Near the Knuckle [4]

"Summats Up!"
Northampton correspondent Alan writes:-

Off to [Birmingham] Moor Street via the Ian Allan book shop where an announcement kept telling us there were no Chiltern trains to Marylebone so would we care to pop over to New Street for a train to Euston. Instead, following the old military command “head for the sound of the guns” I boarded a train for Leamington Spa.

I chose the nominal 1655 train to Leamington Spa which at 1655 had no train crew or engines running. Eventually we had both and after the passage of the 1710 to Stratford-on-Avon the signaller let us go. At Leamington sat a Cross Country voyager. The platform screen said this was the 1823 to Snow Hill but eventually admitted that it was the 1812 to Manchester Piccadilly, next stop Coventry.

This was Saturday 31st January and the "summat up" had happened the previous day.

The embankments on the approaches to Harbury tunnel (hardly a tunnel at only 73 yards long) ...

... are steep and unstable at the best of times. And about 350,000 tons of it has slipped onto the main line between Leamington and Banbury.

This is what is known technically as "bad news".

Due to a landslide the line remains blocked between Banbury and Leamington Spa. Chiltern Railways trains are running between: London Marylebone and Banbury; Leamington Spa and Birmingham Moor Street; Leamington Spa and Stratford Upon Avon. Rail replacement buses are running between Banbury and Leamington Spa. The line will remain closed between Banbury and Leamington Spa for several weeks.

A temporary timetable is in operation with a bus (1151/1220) filling the gap. Likewise Cross-Country services are badly affected.

But no timetables (printed or on-line) are available just a journey planning option. Poor.

And a bit of rail nostalgia slots in here.

A short distance east of the mini-tunnel (so mini it doesn't even feature on the OS map!) you will find this establishment, apparently in the middle of nowhere in particular.

It is called "The Great Western" and it has a "G" gauge model railway hanging from the ceiling!

The pub exists because, just a few yards further on, accessed from the road overbridge ...

... was situated Southam Road and Harbury station.

It closed in 1964. However, should you wish to observe the landslip and/or enjoy a snifter in the pub, good old Staecoach (services 65 and 66) will take you there every hour from Leamington Spa.

The pub is at Deppers Bridge, between Harbury and the delightfully named Bishop Itchington.

But earlier this week and in a ferroequinological version of the Butterfly Effect, No 3 son was arriving at Watford Junction Station to do work nearby programing some clever stuff with peoples' confusers. He sends fbb this:-

Morning,

Please find attached the exciting world of actual commuting. Arrived at Watford Junction to be greeted by two hollering actor types in white jumpers with network rail logos on shouting about an important announcement and waving leaflets in peoples faces. The town crier effect was good, they looks like proper loonies, quite a challenge at Watford Junction as it's plagued with Harry Potter freaks. I grabbed a "leaflet". 

Its about Birmingham and Marylebone?

Is this related to Watford Junction?

Who knows?

It is not the clearest of information.

fbb thinks it says, "The lads are nipping off to Harbury to mend the track, so the disruption at Watford Juntion won't be happening. But, just to confuse you, we will still be running a messed up timetable, but messed up differently from the one we were going to run." Or (more likely) maybe it means, "We were going to run Virgin Trains from Birmingham to Marylebone but we can't because of the landslip, so we'll have to keep Watford open and, sort of, run normally; except it won't be normal."

Do they really need to use "diversionary"? Surely just plain "route" will do. "Services will be running" perhaps should have "via Watford Junction" added.

Clear as a mixture of fine soil particles and water.

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The Usual Warning?

fbbs are off tomorrow for a week's holiday to celebrate two 70ths and one 40th.

Revised property protection will be in place due to the sad demise of their aged guard cat last Monday (with a little help from the vet.)

Stubbs : R.I.P.

Hopefully blogging will continue as normal but fbb apologises in advance for any reduction in quality and quantity.

 -------------------------------------------------

 Next rail blog : Friday 13th February 

Near the Knuckle [3]

Chase Line by Choice

The "Chase" line (derived from Cannock Chase) is a name given to he present route between Walsall and Rugeley. Back in the late 50s and early 60s the service was sporadic with most daytime trains running through from Birmingham New Street (note "R" as above) and some continuing to Stafford and Stoke. The line closed in 1965 leaving a local service from New Street to Walsall.

Some rail watchers were surprised when it was announced that the Walsall line was to be electrified as part of the West Midlands "loop", completed in 1966. Amidst the huge numbers of Beeching-inspired closures of the previous years this seemed brave and visionary.

