Round Trips

[DJ]

22:10. It was a VERY long day! 😂

Ah, got you. I would've stayed longer but I would've had no way of getting home from Brum. How much did it cost you in total to go via Euston? I used Marylebone both ways since you can get the super off peak travelcard, which worked out cheaper iirc.

[CL]

Ah, got you. I would've stayed longer but I would've had no way of getting home from Brum. How much did it cost you in total to go via Euston? I used Marylebone both ways since you can get the super off peak travelcard, which worked out cheaper iirc.

Well, it was a bit of an impromptu trip, if i'm honest - with my sister and brother. Overall it came to about £36; cheapest for that day would've been £34, but I'd rather spend an extra £2 for the charging outlets. As you can imagine, 15 hours will surely take a toll on my phone's battery; couldn't risk it dying with my train tickets downloaded onto it!

I tend to normally go on Saturdays. Leave around 6-ish, with a return journey about 17:10 - to Snow Hill if possible. For one adult, it usually amounts to £11; if I book in advance. Downside to that fare is that it's two Advance Singles; meaning no flexibility, or day travelcards, though, I do have an Oyster card so that is certainly not an issue for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't do Saturday, as I had Wythall planned. Nevertheless, both were great days. @DJ98

[Rob H]

28/10/2017

NXWM – AG – 4635 – 72 Sheaf Lane, Mardon Road (Sheldon) – Marston Green Rail Station (06:35 Solihull Station – Chelmsley Wood)
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LM – 350101+350375 – Marston Green – Birmingham New Street (2Y57 05:34 London Euston – Birmingham New Street)
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XC – 170108 – Birmingham New Street – Derby (1D55 09:19 Birmingham New Street – Nottingham)
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EMT – 153319+153326 – Derby – Nottingham (2N31 10:36 Matlock – Newark Castle)
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EMT – 158866 – Nottingham – Lincoln Central (2L67 11:26 Leicester – Lincoln Central)
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Met Up with Kevin (TrainSpotEast on YouTube), Krissy (Walsall Lad on YouTube) and Ethan and filmed Trains 13:25-16:00
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EMT – 156413 – Lincoln Central – Nottingham (2L72 16:35 Lincoln Central – Leicester)
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XC – 170112 – Nottingham – Birmingham New Street (1G54 17:41 Nottingham – Birmingham New Street)
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NXWM – BC – 6829 – X2 Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway – Old Lode Lane, Hobs Moat Road (19:15 Birmingham – Solihull Station)

4635 – Volvo B7TL Eclipse Gemini
6829 – Dennis Enviro 400MMC

AG – Acocks Green Garage
BC – Birmingham Central Garage
EMT – East Midlands Trains
LM – London Midland
NXWM – National Express West Midlands
XC – Cross Country

[Ashley 60171]

Moves for my week in Norfolk. Won't all be in one post but since I haven't posted in a while this is a good place to start.

Day 1 (Sunday 29th)
NXWM 2076 - 3 - Market Street
LM 323205 - Birmingham New Street
XC 170108 - Peterborough
Walk across to Queensgate
FEC 33809 - X1 - Norwich Bus Station
Walk to my hotel

Day 5 (Thursday 3rd)
First 37577 - X2 - Lowestoft Bus Station
First 30901 - X2 - Beccles Bus Station
First 37579 - X2 - Lowestoft Bus Station
First 37573 - X1 - James Paget Hospital
First 36184 - 8 - Great Yarmouth, Market Gates
First 33824 - X1 - Norwich Bus Station

Day 7 (Saturday 4th)
Sanders, Holt YN05GXX - X44 - Cromer
Stagecoach East 48036 - Coasthopper - Wells next the Sea
Had to change here onto 48033 to Hunstanton bus station
Lynx, King's Lynn YJ07VSK - 34 - King's Lynn, Bus station
Stagecoach 18341 - 505 - Holbeach, Co-op
Found a chippy
Stagecoach 18280 - 505 - Spalding, Bus Station
Stagecoach 34878 - 37 - Peterborough, Queensgate
XC 170101 - Birmingham New Street
XC 220*** - Wolverhampton
Lift home

More to come

[Kevin]

20/11/17 - coming home from London by bus, because bus

LT - DE1155 - 274 - 06:21 Camden Town to Baker Street
LT - LT810 - 189 - 06:44 Baker Street to Brent Cross
LT - VLA165 - 142 - 07:25 Brent Cross to Watford
Arriva - 3767 - 500 - 09:49 Watford to Aylesbury (looks like recent renumbering from 3967)
Arriva - 6061 - 150 - 11:46 Aylesbury to Milton Keynes
Stagecoach - 28633 - X7 - 13:25 Milton Keynes to Northampton
Stagecoach - 36210 - 96 - 14:39 Northampton to Rugby
Stagecoach - 36950 - 86 - 17:04 Rugby to Coventry
NXWM - 6848 - X1 - 18:25 Coventry to Birmingham
NXWM - 4868 - 51 - 19:50 Birmingham to Perry Barr
NXWM - 4861 - 51 - 20:50 Perry Barr to Scott Arms

