Round Trips

[Reece]

15/08/2015

Chiltern > Kidderminster Station - Birmingham Moor Street > (82305+68014)
Diamond | 50 > Birmingham, Moor Street - Digbeth Coach Station (30804) KX57OVV
NXWM Platinum | X51 > Birmingham, Lower Bull Street - Walsall Bus Station (6721) SN15LDD
NXWM | 934 > Walsall Bus Station - Birmingham, Lower Bull Street (4776) BV57XKX (I finally got a high back seated 57 reg E400 after waiting a hour and half for one!)
( Bumped into @RS )
Diamond | 16 > Birmingham, Moor Street - Hamstead, Lingfield Court (30129) YJ12GTY
Diamond | 16 > Hamstead, Lingfield Court - Hamstead, Old Walsall Road (20845) MX08DHO
Diamond | 16 > Hamstead, Old Walsall Road - Birmingham, Moor Street (30129) YJ12GTY
( Left @RS in Birmingham )
NXWM | 9 > Birmingham, Colmore Row - Stourbridge Bus Station (6110) SN15LFU

Had a lift off a mate back to Kidderminster.

[Tara4352]

15/08/15
NXWM 141 | Merry Hill Bus Station - Cradley Heath Bus Station,Forge Lane (4429) BJ03 ETX
London Midland > Cradley Heath Station - The Hawthorns Station Class 172 345
Midland Metro 22 > The Hawthorns - Birmingham Snow Hill only to find 18 broken in front a snow hill  ???
London Midland > Birmingham Snow Hill - Birmingham Moor Street Class 153 364 + 172 344  :P to my surprise
Met @Reece
Diamond Bus 16 > Birmingham Moor Street - Hamstead Lingfield Court (30129) YJ12 GTY
Diamond Bus 16 > Hamstead Lingfield Court - Hamstead Old Walsall Road (20845) MX08 DHO BAG OF NAILS
Diamond Bus 16 > Hamstead Old Walsall Road - Birmingham Moor Street (30129) YJ12 GTY
Midland Metro 22 > Biirmingham Snow Hill - West Bromwich Central (At which point 18 is still here )
Midland Metro 23 > West Bromwich Central - The Hawthorns
London Midland > The Hawthorns - Cradley Heath Class 172 345
Hansons Local Bus 208> Cradley Heath - merry hell MX61 BCO

[cheshire exile]

Last Saturday my brother and I made one of our regular trips to London. We try to go about once a month, visiting all parts over the year. On Saturday we went to Romford to see the first MMCs in service with Stagecoach.

Our round trip was

0645 Chiltern Rail - Stourbridge Junction to London Marylebone arrived 1 min late due to being held outside Marylebone for about 6 minutes. Used Off-peak return
                 which includes Zones 1-6 £22.45. Tremendous value though the Senior Railcard helps
0916 LU Bakerloo Line - Marylebone to Baker Street arrive 0917
0918 LU Jubilee Line - Baker Street to West Ham arriving 0945, just missing the 0944 C2C to Rainham. That 6 minutes wait at Marylebone caused that.
0954 C2C West Ham to Barking arriving 1000 approx. 15 minutes spotting outside the Station. Very busy as usual
1019 C2C Barking to Rainham arriving 1027. Walked to Go-Ahead Blue Triangle Rainham Garage and then round the corner to Stagecoach Rainham Garage. These
                 two garages share a common boundary fence. Walked back to Rainham Station and on to Rainham War Memorial
1120 SLN 19735 on Route 372 Rainham War Memorial to Hornchurch ( Abbs Cross Lane ) arriving 1142
1146 SLN 15009 on Route 248 Hornchurch ( Abbs Cross Lane ) to Romford station arriving 1200
Spent nearly 2 hours at Romford Station. Saw 10301/3-6 on 498 and 36601-4/6-8 ( the new 400 and 200 MMCs ), all that were out on the day
1350 SLN 17995 on Route 247 to Romford North Street Garage arriving 1355. Good look into Garage. Fortunately 10302 was visible but not 36605. That is the one
                 that we shall have to go back for
1420 SLN 17988 on Route 294 to Romford Market arriving 1423. Took an age to walk through the underpasses to cross the road.
1435 SLN 17774 on Route 86 to Chadwell Heath arriving 1445 mainly to see the Arriva E200s on the 173 but also the Go-Ahead 362 and 368. Also time for a late
                 lunch
1552 TfL 315839 Chadwell Heath to Ilford arrive 1559. 90 minutes at Ilford to finish all the Go-Ahead E200s on the 364 and to see the recent arrivals SE232-4 on
                 the W19. With the help of the LVF website we found out that SE234 had just left Ilford when we arrived so a quick rethink and
1722 Go-Ahead W19 to Manor Park Station arriving 1745. Took a while with the heavy traffic coming away from the Wet ham v Leicester match at Upton Park.
SE234 eventually turned up at 1805 so
1812 TfL 315850 Manor Park to London Liverpool Street arriving 1827
1833 LU Metropolitan Line Liverpool Street to Baker Street arriving 1848
Walk to Marlebone arriving 1855
1906 Chiltern Rail Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street arriving 2055
15 minutes outside Moor Street, saw 6705 on 900, 2216 on 31E and 2224 on 37
2018 Birmingham Moor Street to Stourbridge Junction arriving 15 minutes late at 2205 after being held at Rowley Regis for 15 minutes. No PA announcements at all
                as to why the delay. Lots of chunnering on the train - black mark to London Midland

