1990s Wigan-Lancaster stopper?

[L+Y]

Hi all

As a kid, I remember several times travelling up from Wigan North Western to Lancaster on Sprinter DMUs: this would be about 1996/1997. Now, obviously, no service like this exists nowadays, but what was it then? I THINK it was a stopping train, but I remember little else about it: I remember hoping for an 87 or HST and being disappointed.

Any ideas?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

.... Now, obviously, no service like this exists nowadays,....

Northern does run services from Preston to Lancaster and beyond using 156s, though not many, and a half hourly service from Wigan North Western to Preston using either 142, 150 or 156 units.

 

[flymo]

I don't have the 1996 or 1997 TT but have the summer '98 TT. In this one on Table 91 it shows a roughly hourly departure from Liverpool Lime Street (around xx:32 to xx:35) to one of Blackpool North, Morecambe, Barrow-in-Furness, Millom or Lancaster depending on the hour.

All except the Blackpool services would fill the criteria you mentioned in the OP. From Wigan NW they went north at around xx:05 to xx:07 or so and would call at Euxton Balshaw Lane, Leyland, Preston and then Lancaster.

In 1998 these were operated by 'North Western Trains'.

 

[driver9000]

Northern does run services from Preston to Lancaster and beyond using 156s, though not many, and a half hourly service from Wigan North Western to Preston using either 142, 150 or 156 units.

Currently 3 trains a day north of Preston if memory serves me. The Northern service between Preston and Wigan NW is hourly.

 

[D6975]

Northern does run services from Preston to Lancaster and beyond using 156s, though not many, and a half hourly service from Wigan North Western to Preston using either 142, 150 or 156 units.

Wigan-Preston is only hourly by Northern according to table 90, the xx37 off Blackpool to Liverpool and the xx57 the other way. Other services are Virgin.

 

[Eagle]

Currently 3 trains a day north of Preston if memory serves me.

On a weekday:

0522 Preston–Carlisle
0830 Preston–Carlisle
1529 Buxton–Barrow
2151 Preston–Barrow

0610 Millom–Preston
1512 Carlisle–Preston
2143 Barrow–Preston
2255 Morecambe–Preston

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....The Northern service between Preston and Wigan NW is hourly.

Wigan-Preston is only hourly by Northern according to table 90....

Yes sorry, I was thinking of the Liverpool-Wigan as going to Preston for some reason, sigh, must be getting old.

 

[driver9000]

On a weekday:

0522 Preston–Carlisle
0830 Preston–Carlisle
1529 Buxton–Barrow
2151 Preston–Barrow

0610 Millom–Preston
1512 Carlisle–Preston
2143 Barrow–Preston
2255 Morecambe–Preston

I always forget about that Buxton-Barrow service

 

[SeanG]

Buxton - Barrow used to be a common working under NWT/FNW

 

[142094]

IIRC Buxton - Barrow is now the longest service operated by Northern time-wise.

 

[TOCDriver]

Cross Country ran a service from Lime Street to Edinburgh VIA Wigan and the WCML back then, using class 158's with little first class compartments!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

IIRC Buxton - Barrow is now the longest service operated by Northern time-wise.

Surely it can't be as long as the 4.5 hours it takes the Carlisle - Preston run?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

1529 Buxton-Barrow in Furness 3h 30m
0522 Preston-Carlisle 3h 59m
0838 Preston-Carlisle 4h 01m
1512 Carlisle-Preston 4h 19m

 

[142094]

Aye forgot about those ones.

 

[Bevan Price]

For example, Summer 1996 timetable, Liverpool Lime St. departures continuing north of Wigan (SX) were :
08:37, 12:37, 18:57 to Morecambe
09:37, 11:37, 13:37, 15:37, 17:09, 17:52 to Blackpool North
10:37 To Heysham
14:37 to Barrow
16:37 to Millom
21:57 to Preston

A similar pattern operated towards Liverpool.

At one time, possibly in the late 1990s, it was not unknown for a mid-morning Morecambe - Liverpool & return to be worked by a single Class 153, usually running late due to overloading / prolonged station stops.