ECML electric service introduction 1989-91

[AY1975]

Apologies if there's already a thread on this (if there is I can't find it), but as I recall the Class 91s first entered service on King's Cross-Leeds services in March 1989, initially with HST sets but with a 91 in place of one power car while the other power car effectively became a surrogate Driving Van Trailer, then the Mark 4 sets were introduced on the route with the 1989/90 winter timetable in October of that year.

As far as electric services to Newcastle and Edinburgh were concerned, IIRC they were planned to be introduced with the May 1991 timetable but there were various complications that led to a phased introduction of the 91s on the Newcastle and Edinburgh services between May and July of that year so BR had to issue a temporary timetable to cover that period.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I spent a few Saturdays at Leeds Station in the first half of 1990. As you say, services between King's Cross and Leeds were in the hands of 91s with:
- Mk3 rake + HST power car for a) auxiliary power to coaches and b) as supplementary traction. The power cars ran, initially, at idle for aux only: but I recall that gave rise to problems.
- Mk4 rake including DVT.

As an aside, the first 91s I saw were on test, August 1988:
- 91004 at Doncaster, with the rake of Mk3 sleeping cars.
- 91006 at Nuneaton, with front bogie on a wheel skate. I don't know why it was there.

 

[hexagon789]

The power cars ran merely at idle for aux only: but I recall that gave rose to problems.
- Mk4 rake including DVT.

Exhaust fires being just one of them. One of the worst damaged several hundreds yards of brand-new overhead wire - very shortly after that, the control system was modified so the power cars supplied traction power in the normal way.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Exhaust fires being just one of them. One of the worst damaged several hundreds yards of brand-new overhead wire - very shortly after that, the control system was modified so the power cars supplied traction power in the normal way.

That's the one! Thanks for reminding me.

 

[hexagon789]

That's the one! Thanks for reminding me.

No worries, that particular issue is fairly well documented and mentioned in relation to the short-lived super power 91/HST hybrid sets - the other, lesser issues aren't mentioned as frequently likely because they were less significant.

 

[Cowley]

That's the one! Thanks for reminding me.

Without wanting to take the thread too far off course someone who’s quite good at providing information on this sort of stuff provided quite a bit of information on the subject a few years ago.

 

[StephenHunter]

The surrogate DVTs were given buffers and kept them until final withdrawal.

 

[hexagon789]

Without wanting to take the thread too far off course someone who’s quite good at providing information on this sort of stuff provided quite a bit of information on the subject a few years ago.

Lol, i even tried to find that and couldn't - so many thanks @Cowley

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2025 ==

The surrogate DVTs were given buffers and kept them until final withdrawal.

Certain TGS also gained buffers, drawhooks and drophead buckeyes.

 

[Magdalia]

then the Mark 4 sets were introduced on the route with the 1989/90 winter timetable in October of that year.

For most of the winter 1989/90 timetable the Leeds trains remained class 91+Mark IIIs+HST, though there was a token Mark IV working from November 1989. The switch from class 91+Mark IIIs+HST to class 91+Mark IVs+DVT was in March 1990.

led to a phased introduction of the 91s on the Newcastle and Edinburgh services between May and July of that year so BR had to issue a temporary timetable to cover that period.

The summer 1991 timetable has a start date of 8 July. The first Newcastle/Edinburgh workings were on 10 June with 2 new diagrams being introduced each Monday 10 June to 1 July.

 

[55002]

The inaugural run of Mark 4s was on Weds 20th Sept 1989 when 91001 did a press run from KGX to Leeds and back. 1T06 1125 from KGX and 1T07 1540 return from Leeds

First passenger service I saw was 91001 on 1D32 0650 KGX-LDS on 23rd March 1989, 1A12 1001 return, 1D39 1320 KGX-LDS. That’s not to say that was the first working. 91001 had been doing a test run the day before however.

the first full day of 91 plus MK 3 was Monday 15th May 1989. I saw 91001/004/006/007/008 out that day.

The first ever Class 91 north of Grantham was on 16th June 1988 when 91001 worked 1G52 1155 Peterborough to Doncaster and 1G53 1345 return to Bounds Green test trains.

 

[GatwickDepress]

As an aside, the first 91s I saw were on test, August 1988:
- 91004 at Doncaster, with the rake of Mk3 sleeping cars.

Did 91s ever operate sleepers in revenue service or was it only ever done during testing?

 

[43096]

The surrogate DVTs were given buffers and kept them until final withdrawal.

Final withdrawal? None have been withdrawn - two leased to Network Rail for the NMT and the other six are the active RailAdventure fleet.

 

[43096]

Certain TGS also gained buffers, drawhooks and drophead buckeyes.

I've never understood the logic of why the TGS vehicles needed those modifications - they were always coupled to a Class 91 which had buckeyes. The only mod they would need (and got) was the fitting of RCH jumper cables to interface with the TDM kit on the Class 91. There was also an internal mod on the TGS to interface the RCH jumper into the standard HST 36-way control jumper.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Did 91s ever operate sleepers in revenue service or was it only ever done during testing?

The 91 operating proposition was pitched as "blunt end for slower services (such as the Mk2f 64xx high density stock) and sleeper services" but the ECML had lost its sleeping car workings by the time 91s entered squadron service.

 

[55002]

The 91 operating proposition was pitched as "blunt end for slower services (such as the Mk2f 64xx high density stock) and sleepers" but that never happened. The ECML had lost its sleeping car workings by the time 91s entered squadron service.

Yep think the sleepers stopped in May 1988 timetable

 

[GatwickDepress]

The 91 operating proposition was pitched as "blunt end for slower services (such as the Mk2f 64xx high density stock) and sleeper services" but the ECML had lost its sleeping car workings by the time 91s entered squadron service.

