New Year - Lancashire Day Ranger

[Bodie]

Hi,

I'm in the area over the new year and I plan to do a Lancashire Day Ranger.

Will be based in Carnforth so the reason I picked the Lancs Day Ranger is that I wanted something simple (one ticket) that you can buy on the day.
Did have other ideas, further afield at first, but being the dead of winter, short days, and the chance of bad weather. I didn't want to go booking advances and have to bin them.

My main aim for the day is the get down to Liverpool and clear as many 507/508's for sight.
Also need to get the line from Liverpool to Kirkby and on to Wallgate.

As to which way I head back after those I don't mind, but I do have a few queries.

I really would like to try and get a shot at getting my last two Northern 158's -815 and 855, I'm strugging to think of any definate routes they might be found on within the Lancashire Day Ranger zone.
What if any are my best bets?

I've read Arriva are going to introduce a loco hauled service from the Dec timetable change. Am I right it starts at Piccadilly?
Know i'll probably only be able to leap to Oxford Road but still.

Am open to any suggestions, tips you may have.

Thanks

Bodie

 

[MidnightFlyer]

99% of Blackpool North-York trains are 158s (all are booked as such), you can get from Blackpool to Burnley Manchester Rd on them with the Lancashire Day Ranger.

 

[Kite159]

99% of Blackpool North-York trains are 158s (all are booked as such), you can get from Blackpool to Burnley Manchester Rd on them with the Lancashire Day Ranger.

Lancashire Day Ranger extends further than Burnley and goes to Hebden Bridge. Which gives you an option for semi-fast 158s towards Manchester Victoria.

ATW are introducing a loco hauled set for north-wales services, so Oxford Road/Piccadilly will be your lot

 

[FQ]

Here are the ATW 67 diagrams out of Manc; they start on the 15th of December. (Second one down)

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1478542&postcount=3

 

[Bodie]

Yes that was my thought. Will certainly keep a look out. However it is me, or do Blackpool North - York 158's almost always seem to be 158752-158759?, the three car ones.

Think the semi-fasts that have been mentioned at Victoria are my best bet.

 

[30907]

Yes that was my thought. Will certainly keep a look out. However it is me, or do Blackpool North - York 158's almost always seem to be 158752-158759?, the three car ones.

Some are routinely 2 car.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Some are routinely 2 car.

Indeed, someone mentioned the exact details of which on here a while ago, but goodness knows who it was or where they posted it. I do recall at least one daily being a 2-car though. Of course, with Northern there's a chance anything could happen though

 

[Kite159]

It was a 2-car 158 on Saturday on the 15:18 from York.

You never know your luck with the Northern unit generator, you could end up with a 142-153 combo

 

[Bevan Price]

I would suggest doing Merseyrail first, so that you can pass the depots in daylight. There can also be 1 or 2 units parked at Southport & New Brighton. If you do Wigan Wallgate - Kirkby - Liverpool first, you will pass Kirkdale depot. Binoculars, or a brief break at Kirkdale station may help identification of units. Change at Sandhills if you decide to go to Southport & back. (Sit on the right hand side of the train, so that you can identify passing units.) Best places to view working "Northern" line units are Sandhills or Liverpool Central. If you go to Southport, you will need about another hour or so to view what is working on the Ormskirk & Kirkby lines; if you don't go to Southport, you will need almost 2 hours to view what is working on the Southport line.

Then over to Wirral lines. You will need about 90 minutes at any loop line station to see all the working units on that day. A trip to New Brighton, passing Birkenhead North depot will take about another hour. Note, a few units may be out of sight inside the depots.

Then, suggest train to Manchester Victoria, then to Hebden Bridge, where you can "cover" both the Calder Valley and the York - Blackpool services hoping for one of your 158s (they all stop at Hebden Bridge). Note that Calder Valley services can be 142, 144, 150, 155 as well as 158. Note - even the Man Vic - Leeds semi-fasts can be Pacers - I had a 144 on one of these last saturday.

 

[Starmill]

ATW are introducing a loco hauled set for north-wales services, so Oxford Road/Piccadilly will be your lot

... Earlestown?