Prospective Birmingham Bash

[Gathursty]

Can anyone spot any problems with the following for this Saturday, or next Saturday?

0459 Crewe - Wolverhampton
0638 Wolverhampton - Walsall < Must-do
0720 Walsall - Birmingham New Street
0815 Birmingham Moor Street - Warwick Parkway
1006 Warwick Parkway - Dorridge
1021 Dorridge - Stratford-Upon-Avon < Would like to go in and out of Stratford by train.
1103 SAV - Birmingham Moor Street
1255 Birmingham New Street - Litchfield Trent Valley
1417 LTV - Crewe

Using a 16-25 discounted West Midland Day Ranger.

 

[dave87016]

No it is perfectly valid as far as I can see , never done it myself at weekends but on weekdays I have and I tend to go past Bescot depot then go Water Orton for a while before going Nuneaton ( i usually go for a freight bash

 

[FQ]

It all looks fine but if the 170 from Walsall to New Street is on time it should arrive at New Street for 07:44. If you're OK with a little bit of running, get to Moor Street for the 07:55 to Marylebone, which will be a 68. That would arrive at Leamington at 08:23 so you can then go for the 08:30 to Stratford-upon-Avon from there, getting there at 09:07. You could then take the 09:26 172 to Moor Street, getting there at 10:17, saving an hour and a half so you can do something else.

 

[Gathursty]

It all looks fine but if the 170 from Walsall to New Street is on time it should arrive at New Street for 07:44. If you're OK with a little bit of running, get to Moor Street for the 07:55 to Marylebone, which will be a 68. That would arrive at Leamington at 08:23 so you can then go for the 08:30 to Stratford-upon-Avon from there, getting there at 09:07. You could then take the 09:26 172 to Moor Street, getting there at 10:17, saving an hour and a half so you can do something else.

New Street platforms to Moor Street platforms in 11 minutes? Do you have evidence it's do-able??

 

[yorkie]

New Street platforms to Moor Street platforms in 11 minutes? Do you have evidence it's do-able??

It is doable and I suspect Fishquinn has done it before in less time. However you do need to have an idea of where you're going, and aim to be first off at the optimum door position.

 

[FQ]

I was on a train at New Street at 16:10 on Wednesday and then on a train at Moor Street for 16:13 so it's certainly possible if you run for it.

 

[Gathursty]

Wow! Well can you give me a bit of a heads up, specifically how to get out of New Street and which side of the road to be on or do I go up and over the tunnel?

3 minutes is incredible!!!!!!!! I'm not fit but I'm a v. quick walker.

 

[FQ]

I would have been 40 minutes late home and would have had to get the bus back if I missed it.

Exit New Street at the A end using either the escalators or the stairs. Then leave via the main entrance. Keep to the right of the railway and you'll come to a road where the bus stops are. Cross the road and go through an underpass with the road (going under a load of shops). You should be able to see Moor Street just at the other side of the underpass before you go under it. Then simply make your way over to Moor Street. Check it out on a map if possible (something like Google maps arial view) to try and visualise the route before you go for it.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Iv walked it with a sited person in 8 minutes and whilst this was only to the top of the escalaters as the train we were catching kept being moved about im more than a tad overweight and twas at the end of a day which started with a flight to London, a crankfest in the capital and a 68 bash standing all the way on the Banbry turn so doable.

You could do no worse than take the 68 further south for maximum enjoyment

 

[Gathursty]

I shall keep you updated on how quickly I can get from platform to platform. I will practice this evening with Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western runs! xD

 

[D6975]

I managed to do it in under 10 minutes including picking up a bacon roll and a coffee from the Greggs in the Moor St end of the Bullring Shopping Centre.

 

[Gathursty]

So this is how my Saturday panned out.

After leaving a friends before midnight, I refuelled and followed the A49 south religiously through Wigan, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington before switching to the Northwich road all the way to Lostock Gralam station where I had a drink. I was avoiding the motorway as it has roadworks and 0459 was some hours away and Crewe is only a one hour drive for me. I had a little investigation at Northwich station. I wanted to know how much of the junction was visible at the end of the platform.

