Evening all, I am calling it a day after Voyager bashing for another week, it`s getting too cold for me now standing about on stations all day and here is what I managed to do over an eight week period in between the Pendo bashing. 220 Voyagers = 16 sets. 221 Super Voyagers = 40 sets making a total of £56.00 for the Hospice and a total of £108.00 overall. Many thanks to everyone for your encouragement and support and special thanks to the staff at Lancaster station.

Chris.

Well done Chris. Great that you made a good amount of money for the Hospice and had a great railway adventure at the same time. And also not forgetting that you have been on some of the final ever Virgin XC services. ;)

Well done Chris.
Your efforts have helped a really good cause and now you deserve a well-earned break. The forum's proud of you mate:)

Yep, well done Chris! You deserve a medal! :)

Congratulations Chris.

Adam

Thanks everyone, I have just got back from the Hospice and I said that I would do something else for them next Spring when it warms up a bit. Tomorrow I am off up to Scotland for a couple of days visiting my mate Bill and his mum, I am driving up and will call at Carlisle Citadel on the way up. Thank you again for your support.

Chris.

Well done!

Cheers Dave.

Chris.

Good evening everyone, I have been speaking to the staff at the Hospice and I have promised to do something else for them next Spring. But, up to press I can`t think of anything. I have done all the Pendolino`s and 56 of the Voyagers + 29 of the 185s.

Has anyone any Idea what I can do ?

Many thanks and all the best, Chris.

Spot all the 66's?

Or ride all the HST's?

But I suppose for both you'n need to do a lot of travelling.

Adding to Dave's point, you have been on a lot of 21st Century traction, so perhaps you could look at more classic stock like HSTs. Or if you like travelling during the early hours of the morning :D why not go on a couple of sleeper services for some loco hauled action.

Thanks a lot Dave and David, a few rides on the HSTs sounds good. I will probably have a week away to get them so where would be the best place to go because I don`t know where they operate out of. The ones I know of are the GNER on the ECML. Also I would need short journeys, IE stations not too far apart. Thanks again gentlemen, all the best.

Chris.

London may well be the place I'm afraid as you have;

* Kings X for Grand Central
* Paddington for First Great Western
* St Pancras for what used to be Midland Mainline

I'm not sure how you're gonna get a ride on the Network Rail banana, maybe if you tell Serco what you're up to and ask them for a cabride.

Now that's a good idea.
It goes through Preston regularly and you could get a return trip to Glasgow.

Thanks John and Foghut, I think I will give the HSTs a go. Like John says the Network Rail banana goes through Preston on a regular basis. Have you any idea Foghut who I need to ask at Serco ? A week down in London sounds good, I will do some research on how to do has many has possible without travelling too far on each one.

Thanks again for your help. All the best.

Chris.

I work within the railway industry and have dealings with Serco on a regular basis , so I will have a chat with their standards team and tell them of your proposed charity HST hunt and I will see if they can play ball. All railway companies love a bit of positive PR so you may be in with a chance of a ride on the bannana, well no harm asking .

Thanks a lot Shiny, If you can manage to do that it will kickstart the project for me which I hope to start next Spring.

Thanks again and all the best.

Chris.

With regards to 390 033 i tghink i have seen the carrage or the name plate transfered onto another one as the name rings a bell!

Could anyone please tell me if the HSTs go from Cardiff to Newport and vice versa, If they do it would be ideal for me because I could do quite a few in the day. Also are there any hotels close to either of the stations where I could stay ? Many thanks and all the best.

I don't know about the HSTs, but there is a Tarvel Lodge in Cardiff, which is apparently 3 minutes walk from the station.

Yes there are HSTs between Cardiff and Newport, they work both Cardiff terminating and Swansea to London services.

Thanks Adam and Dave, I think I will have an early start next year and then in the Spring I will go to London and do some from there up the ECML. The travel lodge in Cardiff sounds just fine Dave.

Thanks again.

No problem Chris, I always like to be useful when I can.

The cars have been moved to Long Marston for store. Virgin have said something along the lines of four cars will need rebuilding, but this will not happen unless the DfT allow the extra cars anyway.

Thanks a lot Dave, I would love 033 to be put back on the rails then I can truly say I have had a run on every one. All the best.

I will be off to Cardiff in the next couple of weeks to start my HST bashing. This time I have got the family to sponsor me. I am looking forward to it and hope it will be a bit warmer than it is now. All the best.

Good luck with your challenge Chris:)
Did you look into the possibility of a ride on the Network Rail NMT?

Thanks John, I am looking forward to it. I have not heard from Shiny yet about the possibility of going on the NMT but I hope to do so soon, I hope he has not forgotten. Later in the Summer I will be going to London to do some more, I am hoping one of my son`s will come down with me. Thanks again John.

Good idea Chris. Probrably the best place to travel around. I went down to London a few weeks ago to do a transport project for my transport and business management course I am doing. So many places to look around, and you can get a travelcard for only 6 pounds (off peak) and go on all trains, trams and buses around.

Sounds good that David, I did`nt know that it only cost £6 for a travel card so that should save me a bob or two. Many thanks for the info David and good luck with your course.

The rate of fares increase in London is astonishing, so go before they change again at new year. When I was down there a couple of years ago, 2005, the single fare from Blackfriars to Kings cross on Thameslink was £1.70, the London Underground fare was £2. Now the FCC fare is £1.90, whereas the LUL fare is £4.

Thanks for that, the more I can save on tickets the more I can give to charity, I will let everyone know which one later on. All the best Chris.

the leadind car 390033 is beyond economical repair.

Thanks Tommy, I keep wondering if it will ever be returned to the rails, but one never knows.

Will 390033 come back inton passanger services?

No. The cars are to be used for spares, crew training and scrap.

Thanks for the info Dave, that means that I wont complete my objective of having a ride on every one now, but we tried. All the best.

I think you still technically completed your mission since you rode every machine in service. :)

Every class has a "spare parts" unit or a written off unit at some point, so I'd call it a mission complete.

A great achevement anyway, you have my respect for it. :D

Thank you very much Danny, I really do appreciate your kind words. All the best.

Update on my class 43 bashing, I have only managed to do eight this year and I will resume in the Spring of 2009. With one thing and another I have not had much time this year, but it is eight less for next year. All the best.