My general trip reports after work and weekends

[James Wake]

Tuesday 19th April

Having finished at work at 1545, I went to Fulwell Station to pick up a double class 455, 5724 and one other to go to Wimbledon, arriving on time at 1616.

The plan was to take a D-stock to Upminster, having seen train 067 the day before was a D-stock and a quick check of the working timetable showed it should go to Upminster.

At 1620, train 067 rolled in, despite the delays advertised on the line. Formed of 7033 at the east end and 7108 at the west end. I took this throughout to Upminster where I decided to head back to Victoria a different route for a train home.

I had a PNB and crossed to platform 6 to join 317890 to Romford, running over for a +1 onto a pair of unknown 315s into London Liverpool Street. There I decided to get an 11 to Victoria, so headed to the All Hallows Church stop where it is starting from due to the bus station being closed. Joining LT119 at 1910 upstairs at the front for the run to Victoria, alighting on Victoria Street at 1950, right on time.

As I walked round to Victoria Station, I passed the Apollo Victoria Theatre, the home of Wicked at the moment, which reminded me of Beau's performance of Defying Gravity on Britain's Got Talent. The standard this year has been very high. Anyway after buying a London Terminals to Clapham Junction ticket to get back into the validity of my season, I legged it to board the 2002 service to Crawley formed of 377428 (for Portsmouth) and 377137 (to Bognor Regis).

At 2052 I got to Crawley and got a cab home for 9pm. Two hours rest before back to work the next day.

 

[FQ]

Welcome to the ever-growing clan of trip reporters!

Sounds like a nice after work outing but 2 hours rest before heading back out to work again?! It seems 317890 is almost permanently stuck on the Romford-Upminster shuttle. I had it on the 2nd of April and i've heard reports of it after then too.

 

[James Wake]

Welcome to the ever-growing clan of trip reporters!

Sounds like a nice after work outing but 2 hours rest before heading back out to work again?! It seems 317890 is almost permanently stuck on the Romford-Upminster shuttle. I had it on the 2nd of April and i've heard reports of it after then too.

Thank you fishquinn, I have written some before. Last time I did the shuttle it was 321414.

 

[FQ]

I know. Your write ups are always good. Unfortunately I missed out on the 'dusty bins' on the shuttle.

 

[Techniquest]

I certainly am looking forward to more from you on these little adventures! And did you mean to put 19th March? If so that was a fair while ago!

 

[James Wake]

I certainly am looking forward to more from you on these little adventures! And did you mean to put 19th March? If so that was a fair while ago!

Yes I did, I've edited it now.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Welcome to the ever-growing clan of trip reporters!

Sounds like a nice after work outing but 2 hours rest before heading back out to work again?!

Then 7 and a half hours sleep as well.

 

[FQ]

Ah, OK. That makes more sense!

 

[Kristofferson]

Always nice to get a bash in on the sly D Stock is an oddity for sure!


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[James Wake]

Saturday 18th June: Forum trip around Sussex and Kent

A few months ago, member Yorkie had asked me to plan a day out on buses around Sussex/Kent, being the area in which I live by using a Discovery ticket. After several plan changes we worked it out.

I left my house at 0915 with my sister to board the 0923 Metrobus Fastway service 100 to Crawley Bus Station. Yorkie was already on board, the service past the end of my road also passes the hotel he was staying in. After 5 minutes on the bus we all alighted. My sister headed off to meet someone, whilst myself and Yorkie waited for our next bus.

At 0955 off the stand came double decker Scania Omnidekka 6472 for the scenic run on the 291 to Tunbridge Wells via East Grinstead. At 1140 we arrived at Royal Victoria Place to cross the road for our next bus to Eastbourne. We were unfortunately bowled when single decker 36208 arrived in from Eastbourne. We flagged that and did a quick down the hill to the station and back, with double decker Trident 6250 on the 402 down the hill and ex Guildford single decker Cadet 3523 back up on the 228, both operated by Arriva Tunbridge Wells.

