175s at Birmingham

[Philip]

Since Holyhead-Birmingham's have been replaced by Holyhead-Cardiff's, do any 175s visit Birmingham regularly or at all these days like they used to in the early years with First North Western?

I almost always see the Arriva services formed by 158s and if not 150s - I saw the very occasional 175 on a Chester-Birmingham last year but since they started full use on the Welsh Marches, I haven't seen any.

 

[matt]

I have only ever seen a 175 at Birmingham a few times. Most of the times the ATW services are 158s

 

[Smudger]

175's are mainly used down here in wales

 

[87015]

1933 Chester was a semi-regular producer earlier in the year, I haven't viewed the train since June though.

 

[Ascot]

None are diagrammed to but ATW never stick to diagrams and anything out of Chester or Canton can turn up. Only on the Holyhead or Chester's though.

 

[175001]

The only service that i've seen to be a 175 is the 18:35 Holyhead - Birmingham NS and 22:33 return service.

Sometimes though, a Chester - BNS service could be a 175 but it is very unlikley as 158's are pencilled in to do these services

 

[Philip]

The only service that i've seen to be a 175 is the 18:35 Holyhead - Birmingham NS and 22:33 return service.

Sometimes though, a Chester - BNS service could be a 175 but it is very unlikley as 158's are pencilled in to do these services

Is that a regular 175 on the 18:35 or just occasional?

 

[Ascot]

There's 175s when there is Engineering works at Shrewsbury and there are no trains on the Marches or Cambrian, so they run Holyheads to Birminghams all day via Wrexham and Shrewsbury as the times fit perfectly.

 

[AlexS]

The Holyhead to Brum and return is I believe booked a 3 carriage 175.

Otherwise 175s merely stand in when 158s either fail or are unavailable.

 

[Philip]

A good site I've found which explains most things - http://www.prar.fsnet.co.uk/ATW_MF_1H07_1_v1.pdf

and Sunday diagrams - http://www.prar.fsnet.co.uk/ATW_Sun_1H07_1_v1.pdf


The Mon-Fri Holyhead-Manchester gets the 3-carriage 175, the 18:35 to Birmingham getting the 158, although a 175 is booked on the Sunday 18:40 to Birmingham. I believe this may change in a few months when the Holyhead-Manchester returns to loco-hauled workings, pulled by a 67.

I remember reading something about Holyhead-Cardiffs terminating at Birmingham for a few weeks last year, although while the Marches line was shut at weekends earlier this year, Manchester/Holyhead-South Wales workings terminated at Shrewsbury.

 

[Respite]

We dont have any booked 175 turns to brum now (thankfully). Although sometimes as said we are unlucky enough to have run out of 158's & end up lumbered with one of the damn things. Typically I always seem to get one when I'm on a sunday/late night all stations to wolves service. Which involves sliding into every station & not being able to see where to stop anyway due to lack of any decent vision out of the bloody things.

Although there may be some more 175's on the services soon due to all of Mach's 158's having to be fitted with the European signalling sytem malarky.
This was supposed to involve sending the units to france for fitment! But as 158820 (!DAMIEN!) was one of them I think the risk to the channel tunnel/ferry's was too great & now they are to be fitted out in the UK. At somepoint, as if ertms is ever going to work (well anyway).

 

[Philip]

When is the Manchester-Holyhead going to start Class 67 hauled turns btw?

I heard this will allow a 175 onto one of the Holyhead-Cardiff diagrams, to free up a 158 - anyone know which diagram/departure from Holyhead?

 

[AlexS]

I'll testify to Damien - once saw it just die at Wolverhampton pulling out of the north bay - all well until right when it was over the points to join the down main and *bumpf* engines cut out, lights all go out and it jams to a halt and there it remained for 30 mins till it got bump started and reversed back into the platform.