2. Journey home-10.12.19

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2019 > 84. Christmas visit to mum & Sharon's-07-10.12.19 > 2. Journey home-10.12.19

The journey home from Frome via Bristol and Birmingham. This included our first Avanti West Coast trip, not the most auspicious experience!

Click here to search The Archive Files

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.

166214, GW 08.52 Weymouth-Gloucester (2V88, RT), Frome station
In torrential rain and swirling wind, 166214 arrives at Frome station working the 08.52 Weymouth to Gloucester 2V88 service. My wife and I took this train as far as Bristol Temple Meads as the first leg of or journey home to Milton Keynes. Out of use for decades, the former down platform at Frome station is still extant, seen to the left of this image.
Keywords: 166214 08.52 Weymouth-Gloucester 2V88 From station Turbo Great Western Railway

37099, stabled NR test train, Bristol Temple Meads station
On arrival at Bristol Temple Meads, Colas 37099 'Merl Evans 1947-2016' was stabled with it Network Rail test train to the north of the station. Despite some searching of the national timetable, I was unable to identify when this left temple Meads and where it was heading. 37099 was named after the model maker Bachmann’s former Head of Research and Development who died in the summer of 2016. The naming ceremony took place at Derby station in December 2016 attended by members if Merl Evans' family.
Keywords: 37099 stabled NR test train Bristol Temple Meads station Merl Evans 1947-2016 Network rail test train Network measurment train

60163, outward leg of The Bath & Cardiff Christmas Markets, 07.14 London Paddington-Cardiff Central (1Z41) & 800008, GW 09.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads (1C08, 8L), Bristol Temple Meads station
On arrival at Bristol Temple Meads, Peppercorn A1 60163 'Tornado' had just arrived leading The Bath & Cardiff Christmas Markets charter from Paddington. As 1Z41 it travelled via the Berks. and Hants. route to Westbury where it took the east curve to Hawkeridge Junction to then travel down the Avon Valley to Bath where some passenger alighted to enjoy the Bath Christmas market. Those passengers who opted to stay on the train to continue to Cardiff may have regretted their decision as instead of the train leaving the mainline at North Somerset Junction to rejoin the recently re-quadrupled line at Dr. Day's Junction it went into Temple Meads. The reason for this unscheduled move was a failure (or broken down train as the announcer persistently referred to it) somewhere between Filton Abbey Wood and Severn Tunnel Junction. All trains to and from South Wales were subject to very heavy delays and/or cancellations. The charter sat at Temple Meads for about two hours before setting off for Cardiff with 60163 now being towed at the rear with some glum travellers who will have got a lot less time to enjoy the Christmas market than was intended.
Keywords: 60163 The Bath & Cardiff Christmas Markets 07.14 London Paddington-Cardiff Central 1Z41 800008 09.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads 1C08 Bristol Temple Meads station Great Western railway IET Tornado A1 Locomotive Trust WCR West Coast Railway

166215, GW 10.45 Newport-Portsmoth Harbour, cancelled from Cardiff Central (1F11, 45L) & 47802, outward leg of The Bath & Cardiff Christmas Markets, 07.14 London Paddington-Cardiff Central (1Z41), Bristol Temple Meads station
Two trains stand at Bristol Temple Meads station, both delayed by the same cause. A train had failed somewhere west of Filton Abbey Wood (according to the repeated announcements over the station tannoys), I suspect that it could have been in the vicinity of the Severn Tunnel. All trains to and from South Wales were either heavily delayed or actually cancelled. In the case of 166215, it started from Newport instead of Cardiff as the 10.45 1F11 to Portsmouth Harbour, arriving forty-five minutes late. 47802 is waiting to take the heavily delayed Bathe and Cardiff Christmas markets charter on to the Welsh capital having arrived in from Bath and Paddington earlier with 60163 "'Tornado' now attached to the rear. This excursion eventually arrived at Cardiff to deposit its despondent passengers some two hours later than planned.
Keywords: 166215, GW 10.45 Newport-Portsmouth Harbour, cancelled from Cardiff Central (1F11, 45L) & 47802, outward leg of The Bath & Cardiff Christmas Markets, 07.14 London Paddington-Cardiff Central (1Z41), Bristol Temple Meads station