Southbound again on such a straight alignment to Middlewich, it makes me wonder if it was Roman or for the benefit of the industry and canal which stalks us as we head through the small town and continue on to Sandbach where I consider sleeping in the corner of the car park but it didn't feel private enough so I continued a little further to Crewe where I got some supplies for the day ahead at Tesco.

I used my phone to check out a nearby layby but found a better spot (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...ved=0ahUKEwirs4614P3MAhWJvRoKHTUCAE8Q8gEIIjAA) I had a peaceful 2 hours before my alarm sounded me to go to Crewe station where all day parking was £2.50. Not bad at all Virgin!

My journey became the following:
0459 Crewe - Wolverhampton (ATW - fairly busy in my carriage for this time of day)
0638 Wolverhampton - Walsall PARLY - Delayed by 30 mins due to passenger disruption on previous service at Tipton. This made me alter my day as it was unclear whether the parly would be cancelled and I didn't fancy putting my day out by a couple of hours by holding on so...
0645 - Wolverhampton - Birmingham New Street (XC - mainly empty)
walked to Moor Street in 8 minutes!!!
0715 - BMO - Leamington Spa (Chiltern)
Pumpkin sausage bap and latte
0830 Leamington Spa - Stratford-Upon Avon (Chiltern - Nice looking female American drama students heading to the Bard's town sitting all around me as we strafe through bucolic green fields)
0926 SAV - BMO (London Midland - Every request stop had between 1 and 3 waiting passengers)
6 minute mad dash to New Street for...
1025 BHM - Litchfield Trent Valley (LM)
1117 LTV - Crewe (LM) - Stopped for 10 minutes at Stafford - I should have disembarked and looked at the departure boards as another LM was going to Crewe direct rather than my via Stoke service - ho-hum!!

I arrive at Crewe at 1224 and see a flood of passengers getting into replacement coaches for Liverpool. I head for my car quickly as there is a need to get ready for a meal this evening. The motorway seems untrustworthy at this time of the afternoon so I retrace my route early in the morning and am rewarded with a very quiet eastbound M56 and northbound M6 as in the other direction, the motroways are massively buggered for the next 10+ miles. I get home in 1h 10 mins. Happy days.


As for the Parly service, I will attempt again but not sure when...

 

[55013]

Shame you missed out on the parly, but looks like a good trip nevertheless.

 

[Kite159]

Passenger disorder? What did RPIs boardto (or the guard) ask to see tickets

Sounded like a good little day through

 

[FQ]

Shame about missing the parly (and the cat) but it sounds like a good day anyway!

 

[LowLevel]

Passenger disorder? What did RPIs boardto (or the guard) ask to see tickets

Sounded like a good little day through

Unfortunately a person was apparently waving a knife around on board.

 

[Gathursty]

Unfortunately a person was apparently waving a knife around on board.

Christ! Hope no-one got hurt.

 

[Bevan Price]

Wow! Well can you give me a bit of a heads up, specifically how to get out of New Street and which side of the road to be on or do I go up and over the tunnel?

3 minutes is incredible!!!!!!!! .

Could he be Usain Bolt in disguise ???

 

[Kristofferson]

Good day out there, shame it had to involve road travel mind...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FQ]

Could he be Usain Bolt in disguise ???

Nah, just decent stamina and really not wanting to be stranded in Birmingham for an hour!

 

[Gathursty]

Good day out there, shame it had to involve road travel mind...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Indeed, if the parly train ran an hour later, it is possible to get from Wigan to Wolverhampton in time.

 

[DarloRich]

I was on a train at New Street at 16:10 on Wednesday and then on a train at Moor Street for 16:13 so it's certainly possible if you run for it.

one doesn't run for public transport! That is impressive timings even for a youngster.

I have done it walking in 5 so you should be able to stop for a brew with 10 minutes to spare