North East Buses

(07 Apr 2016, 4:05 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]And now the A181 is closed!

Need gin.

Thank cap it all off, despite having someone giving him directions, the driver missed the turn he. Needed.

Home and stressed. Boys ready to explode at each other.

Sounds like you're having one of my usual days when nowt goes right.

Yep. My right foot has just decided it doesn't like being walked on.

All my electronics work fine, though

Tried planning a trip round Manchester for photos but got nowhere!

(07 Apr 2016, 6:16 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Tried planning a trip round Manchester for photos but got nowhere!

Manchester is a difficult area to do, and almost impossible to do in a day without a car (actually it's also just as difficult as you have to decided North or South). Best thing to do is group the areas you want to focus on.

Usually I aim for Central Manchester (plus Eccles, Trafford Centre, Middleton and Salford) then either North East (Bury / Rochdale / Oldham), North West (Bolton / Wigan / Leigh), South West (Altringham, Wythenshawe, Airport), South East (Stockport, Hyde, Ashton). If you do areas that are close together you can easily link them all up.

Though years ago, it used to be a lot difficult because there was so more choice with vehicles in Manchester, but I mainly focused on Southern Manchester as that was where all the bus wars were.

I'm actually planning a trip to Manchester within the next few months (with Half Pint and Ray Parnaby), prob June time, you of course are welcome to join us. Means you can go to Manchester without worrying about the times of buses / train home. Just a contribution towards fuel. What I'm thinking that we could do is get a Metrolink and Bus day ticket, and try out the vantage.

(07 Apr 2016, 6:16 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Tried planning a trip round Manchester for photos but got nowhere!

When I went to Manchester on Monday, it was a case of parking in Rochdale and buying a tram/bus day ticket which allows travel on ALL bus and train services after 0930.

We travelled with Rosso to Bury, First to Bolton and then again First to Leigh.


Once we got to Leigh we used the shambles of a service that was Vantage to Bolton. On the way back it was a simple case of First Bus 135 to Bury then Rosso to Rochdale.

Plenty of opportunity for photos throughout the day for photos, especially with so many high frequency services.

6061 is making the loudest and irritating squeaking noise! It's like a pack of giggling hyenas are on board

(08 Apr 2016, 12:19 am)GMitchelhill wrote [ -> ]Manchester is a difficult area to do, and almost impossible to do in a day without a car (actually it's also just as difficult as you have to decided North or South). Best thing to do is group the areas you want to focus on.

Usually I aim for Central Manchester (plus Eccles, Trafford Centre, Middleton and Salford) then either North East (Bury / Rochdale / Oldham), North West (Bolton / Wigan / Leigh), South West (Altringham, Wythenshawe, Airport), South East (Stockport, Hyde, Ashton). If you do areas that are close together you can easily link them all up.

Though years ago, it used to be a lot difficult because there was so more choice with vehicles in Manchester, but I mainly focused on Southern Manchester as that was where all the bus wars were.

I'm actually planning a trip to Manchester within the next few months (with Half Pint and Ray Parnaby), prob June time, you of course are welcome to join us. Means you can go to Manchester without worrying about the times of buses / train home. Just a contribution towards fuel. What I'm thinking that we could do is get a Metrolink and Bus day ticket, and try out the vantage.

Thanks for the offer. Get back to me closer to the time when I should know my availability and what funds I have to determine whether I can go.

I was researching places last night but a lack of knowledge and confidence put an end to that, not best in large cities in Manchester, I know some bits of Central Manchester as I've been a few times before for gigs.

(08 Apr 2016, 7:24 am)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]When I went to Manchester on Monday, it was a case of parking in Rochdale and buying a tram/bus day ticket which allows travel on ALL bus and train services after 0930.

We travelled with Rosso to Bury, First to Bolton and then again First to Leigh.


Once we got to Leigh we used the shambles of a service that was Vantage to Bolton. On the way back it was a simple case of First Bus 135 to Bury then Rosso to Rochdale.

Plenty of opportunity for photos throughout the day for photos, especially with so many high frequency services.

Annoyingly it is a Sunday when I'm doing most of the bus stuff so there is a bit less to see then. My fear and lack of knowledge let me down and I am on my own whilst you had other people on your trip, I am a bit fearful going new places on my own especially suburban areas like Manchester, I'm not so bad with the likes of heading to Penrith or probably the likes of Skipton.

(08 Apr 2016, 7:24 am)LeeCalder wrote [ -> ]When I went to Manchester on Monday, it was a case of parking in Rochdale and buying a tram/bus day ticket which allows travel on ALL bus and train services after 0930.

