anthony263
Established Member
Right to start I decided on this trip after browsing the megabus site on sunday morning and spotting some tickets for 3.00 in each direction plus the 50p booking fee.
I am currently back visiting my parents in south wales following my fathers nasty fall and my mother health.
10/3/2014
Anyway I spent monday evening checking through diary to see what shifts I was covering when I return to Worcester tommorow and what time I start my shift on friday morning. Luckily for me it is 0735 to 1915 then off again until monday.
11/3/2014
Anyway I have made sure to pack my rucksack before I set off from my parents house at around 0120. A quick stop was made at my local texaco petrol station for some petrol as well as some snacks and a bottle of pepsi max. I soon set off down the M4 noticing the very little traffic apart from a lorry followed by a naxtional express coach working on route 201 to Heathrow Airport (terminal 5)
After my quiet drive I arrived at the car park round the back of Cardiff Central station where I purchased a 24 hour ticket making sure it was stuck in my windscreen. I made my way on foot to the kingsway noticing the amount of students who had been out drinking on a monday night/tuesday morning.
I was waiting until my coach arrived at 0240 however we were not allowed to board until 0310. By this time the 2300 London Victoria - Cardiff megabus service had arrived around 30 minutes late because of major delays along the M4 when it left London early that night.
A prompt departure was had 0330 and we had a relatively full coach on both the lower and upper decks. A couple more passengers were picked up at Newport Railway station and Stratton Park in Swindon before we continued to London. We had some rush hour traffic around Gunnersbury and Hammersmith but we still managed to arrive into Victoria Coach station at 0653 a good 35 minutes early.
Now I decided to wait until 0930 before I purchased my travel card so I decided to pass the time by walking around London doing some sightseing. After leaving the arrivals part of Victoria coach station I made my way to Chelsea harbour and walked along or close to the thames until I eventually got to London Bridge station at around 0835. A nice breakfast was had before I bought my zones 1-6 travelcard using my 16-25 railcard and made my way to the Northern Line.
I had to miss one or two trains as they were very crowded but I managed to get on teh 3rd train which I traevvled onto Moorgate.
At Moorgate I made my way to platforms 9 & 10 intending on getting a FCC service however there was some disruption. Because of this the 0950 e.c.s move was run as a passenger service from Moorgate to Finsbury park eventually departing at 0957 once the driver had got the correct radio code.
I alighted at Highbury and islington to get a Victoria line service to Blackhorse Road. Here I spent about 20 minutes getting some snaps before I boarded 172002 on the 1036 departure to Gospel Oak arriving there at 1052. This service like th3 others on this route was very overcrowded so the new electric services along the route cannot come soon enough.
I then boarded 378220 for a sprint down to Willesdon junction where I spent a while photographing the various trains and buses.
I didnt have any issues from anyone while doing this although it may have been because I was weather a First midlands blazer.
I then spent the rest of the day travveling around some of the various branchlines including the line to Greenford and Romford. The Romford line today was worked by 317670 which I travelled on to Emerson pack before I got it latter on the 1615 services to Upminster.
This branch reminds me a bit of the Coryton branch in Cardiff so it wasnt hard to imagine how that would looked when electrified.
By now it was cmoing to the start of rush hour so I opted to get 375006 from Upminster to London Fenchurch street.
At Tower gateway I spotted some of the hydrogen buses parked so so decided to get some photos before going for a ride to Covent Garden. I must admit the ride quality is so much better compared to a diesel powered bus.
Once at Covent gardden I eventually found a Mc Donalds spending one of the various vouchers I had picked up over the last week or two.
Eventually that eveming I spent the last few hours traveling around the various lines around zone 1 before arriving at Victoria coach station at aaround 2150.
The 2300 departure to Cardiff was worked by one of Stagecoach south wales bus enthusisasts who was really profesional apoligising in advance explaining that the M4 was partially closed and he would find an alternative route
I am currently back visiting my parents in south wales following my fathers nasty fall and my mother health.
10/3/2014
Anyway I spent monday evening checking through diary to see what shifts I was covering when I return to Worcester tommorow and what time I start my shift on friday morning. Luckily for me it is 0735 to 1915 then off again until monday.
11/3/2014
Anyway I have made sure to pack my rucksack before I set off from my parents house at around 0120. A quick stop was made at my local texaco petrol station for some petrol as well as some snacks and a bottle of pepsi max. I soon set off down the M4 noticing the very little traffic apart from a lorry followed by a naxtional express coach working on route 201 to Heathrow Airport (terminal 5)
After my quiet drive I arrived at the car park round the back of Cardiff Central station where I purchased a 24 hour ticket making sure it was stuck in my windscreen. I made my way on foot to the kingsway noticing the amount of students who had been out drinking on a monday night/tuesday morning.
I was waiting until my coach arrived at 0240 however we were not allowed to board until 0310. By this time the 2300 London Victoria - Cardiff megabus service had arrived around 30 minutes late because of major delays along the M4 when it left London early that night.
A prompt departure was had 0330 and we had a relatively full coach on both the lower and upper decks. A couple more passengers were picked up at Newport Railway station and Stratton Park in Swindon before we continued to London. We had some rush hour traffic around Gunnersbury and Hammersmith but we still managed to arrive into Victoria Coach station at 0653 a good 35 minutes early.
Now I decided to wait until 0930 before I purchased my travel card so I decided to pass the time by walking around London doing some sightseing. After leaving the arrivals part of Victoria coach station I made my way to Chelsea harbour and walked along or close to the thames until I eventually got to London Bridge station at around 0835. A nice breakfast was had before I bought my zones 1-6 travelcard using my 16-25 railcard and made my way to the Northern Line.
I had to miss one or two trains as they were very crowded but I managed to get on teh 3rd train which I traevvled onto Moorgate.
At Moorgate I made my way to platforms 9 & 10 intending on getting a FCC service however there was some disruption. Because of this the 0950 e.c.s move was run as a passenger service from Moorgate to Finsbury park eventually departing at 0957 once the driver had got the correct radio code.
I alighted at Highbury and islington to get a Victoria line service to Blackhorse Road. Here I spent about 20 minutes getting some snaps before I boarded 172002 on the 1036 departure to Gospel Oak arriving there at 1052. This service like th3 others on this route was very overcrowded so the new electric services along the route cannot come soon enough.
I then boarded 378220 for a sprint down to Willesdon junction where I spent a while photographing the various trains and buses.
I didnt have any issues from anyone while doing this although it may have been because I was weather a First midlands blazer.
I then spent the rest of the day travveling around some of the various branchlines including the line to Greenford and Romford. The Romford line today was worked by 317670 which I travelled on to Emerson pack before I got it latter on the 1615 services to Upminster.
This branch reminds me a bit of the Coryton branch in Cardiff so it wasnt hard to imagine how that would looked when electrified.
By now it was cmoing to the start of rush hour so I opted to get 375006 from Upminster to London Fenchurch street.
At Tower gateway I spotted some of the hydrogen buses parked so so decided to get some photos before going for a ride to Covent Garden. I must admit the ride quality is so much better compared to a diesel powered bus.
Once at Covent gardden I eventually found a Mc Donalds spending one of the various vouchers I had picked up over the last week or two.
Eventually that eveming I spent the last few hours traveling around the various lines around zone 1 before arriving at Victoria coach station at aaround 2150.
The 2300 departure to Cardiff was worked by one of Stagecoach south wales bus enthusisasts who was really profesional apoligising in advance explaining that the M4 was partially closed and he would find an alternative route