Despite the installation of electric string, the station at Walsall remained in its historic but rather tatty glory.

Observant readers will spot an AM4 (class 304 for you up-to-date keenies) unit approaching/leaving the platforms upper right on the above snap. The station even had once-opulent wood panelling in the booking hall.

In the 1970s this was swept away to make room for a retail store.

The station is now much more "utilitarian" in style. Shame.

In April 1989 the "Chase" line was re-opened between Walsall and Hednesford; extended to Rugeley Town in June 1997 and just under a year later to Rugeley Trent Valley and along the West Coast Main Line to Stafford. Ten years later services were cut back to Rugeley Trent Valley. Below is a map of the complete line.

When the electrified service started in 1966 trains ran at a spectacular 30 minute frequency between New Street and Walsall, one all stops via Aston and the other direct via Soho to join the stopping service at Hamstead.

The current service runs every 15 minutes ...

... with one train an hour running on to Rugeley. Connections at Rugeley are bearable for travel on to Stafford but passengers looking to ride south to London might well be better off travelling via New Street.

A wait of 55 minutes at Rugeley followed by London Midand's one hour 45 minutes to Euston is not slick.

A number of new or relocated stations formed part of the new-look Chase line. Bloxwich, for example ...

... was moved further north to a location at Croxdene  Avenue.

There is, however, some local feeling that a move back to the original centre location would be better.

After a protracted delay, work is due to start on electrifying from Walsall to Rugeley which will allow an increase in line speed from a pedestrian (not the best word!) 45 mph to 70 mph. This will bring improved journey times and an increase of frequency. Oddly the local MP is not happy with all that nasty electricity and ludicrously fast trains.

Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, recently met with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport to discuss limiting the speed at which trains will be able to travel through the villages of Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay. Gavin sought confirmation from Mr. Stephen Hammond MP that trains travelling through these built up areas would not exceed a speed of 45mph, following the electrification of the Chase Line later this year.

The Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mr, Stephen Hammond MP, told Gavin that Department officials would investigate the issue and look into what could be done to address these concerns. Gavin said: “While I believe the electrification of the Chase Line to be an extremely positive development for South Staffordshire, I feel that due care still needs to be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of nearby residents.

It is hard to see how running trains at 45 mph will improve safety. Perhaps not running them at all is the best answer for Mr Williamson?

On his trip back home from the Stafford Model Railway Exhibition, Northampton correspondent Alan decided to make use of his cheapo Ranger ticket and go via Rugeley and Birmingham.

Alan's class 350/3 train from Stafford arrives in platform 3 and, after a quick sprint across the footbridge, the Chase line train is ready to depart from Platform 1.

And there are more adventures for Alan as he travels from Birmingham to Northampton.

350,000 tons of them!

 Next rail blog : Thursday 12th February 

Near the Knuckle [2]

Toys for the Boys?

As regular blog readers will know, fbb has returned to his childhood and started to build a very small model railway in the minimalistic back yard at Seaton Towers.

But model railway magazines and exhibitions can be profoundly depressing. The standard is so high. Of course, using computers, "photoshop" techniques and multiple exposures tacked together, you can always make something look good. This one has had sky and smoke added:-

But the detail in the "N" gauge layout below is remarkable, considering that the gauge (distance between the rails) is just 9 millimetres (a little over ½ inch in old money):-

And his narrow gauge model is just exquisite ...

... complete with scale slate fence so typical of the "Little Trains of Wales".

Faced with such skill, fbb might well give up and try cross-stitch instead; but would probably make a mess of that as well. In amongst all these lovely layouts at Stafford was one much more to fbb's liking. 

It was called "Hogsmead on Sodor" and was based very loosely on Rev Awdry's books and characters. Still looks good, though.

So correspondent Alan arrived at Stafford station and took the specially arranged bus link to the Exhibition venue.

"A logical outward journey would be with one change at Rugby followed by a ride on a big yellow bus to and from the show which is held at the county showground at Hopton. Research suggests Arriva route 825 from Stafford to Lichfield goes there as well."

The Leyland Atlantean bus (AEL 170B) was kept by Bournemouth Transport as part of a heritage collection until the bus industry was deregulated and the buses moved out of their Mallard Road depot. It now belongs to the West of England Transport Collection but is on long-term loan to the Potteries Omnibus Preservation Society, which wanted it because it is identical – in everything but its livery – to buses used in the Stoke-on-Trent area.

Alan is right, Arriva's 825 does the same thing ...

... every half hour from outside the station to the Showground.

