I have just done another one of my wandering’s, this time to the North West, on Saturday 4th March, so heres the report etc:
Sat 4th March
I had been to work on Friday and got back home about 4.30pm, then had couple hours nap before, before leaving home about 11.30pm for usual 40 mins drive to Exeter, where parked in my usual car park, which Summerland Multi Storey, then went to get. A bowl of meatballs at subway for £1.89, before going to the coach stop for the 01.10am FlixBus to Hammersmith, which duly arrived about 01.03, in the form of Vanhool Coach BR21 OCZ, which left bang on time, and had booked front seats on the left, neighbour free, for the ride to Hammersmith, so was going to be a comfy and decent ride, and at Taunton, the usual driver Dave, took over for the run to London, so had a nice chat with him during the run which proceeded punctually , , , and arrived few mins early at Hammersmith Just before 05.55am.
I then caught a circle Line train from Hammersmith to Euston Square at 05.59, where during the run, I bought on Avanti website ticket to Wigan North Western for £98.10, which was Off Peak Saver Return, but once at Euston I still went to the booking office to buy a Cheshire Day Ranger. I know could have bought both together at booking office, but the whole day was going to be making up the day as went along, and working it all out pretty much on the fly, I then grabbed an UpperCrust Ham and Cheese Baguette for £4.99 which did job nicely, before heading to the barriers to board as early as allowed(about 06.55) 07.13 Euston-Wigan North Western. Which was 390009, an un refurbished set.
We Left few secs early, and then proceeded to have a fast run out to passing Milton Keynes in 29 mins, then had a slowing to approx 20mph either for signals or TSR(I suspect TSR) near Blisworth Ground frame, then proceeded again to run fast and early by few mins all the way to Wigan North Western.
I then headed to Wigan Wallgate, for 769424 on 09.39 Wigan Wallgate-Manchester Oxford Road, which was my first 769 unit, which found bit weird, as they keep shutting down, then grabbed a Costa Large Latte £4.35, before catching 158854-158863 on 10.41 Manchester Oxford Road-Liverpool Lime St, then caught 197015 on 11.47 Liverpool lime St-Chester, then 197015 again on 12..33 Chester Liverpool Lime St, reason for doing this quick out and back run, was to sample my first 197 units, as they weren’t doing the Manchester airport-Rhyl services, I found them to be nice units, and look forward to longer runs on them.
Once back at Liverpool Lime street, I bough 4 Kristy Kreme Doughnuts for £8.65, Then caught 331026 on 14.00 Liverpool St-Manchester Piccadilly, which was really busy, and ate my Krispy Kreme’s during the run, then while at Man Pic, I bought a Costa Coffee for £4.35, before catching 158835 on 15.30 Manchester Piccadilly-Crewe, which was wedged till wilmslow and busy onto Crewe, where I bought a Pumpkin Cafe Hot Chocolate £5.10, and watched various trains for an hour, before catching 390016 0n 17.08 Crewe to Wigan north Western, another un refurbished set. Then 390141 on 18.14 Wigan North Western-Euston, which was refurbished set.
We came to a stop between Hartford and Winsford which made us 4 mins late, but with a clear run then to Milton Keynes Central, we had a blistering run, with passing Crewe to stopping Milton Keynes Central taking just 57 mins, then with engineering works onto Euston, we arrived there 11 mins late, then I caught Victoria line tube to Victoria. And then grabbed KFC 3 Chicken pieces £6.99, which did the job, then walked over to Victoria coach station, for 406 Victoria-Exeter, which was 68 plate Caetano Levante Mk111, which arrived 5 mins early Exeter, at 02.55, before paying for car park £14.90, then 35 minute drive home, arriving about 03.40 am.
hope this was a decent report, and I’m trying to improve them bit by bit, and any advice to improve more would be helpful,thanks.
