Local services operated by 'express' stock for operational convenience

[hexagon789]

Its technically express stock though in reference to OP

The OP used 158s as an example

 

[StephenHunter]

Before the 710s arrived, it was pretty common to find ex-Stansted Express 317s or 321s operating on the Romford to Upminster line.

 

[Magdalia]

Inter City DMUs on Paddington-Henley commuters c 1968-76 between Paddington resignalling and introduction of HSTs.

Diesel hauled 0715 or 0717 Bishops Stortford-Liverpool Street for at least 3 years 1973-75 using stock to form 0836 to Kings Lynn.

Various Peterborough commuters booked HSTs in the 1980s.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Barnstaple line having 158s whilst the Portsmouth line gets downgraded stock? Makes my blood boil

That’s because 3 car 158s didn’t have enough capacity for the Portsmouth / Cardiff route and there weren’t any spare 2 car 158s to pair up with them.

How do you propose moving 3 class 158 3 car units from the Barnstaple line creates 5 car 158s for Portsmouth?

The Thames Valley electrification released turbos not 158s.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

In the late 80's one of the early evening peak Piccadilly to Stoke trains was formed of a cross country Mk2 air con set with AC loco - all stations beyond Stockport.

 

[Dave91131]

I've had 379's on the Stratford - Meridian Water shuttle in recent months.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The 185s that used to do Barton on Humber spring to mind.

 

[sammyg901]

I was very surprised this morning to wizz past a Chiltern loco hauled set in the platform at Princes Risborough- comes up ECS from Wembley and operates the 7.39am to London Marylebone with stops at High Wycombe, Beaconsfield & Gerrards Cross in a 75mph path

The 6.18pm to Oxford and return is also a silver set

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Feb 2022 ==

For some time it had scheduled St Erth - Plymouth and Plymouth - Penzance work on summer Saturdays. Some years it also didba return trip to Exeter St Davids. Shame it's no longer possible.

Even made it to Oxford out of Paddington one morning !

 

[Bletchleyite]

Pity they didn't get the power door mods on the sleeper stock. Presumably then it would be still allowed.

One assumes so.

I wonder if, once the HSTs get binned (which looks likely to be soonish), the kit could be recovered and refitted to the Sleeper stock?

 

[30907]

Inter City DMUs on Paddington-Henley commuters c 1968-76 between Paddington resignalling and introduction of HSTs.

Replacing hauled stock - I doubt the well-heeled commuters from Henley would describe their train as a local
There was also a regular REP+TC in from Basingstoke (or two, depending on the year) - fast from Woking or Farnborough.
And a CEP booked in the formation of an early evening Holborn to Orpington and return.

Diesel hauled 0715 or 0717 Bishops Stortford-Liverpool Street for at least 3 years 1973-75 using stock to form 0836 to Kings Lynn.

Various Peterborough commuters booked HSTs in the 1980s.

And a Mk3 set in from Northampton....

 

[Flange Squeal]

For I think at least a couple of timetable periods, the 0027 London Waterloo to Surbiton (calling Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, Raynes Park, New Malden and Berrylands en route, can't remember if it was pre- or post- extension to West Byfleet and Woking) was a booked Class 444, rather than the single Class 450 is was before and I believe since. The stock then berthed in Platform 6 at Woking overnight, to then form the 0619 Woking to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh service.

 

[swt_passenger]

For I think at least a couple of timetable periods, the 0027 London Waterloo to Surbiton (calling Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, Raynes Park, New Malden and Berrylands en route, can't remember if it was pre- or post- extension to West Byfleet and Woking) was a booked Class 444, rather than the single Class 450 is was before and I believe since. The stock then berthed in Platform 6 at Woking overnight, to then form the 0619 Woking to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh service.

2F79/5F79, yes that was shown as a 5.444 in the Dec 2018 working notices, and back to a 450 May 2019 which fits with what you remember.

 

[Kite159]

The evening peak Scottish HST service towards Cardenden springs to mind.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

A very long time ago one, just one of the services from Purley Oaks to London Victoria was 2 x 421 vice the usual 455s which ran every other service. Declassified 1st class, in which was sat, regularly, Sir Bob Reid (the first) who lived in Purley. I believe it came from Smitham (as Coulsdon Town was then known).

 

[Kieran1990]

Class 158’s spent a good few years doing the Lymington shuttle in the new forest
450’s have worked the New Line stoppers in the past (if that counts)

I have even seen a 444 on a Waterloo-Shepperton about 12 years ago at Clapham

 

[Bevan Price]

In the late 1980s, some loco-hauled stock for Liverpool - York/Newcastle services stabled at Liverpool, and one set ran all stations to Wigan NW (or Manchester Victoria) & back before doing its first trip to Newcastle. I think this continued for a while after Class 158 had replaced hauled stock.

 

[Strathclyder]

Many years ago BR ran Ayr - Glasgow with the stick for the Royal Scot. Then there were the 90 + hauled stock workings to North Berwick…

The stock used to run a morning Glasgow-Ayr commuter before returning as the Royal Scot through to London.

Here it is at Ayr on 24th June 1987, with perhaps the most appropriate loco possible in charge:


(87001 Royal Scot at Ayr awaiting departure with the 07:45 to London Euston - 24th June 1987. Copyright of Flickr's Gordon Thomson)

 

[hexagon789]

One assumes so.

I wonder if, once the HSTs get binned (which looks likely to be soonish), the kit could be recovered and refitted to the Sleeper stock?

