Special services for Yorkshire - Sunday 6th July

[yorksrob]

yes one FC mkiiii was in the rake i used it as i had a first class ticket - the tpe drs rake also had fc compartments in the half brake

Ah, if I'd known that I would have paid extra on the DRS !

 

[Deerfold]

I'm no expert on these things but I caught 4(?)7308 from Halifax to Bradford this afternoon.

The signs at Halifax were dreadful. Everything seemed to be delayed at Hebden Bridge but the sign was consistently wrong.

The extra service to Bradford was shown (as running 20 minutes late) then disappeared. Then a York service was shown (as on time) and disappeared. Then a Leeds service was shown.

Unfortunately there hadn't actually been any trains. When the Bradford service arrived the display still showed Leeds and most people had no idea where the train was going - of course having the DRS engine on the front meant there was no destination displayed either.

 

[CallySleeper]

Anybody able to report on the eventual formation of 185x EMT's Sheffield - Cambridge? Was it 158 in the end and how long?

 

[ash39]

I was surprised to see FO 11048 in the Pretendolino rake - I make that four TSO's and an FO. Doesn't the full rake have five TSO's?

As I understood it, the first class section was declassified as you can't usually get first class on the line?

 

[dfurn]

I heard on BBC Radio Leeds that Northern threw "everything they'd got" at getting people from Leeds to Harrogate on Saturday. That may well have been the case, and indeed a lot of people did want to go that way. By about 1230h the station staff had decided to abandon trying to get Harrogate-bound passengers through the normal barriers and were using the normally-closed gate from Platform 1 which pretty much goes right into the car park.

Here's a couple of pics of the resulting queue. Yikes.

 

[47802]

What route did the 20s take to Sheffield? Pudsey, Engine Shed, Kirkgate etc?

I don't think it made it to Sheffield, went to Healey Mills and hung about a bit and then went straight to Hebden Bridge presumably via Brighouse to pick up the Blackburn diagram.

Think it was routed via Normanton, if there really were a load of passengers on it for Sheffield presumably they were dumped off at Wakefield Kirkgate, although I suspect it was just Enthusiasts.

 

[TheBigD]

anybody able to report on the eventual formation of 185x emt's sheffield - cambridge? Was it 158 in the end and how long?

hst...

 

[dk1]

Anybody able to report on the eventual formation of 185x EMT's Sheffield - Cambridge? Was it 158 in the end and how long?

The EMs HST arrived Cambridge almost on time but for the amount of passengers that travelled through, it could have been a single 158.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Sounds like it's been an excellent couple of days for 'photters and 'spotters then. I look forward to seeing more photos of the days on Flickr!

Oh, and uh, the Tour de France? Anyone actually watch that?

 

[87019Chris]

I jumped on the 2x20's from BDI to SHF they never made it to Sheffield only as far as Wakefield Kirkgate, according to DRS staff Northern Control wanted the set in Sheffield and the tour control also did but a 3rd party overruled them after they had set off. This meaning they didn't turn off before Kirkgate or at Horbury Jct. they should have taken the line at Kirkgate Headed For Hare Park Jct. then Moorthorpe and into Sheffield then they would have done SHF to DON shuttles. But when they were told that they weren't going to SHF they were looped at Healey Mills for an hour+ then continued toward Mirfield and supposed to let enthusiasts get off here so they could get home, However no one had told the driver so he pelted through, so they decided to stop at Brighouse so people could also make connections there to get home, this time he did stop. Then from Brighouse they took the expected route up to Hebden Bridge and returned to plan A so to speak. Effectively this train turned into a BR Magical Mystery Tour From Back in the day. Fun was had a few enthusiasts were a little bit annoyed when they nearly missed connections but I took the train to Sheffield at my own risk that I knew it could end up anywhere and so it did. I regards to the route out of BDI to Kirkgate it headed towards leeds, then skirted the station headed past midland road and then Woodlesford, Normanton then into Kirkgate. To say my day started at Halifax at 1530 expecting to travel between Leeds and Blackburn on 47/57/67's I didn't expect to be heading towards Sheffield behind a pair of 20's, a good Sunday afternoon in all.

 

[4SRKT]

Sounds it! Shame I couldn't get out on the Sunday but I used my 'cranking pass' on the Saturday and took the kids to see the bike race on the Sunday.

 

[DarloRich]

From what I understand the 20's were sent to Sheffield to work along the Sheffield - Meadowhell-Doncaster corridor to clear crowds, particularly around Meadowhall. However before they got there service trains, coupled with the super trams, shifted most passengers without the need for any extras as most people were going to Sheffield. I saw several 170 x 2 trains run along that corridor during the time I was there.

The 20's got as far as Heally Mills before they were sent back to the Bradford- Hebden Bridge - Blackburn run where there were more crowds. Shame i missed them as i have moved from the Hebden Bridge area to the south TPE route for the afternoon!

 

[ash39]

Not many pics in here so here's a couple of my best

https://flic.kr/p/nWQtAJ - 67027 and 67006 weave into Leeds (lucky with the curve/train length on this one!)

https://flic.kr/p/og8r5n - 67027 rounds the curve into Leeds (from onboard)

https://flic.kr/p/ocjyV7 - Novelty of a Northern sticker on the FO!

 

[47802]

Not many pics in here so here's a couple of my best

https://flic.kr/p/nWQtAJ - 67027 and 67006 weave into Leeds (lucky with the curve/train length on this one!)

https://flic.kr/p/og8r5n - 67027 rounds the curve into Leeds (from onboard)

https://flic.kr/p/ocjyV7 - Novelty of a Northern sticker on the FO!

