The Transport Game

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What a horrible Saturday that this is turning out to be. Twice thwarted to make us miss a beach location on a sunny Saturday by a combination of timetable planning queries then by a return to the Midlands, so we decide to try again, but to a different part of the Welsh coastal area so we board the 1409 ATW service to Pwllheli that arrives there at 1921 on Saturday evening.

 

[Rich McLean]

A bit of Omnibus fun now, as we jump onto the 2020 Arriva Bus Service 18 to Abersoch Garden Centre arriving at 2033 Saturday Evening

 

[CallySleeper]

...not long in Pwllheli to get fish and chips before getting on the 20:05 to Machynlleth, arriving at 22:19 on Saturday evening!

 

[dzug2]

We have an aversion to semi-pronounceable welsh names so depart quickly on the 2005 ATW departure for Dovey Junction arriving at 2211 Saturday evening
mmm too slow again and even less pronounceable

We catch the 2304 ATW deoarture to Borth, arriving at 2322 Saturday evening


I think I'm going to give up for now

 

[Rich McLean]

We have an aversion to semi-pronounceable welsh names so depart quickly on the 2005 ATW departure for Dovey Junction arriving at 2211 Saturday evening
mmm too slow again and even less pronounceable

We catch the 2304 ATW deoarture to Borth, arriving at 2322 Saturday evening


I think I'm going to give up for now

Please refer to my last post above, now at Abersoch Garden Centre

 

[dzug2]

Please refer to my last post above, now at Abersoch Garden Centre

I have - that's why I've given up. For now.

Later - not to be defeated:

We have to spend the night in Abersoch (and it's probably not a bad place to be) before catching the next 18 bus - this time run by Nefyn Motors - back to Pwllheli bus station, departing at 1015 and arriving at 1040 Sunday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A bit of Omnibus fun now, as we jump onto the 2020 Arriva Bus Service 18 to Abersoch Garden Centre arriving at 2033 Saturday Evening

Thankful to be back in Wales, we decide that the onward travel situation for the rest of the day looks to be grim, so we book into a B & B then decide to avail ourself of being in a marine situation by watching the small boats and at least obtaining some seaside relaxation that we had promised ourself at the start of the day, before finally retiring for the night, still bitterly disappointed to miss the festival at Trearddur Bay in Anglesey earlier in the day. After a full Welsh breakfast, we decline the offer to join in the choir at chapel and return to the bus stop where we board the 1008 Nefyn Coaches service 18 to Llanbedrog (Fford Pedrog) that arrives there at 1029 on Sunday morning.

 

[Zoe]

There isn't much to do here other than wait for the next Nefyn Coaches number 18 service at 1241 to Pwllheli Station Square arriving at 1248 on Sunday.

 

[Buttsy]

Deciding we want to have a look at the little trains of Wales, we jump on the 13:48 Arriva Trains Wales service from Pwllheli as far as Porthmadog, arriving at 14:12 Sunday afternoon and check out if the Welsh Highland Railway or The Ffestiniog Railway are running any trains.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Deciding we want to have a look at the little trains of Wales, we jump on the 13:48 Arriva Trains Wales service from Pwllheli as far as Porthmadog, arriving at 14:12 Sunday afternoon and check out if the Welsh Highland Railway or The Ffestiniog Railway are running any trains.

We are most unfortunate to find there could have been still a final service on the Ffestiniog Railway running at this time on a Sunday and we would have had do have time to spare to partake of light refreshments before boarding the 1600 Ffestiniog Railway service to Blaenau Ffestiniog that arrives there at 1720 on Sunday afternoon......BUT WE CANNOT IN THIS CASE AS THAT TRAIN DOES NOT RUN....... UNTIL SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER.....

However, as luck will have it, all is not lost and we still have plenty of time to have a light meal before walking to the bus stop near the railway station and boarding the 1606 Express Motors service T2 to Bangor bus station that arrives there at 1713 on Sunday afternoon

 

[dzug2]

Let's hope I can get a move in without being overtaken as I type it....

We make our way to the station then take the 1809 ATW service to Gobowen, arriving at 2002 Sunday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Sunday evening in North East Wales can be somewhat difficult for onward transport, so it is indeed fortunate that we are informed by a kindly local that we can find transport to a large settlement and we make our way to the bus stop near to the railway station and board the 2040 National Express service 418 to Wrexham bus station that arrives there at 2125 on Sunday evening.

