Trips in July 2023 (Part 1)

 Trips in July 2023 (Part 1)

 

July was a busy month with a couple long weekends away in Wales & Scotland

 

1^st July – Buses in Oxfordshire (& Gloucestershire)

 

The idea for today was a trip towards Oxford to do some bus routes, doing a couple of loops making use of a Stagecoach West Gold Day ticket.  I was with mum for an adventure as we left Grateley on the 05:59 service taking us to Basingstoke changing to a XC service to Oxford where we exited the station heading towards a nearby Spoons for breakfast (mainly to waste time).  After breakfast we headed towards the Gloucester Green bus station to take a Stagecoach run route S2 (with double decker bus 11251) on the 2 hourly Cheltenham service.

 

A bit slow heading out of Oxford but eventually it picked up the A40 for a fast run towards Witney, afterwards it picked up the A40 once more heading towards Cheltenham, going via Andoversford before terminating in the Royal Well bus station, an enjoyable route of scenery.  Next up was a route 51 for Swindon with bus 15970 from the bus stops on the promenade.  A fast run at first due to having to go back towards Andoversford (this time bypassing the village) on the A40 to pick up the A436 towards Seven Springs due to the A435 being closed.

 

Stagecoach Bus 10757 (SN66 VYB) at Cheltenham (Promenade) on a 94X

 

 

The bus picked up the A435 to head towards Cirencester doing a loop of this market town before continuing heading towards Swindon with a detour via Cricklade.  It approached Swindon from the north (Penhill) direction, passing a closed park & ride site, with the next section being a bit stop-start due to traffic eventually reaching the bus station where we headed out for some lunch from a nearby Tesco before the next bus journey.  This time it was an Oxford bound S6 with bus 15967.

 

The S6 headed away from Swindon heading towards the A420 towards Shrivenham then via Faringdon & Southmoor but mostly following the A420 most of the way into Oxford where the bus terminated at the temporary terminus at Osney Island (due to roadworks on the bridge underneath the railway at Botley Road).  This is where I changed my plan and instead of hanging around, we headed towards the railway station to board a S7 service for Witney (with Stagecoach bus 10674).

 

This bus headed out of the city centre (again quite slowly due to traffic and local passengers), going towards Kidlington and Oxford Airport before heading towards Woodstock (and Blenheim Palace which was hosting the Battle Proms, so traffic was building up).  After Woodstock the bus continued towards Hanborough crossing the railway line then via North Leigh before arriving at Witney near enough on time.

 

Witney Buttercross

 

We had a short wait in Witney before a Pulhams Coaches operated route X9 rolled up (little Optare Solo YJ65 EUY), this being the first day they are taking part in the £2 bus fare scheme for more routes (as they were taken over by Go-Ahead).  This bus headed away from Witney heading north towards Charlbury going via Finstock village (and Finstock station).  A loop within Charlbury before the bus continued towards Spelsbury & Chadlington, passing Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop.

 

The bus terminated in Chipping Norton where things went a tad wrong, the next Oxford service was running something like 45 minutes late due to heavy traffic, so after a visit to Sainsburys for dinner items we had a longer wait before bus 10667 arrived.  Chipping Norton is on my list to revisit at some-point, only to sample the buses from Stratford on Avon & also Banbury but like many times it’s trying to find time.

 

Pulhams Bus YJ65 EUY in Chipping Norton on a X9

 

Back to the late running S3 for Oxford, this particular service took longer than the other S3 services from Chipping Norton as it went via Charlbury rather than on the A44 towards Woodstock, bit extra scenery as the driver did his best at making up for lost time going via Charlbury & villages such as Combe, then via Woodstock & Yarnton to reach Oxford where I think due to the late running the driver was instructed to run set-down only on the A4444 section via Summertown to reach Oxford station where we said farewell to the buses and headed to the station.

 

The next train towards Reading was formed of a reasonably busy 221, easy enough to grab a seat but it was one against a pillar, this was meant to continue towards Bournemouth but was terminating short at Reading due to staffing issues.  Not ideal as it gave a 55-minute connection into the hourly Basingstoke service (as GWR had robbed the unit to boost the boat racing at Henley) which was a 2 coach 165.  However, XC had randomly put on a replacement coach (Brit Coaches BU18 WMP) which after confirming it was going via Basingstoke we boarded (just to avoid the potential crush loaded 165 as the following XC was also cancelled).

 

Not a Voyager ;)

 

The coach headed towards Basingstoke via the A33, and we had a tight connection to a Salisbury bound train which was rolling into Basingstoke as we arrived (ironically the same train we would have caught had the XC run).  It might have been a busy single 159 but we got home earlier than expected, and from reports that 2 coach 165 left Reading looking like something from Tokyo during rush hour.

 

An enjoyable day (other than the unexpected coach from Reading, but for me it ticked off Reading – Basingstoke for Rail Replacement), a lot of lovely countryside from both loops.  Lucky, we did that Pulhams service as the S3 we would have taken from Oxford to Chipping Norton (one which went via Chadlington) looked like it got cancelled north of the city.

 

2^nd July – Walking the Nickey Line & Grand Union Canal

 

The Nickey Line was an old Midland railway branch line from Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead which since closure has been turned into a mixed-use path, so I decided today was the day I would get round to ticking it off.  The day started with the 07:39 service from Grateley into Waterloo, where I had a gentle walk across to Blackfriars which was in a bit of chaos due to overrunning engineering works (knew I should have just taken the Jubilee to West Hampstead).  Eventually trains started running and it was into the rear first class area of 700135 for the run to Harpenden where I exited the station heading north to pick up the start of the Nickey Line path at Hollybrush Lane (featuring some steep steps).

 

The busy path took me away from Harpenden and into the countryside before reaching Redbourn, where the path skirts around the edge of the road on a path alongside the ring road reaching Church End, where the path once more goes more rural as it goes underneath the A1.  Soon the path reached the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead at Maylands for a short section of road walking picking up the route of the old railway line once more as it headed towards Keen Field where the mixed used path came to an end, the remainder of the railway line lost under developments.

 

Remains of the platform at Roundwood Halt railway station on the Nickey Line

 

I headed towards the old town area of Hemel Hempstead, picking up a path alongside the River Gade which headed towards the new town centre where I swung towards a Tesco for some lunch and a brief break.  After lunch I headed back to the Gade path, following it to reach the canal and Harding’s Moor.  I crossed the moor land (which was quite scenic) eventually reaching the station, but I wasn’t going to head by train as I did a turn towards the Grand Union Canal.

 

Picking up the Grand Union canal heading back towards the town centre area and then towards Apsley.  The surface was reasonable, and canal was busy, however a large spanner got thrown into my way when the towpath swaps sides at Red Lion Lane near Nash Mills as the towpath was closed for improvement works.  With no real alternative route, I called it a day (originally, I was planning to reach Croxley Park in Watford to link up with the section I walked in December). 

