Trip to Wigan 20-04-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
19521	Wigan BS	Hindley Green, Atherton Road/Hindley Green (Stop B)	32	Stagecoach Manchester
22406	Hindley Green, Atherton Road/Hindley Green (Stop A)	Wigan BS	598	Stagecoach Manchester
29	Wigan BS	Hullet Close, Appley Bridge	635	South Lancs Travel
55	Woodhook Road, Appley Bridge	Wigan BS	635	South Lancs Travel
4064	Wigan BS	Pemberton, o/s House 563 Ormskirk Road/Enfield Street‎	385	Arriva NW&W
3048	Pemberton, o/s House 563 Ormskirk Road/Enfield Street‎	Wigan BS	395	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to go to Wigan. We left the decision until quite late in the week this time and we hd given him a choice of going to Oswestry to ride on the Tanat Valley Leyland Tiger Cub YRC 194 at the Cambrian Railways Heritage & Classic vehicle extravaganza. or going to wigan, but Matthew chose Wigan today. no research was done for today's trip other then to check the weather (sunny 14'...positively tropical!) and to see where Wigan were playing football (away at West Ham). Matthew got up just before 10:00 and had toast and orange juice for breakfast. After getting ready we st off around 11:30 to get LPG from Etruria. We went along the A5035 and turned into Stanley Matthew Way past the Hem Heath pub. We joined the Westbound A50 and then the Northbound A500 coming off at Shelton New Road to get the LPG. There was a bit of a wait here as a Winnebago had turned up and blocked the yard. Whilst we waited we saw 3 buses on the #34/34A service. First we saw First Potteries Scania 65730 which is normal a allocation for this service, then we saw Dart 40145 which is little rarer. This was followed by required aging Olympian 30031! Asked Matthew if he still wanted to go to Wigan and he said yes. We got onto the Westbound A53 and then onto the Northbound A500. The motorway was fairly clear, and we got up to the A49 just after 13:00. There was some traffic on the A49, and we parked up around 13:20. We walked to the cafe passed the bus station, where we saw Tyrers X582 USC on football duties.

Tyrers X582 USC in Wigan bus station

After taking the picture we carried on walking to the Courtyard Cafe. Matthew had a small breakfast washed down with Coke, and afterwards he had chocolate fudge cake with custard.

Chocolate fudge cake in custard...

We finished our food just before 14:00, and we walked to the bus station to see what we could catch. We saw Arriva NW&W Dart 7644 in the distance on a #360 to Warrington. and then we spotted Stagecoach Manchester 19521 on a #32 service. We decided to do this so Matthew took a picture of the bus.

Stagecoach Manchester 19521 in Wigan bus station

We crossed the crossing and got on the bus. We booked our system was bus tickets and then went upstairs. It was virtually empty so Matthew took his empty bus picture.

Inside Stagecoach Manchester 19521

We set off towards Ince-in-Makerfield and then towards Hindley. We got chatting to a lady at the front of the bus and she thought Matthew was lovely. I think if she could have taken him home she would have done! We went around the estates in Castle Hill and then we headed into Hindley Green. We decided to get off here as we had done before and to wait for the next #32 or #598 to Wigan. We crossed the road and walked back to the stop. We just missed a #598 so we sat down at the stop to wait for the next bus. Whilst we waited Matthew drank a can of Coke.There was a #594 to Leigh due first though. The bus turned up and it was Jim Stones Enviro 200 BUS 1N.

Jim Stones BUS 1N in Hindley Green

There was a #598 due a couple of minutes later and sure enough Stagecoach Manchester 22406 appeared from around the corner.

Stagecoach Manchester 22406 in Hindley Green

We got on the bus and sat down near the back. The bus was quite well filled, but it seem to empty out as we headed into Wigan. The bus took a more direct route into Wigan avoiding the estates. We passed Stagecoach Manchester 22145 on a Leigh bound #598. As we traveled back mum text us the devastating new that Greggs in Wigan had closed! When we got to wigan the last few people got off the bus and Matthew took his empty bus picture.

Inside Stagecoach Manchester 22406

We got off and we saw Arriva 4101 arrive into the bus station.

Arriva NW&W 4101 in Wigan bus station

Arriva NW&W is a bus we have been on before. We did did up to Pemberton on the Last day of First in December 2012. We decided to go to the toilet at this point, and as we walked back through the bus station, Matthew we spotted former D&G Scania 29 on the #635 to Appley Bridge. We got on the bus and asked the driver which direction the bus was going in. He couldn't really tell me but he said that the ticket was valid throughout so we got on and sat down near the back. I looked in my bag to find a Wigan bus map but I think I must have left it on Stagecoach Manchester 19521. I asked some lads which direction we were going and I was able to work out we were going just over the M6 north of Orrell! They also told us there was a 15 minute frequency, so we decided to stay on until the end. We went through a place called Shevington which is appropriate seeing as the bus was once based in Crewe. We crossed the M6 and then a few minutes later the driver informed us we had arrived at the end. We got up and Matthew took a picture inside this unusual vehicle.

