The Transport Game (UK)

[ValleyLines142]

We then make our way over to the railway station, which is just around the corner, and board 1T08, the 0953 ScotRail service to Glasgow Central, arriving there exactly an hour later at 1053 on Wednesday morning.

 

[me123]

Hmm.. sorry thought I did. Must have deleted it in re-formatting. We are of course on Wed morn.

Step off and into the station, getting on the 09:53 First Scotrail service to Glasgow Central (1T08). However, the train breaks down at Paisley Gilmour Street so terminates there instead at 10:40, still on Wednesday morning

People keep beating me to it!

Well, let's get on the 11:09 to Manchester Airport instead, it's the 1M96 First TPE service to Manchester Airport, arriving there at 14:44 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Moving to the bus station area of the interchange, we then board the 1532 GHA Coaches service 200 service to Styal (Quarry Bank Mill) that arrives there at 1542 on Wednesday afternoon.

NOTE...That stop is more than 1/2 mile from Styal railway station according to The National Trust who own Quarry Bank Mill, who state that taking heed of the specific estate road traversed by the bus to the solitary bus stop to the bus stop in the turning circle in the top car park on the estate, the distance is 0.6 miles.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Moving to the bus station area of the interchange, we then board the 1532 GHA Coaches service 200 service to Styal (Quarry Bank Mill) that arrives there at 1542 on Wednesday afternoon.

NOTE...That stop is more than 1/2 mile from Styal railway station

Not according to Google Maps....

 

[me123]

I concur. In fact, the bus stop seems to be closer to the station from what I can see (albeit with no knowledge of the local area whatsoever).

However, having gotten to Styal Quarry Bank Mill, we find that sadly it closed 10 minutes earlier during the winter , I therefore hop on the next bus to pass, and indeed the only bus that stops here as far as is advertised; the 16:05 #200 service operated by GHA coaches again. After some weird looks from the bus driver who just dropped us off, we get into Styal Hollin Lane (near the train station) at 16:08 on Wednesday afternoon, just three minutes later.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I concur. In fact, the bus stop seems to be closer to the station from what I can see (albeit with no knowledge of the local area whatsoever).

However, having gotten to Styal Quarry Bank Mill, we find that sadly it closed 10 minutes earlier during the winter , I therefore hop on the next bus to pass, and indeed the only bus that stops here as far as is advertised; the 16:05 #200 service operated by GHA coaches again. After some weird looks from the bus driver who just dropped us off, we get into Styal Hollin Lane (near the train station) at 16:08 on Wednesday afternoon, just three minutes later.

Indeed. The 200 isn't the most frequent of routes either plus it doesn't take us to that many places. Other buses from Manchester Airport would have been more frequent and offered us better connections.

Unfortunately, the next train now isn't for over an hour now, as we missed the 1558 by ten minutes (although we could have walked there and caught it). But not to worry.

We wait for 2A91, the 1717 Northern service to Holmes Chapel, arriving there at 1731 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[me123]

We then hobble over to London Road with plenty of time to catch the 17:50 number 42 bus operated by GHA coaches (again) to Crewe Bus Station, arriving at 18:50.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1934 First Potteries service 3 to Stoke-on-Trent (Railway Station), arriving there at 2038 on Wednesday evening.

 

[dzug2]

We take the 2118 EMT service to Uttoxeter, arriving at 2142 Wednesday evening

 

[ValleyLines142]

There are no more services out of Uttoxeter now, so we find a hotel and call it a day, and the next morning we board 1K00, the 0658 East Midlands Trains service to Derby, arriving there at 0723 on Thursday morning.

 

[dzug2]

We continue to Oxford on the 0750 XC service, arriving at 0941 Thursday morning

 

[me123]

Err... are we not on Thursday morning? We went to a hotel on Wednesday evening and appear to have left on Friday morning?

Makes minimal difference at the moment, as we leave Oxford on 1P35, which is the 10:01 FGW service to London Paddington, arriving in The Big Smoke at 11:00 precisely on Friday (or is it Thursday?) morning.

 

[dzug2]

Yup it's Thursday though 'precisely' at 1100 might be a vain hope. But for the purposes of the game we assume.

