TRIVIA : Where haven’t Sprinters been?

[ATW Alex 101]

Did 15x ever operate the Helsby-Hooton service before it was electrified to Ellesmere Port, or was that just 1st generation DMUs?

That’s a little before my time, though I would be inclined to say that they did. But not 100% sure.

Pacers certainly operated through to Hooton; there is a picture of one mounted on the wall outside the ticket office!

 

[Anvil1984]

Berwick to Chathill

Already been pointed out that 158s at least have travelled that line to go to / from refurbishments. The most infamous time was the 158 that divided at Newcastle on the way back to Scotland from Loughborough

 

[EnriqueEspaña]

Chiltern Mainline from Marylebone to just before Kings Sutton? Suprising as it is a diesel mainline.

 

[mpb56125]

If you include 950001, that normally does the full Meresyrail (Northern, Wirral) incl loop at least once a year after service.

Mark

 

[gka472l]

Slightly off on a tangent, but I believe 156's have never been south west of Bristol (unless someone knows otherwise....)

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That’s a little before my time, though I would be inclined to say that they did. But not 100% sure.

Pacers certainly operated through to Hooton; there is a picture of one mounted on the wall outside the ticket office!

Indeed, Hooton to Chester was regular for those, even went on a recently transferred Skipper (142026) on that back in about 1987/88

 

[TXMISTA]

All London termini apart from Waterloo.
All of Kent

158s have been to Euston IIRCC. FNW operated services in the early 2000s. I’ve also seen a photo of a Silverlink 150 at Euston and a RR 150 at Liverpool Street.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Good point. In fact, have Sprinters ever travelled anywhere north of Brighton in Sussex?

IIRC, a 155/156/158 took the detour from Hove to Preston Park and back to down to Brighton once I believe ... 90s ???! Don't quote me on this however

I also know of a 158 that would routed towards Arundel, though not sure that really counts for the discussion

 

[TXMISTA]

Slightly off on a tangent, but I believe 156's have never been south west of Bristol (unless someone knows otherwise....)

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Indeed, Hooton to Chester was regular for those, even went on a recently transferred Skipper (142026) on that back in about 1987/88

Am I write in saying that the furthest south east 156s have ever been is Portsmouth? I know that there were some Pompey 156 diagrams many many years ago. I wonder if they ever made it along the Coastway to Brighton

 

[RichJF]

I believe it was mooted. I feel very lucky that it never came to anything.

I don't work in the railway industry, but I recall many times that any stock based on Mk3 bodyshells (319s, Sprinters, 442s) are banned from the Oxted lines. This is due to the fact they would smash into the walls of Oxted Tunnel.

 

[yorksrob]

I don't work in the railway industry, but I recall many times that any stock based on Mk3 bodyshells (319s, Sprinters, 442s) are banned from the Oxted lines. This is due to the fact they would smash into the walls of Oxted Tunnel.

That's true - hence the window bars on slammers.

I wonder whether it was the Marshlink they were pondering over !

 

[bramling]

There used bto be an early morning service departing Liverpool St for I believe Norwich which was a 150

I’m sure 150s operated certain odd through services to some of the Norfolk branches during the Anglia Railways period. Quite unthinkable now on a number of levels.

Kings Lynn seems a good possibility though. That seems to have missed the 2nd generation DMUs entirely, going electric instead. Unless anyone knows different?

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That's true - hence the window bars on slammers.

I wonder whether it was the Marshlink they were pondering over !

I remember one of the 1990s Uckfield galas produced a 207 through to East Croydon on one of the last services of the day, I think it was a spur-of-the-moment thing due to a wheelchair user on board or something.

The next day when I asked if it might be possible to likewise run the last train in service through to Croydon, the response was an emphatic no, and it was said that the brown stuff had properly hit the fan over the previous day’s 207 going through Oxted Tunnel in service, due to the (then) lack of window bars!

At the time 207s were rare on the Uckfield branch, though not long after bars were fitted and they became more common.

