Round Trips

[Cheese]

At what point did you get the Knot ticket?

When I got on the 3A in Kidsgrove. Thought that was pretty obvious?

[Westy]

When I got on the 3A in Kidsgrove. Thought that was pretty obvious?

Just confirming something!

[Tony]

Just confirming something!

Well you cannot buy them on a train, and you are not going to travel on a couple of buses then buy one.

[CL]

A bit tedious, but had some good fun traversing the 16 in search for the Platinums (which I managed to find, successfully!) - went on a bit of a tangent near the end; hadn't been on a Streetdeck in a while, and, well, it was there. ;)

NXWM   4237   74, Hockley Circus to Birmingham Old Square
NXWM   4811      16, Snow Hill Queensway to Moor Street Queensway
NXWM   6995   16, Moor Street Queensway to Hamstead, Lingfield Court
DIA    30816   16, Hamstead to Snow Hill Queensway
NXWM   4804   16, Moor Street to Hockley Circus
NXWM   4810   16, Hockley Circus to Birmingham Markets
NXWM    6995   16, Priory Queensway to Hamstead, Lingfield Court
DIA    30975   16W, Hamstead to Hockley, Great King Street
NXWM   6994   16, Great King Street to Smallbrook Queensway
NXWM   68**      23, Smallbrook Queensway to Colmore Row
NXWM   3302   126, Colmore Row to Five Ways Morrisons
NXWM   68**      24, Morrisons to Smallbrook Queensway
NXWM   4809   16, Smallbrook Queensway to Hockley Circus

[CL]

NXWM    6995    16     Hockley Circus to Hamstead, Spouthouse Lane
NXWM    6994    16     Spouthouse Lane to Smallbrook Queensway
DIA      30970    16W  Smallbrook Queensway to Birmingham Markets
- walked back to Smallbrook Queensway -
NXWM    6881    X20   Smallbrook Queensway to University Station
NXWM    2134    X22   University Station to Metchley Lane (only one stop, but saved me 5-10 minutes in walking)
- hoped to snap 433 - but it wasn't out, apparently -
NXWM    6856    X22   Metchley Lane to Moor Street Queensway
NXWM    2241    6       Moor Street Queensway to Solihull, Tudor Grange
NXWM    4719    76     Solihull, Tudor Grange to Selly Oak
- got off to try and snap 4719 on its return; walked to QEHB afterwards -
NXWM    2139    10H   QEHB Interchange to Birmingham Markets
NXWM    6997    16     Birmingham Markets to Hockley, Great King Street

[DJ]

Saturday 6th June 2019 - Day out using the £1 Arriva day ticket for Catch The Bus Week

NX 2117 - 11A - Tipton to Wednesbury
Unusual these days for an Eclipse 2 to be on here, waited around in Wednesbury for a photo of 2118 too.

Dia KX54 NKF - 40 - Wednesbury to West Bromwich
Nice, powerful E300, although a bit tatty inside. Nothing too bad considering the age though.

WMM Tram 29 - West Bromwich Central to Bull Street, Birmingham
Standard fare, quick but pretty uncomfortable.

Arriva 4407 - 110 - Birmingham to Tamworth
Nice quick E40D, only downside was a bit of rattling.

Arriva 3502 - X65 - Tamworth to Lichfield
Lovely Scania, very powerful and flew down the country lanes to Lichfield with ease. It puts NX's to shame.

Arriva 3902 - 826 - Lichfield to Rugeley
Awful B7RLE, ended up 10 minutes down by the time we got to Rugeley. Shed doesn't even come close to describing it.

Arriva 2404 - 63 - Rugeley to Hednesford
Decent solo, fairly quick and got me to Tesco on time.   ;D

Arriva 3759 - 26 - Hednesford to Cannock
Fairly quick Pulsar although a little unhealthy sounding.

Arriva 3306 - 2A - Cannock to Walsall
Quite comfortable and quick, same as the rest of the batch really.

NX 1762 - 11A - Walsall to Tipton
Quick bus and sounds amazing with the ZF gearbox, a little juddery but again that's just how the gearboxes are.

[CL]

Small regional outing today.