Luckily the next Eastbourne service was double decker Enviro400 15504, after a lengthy delay at the stand we boarded for the run to Eastbourne via Heathfield and Hailsham. With a 15 minute delay into Eastbourne, we took a PNB then walked down to the Pier to await our next bus, the scenic 13X route to Brighton via Beachy Head and Seaford. Scania Omnicity double decker 730 produced for the trip and we had a fairly punctual run to Brighton, quite a busy route, before we alighted at the Sea Life Centre for a bit of train action.

That's right, the Volks Railway of course. Me and Yorkie met up at this point with Mojo and his friend Ryan who was visiting from Australia before we all boarded car 9 to Black Rock (Marina) station. I managed to travel up front with the driver, whilst the others took a rear eye view from the driving position at the back. We then walked to the Marina and having just missed a 7, then one not showing up, finally double deck Omnidekka 650 on route 7 showed up to take us to the Royal Sussex County Hospital. We changed for Metrobus double deck Omnidekka 6488 to Crawley Bus Station on the 271 route via Haywards Heath. Ryan in particular enjoyed the countryside journey, much different to his normal buses in Melbourne.

After a meal back in Crawley Ask Italian, we boarded single decker Fastway Volvo 6016 to do some guided busway to Bewbush on route 10, or so we thought when I realised the bus had no guidewheels fitted! We flagged it and boarded sister bus 6018 up to Gatwick South Terminal, where Mojo and Ryan headed off for a 10 car 442 to London Victoria, before myself and Yorkie caught Fastway Scania 6630 back towards Crawley, Yorkie got off outside his hotel, I got off back at my nearest home stop and walked the short distance home.

A great day out, with front seats upstairs on all double deckers, I only had to stand briefly on 6018 up to the Manor Royal area due to my favourite seats being taken.

More reports soon.

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like a good day, I need the Volks Railway! Something I keep forgetting about that one.

 

[FQ]

Sorry for forgetting to reply until now - I read the report and then had to head out and forgot to reply when I got back.

Sounds like a good, sociable day there!

 

[James Wake]

The Great Sussex/Surrey/Hampshire day out: 8th October 2016

The 8th October I needed to go to a meeting in Winchester. I did also want to visit my Grandma in Fleet, so decided to buy a Discovery ticket at £8.50 and then get the train back from Winchester in the late evening. This report tells what I did:

I left home in Crawley at 0658 and walked to my local bus stop for the Metrobus Fastway route 100 to Crawley. It arrived 5 minutes late, extremely busy with a large group on board, surprising for 0708 in the morning. I purchased my Discovery ticket from the driver and got a seat on Scania Omnicity 6631 to the Broadway, just three stops (but a reasonable distance between each), arriving at 0712. I crossed over for the 0716 service 21 to Dorking (continues to Epsom) which was formed of Metrobus Enviro200 6725 with just one person aboard except me and the driver, for a scenic ride through Ifield, Charlwood, Newdigate (where 2 more passengers joined) and Beare Green up to Dorking Townfield Court. I alighted to await the Compass Travel 32 to Guildford, hoping it would not be a Solo that Dunsfold do still have. It appeared 2 mins early, which surprised me slightly, but sadly was the Solo resident at Dunsfold, YJ12PMU. I took the single tip up seat behind the door for a front facing view to Guildford through Shere and Chilworth.

At Guildford, it was still fairly quiet, as I went to board Stagecoach South Enviro 37261 on the 0900 KITE to Aldershot (formerly route 20), run by Peasmarsh depot rather than Aldershot which has changed recently. Not the most scenic route, but it is functional, dropping me off at Aldershot 2 minutes late at 0942. At Aldershot Bus Station, a PNB, then I awaited the 1005 7 to Fleet, which could be anything. Trident 18379 came into the bus station out of service, but a few minutes late fellow double decker Trident 18386 came into the bus station with “7 Reading” on the blind and pulled onto the stop. I joined upstairs at the front for the 20 minute journey to Fleet, letting the bus continue all the way up to Reading and visited my Grandma and had a nice lasagne for lunch. That saved me getting a meal out later on.