We travelled with Rosso to Bury, First to Bolton and then again First to Leigh.


Once we got to Leigh we used the shambles of a service that was Vantage to Bolton. On the way back it was a simple case of First Bus 135 to Bury then Rosso to Rochdale.

Plenty of opportunity for photos throughout the day for photos, especially with so many high frequency services.

I may be reading this wrong but the Vantage doesn't serve Bolton? 
I sampled the new busway on Monday and made a few observations:

Plagued with bunching of services due to traffic in Manchester City Centre. The route goes right through both the Metrolink second city crossing roadworks and the Portland Street roadworks to reach the rather odd terminus of Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter. The driver on the inbound service allowed us to alight in traffic on Cross Street and I walked the rest of the route. I overtook 5 Vantage Streetdecks on foot which were stuck in traffic. 

The busway itself, once you reach it, seems effective. I lived in Manchester for 4 years and that East Lancs corridor was a nightmare for getting into Manchester quickly. There is a 'pinch point' were buses get into traffic around Pendleton but other than there the other bus priority measures such as bus lanes work well to keep buses ahead of cars. The only suggestion I'd make would be for the traffic lights where the busway crosses regular roads could change earlier so the bus isn't required to slow right down to a crawl before crossing. 

Passengers on the buses seemed very impressed with not only the buses themselves but the quicker journey times. I overheard many conversations from people who were quite clearly not bus enthusiasts who were taking a great interest. The general negative is that there are overall fewer stops along the busway compared to previous bus stops. They are laid out more comparable to tram stops. 

Judging by social media, particularly the Manchester Evening News, the whole system is hated by car users who've lost a lane on some sections of the East Lancs Road. It's just the usual selfishness from motorists. I used the new Park and Ride on the main road to get into the city centre; it was quicker and cheaper to change onto the bus than to stick with the car. If anybody has an issue with the traffic, get on the bus!

What were your observations?

(07 Apr 2016, 6:16 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Tried planning a trip round Manchester for photos but got nowhere!

Deffo stick within the tfgm area. Compare them to nexus with providing clear bus stop information and many great interchange points across the city. Within the city centre a general rule is anything from Piccadilly Gardens heads south, anything from Shudehill heads west, and the on street stops along the far side of Piccadilly by Nandos, Zizzi and Travelodge head North or East. 

If you got a bus/train/tram System One it's a tad more expensive at £8.70 but having the option of the train to quickly zip between urban areas to catch up with something interesting bus wise. A sample could be:

Any Train Piccadilly Train Station - Stockport Frequent service on the WCML takes 10 mins to get to Stockport. VTWC, XC, Northern, Arriva and East Mids all operate. 

X5 Stockport - Trafford Centre Bus Station right by train station. Interesting as route goes via M60 and often throughs up an ex Bluebird Solo from Stagecoach. Stockport Bus station good for photos with viaduct in background.

126 Trafford Centre - Leigh Bus Sation Interesting as operated by Diamond North West and route is another mix of urban and motorway.

V1 Leigh Bus Station - Manchester Piccadilly Try the infamous busway! Recommend hopping off at the shared V1/V2 stops for photos of the Streetdecks coming over the hilly route. 

Obviously from the city theres's loads of options according the what interests you - I could help with any specifics, I like the following:

135 Manchester Piccadilly - Heaton Park Operated by First using Scania bendies. I appreciate getting off at Heaton Park which is not a major interchange may be daunting but the bus stop is at the very visible tram stop and 99% of the time I'd say there's someone else getting off. 

90 Heaton Park - Prestwich High Street  Chance to ride something by Rosso to the upmarket and busy area of Prestwich. The High Street is the the main stop so easy to know where to get off

X43 Prestwich High Street - Manchester Chorlton Street Theres many options to get to the city from this stop every few minutes but it may be of interest to catch the Transdev Witch Way into town.

Back in the City Centre it may be a safe bat to bash the hyper-frequent routes for photos. Could include:

41/42/43/142/143/147 Piccadilly - University  Every few seconds(!) the 147 from Bullocks runs from the train station rather than the main Picc Gardens.

Metroshuttle 1/2/3 Piccadilly - Piccadilly shuttles Every few minutes in loops around the city centre, all have on board route maps to see if it's useful to hop-off if stuck in traffic. 

10/50/36/37 Manchester - Salford Centres Options of Arriva, Stagecoach and First. Depart from different places in Manchester but all stop at Salford Shopping Centre. Maybe don't wander from the bus stops in Salford!

