Trip to Wigan / Standish 18-08-2012

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
31928	Wigan BS	Lockett Road, Bryn	610	First Manchester
31928	Lockett Road, Bryn	Wigan BS	610	First Manchester
4107	Wigan BS	Orrell Post, Orrell Road/Orrell Council Offices (Stop D)	385	Arriva NW&W
2990	Orrell Post, Orrell Road/Orrell Post (Stop C)	Wigan BS	352	Arriva NW&W
2997	Wigan BS	Standish, o/s House 104 Wigan Road/Almond Crescent	362	Arriva NW&W
2683	Standish, Wigan Road/Prospect Lodge (SE-bound)	Wigan BS	362	Arriva NW&W

Today we decided to return to Wigan. Three Saturdays ago when we visited Leigh, we made a brief visit to Wigan. We told Matthew we would return again soon and so we decided that today would be the day. The weather was supposed to be mainly dry and cloudy with sunny intervals, but very warm and humid. Matthew got up around 10:00 and had his breakfast. we set off a little after 11:30 heading off towards Hanford. We stopped at Hanford Wrights Pie shop in order to get some sausage rolls but they had sol out. We set off North again on the A500 and as it was before 12:00 we stopped at the cheaper LPG garage to fuel up. We still had to stop at Longport to put a little air in the tyres before going North up the A500 around 12:15. We got on the M6 and headed North. The traffic was quite busy and so it took a while to get up to Wigan. We came off at the A49 junction and we parked up in a small car park opposite Wigan Wallgate railway station. last time we had ridden up to Wigan mum had noticed a cafe on the corner of the road by the railway station and so we had a ticket for an hour so we could go have dinner here. As we were about to cross over to the cafe Matthew took a picture of Arriva NW&W 4100 on a Southport service.

Arriva NW&W 4100 outside Wigan Wallgate

We crossed the road and went into the cafe. Todays we had 3 pie and peas, A sausage and chips meal for Matthew with a drink included and another tea and a Cola. It came to little over £10. Matthew was able to see most of the buses entering the bus station from this end including the Southports and the Kitt Green circulars which have always produced at least one First Manchester Dennis Arrow on our previous visits. From what we could see the circulars were mainly Excels and there was at least one Dennis Dart out. We did see First Manchester Dennis Arrow 31941 running towards the bus station out of service. After we had finished eating, we headed back to the car park. We drove the car a little closer to the bus station and parked up. We walked into the bus station and Matthew went to use the facilities. It was a few minutes before 14:00. As we came out we spotted a Dennis Arrow on a #610 service. It was First Manchester 31928. We had never been on this service before but we were reasonably certain that we had not been on this bus before.

First 31928 about to work the #610

We got on and booked 3 system one bus only tickets plus we used Matthew's pass. Mum was still coming with us to help out. As we booked the tickets and explained to the lady driver that we just wanted to ride on this bus, she informed us that this service went through through the bus garage. We sat upstairs and mum got chatting to another woman on the bus who was also on the double decker because her young son liked travelling on the buses. Apparently she had been forced to turn down the previous service as it wasn't a double decker! We checked the 'Buses I have Travelled on' page and we saw that 31928 was required. Mum and the other woman chatted about various things as we headed South. We passed Arriva NW&W 4103 on an inbound #375 service. The lady eventually got off near Sainsbury's as we got back on the A49 South off Wigan. We headed South past the junction for the M6 and then into Bryn. We turned onto the industrial estate and then waited at the gates on the bus garage to be let in. There is a one way system in operation around the depot, and so you have to do a complete lap of the main shed before pulling up outside the drivers mess. As you circle the depot you get quite close to the scrap line at the back of the depot. Buses include 30586,34262 and 40338. Matthew took a few pictures as we went around including a school bus and a trainer. Here is a picture of the head of the scrap line.

