158818 and the tale of the lost bag.
Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 12:15 pm
Decided to take a trip to Weston Super Mare the Saturday just gone.
So, got ourselves to Filton Abbey Wood for the 11.37, which was a bus to TM. As we waited at the bus stop we saw 158818 trundle through the station. Never seen this bug before, and it stood out a mile in its bright blue Arriva livery which was also new to me. Wished I had been waiting nearer the fence and I could have got a pic!
Bus arrived dead on time, and our arrival at TM was exciting because we entered the station through the underground passageway next to B&E house. No time for pics though, needed to make our train.
Rushed to platform 13 at exactly the same time as our train departed.
clearly these connections aren't timed for families with two kids and two prams who need to take a lift and can't leg it up stairs. Guess which unit? yup, 158818! The bloke on the platform didn't give a toss, and it was only after prompting that he could be arsed to give us details of the next train to WSM. 12.30 platform 10. He then got in the lift and buggered off before we could get in and use the thing ourselves. So we stood around on the platform until the lift was free. Great customer service
143611 was our train for WSM. Locked up until 12.28, so we were a bit frozen, but once onboard the journey was smooth and the guard was a really nice chatty bloke and we had an enjoyable trip.
WSM for the day was nice. Cold but sunny.
Back to the station and waited for our train home. Too dark to take pics. Guess which unit rolls into the platform? yup.. 158818! The train was nicely full and my mob were spread out a bit and getting off the train at FAW was a bit hectic.. two little 'uns, lots of shopping, two prams etc. Which probably explains why I left my rucksack on the train
argh! 
We noticed straight away because our little 'un had a dirty bum and the nappy bag was in my backpack! Unfortunately so was my wallet and the keys to my van and my work premises! eek!
Back home in lightning time, looked up Arriva Wales and West on the web and got a lost property phone number. They answered the phone immediately, and after I had given the bloke on the other end my details he promised to fax Cardiff Central (the trains destination) and ask them to board the train and get the bag (knowing the unit number really helped here!) He also gave me Cardiff Central's phone number and told me to phone them up myself.
So, I phoned up Cardiff and got a bemused reaction at the other end (HOW did I get this phone number?? he enquired ), but promised to have a look on the train for me.
Phoned them back twenty minutes later, bag retrieved safe and sound and I could collect it from the chargehands office on platform 3, yay!!
A quick drive later I was in Cardiff and in possession of my credit cards and keys again, and A very relived me profusely thanked everyone in sight. And it was great being at Cardiff for the first time since my spotting years, the place was rammed with units that I need to photograph for my bugpics site, and there was a 60 hauled MGR in the through road. I didn't hang about though, I wanted home in time to get my little 'uns to bed.
So, an eventful day. I was haunted by 158818, got pissed off by staff and attitudes at TM, but thrilled by staff and attitudes at the end of the day when they performed admirably when the (my) chips were down.
So, got ourselves to Filton Abbey Wood for the 11.37, which was a bus to TM. As we waited at the bus stop we saw 158818 trundle through the station. Never seen this bug before, and it stood out a mile in its bright blue Arriva livery which was also new to me. Wished I had been waiting nearer the fence and I could have got a pic!
Bus arrived dead on time, and our arrival at TM was exciting because we entered the station through the underground passageway next to B&E house. No time for pics though, needed to make our train.
Rushed to platform 13 at exactly the same time as our train departed.
clearly these connections aren't timed for families with two kids and two prams who need to take a lift and can't leg it up stairs. Guess which unit? yup, 158818! The bloke on the platform didn't give a toss, and it was only after prompting that he could be arsed to give us details of the next train to WSM. 12.30 platform 10. He then got in the lift and buggered off before we could get in and use the thing ourselves. So we stood around on the platform until the lift was free. Great customer service 143611 was our train for WSM. Locked up until 12.28, so we were a bit frozen, but once onboard the journey was smooth and the guard was a really nice chatty bloke and we had an enjoyable trip.
WSM for the day was nice. Cold but sunny.
Back to the station and waited for our train home. Too dark to take pics. Guess which unit rolls into the platform? yup.. 158818! The train was nicely full and my mob were spread out a bit and getting off the train at FAW was a bit hectic.. two little 'uns, lots of shopping, two prams etc. Which probably explains why I left my rucksack on the train
argh! We noticed straight away because our little 'un had a dirty bum and the nappy bag was in my backpack! Unfortunately so was my wallet and the keys to my van and my work premises! eek!
Back home in lightning time, looked up Arriva Wales and West on the web and got a lost property phone number. They answered the phone immediately, and after I had given the bloke on the other end my details he promised to fax Cardiff Central (the trains destination) and ask them to board the train and get the bag (knowing the unit number really helped here!) He also gave me Cardiff Central's phone number and told me to phone them up myself.
So, I phoned up Cardiff and got a bemused reaction at the other end (HOW did I get this phone number?? he enquired ), but promised to have a look on the train for me.
Phoned them back twenty minutes later, bag retrieved safe and sound and I could collect it from the chargehands office on platform 3, yay!!
A quick drive later I was in Cardiff and in possession of my credit cards and keys again, and A very relived me profusely thanked everyone in sight. And it was great being at Cardiff for the first time since my spotting years, the place was rammed with units that I need to photograph for my bugpics site, and there was a 60 hauled MGR in the through road. I didn't hang about though, I wanted home in time to get my little 'uns to bed.
So, an eventful day. I was haunted by 158818, got pissed off by staff and attitudes at TM, but thrilled by staff and attitudes at the end of the day when they performed admirably when the (my) chips were down.
