Plus Nine at Nine

Locomotives shown on a yellow background are those which I have scored for haulage.

Introduction:
Whilst perusing various airlines' websites I came across a decent £60 return to Faro with Go from Bristol. A few phone calls and e-mails later and a long weekend was planned with Phil Marsland (Blackwater) and Wez Brown. Thanks at this point should go to Gary Thornton and Mark Newbury for providing diagrams, gen etc to help us plan the trip.

THURSDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2001
I picked Wez up at about 0600 for a fast drive down the M5 towards Bristol Airport, with a brief stop at the 24-hour ASDA supermarket and McDonald's for breakfast. We met up with Blackwater in the terminal who had dossed at someone's house in Bristol and had done the coach from Temple Meads. We checked in for the flight, the people in front of us had a multitude of heavy Samsonite suitcases so the check-in baglet was withered by our small sportsbags! Amusement started straight away when just as we were about to enter the lift up to the bar some baglet exclaimed to her bloke "Do you fancy half a lager?" to which Blackwater shouted "Yes please" before the lift doors shut!

Bristol is quite a decent little airport with plenty of facilities, plus you can view what's going on from the departure lounge! A fairly full flight, but on time, and soon we were on the Tarmac at Faro - i'd scored 2 airports and a new plane already! We went looking for a bus into town and found the bus stop directly outside the airport, there being 1 or 2 buses per hour. The bus dropped us directly opposite the station and next to the café where we had been advised to stay.

We secured a twin and a single room, not ensuite but very clean and all for about £8 each! Over at the station 1422 was our first move on the 14.45 to Tunes where we bailed straight back on 1425. Time for a beer in the bar opposite Albufeira station later, but Wez was pleased because he scored a very rare whisky!

On arrival at the end of the branch at Lagos the obligatory phots were taken, then we made our way across the water to a local restaurant. The steaks were bleeding and I sent mine back, but when it came back it was just as bad - I ended up leaving it! Thus we ended up in Pizza Hut later on - now that's better!

Turned up at the station for the 22.45 to Tunes but where was it? The redcap pointed out that the station timetable showed it running Sundays only, but it didn't show that in the Kursbuch! Oops, next train tomorrow morning! 

A £30 taxi ride later we were in Tunes! Time to draw a line under that one I think, but maybe next time we won't risk the last train back from anywhere!

1422 at Tunes having arrived with R5911.

FRIDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2001
After the early start yesterday and the fiasco last night none of us could be arsed to get up early today - hence the first move at 12.00! Today's plan was a bit of nedding around before heading up to Lisbon, at least we managed a new 1931 and 1400 before dud 1936 all the way to Barreiro.

On arrival we had a walk round to see if we could find anywhere to stay, thinking it would be cheaper to stay here than in Lisbon. Not seeing anything within the first 10 minutes we asked in a shop to be told "Correos" - I knew this meant Post Office (from my Spanish) so we set off looking for that. 10 minutes later and still no joy but a man across the road shouted "Do you lads need any help?". A local guy who had been learning English helped us locate the Pension above the Post Office and even gibbered at the baglets to secure us some rooms - Cheers Mate!

We were starving and on the way back to the station we passed a shop with a steamed-up front window. Curiosity got the better of us and we found the shop sold fried chicken and chips! At the station 1210 was a class scratch out to Pinhal Novo for a new 1931 back. A relatively early night....

1933 departs from Boliqueime with train IR871.

1425 calls at Boliqueime whilst working R5904.

SATURDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2001
...because of a very early start this morning! We were surprised that the ferry was so busy for this time in the morning, some ada even sat in between Wez and Blackwater despite there being loads of free seats available! Managed to find Rossio fairly easily and got some Ham & Cheese toasties from the cafe outside. Caned in all 4 diagrams on the Fig line, on 1435 was an old Bert with a radio who kept laughing raucously every few minutes - needless to say we all joined in and withered him!

Went for a walk around Caldas Da Rainha and found a nice French restaurant for lunch, washed down with a nice bottle of local vino. Decided to do 1435 all the way to Figueira Da Foz for the track and then the unit to Coimbra B. The IC was well late which meant we didn't get into Porto til 22.30! Easily managed to secure a room in the booked cranks hotel in Porto - the Peninsular!

SUNDAY 25TH NOVEMBER 2001
Did loads of moves in the Porto area today. Decent weather but the diagrams didn't hold up and it was very difficult to secure new engines. We were pleased with the 2 freight sector engines today though! Only got as far as Livração up the Douro Valley, would like to have gone further but new engines meant we just didn't have the time! At lunchtime went for a walk around Porto, I bought a new wallet in the market for about £2 and we had lunch in a bar down by the harbour which sold Belgian beer - hellfire!

Oh the title of the story - we had a +9 at Nine, off 1413 onto 1404!

In the evening we found a nice fish restaurant up the hill from the Peninsular, in fact it was one of the few places we could find open! On the way back to the station Blackwater withered an old Bert by patting his bald head as we walked past!

We had expected quite a lot from the Blue Train, cranks go on about what a good overnight it is, but the train was wedged! We had to share with a young soldier and his baglet who gibbered all night!

1409 stands under the impressive overall roof at Ermesinde.

1417 and 1424 wait departure time at Porto Sao Bento.

MONDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2001
We were glad to bale off at Casa Branca for the 1949 built NoHab railcar to Evora for the sewing machine back - it was 1210 - the only one we had already had! Never mind we get another one foward from Casa Branca. WRONG! Cheers CP, this is obviously how you swap them, the branch and mainline locos were swapped over meaning we had to watch 1201 disappear!

Not happy we went down to Setúbal to cover the 1400-turn from Funcheira - it was a cart! This was not our morning! P**sed off and tired we slept all the way to Tunes on the IR - at least we managed 2 new 1400's on the Algarve.

Went for a walk around Faro and found a nice restaurant to have dinner in. The steak was perfectly cooked and came with a very dubious coloured sauce. It was VERY hot - oops Wez had just covered his chips in it!

TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2001
Time for a couple of out and back moves this morning, only managing to yield one winner - 1937, still it meant I had had 1932-1938 inclusive now (I had 1935 on my previous brief visit). All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Portugal and head off home on another new Go plane.

A good weekend, shame about us getting shit out so much. I can see why so many British cranks rave about Portugal, certainly the 1400's are superb, but it lacks in certain departments. On the plus side it's very cheap and the locals are quite friendly. I'll certainly be back at some point, but Eastern Europe has more appeal to me.

Matthew Reeves    31st January 2002.