I can certainly vouch for that tunnel being pretty tight in places.

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158s have been to Euston IIRCC. FNW operated services in the early 2000s. I’ve also seen a photo of a Silverlink 150 at Euston and a RR 150 at Liverpool Street.

It certainly wasn’t uncommon to see the Gospel Oak-Barking 150s stabled at Euston during Silverlink days. Whether they ever ran to/from Euston in service is another matter.

 

[PG]

Only the 150s are based on Mk3 bodyshells though I assume the longer length of the later Sprinters would preclude them due to their length for the same reason!

I don't work in the railway industry, but I recall many times that any stock based on Mk3 bodyshells (319s, Sprinters, 442s) are banned from the Oxted lines. This is due to the fact they would smash into the walls of Oxted Tunnel.

 

[bramling]

Only the 150s are based on Mk3 bodyshells though I assume the longer length of the later Sprinters would preclude them due to their length for the same reason!

ISTR 150s are prohibited from the Maryport & Carlisle section (Arkleby to Carlisle) for clearance-related reasons?

However 153 & 156 have been regular performers on this line so this won’t fit the OP’s criteria.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It certainly wasn’t uncommon to see the Gospel Oak-Barking 150s stabled at Euston during Silverlink days. Whether they ever ran to/from Euston in service is another matter.

They did, often on a Sunday morning very early turn.

Forgot the FNW Euston services, I believe a 156 did that at least once as well as the regular 158 (one specific unit was used due to the "ORCATS raid fake first class" it had).

 

[Roast Veg]

Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Seaford, Sheerness?

 

[yorksrob]

I remember one of the 1990s Uckfield galas produced a 207 through to East Croydon on one of the last services of the day, I think it was a spur-of-the-moment thing due to a wheelchair user on board or something.

The next day when I asked if it might be possible to likewise run the last train in service through to Croydon, the response was an emphatic no, and it was said that the brown stuff had properly hit the fan over the previous day’s 207 going through Oxted Tunnel in service, due to the (then) lack of window bars!

At the time 207s were rare on the Uckfield branch, though not long after bars were fitted and they became more common.

I can certainly vouch for that tunnel being pretty tight in places.

Yes, it seems bizarre, considering they were built for that line !

 

[bramling]

Yes, it seems bizarre, considering they were built for that line !

I presume it goes back to the time when the refurbished / gangwayed 207s were dedicated to the Brighton to Ashford service, which ran for a time in the 1990s. At that point these and 205205 were pretty much exclusive on the Ashford line. 207017 survived by fluke.

Certainly my memory of Uckfield in the mid-90s was solid 205. 207s only started reappearing in the final years, after bars were fitted. Having said that, I do remember getting 207202 on the Oxted/Uckfield shuttle on one occasion - presumably the diagram either took it empty from and to Selhurst, or they cancelled any part of the diagram booked to run in service from or to Croydon.

 

[yorksrob]

I presume it goes back to the time when the refurbished / gangwayed 207s were dedicated to the Brighton to Ashford service, which ran for a time in the 1990s. At that point these and 205205 were pretty much exclusive on the Ashford line. 207017 survived by fluke.

Certainly my memory of Uckfield in the mid-90s was solid 205. 207s only started reappearing in the final years, after bars were fitted. Having said that, I do remember getting 207202 on the Oxted/Uckfield shuttle on one occasion - presumably the diagram either took it empty from and to Selhurst, or they cancelled any part of the diagram booked to run in service from or to Croydon.

I must admit, I didn't get to the Uckfield line very often. I do remember some time after the refurbished 207's had been dedicated to the Marshlink, a rather tired looking 207 with trojan moquette turning up at Ashford once. That might be the one that survived !

 

[bramling]

I must admit, I didn't get to the Uckfield line very often. I do remember some time after the refurbished 207's had been dedicated to the Marshlink, a rather tired looking 207 with trojan moquette turning up at Ashford once. That might be the one that survived !

