Central Trains

[150222]

In the days of central trains. Did classes 156 or 158 ever venture onto the snow hill lines? Also did 150's ever venture onto the 'east side'? I have been told that a 150 did a Birmingham to Leicester service in 06/07 ish.

 

[Jordy]

150s certainly made it to Grimsby, I have a video of a 3 car Centro livered one at Barnetby!

 

[northernrailer]

I have seen a couple of class 156s on the Snow Hill lines back in 2000 there was a Dorridge to Worcester service and a return working, IIRC on the way to Worcester it departed Snow Hill around 14:03, and passed back through around 430 - 5 on its way back to Dorridge, when i saw the 156s they were 156403 and 156414. I have a picture of 156403 in the Regional Express livery leaving Snow Hill for Worcester and video of 156414 at Moor Street.

I have only seen 158s once on the Snow Hill services and it was on a saturday back in 2002 and there was 2 158s working the Snow Hill services that day 158851 and 158850, i was filming that day so have them on video, this was the only time ever i have seen 158s on the Snow Hill lines, i think they were alternating on the Stourbridge - Shirley services.

I also have a picture of 153356 leaving Birmingham Moor Street for Dorridge back in 2000, i remember this units passed through Moor Street at least once an hour in one direction or another, so that will have been on a Stourbridge - Dorridge diagram.

Back in Central Trains days any units could end up on any service, the 13:46 Lincoln - Chester service was always formed of a centro 150 + 153, there was even a SO 15:18 service from Skegness - Aberystwyth, and on the first day this service operated it was formed of 153365.

I remember getting the 13:02 Doncaster - Lincoln service in the late 90's and it could be formed of anything even tho it was booked for a 153, i have used that service loads and its been everything but a 170. There was even a Coventry - Grimsby service that left Lincoln around dinner time that was booked a 3 car 150.

 

[Eagle]

...there was even a SO 15:18 service from Skegness - Aberystwyth, and on the first day this service operated it was formed of 153365.

261 miles on a 153? Cabin fever

 

[507 001]

261 miles on a 153? Cabin fever

god help the driver if it was the small end leading!

 

[electra27000]

I have been told that a 150 did a Birmingham to Leicester service in 06/07 ish.

150217 on the 14th August 2006...

http://rigalleries.smugmug.com/RailwayImageGalleries/Classes-150-to-159/20148183_zdVBKR#1590744665_7bGBKLh-O-LB

 

[trains2064]

Taking with a friend of mine he remembers regularly working 156's on Snow Hill lines services. Infact he worked all 20 in his time most 3 or 4 times. They were the normal replacement when 150's were unavailable. He had 158's often special on the 20.20 from Snow Hill to Worcester. 158783 was most often.
He even remembers the first 170. Not the date but 170512 on the 17.10 from snow hill to leamington spa and the 18.10 from leamington to stratford. (he was conducted as at that time no traction knowledge. It should of come of tyseley as a 3 car 150 coupled to another 2 car 150 which went to worcester. On that day a 158 came of with the 170.

Hope this helps.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The also used to be a 2 car 150 that used to run around all day on the snow hill line then head empty from Shirley to New Street before heading to Leicester around 19.30.

 

[MCR247]

We had 150s in Nottingham quite a bit, so these must have come from Birmingham, and I had a lone 150/2 on a Cardiff - Nottingham once hock:

 

[WillPS]

Any DMU could turn up on any DMU route in Central Trains days. It always massively annoyed me when I saw a 3-car 170 running to Worksop stuck in a 2-car 158 bound for Norwich

 

[12CSVT]

I've had 156s/158s travelling to Severn Valley Diesel Galas over the years

29/09/2000 - 158954 Birmingham New Street to Kidderminster
27/04/2001 - 158846+156416 Kidderminster to Birmingham Moor Street

 

[Class172]

I remember any old stock would be put onto the Snow Hill and BHM-HFD services. 150s, 156s, 158s would appear on Snow Hills, 150s and 170s on BHM-HFDs and 158s, 170s on HFD-NOTs.