NXWM  6994    16    Hockley Circus to Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway
NXWM  2222     4     Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway to Solihull Town Centre
NXWM  4547    76    Solihull Town Centre to Queen Elizabeth Hospital
NXWM  824      19    QE Hospital to Halesowen Bus Station
DIA      30410  4H    Halesowen Bus Station to Walsall, Saddlers Centre
NXWM  4869    51     Walsall Bus Station to Newtown, Miller Street
NXWM  4846    33     Miller Street to Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway
NXWM  6995    16     Moor Street Queensway to Hockley Circus

Was hoping to pop over to Sutton, from Walsall, but I cut my trip short on account of not wanting to get caught up in the afternoon peak.

[Sh4318]

Yesterday, had a bit of a play on the Coventry routes:
11:47, SGB-BMO, WM, 172336
12:10, BHM-COV, VT, 390***
9, 12:41, Coventry Rail Station to Leasowes Avenue, NXC, 48**
9A, 13:37, Leasowes Avenue to Manor Road nr. Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 4403
23A, 14:03, Stoney Road nr. Coventry Rail Station to Fenside, Charminster Drive, NXC, 4884
23, 14:37, Fenside, Exminster Road to Allesley Park, Winsford Avenue, NXC, 875
23S, 15:25, Allesley Park, Winsford Avenue to Coventry, Pool Meadow, NXC, 4362
5, 15:53, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Tesco, Arena, NXC, 2153
4, 17:22, Tesco, Arena to Coventry, Pool Meadow, NXC, 2175
11, 17:55, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 69*6
18:11, COV-BHM, LN, 3503** & 3503**,
18:48, BMO-SGB, WM, 1705** & 1705**

[James4368]

Brownhills and M6 Toll spotting.

08:00 X2 (6857) (Cov Road) Gilbertstone Avenue - Moor Street Queensway

08:35 937 (6744) Bull Street - Brownhills West Terminus (A5)
Photographed trucks till @Michael Bevan arrived.
Spotted on M6 toll bridge and near Norton Canes Services
12:4x 10 (45??) Brownhills West - Walsall
@Michael Bevan stayed at Walsall
13:25 X51 (6719) Walsall - Bull Street
14:2? X2 (forgot the fleet no) Moor Street - Cov Road/Gilbertstone Avenue.

[Sh4318]

Yesterday, had a bit of a play on the Coventry routes:
11:47, SGB-BMO, WM, 172336
12:10, BHM-COV, VT, 390***
9, 12:41, Coventry Rail Station to Leasowes Avenue, NXC, 48**
9A, 13:37, Leasowes Avenue to Manor Road nr. Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 4403
23A, 14:03, Stoney Road nr. Coventry Rail Station to Fenside, Charminster Drive, NXC, 4884
23, 14:37, Fenside, Exminster Road to Allesley Park, Winsford Avenue, NXC, 875
23S, 15:25, Allesley Park, Winsford Avenue to Coventry, Pool Meadow, NXC, 4362
5, 15:53, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Tesco, Arena, NXC, 2153
4, 17:22, Tesco, Arena to Coventry, Pool Meadow, NXC, 2175
11, 17:55, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 69*6
18:11, COV-BHM, LN, 3503** & 3503**,
18:48, BMO-SGB, WM, 1705** & 1705**

Today, ticking off more Coventry routes:

10:37, SGB-BHM, WM, 323***
11:10, BHM-COV, VT, 390***
4, 12:07, Coventry, Cox Street to University Hospital, NXC, 2154
20A, 13:01, University Hospital to Coventry, Trinity Street, NXC, 2147
8, 13:41 *delayed*, Coventry, Trinity Street to Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 4896
14:02, COV-BHM, VT, 390***
16:10, BHM-COV, VT, 221***
8A, 16:33, Coventry Rail Station to Coventry, Pool Meadow, NXC, 4884
6A, 16:45, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Victoria Farm Terminus, NXC, 4768
20, 17:35, Longford to Coventry, Bishop Street, NXC, 2166
16A, 18:02, The Burges to Keresley Village, Charity Road, NXC, 4888
16A, 19:10, Bennetts Road, Keresley Library to Coventry, Hales Street, NXC, 4763
12X, 19:30, Coventry, Pool Meadow to Coventry Rail Station, NXC, 6959
19:44, COV-BHM, VT, 221101
20:25, BHM-SGB, AW, 158828

[Westy]

Didn't make a note of the various fleet numbers but my trip out today was using an Nbus day ticket.

