Query about photo

[Philip]

In the link below is a picture of an EWS class 90 with a rake of Mk 2 old Virgin liveried coaches behind it. The picture was taken of the train on the blocks at Manchester Piccadilly in January 2007. More unusually it was a weekday and during the day. I thought that by 2007 weekday loco hauled Virgin services had long since been replaced by Pendolinos at least on the Manchester route?

http://mark5812.smugmug.com/Newlyuploaded-1/January-2007/i-ZCVpS27/A

 

[Bigfoot]

Pretendolino?

 

[Ash Bridge]

It isn't the pretendolino because it is mk2 stock. I think the giveaway is that the second vehicle has had the Virgin logos removed, so it is probably a Riviera owned rake on a charter working.

 

[Murph]

Not the Pretendalino, it was mark 3s, wasn't it?

Charter/railtour using the ex-WCML mark 2s? There's still plenty of them around in ex-Virgin livery (overall colouring, but no logos), some more faded looking than others, isn't there?

 

[hstmatt]

I think it was being used my Virgin Cross Country between Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street. Am not sure as to why it was doing this though, probably to allow Voyagers to be used on other routes to double capacity.

 

[Philip]

I thought charter services are normally run at the weekend?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I think it was being used my Virgin Cross Country between Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street. Am not sure as to why it was doing this though, probably to allow Voyagers to be used on other routes to double capacity.

Like Cross Country do now, Virgin CC used to run daytime services beyond Birmingham onto diesel only routes at least towards the end of the franchise and probably in the early days too. I remember the Piccadilly auto announcer often saying Kensington Olympia and Guildford, she hardly ever says those places now!

 

[Ash Bridge]

I thought charter services are normally run at the weekend?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Like Cross Country do now, Virgin CC used to run daytime services beyond Birmingham onto diesel only routes at least towards the end of the franchise and probably in the early days too. I remember the Piccadilly auto announcer often saying Kensington Olympia and Guildford, she hardly ever says those places now!

Well Compass for one run or should I say ran weekday charters up until last year, Virgin XC did retain some shortened HST sets for a while after the Voyagers were introduced, but I can't recall any loco hauled XC services, certainly not as late as 2007.

 

[Bevan Price]

I think it was being used my Virgin Cross Country between Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street. Am not sure as to why it was doing this though, probably to allow Voyagers to be used on other routes to double capacity.

Almost certainly correct - DVT at other end. There was a shortage of Voyagers, and this was used on days when no Voyager was available. Cannot remember exact dates of operation, but certainly ran for parts of 2006 & 2007, but you could get a 90 one day, and a Voyager the next day.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I saw the Mk2 + 90 rake several times and it did sometimes run T&T with a 90 on both ends. I remember this well because on one occasion I saw it leave Wolverhapton for Manchester with 90 037 on one end and 90 040 on the other. I needed both for the haulage but it was late evening and had i waited for it to return I would have been unable to get home.

It was just weeks later that both 90s went into the long term store from which they have just emerged, and they are now the only two 90s I need for haulage.

So I am very annoyed with myself for missing them on that particular day!

 

[Ash Bridge]

It looks like I stand corrected there then. Was it around this period when Virgin XC also operated a loco hauled (67?)limited stop summer Saturday holiday train to Paignton ?

 

[TDK]

Almost certainly correct - DVT at other end. There was a shortage of Voyagers, and this was used on days when no Voyager was available. Cannot remember exact dates of operation, but certainly ran for parts of 2006 & 2007, but you could get a 90 one day, and a Voyager the next day.

How can an electric loco replace a diesel voyager as the Voyagers run on non electrified lines?

 

[CC 72100]

How can an electric loco replace a diesel voyager as the Voyagers run on non electrified lines?

It sounds as if this particular diagram was wholly over electrified lines in the first place.

 

[sprinterguy]

How can an electric loco replace a diesel voyager as the Voyagers run on non electrified lines?

As hstmatt described the loco-hauled set was only used between Birmingham and Manchester, on an as-needed basis.

 

[Penmorfa]

I had 90022 from New St to Stafford on 23 August 2006. The train continued to Manchester Piccadilly

 

[CosherB]

Pretendolino?

Sent to the back of class ..... and extra homework! lol

 

[87015]

Gen and phots here https://bontybermo402.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/crosscountry-loco-hauled/

I think this was the very last hurrah of 'XC' hauled workings, just a shame about the engines really...

 

[455driver]

Sent to the back of class ..... and extra homework! lol

But that is the answer to every problem isnt it?

 

[Bigfoot]

But that is the answer to every problem isnt it?

Finally someone gets my sense of humour...