Cumbrian Coast Loco Hauled Stock

[Karl]

It is a nice journey along the coast, even in less than nice weather. Sure was when I did it aboard a 156 on either my 2011 and 2012 ALR trip, probably the latter, and it was a rather dark grey sky with the odd shower of rain too.

It's been a long time since your last adventure then! Have the Chiltern, and more recently ScotRail, 68s not appealed? Certainly they're going down well with a lot of people, obviously there's still a huge difference compared with anything EE but hey ho!

I've just watched a couple of youtube videos of a trip on the 1004 from Preston to Barrow. It looks a nice ride and has really got me interested again.

See here...
Northern Rail Cumbrian Coast Loco-Hauled Services on 3rd June 2015.
Part 1: Preston to Barrow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpng6yRdOps/

Part 2: Barrow to Carlisle & Return
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDMD9exyxXk/

As for the new class 68s, I've still to see one yet and the Chiltern services, although tempting, are just out of reach for me at the moment.

I do have enough Northern vouchers for 2 separate days out before the end of June so I might even do a trip along the east coast side of Northern's network. It'll be interesting to see how things have changed since the 1970s when I last used the routes.

Crikey, I'll be getting my old Locoshed out next!

 

[Mark62]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

I'd agree with the, the Newcastle/Carlisle and Leeds/Settle/Carlisle never seem long enough. Four or even Five carriages would seem a good idea.

 

[yorksrob]

Well, had a fine couple of journeys on the loco hauled sets yesterday.

My train was down by half an hour at Millom - but this was due to a late staff arrival at Workington and a track circuit issue in the Parton area.

The loco's and Mk 2's behaved impeccably throughout. A far superior travelling experience (window stickers not withstanding).

 

[Rhydgaled]

I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them.

I think you mean the Cumbrian Coast. The Cambrian coast is generally 2-car class 158s (with 4-car 158s on part of the Cambrian Main Line).

Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

I'm glad that 158s are used on that route rather than lesser Sprinters. Loco-hauled would be good but equally 4-car trains can be formed using 158s, we just need more of them. Somebody build SWT a new fleet of bi-mode units similar to class 444/442 please, then Northern, Great Western and Wales & Borders can share out the released 159s and 158s.

 

[yorksrob]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

Assuming you do mean the Cumbrian Coast, all the services I was on were very well loaded yesterday (and not just with cranks !).

That said, the three carriage Settle Carlisle I was on yesterday was standing room only. Something to do with the horse fair at Appleby.

 

[berneyarms]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

Clearly you've never travelled on the trains that serve Sellafield just before/after a shift change.

 

[bb21]

Clearly you've never travelled on the trains that serve Sellafield just before/after a shift change.

I joined the loco-hauled at Sellafield the other day at shift changeover. Despite the capacity, it was an uncomfortable ride and standing room only. I can see why Northern timed their loco hauled at such times.

 

[berneyarms]

I joined the loco-hauled at Sellafield the other day at shift changeover. Despite the capacity, it was an uncomfortable ride and standing room only. I can see why Northern timed their loco hauled at such times.

That's exactly my point - they need the capacity.

The loco hauled sets operate the services that connect with the start and end of the early morning shifts at Sellafield, which is exactly when capacity is needed, and also the morning/evening peak trains into and out of Carlisle.

 

[Techniquest]

I've just watched a couple of youtube videos of a trip on the 1004 from Preston to Barrow. It looks a nice ride and has really got me interested again.

See here...
Northern Rail Cumbrian Coast Loco-Hauled Services on 3rd June 2015.
Part 1: Preston to Barrow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpng6yRdOps/

Part 2: Barrow to Carlisle & Return
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDMD9exyxXk/

As for the new class 68s, I've still to see one yet and the Chiltern services, although tempting, are just out of reach for me at the moment.

I do have enough Northern vouchers for 2 separate days out before the end of June so I might even do a trip along the east coast side of Northern's network. It'll be interesting to see how things have changed since the 1970s when I last used the routes.

Crikey, I'll be getting my old Locoshed out next!

Fair games. I'm watching that first video there at the moment, phwoar to that sound off Preston!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I actually thought that departure was a tad lackluster compared to when I did it. Still good though!

 

[causton]

(window stickers not withstanding).

What is this referring to? Hmm...

 

[yorksrob]

What is this referring to? Hmm...

They've put some rather large stickers along the bottom of approximately half of the windows. Rather impedes the view of the sea.

 

[sprinterguy]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

The additional capacity being provided by the loco-hauled trains on the Cumbrian Coast is a boon, but the primary purpose of them is to provide 156s for Transpennine Express services between Manchester and Blackpool.

Replacing 158s on the Settle & Carlisle with loco-hauled trains would require a more complex set of cascades within Northern in order to provide the required 156s for TPE services to Blackpool. The 158s are Neville Hill based while 156s aren't. The Settle & Carlisle line has gone from strength to strength in the last twenty-odd years since Regional Railways days, and the provision of three, and sometimes four, carriage 158 (+153) formations on some services, which are more frequent than they once were, is actually a very positive situation.