NX 31 from Leamore to Walsall (Usual branded vehicle!)

Nx 7a Walsall to Aldridge (B7Lre)

Diamond Mellor 25 Aldridge to Kingstanding

Nx Platty on 934 Kingstanding to Brum

NX 63 (One of the hybrids!) Brum to Longbridge - had a Subway.

Nx49 43xx Trident Longbridge to Maypole

Nx 50 Platty Maypole to Brum

Diamond 16w(ex Value b7lre I think?)
Brum to All Saints Church in West Bromwich

NX 4 B7lre All Saints  to Walsall

Bit of shopping at Heron Foods

Nx 32 Walsall to Leamore

Home in time for the chip van!

[CL]

Had a rather tiresome day in London, chasing after Metroline's new-ish BDEs, and a few other buses here and there... *deep breath*

Began the day with a lift from home into town this morning; from there...

VT 390104 - 0550   Birmingham New Street to London Euston
LU Northern - Euston to London Bridge
ML BDE2639 - 43, London Bridge Bus Station to Highbury Corner
ML TEH1105 - 271, Highbury & Islington Station to Old Street Station/Moorfields
ML BDE2622 - 43, Old Street to London Bridge
LU Northern - London Bridge to Bank
LU District - Monument to Dagenham East (where it terminated)
LU District - Dagenham East to Hornchurch
SCL 19000 - 252, Hornchurch Station to Hornchurch Town Centre (finally got to snap & ride 'Spirit of London' - even only for a few stops - tremendous beast!)
SCL 36570 - 256, Hornchurch Town Centre to Hornchurch Station
LU District - Hornchurch to Westminster
GAL LT60 - 87, Horse Guards to Aldwych (snapped LT60, on its return from Aldwych)
LU District - Temple to Monument
LU Northern - Bank to London Bridge
ML BDE2628 - 43, London Bridge to Archway, Waterlow Rd
ML VWH2023 - 17, Archway Station to Snow Hill/Holborn Viaduct
GAL SEe16 - 521, City Thameslink to London Bridge
LU Jubilee - London Bridge to Baker Street
RATP LT156 - 27, Baker Street to Hampstead Road, Drummond Street
RATP LT680 - 27, Warren Street Station to Harley Street
SCL 12311 - 205, Harley Street to Baker Street
TT MV38204 - 13, Baker Street to Victoria
GAL SEe19 - 507, Victoria to Waterloo
GAL SEe20 - 507, Waterloo to Victoria
AL HV320 - 2, Victoria to Marylebone
LU Bakerloo - Marylebone to Queens Park (where it terminated)
LU Bakerloo - Queens Park to Kensal Green
ML UID Gem 3 - 52, Kensal Green to Notting Hill
RATP LT92 - 27, Notting Hill to Marylebone
CR 168*** - 2110   London Marylebone to Jewellery Quarter

Fair to say I got around a bit? :P One thing I forgot to do was make a stop in Croydon - where I believe Arriva still operate various first generation Geminis. ???

Oh well, perhaps another trip is in order in the very near future. ;)

Operator Codes
VT - Virgin Trains
LU - London Underground (+ respective lines)
CR - Chiltern Railways

AL - Arriva London
GAL - Go-Ahead group - for London General, London Central, etc...
ML - Metroline
RATP - for London United, etc...
SCL - Stagecoach London
TT - Tower Transit

[markcf83]

One thing I forgot to do was make a stop in Croydon - where I believe Arriva still operate various first generation Geminis. ???

Oh well, perhaps another trip is in order in the very near future. ;)

They're coming off the road at the end of the month. Route 197 passes to Metrobus.

[CL]

They're coming off the road at the end of the month. Route 197 passes to Metrobus.

Cheers :) Better get cracking on planning this next trip then!

[nathanielrwi]

Anyone done the Coventry outer circle recently?