Central Citylink

[laseandre]

Does anyone know if Central 170s were been used on the Cardiff services?

 

[P156KWJ]

yes, 90% of the time it was 170s. although ironically on the last day of CT, it was a lot of TPE 158s they also ran Liverpool-Norwich (now soley 156s/158s very occasionally 153s), Liverpool / Preston - Birmingham, Birmingham-Stansted Airport. They still operate on all bar Liv-Norw. (others are either London Midland or XC)

 

[laseandre]

Ah right, planning to do a model railway based on an area where a Central 170 and a VT HST would've been (only two pieces of stock I have).

 

[Ascot]

Ah right, planning to do a model railway based on an area where a Central 170 and a VT HST would've been (only two pieces of stock I have).

Birmingham.

And yes 170s ran on all the City Links (even Liverpool)

 

[laseandre]

I was thinking Cheltenham Spa, actually.

 

[P156KWJ]

Birmingham would be hard to model accurately unless you had an attic the size of a football pitch especially with the overhead wires and 4 places that join and leave Birmingham and the complex pointwork

 

[laseandre]

And the concourse monstrosity on top, of course!

 

[P156KWJ]

yes. You'd need plenty of mould too. And poor lighting, Phil Sayer, a power signal box, 4 tunnels (inc. ex GW lines to Moor St over one of them!), and a lot of people!

 

[Guinness]

Most of the time it was a Turbostar but at times have been 158 and occasionally a 156 when fleet shortages or diagram problems.

 

[Techniquest]

A few years ago it was even possible to see a 150/1 on Nottingham to Cardiff services...Seen it happen, I shuddered and pitied the poor souls who were on it for long distance. I'll see if I can find my notebook with it noted. Suffice to say, I would have flagged that and headed to the nearest coffee shop and got the next one. Or got a MML service to Leicester and something else to Birmingham!

Central Trains' 170/5s worked to Cardiff a lot, it averaged about 50/50 with the 170/1s. 170/6s also made an appearance, depending a lot on what was chucked out from TS that morning. 170/3s (397, 398 and even 399) made it down on occasions, again depending on where they ended up.

 

[jv3531]

Its happened this year too with the 150/1s and 2s. Footexs are a big fan of them - the site of a 9 or 12 car ish formation snaking its way round from barnwood through gloucester with a mixture of colour realy is something! Never have my camera when it happens though!!!! Such is life.....

 

[mumrar]

I saw that special, but unfortunately it was run by London Midland who don't normally operate down that way as no-one at CrossCountry retains the old stuff on their traction cards. There's not much variety left even if the work is a load better

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Ah right, planning to do a model railway based on an area where a Central 170 and a VT HST would've been (only two pieces of stock I have).

Bear with me here but, Hope Valley/Nottingham/Derby/Sheffield area?

When Virgin finished with their HSTs, they were used by MML to run from St Pancras to Manchester via Derby and the Hope Valley Line (Project Rio), at the same time CT 170s would be running Liverpool to Norwich via the Hope Valley and Nottingham.

This gives a few options though and interesting formations. In the early days of Project Rio the coaches weren't all ready, so short formations were the main, then as coaches appeared so did the new livery they adopted and some sets were seen with mixtures of Virgin, MML Teal & Tangerine, and that new white/blue livery. Although the Rio sets never had the Virgin livery on the Buffet car.

Formations could be as short as:

PC-TGS-TSO-TSO-TSO-TFO-PC

This video of my layout shows my Project Rio HST:

 

[Mojo]

Yep - I've attached a picture here of a combination (IIRC it was 11 cars) of Central 150s at Newport for either football or rugby on 3 Sept 2005 in Cardiff.

 

[Techniquest]

A FootEx or RugEx is one thing, but a 150 on a normal service train was something rather unusual back at the time.

 

[87015]

A FootEx or RugEx is one thing, but a 150 on a normal service train was something rather unusual back at the time.

8 car 150 booked New St-Euston on a Saturday night is far more riotous especially going via Weedon when Northampton was shut!

 

[Techniquest]

8 car 150 booked New St-Euston on a Saturday night is far more riotous especially going via Weedon when Northampton was shut!

Dreadful! Some rather unusual track for 150s there!

 

[P156KWJ]

A FootEx or RugEx is one thing, but a 150 on a normal service train was something rather unusual back at the time.

I can remember when 150s reguarly made it over this side of the network, I can remember sitting on a Centro 150 from Nottingham to Cleethorpes hock: I can once remember a 2 car 150 and 3 car 170 in combo on a Cardiff run.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I've seen a single 150 unit at Newport (gwent) on a Nottingham run