LM 153's Marston Vale

[heart-of-wessex]

Hello all,

Having been on this line (only half of it at that) once in my life, I wondered if anyone know's about a pairing of 153's on this line?

When I did it, I was with another basher who told me the spare 153 at Bletchley is used in the peak hour coupling up to the other 153, being as the other diagram is a 150, this then means there is two 2 car set's to help with capacity.

The thing is, I can't remember if he said he *thinks* it does, it *sometimes* does, or it just does. I can't find anything about extra capacity boost's in the peak hour on google, nor any 2 x 153 photo's over the Marston Vale.

I also can't see any obvious path in place out of Bletchley yard either in OTT, just a bunch of LM electrics and the one 153 and 150 that comes out.

Can anyone confirm if there is such thing as 2 153's in the peak hour, and what turns it generally works with the other 153 if so?



James.

 

[louis97]

Can anyone confirm if there is such thing as 2 153's in the peak hour, and what turns it generally works with the other 153 if so?

Don't think its possible because of short platforms along the route. The other 153 as far as I am aware is just spare on depot.

 

[sprinterguy]

Can anyone confirm if there is such thing as 2 153's in the peak hour, and what turns it generally works with the other 153 if so?

There are no services booked to be worked by a pair of 153s on the Bedford to Bletchley line.

I wasn't aware that there even was a spare 153 kept at Bletchley - London Midland's seven diagrams for its' seven 153s don't suggest it.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Thanks for the conformation guys, much appreciated

Sprinterguy - Unsure if it is there anymore, only did the line last year on a 150 to Lidlington and a 153 back. Saw the other 153 on the way back in the yard but was mostly obscured by tree's to see the number, was an LM 153 though

 

[DarloRich]

There is no spare 153 at Bletchley and i have never seen ( in nearly 4 years of daily use) a strengthened service on that line.

There was a spare unit held at Beltchely during the disruption for the recent remodeling works, i assume because it was very difficult to get a replacement unit down from Tysley, which seems to be the usual practice if the local fitters cant kick a train back into life.

If one unit fails it tends to get dumped either on the depot fuel pan or in the carriage sidings until a way back to Tysley can be arranged. I have seen them wait for the Sunday ECS trip to do that. (The units runs as a pair to Birmingham up the WCML on a Sunday with another pairing working down from Birmingham)

The services on the Marston Vale line are run by 1x153 & 1x150 working opposite diagrams. On rare occasions we have had 2x150 or 2x153 ( if one unit goes u/s) but they always operate as single units.

Have a look through my flickr - just search either Marston Vale or Bletchley

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Ahhh, last time I went there was track missing on the other platform at Bletchley, for the remodeling works which explains why I saw the other 153.

In the LM timetable for the Marston Vale, the ones with the black circle (which detonates limited bike space') mean's it's a Class 150 and the one without a circle is a 153, or have I got it the wrong way round?

I remember last year when I did it the pocket timetable seemed to have an error, one of the Bedford's had limited bike space, but it's next turn from Bedford didn't!

 

[YorkshireBear]

150 will have more cycle space won't it? Being two car and doesn't it have an almost devoid of seats section in one end of the carriages.

 

[sprinterguy]

"Limited cycle space" is the 153 unit.

 

[DarloRich]

"Limited cycle space" is the 153 unit.

Yes limited cycle space is the 153, which is strange as the 150 has more "unofficla" cycle space.

The 153 really struggles on this line at time for adhesion, speed and load/unload times at Amazon (sorry Ridgemont) and the cycles really kill punctuality on the line!

Nothing can be done but it s frustrating to see the service slip behind time on a daily basis making (unofficial)connections northbound at MK very tight

 

[zn1]

153's on the branch, the train crews have my deepest sympathies, i have a wanting to see flying meccanno back on it....

 

[MK Tom]

Am I right in thinking two 23m carriages wouldn't fit in platforms generally? Not just end-doors like the 153s, but even something like a 170.

 

[coxy]

There are no services booked to be worked by a pair of 153s on the Bedford to Bletchley line.

I wasn't aware that there even was a spare 153 kept at Bletchley - London Midland's seven diagrams for its' seven 153s don't suggest it.

Are you able to provide a list of these diagrams, or provide a link to the info please ?

 

[dzug2]

Don't think its possible because of short platforms along the route. The other 153 as far as I am aware is just spare on depot.

Have they shortened the platforms then? I'm sure way back (and I'm talking 50s/60s here) they took 2 coach DMUs.

Or maybe my memory is awry.

 

[sprinterguy]

Have they shortened the platforms then? I'm sure way back (and I'm talking 50s/60s here) they took 2 coach DMUs.

Or maybe my memory is awry.

They still do handle 2-car units in the form of class 150s, so your memory is just fine, but the problem, as MK Tom says, is apparently with operating two of the longer 23 metre carriages.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Am I right in thinking two 23m carriages wouldn't fit in platforms generally? Not just end-doors like the 153s, but even something like a 170.

This is something that intrigues me as well, as around the turn of the Millenium, Silverlink were using 2 x class 31s top and tailing with a pair of (20 metre) mark 2 carriages on the Marston Vale line, so presumably the problems with operating 2 x 23 metre carriages are related solely to the length of the platforms and aren't affected by other factors such as the positions of signals and level crossing in close proximity to the stations.

 

[PHILIPE]

It was the platform length that prevented 172s from working the route, thus LM retaining 3 X 150/1s

 

[87015]

Many platforms were rebuilt / signals moved during the "modernisation" which was approx 2006?? and everything was only made suitable for 2x20m vehicles which were the order of the day. As said, 3 and 4 cars were booked in years gone by but passenger numbers all day long have been diminished, not helped by every timetable change seemingly making the connections at both ends even worse. It's only the school trains which need a 150, although believe that LM are looking to review that.

Progress...!