Trivia: Longest non stop run on a 150 (or other sprinter)

[D1009]

Last Monday I returned from an enjoyable afternoon on the Severn Valley, and evening refreshment in Worcester, on the 2146 Worcester SH to Bristol TM, formed of one of the refurbished GWR 150s in green. This train is non stop from Gloucester to Bristol Parkway, and I was trying to think of a longer non stop run in passenger service. The only one I've thought of so far is the recently introduced 1319 Bristol TM to Exeter SD, which runs non stop from Temple Meads to Taunton. Can anyone beat that?

 

[Iskra]

Long ones I can think of:

Appleby-Carlisle (one train per day when the line is open)
Thetford-Norwich
Peterborough-Grantham
Possibly some of the North Wales Coast services.
Oxenholme-Preston (one service a day misses Lancaster I believe)
Haymarket-Dundee, I'm guessing a 158 can do this sometimes?

 

[eastdyke]

Longest I can recall is Thetford to Peterborough via Ely west curve 50mi 71ch. (EMT cl. 158).

 

[Liam]

You might occasionally find a pair of 158's on the afternoon Glasgow-Aberdeen services which run fast to Perth (62 miles). It will usually be a 170 though.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The old Wales & West Waterloo services were mostly fast from Waterloo to at least Salisbury.

The short-lived NWT services from Rochdale and Blackpool used to join and divide at Warrington Bank Quay, but this was not an advertised stop and pax were not permitted to board or alight... meaning that (IIRC) they ran effectively non-stop from Earlestown/Euxton Balshaw Lane to Watford Junction...

I'd be surprised if anything current beats that!

 

[Mag_seven]

If we are allowed to include services past, what about the Virgin operated class 158's that operated Glasgow/Edinburgh/Manchester/Liverpool services for a time? I can't remember the calling pattern but there might have been the odd Glasgow-Carlisle(or similar) non stop run in there.

 

[DarloRich]

Fenny Stratford - Bletchley. Oh hang on............................

I am going to say a ATW service on the North Wales coast

 

[Kite159]

Clapham Junction - Salisbury on the Sunday only 20:53 service [20:45 from Waterloo]. 79 miles & 49 chains. (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W34587/2017/03/05/advanced)

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

ATW run a Cardiff Central to Fishguard Harbour boat train which is first stop Llanelli (followed by Whitland.)

 

[Coolzac]

Not sure if this counts as it is not usually the case, but from my apartment window I see the Brighton-Bristol GWR service is occasionally a 150! Not sure what the longest non-stop section would be?

Poor passengers

 

[dk1]

Longest I can recall is Thetford to Peterborough via Ely west curve 50mi 71ch. (EMT cl. 158).

There used to be two Summer Saturday relief 156/158s that ran non-stop Norwich-Peterborough in the 90s. At the time Ely West Curve had the one-way restriction so they had to call at Ely on the return runs.

 

[Callum]

When Aberdeen played Celtic at Hampden for the cup final (or something at some point in the last couple of months)... ScotRail ran a non stop special from Aberdeen to Glasgow using three 158s... But because it was a one-off it might not count?

 

[MichaelAMW]

If you want to include ECS there is this daily Nottingham - Liverpool at 109 miles:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C81490/2017/02/27/advanced

 

[Statto]

Crewe to Chester on a 150 which is about 30 miles.

 

[bunnahabhain]

Thetford to Peterborough on the 1554 Norwich to Manchester (Sundays only) is the longest in service that I do. Also this weekend there's Nottingham to Peterborough via Melton Mowbray non stop.

 

[cuccir]

Carlisle to Preston via Barrow-in-Furness is roughly 138 miles and at the slow speeds just over 4 hours!

 

[craigybagel]

Fenny Stratford - Bletchley. Oh hang on............................

I am going to say a ATW service on the North Wales coast

The only 150 booked to go down the coast is the unit that spends the day on the Blaneau branch. It runs down in the morning ECS and whilst it does come back in service, it also stops at most if not all stations so it doesn't get a great nonstop run.