 

Nash Mills Lock on the Grand Union Canal, Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead

 

 

I headed along the road to reach Apsley station, boarding the next London train (thankfully these days Apsley is half hourly, although there was an hourly Arriva run bus as a backup).  I took this busy 350/2+350/1 combo (no prize at which unit I sat in) to Harrow & Wealdstone, changing to an Overground 710(258) which I took to Kilburn High Road where it terminated due to engineering works (I presume).  I remained on board as it headed back towards Watford via the crossover to the Watford end of the station, changing at Kensal Green.

 

I had a gentle walk via the suburbs to Kensal Rise, changing to an Overground 378 to Brondesbury where after a quick walk towards Kilburn on the Jubilee Line I headed towards Kilburn Park via Kilburn High Road, taking a Bakerloo line service to Waterloo, reaching the Salisbury train with a few minutes to spare to take me back to Grateley, where I relaxed for the rest of the day.  An enjoyable old railway line path walked, along with part of the canal, not sure when I will return to Apsley to carry on walking towards Watford.

 

710258 at Kilburn High Road

 

7^th July – Explore South Wales Day 1

 

I had a 4-day weekend planned in South (and West) Wales making use of the 4 day Explore South Wales rover, a plan which sadly needed to get changed due to no GWR service to Pembroke on Saturday and due to the forecasted weather being a tad indifferent.  The trip began with a drive to the village of Shipton Bellinger to board a Salisbury Reds operated route 66 service (with bus 1600).  This was solely because I wanted to tick this bus route off for a while (as I regularly pass the daily northbound bus heading home).

 

The bus was very quiet as it headed towards Salisbury via the villages near the A338 (Newton Tony, Boscombe, Porton) picking up more passengers the closer it got to Salisbury, going via Laverstock (for the school) before going into the city centre.  I alighted at the bus stop near the Tesco Metro, sorry Tesco Express as the bus would continue to serve a couple of schools based in the north of the city.  It was an interesting route to do, only to see part of the countryside I’ve driven through countless times from a different angle.

 

Stagecoach (South) Bus 18512 (GX06 DXK) in Laverstock on a route 68

 

Anyhow it was to the trains, as I headed towards the station (via Sainsburys for some supplies) to board 166208 on the 08:42-odd Cardiff train.  The original plan was to take this all the way to Cardiff, but it got put into platform 1 at Newport allowing a tight connection to a late running 175116 on a Carmarthen train, which I took to Pyle for no reason other than wanting some better photos.  I had a rough plan to intercept my last 153/9 as it was on a Fishguard – Cardiff service, so after a short wait at Pyle I was back on my original plan with a pair of 153s (woof!) to Swansea as a Swanline stopper.  A short wait at Swansea (popping out of the station for some bus photos) before 800002 rolled in from London to carry on towards Carmarthen as one of the improvements GWR made to the May timetable was a marked increase in London – Carmarthen services.

 

I do love the line between Gowerton & Carmarthen, it is one of my favourite lines for scenery as it runs alongside the water.  At Carmarthen I spotted a 197 on the non-public “platform 3” (which I presume was for training) before 153906 rolled in along with 153327 for the non-stop run to Llanelli.  Llanelli is where my accommodation was for the next few nights, a private room at the World Horizons building, around a 15-minute walk from the station, near North Dock.

 

153906 at Carmarthen Station

 

To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect, I only booked it because of the price being massively cheaper than anything else in the general South Wales area (which was close to a station).  First impression is that access felt like you were trespassing as the entrance is around the rear of the building (giving a good view of the railway), certainly at first, I had to double check to see if I went the right way.  The room I had was basic but functional (a double bed & single bed) but I didn’t hang around for long as I headed out back towards the station to just about make a 150 for Shrewsbury which I took to Bynea.

 

As the weather was beautiful, I decided to go for a walk, walking along the road to reach the Wales Coastal Path to head back towards Llanelli going via a mostly tarmacked path near the river Loughor before heading inland to skirt around the outside of the WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre, then alongside a golf course before reaching the waterfront once more.  I reached the picturesque Machynys Bay, meeting up with the point I started from on a walk in 2021 (from Llanelli towards Burry Port).

 

Llanelli Rocks

 

In Llanelli again, I walked a path alongside the Delta Lake, before following a cycle path crossing over the railway near the former Penyfan Quarry, then towards the station, taking my time as the next train towards Swansea was running late.  This was a busy 150257 which I took to Swansea, popping out of the station to the Tesco Express before boarding a busy 153367 on the last Shrewsbury via Heart of Wales train of the day, which did empty out along the way, and I think when I left it at Llandovery was near enough empty.

 

I had around 45 minutes at Llandovery so I headed into the town centre via the remains of the castle, reaching a Co-Op to get a couple of bits before heading back to the station for 150217 to take me to Llandeilo to tick off both southbound platforms at these Heart of Wales stations (which cleared my list of Welsh platform wants, well until the 2^nd platform opens on the stations north of Cross Keys on the Ebbw Vale line).

 

150217 at Llandeilo Station

 

With an hour (or there abouts) until the next northbound train (a short working to Llandovery which I was worried would get cancelled when it was delayed at Swansea, but thankfully it was just delayed). So, I had another gentle walk, firstly towards the Towy then via Castle Woods to Ffairfach station.  I flagged down a quiet 150256 on the Llandovery service back to Llandovery, remaining on board for the southbound run (which was a private 150) to Llanelli, walking to the hostel building where I discovered one of the key drawbacks of the accommodation.

 

I suspect at one point the room I was in was an office (based solely on a floor plan layout next to the fire alarm box), as the window blind was a tad useless at blocking out light from a nearby lamppost (the other drawback was the shared toilet area being very smelly).  But I was comfy and slept with my back against the window to block out the light.  A successful first day of my Welsh trip, one of my goals was done (to do those southbound platforms, something I was hoping to have done in October 2021, but TfW collapsed).

 

8^th July – Explore South Wales, Day 2

 

I had a few ideas what to do today, the weather was a bit unpredictable, originally, I was going to take the morning GWR service to Pembroke Dock, then walk the old Neyland railway line towards Johnston (then maybe onto Haverfordwest via a cycle path), but Pembroke Dock line looked like it was hard hit with planned cancellations, so I decided to park that idea for another trip.  I was looking at catching a bus towards Cross Hands to walk back towards Llanelli via the former Llanelly & Mynydd Mawr Railway route (The Swiss Valley Cycle Path) but changed my mind when on route towards the town centre (going on a loop via Sandy Water Path).

 

A good thing I didn’t head out earlier in the day as the railway was in a state of chaos due to an incident at Swansea as I reached the station to catch a late running 175116 to Gowerton where I headed to pick up the mixed used path which made use of the former Llanelly Railway line towards Swansea Bay (the original Heart of Wales line).  Once away from Gowerton itself, the path soon became quite tree lined and was very peaceful at times, passing the remains of Dunvant & Killay stations.