Well They would need a sticker on that coach especially it being first class otherwise nobody would believe Northern could operate such a luxury train

 

[theblackwatch]

Well They would need a sticker on that coach especially it being first class otherwise nobody would believe Northern could operate such a luxury train

Although it was still pretty rancid to travel in, as its air-con had burst. The other coaches in the set were much nicer!

 

[43167]

yes one FC mkiiii was in the rake i used it as i had a first class ticket - the tpe drs rake also had fc compartments in the half brake

Not that it matter with it been de-classified.

 

[Hebden Bridger]

The signs at Halifax were dreadful. Everything seemed to be delayed at Hebden Bridge but the sign was consistently wrong.

From what I saw trying to catch the first Leeds train out of Hebden Bridge at 9.48am on Sunday the time it would take to empty the trains at both Hebden and Mytholmroyd had been underestimated. According to realtraintimes the timetable dwell time at each station was 1min, when it was more like 10!

After I arrived a 9.40 train from Manchester terminating at Hebden arrived on time, but took so long to empty that by the time it left to turn back to Manchester it sat at the points blocking the line as a Blackpool train had arrived which only left at 9.56. When that cleared the Pretendolino ran through empty to Leeds (originally due to have left Hebden at 9.15 direct to Leeds, but obviously sent to Hall Royd to turn).

The 9.48 duly arrived packed, hordes departed, but a significant number from the 9.40 train joined to travel onto Mytholmroyd, so it was still packed when it left. At Mytholmroyd the normal exit down the steps had been well and truly blocked off so there was a 3 deep queue along the length (and breadth) of the narrow platform to leave by the ramp at the east end of the platform. The train didn't move until this had cleared, so was now 25mins late.

It looks as if things didn't improve because my train back to Hebden Sunday night was 35mins late.

A few earlier services and a few more trains stopping at Mytholmroyd would have helped.

 

[Andyh82]

Is Mytholmroyd a short platform? Meaning if more trains had stopped there, they wouldn't have been able to be strengthened.

 

[Deerfold]

Is Mytholmroyd a short platform? Meaning if more trains had stopped there, they wouldn't have been able to be strengthened.

It wouldn't have taken the longer extra trains for sure. It'll be about 4 carriages long.

 

[Hebden Bridger]

Mytholmroyd only got its usual hourly service on Sunday, when it was the closest station to the Cragg Vale Hill climb. the longest on the route. It certainly would have been possible to stop the York to Blackpool services there to double this, and possibly to extend the extra Manchester to Hebden Bridge services which were also 3/4 car DMUs.

 

[northernchris]

Mytholmroyd only got its usual hourly service on Sunday, when it was the closest station to the Cragg Vale Hill climb. the longest on the route. It certainly would have been possible to stop the York to Blackpool services there to double this, and possibly to extend the extra Manchester to Hebden Bridge services which were also 3/4 car DMUs.

I thought the York - Blackpool services did call at Mytholmroyd on Sunday?

 

[yorkie]

I thought the York - Blackpool services did call at Mytholmroyd on Sunday?

If they did, it wasn't advertised as a call! http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MYT/2014/07/06/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

[Deerfold]

I thought the York - Blackpool services did call at Mytholmroyd on Sunday?

Coming from Blackpool a few extra trains now stop at Sowerby Bridge but not Mytholmroyd. In any case the earliest of these is at 2041. In the other direction they call at Sowerby Bridge at 0932/1033/1132.

 

[northernchris]

If they did, it wasn't advertised as a call! http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/MYT/2014/07/06/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

I was fairly sure they were listed on Northern's JourneyCheck page as calling additionally at Mytholmroyd

 

[Welshman]

Mytholmroyd only got its usual hourly service on Sunday, when it was the closest station to the Cragg Vale Hill climb. the longest on the route. It certainly would have been possible to stop the York to Blackpool services there to double this, and possibly to extend the extra Manchester to Hebden Bridge services which were also 3/4 car DMUs.

Could the reason why the extra Manchester-Hebden Bridge services were not extended to Mytholmroyd be the difficulty in turning them round again?
As far as I remember, there's no crossover at Mytholmroyd. I'm not sure where the next one is - Halifax?

I was fairly sure they were listed on Northern's JourneyCheck page as calling additionally at Mytholmroyd

Yes, I remember seeing some Blackpool-Yorks listed as calling additionally at Mytholmroyd because of an "unusually large traffic flow"

 

[jopsuk]

As a coda to this, apparently Leeds railway station had it's busiest day ever recorded- figure quoted was 243,000 passengers using it. Harrogate apparently had 26,000 passengers (both figures are for the Saturday).

 

[DarloRich]

Does Mytholmroyd not have short platforms?

( BTW how do you pronouce Mytholmroyd? - I have never been able ot get it right!)

 

[Welshman]

Does Mytholmroyd not have short platforms?

( BTW how do you pronouce Mytholmroyd? - I have never been able ot get it right!)

I've always pronounced it:-

MY- thum royd

[ I always remember the joke someone made about "Mytholmroyd" sounding like it should be something you find on the pharmacist's shelves!]

And yes, I think it does have short platforms!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

It has always confused me. I pronounce it Mal-thum royd but used to pronounce it like Myth-olmeroyd

 

[MidnightFlyer]

My-thulm-royd is how I say it. To be fair that county is not worthy of your efforts to learn how to say it anyway

The platforms, certainly the Leeds-bound one at least, are quite long, however the platform in front of the now disused station building was taken out of use with destaffing back in 1988 (I think it was), and the platforms were extended to the east to compensate.