But fbb guesses that the big yellow bus took you closed to the Exhibition Hall rather than dumping you at the entrance to the extensive site.

Indeed it looks as if Alan's big yellow bus picture is taken outside the halls. There's not a lot of greenery at Stafford station!

Alan reports that the exhibition was, indeed, very impressive; and armed with his bargain Ranger ticket he decided to take an alternative route back. This would take him on a bit of re-opened West Midlands Railway.

Stafford railway station, seen here in the "good old days" with the once-splendid Station Hotel ...

... was rebuilt in 1962 as part of the Grand Design for elecrifying the main lines to Manchester and Liverpool. Is the result an improvement? Somehow both modern buildings (car showroom replacing the demolished hotel in 1972) lack anything that might be called "character".

There is a certain irony about a hotel designed to accommodate wealthy rail travellers being replaced with a glassy barn selling expensive motors!

Upon opening, the station caff was located on the footbridge ...

... with superb views of electric trains zooming past below. Alas, today, the Pumpkin is located prosaically in the main ground floor building.

Whoops, wrong picture!

Alan's Ranger tale continues tomorrow.

 Next rail blog : Wednesday 11th February 

Near the Knuckle [1]

The Lone Ranger

Ah, the happy days of childhood! Clayton Moore played the hero and his faithful companion Tonto was acted by Jay Silverheels, who was a genuine Mohawk from the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. But this series of blogs, using material supplied by our Northampton correspondent, is not about the masked crusader for right and good, assisted by his silver bullets and the ability to defeat any baddy (multiple baddies?) in a fist-fight!

So, in a quick and inconsequential leap, let's take a trip from Northampton to Crewe, leaving after 1000 on a weekday. All fares are shown with Senior Discount where available.

The quicker route arrives in Crewe at 1147 but costs twice an much as the slow route arriving three quarters of an hour later. Why?

It involves travelling south from Northampton to Milton Keynes, thence by super-duper Pendolino to Crewe. And Mr Branson and his chums charge high fares for the privilege; far higher than the modest extra mileage deserves.

The slower route is by London Midland all the way.

To add to the confusion, if you wished to depart after 0900, the London Midand fare remains but the Virgin based price leaps even higher ...

... presmably because the old fogeys' railcard is not valid before 0930 on Virgin but, apparently, is valid on LM.

But as Chris Tarrant was wont to say, "but we don't want to sell you that!" The journey can be cheaper than £21.05. Of course it can be very much cheaper if you buy restricted "Advance" train-specific deals.

The £4.95 had already become £7.65 when fbb clicked back after 10 minutes to recheck the figures! But we want to travel on any train after 0900 ...

... and we can pay just £16.35.

How come? The answer is a ...

... West Midlands Day Ranger. For some strange reason, these tickets do not feature prominently in the train companies' publicity. Under the revenue allocation mega computer program, for example, London Midland will get most of the £21.05 off peak day return, but will have to make do with a minority share of the £16.35 ranger revenue. they will have to share it with Arriva Trains Wales; Chiltern Railways; East Midlands Trains; First Great Western; Northern Rail; Virgin Trains;and Cross Country. the Ranger is accepted on bits of all these.

The ticket is valid from 0900 Monday to Friday (all day Saturday, Sumday and Bank Holidays) over a wide range of lines radiating from Birmingham as shown on this map (click on it to enlarge).

the extremities are:- Northampton, Crewe, Gobowen, Hereford, Worcester, Stratford upon Avon and Leamington Spa but it CANNOT be used between Crewe, Shrewsbury and Hereford direct. LM does produce a leaflet ...

... with an inaccurate validity map, but finding details on line is challenging to say the least. Fortunately correspondent Alan has provided this link ...

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/rangers_and_rovers.aspx

... which lists oodles of these delights nationally; well worth a browse.

Anyway, Alan was setting off to the Stafford Model Railway Show. Here the fares options are even more insane ...

... with all fares except very restricted "Advance" being dearer than the wide ranging ranger. Once upon a very ancient time, by the way, there used to be weekly rangers. fbb well remembers his teenage years spending a week chuntering around the East Midlands version thereof for a truly insignificant outlay. And back in those antediluvian times there were less trains (and in the case of the West Midlands version, less routes!).

Alan, of course, bought the Ranger and used it for a somewhat circuitous route home; of which more in due course.

And finally; The Lone Ranger never removed his mask, appearing undisguised only in disguise! Here's what he (as Clayton Moore) really looked like.

 Next rail blog : Tuesday 10th February