[37351ml]

Trip to Coventry after work:
4651 -x12 1704 Solihull hospital to Birmingham international
390 1740 Birmingham international to Coventry
489? 1803 8 Coventry station to pool meadow
6014 4 1834 pool meadow to arena Tesco
6014 4 1903 arena Tesco - walsgrave hospital
6014  4 1957 walsgrave hospital - pool meadow arrive 20.20
2162 9 city to rail station
220 voyager  - 2127 cov to new street
485? 51 2217 bull street  to Scott arms

[Trident 4194]

1765-4H
6109-9 stourbridge (beast of a bus did route in 15 minutes)
4582-256- kingswinford
4314-255- Wolverhampton (nice route and the blaze park terminus is quite fun)
4145-69- this makes the modern buses seem powerless- great thrash
4306-77- average trident- average route
4418-110- Birmingham- these are what I regard a high spec service
6712-x10- halesowen- heavy loading resulted in a slow journey
3094*-4H

[markcf83]

Arriva - 3767 - 500 - 09:49 Watford to Aylesbury (looks like recent renumbering from 3967)

3967 was its fleet number in the Shires fleet.

[37351ml]

Trip to Coventry after work in search of bendis.

6710- x12 Solihull hospital - Birmingham international
390129-1720 Birmingham international - Coventry
489? 8 to city
4142 16 burgess
4144 4 to crow in the oak (holbrooks)
39685 -56 to city
390- new street
4810-16a - Scott arms

[Trident 4194]

3094*- 4H
6712-x10- Birmingham
4407- 110- Tamworth- a few mins late Driver caught up 4200 on the one before, and missed out Ventura park.
2550-765- a few mins late which meant I just made it. Brilliant route and solo as good as 20734.
37**-60- Cannock- 10 mins late- first time on a pulsar- love them
2503-60- litchfield- another solo nice finishings
2447-35-walsall- slow driver
30489 or 30492- 4H- ended up 30 mins late

[Rob H]

Peterborough (Trainspotters Festive Meetup 2017) 28/12/2017

NX West Midlands – BC – 4180 – 60 Sheaf Lane, Mardon Road (Sheldon) – Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway (06:36 Cranes Park – Birmingham)
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NX West Midlands – BC – 6869 – 24 Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway – Harborne High Street (07:xx Birmingham – Woodgate Valley North)
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NX West Midlands – BC – 6857 – 23 Harborne High Street – Birmingham New Street Rail Station (07:xx Woodgate – Birmingham)
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Met Up with Kieran (KTV Videos on YouTube), Dan (TrainclipsHD on YouTube), Ryan (RRB Rail on YouTube), Shaun (SftFan1909 and One Half of THEGreatWesterners on YouTube), Jake (Great Western Trains on YouTube) and Ben (BTucker Videos on YouTube)
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XC – 170636 – Birmingham New Street – Peterborough (1L34 09:22 Birmingham New Street – Stanstead Airport)
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Met Up with 30+ other spotters including Jace (TrainsFanUk on YouTube) Ryan (Virgin Trains Fan on YouTube) Krissy (Walsall Lad on YouTube) and filmed Trains 12:00-16:00
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XC – 170397 – Peterborough – Birmingham New Street (1N61 15:27 Stanstead Airport – Birmingham New Street)
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NX West Midlands – BC – 6879 – X1 Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway – Coventry Road, Coalway Avenue (Sheldon) (19:30 Birmingham – Birmingham Airport & NEC)

[Trident 4194]

Rail replacement:

30412- Sandwell and dudley
4322- Birmingham new street- nice quick trident
323240- walsall
170- new street- packed can see why @Bob moans
Xc voyager- Wolverhampton- always packed these voyagers- diversion past walsall
4152- Tipton
831-42- West Brom- hating myself that I didn't mind this journey- good driver though
30409-4H- Sandwell and dudley
112- green bus- new street
170***- XC service to university- love these trains nice and empty
427*- 48- bearwood
6101- halesowen
3094*

[Rob H]

