Worley on the rails!
Posted: 11 Mar 2007 23:30
Saturday was an important day for me as it was the first time since Toni died that I went to Birmingham. It was also the first day in ages I'd been trainspotting.
I decided pretty late on I was going to go out, and I had no idea where to go. I plumped, in the end, for a move from Stourbridge out to Worcester, skip back to Birmingham via an hour at Bromsgrove, then come home in a big circle. Unfortunately it didn't quite work out that way
Arrive at Stourbridge Town via the 311. See the train depart. Bollocks. Never mind... Approach the ticket office and explain what I want.
It basically involves a Centrocard Daytripper so I can go anywhere in the Centro PTE area. Additionally I want to go out to Worcester and then go on to New Street. Because the line to Birmingham from Stourbridge goes to Birmingham Snow Hill (whereas I want to go to New Street), I can't get a return from Stourbridge to Worcester and return because I won't be valid to travel outside of that route and I want to go from Worcester-Birmingham via Bromsgrove.
Thus I have to buy a ticket from Worcester to Longbridge, which is the first station on the line from Worcester to New Street that is inside the Centrocard zone.
Anyway. The formalities aside, I grab a couple of shots of Stourbridge Town, as always. The usual... Warning signs and the platform etc.
Jump on the Town car up to the Junction at 1243 and, a whole three minute journey later, step off the train. Be reliably informed that the first train to Worcester departs at 1317 and trudge through the subway to platform 3. Note what a nice day it is. Help a couple of people get the right train and settle into a nice photting routine. Take a few of the scenery and get lots of station features in. Notice how many pictures I'm taking that are actually angled. Twat. Anyhow. See a couple of interesting things - mainly a 150 heading onto the Goods loop for later use, and a 150 reversing from platform 3 heading for Birmingham. Not very exciting, you say, but this is Stourbridge Junction...
I jump on the train for Worcester and realise it's a stopper. Hagley and Blakedown both need to be called at. Bollocks again. See some interesting stuff at Kidderminster, including the Severn Valley Railway's Class 08 shunter near the Mainline connection. Arrive into Worcester Shrub Hill just after quarter to two and take full advantage of the fact I'm stuck here for 40 minutes. Well. I was told 40 minutes. This was on the grounds that I walked up to Worcester Foregate Street. While this would add to my repertoire, I want to see the trains that First Great Western supply (on reflection I could have done this at Foregate Street too, but whatever). I make an executive decision, therefore, to get the 1447 from Shrub Hill (lo and behold the exact same unit I got to the place) and bail at Droitwich Spa. I arrive here at 1454 or some god-forsaken hour.
Next train to New Street? 1550 - Oh. Bollocks. While Droitwich Spa station is a beautiful place, which includes a shop that's open - that's a rarity these days! - it's not the most inspiring place to spend an hour. I manage to get a few shots, mainly of the architecture, and the signals at the east end of the platforms. Not perfect, but I live. A 158 turns up vice the 170s that usually operate the Birmingham-Hereford via Bromsgrove services. Exciting - a new unit travelled upon!
I am toying whether to jump at Bromsgrove - I'm not helping myself if I do so, but there is nothing to lose. I do indeed bail at the wonderful little place and, slightly dazed at the lack of facilities, search for a shop to replace batteries. Having done this, I return just as a Voyager passes. Damn. But the next thing through the station is a Class 60 on tanks. This is a great result and well worth the bailing. I get a great video with some awesome stills. I am now satisfied. I get some more phots of architecture and trains, both stopping and passing, and am relatively happy. Jump on the more typical 170 unit to New Street, I remain in a good mood. Change at New Street and grab a Burger King, because no matter what people tell me I'm fat and round and require such comfort.
I head back to the platforms and grab the 1807 for Wolverhampton which, unusually, is a 150 vice the usual 323s. This I find amusing as we pull out of Birmingham, as there are about 10 323s stabled. I jump off at Galton Bridge and run up to the High Level. Photos are assured here - the architecture's nice - but the train turns up immediately. It's full and standing, so I stand - as always. There are plenty of hot women, but these are uninteresting. Despite my original intention to run full circle, I bail two stops short at Cradley Heath, for a bus to Merry Hill. I don't even get what I want there, either.
So there you go.
The day:
Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction
dep 1243 arr 1246 - Class 153 'Super Sprinter' 153381
Stourbridge Junction to Worcester Shrub Hill
dep 1317 arr 1349 - Class 150 'Sprinter' 150231
Worcester Shrub Hill to Droitwich Spa
dep 1447 arr 1459 - Class 150 'Sprinter' 150231
Droitwich Spa to Bromsgrove
dep 1540 arr 1556 - Class 158 'Super Sprinter'
Bromsgrove to Birmingham New Street
dep 1701 arr 1723 - Class 170 'Turbostar' 170503
Birmingham New Street to Smethwick Galton Bridge
dep 1807 arr 1820 - Class 150 'Sprinter'
Smethwick Galton Bridge to Cradley Heath
dep 1823 arr 1837 - Class 150 'Sprinter'
The day's pictures can be found here:
http://www.daveworley.fotopic.net/c1228207.html
A couple of videos at Bromsgrove are here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q4zbXLCUpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmGyVqDrV98
I decided pretty late on I was going to go out, and I had no idea where to go. I plumped, in the end, for a move from Stourbridge out to Worcester, skip back to Birmingham via an hour at Bromsgrove, then come home in a big circle. Unfortunately it didn't quite work out that way
Arrive at Stourbridge Town via the 311. See the train depart. Bollocks. Never mind... Approach the ticket office and explain what I want.