 

Remains of Killay Station

 

The path came to an end in Black Pill on the edge of Swansea Bay, where I ended the first part of todays walk to catch a First Bus route 3A operated service to Bracelet Bay near Mumbles Pier (with bus 44645).  The 2^nd part of todays walk was to follow the path which runs alongside Swansea Bay towards Swansea, following the route the Swansea and Mumbles Railway would have taken had it not been closed in 1960.

 

Mumbles Pier was part closed which was a bit of a disappointment, but the path was quite good, busy (with other walkers & cyclists) with a couple small detours inland due to sea erosion protection works.  In the Brynmill area the path headed away from the water to run along a road before picking up the waterfront once more as I headed towards the Marina Park in Swansea.  I headed towards Swansea station, swinging via a large Sainsburys for more supplies (always useful) ending the enjoyable walk.  The Swansea waterfront is an area I had never really explored before this trip, and I do have many ideas for future exploring walks.

 

Mumbles Pier

 

The weather had thankfully behaved itself, a few light short showers but nothing major or long lasting, as it was time to say “To the Trains” with a pair of 800s being up first (I was originally aiming for a TfW service but that was hopelessly delayed), these 800 took me to Cardiff where I crossed the platform to board winner 158748 leading 158749.  I had 748 countless times when it was split up to make up a couple of 3 coach 158/9 sets, so it was required for renumbering.  I took this 158 to Newport where I stepped back to board 170619 (also needed for renumbering) for the long run to Gloucester (it did call at Chepstow, but it hit a large gap in Cardiff bound services).

 

At Gloucester I headed towards platform 1 to board a voyager back towards Newport (which was diverted due to engineering works on the normal route).  I was surprised to get a decent seat, but the front coach did get busy (as this was in front of a late running TfW stopper so picked up passengers for Newport wanting that stopper).  An enjoyable run back towards Newport (and unusual being on a voyager along this route) where thanks to arriving early (no stopper in front) I made a connection to 67025 hauling some Mk4 coaches on the Cardiff bound.

 

220011 at Newport Station

 

Once I reached Cardiff Central, options were a bit limited as I wanted to be on the GWR Carmarthen service (as TfW had cancelled quite a few services this evening leaving some gaps in service levels). So, for the lack of a better plan, I jumped onto a 150 for Radyr, but due to late running jumped out at Llandaf, spotting all the lovely overhead wires ready to take the bogless trams in a few years’ time.  Another 150 took me back towards Cardiff where I had a short wait before 800013 & 800019 rolled in from London and I took a seat in 019 for the run towards Swansea where it split up before heading towards Llanelli, the end of my day.  Before heading back towards the hostel, I went via a pizza place I used back in August 2017 (when staying in this area for the Heart of Wales line stations).  It was a reasonable pizza which I munched on sitting in a quiet lounge area of the hostel.

 

800019 at Llanelli

 

9^th July – Explore South Wales, Day 3

 

A later start compared to the Saturday (mainly due to the Sunday timetable) so I popped to a nearby Spoons for breakfast in the Llanelli town centre area before making my way to the station for the first Swansea bound train of the day, a pair of busy 153s.  At Swansea I turned down the London train for the Manchester train, as 67014 was sitting on the buffers with some Mk4 coaches and DVT 82226 up front.  2^nd aim for this trip was going to be complete for the novelty of a 67 hauled train from Swansea (was hoping to have done this on the Saturday but the set got replaced by a pair of 153s).

 

67014 at Swansea

 

As it was a Sunday, 1^st class is oddly declassified, so I sat in the posh seats for the run across to Cardiff, staying on to alight at Pontypool & New Inn station.  A station which has changed a lot since my last visit with a new car park being under construction giving direct access from the dual carriageway (A4042) with step free access to the next car park (not sure if the step free access will be available for the existing car park & pedestrian entrance).  Anyhow the weather was decent enough, so I had a gentle walk towards Cwmbran station following an old railway path following the old Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company route.

 

At Pontrhydyrun the old railway path comes to an end (it’s been built over by a road), so I crossed a sports ground, picking up a path which runs alongside the river Lwyd continuing towards the station at Cwmbran with a little detour via Morrisons for some lunch items (solely to waste some time).  The next northbound train was 175113 which I took to Abergavenny, intercepting a 150 on a train from Manchester.  I just about managed to squeeze onto this extremely busy 150, the lack of luggage racks forcing luggage into the aisleway.  Anyhow the train did empty out at Newport and again at Cardiff where I alighted.

 

175113 departs Abergavenny Station

 

I headed towards platform 6 at Cardiff Central, with no real plan in mind other than wanting to sample a Welsh Flirt, with 231009 being the first into my book with the run towards Llanbradach, just over the ten-mile mark.  Interior is roughly the same as the Greater Anglia Flirts and a large upgrade for this line (even on a temporary basis).  231002 took me back south towards Cardiff, where I decided to remain on board to Grangetown, stepping back to a 150 for Barry Island.

 

231009 departs Llanbradach

 

This 150 took me to Barry Island, where I remained on board for the short run back to Barry, where due to a track fault it was using platform 3 (whereas in the past it would have crossed over to use platform 1).  The fault looked long term as part of the crossing was missing.  Anyhow a short wait at Barry before 150270 rolled in, one of the units on long term loan from Northern featuring the 3+2 seating.  Better on a Bridgend service than heading to Manchester as it was quite quiet, a few off at the Airport station heading for the connecting bus but the train was lightly loaded.

 

Into Bridgend and I turned down a Swansea bound 150 as it was wedged out, instead waited a few minutes for a late running 800/3 behind, which was nice and quiet.  This 800 took me to Swansea where I popped out of the station to visit Tesco Express for dinner items before jumping back on the same 800 for the run to Neath for a time-wasting move.  Next up was a 150+153+153 combo on a Milford Haven + Pembroke Dock service, as I sat in the 150 for the run towards Whitland where the 153s detached and carried on to Milford Haven for no real reason other than a little revisit to this part of Pembrokeshire.

 

150282 at Milford Haven Station

 

Unlike during the week where the turnaround time is something idiotic like 10 minutes, this service had a 30-odd minute turnaround allowing a quick walk towards the waterfront before heading back to board a private 150 for the run back towards Llanelli and a gentle walk back to the hostel (which was very quiet, felt like I was alone).  An enjoyable run towards Milford Haven and the 150 made a good racket on the fast-running sections.

 

10^th July – Explore South Wales, Day 4

 

My crazy idea the night before was to catch the 06:08 to Shrewsbury service via the Heart of Wales line, due to that line having no time restrictions when using an Explore South Wales rover (otherwise it will be waiting until 09:30).  I left the hostel building (which other than the window blind being useless, and the smelly bogs was reasonable enough for the price I paid), headed towards Llanelli station and waited for 153318 to roll in from Swansea.

 

A very quiet train, throughout, which was good because it was one of the former GWR examples where the Richmond seats give hardly any legroom.  I settled down for the run towards Shrewsbury, skipping most of the request stops, looking out of the window (as it’s been a few years since I last did the complete run in one sitting). At Shrewsbury, I managed to catch a late running 197019 from Holyhead which had all the stops to Hereford ripped out (the back-up was a loco hauled set from Manchester).