That will be 207017. I might be misremembering, but ISTR it survived as a means of making up for the vehicles lost at Cowden. I might be misremembering this though.

It was always a delight to get 207017 in the 1990s, especially on the Uckfield line. A run back from Uckfield early on a winter evening was magical - for a start it goes without saying that you would have the motor car to yourself, whilst the Trojan moquette, tungsten lighting and that distinctive dusty smell all blended in seamlessly with the Uckfield line.

 

[yorksrob]

That will be 207017. I might be misremembering, but ISTR it survived as a means of making up for the vehicles lost at Cowden. I might be misremembering this though.

Ah, that would explain it.

 

[DustyBin]

That will be 207017. I might be misremembering, but ISTR it survived as a means of making up for the vehicles lost at Cowden. I might be misremembering this though.

It was always a delight to get 207017 in the 1990s, especially on the Uckfield line. A run back from Uckfield early on a winter evening was magical - for a start it goes without saying that you would have the motor car to yourself, whilst the Trojan moquette, tungsten lighting and that distinctive dusty smell all blended in seamlessly with the Uckfield line.

The centre trailer from 207017 is the only such vehicle to survive I believe. I don’t think I ever managed to travel on it in service, it’s funny because I’d try and track it down in the early 2000s but I’d always get one of its class mates or a 205 instead....

 

[jonesy3001]

Have they been down Airedale and wharfedale lines?

 

[bramling]

The centre trailer from 207017 is the only such vehicle to survive I believe. I don’t think I ever managed to travel on it in service, it’s funny because I’d try and track it down in the early 2000s but I’d always get one of its class mates or a 205 instead....

Certainly in the 1990s it turned up often enough on Ashford-Hastings. By the time I knew it the centre trailer had already been removed. I do remember 207017’s service life ended when it suffered an engine failure at Crowborough.

 

[43096]

Have they been down Airedale and wharfedale lines?

Every day on the Airedale when they works Leeds-Carlisle trains.

 

[bramling]

Every day on the Airedale when they works Leeds-Carlisle trains.

I’m sure I’ve seen a 150 at Ilkley.

 

[DarloRich]

I once went on a 156 from Newcastle to Northallerton via Sunderland. That was fun

PS sure we reserved in Middlesbrough

 

[pompeyfan]

158s regularly travel to Bournemouth depot for C4 overhaul, and the Corfe service done an out and back to Poole, as well as the Olympic services.

there’s also been stock balance moves up and down the length of the Portsmouth Direct route.

I would imagine Bognor Regis and the Arun Valley would be in with a shout but Littlehampton has probably been used as a diversionary route pre privatisation of a Brighton service.

 

[sprinterguy]

Chiltern Mainline from Marylebone to just before Kings Sutton? Suprising as it is a diesel mainline.

That could be a good shout - Certainly seems like one of the longest distances over one of the busier diesel only lines of all the valid suggestions on this thread.

I once went on a 156 from Newcastle to Northallerton via Sunderland. That was fun

PS sure we reserved in Middlesbrough

Yes I remember when the 13:00 Newcastle - York, via Sunderland and Middlesbrough, was booked a 156. I never used it all the way through but it must have been quite the stagger. There were a handful of Newcastle - York trains via the coast each day as I recall.

 

[Polarbear]

Did 15x ever operate the Helsby-Hooton service before it was electrified to Ellesmere Port, or was that just 1st generation DMUs?

Pacers appeared at times on the Chester - Hooton - Helsby shuttles, but I don't recall any 15X units in the late 1980'/early 1990's prior to electrification.

 

[warwickshire]

What about the WCML from Lancaster to Carlisle

Believe it or not its true x3 156 sprinters went that way ecs last June 2020. Newton Heath T.M.D to Newcastle via Carlisle. And at Carlisle x4 142s got collected same driver to go to newton Heath T.M.D and then to Wigan springs branch due to no space.