Units working on specific diagrams

[Philip]

Are specific units ever deliberately kept off a particular working diagram for a period of time or vice versa with a unit frequently down to work a particular diagram? I work at a station and sometimes a service can see the same unit working it 4 or 5 times a month but on the other hand you may not see another unit on the same service for months. Is it just pot luck what is put on a diagram or is it to do with diagram mileage against unit reliability etc?

Btw I don't mean the type of rolling stock, just the individual unit itself.

 

[bramling]

Are specific units ever deliberately kept off a particular working diagram for a period of time or vice versa with a unit frequently down to work a particular diagram? I work at a station and sometimes a service can see the same unit working it 4 or 5 times a month but on the other hand you may not see another unit on the same service for months. Is it just pot luck what is put on a diagram or is it to do with diagram mileage against unit reliability etc?

Btw I don't mean the type of rolling stock, just the individual unit itself.

You do get diagrams on which units with known issues get placed. The favourites for this are diagrams which are low-mileage (either stabling between the peaks or having long gaps between services), diagrams which start and finish at a depot, diagrams which do not involve working in multiple (for example a defective coupler), or the most common of all which is a diagram which works in multiple with another unit for the entire diagram.

In general depots will try to avoid offering units with restrictions, but in practice sometimes it's unavoidable if cancellations or short-forms are to be avoided. I don't think they would ever knowingingly place into service a unit they feel is likely to fail though!

 

[PHILIPE]

More co-incidence, perhaps.

 

[Darren R]

There have been the odd occasion when Northern had a units on loan (variously a LM 153 and an ATW 150) which were both deliberately kept on a specific diagram; on the Man Vic to Clitheroe runs. One of the reasons for this being that it was one that started and ended each day at Newton Heath, so that it was somewhere secure overnight to prevent vandalism.

Other than that, one of the great joys of being a Northern passenger is that it really is pot luck what traction turns up, let alone specific unit!

 

[transmanche]

Other than that, one of the great joys of being a Northern passenger is that it really is pot luck what traction turns up, let alone specific unit!

At least up in the NE we can be certain it'll either be a 156 () or a 142 ()...

 

[JN114]

Heathrow Express try and keep 360205 on the inter-terminal shuttle, with 201-204 taking Connect duties

 

[hassaanhc]

Heathrow Express try and keep 360205 on the inter-terminal shuttle, with 201-204 taking Connect duties

Guess what I got when I used Connect last month after ages
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I haven't noticed it with trains but definitely with buses, e.g. the first bus after school for me was almost always an old B7TL instead of a much nicer OmniCity. I don't think it was because of the school kids as they were very well behaved usually. This was until about a month before the new E400's were introduced, after which there has been more of a chance as to what turns up there.

 

[6Gman]

In my days as a unit diagrammer (quite a long time ago now!) the aim was to rotate units through every diagram to even out mileages.

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[Philip]

In my days as a unit diagrammer (quite a long time ago now!) the aim was to rotate units through every diagram to even out mileages.

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That's what I thought but it's definitely not the case with one of the 175s that passes through this station - the unit in question regularly works the service an hour earlier but I haven't seen it on the following service for months. Both diagrams start off at the same depot and both go towards Carmarthen and beyond.

 

[northwichcat]

There have been the odd occasion when Northern had a units on loan (variously a LM 153 and an ATW 150) which were both deliberately kept on a specific diagram; on the Man Vic to Clitheroe runs. One of the reasons for this being that it was one that started and ended each day at Newton Heath, so that it was somewhere secure overnight to prevent vandalism.

Well they did that the first time they loaned an ATW 150 but the second time it went all over. One day it did the diagram that does the 09:17 Manchester-Chester (along with a 142) then stays at Chester until it's attached to the unit off the 13:17 Manchester-Chester to form the 15:0x Chester-Manchester. That must have confused the ATW staff!

I think the first time they loaned an ATW 150 it was soon after they had loaned a SWT 158 which got stabled at Scarborough station overnight and was vandalised, so they were over-cautious about where the ATW 150 could be left.

 

[Darren R]

Well they did that the first time they loaned an ATW 150 but the second time it went all over. One day it did the diagram that does the 09:17 Manchester-Chester (along with a 142) then stays at Chester until it's attached to the unit off the 13:17 Manchester-Chester to form the 15:0x Chester-Manchester.

Perhaps Newton Heath were concerned the poor thing might get home sick!

 

[TEW]

Last summer 150202 was pretty much the St Ives unit. It would work other diagrams so it could go for exams but as soon as it arrived back at Penzance it would end up spending another week on the St Ives branch. I expect if you were to look at photos on the St Ives branch last Summer a fair number would have 150202 as one of the 150s.

 

[northernrailer]

Yes last July 150202 was the St Ives branch a lot when I was down Cornwall, the idea is on the St Ives line each unit stays on the branch for 2 days. So really by mid week it should be a completely different pair. But it doesn't always happen like that.

The 150 that is on the Falmouth branch is suppose to swop round with the St Ives unit, and one off the St Ives unit is suppose to work the 0600 Penzance to Cardiff service, and a unit that comes down from the previous night goes on the Falmouth.

 

[PHILIPE]

Re 150202, just co-incidence I'd think