However, there are 150s booked on a Sunday on the Manchester Cardiffs, some of which skip out many stops. Wilmslow-Crewe-Shrewsbury-Ludlow is a common stopping pattern on them, all of which are good runs.

 

[sdrennan]

No 150s in Scotland but plenty of 156/158s

156 will do Glasgow to Mallaig over 5 hours or Glasgow to Newcastle via Dumfries.

158 will cover Glasgow or Edinburgh up to Aberdeen or Inverness ans also routes north of Inverness.

Long runs

 

[greaterwest]

Not sure if this counts as it is not usually the case, but from my apartment window I see the Brighton-Bristol GWR service is occasionally a 150! Not sure what the longest non-stop section would be?

Poor passengers

During the Southern ASLEF strike these trains were run fast between Havant and Brighton - booked to take an hour but in reality took a little less as it had greens all the way!

 

[craigybagel]

Carlisle to Preston via Barrow-in-Furness is roughly 138 miles and at the slow speeds just over 4 hours!

No 150s in Scotland but plenty of 156/158s

156 will do Glasgow to Mallaig over 5 hours or Glasgow to Newcastle via Dumfries.

158 will cover Glasgow or Edinburgh up to Aberdeen or Inverness ans also routes north of Inverness.

Long runs

Don't forget the 3rd and 4th words of the thread title though.....

 

[PHILIPE]

ATW run a Cardiff Central to Fishguard Harbour boat train which is first stop Llanelli (followed by Whitland.)

Sorry to be pedantic but train starts Newport

 

[PHILIPE]

Carlisle to Preston via Barrow-in-Furness is roughly 138 miles and at the slow speeds just over 4 hours!

They don't run non-stop from Carlisle to Preston though as per the thread title

 

[cuccir]

They don't run non-stop from Carlisle to Preston though as per the thread title

Ah apologies, I read it as non-change!

 

[craigybagel]

Sorry to be pedantic but train starts Newport

And stops at Bridgend, it's not nonstop to Llanelli.

 

[D1009]

Clapham Junction - Salisbury on the Sunday only 20:53 service [20:45 from Waterloo]. 79 miles & 49 chains. (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W34587/2017/03/05/advanced)

So this is a clear winner, though not that many people associate the term Sprinter with 159s. Not sure how far Thetford to Peterborough is. Restricting it to 150s, probably Chester to Llandudno Jn narrowly beats Bristol TM to Taunton.

 

[eastdyke]

So this is a clear winner, though not that many people associate the term Sprinter with 159s. Not sure how far Thetford to Peterborough is. Restricting it to 150s, probably Chester to Llandudno Jn narrowly beats Bristol TM to Taunton.

Thetford to Peterborough via Ely west curve is 50mi 71ch. One timetabled service per week. Would usually be a 158 although occasionally 156's get to Norwich so probably has been done.

Have been on a non-timetabled run when the 158 arrived in Norwich with a fault in the leading cab. Being unable to reverse from Ely, the run was made via Ely west curve to get the unit back to Nottingham.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

And stops at Bridgend, it's not nonstop to Llanelli.

That's interesting, it used to be fast to Llanelli, and was routed via Landore Curve rather than the direct line. Been a while since I've been in the neighbourhood.

 

[PHILIPE]

That's interesting, it used to be fast to Llanelli, and was routed via Landore Curve rather than the direct line. Been a while since I've been in the neighbourhood.

Still avoids Swansea but via the District Line.

 

[Kite159]

Still avoids Swansea but via the District Line.

Apart from Saturdays where it goes via the Landore Curve

 

[dk1]

No 150s in Scotland but plenty of 156/158s

156 will do Glasgow to Mallaig over 5 hours or Glasgow to Newcastle via Dumfries.

158 will cover Glasgow or Edinburgh up to Aberdeen or Inverness ans also routes north of Inverness.

Long runs

But they stop dozens of times mate.