Trip to Halifax 03-08-2013

Bus	From	To	Service	Operator
30865	Halifax BS	Sowerby, adj Bates Avenue Whiteley Ave‎	579	First West Yorkshire
30952	Sowerby, adj Bates Avenue Whiteley Ave‎	Sowerby, Rooley Heights (NE-bound)	579	First West Yorkshire
TJ15	Sowerby, Rooley Heights (NE-bound)	Halifax Town Centre, Waterhouse Street (Stop 17)‎	300	TJ Walsh
32539	Halifax BS	Elland, Southgate (Stop C)	503	First West Yorkshire
30848	Elland, Southgate (Stop B)	Halifax BS	537	First West Yorkshire
TJ25	Halifax Town Centre, Market Street (Stop 16)	Illingworth, adj Keighley Rd Natty Lane	700	TJ Walsh
60818	Illingworth, adj Keighley Rd Natty Lane	Halifax Town Centre, Broad Street (Stop 30)‎	522	First West Yorkshire

Today we decided to venture into West Yorkshire for the first time. Matthew chose to go to Halifax and so we did some research. We checked the Metro site and down loaded a map. We also found out about the Multi-operator ticket called simply Metro Day. We checked the weather which was for mainly dry and sunny with a few odd showers. Matthew got up around 10:30 and had toast and juice for breakfast. We managed to get ready for around 11:45, and we set off onto the A5035 and then along Stanley Matthews Way. We joined the Westbound A50 and then we headed North on the A500. The M6 motorway was busy and it was quite slow progress up the the M56, from that point on the traffic eased a little we headed onto the Eastbound M62. We carried on around the M60 and back onto the M62 where we made the Climb over Saddleworth Moor and then down the other side. At the A629 we came off the M62 and we had the scenic journey into Halifax down into the Calder Valley and up the other side into town. We took a short while to find the parking we wanted to use and we ended up driving through Sainsbury's to get back in the right direction! We parked at the back of the library in a car park off Wade Street which was right next to the bus station. We parked up just before 14:00 and we went to go find somewhere to eat. The cafe in the bus station appeared to be closed so after we used the bus station toilets, we walked onto market Street to find somewhere. cafe Zone didn't appear to do much in the way of food and the sandwich shop was closing and didn't have any hot food. We ended up eating at a chip shop/cafe called Ivanhoe's. As we went towards it was saw a maroon coloured minibus which was TJ Walsh B11 TJW with a fleet number of 11.

TJ walsh TJ11 in Halifax

Matthew had chips, sausage and gravy with a drink if Pepsi to wash it down. He also had bap (known locally as a teacake) and he made a chip sandwich out of it. It was a great place to eat and watch the buses go by. We saw numerous high floor minibuses go passed on services 600 & 700 with the occasional Plaxton Primo. When we ad finished eating we walked back to the bus station and sad goodbye to mum. We visited the travel shop and picked up a map (its easier to read an actual map than look at a pdf on a phone), and we also picked up a few timetables we thought might be useful. On stand as we got into the bus station, was required double decker First West Yorkshire 30865 on a #579 service.

First West Yorkshire 30865 in Halifax bus station

After Matthew had taken a picture we got on the bus and booked our Metro Day tickets. We sat upstairs at the front and I got out a timetable I picked up when we got to the bus station. The journey time was only a little over 20 minutes for the full run so we decided to go to the end. As we left the bus station we followed First West Yorkshire Dart 41316 out along the street. The bus headed out of town and down into the Valley. Looking at the map the bus headed roughly Westward and then dipped into the valley into a town called Sowerby Bridge. Having gone through town we climbed out of the valley towards Sowerby. This might possibly be the steepest climb we've ever done on a bus and the bus went up the bottom of the hill at almost walking pace! We got to a point that we though might be the end of the run and so we got up. Matthew photographed the empty top deck as we got off.

Inside First West Yorkshire 30865

It turned out that we weren't quite at the end, but whilst we looked we noticed that TJ walsh service #300 went to the same stop as the end of the #579 run. We decided to wait for the next Sowerby bound bus and then wait for a #300 back into town. Whilst we waited we saw 30865 return towards Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 30865 in Sowerby

Almost immediately we saw another ALX400 bus round the corner. It was required First West Yorkshire 30952.

First West Yorkshire 30952 in Sowerby

We got on the bus and went upstairs. It was empty so Matthew took his empty bus picture straight away.

Inside First West Yorkshire 30952

We were only on the bus for a few minutes. We got off at the end of the run (the correct place this time) and we let 30952 head back to Halifax. A few minutes later, step entranced minibus TJ Walsh B15 TJW arrived at the stop and Matthew took a picture.

TJ walsh 15 in Sowerby

The bus wasn't ready to return and we saw required First West Yorkshire 30855 come and go whilst we waited. When the bus was ready we got on and Matthew photographed the inside of this rather nice Mercedes minibus.