We take the parly Chiltern service out of Paddington at 1136 and trundle slowly to South Ruislip, arriving at 1201 Thursday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Taking a short rail journey northwards, we board the 1242 Chiltern service to High Wycombe that arrives there at 1308 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[me123]

We leave and see a number 33 bus just pulling out of the station. Intrigued as to what the mysterious land of "Castlefield" is like, we await the next 33, operated by Arriva, which duly arrives at 13:23. As such, we get off outside the Jolly Bodger Pub on Chairborough Road at 13:40 on this glorious Thursday afternoon. As the bus pulls away, we realise that not only is there no pub to be seen, but the stop is only served by 33s. However, Google maps suggests there may be another bus stop a short walk away...

 

[ValleyLines142]

All of the bus stops in the vicinity are all served by the 33 only, so we next board the 1353 Arriva The Shire and Essex service 33 to Totteridge (The Dolphin), arriving there at 1424 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[me123]

Again, nothing but 33s at this stop. In despair, we decide to walk along Totteridge Drive, and up onto Walton Drive. Then we see it, another bus stop. Served by a bus just twice a day... and it's almost due!

And lo, The Number 306 operated by Carousel Buses duly arrives at 1456, taking us back to the Rail Station at High Wycombe at 15:08 on this fine Thursday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

We take the 1546 Chiltern train to Stratford on Avon, arriving at 1735 Thursday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next take a stopping service as we board the 1755 LM service to Worcester Foregate Street that arrives there at 1940 on Thursday evening.

 

[dzug2]

We then take the 1956 FGW service and travel to Kingham arriving at 2055 on Thursday evening

 

[me123]

Sadly, we find that the last bus has already departed, so back to the Platform we go. Not wishing to retrace our steps, we let the Country-bound train pass and step on the next London-bound service, the FGW HST numbered 1P87, leaving at 21:50. We decide not to return to London, instead getting off in Slough at 23:18 this Thursday evening.

 

[dzug2]

We step from the train to see the last branch train to Windsor ready to depart but the official connecting time says we can't get over the bridge quick enough. Not wanting to go to London, we take the 2357 FGW stopping train and alight at Appleford at 0100 Friday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Appleford is not renowned for a 24-hour rail service, so we decide to wait for the first train outwards and board the 0616 FGW service to Pangbourne that arrives there at 0652 on Friday morning.

 

[dzug2]

We head out to the Cotswolds on the 0731 FGW service to Moreton-in-Marsh arriving at 0838 Friday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We decide to head eastwards and board the 0923 FGW service to Slough that arrives at 1040 on Friday morning.

 

[dzug2]

Unable to decide between the competing attractions of the Great Wen and the countryside we toss a coin and it lands on its edge and rolls down a grating

Eventually we take the 1136 FGW train to Great Malvern, arriving at 1356 Friday afternoon

 

[me123]

We decide to visit Worcester. However, having had a bit much of rail, we decide to take the bus instead.

We walk up to nearby Avenue Road and get on First Worcetershire & Herefordshire's number 44C bus, leaving at 14:11. Not fancying the look of the bus station, we remain on until the end of the route, and leave the bus at Worcester County Hall (on Wildwood Drive) just over an hour later at 15:14 on Friday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We take the 3 minute walk to the Nunnery Wood bus stop where we board the "part-route only" 1544 First in Worcestershire and Herefordshire service 550 to its terminal point at Pinvin (adj. shop) that arrives there at 1611 on Friday afternoon

 

[dzug2]

We have in fact travelled to the outskirts of Worcester the other side and seen little of the city. Undaunted, we get First's 550 at 1543 from Nunnery Wood, County Hall Boiler House and get off at Pershore railway station at 1610 Friday afternoon
Snap - almost

We walk back 100 yards to the rail station stop and catch the 1755 Astons route 564 bus at its last pickup point to Flyford Flavell Flyford Arms arriving at 1816 Friday afternoon (it does call at the stores also at 1755 but to set down only)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We have in fact travelled to the outskirts of Worcester the other side and seen little of the city. Undaunted, we get First's 550 at 1543 from Nunnery Lane, County Hall Boiler House and get off at Pershore railway station at 1610 Friday afternoon

Unfortunately, the previous posting has an arrival time of 1611 at Pinvin.