I returned to the other bus stop at 1345 to catch the 1351 service 7 back to Aldershot, which was formed of Enviro 200 single decker 39651, running 5 minutes late, but didn’t impact my connection onto the 1420 service 18 to Farnham, formed of sister bus 39654. I intended to try a +1 onto the 65 to Alton. As we approached Farnham, the real time app was telling me the 65 was late, so nothing to worry about, or so I thought. As we got to the Albion Hotel, where the two routes converged, I saw serious traffic ahead. I saw cars turning in the road, and then three police cars sped past. There was an accident and the main road into Farnham was blocked. The 18 was forced to divert onto the A31, but the driver advised me to alight and walk into the town and await the 65. I walked towards the crash scene to try and find out an alternative walking route from the police when the air ambulance flew over and began making loops looking for somewhere to land. The police directed me on a simple diversion up a footpath, along an alleyway and back down onto the road past the crash site. It looked serious, but through a heavy shower which had just started I walked into Farnham. There was no sign of any bus and no clear information from Stagecoach where buses were diverting, so I ended up walking to the station for the 1526 train to Alton, formed of 450558/072 for the non-stop run.

I then changed onto the 64 to Winchester half an hour behind my schedule, formed of Trident 18521, which I have had from Winchester to Guildford on the 64/65 when the routes were combined until last year. A nice run to Winchester on the A31 mainly, coming off to serve Alresford and a 3 minute early arrival into Winchester at 1634. The Trident then moved onto the 86 stand for the 1650 86 to Whitchurch and back. Whilst tempting, I decided to clear some more of Winchester’s local Kings City network, run by Stagecoach Winchester depot as well. I did the 1 to Winnall last time. I had a quick break then joined the first of three different Enviro200 MMCs that I would have, 37422 on the 5 to Badger Farm, a quick jaunt round the loop there and I alighted back in Winchester, at City Road by the station approach for a quick change onto the 3 to Weeke and Harestock, formed by 37417 at 1720. I did this throughout and back to Winchester Bus Station. Then I decided to do the other end of the 1 to Stanmore at 1755, formed of 37420, another 30 minute round trip. 37420 terminated in the bus station rather than going onto Winnall as it was 1825 in the evening. My Spring was due out from the adjacent Broadway at 1833, as I was walking out, I noticed 37420 had changed its blind to “The Spring Springvale”, we both reached the bus stop at the same time. The driver didn’t bat an eyelid that I reboarded for the longer trip up to Springvale, alighting on Worthy Lane on the way back and going to my meeting.

At 2100 sharp I left my meeting and walked back to Winchester Station, I could’ve boarded the Spring that was due to City Road, but the walk is less than 5 mins so that would’ve been a bit lazy of me. I walked into the station, deciding to head home to Crawley via the cheapest route via Barnham at £13.60 with Annual Gold Card. If I would’ve gone via Clapham Junction then used my annual ticket from Boundary Zone 6, I would’ve had 444001/012, but on the 2119 service to Portsmouth Harbour was 444005. I took this to Fareham, could’ve scored Cosham as a shack but I wanted to change at Fareham for the canopy being at the front of the train as it had started raining. 377125 then rolled in to take me to Chichester, a station I’ve visited many times but not recently, before the last Arun Valley train, the 2240 to Three Bridges, formed of 377133/412 took me home to Crawley. A cab home and slump into bed after nearly 17 hours out and about. What a day!

 

[Techniquest]

Quite some variety in there, and a very long day so I'd imagine you must have been more than glad to collapse into the house!

 

[Kite159]

A busy day with a lot of buses