 

153318 at Llanelli Station

 

This 197 took me towards Cardiff (so nice to have legroom, even if part was restricted due to a bar holding up the seat in front, the seats suffering from the negative of having pointless fixed armrests by the window side.  Anyhow once in Cardiff Central I came up with a rough plan for the rest of the day because my last couple of reformed XC 170s were gettable which was a nice bonus (sadly my last couple of GWR 158s weren’t available, one wasn’t out & the other was on Swindon – Westbury services).

 

It was over to the Valley line platforms with 231001 taken to Llanbradach, for 231004 back towards Grangetown.  231007 took me back towards Caerphilly to Ystrad Mynach where I took 231008 to Dingle Road.  4 more of the 231s into my book, as I had a gentle walk via Dingle Park towards Cogan station, taking a 150 to Cardiff Central, and over to a waiting 197016 on a Holyhead service which I took to Newport, stepping back to 170623 (along with 170111) for the run to Chepstow.

 

231008 departs Dingle Road Station

 

I was going to have a little explore of Chepstow, but the rain which had been threatening for the last few hours decided to show up, so it was a short walk to Tesco for dinner items before 170618 rolled in to take me back towards Newport.  I was glad to get my last couple of reformed XC 170s (formally 2 coach units with centre coaches from the old WMT 3 coach 170s) as they are a bit free rooming.  At Newport I made a quick cross platform change onto a baby HST to take me under the water (potentially the last time I will be on a HST via the Severn tunnel).

 

At Bristol Temple Meads, I jumped onto a Weymouth bound 166 to Trowbridge for a time-wasting move before another 166 took me to Salisbury, both trains being lightly loaded.  At Salisbury it was a short wait before the next Basingstoke stopper rolled in to take me to Grateley, the end of an enjoyable long weekend away in South Wales.  I know it required multiple replanning due to the late notice timetable changes on TfW (on Sunday there was a near 4-hour gap for services from Swansea towards the west).  I managed to get a couple of the items from my list of things, sadly sampling an IET to Pembroke Dock will have to wait until next year.

 

166214 departs Trowbridge

 

12th July – An unplanned evening spin to Southampton

 

I’ve been keeping my eyes on RTT to see allocations of a couple of GWR services which are booked 158 over the last couple of weeks, and when I saw that both my remaining required reformed 158s were out on Cardiff – Portsmouth services with a 7-minute connection at Southampton (or a safer +30 at Romsey) I felt like I couldn’t turn it down.  So, after getting home after work, I headed to Grateley for the 18:07 service to Salisbury (a 159+159+158 combo) for a short wait before 158771 rolled in (along with 158862) for the run towards Southampton Central, changing platforms for 158768 to roll in from Portsmouth (along with 158769) to take me back towards Salisbury, where thankfully they were on time but it was still a tight official connection to board a Basingstoke stopper for the short run back home.

 

A short but sweet evening spin, at least I no longer had the need to keep my eyes out for any of the GWR 158s (until they disband the remaining 3 coach hybrid units).  Lucky that both happened to fall on those services allowing me to grab both for the price of one.

 

165131 alongside 158771 at Southampton Central

 

More photos taken throughout July can be found here: Flickr Album

June 2023 Trips

 June 2023 Trips

3^rd June – A trip on the buses in Hampshire (& Dorset)

 

My original plan for this weekend was to head to Crewe with mum to either head to Liverpool (a city she has always wanted to visit) or do the railtour which was running towards Carlisle via the coast.  Sadly, those plans had to go into the bin due to the rail strikes (we could have survived the Saturday as it was just the drivers, but the Friday guard strike meant where it was possible to reach Crewe, it would mean taking a full day off work (or paying over the odds for Avanti tickets).

 

So, with lack of a better idea, I dusted off a rough plan I made up for April time to have a loop on some buses.  The day started with a drive to Salisbury station, parking in my usual Saturday parking spot near the station on a single yellow line (restrictions only apply Monday – Fridays), with a gentle walk from the station to Blue Boar Row (via Sainsburys) to board a Morebus operated X3 (bus 1651) to take us to Bournemouth.  Even with 15 minutes to departure this was a busy bus, and only got busier the further south it got. An enjoyable run looking out of the window (as the last time I did this bus in April it was throwing it down with rain).

 

MoreBus 1651 (HF66 CGG) on Westover Road, Bournemouth on a X3

 

At Bournemouth we had a 40 or so minute wait before the next bus move, so we headed towards the pier (mainly to make use of the toilets) before returning to board the next Morebus operated X1 service to Lymington (with bus 1535).  This gave some good views of the coast at both Barton on Sea & Milford on Sea, but was quite warm on board, even with the windows open.  At Lymington we had another gentle walk around, visiting Tesco for some lunch before the next bus, which was the Bluestar operated route 6 for Southampton, run with bus 1533.

 

This service was quite good with views of the New Forest as it made its way towards Brockenhurst then via Lyndhurst & Totton to reach Southampton city centre.  We had another short break (away from the warmth of the bus), relaxing in a nearby park before heading back to catch the final bus of the afternoon with a Salisbury Reds operated X7R to Salisbury (with bus 1133).  This one headed back towards Totton via a similar route as the route 6, branching off to serve Paultons Park.

 

New Forest Donkeys crossing the road in Brockenhurst

 

After the park it headed towards Romsey (hence the R in the route number) before going via Whiteparish to join the A36 before going via Alderbury (which for me was all new coverage as I’ve only ever used the bypass).  The bus arrived at Salisbury, and we went via Spoons for dinner before heading home.  Not the longest of days but we had an early start on the Sunday so didn’t want to stay out too late.  A nice relaxing day trip looking out of the window of various bus routes.

 

4^th June – A trip to Padstow for some Ice Cream

 

The idea of today was a trip to Cornwall with mum, the 2^nd part of her birthday treat, a trip to Newquay for an open top bus adventure.

 

It was an early start to drive to Salisbury for the first Exeter train of the day, a train which got held at Honiton for 25 minutes due to being late (signalling issues around Gillingham) which cut the comfortable connection at Exeter St Davids from 35 minutes to less than a couple of minutes, thankfully the Penzance train itself (a single 800) was late, but it didn’t help that the SWR service got put into platform 1 rather than platform 3 (so instead of a cross platform change it was over the bridge).  We did have a backup just in case but was a voyager.

 

We took this 800 to Devonport for no reason other than to take an 800 to Devonport and to waste some time, returning to Plymouth on a 150 before boarding 802110 on the Newquay train, taking a seat in an empty front coach (also known as standard premium for it lacks an engine underneath).  The train remained quiet throughout with a reasonable crowd waiting for it at Par but due to the short platform the front of the train was right round the corner.