A most enjoyable day with good weather. Incidentally our ticket was not checked on board any of the Chiltern, C2C or London Midland Trains that we used during the day. So much for revenue protection!

I find the pleasure in these round trips is as much in the planning as the execution!

Apologies if this has all bored my fellow readers. I'll not make a habit of it, promise.

This Wednesday we are off to Glasgow for the day and will do a round trip to Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock, courtesy of Virgin and Scotrail.

[Trident 4194]

20855-142-Halesowen( completely full)
6101-9-quinton
6104-9-Halesowen( this driver thought he was on silverstone circuit, should have been fitted with seat belts for when he is driving)
30858-4H-blackheath( this bus is very poor at getting up hills)
1771-4H- halesowen( absolutely fantastic bus, shame it's leaving for Dundee soon) @Trident 4194 It's not, only 1774-1786 Winston
1627-244-running 20 minutes down as usual

[domino.99]

20855-142-Halesowen( completely full)
6101-9-quinton
6104-9-Halesowen( this driver thought he was on silverstone circuit, should have been fitted with seat belts for when he is driving)
30858-4H-blackheath( this bus is very poor at getting up hills)
1771-4H- halesowen( absolutely fantastic bus, shame it's leaving for Dundee soon) @Trident 4194 It's not, only 1774-1786 Winston
1627-244-running 20 minutes down as usual

As usual I beg to differ

[Tara4352]

17/08/15
NXWM 4425 PN 241 Merry Hill Bus Station to Cradley Heath
London Midland Class 172 212 Cradley Heath to Smethwick Galton Bridge
Arriva Trains Wales Class 158 825 + 158 821 Smethwick Galton Bridge to Birmingham New Street
London Midland Class 323 218 Birmingham New Street to Five Ways
London Midland Class 323 209 Five Ways to Birmingham New Street
London Midland Class 350 264 Birmingham New Street to Smethwick Galton Bridge
London Midland Class 172 336 Smethick Galton Bridge to Cradley Heath
NXWM 4201 PN 241 Cradley Heath to Merry Hill

[Tara4352]

18/08/15
NXWM 4201 PN 241 Merry Hill to Cradley Heath
London Midland Class 172 331 Cradley Heath to Smethick Galton Bridge
London Midland Class 350 255 Smethick Galton Bridge to Birmingham New Street
Virgin Trains Class 221 xxx Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
NXWM 4021 WN 32 Wolverhampton to Northwood Park to Wolverhampton
London Midland Class 350 372 Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street
Virgin Trains Class 390 xxx Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International
Air rail 001 Station - Airport - Station
Cross Country 221 xxx Birmingham International to New Street
London Midland 172 xxx Birmingham Moor St to Cradley Heath
nxwm 4354 pn 141 cradley to merry hill

[MrBevan2000]

19/8/15
NXWM, WA 934, 4870 Kingstanding Circle-Walsall Bus Station
NXWM, WA X51, 6735 Walsall Bus Station-Scott Arms (via Birmingham and Walsall)
NXWM, PB 28,7031 Scott Arms-Hawthorn
NXWM, WA 935, 6749 Hawthorn-Perry Barr
NXWM, WA 936, 6743 Perry Barr-Perry Barr (via Brownhills)
NXWM, PB 907, 4481 Perry Barr-Sutton Coldfield
NXWM, WB 5, 4056 Sutton Coldfield-Kingstanding Circle.

[Trident 4194]

A train basher day
NXWM, PE 244,1647- Halesowen
Diamond 30809 - Halesowen to quarry bank( mega fast so driver could buy dinner in colley gate)
Lm 172/3** Cradley Heath- smethwick Galton bridge
Arriva train Wales 158388- smethwick Galton bridge- Birmingham international( far to small train, but nice train)
Birmingham int-airport- international
VT 390*** international to Coventry
Then boarded 48** on the 8 but it depart for ages so would have missed the 87 to Solihull
VT 221*** Coventry- international
cross country 221*** international- new street
NXWM 4853- 16- snow hill
1723***- smethwick Galton bridge
3502** - Sandwell and Dudley
NXWM 1849- 4H to blackheath
Rotala 30859-4H- Halesowen
NXWM 6108- quinton
NXWM 6111- Halesowen
NXWM 870

[Jack_2374]

Yesterday (21/08/15) I decided to get an Arriva Midlands Daysaver to see how far I could get unfortunately not as far as I thought....

