Midlands Day Ranger/Rover

[DarloRich]

I have a day off on Tuesday and will have spent Monday night in Straford upon Avon. I am interested in getting a WM ranger/day rover, perhaps visiting the Severn Valley railway and generally pottering about.

Can anyone suggest what i can do?

Which is ticket gives the best coverage? Ranger or Rover?

Can i get a gold card discount on such a ticket?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

 

[Kite159]

Sadly no Gold Card discount on either West Midlands Day Ranger or the DayTripper.

Day Ranger - http://www.railrover.org/pages/west-midlands-day-ranger.html

DayTripper - http://www.railrover.org/pages/west-midlands-day-tripper.html (if you can get the ticket office at Stratford-upon-Avon to sell you it with the add-on to cover validity for Stratford-upon-Avon

The Ranger covers more than the DayTripper, but the cost is more. The DayTripper can also be purchased as a 'peak' ticket (extra ~£1.50) so it can be used before 09:30

 

[andyb2706]

The Ranger covers more than the DayTripper, but the cost is more. The DayTripper can also be purchased as a 'peak' ticket (extra ~£1.50) so it can be used before 09:30

So does that mean that the peak ticket The Day Tripper can also be used after 4m, unlike the ranger?

 

[Kite159]

So does that mean that the peak ticket The Day Tripper can also be used after 4m, unlike the ranger?

Is there evening restrictions in the West Midlands now?

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

I think that you can only purchase the add-on from a station in the network area. I tried it at Leamington and was refused. I had travelled there by bus from Coventry.

 

[fishquinn]

I think that you can only purchase the add-on from a station in the network area. I tried it at Leamington and was refused. I had travelled there by bus from Coventry.

Same here. In the end I changed plans and went for the West Mids Day Ranger.

 

[DarloRich]

Thanks for the advice. I think i will get the more expensive ticket as it gets me back to Northampton meaning i only need a single to MKC.

This is what i have come up with so far:

1) 09:14 Straford upon Avon to Leamington Spa 09:52

2) 10:03 Leamington Spa to Moor Street 10:42

3) 10:55 Moor Street to Leamington Spa 11:21 (or Warwick Parkway11:15)

4)11:24 Leamington (or11:31 Warwick P) to Moor Street 11:54

5)12:00 Moor Street to Solihull 12:13 (or Dorridge 12:20)

6)12:23 Dorridge (or Solihul 12:30) to Snow Hill 12:46

7) 13:12 Snow Hill - Leamington Spa 13:47

8) 14:24 Leamington - Moor Street 14:54

9) 15:00 Moor Street - Stratford upon Avon 15:41

10) 16:26 Stratford upon Avon - Moor Street 17:18

11) 17:21 Moor Street - Leamington Spa 18:01

12) 18:14 Leamington Spa - Coventry 18:25

13) 18:48 Coventry - MKC 19:41

 

[fishquinn]

Lots of 68s in there! (10:03 LMS-BMO, 10:55 BMO-LMS/WRP, 11:24 LMS/WRP-BMO, 12:23 DDG/SOL-BSW, 13:12 BSW-LMS and 14:24 LMS-BMO)

 

[Crossover]

Warwick Parkway is an intriguing station to see - it has an absolute abundance of TVM's, many of which can sell tickets from other stations

 

[fishquinn]

I didn't know the TVMs there can sell tickets from other stations! But I only really use the station to change trains at so the most intriguing thing I see there is the million stairs to go from platform to platform.

 

[Crossover]

I didn't know the TVMs there can sell tickets from other stations! But I only really use the station to change trains at so the most intriguing thing I see there is the million stairs to go from platform to platform.

It is the ones in the car park that can sell various things, including car parking tickets

 

[fishquinn]

Cool! Will have to remember that!

 

[DarloRich]

Everything went fine until train 8 was late into Moor Street, I therefore hung about and took it back to Leamington at 15:50, waited and waited for the Cross Country to Coventry.

It was late,i missed the Virgin train to Rugby and the Crewe train to MKC so ended up on the 17:41 from Coventry to MKC

 

[fishquinn]

I was on the 14:24 from Leamington to Birmingham and the 15:55 back to Leam (with 68012). I was with my dad on the 15:55 but solo on the 14:24. I might have been in the same coach as you and never knew. (I was in the front coach to BMO and the rear coach back to Leamington in the partition seat on the right hand side furthest away from the loco, on the way back I was with my dad in the partition seat furthest away from the loco on the right hand side again).

What did you think of the 68s?

 

[DarloRich]

I was on the 14:24 from Leamington to Birmingham and the 15:55 back to Leam (with 68012). I was with my dad on the 15:55 but solo on the 14:24. I might have been in the same coach as you and never knew. (I was in the front coach to BMO and the rear coach back to Leamington in the partition seat on the right hand side furthest away from the loco, on the way back I was with my dad in the partition seat furthest away from the loco on the right hand side again).

I will have been in the same carriage i think as i tended to get on the front or back although one of the earlier rides i went in the second carriage from the front to see what the ride was like

What did you think of the 68s?

They are impressive. They seem to pull away quite well from a level stand but had a few troubles on the cant at Warwick Parkway. They accelerate well and get up to speed quickly and they sound very loud! Very loud indeed. They also look quite good and the two liveries seems to suit them.

I am surprised that the noise level have been deemed acceptable for a modern locomotive!

 

[fishquinn]

Apparently the 68s acceleration depends on the driver as most I have been on were slower at accelerating than the 67s. Gland you had a good time though.

 

[Crossover]

They are impressive. They seem to pull away quite well from a level stand but had a few troubles on the cant at Warwick Parkway. They accelerate well and get up to speed quickly and they sound very loud! Very loud indeed. They also look quite good and the two liveries seems to suit them.

I am surprised that the noise level have been deemed acceptable for a modern locomotive!

Nothing wrong with a bit of noise - makes them more audible if wondering when it'll arrive

I did also hear, apparently the info having come from here, that they out accelerate the 67s somewhat considerably

 

[fishquinn]

They can out-accelerate the 67s quite easily but most drivers don't give them much acceleration so the 67s end up quicker. The only time I think that rule was broken was 2 days ago with 68011 on the 15:55 from Moor Street-Marylebone. When the doors were locked, the driver put it up to notch 1 and sometimes 2 but the second the cat started to move, he put the throttle right up.