class 66 dragging a postal emu

[MisterSheeps]

Seen at Hest Bank at 16:30 today, a class 66 in Maritime blue livery was dragging a southbound postal service (2 x 3 car red Royal Mail livery). Realtime Trains says it is 1M55 Shieldmuir to Daventry. This seems unusual, normally runs with pantographs up ...

 

[Covshire1]

Seen at Hest Bank at 16:30 today, a class 66 in Maritime blue livery was dragging a southbound postal service (2 x 3 car red Royal Mail livery). Realtime Trains says it is 1M55 Shieldmuir to Daventry. This seems unusual, normally runs with pantographs up ...

66142 + 325004 + 325006...

 

[D6130]

Seen at Hest Bank at 16:30 today, a class 66 in Maritime blue livery was dragging a southbound postal service (2 x 3 car red Royal Mail livery). Realtime Trains says it is 1M55 Shieldmuir to Daventry. This seems unusual, normally runs with pantographs up ...

Perhaps there was no driver available with class 325 traction knowledge?

 

[ExRes]

I can't remember exactly where but there was/is a diversion section on the WCML route where 325s were/are not permitted to run under their own power

 

[pokemonsuper9]

(2 x 3 car red Royal Mail livery).

3 car 325s? Is that a typo or has something changed?

 

[littledude]

I can't remember exactly where but there was/is a diversion section on the WCML route where 325s were/are not permitted to run under their own power

325s aren’t permitted via Manchester Piccadilly under their own power AFAIK

 

[MisterSheeps]

3 car 325

sorry, it looked like 3 car, wikipedia says 4 car. i am wrong

 

[randyrippley]

Seems to have been some kind of delay this evening between Oxenholme & Lancaster southbound around 7-8pm
Related?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jun 2024 ==

325s aren’t permitted via Manchester Piccadilly under their own power AFAIK

Why is that?

 

[Nym]

Why is that?

Likely never homogenised on that type of OLE. Not sure what pantographs they use on the 325s.
(Very likely BW HSP or HSA, but the sub-type of HSP or HSA does matter)

 

[60159]

I saw it just north of Royal Mail Warrington off the mainline. It was either stopped or moving very slowly.
You can see it suffered a longish delay from RTT.
Thanks for the unit numbers. I was going to ask but no need now!

 

[Adrian Barr]

Seen at Hest Bank at 16:30 today, a class 66 in Maritime blue livery was dragging a southbound postal service (2 x 3 car red Royal Mail livery). Realtime Trains says it is 1M55 Shieldmuir to Daventry. This seems unusual, normally runs with pantographs up ...

Nice pic of it at Carlisle: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriemulrine/53822171965/

The dragging of 325s is often related to problems with the units, although it wasn't that uncommon for the east coast 1E06/1M80 mail trains to need diesel haulage due to late night overhead line isolations. After being dragged back north as 1S55 from Warrington by the 66, the same pair of 325 units - plus 325014 - were dragged southbound from Mossend to Crewe this morning (by 66142 again) on 5M31, which is a weekly maintenance move for the 325s.

Seems to have been some kind of delay this evening between Oxenholme & Lancaster southbound around 7-8pm
Related?

There was an unrelated signal issue causing southbound trains to be cautioned past a signal at danger. Also 1M55 lost a bit of time coming south due to being a 75mph diesel on a 100mph schedule (ideally, class 67s are preferable for 325 drags where possible)

I saw it just north of Royal Mail Warrington off the mainline. It was either stopped or moving very slowly.
You can see it suffered a longish delay from RTT.

It was diverted into the mail terminal at Warrington and terminated there, not sure why it was delayed getting in, possibly because the stone train from Peak was shunting into Dallam sidings at about the same time.