Inside TJ walsh 15

We sat down near the back and settle down for the journey back into town. The journey back was downhill to start and the driver handled the bus down the steep gradients superbly. We passed the Sowerby Bridge Tesco store and then we started to climb back up into Halifax. when we got into town the bus stopped on Waterhouse Street and we go off. We walked back to the bus station and we had a quick walk around past the layover area and we walked back up to the top end. As we headed up to the top we saw First West Yorkshire 32539 move onto stand to work a #503 towards Huddersfield.

First West Yorkshire 32539 in Halifax bus station

I asked Matthew if he wanted to do this bus and he said yes. So we crossed over to correct stand and then we got on it. I looked at the information by the stop for service #503 and decided to ask for Elland. We went upstairs and Matthew photographed the empty rear of the top deck.

Inside First West Yorkshire 32539

We sat down and we worked out where Elland was and how long it took approximately. We set off down the A629 so some of the route was familiar from the drive in. What we had noticed when we drove in was the bus garage! There was a North Counties Olympian at the front of the depot but it was just too far away to see which one it was. We carried o to the bottom of the hill and ten we came off the A629 and through West Vale into Elland. When we thought we were coming into the centre of town we decided to get off. On this occasion we guessed correctly! We got off and Matthew got a picture of the bus as it went away southwards.

First West Yorkshire 32539 in Elland

We saw there was a #400 service from here operated by TJ Walsh and it was due in 10 minutes. In the mean time we saw First West Yorkshire 30848 on a #537 to Halifax.

First West Yorkshire 30848 in Elland

Matthew decided he wanted to do it so we got on and went upstairs. We sat down and the bus set off along a different route into Halifax. The bus crossed over Elland Bridge before joining onto the A629. Some locals where chatting on the bus and they described Elland a rough place discussing somebody getting stabbed. In their own word they said it was 'Worse than Donny...'! We carried on into town and when we reached the bus station Matthew photographed the empty 30848.

Inside First West Yorkshire 30848

We got off and we met up with mum briefly. We then went to the shop and brought a Galaxy Caramel and a can of Coke. Matthew ate the caramel with a little help from me and uncle Dave and he also drank a can of Irn Bru that we already had in the bag. We had another walk around the bus station and we saw First West Yorkshire 41282 to Mixenden.

First West Yorkshire 41282 in Halifax bus station

We decided to leave the bus station and go and catch another TJ Walsh bus from Market Street. As we got to the stop we saw required TJ Walsh 25 on a #700 service to Illingworth.

TJ walsh 25 in Halifax

We sat down and the bus headed out of town. We followed First West Yorkshire 60818 out of town which was on a #522 to Illingworth. The bus headed through Ovenden and into Illingworth. We reached what appeared to be the terminus (there was another #700 there being worked by a Primo), and we got off after Matthew photographed the inside of this bus.

Inside TJ walsh 25

We got off and we let the Primo go. We were hoping First West Yorkshire 60818 would appear and sure enough it did!

First West Yorkshire 60818 in Illingworth

We got on and sat down unusually for Matthew near the front of the bus. We set off back down to Halifax taking a similar route to the #700. We passed the gigantic Dean Clough Mill and then headed into town vi the North Bridge. The bus terminated around the corner of the bus station, and Matthew photographed the inside of this bus.

Inside First West Yorkshire 60818

He also got another picture of the outside of 60818 too.

First West Yorkshire 60818 in Halifax

We walked back down to the bus station to meet up with mum. We decided to take a few picture of buses before going back to the car. First West Yorkshire 30947 was heading into the bus station after working a #537 service.

First West Yorkshire 30947 in Halifax

We decided to stand near the top of the bus station we saw Centrebus 228 and take a few pictures. we saw First West Yorkshire 60816 on a #560 service to Commons.

First West Yorkshire 60816 in Halifax bus station

We also saw Arriva Yorkshire 1058 on a #278 service to Wakefield via Elland and Brighouse.

Arriva Yorkshire 1058 in Halifax bus station

We then walked back to the car where we had sausage rolls (there is a Greggs in Halifax) and Matthew had a drink of Irn Bru too. We headed back down the A629 and back onto the Westbound M62. We did the M62 through to the M6 and then South to the A500. On the M6 we passed a few coaches. One of these coaches was Den Casey DEN 69D.

Den Casey DEN 69D on the M6

At the North end of the a500 we passed Z Carz M372 NWN going the other way. We turned off the A500 and onto the A50 to go and check out what was at the Z Carz depot. On the spare ground were a few of the usual buses. Minibus YN03 HJC was there.

Z Carz YN03 HJC in Longton

We also saw mini coach W344 WNS and LDV minibus R920 WNT.

Z Carz R920 WNT in Longton

Behind this was mini coach W221 CDN.

Z Carz W221 CDN in Longton

We turned into towards the willow row compound where we were surprised to see a new addition to the Z Carz fleet. This was coach ALZ 8539.

Z Carz ALZ 8539 in Longton

We headed back into Blurton along the A5035 today. We got back around 19:20. Matthew had a late tea of bangers and mash and then cheesecake for afters. he then chilled out on his computer until bedtime around 00:30...Mark.