 

[AlexS]

As already said it was anything anywhere. I used to use the Wellington-Walsall local service (and it's predecessors and successors) regularly and while a 153 or 150 was the norm, it wasn't unusual to have anything else from the ex MML/CT/RentaRat 170s to 158s to 156s appear.

As they connected a lot of their local trains together to form long distance services initially it did mean you got things like 150s working trains that crossed the countryside. By 2007 it had all settled down and been largely broken up, although the 170s were for example booked in many cases to work Shrewsbury-Birmingham-Leicester-Birmingham-Stansted-Birmingham-Shrewsbury, which gave your long distance fleet a regular booking on all stations services.

 

[Tomnick]

Many happy memories of a Grimsby - Lincoln service that used to actually be useful. I remember the 0930 ex-Grimsby not only going through to Nottingham and Birmingham, but then on to various destinations over a few timetable changes (I'm sure Chester and Aberystwyth were two). I seem to remember a Great Malvern - Market Rasen service (or similar) in the afternoon too? Now nothing (or very little?) goes beyond Newark, and of course Lincoln has nothing going beyond Leicester.

One of the afternoon Donny services used to be formed out of something from Nottingham (no doubt starting back at Birmingham or beyond) - I remember it regularly producing a 170 despite being booked for a 15x, causing the cancellation of that Doncaster service (as at that time 170s were prohibited from the route).

 

[sonic2009]

I believe it was a Great Malvern to Grimsby Town service.

 

[Tomnick]

There probably was one of those too! There was one service that only ran as far as Market Rasen (presumably turned back at Holton-le-Moor) though, which no doubt had an exotic origin at some point.

 

[I like Class 153]

I saw a CT 170 operating to Grimsby Town,

I liked going on the 150 on the Matlock Line,

Did 170 units run on the Nottingham to Skegness in round in 2006/2007?,

What annoyed me was on the Robin Hood Line was when there were 3 Class 170's and 1 156 operating, I liked when it was 3 15x and 1 Class 170 operating or even 4 15x and no 170's operating on the line,


If I was running Central Trains (If it was still going), my fleet would and the routes they would run on are:

Class 150 units (18× 2 car and 18× 3 car) They would operate on all non Centro electric services on the New Street/Snow Hill line services, some on non centro services such as Nottingham to Matlock, Nottingham to Worksop line and Skegness to Crewe (Via Derby and Stoke) or Coventry(Via Leicester), Birmingham New Street to Lincoln Central via Leicester

Class 153 single carriage units (21x 1 car) They would coupled on any 150, 156,158 or 170 services during busier times, also they would on services from Newark Northgate to Grimsby Town/Cleethropes, Peterborough to Lincoln Central/Doncaster(All services and as individual units), Nottingham to Worksop, Birmingham New Street to Lincoln Central, Coventry or Crewe to Skegness and Nottingham to Matlock and Stourbridge branch line services (All services and individual units),

Class 156 units (20 2 car units) They would run on services from Newark Northgate to Grimsby Town/Cleethropes, Coventry/Nottingham to Cleethropes (Sunday services), Birmingham New Street to Lincoln Central, Coventry/Crewe to Skegness, Nottingham to Worksop and Nottingham to Matlock

Class 158 units (13x2 car and 10x 3 car units) they would mainly run on the Liverpool to Norwich or Stansed Airport services, Nottingham to Cardiff Central services, Stansed Airport to Liverpool Services via Leicester and Birmingham New Street and sometimes they can be used on other routes,

Class 170 units (23x 2car units and 18 3 car units) they would run mainly run on the Liverpool to Norwich or Stansed Airport services, Nottingham to Cardiff Central services, Stansed Airport to Liverpool Services via Leicester and Birmingham New Street but not to run on other routes,

Class 323 (26 units) on all electric Centro routes