Part 5 of 5: Stockport-Manchester-Birmingham-Wrawby-Skegness

Click on any photo for a larger version.

Following breakfast, we left the hotel and made our way to Stockport by way of the 192. En-route we saw Trent/Barton Optare Excel 262 (Y262 DRC) working the 1015 Skyline 199 service from Manchester Airport to Buxton.

My Co-Editor was catching the train back and I had plenty of time to spare so had a walk with him to the railway station at Stockport. This was one of two stations in Stockport, previously known as Edgeley. The other, Tiviot Dale closed as long ago a 2 January 1967. Despite much redevelopment, fragments survive as does a tunnel beneath Lancashire Hill, from where the line continued beneath the present massive viaduct carrying the Stockport - Manchester main line. There was at one time talk of extending the Manchester Metrolink by way of this trackbed, but sadly the tunnel was made unstable by the building of a nearby motorway even if the scheme had gone ahead. An excellent archive shot of a train emerging from the tunnel approaching Tiviot Dale station can be seen here .

Sadly, time did not permit the walk to see the remains of the railway, so instead I took a few photographs of vehicles at Stockport. First seen was Stagecoach Meredes Benz Vario / Plaxton Beaver 42569 (R446 YNF) on a service 309.

Next seen was MAN / Alexander 22228 (X228 BNE) on a 192.

Also on a 192 was Enviro 19014 (MX06 XAO).

I took a 192 to Manchester and alighted near to Piccadilly station, mainly to take a look at the former Mayfield Railway Station. Whilst there, noted was 18033 (MX53 FLN), a Transbus Trident 2 with Plaxton President body, on a service 219 to Ashton.

Manchester Mayfield Station was closed to passengers on 23 August 1960. Since then it has seen use as a parcels depot, and a film location, notably for The Last Train. Unfortunately the building also suffered due to arsonists in 2005. It is still connected to the main line near Piccadilly Station, albeit the rails have long since been lifted. There has been talk of reopening it to provide additional capacity (for more information, please see here).

One remarkable surviving artefact is in one of the windows where "MAYFIELD STATION" can just be made out (I've enhanced the photo to hopefully make this clearer).

Leaving Mayfield, I made my way back to London Road, here seeing Stagecoach MAN / Alexander 22156 (S156 TRJ). In the background is the bridge which carries the railway line between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road.

Further along London Road, Metrolink Tram 1005 approaches Piccadilly Station.

Also noted on London Road was this gem, in particular the sign which reads "ENQUIRY DELIVERY SHIPPING CARTAGE & GOODS AGENTS OFFICE" - a remarkable survivor and, I suspect, links back to when the original London Road (now Piccadilly) railway station once handled goods. I particularly like the finger pointing to define the entry! The picture is a little deceptive as only the front of the building is in tact - see here for another perspective!

Taking a less than direct route to Chorlton Street, I passed Piccadilly Gardens and noted First Manchester's Volvo B9TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 37307 (MX07 BVC) on an X34 service to Leigh, route branded "The Spinning Jenny".

After an inadvertent albeit interesting foray into the China Town district, I found my way back to Portland Street where I coincidentally managed to photograph Magic Bus tri-axle Leyland Olympian / Alexander RH 13653 (J925 FPS). This was new to Hong Kong Buses, then registered EW 9357 and subsequently appears to have gone to Stagecoach Bluebird in Aberdeen.

With 30 minutes or so to kill at Chorlton Street, I set about photographing anything that looked to be of interest. Firstly was Rossendale Transport's Volvo B7RLE / Wright Gemini Eclipse 153 (PO53 0BP) on an X46 to Rochdale. Rossendales website (click here) is also worth a look as a section for enthusiasts includes a fleet list.

Another interesting vehicle was Lancashire United (Transdev) Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2765 (PO55 PYP), route branded for "The Lancashire Way" on an X41 to Accrington.

Also seen was Megabus Neoplan 50129 (SV54 ELO), which was new to Stagecoach Bluebird in 2005.

Also seen arriving was East Yorkshire's Levante 61 (YX07 HJC) on the 0830 service 390 from Hull Docks to Manchester.

I boarded my coach, the National Express service 325 to Birmingham and we departed exactly on time at 1250. The vehicle was Veolia's YR52 VFB, a Scania with Van Hool Alizee body - sadly not the Scania PB I was hoping for. I chose my seat towards the front of the lightly loaded coach to avoid a screaming baby towards the rear - not that it made much difference as it was that loud! The driver announced the toilet was out of action having been damaged by passengers on the inward route - happily I didn't need to use it.

First calling point was Manchester Airport (retracing my steps from two days earlier). Here was Stagecoach 17655 (V155 OFT), a Dennis Trident 2 with Alexander ALX400 body on a service 105 to Manchester.

Hayton's Scania / Berkhof YN06 TFY was also noted on the 1115 National Express service 325 from Birmingham to Manchester.

The following stop was at Stoke-on-Trent - unfortunately I wasn't ideally positioned to get a photograph, so did one of some vehicles parked up through the opposite window.

The lack of the toilet meant a 10 minute unscheduled stop at the Stafford services, happily allowing me time to get a photograph of the coach.

Even with the brief delay of the toilet stop, we managed to arrive a few minutes early at the Coach Station in Birmingham. This was my first visit to the temporary premises which replace the now demolished Digbeth Coach Station, closed in November 2007.

A new coach station will open in 2010. Amongst the vehicles there was Go Northern's 7081 (Y781 MFT), a Volvo B10M-62 / Plaxton Paragon, which was working the 1000 National Express service 531 from Plymouth to Newcastle.

Also seen was East Yorkshire Motor Services Levante 66 (YX07 HJJ) on the 1125 National Express service 322 from Swansea to Hull.

I joined the 339 on its long cross-country journey from Westward Ho! to Grimsby on which was First Devon & Cornwall Volvo B12M/Plaxton Paragon WK52 SVV. As per usual, we left with every seat taken.

One thing that did surprise me was the route taken from the Coach Station which went past the former Curzon Street Railway Station, the very first station to open in Birmingham.

At Leicester, the majority of passengers alighted leaving the rest of us to spread out and enjoy the refreshment break, also allowing me time to get a quick photo of the coach.

Wragby was reached in good time, and I had a well earnt pint, then returned home to Skegness - coincedentally back on Stagecoach 16940, the very first vehicle I had set out on five days earlier! (PW)