Monday, August 31, 2009

Clippy's log - page 39

25/8 3:59pm. A replica heritage car comes along - an open sided saloon. It IS summer, so they run the interesting trams for the tourists. Everything under the floor must be the same as the other trams, as the sound is identical. The horn seems louder with no body to muffle it though.

4:10pm. A little diversion to find the depot. It's a combined bus and tram depot, and there's lots of interesting stuff but security signs are all around so it's probably not worth trying to get permission to take photos.

4:36pm. Back to North Pier to spot stuff.

5:14pm. Time to head home. Blackpool North station actually looks really nice - clean and open. The facilities are Laburnum Plains (apart from the concourse) but somehow it has character.

5:20pm. We depart on time. This train is practically empty! There's a large yard just past the station throat, totally empty. Must be potentially useful.

6:20pm. We get off at Oxford Road and try to find a local to go back one stop to Deansgate. The 6:16 Liverpool looks good.

6:33pm. The 6:16 gets a green at last and departs. Moral of the story: don't try to cross four tracks in the middle of peak time, unless you carry your own portable flyover. DUH!

6:36pm. Deansgate at last. Photos required of the shops in the archway under the Metrolink viaduct.

6:47pm. Next train to Piccadilly? 6:51. NICE! Next train to Buxton from there? 6:52. Argh! Race it to Stockport maybe, since they make Buxton trains stop all stations now.

6:58pm. Nothing going to Stockport in the next 30 seconds - and the Buxton isn't still here running late. Oh well. Food, then a 323 to somewhere the expresses scream through at a good speed for videoing.

7:22pm. Still love those 323s! It's a Hazel Grove service, they actually do use those wires. Sometimes.

7:29pm. Heaton Chapel, this will do nicely. Hey, someone's put a nice new desto in 323235!

7:53pm. OK, bring on that Buxton train, its getting cold and the mozzies will be here any minute. Light's getting bad for photos anyway.

8:03pm. Train arrives, before the mozzies. The last three trains that came past were crosses, the sound on those videos will be great!

9pm. Home again. Farewell Buxton station. Farewell Sprinters. It's been great knowing you.

10:30pm. Nothing on tomorrow except packing. Mythbusters time!

2am. Might as well head for bed.

26/8 12:30pm. Better get up and think about things. The food has to be eaten, the rooms packed back into those two cases, the keys handed over... but first, chocolate and cartoons.

4pm. Better get active. One desk full of paperwork has to be compressed into a cloth bag. That means looking through it to some extent. BritRailPass... Buxton line timetable... spare camera cards... what a trip this has been.

5:30pm. Better pack up the kitchen too. That means eating the food. There's carrots left! What's up doc? And we should finish up the peanut butter, goblin soup and sugar. Last batch of toffee stuff!

11pm. The Last Minute list is written, the alarm is set. We really are leaving.

27/8 3:30am. THE DAY DOES NOT START THIS EARLY! Get up, execute the last minute list.

4:05am. Farewell Halls. It's been great. Midga has shoved me into a plastic bag so he can drag his case. We get to the bus stop in plenty of time so Midga goes to get a photo of Rosuav's favourite butcher.

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