I'm not sure whether the 156s that are being released from the Cumbrian Coast are Heaton or Allerton based units. I know they tend to be the Northern Spirit refurbished units, but since a number of the Neville Hill allocated units were transferred to Newton Heath (and subsequently Allerton) this is no longer indicative of allocation. If they are Heaton based units then it might have been possible to operate a couple of loco hauled diagrams on the Tyne Valley line instead of the Cumbrian coast. However, there might not be the capacity at Newcastle that you imagine; many of the Newcastle to Carlisle services seem to start from platform 11 at Newcastle, which is not long enough to accommodate a four carriage train plus two locomotives. With the long layovers of these trains there might not be capacity for them to utilise one of the through platforms for an extended period of time.

It is the Pacer operated services, in my experience, that are the busiest over the Tyne Valley route by dint of their low capacity: If the loco-hauled trains were to take over a couple of these diagrams then those Pacers would end up taking over existing, higher capacity, 156 diagrams on the route in order to release the 156s, so you would probably just end up moving the capacity problem.

 

[D6975]

It seems strange that loco hauled services with four coaches should run on this line when there are clearly higher priorities to provide extra capacity. The Tyne valley line for example would benefit from extra capacity. The Carlisle to newcastle cattle trains often arrive at Hexham full and standing. And there are ample opportunities for running around at both Carlisle and Newcastle should the need arise. I am just perplexed as to why the Cambrian coast line has four coach trains when other lines clearly need them. Another obvious choice would be the settle to Carlisle. To run 158s on that line is a crime. I sure that four coaches would be easily filled on every journey.

In addition to comments above, the capacity of a 2 car 158 + one 153 is actually only very slightly less less than that of the 4 coach LHCS sets.
Also, although running to Newcastle seems attractive, especially as using the two bridges does away with the need to run round, the layover mentioned above is a problem, changing the timetable to having a 10 mins(ish) layover or doing a second circuit across the bridges would be necessary to avoid platform blocking at Newcastle. Changing the timetable would probably not be considered due to the intervals between the Carlisles and the Middlesbrough-Hexham services. If you did, you then get knock on effects onto the coast route, then to Darlo stoppers and Whitbys etc, etc.

 

[samj]

37419/37423 on 1004 Preston-Barrow today. Service only had 3 carriages though - 2 x DRS Mk2 and 1 x Anglia Mk2

 

[Greybeard33]

37419/37423 on 1004 Preston-Barrow today. Service only had 3 carriages though - 2 x DRS Mk2 and 1 x Anglia Mk2

Also formed the 1737 Carlisle-Barrow. Saw them at Ravenglass at 1930.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

CDL fault on one of the TSOs. Should be back to 4 on Wednesday.

 

[Cletus]

How well filled are these services? Presumably I can just turn up and get on?

I was thinking of a Wednesday for the ex-Preston 10.04am.

 

[PHILIPE]

How well filled are these services? Presumably I can just turn up and get on?

I was thinking of a Wednesday for the ex-Preston 10.04am.

Probably full of cranks bashing Tractors.

 

[berneyarms]

How well filled are these services? Presumably I can just turn up and get on?

I was thinking of a Wednesday for the ex-Preston 10.04am.

That train would be fine, as would the connecting train from Barrow.

The following loco hauled train from Barrow will be jammed leaving Sellafield with workers heading home.

 

[Cletus]

Thanks, I'm only probably planning to go as far as Silverdale.

 

[samj]

Issues today on the Cumbrian Coast - 37609/37402 working 0842 Carlisle-Barrow were 65 late due to points issue at Sellafield. 37419/37423 carried on from 1004 ex-Preston to continue on 1137 Barrow-Carlisle. Not sure why this doesn't run as a through service anyway? 37609/37402 terminated Carlisle approx 55 late due to line side fire at Bootle on 1437 Barrow-Carlisle

 

[158722]

Not sure why this doesn't run as a through service anyway?

To swap the sets around, otherwise the Carlisle starter set would end up back at Carlisle at night and the Barrow one, back at Barrow...

 

[badger1badger]

On Saturday

From leeds and back to leeds what is the best way to get certain loco haulage

Cheers

Paul

 

[PHILIPE]

On Saturday

From leeds and back to leeds what is the best way to get certain loco haulage

Cheers

Paul

See Post #216

 

[badger1badger]

Easily. I would suggest the following weekday itinerary:

08:15 Leeds to Carnforth
10:35 Carnforth to Barrow
11:38 Barrow to Carlisle
15:06 Carlisle to Leeds

You'll be back in time for tea. Last train back to Leeds from Carlisle is 18:14 so you could spend more of your day along the cumbrian coast if you wished.

Is this the same for Saturday ?

 

[PHILIPE]

Is this the same for Saturday ?

I've checked the times from RTT and is 08 19 ex Leeds and 15 49 ex Carlisle.

 

[badger1badger]

I've checked the times from RTT and is 08 19 ex Leeds and 15 49 ex Carlisle.

Thank you
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Sorry just one more - is the carnforth - barrow a transpennine service

We want to try and use friends and family northern as much as possible

Including the loco hauled

 

[sprinterguy]

Sorry just one more - is the carnforth - barrow a transpennine service

We want to try and use friends and family northern as much as possible

Including the loco hauled

On a weekday, the 10:25 Carnforth to Barrow is a Northern Rail service.

On a Saturday, the corresponding connection at Carnforth is slightly earlier, at 10:09 (giving a 9 minute connection time), and is a Transpennine Express service.