Best place to see Pendolinos

[martyn29]

I would like to see as many as possible.(stoppers if possible) I want to get photos of all the name plates..
many thanks

 

[eos]

Euston, or Crewe . At a push Rugby , but many fly past at speed there.

 

[Phoenix]

Crewe probably as a decent amount of them stop there.

 

[j0hn0]

Rugby station platforms 2 and 3 at either end. Theres often one in the station at platform 1 and just sets off to Birmingham as the Trent valley train flies past. You also get the 91 and mk 3 rake, lots of freight, voyagers, desiros, 321's (cough)

There is also an easy way that you can get to trent valley junction at Rugby for probably the best position to take photos I've seen. But I can't endorse it as it's naughty

 

[The Snap]

I'd say Crewe aswell. If you hang around the station for long enough you'll see the same units going back the other way! I did when I went to Crewe a few years back!

 

[rail-britain]

Depends on how far you are willing to travel

You can see most of the days operational fleet within about 9 hours at Euston, although access to the platforms can be an issue

Milton Keynes Central or Rugby are your next best bets, a good mix of stopping and through trains

You could also consider obscure locations like Cheddington

Crewe will restrict as you won't see any Birmingham allocations, neither will you see any Manchester via Stoke, although the sets do rotate between these at Euston

 

[Crossover]

I'd also go with Crewe, especially as even non stopping ones seem to go fairly slow through the station.

I was lucky the day I was there the other week (went to the Heritage Centre which has a nice vantage point on the signal box) and it was one of the days Stoke station was closed so everything was diverted that way.

There aren't many places I can think of where they don't pass through at speed where there are numerous of them.

 

[generalvegitable]

MK is a good place, many trains do stop, and when they rush through platform 6 they would be tilted because of the nature of that platform

 

[Aictos]

You also get the 91 and mk 3 rake

Class 91s have never run on the WCML as they only run on the ECML and with Mk4 coaches.

You must be thinking of the Class 90s and the Mk3s that they haul!

 

[j0hn0]

Class 91s have never run on the WCML as they only run on the ECML and with Mk4 coaches.

You must be thinking of the Class 90s and the Mk3s that they haul!

aye, yes, tis the driving trailer that gets me

 

[37401]

Class 91s have never run on the WCML as they only run on the ECML and with Mk4 coaches.

You must be thinking of the Class 90s and the Mk3s that they haul!

however they did run with Mk3`s and a HST on the back, but lets not start one of those again...

 

[asylumxl]

Go to Euston. Across from the platforms, next to a shop, there is a "trade" office. Tell them (well, usually the duty manager is there, she's lovely) what you intend to do and ask if you can sign in, and they will give you a pass giving you clearance to go onto the platforms.

 

[37401]

Scrapyard

 

[Chester025]

I'd also go with Crewe, especially as even non stopping ones seem to go fairly slow through the station.

The linespeed through the centre roads at Crewe is 80mph. So unless they're diverging off to Manchester, you wouldn't be able to see the number/nameplate. Only 1 pendo stops each way an hour new with the new timetable, the Euston – Manchester’s via Crewe, all others fly through non-stop with exception to some early morning and evening trains.

From Crewe:

XX29 to Euston

XX40 to Manchester


So your best bet is Euston, although why anyone would want to spot Pendolinos all day is beyond me...

 

[MCR247]

So no trains to/from liverpool stop at crewe? :?

 

[mathmo]

No Pendolinos during the day, although a few do early or late. The Birmingham-Liverpool LM services stop at Crewe every 30 minutes so there isn't a great deal of need for it!

 

[Crossover]

So no trains to/from liverpool stop at crewe? :?

Some do but not all.

Some of them do Euston, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, Lime Street
with others bypassing Crewe (and vice versa naturally) but I'm not sure on exactly which ones do this stopping at Crewe but I was on a train from Stafford to Crewe (from Euston to Liverpool) at about 17.05 or so the other week

 

[ukrob]

Some do but not all.

Some of them do Euston, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, Lime Street
with others bypassing Crewe (and vice versa naturally) but I'm not sure on exactly which ones do this stopping at Crewe but I was on a train from Stafford to Crewe (from Euston to Liverpool) at about 17.05 or so the other week

Towards Euston, on M-F the 0527, 1848, 1948 and 2048 call at Crewe. On Saturdays just the 0645 and 0719 call at Crewe.

In the reverse direction, M-F the 0535, 1707, 1733, 1807, 1833 and the 2107 call at Crewe and Saturdays the 0707 and the last two of the day call at Crewe.

Also, as someone else said earlier, London Midland provides a twice hourly service between Crewe and Liverpool on its Liverpool - Birmingham route.

 

[robert2000]

only a few virgin trains between london and liverpool stop at crewe, which is why quite a few trains seem to rush past.

london midland trains is an alternative

 

[ChrisTheRef]

At Crewe, one Pendo to Manchester stops every hour (and the other day to Euston)

Following a normal stopping pattern, the London-Glasgow and London-Liverpool services pass straight through at speed.

Virgin also stop services on the Birmingham-Glasgow/Edinburgh and London-Chester/Holyhead routes there, but these are usually operated by Voyager trains.

 

[nedchester]

Best place to see Pendolinos would be a scrap yard although I don't think the OP meant that .........I suppose Rugby would be the best place.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Yeah I love the speed they reach through Rugby.

But if the OP is interested in nameplates and numbers (nowhere near as exciting IMO) then surely Euston is the best place. aka Pendolino Central.

 

[Ilove165's]

Yep, Euston's the best bet

 

[Chilled Phill]

Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly would be good bets. Crewe has nearly all Pendo services going through the station, bar the Euston-Stoke-Manc and Euston-Birmingham services, so that would be a prime spot for a bit of Pendo spotting, plus if you're into it, you could make a nice "art-sy" photo, so to speak, of a Pendo at speed with a bit of blur in the background.

Piccadilly is another good spot with three services leaving the station every hour and three entering the station every hour you'll certainly catch a number of Pendos in one day.

 

[156499]

Berkhamstead - speed and tilt
Chedder Cheese - big long straight and few cross overs

 

[CosherB]

Alderley Edge.

You'll get a pendo an hour each way... but it's a lovely place to be when you get bored (after maybe the first one....?) with lovely countryside, pubs, and eateries.

Not that I'm biased 'cause I live there, you understand..

 

[156499]

Berkhamstead - speed and tilt
Chedder Cheese - big long straight and few cross overs

 

[Geezertronic]

Hard shoulder of the M42 which gives a good look down the Trent Valley lines?

 

[martyn29]

I am intrested in the best place for speed as well so thanks for all the suggestions!
Where is Cheddar cheese?

 

[will1337]

Rugeley Trent Valley is a fairly good place for high speed, it's 125mph in both directions and if you get bored waiting for the next London Midland out of there then the wifi in the pub is unsecured and you can just reach it from the nearest platform (on the Up side of the station.) The line is fairly straight and very busy with 3tph Manchester, 1?tph Liverpool, Chester, the Holyhead trains and about 3tp2h to Glasgow in each direction. Including the LM trains that's at least 13 per hour.