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33 + 4TC Waterloo to Imber Village


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Sir Peter Hendy has leading roles at both Network Rail and Imber Bus, but even he hasn't managed to get trains to Imber.... yet! 

 

Imber Bus runs this Saturday, and for the first time also has a limited service on Sunday. The original idea was along the lines of "where is the most unlikely place that we can run a registered bus service to?" and now 10 years later Imber Bus has grown to providing a bus every 15 minutes from Warminster Station to Imber with buses continuing across the Plain and on to variously, Market Lavington, Chitterne (look out en-route for Copehill Down training village in the distance, with its "railway station") and New Zealand Farm Camp.

 

The service is provided mainly by Routemasters (old style and new) but there are usually one or two other vehicles too - last year Ensign's magnificent Metropolitan took part. I believe 30 different buses are operating this year, and most journeys will be operated with duplicate vehicles. 

 

If you're with reach of Warminster (GWR's Cardiff - Portsmouth route and SWR's Waterloo - Bristol route) and want an unusual day out I can certainly recommend it, even if the 4TC has to stay on the railway.

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If I have understood the ECS moves correctly, the 33 will be leading on the outward and return trips. The 33 should also be on the Swanage trip on Sunday 18 August and the Quainton Road trips on Sunday 25 and Bank Holiday Monday 26 August.

 

ECS 16 August (class 33 only)

ECS Swanage to Eastleigh http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68427/2019/08/16/advanced

 

Imberbus 17 August

ECS Eastleigh to Waterloo http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68428/2019/08/17/advanced
Waterloo to Warminster http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68429/2019/08/17/advanced
ECS Warminster to Westbury http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68430/2019/08/17/advanced
ECS Westbury to Warminster http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68431/2019/08/17/advanced
Warminster to Waterloo http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68432/2019/08/17/advanced
ECS Waterloo to Eastleigh http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U68433/2019/08/17/advanced

 

Swanage 18 August
ECS Eastleigh to Waterloo http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55339/2019/08/18/advanced
Waterloo to Swanage http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55337/2019/08/18/advanced
Swanage to Waterloo http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55338/2019/08/18/advanced
ECS Waterloo to Eastleigh http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U55340/2019/08/18/advanced

 

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ECS from Warminster is due to go up to Bradford Jn, then out to Heywood Rd and back into Westbury, to get the 33 leading both ways as mentioned. The GB driver who's on it told me about it the other day.

 

Jo

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On 14/08/2019 at 13:59, Paul.Uni said:

If I have understood the ECS moves correctly, the 33 will be leading on the outward and return trips.

 

It HAS to!

 

The cabs of the London Underground owned 4TC unit are not fitted with OTDMR or TPWS (and probably other things) meaning it cannot be used as the leading vehicle on Network Rail infrastructure. The fact that it is push-pull compatible with a 33/1 or a 73 makes no difference.....

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1 hour ago, phil-b259 said:

 

It HAS to!

 

The cabs of the London Underground owned 4TC unit are not fitted with OTDMR or TPWS (and probably other things) meaning it cannot be used as the leading vehicle on Network Rail infrastructure. The fact that it is push-pull compatible with a 33/1 or a 73 makes no difference.....

The train is top and tailed with a GBRF class 73 on the rear.

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Good to see Imberbus going from strength to strength.

 

Any ideas as to why there were fewer Routemasters this year?  It appears from photos seen thus far that slightly more than half the vehicles present were modern types including Metrobus M1 which, to my mind, is "modern" despite having been retired from London service quite some years ago now.  In previous years the service has been mostly Routemasters with just one or two other vehicles.

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I haven't seen the breakdown by type, but there were 35 buses working today, and lots of "three-bell loads" (bus full) so much so the RMA I conducted was required to do an extra trip in its break time.

 

It seemed about the same proportion as previously, and they use modern ones to allow wheelchair access to the route. Two of the non-Routemasters were an RT and an RTW which I sampled. I also managed to be in the right place at the right time to get short ride on the 99 year old K-type.DSCN2742.JPG.531fa6bd74b32c62085f07ba02f2d9d4.JPG

 

But I have to say (and its completely down to my age) my favourite trip was on M1 - that brought back many memories.

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15 minutes ago, MJI said:

Tempted to do one of these open days.

 

Are they open to public?

The whole point of Imberbus is to provide a bus service to somewhere inaccessible to the public once a year. You can turn up and pay on the bus or arrive pre-booked with an organised group ..... I think individual point-to-point tickets are available but the all-day rover thingy is fantastic value for a fun day out on Salisbury Plain ............... well, fun if you like buses and a bit of history ! ........ not to mention the occasional battered tank.

 

Keep an eye on https://imberbus.wordpress.com/ for next year's opportunity.

Edited by Wickham Green
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8 minutes ago, MJI said:

Not bothered by the buses, more interested in the village.

 

Wouldn't mind a drive on the plain anyway, the tracks look fun.

 

The road through Imber is open on a few occasions a year, and Christmas is likely to be the next time that the road is open to the public. I know that there have been occasions when the church has been open for a service and vehicles have been escorted in and out by the Range Wardens whilst the Plain has been in use.

 

The best place to get information is https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/salisbury-plain-training-area-spta-newsletter as openings can be affected by military training requirements, Only a few of the roads are open to the public, all others are closed and marked by red barriers (the Wardens had even barriered off the Park & Ride Car Park at Imber between Saturday evening and Sunday morning). By special permission there was a 23C journey on Sunday afternoon which covered the "Southern Transit Road" from Sack Hill to south of Gore Cross; eight London buses going where no bus had gone before. 

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a 23C journey on Sunday afternoon which covered the "Southern Transit Road" from Sack Hill to south of Gore Cross; eight London buses 

 

You sometimes hear of busy bus trips being duplicated.  Very rarely they are triplicated.  But eight buses in convoy on a single journey speaks much to the success of these annual events.  The event is arranged such that those who wish to may use public transport easily.  Warminster station is the start and end point with Imber the mid-Plain interchange for trips heading to all manner of curiously named spots such as New Zealand Farm Camp.  And all with full correctly set blinds specially made for the day.  

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3 minutes ago, MJI said:

it is one of my bucket list places.

 

Got a picture of the children standing near a road sign on the main road.

Another place that is only open to the public on a few occasions is Foulness.

Also of a military nature with "Give way to tanks" signs and a fifteen minutes or so briefing before you are allowed onto the island.

Bernard

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