30/12/2017

NX West Midlands – 4642 – 72 Sheaf Lane, Mardon Road (Sheldon) – Marston Green Rail Station (07:05 Solihull Station – Chelmsley Wood)
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West Midlands Trains – 350234 – Marston Green – Birmingham New Street (2C02 07:11 Coventry – Birmingham New Street)
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West Midlands Trains – 350265 – Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton (1F35 08:24 Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street)
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West Midlands Trains – 350233+350123 – Wolverhampton – Birmingham New Street (1L67 07:34 Liverpool Lime Street – Birmingham New Street)
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Met Up with Jace (TrainsFanUk on YouTube) Ryan (Virgin Trains Fan on YouTube) Krissy (Walsall Lad on YouTube)
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West Midlands Trains – 172339 – Birmingham Moor Street – Stourbridge Junction (2W70 09:03 Stratford-Upon-Avon – Stourbridge Junction)
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West Midlands Trains – 139002 – Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town – Stourbridge Junction (2P59 10:35 Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town & 2P60 10:40 Stourbridge Town – Stourbridge Junction)
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West Midlands Trains – 172338 – Stourbridge Junction – Dorridge (2C24 10:16 Worcester Foregate Street – Dorridge)
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Filmed Trains 11:45-13:10
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Chiltern Railways – 168110 – Dorridge – Birmingham Moor Street (1G27 11:40 London Marylebone – Birmingham Snow Hill)
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West Midlands Trains – 170635 – Birmingham New Street – Bescot Stadium (2K66 14:12 Birmingham New Street – Rugeley Trent Valley)
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Filmed Trains 14:30-15:30
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West Midlands Trains – 323240 – Bescot Stadium – Tame Bridge Parkway (2W40 15:27 Walsall – Birmingham New Street)
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Filmed Trains 15:30-16:25
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West Midlands Trains – 170635 – Tame Bridge Parkway – Birmingham New Street (2A68 15:48 Rugeley Trent Valley – Birmingham New Street)
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NX West Midlands – BC – 6830 – X2 Birmingham, Moor Street Queensway – Old Lode Lane, Hobs Moat Road (Sheldon) (17:10 Birmingham – Solihull Station)

[MW]

AG4298 1 Acocks Green - Priory Rd/Bristol Rd
First AG B7/ALX I've been on. Fairly standard bus. Could tell the whole day is gonna be slow because of the amount of waiting around we were doing. I couldn't even hear the retarder properly because we weren't going quick enough for it to kick in!

BC55 63 Bristol Rd/Priory Rd - City/Albert St
First time on one of these and bloody hell these things vibrate a lot more than I expected when idling. Nice interior though. I particularly like the wood effect where the stopping sign is.

Arriva Sapphire YX64VMD 110 City/Old Square - Sutton Coldfield.
Another first. Never been on a facelift E400 before. First high spec bus I've been on since Walsall had 47xx on the 997. I was planning on getting a NXWM platinum but then I saw this empty Sapphire sitting at the stand and I had an nbus Daysaver so I thought I'd explore new waters. These Sapphires are bloody quick. The way it was pulling onto the expressway going uphill. Sounded like it had a bit of a turbo leak but was still impressive!

WB4262 5 Sutton Coldfield - West Bromwich
Just missed WA4346 on the 77, so caught this one instead of waiting around in the cold. This bus was a lot more lively compared to the AG one I caught earlier. A real high revver this one and we weren't hanging around. That's possibly due to the fact that I caught the AG one during the peak and given that it's still school holidays and there's more running time in the peaks, it meant we were waiting more.

WA1878 4 West Bromwich - Walsall.
I was hoping that I'd somehow get a rare Mk1 B7RLE, but got a dreary Scania. Reminded me how much I hated these as a passenger, due to the dull interior, the lazy suspension and the lack of soul.  These sound more rattly compared to the ex AG Euro 5 versions, and you couldn't hear much of the ZF gearbox. I was surprised to hear Next Stop announcements. Another first for me, never caught a bus with Next Stop announcements before.

WA4595 301 Walsall - Bloxwich High Street
I was on the hunt for a B7RLE Mk1 but this turned up on the 301 so I thought I'd give it a go, and then hopefully get a B7RLE back. Fairly standard Trident. No nonsense. Good bus this.

WA1756 302 Bloxwich Bulls Head- Walsall
Missed two Diamonds, one Sapphire and and WA4596, but I finally caught one of these after 8 years, when they were running on the 37! I used to love these and it certainly brought back memories even though this particular one was never at AG. That gearbox noise they make when idling like the O405Ns. The contrast from Euro 3 buses to Euro 4 and beyond is insane. So much more vocal! The seating moquette on these do not go whatsoever. The original seating moquette was a hell of a lot better! But yeah it was nice to have a blast from the past and it was definitely worth it! One of the Diamonds that I missed (I think it was MX08NNU?/a B7RLE) was broken down which made me smile as we overtook it lol.

