dk1
Veteran Member
Possibly the reason the additional rolling stock is available.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Cross Country - Birmingham to Stansted
- Thread starter KaneLeb
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Until May 1977 Swindon cross country units worked about half the Norwich-Birmingham service. You are right that the Peterborough-Leicester stoppers in 1977 were mostly Cravens and MetCams, usually Norwich sets. But the 1528 Birmingham-Cambridge and 0703 Cambridge-Birmingham was worked from the Midlands end. I've travelled on Swindon Cross country units on the 1528 Birmingham-Cambridge many times, usually throughout from Birmingham to Cambridge.
Here is a picture of a Swindon cross country set at Stamford:
It is unsurprising that there are few pictures of the 1528 Birmingham-Cambridge or 0703 Cambridge-Birmingham, it was only in high summer that the times they ran were suitable for photography.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
I've been on 4 car 170s between Peterborough and Stamford on days with no engineering works, so I wouldn't be sure about that?
dk1
Veteran Member
Wasn't sure, just a wild guess. Passed many a double unit across the Fens but never sure if its planned or just disruption.
duffield
Established Member
Before they get around to that, I'd bet the 170s will be life expired.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
I seem to recall that the back carriage of a westbound 4 car train at Stamford doesn't open, even though it is fully accommodated on a very wide and clear platform.
Stamfords platforms are approx 92m IIRC so a 4 car pairing should fit. Oakham for some reason has always had longer platforms. I never understood why melton didn't have longer platforms although it was probably track layout. It shouldn't be too difficult to upgrade them and add an extension. No doubt any such scheme would require millions to be spent on consultants and surveys before any workmen could do the work.
Points fairly close to each end of the eastbound platform, plus a barrow crossing used for step-free access to the westbound platform is always going to make a platform extension at Melton that bit more expensive
Steve Harris
Member
I was talking about the services in 1983 but somehow we have gone back to 1977 !
As I said in my post, it was from my memory (which can be a little patchy as I was a young boy back in 1983, and I'm sure you remember everything in great detail from when you was 12 !).
As you and other's have pointed out there was broadly a 2 hourly service but with a few services missing (thereby some 4 hour-ish gaps). A Swindon Cross Country unit still used to turn up on a late Saturday eastbound service (when all other services were loco hauled) to Cambridge with it having it's return working on the Sunday, that I can certainly remember as a Class 120 used to make a noise similar to flatulence when accelerating and as a young lad we used to joke about it.
Last edited:
I have a very distant memory of catching a loco hauled train from Peterborough to Melton in the early 80s. I was only a young'un at the time, Mum took me on a shopping trip to Peterborough. Think the coaches had compartments. That's about the limit to my recollection.
Wyrleybart
Established Member
It is possible to get 220s into Stansted Airport but into P1 and P3 - which are normally used by Anglia Trains. AIUI P2 which XC use has an operational length and P3 AIUI it is preferred for the XC service, but is operationally restricted to 97m - a 220 is 92m
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Probably a class 31 hauling a short rake of Mk 1 stock?
By the early 80's the sets were usually early mk2's
Actually I do, going back to the early 1970s, but especially of the loco hauled period from 1977 to 1988. I also have a library of timetables (both public and working) to cross check my memory.
Try listening to it on the departure from every station from Birmingham to Ely!
Class 220s could not use platforms 1 and 3 at Stansted Airport, which are electric traction only. All Cross Country trains use platform 2. This is because platforms 1 and 3 have smoke detectors that can be triggered by exhaust fumes.