Possibly, but then how long will fitting out take? (Given the whole sorry HST power door saga.)

Here it is at Ayr on 24th June 1987, with perhaps the most appropriate loco possible in charge:

View attachment 110258
(87001 Royal Scot at Ayr awaiting departure with the 07:45 to London Euston - 24th June 1987. Copyright of Flickr's Gordon Thomson)

In earlier years a 47 did the job, but yes a very appropriate 87. Not the fastest run in 1987, and it was the 0845 not 0745 in 1987, from memory BR seemed to be on one of its "slow years" that year - into Glasgow 0943 iirc, then departing Glasgow as the 1010 to Euston and arriving in the capital at 1517.

 

[Strathclyder]

In earlier years a 47 did the job, but yes a very appropriate 87. Not the fastest run in 1987, and it was the 0845 not 0745 in 1987, from memory BR seemed to be on one of its "slow years" that year - into Glasgow 0943 iirc, then departing Glasgow as the 1010 to Euston and arriving in the capital at 1517.

I suspect the 0745 there was a typo (which I copied verbatim without consulting another source... ), as the correct departure time for the year in question is noted here in this pic (also from Gordon Thomson) of 87019 at Irvine on 7th July:

Irvine - 87019 'Sir Winston Churchill' with 08.45 Ayr - London Euston 07-07-1987

For several years before electrification, a Glasgow - London train was extended to start at Ayr - to entice commuters to use the mk 3 coaching stock. there was no corresponding return working. Here the train approaches the Irvine stop.

www.flickr.com

 

[hexagon789]

I suspect the 0745 there was a typo (which I copied verbatim without consulting another source... ), as the correct departure time for the year in question is noted here in this pic (also from Gordon Thomson) of 87019 at Irvine on 7th July:

Irvine - 87019 'Sir Winston Churchill' with 08.45 Ayr - London Euston 07-07-1987

For several years before electrification, a Glasgow - London train was extended to start at Ayr - to entice commuters to use the mk 3 coaching stock. there was no corresponding return working. Here the train approaches the Irvine stop.

www.flickr.com

To be very fair it was 0745 the previous year, and in 1985.

 

[Strathclyder]

To be very fair it was 0745 the previous year, and in 1985.

Aye, but even so. Pays to do your research after all.

 

[hexagon789]

Aye, but even so. Pays to do your research after all.

Well, I'll admit I didn't entirely trust my own memory. So after coming up with the various 'figures' I did go and double check I wasn't the one who was mistaken!

 

[Parallel]

GWR did run a full sized HST on Summer Saturdays for a return trip between Bristol and Weymouth, stopping at most (but not all) stations.

That route now gets Turbos with some 158s. Turbos for all stations stopping services between Bristol Parkway and Frome are OK but a Turbo all the way to Weymouth can be quite uncomfortable as journey time is usually around 2.5hrs from Bristol to Weymouth.

 

[Strathclyder]

Well, I'll admit I didn't entirely trust my own memory. So after coming up with the various 'figures' I did go and double check I wasn't the one who was mistaken!

Something we've all found ourselves doing at one time or another, some more than others.... (gives a hollow laugh)

 

[johntea]

Not sure if a Northern 195 can be counted as 'express' stock but I've found particulary towards the end of the night seem to cover the Leeds - Sheffield via Castleford 'stopper' service which is presumably more an operational thing to get them parked up at Sheffield for the next morning?

Also at some point there was an odd arrangement with Northern and Grand Central where a Grand Central 180 provided for an early morning Halifax - Leeds run but not sure if that is still a thing or not (of course Grand Central itself has the Tour De Yorkshire followed by a straight non stop run from Doncaster to London!)

 

[LowLevel]

Not sure if a Northern 195 can be counted as 'express' stock but I've found particulary towards the end of the night seem to cover the Leeds - Sheffield via Castleford 'stopper' service which is presumably more an operational thing to get them parked up at Sheffield for the next morning?

Also at some point there was an odd arrangement with Northern and Grand Central where a Grand Central 180 provided for an early morning Halifax - Leeds run but not sure if that is still a thing or not (of course Grand Central itself has the Tour De Yorkshire followed by a straight non stop run from Doncaster to London!)

They run stoppers all over the place, the interior might not be that suited but the gearbox certainly is compared to the 142s they've replaced!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

GWR did run a full sized HST on Summer Saturdays for a return trip between Bristol and Weymouth, stopping at most (but not all) stations.

That route now gets Turbos with some 158s. Turbos for all stations stopping services between Bristol Parkway and Frome are OK but a Turbo all the way to Weymouth can be quite uncomfortable as journey time is usually around 2.5hrs from Bristol to Weymouth.

The summer Saturday HSTs will run to Weymouth once again this summer.

 

[Spartacus]

The 0558, 2A00, off Derby to Nottingham is booked a XC 220.

It's not unknown for a 222 to end up on an early morning Nottingham - Leicester, and they're used pretty frequently when the races are on at Uttoxeter.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The summer Saturday HSTs will run to Weymouth once again this summer.

Albeit with a considerably shorter formation

 

[Nym]

One assumes so.

I wonder if, once the HSTs get binned (which looks likely to be soonish), the kit could be recovered and refitted to the Sleeper stock?

No. Just no.

The Wabtec car crash that is power door HSTs has far too many reasons why it can't and shouldn't be recovered.