The Transport Game

[High Dyke]

Enchanted by this beautiful part of the country we decide to explore a bit further. We join the 12:25 Stagecoach in Cumbria Borrowdale Rambler service to Seatoller arriving 12:53 on Saturday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Because the summer timetable is not yet operational, this affords us time to take refreshments of local delicacies in the tea room, then to absorb with wild grandeur of our environs, before returning back to the bus terminus where we arrived and board the 1455 open-top Stagecoach in Cumbria service 78 to Keswick bus station that arrives there at 1525 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[ModernRailways]

After a nice walk around Keswick we board the 1615 Stagecoach in Cumbria X5 service to Penrith Railway Station arriving at 1657 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Fortunate to find ourselves at a bus stop outside a railway station, we decide to make the next leg of our journey by rail and we enter the railway station and board the 1730 Virgin Trains service to Carlisle that arrives there at 1746 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

We return 'North of the border' courtesy of the G & SW Route, a line we've travelled over before. Catching the 17:56 FSR service we alight, slighty tired, at Dunlop arriving 20:12 on Saturday evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next take a short rail journey and board the 2041 First ScotRail service to Pollokshaws West that arrives there at 2102 on Saturday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

We make the short train journey into the city centre on the 21:17 FSR service to Glasgow Central arriving at 21:27 on Saturday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We now make an evening rail run out to the coast by boarding the 2230 First ScotRail service to Ayr that arrives there at 2321 on Saturday evening.

 

[ModernRailways]

After a brief sit down we then catch the last train of the day which is the 2331 First Scotrail service all the way to Stranraer arriving at 0052 on a horrible, damp Sunday morning!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Too late to book in anywhere, we wander "lonely as a cloud" feeling somewhat poetic at this time of night and see what we can, but this is now the early hours of Sunday morning and we resign ourselves to the very long wait that will ensue before we can set off onwards on our next leg of this journey. Eventually, the time arrives to board the 1040 First ScotRail service to Kilwinning that arrives there at 1216 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

We don't have long to savour this settlement before heading back in the direction we arrived from as we join the 12:23 FSR service for the short journey to Ayr arriving 12:40 on Sunday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Sunday afternoon now sees us make a journey to "The Big City" as we board the 1315 First ScotRail service to Glasgow Central that arrives at 1405 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

We make our way down to the Low Level platforms. No longer the preserve of the famous 'Blue Trains' we board a rather uncharacteristic unit forming the 14:15 FSR service to Balloch arriving at 15:01 on Sunday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We now take a slow stopping service as we board the 1539 First ScotRail service to Motherwell that eventually arrives there at 1657 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

We're now warming to such 'pedestrian' travel on the local train service so join the 17:06 FSR stopping service for another trip across the city, but we depart a different way from Motherwell (via Uddingston) and onto Partick where we arrive 17:41 on Sunday

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1812 First Scotrail service to Milngavie that arrives at 1830 on Sunday evening.

 

[Zoe]

We now board the 1841 First ScotRail service to Lanark arriving at 1959 on Sunday.

 

[High Dyke]

We seem to be stuck in a strange charade of going to and fro across the Glasgow area. In an effort to break this cycle we join the 20:13 FSR service and alight at Motherwell arriving 20:36 on Sunday night.

 

[gnolife]

We take the 22:06 ScotRail Lowland Caledonian Sleeper service to London Euston, arriving 07:06 on Monday morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

After such a long journey, we have a hot snack and a hot drink to sustain us and this leaves time to walk to platform 18 to board the 0810 Virgin Trains service to Llandudno Junction that arrive there at 1104 on Monday morning.

 

[gnolife]

Deciding that the North Wales Coast doesn't appeal to us when it looks like its going to rain, we take the 11:53 Arriva Trains Wales service to Helsby, arriving 12:59 Mondya

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next board the 1400 ATW service to Earlestown that arrives at 1426 on Monday afternoon.

 

[High Dyke]

Just in time to make the 14:34 Northern service to Liverpool Lime Street arriving 15:13 on Monday afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We next head up to the North East and board the 1522 First TPE service to Thornaby that arrives there at 1832 on Monday evening.

 

[Trainfan344]

We then board the 18:39 Northern Rail service to Middlesbrough arriving there at 18:48 Monday Evening

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We now board the 1922 Northern service to Darlington that arrives there at 1950 on Monday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

We could catch the next available service onto the 'toon' city, but decide to venture south instead. Boarding the 20:07 XC service as far as Sheffield arriving 21:26 on Monday.

 

[ModernRailways]

After a quick dash to the shop to buy some goodies we board the 2139 to Nottingham, thankfully it's a Class 158! We arrive into Nottingham at 2232 on the Monday evening.

 

[High Dyke]

Public transport is starting to dwindle at this time of night; however we do find the 23:10 EMT service which transports us to Leicester arriving 23:58 on Monday.

 

[Trainfan344]

We are pleased to find a mere 5 minutes to wait until we board the 00:03 East Midlands Trains service to Sheffield arriving there at 01:46 Tuesday Morning