 

150266 arriving at Devonport

 

I had forgotten how scenic the Newquay branch line is in places, but also how slow it is.  Not sure how much the slowness was due to the IET rather than a 150, but it felt like it went on and on.  Anyhow soon the 802 arrived at Newquay and we headed away from the train station, via part of the sea front & Tesco to reach the bus station area, boarding the next bus for Padstow, a First operated “Atlantic Coaster” open top bus (33592).  I presume looking at the graphics on the side, this bus route used to operate towards St Ives but has since been cut back to Newquay – Padstow.

 

First Atlantic Coaster Bus 33592 (SN09 CFF) at Newquay

 

 

Anyhow we boarded the bus, heading to an area near the back for the sea breeze as it headed towards Padstow via the coast.  A great bus route I would recommend for the views of both the coastline (with various beaches) and countryside.  All good things must come to an end as the bus arrived at Padstow, and we had a gentle walk around before the next bus move, featuring a “Transport for Cornwall” operated route 11 (with bus 2403) for the run towards Bodmin via Wadebridge.  After Bodmin the bus continued to Bodmin Parkway station arriving a few minutes ahead of schedule allowing us to make a tight connection to 220013 on a Leeds XC service.  (Monday to Saturday the route 11 runs all the way to Plymouth, but on Sundays it’s split into Padstow – Bodmin Parkway & Liskeard – Plymouth sections, a long way on an Enviro200!)

 

I was expecting this 4-coach train to be very busy (Sunday afternoon and all that) but it was very lightly loaded (I guess it running a few minutes behind a London bound train probably helps).  We settled down for the run back towards Exeter St Davids, where we changed to a 158 to climb the hill towards Exeter Central where I popped out of the station to visit the Sainsburys Local near the bus station (more options than the Co-Op).

 

Go Cornwall Bus 2403 (WA20 DVY) at Bodmin Parkway Station (Transport for Cornwall)

 

Back at the station, and it was a short wait before a pair of 159s rolled in to take us back to Salisbury, to finish it with a drive home to relax after a busy day in Cornwall.  One of my goals was to tick off coverage of Newquay – Par for IET (also for the connection at the Plymouth end into platform 3).  Thankfully the morning service ran, the afternoon service didn’t run due to staff shortages.

 

10^th June – Buses to Taunton

 

Today was a random bus adventure day (this was before the £2 fare scheme got extended) doing a rough plan I came up with a few months ago.  It was another drive to Salisbury for me; however, I left it a tad too late leaving home so got caught up in heavy traffic.  So, I diverted into the London Road Park & Ride site to walk the last mile and a bit into the city centre (near enough at the same speed of the traffic).  In the city centre I headed to the bus stops on New Canal to wait for the Salisbury Reds operated route 25 for Wincanton run with bus 2721 (an Enviro200).  This service was reasonably busy on departure from Salisbury but soon emptied out along the way to Wilton.

 

This was a nice scenic run once outside Wilton, via Wiltshire countryside, even featuring some running along the A303 as it reached Wincanton, one of the limited numbers of Salisbury buses to reach this Somerset town (2 on Saturdays).  I had around 45 minutes at Wincanton, so I had a gentle walk in the town centre area doing a loop before picking up the next service, the 2 hourly First Route 58 for Yeovil (with Enviro200 bus 44508), for a nice trip via Somerset to reach Yeovil bus station, an area I’ve never visited before.

 

Salisbury Reds Bus 2721 (HF64 BPY) at Wincanton

 

As the connection between this bus route and the next bus route for Taunton is rubbish, I had planned a 2 hour explore of Yeovil, heading towards the north of the town to pick up a footpath via the Yeovil Country Park, following the river Yeo in some pretty woodlands, coming out near Pen Mill station.  After a brief section of road walking, I picked up the old Yeovil – Taunton railway line path which goes via the former Yeovil Town station & Yeovil Hendford, although no evidence of either station remains (other than an old Station Hotel).

 

On reaching the end of the railway line path (an area to explore some more for the Country Park) I headed back towards the bus station via the town centre area, a sad looking town centre with many empty stores.  Next up for me was a route 54 for Taunton with a First Somerset operated 44079 to take me towards Taunton where the weather turned a bit wet as it headed via Langport & other somerset villages to reach Taunton town centre.

 

166209 at Yeovil Pen Mill

 

My original idea was to hang around for the route 30 to Axminster, but I decided to call it a day with the buses, buying an on the day advance ticket for a voyager to Exeter, taking a 158 up the hill to Exeter Central to visit the Sainsburys for some dinner items before a pair of 159s took me back to Salisbury, where I had a near 2 mile walk to the park & ride site on London Road.  Thankfully the weather was behaving itself, as I did have the backup of a bus service if the rain was bad.  Anyhow I drove home, to relax for the remainder of the evening, looking up ideas for that Axminster – Taunton bus, which might involve walking the old railway line path in Chard, but like with many things I’ve got so many ideas, but not enough time.

 

11^th June – Thames Down Link Walk

 

The Thames Down Link Path is a walking route which links the Thames Path (at Kingston) and the North Downs Way (in Box Hill).  The first section from Kingston to Tolworth is shared with the London Loop so I decided Tolworth would be a good starting point (as it would allow me to tick off the Chessington bound platform).

 

The day started with the 07:37-odd from Grateley to Clapham Junction, where I hopped to Raynes Park on a pair of 458s (mainly to use the toilets) before a pair of 455s took me to Tolworth.  The first section was along the A240 to the Hogsmill River, before I picked up the Thames Down Link.  Signage at first was very poor, as I made my way via some woodlands to reach the Bonesgate Open Space then Castle Hill Nature Reserve, both very pretty (and hard to believe I was still in Greater London).

 

455917 departs Tolworth

 

I went via Horton Country Park before a short road walking section and Epsom Common, which was an unexpected, beautiful place.  Although this point it seems the Thames Down path has changed to what is on the OS Map to what is on the ground, I followed the path as shown on the OS Map via the woodlands towards Ashtead Common, crossing the railway at a foot crossing.  The temperature had picked up, so I was thankful for a bit of woodland cover giving lots of shade.  I continued via Ashtead Park then a detour via roads and paths to pick up the ancient roman road “Stane Street” which the Thames Down Link follows up & down many hills, some being quite steep.  I reached Mickleham Downs before dropping down to the road near Mickleham to walk towards Box Hill & Westhumble station.  Box Hill itself looked very busy (and pretty, an area to revisit when it’s less hot).

 

Originally, I was going to follow the Mole Gap Trail towards Letherhead, but decided to call the walk at the station due to the heat, so the AC on a Southern 377 was very much welcomed as I took this to Hackbridge, visiting a nearby Sainsburys Local for supplies (and much needed cold drink for the water I had in my bag was very warm).  I doubled back to Carshalton before heading to Mitcham Junction where once more I changed my mind (originally, I was considering walking towards Beddington Lane tram stop but instead walked towards Mitcham tram stop arriving just as the heavens opened with a sudden downpour (which felt so nice).