Fascinating, thank you for that. I had always wondered if the blunt end of the 91s were purely for shunting purposes or if they had other ideas.

 

[Transilien]

blunt end for slower services (such as the Mk2f 64xx high density stock)

What types of services on the ECML still used mark 2s at the end of the 80's? Or was intended for later orders of the 91s that we never got?

 

[StephenHunter]

What types of services on the ECML still used mark 2s at the end of the 80's? Or was intended for later orders of the 91s that we never got?

Some of the Cambridge services perhaps?

 

[Magdalia]

Some of the Cambridge services perhaps?

From 1978 to 1988 there were no through Kings Cross-Cambridge services, only an EMU/DMU connection at Royston. Through trains resumed in 1988 with class 317s.

In 1988/89 there was a 0700 Peterborough-Kings Cross and 1736 Kings Cross-Peterborough worked by 89001 when it wasn't broken.

 

[Sun Chariot]

What types of services on the ECML still used mark 2s at the end of the 80's? Or was intended for later orders of the 91s that we never got?

ECML mk2 stock 89-90

The ECML had some intercity mk2s for commuter services at this time, formed i believe of 64xx stock which in 1990 got converted again . I am trying to obtain a picture or details of this 64xx stock. I know that several of the coaches were in intercity livery, but was the lettering swallow or exec...

www.rmweb.co.uk

 

[Transilien]

ECML mk2 stock 89-90

The ECML had some intercity mk2s for commuter services at this time, formed i believe of 64xx stock which in 1990 got converted again . I am trying to obtain a picture or details of this 64xx stock. I know that several of the coaches were in intercity livery, but was the lettering swallow or exec...

www.rmweb.co.uk

Thanks, I’m guessing once the mark 4s had entered service they would have went away.

 

[Strathclyder]

In 1988/89 there was a 0700 Peterborough-Kings Cross and 1736 Kings Cross-Peterborough worked by 89001 when it wasn't broken.

Both captured by Martin Loader on 16th August 1988, acccompanied by 43013 on this particular day:

07:00

89001 Abbots Ripton 16 August 1988

17:36

89001 Conington Fen 16 August 1988

The rest of his photos from Abbots Ripton that morning are also worth a look imho:

43068 Abbots Ripton 16 August 1988

43111 Abbots Ripton 16 August 1988

317343 Abbots Ripton 16 August 1988

317354 Abbots Ripton 16 August 1988

 

[Helvellyn]

The Class 91 blunt end was to allow the locos to be used on ECML Sleeper, Parcels and freight services. When the Class was designed there were fewer early/late services so this was seen as a way of getting more use from the locos as seen on the WCML where Class 87s were used on Freightliner and Steel workings overnight, plus Parcels and Sleeper traffic. As sectorisation developed there was less desire to share locos this way (why risk an Anglo-Scottish service from Glasgow being delayed due to a late arrival at Mossend of the booked Class 87 on a Freightliner for example).

I think ECML Sleepers went as part of the gradual contraction of the market and a May '88 end date probably helped with overnight possessions for electrification work as it moved Northwards. It was suggested some services would move back to the ECML but the early 1990s recession probably put paid to that when the Anglo-Scots Sleepers became just one service per destination (You initially had two Aberdeens, etc.).

The Mark 2s used were short-lived peak commuter sets to try keep Grantham/Peterborough passengers off HSTs and then the Mark 4s. 30 Mark 2F TSOs with high-density seating (68xx series, APT style IC80 seats) were convered from SOs (64xx series, declassified Mark 2F FOs). They were split between Derby and Bounds Green to allow two MML loco-hauled peak sets and two ECML ones. Again, the recession of the early 1990s killed these off and the 68xx TSOs went to Anglia to complete the replacement of the remaining Mark 2D TSOs there.

 

[ecmlthrash15]

I still recall travelling in july 1991 on the 1145 peterborough to newcastle. Train was due to arrive at 1345. We left Peterborough 10 minutes late, and still arrived in Newcastle on time.

 

[hexagon789]

I still recall travelling in july 1991 on the 1145 peterborough to newcastle. Train was due to arrive at 1345. We left Peterborough 10 minutes late, and still arrived in Newcastle on time.

Even today that's still possible on some services with a clear run and cutting station dwells slightly.

 

[ecmlthrash15]

Even today that's still possible on some services with a clear run and cutting station dwells slightly.

Obviously, the 91s could accelerate faster than a hst, that definitely aided. There was just the 1 call at york.

 

[hexagon789]

Obviously, the 91s could accelerate faster than a hst

At higher speeds, yes, but an HST is actually quicker to about 60mph and the 91 only starts pulling ahead above about 80mph.

The overall difference though is about 2 to 2.5 mins on the 0-125mph time. So straightaway, you do save about 2 mins on each acceleration to maximum linespeed between stops.

 

[jfollows]

From 1978 to 1988 there were no through Kings Cross-Cambridge services, only an EMU/DMU connection at Royston. Through trains resumed in 1988 with class 317s.

In 1988/89 there was a 0700 Peterborough-Kings Cross and 1736 Kings Cross-Peterborough worked by 89001 when it wasn't broken.

Even in 1988 I don’t think the power supply allowed AC electric locos to be used Hitchin-Cambridge, it took a few more years until these were allowed.

 

[Magdalia]

Even in 1988 I don’t think the power supply allowed AC electric locos to be used Hitchin-Cambridge, it took a few more years until these were allowed.

Yes the power supply was restricted, though there were a few instances of diverted class 86s in 1988/89.

The class 91+MarkIII+HST trains were diverted via Cambridge on a few weekends in 1989 but with diesel locos attached.