First 34262 leads the scrap line at Bryn

We had a short wait in the depot before heading off back to Wigan. as we returned back Northwards we passed 60145 on a #610. The bus was very warm upstairs with it very few opening windows, and by the time we got off we desperately needed to! We got back into Wigan around 15:00 and we saw Arriva NW&W 4107 arrive from Southport. We decided to do this bus on it's 15:13 departure, as unbeknown to us it was one of the few of these buses we had already been on our last trip to Southport. We decided to do this to Orrell as this is about as far as you can go on a System One ticket. The bus filled up reasonably well and we passed Arriva NW&W 4105 on a inbound service. When we got off Matthew got a picture of these fine bus.

Arriva NW&W 4107 in Orrell

A few seconds behind us was St Helens allocated Arriva NW&W Volvo B10 2705.

Arriva NW&W 2705 in Orrell

We then walked down to the local co-op so Matthew could do a little shopping. After buying out most of the store we crossed the road. A quick consult of the timetable told us that there was a #352 due followed by a bus from Southport. We saw a Pulsar approaching on the #352. We didn't flag it down but it stopped anyway as here was someone getting off. It was required Arriva NW&W 2990. He got a picture of this bus as it pulled up.

Arriva NW&W 2990 in Orrell

Matthew decided to do this so we got on a trooped towards the back of the bus. The bus was nearly empty and the bus didn't stop often as we headed into town. When we got in Matthew waited for the bus to empty and took his customary empty bus shot.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2990

We then had another visit to the facilities and Matthew did some more shopping in the bus station news agents. We saw required Arriva NW&W 4104 arrive on what we would have been on had we had waited for the service. I thought we would be doing this out to Orrell again as it was a required bus and he really likes double deckers. We also saw First Manchester 31934 on a #598 service that we had been on previously. First Manchester 31941 which we had seen running out of service early was on a #631 Beech Hill circular. He chose to do unrequired Arriva NW&W 2997 which we had been on on our first visit to Wigan returning from Platt Bridge on a #360 service. I asked the driver how far we could go on a System One ticket and he told us we could do the bus to Standish. Matthew then got a picture of the bus.

Arriva NW&W 2997 in Wigan bus station

We got on this nearly full bus and rode up Standish. The bus emptied out a little as we headed North and it was reasonable cool when it was running at speed. We got off the bus and Matthew got a picture as it sped away.

Arriva NW&W 2997 in Standish

Had we know what we were doing we could have ridden on Stagecoach 47226 on a #113 service. This was followed shortly by a #362 service which we flagged down. It turned out to be Required Bolton Allocated Arriva NW&W 2683.

Arriva NW&W 2683 in Standish

The bus was nearly empty as tea time inbound service usually are. It was really nice and cool with the windows open running virtually non stop into Wigan. When we arrived Matthew waited patiently for the bus to empty as the bus emptied out before taking the interior bus photograph.

Inside Arriva NW&W 2683

Matthew took a few picture as we walked around the bus station towards the facilities. One such picture was Arriva NW&W 2732 on a #360 service.

Arriva NW&W 2732 in Wigan bus station

After visiting the toilets we walked around the road near the bus station where the buses park between duties. On of the buses parked up was First Manchester 60144.

First Manchester 60144 near Wigan bus station

We carried on around taking a few more pictures and then headed back to the car. As we were unable to get sausage rolls anywhere, we decided to stop at the MacDonalds so that Matthew could have a quick snack. Afterwards we headed down the A49 and then joined onto the Southbound M6. We put the radio on the find out Stoke had drawn after giving away a penalty in the 90th minute. We reached the M6 and then for most of the journey home we ran just in front or just behind Bakerbus coach 16 (4085 RU). We turned onto the A500 and then headed onto the A50 so we could do a pass of the Z Carz depot. There were only two vehicle parked up tonight.

Z Carz W344 WNS & V690 EBC at their Longton depo

We then headed down Longton Hall Road following 40140 on the #22 Newcastle service. As we got to the end of the road we saw a new liveried First vehicle. As we knew it has to be an Adderley Green vehicle, it was almost certainly going to be one of the new second hand Caetano Darts from London. We caught up and passed First 41501! We decided to stop by the church to wait and take a picture of the bus. Unfortunately it must have been empty and on it's last turn as it headed off to the depot and we didn't get a picture this time. We then got home around 18:20. We then settled down for the evening and a late tea of Bangers and mash before bedtime...Mark