 

London (Croydon) Tram 2564 between Waddon Marsh & Ampere Way

 

I took a tram from Mitcham towards Ampere Way, deciding to have another gentle walk along the path alongside the tram tracks to Wardle Park, before heading to Wimbledon.  I turned down the first train (a pair of 450s) as they were very busy and felt like the AC had failed in the coach I boarded.  Next up was another pair of 450s which I took to Waterloo, changing to an Exeter train to take me to Andover for a 30-minute dwell before a pair of 158s took me back to Grateley.

 

An early finish but I was low on energy, and wanted to get home before some heavy rain was due to arrive in the evening.  It was an enjoyable walk on the Thames Down Link, lots of beautiful scenery.  Certainly, I’ve got a return to Epsom/Ashtead Common on my massive list of things to do, as well as a visit to Box Hill itself.

 

17^th June – Canal Walk in the West Midlands

 

Today was a return to the West Midlands to walk a canal, of which the West Midlands has many.  It is hard to pick what to do in all fairness as in the end I picked on the Grand Union Canal.  The day started with the 05:59 service to Basingstoke, changing for a double voyager to Banbury where I changed for a pair of 168s to Dorridge.  A short fester at Dorridge, leaving without being able to buy my Daytripper (as the ticket office was closed and the Chiltern TVMs don’t sell them) it was onto a pair of 172s to Olton to start my canal walk (as the canal is within easy reach of the railway).

 

The first section wasn’t the nicest in terms of smells, smelt like there had been a fuel leak as the surface of the canal was covered in an oily film (with a couple dead fish).  Thankfully the smell disappeared as I made my way along the canal, with changing scenery from more rural woodland to residential and some industrial.  I continued going underneath the railway between Small Heath & Tyseley as the scenery changed to an older industry, old warehouses, some long closed.

 

I reached the locks at Camp Hill, going underneath the Camp Hill line, followed by the main line near Bordesley where I suspect at some-point in the past the canal has been re-routed due to construction of the Bordesley Middleway due to a very wide turning area with some ninety-degree bends.  After Bordesley junction, I carried onto the Digbeth Branch Canal to where that canal reached Digbeth (Proof House) Junction, before doing a U-turn following my footsteps back towards Bordesley Junction, going underneath the railway viaduct which never carried a train.

 

Railway bridge carrying Camp Hill line over the Grand Union Canal, Sparkbrook, Birmingham

 

Back at Bordesley Junction I turned onto the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, which is part of the Grand Union, following this canal in a North-eastern direction as it went underneath the railway 3 times before it headed more north in the Saltley area of the city.  I continued along the canal, underneath the railway network a couple more times before reaching Salford Junction where the Grand Union Canal comes to an end, underneath Spaghetti Junction, meeting the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

 

There was also a junction where the Tame Valley Canal begun, the first section was underneath the various motorway flyovers of the Gravelly Hill Interchange so was a bit noisy in terms of road traffic.  Soon it moved away from the motorway into Witton, then passing Perry Park (where the stadium which hosted the Commonwealth games is located).  The canal continued towards Hamstead, an interesting canal which had dual towpaths in places, however whereas one of the towpaths (mainly on the ’south’ side was solid ground, the path on the northern side looked to be overgrown in places, so I doubt that side sees much use.

 

Tame Valley Canal in the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham

 

The canal was quite scenic in places, a bit of woodland, quiet(ish), however unusually I didn’t see many boats moored up and only passed a couple of hire boats on the move.  Eventually the quietness ended as once more the canal was close to the motorway, this time the M6 near to junction 8 where the M5 comes to an end.  I crossed over the railway near Tame Bridge Parkway station, getting lucky with timing as 2 trains were at the station, the original ending point of this walk, but I decided to carry on, as the weather was good.

 

However, the nice mostly smooth towpath I was enjoying came to an end as the towpath turned a bit rougher for the next section towards Tipton, going underneath the tram line and the future tram line using the old South Staffordshire Line bridge.  The Tame Valley Canal came to an end at Tame Valley Junction on the Walsall Canal, which I followed north going underneath the tram line once more, before exiting the canal network to walk towards Wednesbury Parkway tram stop.

 

A pair of 350s at Tame Bridge Parkway from the Tame Valley Canal Aqueduct

 

I started a short tram hunt as since my last visit to the West Midlands Metro, there had been some new trams entering service and soon my red pen was out scoring trams 56, 48 & 47 with linear hops, ending up at Kenrick Park where I once more set out on foot, heading towards Smethwick Galton Bridge for the novelty service of a pair of 350s going to Birmingham New Street, but going via Perry Barr & Aston due to engineering works between Soho junctions & Birmingham New Street.

 

At Birmingham New Street, I saw that XC was in a complete and utter mess with cancellations towards Reading, so I quickly came up with a “XC avoidance” move to avoid a lightly crush loaded 4 coach voyager on the first southbound train in a couple of hours.  So, I headed to Moor Street onto a pair of 168s, sitting in the front coach for a quieter journey, staying on to Kings Sutton (with a bit of a worry when it was late departing Banbury).

 

168322 departs Kings Sutton

 

A short wait a Kings Sutton (because I was lazy and didn’t want to cross over the platforms at Banbury) before a busy 165 rolled in on a Didcot stopper, itself was delayed a couple of minutes so I looked at RTT for connection options, deciding the delay meant it was unlikely made a fast London train so I bailed at Oxford, and onto a busy 5 coach 800 for the run to Reading (via Didcot Parkway), popping out of the station to Wendys for some dinner.  I returned to Reading, jumping onto the Bournemouth bound voyager (which I think was terminating at Eastleigh) to Basingstoke for a wait before a 159 rolled in to take me back to Grateley, the end of a good day.  A long (19 mile) walk covering a couple of canals in the West Midlands, with different scenery.  The weather held out with only a couple of short showers in the morning, plus I made a small dent into the newer trams.

 

18^th June – River Wey Navigation

 

The River Wey Navigation runs from the Thames at Weybridge to Godalming, a canal I’ve walked along in parts (Shalford to Guildford & Byfleet to Weybridge) so today I decided to take on the walk between Guildford & Byfleet, leaving the short section at the Godalming end for another trip (might try and link it into a day I walk the old military railway line near Liss).  Anyhow the day started with a trip to Woking on a pair of 159s, changing to a pair of 450s to Guildford where after swinging via a little Tesco Express I picked up the waterside path to head away from the town centre in a rough northernly direction.

 

The first section of the path within the town was good quality solid ground, nothing that amazing in terms of scenery as there were a few boats moored up.  The path soon changed to more rural ground once outside the town area, a walk best done when dry as I would imagine it would get muddy in wintertime. The sound of traffic wasn’t that far away as the navigation runs close to the A3 for a couple of miles (I did a random loop of the lake in the Riverside Nature Reserve).

 

Railway viaduct over the River Wey Navigation in Guildford Town Centre

 

Thankfully the navigation turns away from the A3 allowing for some peace and quiet as it did get some nice views of the Surrey countryside on this hot day.  I continued along the navigation in the Sutton Green & Send areas, before passing the remains of Newark Priory before carrying on towards Pyrford Lock as the navigation went via some more countryside before picking up the sound of the M25 near Byfleet.  I finished my walk here, swinging to the road network to head towards a large Tesco in Brooklands for some much-needed drink.