 

[dzug2]

We have a while to wait before GHA Coaches' 5A bus service at 2245 takes us to Ruabon High Street, arriving at 2303 on Sunday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Too late for onward Sunday evening travel, but we are informed there is a very early Monday morning train that departs from Chester (with over 20 stations to call at) that stops at Ruabon station to pick up and is said to be well worth the ride, so we book into a B & B for the night with a very early morning alarm call which will enable us to board the 0537 ATW service to Maesteg that arrives there at 0915 on Monday morning.

 

[dzug2]

Not at all sure how the 0915 departure to Cheltenham can take place as we arrive with only one platform and a single line -perhaps our unit turns round in zero time - but we'll eschew it anyway and make our way to the bus station for the Arriva 1000 X3 departure, travelling to Port Talbot Bus station, arriving at 1024 Monday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Deciding to use rail again, we make our way to Port Talbot Parkway station where we are in time to board the 1113 ATW service to Wilmslow that arrives there at 1448 on Monday afternoon.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not at all sure how the 0915 departure from Maesteg to Cheltenham Spa can take place as we arrive with only one platform and a single line

Yet the National Rail Enquiries gives the arrival of the 0537 from Ruabon at Maesteg at 0915. As you say, rather unusual...unless the Working Timetable can shed any light on this matter.

 

[dzug2]

We take the 1511 Virgin service to London Euston, arriving at 1704 Monday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Descending via the escalators to the Underground station, we board the 1714 Victoria Line service to London Victoria Underground station that arrives there at 1723 on Monday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

We fight our way through the crowds, making our way to the bus station where we catch the 1750 No 38 bus (scheduled to be a Boris Bus) to Essex Road station, arriving at 1834 Monday evening.

As an aside I wonder if a Boris bike would be valid on this quiz? I suspect not, but the TfL journeyplanner can be tweaked to give journey times. I suspect it's in the same category as a taxi though.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Tme again to revert to rail, so we enter the station and board the 1847 FCC service to Welwyn Garden City that arrives at 1930 on Monday evening.

 

[CallySleeper]

From WGC we get the 1949 as far as Stevenage, arriving at 20:05 on Monday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Don't forget to name the TOC on whose train that you use....


Time to relax on the station before making a long rail journey to the North-East, then we board the 2120 EC service to Newcastle that arrives there at 0045 on Tuesday morning.

 

[dzug2]

After gatecrashing a stag party (wishful thinking on a Monday night maybe, and anyway I'm far too old) we stagger back to the station for the 0644 XC departure, finally (sort of) waking up at Taunton at 1215 Tuesday lunch time.

 

[Zoe]

Luckily the bus leaves right outside platform 2 at Taunton so we can board the 1217 First in Bristol, Bath and the West bus service 28 to Minehead Parade arriving at 1331 on Tuesday.

 

[dzug2]

It's the red timetable, so we can catch the WSR 1415 steam departure for Bishops Lydeard, arriving 1535 Tuesday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

From the station area, we walk to the bus stop and board the 1606 First in Bristol, Bath and The West service 28 to Minehead (The Parade) that arrives there at 1701 on Tuesday afternoon.

 

[dzug2]

We head inland again on Holsworthy's 398 service from Banck Street (off the Parade) at 1735, getting off at Bampton War Memorial at 1912 on Tuesday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Bampton, not exactly being the transport hub of that part of Devon, has to have its last bus of the day in any direction, that last journey being a good example of one of these, so after seeking and finding overnight accommodation and partaking of a hearty meal, we decide the light is still good enough to explore the locality for some while before retiring for the night and a restful sleep sees a new day and a most splendid "perfick" cooked breakfast served by our host who shows a striking resemblance to Ma Larkin from "The Darling Buds of May" with the same belief in what a cooked breakfast should consist of (perhaps a Devon side of the main family from Kent) which should see us through the day (and possibly the morrow) and we return to the War Memorial bus stop and board the 0809 Beacon Bus service 398 to Tiverton bus station that arrives there at 0840 on Wednesday morning.

 

[dzug2]

We decide to return towards the coast, catching the 155 (Stagecoach) bus at 0915 and travelling to Barnstaple Bus station, arriving at 1039 on Wednesday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Now we decide to see what services run from the bus station and after some consideration, we decide to board the 1100 Holsworthy service 118 to Okehampton bus station that arrives there at 1230 on Wednesday afternoon.