It basically involves a Centrocard Daytripper so I can go anywhere in the Centro PTE area. Additionally I want to go out to Worcester and then go on to New Street. Because the line to Birmingham from Stourbridge goes to Birmingham Snow Hill (whereas I want to go to New Street), I can't get a return from Stourbridge to Worcester and return because I won't be valid to travel outside of that route and I want to go from Worcester-Birmingham via Bromsgrove.
Thus I have to buy a ticket from Worcester to Longbridge, which is the first station on the line from Worcester to New Street that is inside the Centrocard zone.
Anyway. The formalities aside, I grab a couple of shots of Stourbridge Town, as always. The usual... Warning signs and the platform etc.
Jump on the Town car up to the Junction at 1243 and, a whole three minute journey later, step off the train. Be reliably informed that the first train to Worcester departs at 1317 and trudge through the subway to platform 3. Note what a nice day it is. Help a couple of people get the right train and settle into a nice photting routine. Take a few of the scenery and get lots of station features in. Notice how many pictures I'm taking that are actually angled. Twat. Anyhow. See a couple of interesting things - mainly a 150 heading onto the Goods loop for later use, and a 150 reversing from platform 3 heading for Birmingham. Not very exciting, you say, but this is Stourbridge Junction...
I jump on the train for Worcester and realise it's a stopper. Hagley and Blakedown both need to be called at. Bollocks again. See some interesting stuff at Kidderminster, including the Severn Valley Railway's Class 08 shunter near the Mainline connection. Arrive into Worcester Shrub Hill just after quarter to two and take full advantage of the fact I'm stuck here for 40 minutes. Well. I was told 40 minutes. This was on the grounds that I walked up to Worcester Foregate Street. While this would add to my repertoire, I want to see the trains that First Great Western supply (on reflection I could have done this at Foregate Street too, but whatever). I make an executive decision, therefore, to get the 1447 from Shrub Hill (lo and behold the exact same unit I got to the place) and bail at Droitwich Spa. I arrive here at 1454 or some god-forsaken hour.
Next train to New Street? 1550 - Oh. Bollocks. While Droitwich Spa station is a beautiful place, which includes a shop that's open - that's a rarity these days! - it's not the most inspiring place to spend an hour. I manage to get a few shots, mainly of the architecture, and the signals at the east end of the platforms. Not perfect, but I live. A 158 turns up vice the 170s that usually operate the Birmingham-Hereford via Bromsgrove services. Exciting - a new unit travelled upon!
I am toying whether to jump at Bromsgrove - I'm not helping myself if I do so, but there is nothing to lose. I do indeed bail at the wonderful little place and, slightly dazed at the lack of facilities, search for a shop to replace batteries. Having done this, I return just as a Voyager passes. Damn. But the next thing through the station is a Class 60 on tanks. This is a great result and well worth the bailing. I get a great video with some awesome stills. I am now satisfied. I get some more phots of architecture and trains, both stopping and passing, and am relatively happy. Jump on the more typical 170 unit to New Street, I remain in a good mood. Change at New Street and grab a Burger King, because no matter what people tell me I'm fat and round and require such comfort.
I head back to the platforms and grab the 1807 for Wolverhampton which, unusually, is a 150 vice the usual 323s. This I find amusing as we pull out of Birmingham, as there are about 10 323s stabled. I jump off at Galton Bridge and run up to the High Level. Photos are assured here - the architecture's nice - but the train turns up immediately. It's full and standing, so I stand - as always. There are plenty of hot women, but these are uninteresting. Despite my original intention to run full circle, I bail two stops short at Cradley Heath, for a bus to Merry Hill. I don't even get what I want there, either.
So there you go.
The day:
Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction
dep 1243 arr 1246 - Class 153 'Super Sprinter' 153381
Stourbridge Junction to Worcester Shrub Hill
dep 1317 arr 1349 - Class 150 'Sprinter' 150231
Worcester Shrub Hill to Droitwich Spa
dep 1447 arr 1459 - Class 150 'Sprinter' 150231
Droitwich Spa to Bromsgrove
dep 1540 arr 1556 - Class 158 'Super Sprinter'
Bromsgrove to Birmingham New Street
dep 1701 arr 1723 - Class 170 'Turbostar' 170503
Birmingham New Street to Smethwick Galton Bridge
dep 1807 arr 1820 - Class 150 'Sprinter'
Smethwick Galton Bridge to Cradley Heath
dep 1823 arr 1837 - Class 150 'Sprinter'
The day's pictures can be found here:
http://www.daveworley.fotopic.net/c1228207.html
A couple of videos at Bromsgrove are here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q4zbXLCUpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmGyVqDrV98