Front portion for Blackpool, rear for Windermere

[a_c_skinner]

In The Road to Little Dribbling, Bill Bryson, whom I enjoy a lot, describes being on Preston Station and being told his train would divide front 4 to Blackpool, rear 4 to Kendal (well Windermere, obviously). It bothers me every time I listen to the CD.

I guess this was about 2011.

Would this be three and three Class 185s? Was this portion working done? I know TPE did split and join at Preston, but was it Blackpool and Windermere?

 

[Bletchleyite]

In The Road to Little Dribbling, Bill Bryson, whom I enjoy a lot, describes being on Preston Station and being told his train would divide front 4 to Blackpool, rear 4 to Kendal (well Windermere, obviously). It bothers me every time I listen to the CD.

I guess this was about 2011.

Would this be three and three Class 185s? Was this portion working done? I know TPE did split and join at Preston, but was it Blackpool and Windermere?

I have definitely been on such a combined service, but I am near-certain it was 2 x 3-car 175 (though I suspect that one probably did last into the Class 185 era, pre-electrification to Blackpool). Platforms wouldn't have been long enough for it to be 2 x 4 (no SDO on 175s) so this is probably him misremembering. Might I suppose have been 2 x 2-car 175 on that service leading to his 4?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Fairly sure it was six car Class 185 units operated by TPE and originating from the Manchester area that were split at Preston. One portion of three would be for Blackpool North, the other portion would be for Windermere.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

I have definitely been on such a combined service, but I am near-certain it was 2 x 3-car 175 (though I suspect that one probably did last into the Class 185 era, pre-electrification to Blackpool). Platforms wouldn't have been long enough for it to be 2 x 4 (no SDO on 175s) so this is probably him misremembering. Might I suppose have been 2 x 2-car 175 on that service leading to his 4?

I have done a lot of trains from Piccadilly towards the North West during the TPE era, and there were stacks of trains that split at Preston and did portion working to Blackpool and I am pretty sure at least one a day to each of Windermere, Barrow and Glasgow. This was in the pre-350 era.

 

[jonesy3001]

It was tpe with 6 car 185s can guarantee one portion went to barrow or windermere the other portion went to blackpool or sometimes they went to barrow or windermere always splitting at preston, was always on the train when I commuted between Manchester and Lancaster.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It was tpe with 6 car 185s can guarantee one portion went to barrow or windermere the other portion went to blackpool or sometimes they went to barrow or windermere always splitting at preston, was always on the train when I commuted between Manchester and Lancaster.

It was definitely done before 185s too, using 2 and 3-car 175s. I strongly suspect his 4 was because the whole train was 4 cars, i.e. 2x2.

Pre 175s there were also some other portion workings e.g. the combined Virgin and First North Western service consisting of a 156 and a 158, the former to Windermere/Barrow and the latter to Edinburgh/Glasgow, though those split at Bolton (and then the 158 joined the one from Liverpool at Preston, then split again at Carlisle to both Scottish cities if I recall!) Unsusprisingly these ones weren't known for punctuality.

 

[Bertie the bus]

It definitely wasn't front 4 and back 4 as that would have involved 4 * 2 car units which neither TPE nor Northern have ever operated. However, in 2012 there was an 08:47 SuO Manchester Airport - Blackpool North (front) and Windermere (rear). There was also a 15:58 SuO Manchester Airport - Edinburgh (front) and Windermere (rear) which split at Preston.

 

[jonesy3001]

It was definitely done before 185s too, using 2 and 3-car 175s. I strongly suspect his 4 was because the whole train was 4 cars, i.e. 2x2.

Pre 175s there were also some other portion workings e.g. the combined Virgin and First North Western service consisting of a 156 and a 158, the former to Windermere/Barrow and the latter to Edinburgh/Glasgow, though those split at Bolton (and then the 158 joined the one from Liverpool at Preston, then split again at Carlisle to both Scottish cities if I recall!) Unsusprisingly these ones weren't known for punctuality.

Didn't use them much back then when intercity where still going up to scotland before TPE took over the routes.

 

[a_c_skinner]

I've been on and seen portions splitting and joining at Preston but all in the 185 era. I'd forgotten the 175s. From the publication date (2015) it must have been in the 185 era but now I'm wondering what other bits of otiose knowledge I've picked up from him are unsafe?

 

[Purple Train]

I once made a journey from Alfreton to Lancaster which involved changing at Piccadilly for such a service. It was indeed formed of two Class 185s, splitting at Preston: one to Blackpool, the other to Windermere (possibly Glasgow, but I'm 99% sure it was Windermere).
This was in 2015.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I once made a journey from Alfreton to Lancaster which involved changing at Piccadilly for such a service. It was indeed formed of two Class 185s, splitting at Preston: one to Blackpool, the other to Windermere (possibly Glasgow, but I'm 99% sure it was Windermere).
This was in 2015.

The TPE Glasgows/Edinburghs were originally formed by decimating* the Barrows and Windermeres, so it could well have been either. Obviously they've now become their own thing and the Manchester Airport-Barrow/Windermere is back to pretty much hourly in addition, with the proportion going to each having been tweaked around a bit over time but never quite gone back to the old NorthWest Express "green stripe 156" era of pretty much half to each.

* Not literally removing 1/10 of the service, but it was I believe at that point the old pattern of "every two hours to each, with one Oxenholme shuttle and a Lancaster-Carlisle via Barrow in between" was mucked up, which was a shame.

 

[plugwash]

The only 8 car trains I can recall seeing from TPE were the class 350s which sometimes ran in pairs, but being electric they could only run to glasgow. (I'm pretty sure by the time blackpool was electrified the 350s were gone and northern had taken over the Windermere, Blackpool and Barrow services).

 

[jonesy3001]

They ran 8 car 350s in 2014 with hired in 350/3s from london midland when they had the commonwealth games in glasgow, was on board 373 from lancaster to piccadilly.

350373/409

At Manchester piccadilly

flic.kr

 

[Cowley]

I have to say that I think Bryson would be quite taken with this discussion and you could imagine it being included in one of his books in a satirical kind of way…

 

[a_c_skinner]

could imagine it being included in one of his books in a satirical kind of way…

Off topic but I believe he has stopped writing books, he is about 70. He also jests about his memory failing, which might indicate a sadder reason.

My issue with it is actually that a lot of my "not many people know that" facts originate from his writings and now I am bothered.

 

[Cowley]

Off topic but I believe he has stopped writing books, he is about 70. He also jests about his memory failing, which might indicate a sadder reason.

My issue with it is actually that a lot of my "not many people know that" facts originate from his writings and now I am bothered.

Well I’ve always enjoyed his books but I must admit that I do wonder to what level parts of them are either embellished or perhaps didn’t happen at all. He is after all a story teller.

I have an uncle who’s a novelist and although he tells a wonderful story over dinner it’d probably be fair to say that those stories do change in certain details from time to time.

Bryson’s books do have some very interesting facts in them at times though and he certainly does his research.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They ran 8 car 350s in 2014 with hired in 350/3s from london midland when they had the commonwealth games in glasgow, was on board 373 from lancaster to piccadilly.

350373/409

At Manchester piccadilly

flic.kr

They did, but no splitting and joining en route, the whole thing went to Scotland.

 

[Some guy]

I have done a lot of trains from Piccadilly towards the North West during the TPE era, and there were stacks of trains that split at Preston and did portion working to Blackpool and I am pretty sure at least one a day to each of Windermere, Barrow and Glasgow. This was in the pre-350 era.

Correct there used to be a Saturday only service which 1 half ran to Glasgow and the other to barrow. It was the 13:00 operated by TPE until Preston and then the barrow section turned into a northern service