Too many journeys like this to remember! The two I'm remembering right now are years apart, but here we go.
First one was coming back from London Paddington to Hereford on a Sunday HST, back in FGW days (which has reminded me of more tales involving HSTs). All seemed to be going just fine, I had my earphones in and we'd been at Worcester Shrub Hill for a while. Eventually, by chance, some staff started coming through Coach A where I was, telling me I needed to alight as there was a lavatory further up the train which had, well, reverse engineered itself and the flow was coming my way. The first and only time I've been in the conductor's part of a TGS! Alighted the now out of service train and the Paddington to Hereford service 2 hours behind mine was my only option. It was a hugely different world travelling on a 165/166 instead of an HST!
So, another involving an HST that came to mind while remembering the above tale. I believe this was on the way home from a trip to Disneyland Paris, and all was fine with the HST until Didcot Parkway. The rear power car (which I still remember being 43029) had power issues, I think the engine would just keeping shutting down not long after being restarted. Eventually the driver had had enough, the train was terminated at Bristol Parkway instead of Swansea, and there was another HST not too far behind us by now so we joined that to Newport and changed for Hereford.
Another HST story, and another one where all was fine and good until somewhere before Moreton-in-Marsh. I think this was coming back from a day trip to Thorpe Park, in 'Fag Packet' livery days. Down to just one power car, with the service terminated at Worcester Shrub Hill instead of Hereford. That rail replacement bus was so slow and tedious...
Talking of, I was coming back from Liverpool to Hereford on a cheap Advance via Birmingham sometime last year. No issues to Birmingham, but I find there that my train is running quite late. Work wasn't until 5am at that time (we start at 3am these days, occasionally 2am) so it wasn't great but it is what it is. Eventually the train was cancelled, and a rail replacement coach was laid on. There was another train around 90 minutes later, but there was a strong possibility it wouldn't run. So on we all got, and it is a long way from Birmingham to Hereford by road, when having to divert to little stations. Thankfully we didn't do all of them, and I swear even now as we got off the later train arrived in Hereford...
Finally, all this talk of rail replacement coaches has reminded me of the epic adventure on what should have been an easy journey from Hereford to London Euston via Birmingham, ready to connect onto easyBus to Gatwick Airport for my flight to Toronto. This was early May 2018, and I'd just seen family before accepting a lift to the station. It sounded eerily quiet, considering a 170 was meant to be idling and filling the air with its noise pollution...Trepass on the line towards Worcester meant the train was cancelled, and thankfully a rail replacement coach was on hand to take us to Worcester.
Eventually we got there, and there was a debate over who could go on what train, so a Snow Hill Lines 172 left with me and 3 other people on cheap Advances via Birmingham. Control were eventually adament we'd make it in a taxi to Birmingham New Street for the 2254 to Northampton, where we'd continue again by road.
It was an incredible effort by the taxi driver, as we only missed the train by a few minutes. Eventually a taxi was sourced for us all to get to London, and it was 00:20 by now. Bear in mind we had left Hereford at something like 19:40...Arrival in London was I think around 02:30 and the driver kindly dropped us all at suitable locations, including a short walk from Victoria Coach Station for me.
Too many times for me to count for the amount of times I'd been dropped off at Ledbury by Central Trains due to late running. I *think* every time there was a following train after a while though.
Ooh, that also reminds me of a tale about the epic journey to Inverness one time! This was 2007 from memory, and a journey from Hereford to Inverness to position myself in a hostel (quick diversion back to 2021 for a moment, I must say that is one thing I don't miss, hostel stays...If I ever resume my World Frenzy series, hostels will *not* make a return. Nor will they on short-notice red pen fests!) for a trip to Kyle of Lochalsh the next morning, to return to Edinburgh (well, actually, Dalmeny, maybe I'll expand on that one in a bit...) with top and tail 47/8s.
Anyway, all was going well until Preston. This was the day of the shooting on a Virgin Voyager, which I saw at Oxenholme with the destroyed window. Not that I knew what was going on at the time of course. As a result, we'd been delayed waiting for a driver who was on a late train coming from the north. By the time I arrived at Glasgow Queen Street, the only way I'd make it to Inverness was on the next train to Perth where a taxi was put on for me. So far, the first and only time I've been on the A9. As it was pretty dark I couldn't enjoy the scenery sadly.
As for those 47s to Edinburgh, I can't remember what happened but the tour terminated early and a rail replacement coach took us the last few miles. The first and only time I've been on a tour where a coach was involved!
Goodness that was a lot of nostalgia there! I'd best stop thinking of more tales for this thread, we'll be here all night! I might have to return in the morning with the tale of how my journey home from a 2010 Mazey Day tour turned into a long all-night walk, and how a Trowbridge-Norwich journey involving a late night HST and a few hours hanging around at Liverpool Street turned into an adventure...I might even mention the HST once which made my fridges at work feel tropical!