43194, GW 10.00 Cardiff Central-Taunton (2C71, 52L) cancelled from Bristol Temple Meads & 220023, XC 06.44 Newcastle-Plymouth (1V48, 2L), Bristol Temple Meads station
43194 'Oakhampton Castle' leads the extremely late (fifty-two minutes) 10.00 Cardiff to Taunton into Bristol Temple Meads with 220023 coming in alongside forming the 06.44 Newcastle to Plymouth. Whilst the Voyager carried on westwards and arrived only two minutes adrift, the HST was cancelled here at Bristol due to its very late arrival. The cause of the delay to and from South Wales was a failed train in the vicinity of the Severn Tunnel. These Class 255 Castle HST sets look superb with all credit to Great Western for keeping them in use on services replacing DMUs that are many years their junior; it's just a shame about the livery applied to them!
Keywords: 43194, GW 10.00 Cardiff Central-Taunton (2C71, 52L) cancelled from Bristol Temple Meads & 220023, XC 06.44 Newcastle-Plymouth (1V48, 2L), Bristol Temple Meads station Great Western Railway HST Voyager CrossCountry Oakhampton Castle class 255 castle class

150233, GW 11.15 Avonmouth-Bristol Temple Meads (2K17, RT), Bristol Temple Meads station
When I was a young spotter on Temple Meads in the 1970s this service was operated by a couple of Pressed Steel class 117 Bubble Cars, the normal performers being W55032 and W55033. They rolled in and out of this platform exactly as 150233 is doing some forty years later! The Great Western Railway unit is arriving with the 2K17 11.15 from Avonmouth. Note the newly built Grant Thornton building in the background, this was not a feature of Bristol's skyline back in 1978!
Keywords: 150233 11.15 Avonmouth-Bristol Temple Meads (2K17, RT), Bristol Temple Meads station Great Western Railway

221138, XC 10.07 Paignton-Manchester Piccadilly (1M41, 3L), Bristol Temple Meads station
With the demolition of the awful Royal Mail conveyor bridge that linked all platforms of Temple Meads to the adjacent sorting office (now also demolished) the grandeur of the Sir Francis Fox designed 1878 trainshed is revealed in its full glory! Here, 221138 is waiting at the station working the 10.07 Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly. My wife and I took this train from Bristol to Birmingham New Street as the second leg of our journey home from the West Country.
Keywords: 221138 10.07 Paignton-Manchester Piccadilly (1M41, 3L), Bristol Temple Meads station Voyager CrossCountry Trains

350112, LN 13.22 Wolverhampton-Walsall (2A29, RT) & 350249, LN 12.05 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston, ran as 12.16 ex Liverpool South Parkway (9Y12, 8L), Birmingham New Street station
Inside the darkness of the 'new' New Street station two London Northwestern Desiros stand side by side at platforms one and two. To the left, 350112 will soon depart with the 13.22 Wolverhampton to Walsall local. Meanwhile, 350249 is just getting underway forming the 12.05 Liverpool Lime Street to Euston that today ran as the 12.16 from Liverpool South Parkway. All trains in and out of Liverpool Lime Street were delayed due to problems with signalling leading to services terminating early and starting from other stations.
Keywords: 350112 13.22 Wolverhampton-Walsall 2A29 350249 12.05 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston 12.16 ex Liverpool South Parkway 9Y12 Birmingham New Street station Desiro London North Western Railway

221104, VT 10.00 Glasgow Central-London Euston (9M53, 20L), Milton Keynes Central station
Having travelled down from Birmingham New Street on 221104 'Sir John Franklin' it is seen at Milton Keynes station pausing with the 9M53 10.00 Glasgow Central to Euston. The Voyager is still familiar in its Virgin Trains colours but minus any branding as the train is now operated by Avanti West Coast, something that the train manager struggled with repeatedly referring to the train as being operated by Virgin in the tannoy; not surprising really as he will have been doing this for many years! Far to early to tell yet, but nothing was different than it would have been two days earlier!
Keywords: 221104 10.00 Glasgow Central-London Euston 9M53 Milton Keynes Central station Voyager Avanti West Coast Sir John Franklin

Nose cone, 221104, VT 10.00 Glasgow Central-London Euston (9M53, 20L), Milton Keynes Central station
The nose of 222104 'Sir John Franklin' at Milton Keynes Central station while it pauses working the Avanti West Coast 10.00 Glasgow central to Euston service. The cast Virgin plate has been removed but the outline of the letters can still be seen in the undercoat acting as a reminder of its previous and well-regarded operator.
Keywords: Nose cone 221104, VT 10.00 Glasgow Central-London Euston 9M53 Milton Keynes Central station Voyager Avanti West Coast Sir John Franklin

All tickets, Milton Keynes Central-Frome-Milton Keynes Central
For a one hundred and seventy-six-mile return journey across the country, a total of TWENTY tickets were printed! Whilst twelve were the tickets for the actual trains, the rest were seat reservations, receipts and the like. Even the revenue collection teams onboard and a stations just waved us through rather than trying to sort them. What utter madness....I can say no more!
Keywords: All tickets, Milton Keynes Central-Frome-Milton Keynes Central

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.