114 > Bridgnorth to Telford (2273) SK52MLO
8A > Telford to Shifnal (3734) YJ57AZG (The intention had been to try & photograph some V Festival Shuttle Buses unfortunately the weather put pay to that idea!)
X92 > Shifnal to Telford (4787) S213JUA (nice bus with some great thrash!)
113 > Telford to Bridgnorth (2273) SK52MLO

Spent £6.20 and only went that far! #dissapointed

If only Arriva operated a service from Wolverhampton to Birmingham...

[Kevin]

Yesterday. False start to the day when I woke up 2 hours late hungover.... So didn't get as far as hoped.

NX 6734 - X51 - 11:28 Tower Hill to city
NX 4053 - 89 - 11:53 city to Blackheath
Arriva 2155 - 12 - 13:33 Blackheath to Coley Gate
NX 6112 - 9 - 13:51 Coley Gate to Lye
iGo KX08 HNJ - 298 - 13:58 Lye to Stourbridge
Hansons 1510 - 287 - 14:35 Stourbridge to Merry Hill
NX 1630 - 243 - 15:20 Merry Hill to Dudley
NX 5412 - 1 - 16:07 Dudley to wolves
NX 4605 - 529 - 17:10 wolves to Willenhall road (was going to Walsall but saw a B10 pull up on the 40 just as we were leaving the bus station)
NX 1436 - 40 - 17:23 Willenhall Road (Stowheath Lane) to Walsall
NX 4859 - 51 - 18:16 Walsall to Tower Hill

[Westy]

Yesterday (21/08/15) I decided to get an Arriva Midlands Daysaver to see how far I could get unfortunately not as far as I thought....

114 > Bridgnorth to Telford (2273) SK52MLO
8A > Telford to Shifnal (3734) YJ57AZG (The intention had been to try & photograph some V Festival Shuttle Buses unfortunately the weather put pay to that idea!)
X92 > Shifnal to Telford (4787) S213JUA (nice bus with some great thrash!)
113 > Telford to Bridgnorth (2273) SK52MLO

Spent £6.20 and only went that far! #dissapointed

If only Arriva operated a service from Wolverhampton to Birmingham...

Yeah is a bit of bugger when trying to get out of the Wm county when routes mainly run once an hour with hardly any evening & sunday service.

[Stu]

Yeah is a bit of bugger when trying to get out of the Wm county when routes mainly run once an hour with hardly any evening & sunday service.

And yet you get people in the West Midlands complaining how expensive bus travel is here!  :o

[Reece]

20/08/2015

Diamond | 192 > Kidderminster Bus Station - Halesowen Bus Station (30931) VX54MUO
Diamond | 4H > Halesowen Bus Station - Halesowen, Industrial Park (30859) WX58FSC
Diamond | 4H > Halesowen, Industrial Park - Halesowen Bus Station (30822) BX09SJO
Diamond | 002 > Halesowen Bus Station - Merry Hill Bus Station (30809) BU08DCX
Diamond | 002 > Merry Hill Bus Station - Halesowen Bus Station (30828) BX09SNZ
Diamond | 192 > Halesowen Bus Station - Kidderminster Bus Station (20654) V654HEC
Diamond | 2 > Kidderminster, Town Hall - Home (20853) LG02FFE

[Rob H]

Buses Festival (23/08/2015)

NXWM - 6709 - 900 - Sheldon, Coalway Avenue - Coventry Pool Meadow
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NXC - 4886 - 11 - Coventry Pool Meadow - Leamington
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Stagecoach Midlands - 18189 - Leamington Upper Parade - Heritage Motor Museum (Free Shuttle Bus)
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Had Some Food
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Filmed + Photographed  Buses
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Southdown - JWV976W - Route 3 - 13:30 - 13 Mile Circular
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Filmed + Photographed a few more Buses
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Devon County - KTT 38P - Route 2 - 15:40 - 6 Mile Journey
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Filmed a few Buses departing the Festival
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Stagecoach Midlands - 10033 - Heritage Motor Museum - Leamington Upper Parade
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Had Some Food
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NXC - 4692 - 11 - Leamington Upper Parade - Coventry Pool Meadow
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NXWM - 6706 - 900 - Coventry Pool Meadow - Sheldon, Coalway Avenue (19:20 ex Coventry)