 

After having the drink, I continued my walk, going into the Brooklands Community Park to pretend I was a plane walking along the long disused runway for Brooklands Aerodrome, even walking on part of the old, banked racetrack (full of history).  I picked up the river Wey, walking alongside the Mercedes-Benz World and underneath the railway near Weybridge, turning left following a footpath which went near some lakes, over the railway on a foot crossing (the Byfleet -> Addlestone curve) before heading towards Byfleet & New Haw station.

 

Remains of part of the racetrack at Brooklands

 

A pair of 455s took me to Woking, where I changed to a pair of 444s to Basingstoke for a tight (but official) connection from platform 2 to platform 1 for a 159 from Reading to take me back home to Grateley before the rain arrived.  An enjoyable walk through the Surrey countryside, a reasonably busy path with other walkers along with the Navigation being busy with boaters & other craft.

 

22^nd June – Long weekend in Cheshire, Trip to Crewe

 

I had another long weekend in Cheshire, based in Crewe, and due to my route home on Sunday, I had treated myself to an Avanti service rather than the 350s (it was only an extra 50p).  The trip began with the usual 17:59 service to Basingstoke, changing to a pair of 444s to Waterloo, where I had another walk towards Euston (mix between wasting time & wanting to save some pennies), this time heading towards Piccadilly Circus & Oxford Circus before heading towards Euston via Oxford Street & some back roads (passing the BT Tower) to reach Euston.

 

Earlier in the day when I looked up RTT, the 21:10 to Preston was showing as a 9-coach set, however it got replaced with a 11-coach set, with an extra bonus of being a refurbished unit.  I got a seat in coach G (the former 1^st class coach which got converted to standard class and is fully unreserved) for the run to Crewe.  No real issues from me with the seating, although legroom under the table could be improved (the lump where the plug socket used to be located should have been removed).

 

Everything was going find until Leighton Buzzard where the train got put onto the slow lines, to crawl towards Milton Keynes behind a stopper.  This allowed the Highland sleeper to go pass which meant the section towards Rugby was run at a reduced speed (as the Pendo was caught behind the sleeper).  The sleeper was passed between Rugby & Nuneaton to allow the train to go back up to line speed, but the damage had already been done with a 35-minute late arrival into Crewe.

 

At least I got 50% of my fare back (so every little helps) as I walked towards the shared house, picking up the room key and getting myself settled down & sorting my bag out ready for the Friday.

 

23^rd June – Walk along the River Dee & a failed attempt to ride a 230.

 

The idea for the Friday was to head to Chester, to take the stagecoach route 5 service (which heads

towards Wrexham) for a walk alongside the river Dee back towards Chester.  The day began with the

train towards Chester, required 197013 where after visiting the toilets in the station (and buying a

Saveaway from the ticket office to save a job for later).  It was towards the bus stops outside the station for the next route 5 service for Wrexham (this is only every 90 minutes, most passengers wanting Wrexham would probably use the more frequent Arriva service).

 

Stagecoach bus 36317 took me towards Huntington, Aldford & Churton before I alighted in the village of Farndon (just before the bus crossed over into Wales).  The first section was a little loop of the river path, going underneath the A534 bypass on some footpaths, this section was reasonable, bit overgrown in places but I did loss my footing at one point due to a buried trip hazard.  After the loop I headed along the river side, crossing into Wales briefly at Holt Bridge (the river marking the boundary between England & Wales in this part of Cheshire).

 

Holt-Farndon Bridge over River Dee

 

I returned to England and carried on the path alongside the river as it crossed some fields, a bit poorly marked in places (especially near a fish farm), but in parts the path was barely passable due plant growth, where I had to engage “buzz dozer mode” to force my way through.  The path was the sort where it had one part bad before giving way to a reasonable part before going back to being bad.  On the bright side there was some lovely woodland near Churton.  I continued along the footpath to the Aldford area where I crossed over to the opposite bank via a lovely old iron bridge (sadly no decent views possible due to trees).

 

Thankfully this section (passing Eaton Hall) was a lot better in terms of path quality as it went via some woodland to bypass a loop in the river.  I saw more people in the Eccleston area (mainly fishermen) as I reached the Chester area, going via the Chester Meadows crossing over via the Queen’s Park bridge.  Next up was a trip towards Tesco for some supplies before making my way to the station jumping onto a 507 on a Liverpool service just as the rain started.

 

507015 at Chester

 

My original plan was to head towards Wrexham to intercept a 230 for the run towards Bidston, but the connections are quite frankly rubbish, either the Bidston train departs 1 minute after the train from Chester arrived or departed shortly before arrival (same story at Shotton, was the timetable written by someone in isolation without considering that passengers might want to interchange?)  With that plan parked with another plan generated for the run from Bidston towards Wrexham later, I headed towards Moorfields on 507015. I changed over to the Northern line platforms, scoring 777014 on the first train towards Ormskirk which I took to Town Green to push it over ten miles.  Sadly, the next southbound train wasn’t required and had some anti-social feral youths causing trouble, so I was glad to escape at Walton.  I crossed over to Rice Lane to get required 777007 back into Liverpool where I was part tempted to head back out towards Kirkby, but I had noticed that the 230 service I was aiming for was cancelled for the remainder of the day.

 

At Liverpool Central I jumped on an Ellesmere Port service (508111) to Spital for no reason other than wanting to get out of the tunnel, with 507015 taking me to Chester where I made the connection onto required 197009 on the Cardiff train which took me to Wrexham, somewhat late due to following a late running charter service (Northern Belle I think) which for whatever reason got sent out ahead of the Cardiff train.

 

197012 at Wrexham General

 

I had a short wait at Wrexham General, noticing the departure boards was a sea of both delayed & cancelled trains.  The 197 from Liverpool arrived and after doing the ECS shunt to platform 2 soaked up waiting passengers as I scored 197012 back to Chester, popping out of the station to visit Tesco for dinner before scoring 197011 on a late running train back to Crewe, made later due to a voyager getting put ahead at Chester (said voyager also terminated at Crewe).

 

Back at Crewe, the 197 going into platform 12 (due to platform 10 still being out of use, must be nearly a year now) and I was glad to get back to the shared house to relax for the rest of the evening.  The walk in the morning took my energy out but was OK in places, not one I would recommend doing during June time.

 

24^th June – Walk along the Weaver Navigation & another failed attempt at a 230.

 

One of the reasons why I like visiting Crewe is that I’ve got so many options available, both old railway line walks, canals & even a couple of rural walks on my list.  Sometimes it is hard to decide what to exactly do, but in the end, I decided to plug a gap on the Weaver Navigation path.  The day started with a 197 to Chester, followed by a 156 to Greenbank where I headed towards the river side via the Marshall's Arm Local Nature Reserve.  I followed the river towards Hunt’s Lock before leaving it to walk towards Northwich town centre, picking up the river again in Carey Park.