Sat 4th March
I had been to work on Friday and got back home about 4.30pm, then had couple hours nap before, before leaving home about 11.30pm for usual 40 mins drive to Exeter, where parked in my usual car park, which Summerland Multi Storey, then went to get. A bowl of meatballs at subway for £1.89, before going to the coach stop for the 01.10am FlixBus to Hammersmith, which duly arrived about 01.03, in the form of Vanhool Coach BR21 OCZ, which left bang on time, and had booked front seats on the left, neighbour free, for the ride to Hammersmith, so was going to be a comfy and decent ride, and at Taunton, the usual driver Dave, took over for the run to London, so had a nice chat with him during the run which proceeded punctually , , , and arrived few mins early at Hammersmith Just before 05.55am.
I then caught a circle Line train from Hammersmith to Euston Square at 05.59, where during the run, I bought on Avanti website ticket to Wigan North Western for £98.10, which was Off Peak Saver Return, but once at Euston I still went to the booking office to buy a Cheshire Day Ranger. I know could have bought both together at booking office, but the whole day was going to be making up the day as went along, and working it all out pretty much on the fly, I then grabbed an UpperCrust Ham and Cheese Baguette for £4.99 which did job nicely, before heading to the barriers to board as early as allowed(about 06.55) 07.13 Euston-Wigan North Western. Which was 390009, an un refurbished set.
We Left few secs early, and then proceeded to have a fast run out to passing Milton Keynes in 29 mins, then had a slowing to approx 20mph either for signals or TSR(I suspect TSR) near Blisworth Ground frame, then proceeded again to run fast and early by few mins all the way to Wigan North Western.
I then headed to Wigan Wallgate, for 769424 on 09.39 Wigan Wallgate-Manchester Oxford Road, which was my first 769 unit, which found bit weird, as they keep shutting down, then grabbed a Costa Large Latte £4.35, before catching 158854-158863 on 10.41 Manchester Oxford Road-Liverpool Lime St, then caught 197015 on 11.47 Liverpool lime St-Chester, then 197015 again on 12..33 Chester Liverpool Lime St, reason for doing this quick out and back run, was to sample my first 197 units, as they weren’t doing the Manchester airport-Rhyl services, I found them to be nice units, and look forward to longer runs on them.
Once back at Liverpool Lime street, I bough 4 Kristy Kreme Doughnuts for £8.65, Then caught 331026 on 14.00 Liverpool St-Manchester Piccadilly, which was really busy, and ate my Krispy Kreme’s during the run, then while at Man Pic, I bought a Costa Coffee for £4.35, before catching 158835 on 15.30 Manchester Piccadilly-Crewe, which was wedged till wilmslow and busy onto Crewe, where I bought a Pumpkin Cafe Hot Chocolate £5.10, and watched various trains for an hour, before catching 390016 0n 17.08 Crewe to Wigan north Western, another un refurbished set. Then 390141 on 18.14 Wigan North Western-Euston, which was refurbished set.
We came to a stop between Hartford and Winsford which made us 4 mins late, but with a clear run then to Milton Keynes Central, we had a blistering run, with passing Crewe to stopping Milton Keynes Central taking just 57 mins, then with engineering works onto Euston, we arrived there 11 mins late, then I caught Victoria line tube to Victoria. And then grabbed KFC 3 Chicken pieces £6.99, which did the job, then walked over to Victoria coach station, for 406 Victoria-Exeter, which was 68 plate Caetano Levante Mk111, which arrived 5 mins early Exeter, at 02.55, before paying for car park £14.90, then 35 minute drive home, arriving about 03.40 am.
hope this was a decent report, and I’m trying to improve them bit by bit, and any advice to improve more would be helpful,thanks.
I'm currently waiting for the 197s to come my way before I try them out, and for TfW's current fleet issues to get sorted before I use them again. Premium prices for inferior trains I am not willing to pay, indeed my next mandatory journey was going to be with them but uncertainty about engineering works meant I ended up booking with National Express for much, much less cost and a far higher convenience factor.
