Waterbeach Watch Tower

Saturday 20th
20855 - P855GND 0935 Cambridge - March
22312 - AE51RYK 0835 March - Cambridge

Sunday 21st Feb
16591 - S592BCE 1745 Cambridge - March

Monday 22nd
16589 - S589BCE 1035 Cambridge - March & 1635 Cambridge - March
16587 - S587BCE 1135 Cambridge - March

Tuesday 23rd
16589 - S589BCE 0935 Cambridge - March
16587 - S587BCE 1035 Cambridge - March
0835 March - Cambridge appears to be cancelled, not seen at the Waterbeach Watchtowers
16213 - R563DRP 0935 March - Cambridge due Waterbeach at 1102 seen at 1125!
20112 - N212LTN 1135 Cambridge - March
16023 - P823GMU 2135 Littleport - Cambridge (9)

Thanks to both Tony & Jamie for the gen.

So! Where now...???

Im pleased to say, the blog will stay running, mostly with contributions from Tony, as the X9 route has been revised to run via Waterbeach, Milton and Landbeach, as the route 9 does (or did, i havent studied the 9 timetable yet), and, very conveiently, now runs past his house!

As for things up at Wisbech end, the X9 has been, rather controversaly replaced by Norfolk Green and their 56. A blind stab at running to roughly the same times using B10M PS`s hired in from Stagecoach.

The 0605 Wisbech - March and the 1830 March - Wisbech no longer run, and connections between the X9 at March are NOT GUARENTEED!!! In my personal opinion this is all a load of rubbish now, and should never have been allowed to happen, but it has, and the timetable is subject to review in April, but at present im unaware what this might involve, but im not holding out much hope.

The B10s hired in are as follows

P847GND (702 with NG)
P848GND (701 with NG)
P846GND
R513KSA
R917XVM

The latter 3 i havent seen yet so cant confirm the fleet numbers.

Anyways. Enough of my ramblings, and back to some X9/9 sightings provided by Tony for the 15th Feb

16588 - S588BCE 1335 march-cambs and 1535 return
16589 - S589BCE 1435 march-cambs
16592 - S592BCE 1635 cambs-march
16591 - S591BCE 1535 march-cambs

One route 9 sighting:
16025 - P825GMU 1705 cambs-littleport

The Last Day ~ Saturday, 13th Febuary 2010

Ever since i found out that the route was being curtailed between Wisbech & March, i wondered how i would go about the final day. Even on the evening of the 12th, i was still unsure. Even on the 13th, i was still unsure if im totaly honest, the only way to see the route off in style was to go out and have a bash. So we did!

Myself, Tony Irle and Dan Mears had a day out around and about, I caught the 0805 from Wisbech, with trusty 16592 - S592BCE, and as i got to March Station, 22304 - AE51RYC was going the other way on the 0730 from Ely to Wisbech.

Tony joined me at the train Station, and, just in time did Dan, where we formed the plan to take 592 to Chatteris, have the 0900 from there back to March to pick up the MAN to Ely. The 0900 from Chatteris was in the form of 16021 - P821GMU, which was pleasing, we took that to March Broard Street to travel 22304 to Ely. We was ment to spend time between March & Wisbech, but this never really happened until the evening. The rest of the afternoon was spent up at Cambridge, scratching a new KFC off the list, and a few other buses.

We took the 1540 from Cambridge to March, and for this we was given B10M 20534 - P534ESA. Not the best, but Dan was happy! He got his train from March to Nuneaton, which ment we had to go back to Wisbech on the 1640 ex Cambridge. The Last X9 to travel between March and Wisbech. So at least that part of the plan worked out. It arrived in the shape of 16592 again, so me and Tony took this back to Wisbech Horsefair, where i became the last passenger to alight from an X9 at Wisbech. The last X9 departure from Wisbech, the 1715 to Ely, was 20473 - M473ASW.

The driver on 16592 deserves a mention, for on arrival at Wisbech, he parked in bay 2, which isint good to photo, a quick request was made to shunt to bay3, which he very kindly did, and i thank him for that, unfortunatly, the blind had already been changed to Long Sutton 39, but i didnt want to be too greedy and ask for that to be changed!

The list of buses on the X9 route on Saturday looks like this (in no specific order):
16592 - S592BCE
22304 - AE51RYC
16021 - P821GMU
20573 - M473ASW
20534 - P534ESA
16591 - S591BCE
20857 - P857GND

And that was that. Id like to say a Big thank you to the drivers of the X9 for a great service, Stagecoach Cambridge for occasionaly giving me something unusual to write about, and also to the regular contributors, Jamie Armstrong, Adam Dowling, Mum and Tony Irle.

Some photos from the day out can be seen below!

16592 - S592BCE stands at Chatteris on the 0805 Wisbech - Cambridge


16021 - P821GMU stands at Chatteris on the 0740 Cambridge - Wisbech


20573 - M473ASW stands at Chatteris on the 0840 Cambridge - Wisbech


MAN22304 - AE51RYC on the 0905 Wisbech - Cambridge, with Nick dealing with passengers joining at Ely


Well, it seemed rude not to include a photo of a 9! 16587 - S587BCE departs Cambridge Drummer Street Bus Station on the 1510 to Littleport


20534 - P534ESA at Chatteris on the 1540 Cambridge - Wisbech, with Dan Mears stood under the wing mirror


And thats your lot! We finished the day how it started, with 16592 after terminating on the 1640 from Cambridge.

Nothing much left to say after that.

Monday 1st Febuary

X9
16021 - P821GMU 1540 cbg-wisbech
16025 - P825GMU 1405 wisbech-cbg
9
22335 - AE51RZO 1535 littleport-cbg
16019 - P819GMU 1610 cbg-littleport

Friday 29th January

16588 - S588BCE 0905 wisbech-cbg
16212 - R562DRP 0740 cbg-wisbech
20846 - P846GND 1005 wisbech-cbg

Thanks, yet again to Tony.

Catch Up Again! Thursday 28th Jan

Thurs 28 jan
X9
16012 - P812GMU 1440 cbg-wisbech
16216 - R566DRP 1305 wisbech-cbg
16024 - P824GMU 1640 cbg-wisbech
16588 - S588BCE 1505 wisbech-cbg
9
20110 - N210LTN 1410 cbg-littleport
20845 - P845GND 1435 littleport-cbg
22306 - AE51RYB 1510 cbg- littleport

All sightings from Tony.