WN6772 529 Walsall - Wolverhampton
Sooooo this is the first Platinum I've ever been on. It was surprisingly bright inside. Brighter than I expected. Loud noise as soon as the bus started moving, can only presume it was the cooling fans. The fans turned off after a minute or two. I like the drive train on these. Same gearbox noises as the E200MMC but the engine is a lot more beefier and it definitely feels a lot more powerful. The same can't be said for the quality though. The creaks and rattles, albeit minute, but noticeable on these pothole heavy roads. The Sapphire I caught earlier, as painful it is to say it, was better to be honest. There was also a smell of beer / weed on the bus which was irritating. It tells me that these specification buses shouldn't really be wasted on routes like this, and the general cleanliness of the bus wasn't as good as the Sapphire. Maybe that's impaired my thoughts and maybe I should have caught one of these on an Express route instead.

WN5405 1 Wolverhampton - Dudley
Another first lol. The drivers keep giving me evils as they stare out of ticket on the WA/WN buses I've caught so far but I'm guessing that's because I've got a daysaver issued on the old ticket machines which you don't get on this side of the region anymore.Straight away I noticed how cold it was on this bus compared to the Platinum I just got off! The interior was welcoming, just like the other hybrid I caught earlier on Bristol Road. The rear downstairs seats however were terrible. Very hard seats. I remember 4738-62 being like this when I used to get them on the 50 many years ago. It's not as noisey on this bus compared to the B5LH. The drive train is interesting. Seems like it's a CVT style gearbox where the engine just revs constantly and the speed increases as the clutch is gradually released. It has that sort of electric whine as well which sounds good. I think I prefer this to the Volvo B5LH, it definitely sounds better.

PE802 243 Dudley - Merry Hill
And another first. Not very good legroom on these for me. I'm 6ft 2. Had to sit sideways basically which was irritating. Quite jerky these aren't they? Every time it accelerated to the top of first gear and then eased off and then back on the power, it jerked into second gear. You can really feel everything the driver is doing, from lightly tapping the brake/accelerator. Sensitive controls it seems.

PE6717 X10 Merry Hill - Bearwood
Okay this one is a lot better than the newer 6772 I caught earlier. It's cleaner overall and has no foul spells. It sounds a lot better too, that ZF noise is so much better than Voith! Quality wise, this doesn't creak like 6772 did. Maybe because it was built in a different factory? I'm not sure which I prefer now, this or the Sapphire. I'm now reassured with Platinum though.

AG4674 11A Bearwood - Acocks Green
Feels good to be back on a Gemini. I haven't been on one of these in ages. What can I say? Best bus I went on today. This is a good one. The only negative I can say as a passenger is sometimes the vibration felt a bit much. 4507 was the worst one, probably still is. Anyway these buses are vocally so much better than others I've caught today. The cooling fans were engaged at a low speed. Had a rushed/inexperienced driver though. It's like he kept forgetting he's in a bus and kept taking right hand corners early and then later adjusting, making things difficult for himself. He managed to clip the right turn at the roundabout at Yardley Wood Road onto Swanshurst Lane somehow. It's weird as a passenger because I kept noticing how badly he was cornering before he went close to the kerbs and how he should have taken it. Obviously this route being one I know like the back of my hand, I know all the corners. I think as a driver, enthusiasts would have loved me driving lol. But yeah, brilliant bus, as are most of the Geminis.

All in all, this was something I haven't done in about 9-10 years, back when I used to skive school. Definitely an experience and an insight to being a bus passenger in this day, as I was referring to the NXWM app, which is incredibly useful. I can't help but think how frustrating it would be to go from a car driver to a bus user though, everything is so slow in contrast! The ticket was a bargain as well. I was going to get a NXWM day saver but I had a fiver on me and thought I may as well get the nbus. Turned out that was a good call as I got to sample the Arriva Bus.

In conclusion, I got to go on my first Platinums (both variants) & the Arriva competition, both Hybrid bus types & an Enviro 200 all for the first time. I did want to find a StreetDeck as well, but I didn't want to wait around too long.

Good day. Will I do it again? Probably not for a long time. Maybe I'll try a Diamond day one day, or a combination of Diamond & independents.

[Jack]

Was time was you in Sutton and Walsall? I caught 4269 on the 5 to Sutton and 4357 on the 77 to Walsall. 4298 is a good bus and 4262 is one of my favourite ALX400's, it's one of a few that has its heating working and makes a classic Metrobus sound when it pulls away lie 4226.