Inside South Lancs Travel 29

We got off and he took a picture of the outside too.

South Lancs Travel 29 in Appley Bridge

We decided to go do a bit of shopping whilst we were here. We walled down to the Spar shop and Matthew had a Galaxy Caramel and a can of Coke and some small bottles of pop too. We came out of the shop and we saw A South Lancs Travel bus approaching. It was required South Lancs travel 55.

South Lancs Travel 55 in Appley Bridge

We got onto the empty bus and Matthew immediately got a picture of the inside of this bus, with it unusual Grey and Yellow seating.

Inside South Lancs Travel 55

We sat down and started to head back into Wigan. We passed Holmeswood YJ56 AUF on a #3A service which looked familiar. Further research revealed that we had passed through Appley Bridge before on that same service and the same bus back in August 2012! We carried on back into town passing South Lancs Travel 30 which was the third bus on #635's. We got back into Wigan and we went to the bottom of the bus station to take bus pictures. One of the first buses we saw was required Arriva NW&W 2705 on a #320 service.

Arriva NW&W 2705 leaves Wigan bus station

We also saw Stagecoach Manchester 22157 on a #540 service.

Stagecoach Manchester 22157 in Wigan bus station

A few minutes later required Arriva NW&W 4064 appeared on #385 to Southport.

Arriva NW&W 4064 in Wigan bus station

We decided to do this up to Pemberton. We headed past Wigan North Western railway station ad down the A49. We then turned on to Ormskirk Road. Just past the half way house and before the traffic lights, we got of the bus. The bus pulled of quickly, but it stopped at the lights and Matthew got a picture of it.

Arriva NW&W 4064 in Pemberton

We crossed the road and waited at the inbound stop. I asked Matthew if he wanted to catch Arriva or Stagecoach and he chose Arriva. Luckily it was an Arriva bus that was due next. It was a #395 from Ormskirk. We saw Arriva NW&W 3026 was on the #395 to Ormskirk. We didn't have to wait too long before our bus appeared and it was required Arriva NW&W 3048.

Arriva NW&W 3048 in Pemberton

The was reasonably well loaded and we sat down near the back. We headed back down Ormskirk Road and then into Wigan on the A49. When we got back the bus emptied and Matthew got a picture of the inside of this bus.

Inside Arriva NW&W 3048

When we got off we saw required Arriva NW&W 7640 arrive and then it disappeared again! We met up with mum and then we walked back the long way to the car so that we could photograph some of the buses. We walked passed the row of stabled buses in the bus station and Arriva Solo SR 710 was parked up here.

Arriva NW&W 710 in Wigan bus station

We carried on around taking pictures. Today they were mainly stagecoach vehicles and then we walked up Dorning Street. Whilst we were there we saw Wigan Buses SN56 AXD departing on a #630 to Platt Bridge. We got back to the car and mum had managed to source sausage rolls from an alternative shop. Matthew seemed to enjoy then, so it seems that we may now be switching to Pound Bakery for our pastry needs. It had a meat and potato pasty and it was very nice. We added a touch of oil to the car engine and we set off home. We went down Frog Lane passed the Wigan Coachways depot where we saw Volvo N213 TDU. We then headed around Wigan Pier and then onto the Southbound A49. We then headed onto the Southbound M6. It took us a while today before we picked up the signal for Radio Stoke, but when we did we heard that Stoke had beaten QPR away by two goals to nil. It also seems that Port Vale are all but promoted to the First division unless they ship loads of goals. The matrix sign were saying that the M6 was closed between junction 15 and 14. We had wondered if this would cause the motorway to back up beyond junction 16, but it did not have that much of an effect. We came off onto the Southbound A500 and then we did the A50 to Longton so we could check out Z Carz. We didn't see any coaches today but there were plenty of the taxi fleet. At the rear we could see T131 SGA, HX51 HRU and YN03 HJC. The first one of the taxi fleet at the front was X599 WDY.

Z Carz X599 WDY in Longton

Next was BU04 GYW.

Z Carz BU04 GYW in Longton

This was followed by PN06 DNN.

Z Carz PN06 DNN in Longton

Last of the taxi fleet was YE52 UZX.

Z Carz YE52 UZX in Longton

We were then surprised to seen a new minibus in the fleet. It was W221 CDN complete with some nice purple Z Carz decals.

Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton

We turned into Willow Row to see if there was anything by the actual depot. We were pleased to find another new arrival, UK04 BUS which had been running with Clowes Coaches fairly recently.

Z Carz UK04 BUS in Longton

We then headed down Longton Hall Road. We saw 40143 on a Newcastle bound #22. At the bottom of the road was First Potteries 53830 on the evening #23 service followed by 41492 which was finishing for the evening. Just before we got home we saw 40137 on the Longton bound #22. We got in the house at 18:30. We looked at our pictures from today and then we had a late tea of bangers and mash. Later he had a slice of toffee cheesecake and he chilled out on his computer before bedtime at just after 00:00...Mark