Thanks, that pretty much confirms my thoughts/worries.
Yes, 09:23 was held to allow connection from the Glasgow arrival.
I joined 1Z86 at Preston this morning (0807 departure) . An excellent run across , clipping the heels of the 748 ex Leeds from Garsdale and an early arrival into Carlisle.
It won't be freezing cold for a start.
You will arrive slightly earlier in the front set.
But you leave slightly earlier too
Largely the relative cleanliness of the windows, I would say! If you're in the rear seat, you might have your ticket checked....because that's where the Train Manager rides. If you're in the front set, you definitely won't have your ticket checked, but you should have the shop open.
I'd go to whichever unit is a further walk from the platform entrance cause it'll be quieter
Seems you arrived 33 down.
Now that does sound nice. Glad you enjoyed the trip.
Northbound signals are one around half a mile after Daisyfield Junction, one at Langho then one at Clitheroe.
In that case you are very lucky that the doors opened for you at all after attaching!
It may also be because nearly 20 years worth of safeguarded employees have retired with 1st class passes. I did read a comment from a 1st Class host about 'serving people who had paid' somewhere earlier in this thread.
I was told quite a while ago that Virgin (trains) gave their serving employees first class after just 10 years, and last week I was told by a retired (non-railway) decorator that he had Avanti (only) privileges because his daughter worked for Virgin! Presumably like the airlines' wider family and friends bonuses...
The last time I travelled this line was in 2006 on a return leg to Preston, aboard a Class 57‑hauled Virgin Pendolino bound for Euston that started from Carlisle. That spring afternoon ride sticks in my memory, the 8 or 9 coach set carried only a handful of passengers.
Most likely because that the available Preston-based crews were working to Carlisle and back. These 3 are presumably normally worked by crews from there or further south and don't do the usual changeover at PRE.
I was on the 09:23 ex Carlisle this morning and was first to the shop on departure and managed to get the only bacon roll!
This starts to reminds me of when I did the Enterprise from Belfast to Dublin and three or four of us ordered burgers but only one of us could have cheese on their burger because they ran out cheese at that point
Meanwhile Avanti will ironically think that demand for the said item in the Shop is very low because they've been in such short supply.
but only one of us could have cheese on their burger because they ran out cheese at that point
Yes I was on the 0807 from Preston this morning too (again!), but opted for the front unit (013) as that had clean windows you could actually see out of given the grubby external state of the back set (008). Odd that they ran out as there was an announcement before departure that both shops were shut due to taking delivery of a large order ...clearly not breakfast items . Lightly loaded ; I was in the centre coach with just 3 other passengers, the standard coach in front had about a dozen and first seemed to be about half full .
This starts to reminds me of when I did the Enterprise from Belfast to Dublin and three or four of us ordered burgers but only one of us could have cheese on their burger because they ran out cheese at that point
Err....I think it may have taken a while to get the cheese from Hawes to Belfast!I was impressed on Monday that the guard made announcements as we passed south through Dent that we had the Blea Moor Tunnel and the Ribblehead Viaduct coming up.
A quick phone call to the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, and they could have met the train at Garsdale or Dent with a supply of fresh cheese.
