The Transport Game

[gnolife]

We take the 21:42 ScotRail service to London Euston, arriving 07:48 Wednesday Morning

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We now plan the final leg of three countries in two rail journeys whilst eating a hot snack then we board the 0810 Virgin Trains service to Bangor (Gwynedd) that arrives out of the tunnel and into the daylight at the railway station at 1216 on Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Welshman]

The last time we went to Bangor we were in search of Santa Claus on the Welsh Highland Railway, so now, having just missed the 1217 from outside the station, we await the 1247 Arriva Cymru service 62 to Amlwch, where we arrive at 1341, having admired the skill of the driver in coming off Telford's brilliant suspension bridge at Porthaethwy with wing mirrors still attached. And it's still Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Amlwch still has its small harbour and we stroll to see what craft are using it today then around the environs of the harbour area, before returning to board the 1515 Lewis y Lan service 61 that arrives outside Holyhead railway station at 1604 on Wednesday afternoon

 

[gnolife]

We take the 16:38 ATW service to Chester, arriving 18:16 Wednesday

 

[ValleyLines142]

This connects perfectly with Arriva Trains Wales' 1V63 departure at 1638 to Cardiff Central, arriving there at 2119 on Wednesday evening, a journey from Shrewsbury (off 1V97 2030 from Manchester) which I have just alighted off just over an hour ago :P

 

[gnolife]

This connects perfectly with Arriva Trains Wales' 1V63 departure at 1638 to Cardiff Central, arriving there at 2119 on Wednesday evening, a journey from Shrewsbury (off 1V97 2030 from Manchester) which I have just alighted off just over an hour ago :P

You were too late with that there

 

[ValleyLines142]

You were too late with that there

Oh I didn't even notice! In that case, we'll do: Arriva's 1H94 1849 to Manchester Airport, 2018 arrival on Wednesday evening!

 

[gnolife]

We then sit around the Airport station waiting for the 21:15 Trent Barton 199 Skyline service to Buxton, arriving 22:34 Wednesday

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then sit around the Airport station waiting for the 21:15 Trent Barton 199 Skyline service to Buxton, arriving 22:34 Wednesday

Where exactly in Buxton does this service stop?

 

[gnolife]

Market Place (about 5 mins walk from Train Station)

 

[ValleyLines142]

Fab! Thanks.

We then find a hotel and in the morning board 2N95 in the form of the 0650 Northern service to Blackpool North, arriving at 0917 on Thursday morning.

 

[gnolife]

Not particularly liking the weather, we head straight back out on the 9:29 Northern service to York, which we ditch at Hebden Bridge at 10:49 Thursday

 

[ValleyLines142]

This allows us to board 2M20, the 1056 Northern service to Rochdale, arriving there at 1114 on Thursday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No trams (old or new) to see at the end of December, but we are fortunate that we have just over ten minutes to make our connection onwards, so we board the 0929 Northern service to York that arrives there at 1221 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Now York is DEFINITELY worth staying for, as its a walled city and is fabulous and historic. We visit the National Rail Museum, have a shopping spree, go on a river cruise tour, an open-top bus tour, the whole hog, before boarding 1S28, the 1949 East Coast service to Newcastle, which arrives at 2047 on Thursday evening (which I did two years ago, on this service! Although it was 1S26 1730 from London, leaving York at 1925 and arriving at Newcastle at 2025).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Now York is DEFINITELY worth staying for, as its a walled city and is fabulous and historic. We visit the National Rail Museum, have a shopping spree, go on a river cruise tour, an open-top bus tour, the whole hog, before boarding 1S28, the 1949 East Coast service to Newcastle, which arrives at 2047 on Thursday evening (which I did two years ago, on this service! Although it was 1S26 1730 from London, leaving York at 1925 and arriving at Newcastle at 2025).

I hate to tell you that we are still at Rochdale....my "York" posting was "gazumped" and I have had to strike it through.

 

[gnolife]

We take the 11:28 FIrst Manchester route 181 to Manchester Piccadilly Gardens bus station, arriving 12:37 Thursday Afternoon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A pity that there are not the same number of cross-city-centre buses in Manchester as there used to be, but crossing through Piccadilly Gardens, with its monstrosity of a "supposedly architectural" curved concrete wall edifice that harks back to the Berlin wall, to the main bus station, we board the 1256 Stagecoach Manchester service 105 (via Northenden and Wythenshawe) to Manchester Airport Interchange bus station that arrives at 1402 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[gnolife]

We take the 14:15 Stagecoach Manchester route 369 to Bird Hall Lane/Edgeley Road arriving 14:55

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Your detailed knowledge of the area, however, is matched by mine..... but I do have a far better knowledge of what day it is, evidentially.......as you appear to have forgotten this matter yet again

Having disembarked there, near to the big roundabout, we walk into Morrisons Superstore for some well-priced consumeable items to sustain us on our journey and there is plenty of time to cross the road near to where the single track railway line runs, where we board the 1536 Stagecoach Manchester service 11, which takes us through Cheadle Heath, Cheadle, Gatley, Wythenshawe and Timperley before arriving at 1649 at Altrincham Interchange bus station on Thursday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1705 Metrolink service to Bury, arriving there at 1717 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We then board the 1705 Metrolink service to Bury, arriving there at 1717 on Thursday afternoon.

Can you look at your timings on this journey as a TWELVE minute journey between Altrincham on the southern extremity of the Manchester Metrolink system via Manchester Victoria station to Bury on its northern extremity would appear to have all the makings of a "white-knuckle ride" on Blackpool Pleasure Beach....hock:

 

[ValleyLines142]

Can you look at your timings on this journey as a TWELVE minute journey between Altrincham on the southern extremity of the Manchester Metrolink system via Manchester Victoria station to Bury on its northern extremity would appear to have all the makings of a "white-knuckle ride" on Blackpool Pleasure Beach....hock:

Sorry, I meant Stretford! hehehe. Will edit now
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
EDIT:We then board the 1705 Metrolink service to Stretford, arriving there at 1717 on Thursday afternoon.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Having had time to recover from the shock of the previous journey itinerary, but suitably relieved by the new much shorter journey, we cross over the dual carriageway opposite to Stretford station to the bus stop opposite and we board the 1746 First Manchester service 22 (which started its journey in Stockport bus station) for a ride on one of the longest all-stops bus routes in Greater Manchester that passes The Northern Vatican (commonly referred to as The Trafford Centre, with its cupolas at roof level) and many interesting places, until it finally arrives at 1914 at Bolton bus station on Thursday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Oh I love the Trafford Centre, I was there yesterday for nine hours.

We then leave Bolton on First Manchester's no. 8 bus to Shudehill Interchange at 1935, arriving there at 2020 on Thursday evening.

 

[gnolife]

We Walk to Piccadilly Gardens, and catch the 20:35 Stagecoach route 104 to Wythenshawe Hospital, arrving 21:30

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Perhaps a visit to the hospital A & E department might be useful to establish the reason why the day is being constantly forgotten.....:

There are two bus stands at Wythenshawe Hospital bus station, so we make sure that we are at the correct one and we board the 2155 Arriva service 19 to Manchester Airport Interchange that arrives there at 2215 on Thursday evening

 

[Robinson]

We then decide we've had enough of the buses for now, and we leave Manchester Airport on the 2314 Northern Rail service to Crewe, arriving at 0030 on Friday morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

You can never have enough of buses....


Crewe is a good station to be at as there are always trains at unearthly hours of the night that stop there, but we decide to board the 0137 ATW service to Chester that arrives there at 0159 on Friday morning.