85/86 Manchester Piccadilly - Chortlon One of many routes now to host 'standard stagecoach' spec MMC 400s. Benefit of 85/86 is they're not too long end-to-end and terminate in bus stations either end.

(08 Apr 2016, 1:00 pm)James101 wrote [ -> ]Deffo stick within the tfgm area. Compare them to nexus with providing clear bus stop information and many great interchange points across the city. Within the city centre a general rule is anything from Piccadilly Gardens heads south, anything from Shudehill heads west, and the on street stops along the far side of Piccadilly by Nandos, Zizzi and Travelodge head North or East. 

If you got a bus/train/tram System One it's a tad more expensive at £8.70 but having the option of the train to quickly zip between urban areas to catch up with something interesting bus wise. A sample could be:

Any Train Piccadilly Train Station - Stockport Frequent service on the WCML takes 10 mins to get to Stockport. VTWC, XC, Northern, Arriva and East Mids all operate. 

X5 Stockport - Trafford Centre Bus Station right by train station. Interesting as route goes via M60 and often throughs up an ex Bluebird Solo from Stagecoach. Stockport Bus station good for photos with viaduct in background.

126 Trafford Centre - Leigh Bus Sation Interesting as operated by Diamond North West and route is another mix of urban and motorway.

V1 Leigh Bus Station - Manchester Piccadilly Try the infamous busway! Recommend hopping off at the shared V1/V2 stops for photos of the Streetdecks coming over the hilly route. 

Obviously from the city theres's loads of options according the what interests you - I could help with any specifics, I like the following:

135 Manchester Piccadilly - Heaton Park Operated by First using Scania bendies. I appreciate getting off at Heaton Park which is not a major interchange may be daunting but the bus stop is at the very visible tram stop and 99% of the time I'd say there's someone else getting off. 

90 Heaton Park - Prestwich High Street  Chance to ride something by Rosso to the upmarket and busy area of Prestwich. The High Street is the the main stop so easy to know where to get off

X43 Prestwich High Street - Manchester Chorlton Street Theres many options to get to the city from this stop every few minutes but it may be of interest to catch the Transdev Witch Way into town.

Back in the City Centre it may be a safe bat to bash the hyper-frequent routes for photos. Could include:

41/42/43/142/143/147 Piccadilly - University  Every few seconds(!) the 147 from Bullocks runs from the train station rather than the main Picc Gardens.

Metroshuttle 1/2/3 Piccadilly - Piccadilly shuttles Every few minutes in loops around the city centre, all have on board route maps to see if it's useful to hop-off if stuck in traffic. 

10/50/36/37 Manchester - Salford Centres Options of Arriva, Stagecoach and First. Depart from different places in Manchester but all stop at Salford Shopping Centre. Maybe don't wander from the bus stops in Salford!

85/86 Manchester Piccadilly - Chortlon One of many routes now to host 'standard stagecoach' spec MMC 400s. Benefit of 85/86 is they're not too long end-to-end and terminate in bus stations either end.

Just to add - the tram network is ideal for getting out and about too.
Mind the lack of ticket machines at stations is a pain.

There is also the Transdev stuff from outside the coach station just beyond Piccadilly on Chorlton St.

I was working in Ashton last month, nice old style bus station (soon to be redeveloped)

Decent mix of Stagecoach, First and indies around there , plus you get to scratch off a terminating tram stop. You could catch a local train back to Picadilly too.

Edited to add...for some reason I can't explain, I couldn't resist a ride on a First Marshall Dart up to Hazelhurst!

(08 Apr 2016, 1:05 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I was working in Ashton last month, nice old style bus station (soon to be redeveloped)

Decent mix of Stagecoach, First and indies around there , plus you get to scratch off a terminating tram stop. You could catch a local train back to Picadilly too.

Edited to add...for some reason I can't explain, I couldn't resist a ride on a First Marshall Dart up to Hazelhurst!

I quite like Ashton bus station too, reminds me a little bit of the way Gateshead Interchange used to be set out.

(08 Apr 2016, 1:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just to add - the tram network is ideal for getting out and about too.
Mind the lack of ticket machines at stations is a pain.

Metrolink is very handy, I think all stops now have machines which even issue System One and you can pay by card. At least all the ones I've used have. Could incorporate tram into return journeys such as back from Chorlton after grabbing and 85/86 or between Heaton Park-Prestwich if you didn't want to go on the less frequent 90 bus. 

For planning, I find the timetable issued by tfgm online are very clear and feature useful maps showing interchange points. Many paper copies are available on the vast racks in tfgm's travelshop by Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.

