, so I headed to Wakefield to have the 91 from there to Leeds. I did the free bus from Wakefield Kirkgate station to Wakefield Westgate station where I saw there was an 0754 to Doncaster which gave me a plus 6 minutes onto 91121. I decided that if the train was another 91 (not a new Azuma unit) then I would risk this move & when 91106 rolled in I boarded. I made it at Doncaster no problem & enjoyed 91121 back into Leeds.

195002 Barnsley - Wakefield Kirkgate 0720 Barnsley - Leeds 11m
Bus       Wakefield Kirkgate - Wakefield Westgate
91106   Wakefield Westgate - Doncaster  0741 Leeds - Kings X 20m
91121   Doncaster - Leeds 0633 Kings X - Leeds 30m

Time for a celebratory pint of Leeds Pale 3.8% (which I rated 3.75 on UnTappd) in the Wetherspoons on Leeds station then my first Class 68 of the day.

68031 Leeds - York 0754 Liverpool - Scarborough  26m

Still ten minutes until the York Tap on the station opened so 1/2 a pint of Doom Bar (which I rated 3.5 on UnTappd) in the Duke of York, also on the station, as it was a new pub for me. Then the short walk next door into the Tap where the choices are plentiful - I opted for a Fraoch Heather Ale 4.9% (which I rated 3.75 on UnTappd).
Fraoch Heather Ale
68023 at York

 68023 York - Lea Green 0934 Scarborough - Liverpool  91m

Time for lunch in another winner pub for me, the Bull and Dog just outside the station at Lea Green. I had a Chicken Caesar salad washed down by a pint of Charles Wells Bombardier 4.1% (which I rated 3.5 on UnTappd). No complaints - except for the weather as it was now bucketing down with rain, I had to stand in front of the ticket office for shelter until the train rolled into the platform.

68023 Lea Green - Garforth 1254 Liverpool - Scarborough 73m

A handy plus 12 minutes here for the train back
68025 at Garforth

 68025 Garforth - Stalybridge 1334 Scarborough - Liverpool  43m



Time for my main break of the day, I've never been drinking outside the station in Stalybridge.
First the Q Inn just under the railway bridge where I had a Hyde's Lowry 4.7% (which I rated 3.5 on UnTappd)
The Q Inn
The supposed next stop had no Real Ale so a few more steps to the White House where I received a friendly welcome & there were 6 beers to choose from - I tried a Stalybridge brewery Stalybridge Gold 3.6% (which I rated 4.0 on UnTappd) much to the amusement of the locals who said there's no gold in Stalybridge! A nice pint nonetheless. Back round to the station to the famous Stalybridge Buffet Bar where there may well have been a recent Salopian brewery tap takeover as many of their beers were on - I had a new beer for me Salopian Kalon 4.5% (which I rated 3.75 on UnTappd)
Stalybridge Buffet Bar (car park entrance)

 68019 Stalybridge - York 1554 Liverpool - Scarborough  61m

I was intending to go through to Malton to try the Brass Castle brewery Tap but the extra beer time in York won me over. I was very surprised to see a pump clip as I passed the Longboat (Table Table) so as it was a new pub I had Adnams Sloe Storm 4.0% (which I rated 3.0 on UnTappd) not in good nick but still ok.
Adnams Sloe Storm
Over the road to the Punch Bowl where (when I eventually manged to get served) the excellent Saltaire Triple Chocoholic 4.8% was my choice (which I rated 4.25 on UnTappd). Then back to the station to the Tap for a Totally Brewed Papa Jangles Voodoo Stout 4.5% (which I rated 3.75 on UnTappd)

68031  York - Leeds 1834 Scarborough - Manchester Victoria 26m
Unit     Leeds - Barnsley 2004 Leeds - Sheffield 25m

Just time for a nightcap in the Joseph Bramagh before my bus home of Brains The Rev.James original 4.5% (which I rated 4.0 on UnTappd) I still remember trying this the first day it was ever sold, at a beer festival in Swansea many years ago.
Overall a good day, it's great that in this day and age you can still get new diesels which are loud and enjoyable to travel behind. Perhaps I will try a few hostelries in Liverpool next time?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

John Sandham, a Tribute

Image
It was with great sadness and shock that I heard, on Sunday 9th May 2021, of the untimely death of John "Zuzzy Hell" Sandham. He was running for a train at Cardiff Central station, Unit bashing, when he sadly had a heart attack & Died - doing what he loved most, Trains. John with only ONE bag shocker! Stockport 10/04/82. Photo used with courtesy of fgrsimon Though known to most of the UK's Bashing fraternity from at least the early 80's, if not before, I only got to know John from early 1987 when we were both solidly bashing Crompton's on the Southern. As one of those few who were regularly out daily, like myself, we would often share a Compo on the overnight moves. Woking Tea party If we were on the 2238 Weymouth to Waterloo we would nip to John's house for a quick cup of tea before going back to the station for the 0245 ex Waterloo to Portsmouth & Southsea. Similarly if we did the 2345 out to Woking we would have a few cuppa's and relax at his ho
Read more

First trip to the Fatherland - Germany 26/08 to 02/09 1989

Image
Our first ever trip to Germany, a three pronged attack on the Diesels of DB by myself (Poodle) Steve Thomas (Neath) & John "Zuzzy Hell" Sandham. The holder of the Kursbuch and therefore chief planner honours fell to Neath, even though he was only of tender years (but just old enough to drink - which made up for it).With the remit of as many diesel locos and new lines during daylight hours then the odd electric to get in place for the overnight.(New locos again denoted by #). Friday 25/08/1989 No boring tales of crossing the channel - an afternoon boat from Dover must have been taken as we were on the last departure from Ostend. 2751#        Ostend - Aachen Hbf                 2030 Ostend - Hamburg Altona     280km Saturday 26/08/1989 Straight through on the overnight, we were all well used to doing (somewhat shorter) overnights behind class 33's here in the UK. 110 302#   Aachen Hbf - Hamburg Hbf      2030 Ostend - Hamburg Altona     521km 218 335)#  Hamburg Hbf - Lub
Read more

Germany 03/02 to 07/02 1996 "Berlin or Bust"

Image
A single manned trip to DB land, main aim of this trip to get to Berlin behind a pair of 218's. As usual # denotes new loco. The overnight ferry, now departing from Ramsgate, was as usual the booked outward move, with probably a couple of beers in the Titanic bar in Ostend before sleeping my way across Belgium. Saturday 03/02/96 2728            Oostende - Aachen 0634  Oostende -  Köln 280km 110 263#  Aachen -  Köln   0634  Oostende -  Köln 70km Only one piece of new track to aim at today, so mainly a case of working my way south towards my overnight, covering as many diesel diagrams on the way as possible. 218 130    Köln - K öln Hansaring 0940 Gummersbach - K.Hansaring 1km 143 258#  K öln Hansaring -  K öln 1050  K öln Hansaring - Au 1km 215 038#  K öln - Euskirchen 1114  K öln Deutz - Trier 40km 215 094# Euskirchen - Bonn 1159  Euskirchen - Bonn 34km Time to drop further down the Rhine & cover the diagrams on the Kreuzberg & Emmelshausen branches. 110 419   Bonn - Remagen
Read more