Butts Oban Jaunt

[Techniquest]

165s are Networker Turbos used with Chiltern and GWR.

 

[Butts]

165s are Networker Turbos used with Chiltern and GWR.

Thanks for that - On Thursday I am going to Harrogate via York so most of the journey will be on Virgin East Coast - thank god !!!

Falkirk to York direct in 1st Class and back on the Chieftain later the same day.

Only bleak spot York to Harrogate is on Northern - no doubt one of their bone- shakers :cry:

 

[sprinterguy]

One thing I forgot to mention on my Oban Trip, does anyone know what the Old Rail Carriage is in a siding at Loch Awe - looks like it may have been a Restaurant at one time.

It's a camping coach, converted in 2009 after serving as a tea room since the 1980s.

There's some information here
http://www.scotlandrailholiday.com/history.htm
and here:
http://www.railwaystationcottages.co.uk/loch-awe-carriage/

 

[Chrism20]

Thanks for that - On Thursday I am going to Harrogate via York so most of the journey will be on Virgin East Coast - thank god !!!

Falkirk to York direct in 1st Class and back on the Chieftain later the same day.

Only bleak spot York to Harrogate is on Northern - no doubt one of their bone- shakers :cry:

I've been to Harrogate twice switching at York and I'm sure on both occasions it was a pacer.

I fully expect you to be saying that you travelled the WHL in luxury by the end of the week

 

[Butts]

I've been to Harrogate twice switching at York and I'm sure on both occasions it was a pacer.

I fully expect you to be saying that you travelled the WHL in luxury by the end of the week

Supposed to be visiting the Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate - anyone been there ?

Might just trundle around York instead - if the barriers - oh hang on they don't have any there

As long as there is Scotch onboard and not only "Alcopops" I will be okay.

 

[Techniquest]

Well Butts will be on any of 142, 144, 150, 153 (not sure they're cleared for the top part of the Harrogate Loop), 155 or 158. Never known a 156 work on the loop.

It's fair to say it will feel like a different world to VTEC's First Class, whatever DMU he gets landed with!

 

[Butts]

Well Butts will be on any of 142, 144, 150, 153 (not sure they're cleared for the top part of the Harrogate Loop), 155 or 158. Never known a 156 work on the loop.

It's fair to say it will feel like a different world to VTEC's First Class, whatever DMU he gets landed with!

Ah well wait and see - are they all crap ? (Normally goes with any Northern Service)

 

[Techniquest]

I'm quite partial to a 150, 153, 155, 156 or 158 in particular from Northern's DMU fleet. I'll take a 142 or 144, and in December will see me go out of my way to travel on a 142 (yes really!) but I prefer the Sprinters and Super Sprinters normally. Following my less than amazing journey on VTEC I'm happier to travel on a 142 than on a 91!

 

[sprinterguy]

Ah well wait and see - are they all crap ? (Normally goes with any Northern Service)

Anything with Northern between class 142 and 153 numerically will make a Scotrail class 156 seem like luxury!

 

[Butts]

Anything with Northern between class 142 and 153 numerically will make a Scotrail class 156 seem like luxury!

My god , you make Northern sound like a working living Railway Museum

 

[Galvanize]

Never known a 156 work on the loop.

Very few (if any) drivers or guards who work the Harrogate line sign 156s nowadays with the units mainly concentrated West of the Pennines or up in the North East! Very rarely seen in Yorkshire and Humberside these days.

 

[Iskra]

Very few (if any) drivers or guards who work the Harrogate line sign 156s nowadays with the units mainly concentrated West of the Pennines or up in the North East! Very rarely seen in Yorkshire and Humberside these days.

They make it to Huddersfield relatively often on the stoppers from exotic places over the hill.

 

[Butts]

I'm quite partial to a 150, 153, 155, 156 or 158 in particular from Northern's DMU fleet. I'll take a 142 or 144, and in December will see me go out of my way to travel on a 142 (yes really!) but I prefer the Sprinters and Super Sprinters normally. Following my less than amazing journey on VTEC I'm happier to travel on a 142 than on a 91!

Well it was a Class 142 on the way to Harrogate and a 150 on the way back.

The 142 had nice blue cloth seats and was not that bad.

The 150 had reasonable seats and seemed better than a 156 to me. There was more leg room especially in the bits where the seats faced each other.

 

[sprinterguy]

The 150 had reasonable seats and seemed better than a 156 to me. There was more leg room especially in the bits where the seats faced each other.

Sounds like you got lucky with the 150 and caught one of the ones that North West Trains put the effort in to refurbish around the turn of the millennium. There's a lot of them in the Northern fleet though that are truly dire, which retain their original, low to the floor, cramped seating. Similarly there's a lot of Pacers which are still fitted with their original bus bench seating, but you don't see as many of them on the East side of the Pennines.

I can't envisage a scenario where I would consider a 150 better than a 156 though!

 

[Techniquest]

In terms of pure fun, a 156 is definitely better. In terms of comfort, an ATW 150 is better than a ScotRail 156!

 

[me123]

In terms of pure fun, a 156 is definitely better. In terms of comfort, an ATW 150 is better than a ScotRail 156!

Can't agree with that, I'm afraid. The ATWs 150s aren't bad as 150s go, but I still think the 156s win hands down.

 

[Kite159]

The worst are the 150s with the full 3+2 airline style high density seating, the Northern 150s with the 3+2 bay style seating are not that bad.

 

[Segedunum]

The worst are the 150s with the full 3+2 airline style high density seating, the Northern 150s with the 3+2 bay style seating are not that bad.

And the Northern ones with 3+2 high density Chapman seating are even worse! It's like being totally rammed in...