(08 Apr 2016, 1:10 pm)James101 wrote [ -> ]Metrolink is very handy, I think all stops now have machines which even issue System One and you can pay by card. At least all the ones I've used have. Could incorporate tram into return journeys such as back from Chorlton after grabbing and 85/86 or between Heaton Park-Prestwich if you didn't want to go on the less frequent 90 bus. 

For planning, I find the timetable issued by tfgm online are very clear and feature useful maps showing interchange points. Many paper copies are available on the vast racks in tfgm's travelshop by Piccadilly Gardens tram stop.

Only one or two at each stop from experience.
Queues can be a few deep.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll look into them when I am in the hotel later or sometime tomorrow.

I managed to somehow leave my rucksack with all my clothes and stuff in when I left Yates which is where I had my dinner, fortunately I got it back. At least it wasn't the camera bag!

Just a bit bored and still sulking over the fact I'm unable to attend BUCK (My Little Pony Convention) in Manchester due to work commitments (Grand National tomorrow) and cost.

Plus I cannot seem to get motivated to do any photo captioning done at the moment.

Well today I've been really happy as I got more indigo rides 674/673 then 4662 on the 306 and 1581 on 57a and got to ride 1771 but the last thing and annoying was missed 7411 on x10s back to Newcastle then missed a commander on 308 so ended up on the next 308 7801 so bad i alighted at whitley bay and got 2870 51 longest route felt awful but if i had a 08 reg solo it be worse then just 5209 home

Oh yes I've made the mistake of reading the destination but not actually checking on how it gets there. Hasn't happened in the North East, but happened once in South Yorkshire when I hopped on a Volvo B6 heading to Rotherham from Meadowhall (think it was the first one for Mainline), turns out it wasn't the quick way to Rotherham and it ended up going around several estates before reaching the Town Centre.

I arrived in Florida around 3 hours ago but the jet lags getting to me now!

(08 Apr 2016, 10:20 pm)GMitchelhill wrote [ -> ]Oh yes I've made the mistake of reading the destination but not actually checking on how it gets there. Hasn't happened in the North East, but happened once in South Yorkshire when I hopped on a Volvo B6 heading to Rotherham from Meadowhall (think it was the first one for Mainline), turns out it wasn't the quick way to Rotherham and it ended up going around several estates before reaching the Town Centre.

Sounds like the south Yorkshire equivalent of the faffy 56!

(08 Apr 2016, 10:25 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote [ -> ]I arrived in Florida around 3 hours ago but the jet lags getting to me now!

My heart bleeds

People unnecessarily pressing the bell when the bus is entering a bus station, what is the point as it is stopping anyway


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(09 Apr 2016, 8:57 am)TEN 6083 wrote [ -> ]People unnecessarily pressing the bell when the bus is entering a bus station, what is the point as it is stopping anyway


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Better than the people who don't press the bell and expect a bus to stop at a major location, was on a late running Bishop Auckland 5/5A one day and we got to the Newton Aycliffe Town Centre stop and no-one was waiting at the stop and the bell hadn't been pressed so the driver drove straight past the stop, of course there was abuse for this. I sometimes press the bell for bus stations, just to be on the safe side as you never know, the driver could miss it out!

(09 Apr 2016, 8:57 am)TEN 6083 wrote [ -> ]People unnecessarily pressing the bell when the bus is entering a bus station, what is the point as it is stopping anyway


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You'd love little'un

(09 Apr 2016, 8:57 am)TEN 6083 wrote [ -> ]People unnecessarily pressing the bell when the bus is entering a bus station, what is the point as it is stopping anyway


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"Please ring the bell once and remain seated until the bus has stopped"

Just following orders? 

I have not long ago thrown up coming back from the metrocentre in the car after my outing

(09 Apr 2016, 3:23 pm)NK53 TKT wrote [ -> ]I have not long ago thrown up coming back from the metrocentre in the car after my outing

[Bucket]

(09 Apr 2016, 3:35 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ][Bucket]

Bet he wishes he had one!

Typical Manchester weather!!! It's hammering it down with rain and I'm just wearing a thin hoddie. Currently taking cover in a bus shelter outside Manchester Victoria Station.

(09 Apr 2016, 3:46 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Typical Manchester weather!!! It's hammering it down with rain and I'm just wearing a thin hoddie. Currently taking cover in a bus shelter outside Manchester Victoria Station.

It's glorious, here! Easily the nicest day this week.

THINK I'VE BROKE MY CAMERA!!!!!!!!