 

I continued along the path towards Anderton Nature Park and the wonderful Anderton Boat Lift, climbing up to the Trent & Mersey canal for a short section until I picked up the side of the Weaver once more at the Winnington Swing Bridge.  Following the river as it does a couple of loops in Cheshire countryside, the path at this point was reasonable, not something I would want to do during winter months.

 

Anderton Boat Lift on Weaver Navigation

 

The path ran towards Acton Bridge, a bit overgrown in places as it ran alongside a field.  I went underneath the swing bridge at Acton Bridge, continuing towards Dutton Locks where I had the option of continuing along the north bank or swapping to the south bank.  I decided to swap to the south bank (as it was part of the “North Cheshire Way”).  I went underneath the large Dutton railway viaduct, where I had some good timing for passing LNR 350s.  After a caravan site, the path went from reasonable to terrible with plant growth in places, certainly only room for one person at a time.

 

A pair of 350s crossing the Dutton Railway Viaduct

 

The next couple of miles were a bit of a struggle, but thankfully it did improve when it reached some farm tracks with some beautiful scenery as I went onto the Frodsham cut of the river to reach Frodsham.  Originally, I was going to continue towards Runcorn via Runcorn Hill, but I decided enough was enough, I was low on water and headed towards the station at Frodsham, via the Morrisons for some supplies.  The section from Frodsham towards Runcorn can wait for another trip whenever that will be.

 

Back to the trains where I took a 197 (015) to Warrington Bank Quay, changing onto winner 197007 which I was going to take to Shotton as this was one of the rare times of the day where there was a half decent connection (a +8) to a Bidston train.  But guess what, the 230 it would connect into was cancelled, so that idea went into the bin as there was a delay outside Chester waiting for a platform making a tight connection onto a hot 508124 to Moorfields, where I changed to the Northern Line for some 777 hunting.

 

I headed towards Sandhills on 013, for required 777012 back to Liverpool Central, where I remained on board to Kirkby (for the last time into Kirkby on a 777/0) staying on to Rice Lane where I walked to Walton for a 508 back to Liverpool Central where I called it a day with Merseyrail hunting.  A pair of 185s took me across to Manchester Piccadilly, just about missing a 68 hauled set back to Liverpool (which originally, I wasn’t that fussed about, but in hindsight could have done it as they have now been withdrawn from the Cleethorpes route).  It was interesting to see that the coach I was in pretty much emptied out in Manchester.

 

777012 at Kirkby Station

 

Anyhow it was onto winner 197004 for the run towards Chester (got to make the most of the Cheshire Day Ranger) for 197010 to Crewe.  Originally, I was going to head out of the station calling it a night but decided on a 350/2 to Stoke on Trent.  At Stoke I changed to an EMR 158 back to Crewe for no real reason other than to look out of the window some more.  After getting back at Crewe station I headed to the shared house, swinging via a pizza place for a nice pizza and relaxing for the rest of the evening (sadly there was a nearby house having a party until late with loud music).

 

The weaver navigation path was worthwhile, even if parts were barely passable, I’ve got no idea if the north bank would have been better.  Some beautiful Cheshire countryside, peaceful in places, shame my other target to sample a TfW 230 failed once more with it breaking down.

 

25^th June – Heading home via Worcester.

 

Due to engineering works at the London end of the WCML, there were a limited number of LNR services on this Sunday, along with a tour of Staines for SWR.  A random play for tickets found me a completely random Bromsgrove to Grateley advance ticket going via Worcester for just over £15.  Better than playing voyager roulette on a busy route (and getting a crush loaded 4 coach unit).

 

Anyhow, I checked out of the shared house, heading towards the station, via the Tesco Express at the Esso garage for some breakfast items.  My first train of the day was a reasonably busy 220 to take me towards Birmingham, where due to engineering works, it bypassed Wolverhampton to head towards Bescot and Aston to reach Birmingham New Street (for the novelty of a voyager on unusual track).

 

I left the station at Birmingham, heading to the tram stop and taking winner 53 to Black Lake, where I watched the operation of single track running.  I had a gentle walk on a mixed used path (not like I would want to bring a bike on this path due to the amount of broken glass) alongside the tramline towards the Hawthorns, pausing for photos and keeping my eyes out for any required trams out of which I saw 2 more out that I wanted.

 

West Midlands Metro Tram 42 between Dudley Street & Dartmouth Street Stops

 

At The Hawthorns, tram 53 had returned to take me to Bull Street for a short wait for winner tram 51 which I took back to the Hawthorns (the platform screens weren’t showing anything due to the delays caused by the single track running between Black Lake & West Brom Central, so I probably bailed earlier than strictly needed (but I did have the backup of the trains).  A short time later tram 46 had returned from Wolverhampton which I took to Corporation Street, swinging via a large Sports Direct to return a bag & to grab food.

 

Back at Birmingham New Street and it was onto a pair of 172/0s for the run to Worcester Foregate Street, where I had a short wait before 800318 rolled in, where I headed towards my reserved seat (not like the reservations were showing) in the rear coach (also known as standard premium).  I settled down for the run towards Oxford, where the train got extremely busy but sadly it was running late due to a delay earlier on in the journey, a delay which got worse as it arrived in Reading around 20 minutes late, enough time to miss the last direct train to Grateley, yet another delay.

 

800318 at Reading

 

Due to late running (15 minutes) the previous Basingstoke shuttle had been cancelled in an attempt to get it back to right time, so it was sitting on platform 2 as it got quite busy (all the Basingstoke passengers wanting to avoid the slow ride via Staines) for the run to Basingstoke, where it was delayed heading back towards Reading due to a late running voyager (so much for wanting it to be on time on a service which is timed far too tight for Sundays, especially with Green Park open).

 

Anyhow my final train of the day was a single 159, which itself was delayed by 5 minutes due to the route via Staines collapsing (like it usually does) for passengers to connect.  Which for me was good news as it pushed the delay over the hour mark, rather than the usual railway “oh but the train arrived 59 minutes & 45 seconds late, so we are only paying out for a 30–59-minute delay”.  I was glad to get home to relax for the remainder of the night.

 

29^th June – A weekday spin to Reading Green Park

 

For my final trip of June, I finally decided to get round to visiting Reading Green Park on the Basingstoke – Reading line. I just couldn’t drum up the interest to do it beforehand (with being tired from work or the weather being rubbish).  The 17:59 service took me from Grateley to Basingstoke, where I changed to 165116 for the run to Reading Green Park, having a 15-minute fester at the modern station.

 

I took 165107 back to Basingstoke, where I exited the station (having to explain the concept of a break of journey to the poorly trained agency gateline staff), visiting Sainsburys for some supplies before heading back to the station to take a 159+159+158 combo for the final leg to Grateley to walk home.  A short evening out but allowed me to finally get Reading Green Park into my book.

 

220021 passing Reading Green Park Station

More photos taken throughout June can be found here: Flickr Album