Manchester - Altrincham

[03_179]

In August 1998 I Went to Atrincham to watch a match.

From London to Manchester Piccadilly.

I remember getting a train not a tram there.

What route and mileage would it have been.

Would it have been Piccadilly - Oxford Road - Sale - Altrincham ?

 

[Pep and co]

Metrolink opened in the early 90s. So I'm guessing if you went by train it was the Piccadilly to Chester via Stockport and Altrincham service?

 

[jfollows]

Timetable can be seen at https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/IO_498fcf74-fecf-4be5-887a-aa28b577d555/
Page 310 contains route and mileage (14 miles & 71 chains)
eg

EDIT PS Something wrong with the timetable; the two columns showing trains apparently starting from Altrincham should be merged with the preceding columns.

 

[03_179]

Thanks Both Excellent help.

Also I have noted cl. 158 units as haulage but I'm not 100% on that

Same goes with a trip to Chassen Road in October of 1997 for the haulage.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Metrolink opened in the early 90s. So I'm guessing if you went by train it was the Piccadilly to Chester via Stockport and Altrincham service?

Reckon it would almost certainly have been London Euston -> Stockport (on a Virgin Train headed for Manchester Piccadilly), then Stockport -> Altrincham on a local train headed for Chester.

Not much point in doubling back through Stockport to/from Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[plugwash]

The direct line from Manchester to Altrincham closed in late 1991 as a rail line, before reopening in 1992 as a metrolink line. Since then all trains from Manchester to Altrincham run via Stockport.

What does puzzle me about your story is that London to Manchester and then Manchester to Altrincham would probabbly have been a pointless double back. Nearly all trains from London to Manchester stop at Stockport and I don't think this is a new thing.

Regarding traction I don't know for sure what was running the Chester via Altrincham services in the 1990s, but I would have expected something rather less posh than a 158.

 

[jfollows]

Also I have noted cl. 158 units as haulage but I'm not 100% on that

Timetabled for DMU(S) which includes Class 158 units, but that sounds a bit posh and I'd have expected some other type of Class 15x but it's not impossible.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Regarding traction I don't know for sure what was running the Chester via Altrincham services in the 1990s, but I would have expected something rather less posh than a 158.

Certainly a diesel multiple unit. Maybe a class 142 or 150.

Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association might possibly know.

 

[03_179]

Timetabled for DMU(S) which includes Class 158 units, but that sounds a bit posh and I'd have expected some other type of Class 15x but it's not impossible.

On the old notebook I have a jumble of numbers ... It was either the 158s or the other ones on the page.

Jeez how did I make it such a mess lol

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

The direct line from Manchester to Altrincham closed in late 1991 as a rail line, before reopening in 1992 as a metrolink line. Since then all trains from Manchester to Altrincham run via Stockport.

What does puzzle me about your story is that London to Manchester and then Manchester to Altrincham would probabbly have been a pointless double back. Nearly all trains from London to Manchester stop at Stockport and I don't think this is a new thing.

Regarding traction I don't know for sure what was running the Chester via Altrincham services in the 1990s, but I would have expected something rather less posh than a 158.

I think you're right. I remember Piccadilly but it may be when I went to Chassen Road trip.

 

[plugwash]

Certainly a diesel multiple unit. Maybe a class 142 or 150.

I think North Western Trains (later rebranded first north western) would have been the operator on the line when the OPs trip took place..

Wikipedia claims First north western operated 101, 142, 150, 153, 158 and 175 DMUs. We can rule out the 175s as they weren't built yet. I don't know which of the others may have operated the line though.

 

[jfollows]

DMU(S) means it wasn't booked for 142 [DMU(A)] or 101 [D1] which did operate some of the services on the route but I don't think at the time 03_179 was travelling. The timetable shows a mix of unit types, including D3 on the (next page to the extract shown) 17:03 SX Salford Crescent and 17:51 SX Piccadilly to Chester services.

EDIT See post-33060-0-49734300-1544550289-jpg.106670 for the meaning of D1 & D3

 

[nw1]

I saw trains on the Chester via Altrincham route quite regularly in the 90s.

It was pretty solid 150s off-peak with the services continuing to and from Bolton and beyond. Combined with the Buxton services there was a 30-min-interval cross-Manchester service from Stockport. I do remember seeing 142s on the line at some point but I can't remember when, I have the feeling it was later though don't quote me on that. I think it was when the route became self-contained rather than working across Manchester, which was presumably more recently.

 

[03_179]

Thanks all.

I saw trains on the Chester via Altrincham route quite regularly in the 90s.

It was pretty solid 150s off-peak with the services continuing to and from Bolton and beyond. Combined with the Buxton services there was a 30-min-interval cross-Manchester service from Stockport. I do remember seeing 142s on the line at some point but I can't remember when, I have the feeling it was later though don't quote me on that. I think it was when the route became self-contained rather than working across Manchester, which was presumably more recently.

The 150s were they also on the Chassen Road / Flixton line too ?

 

[nw1]

Thanks all.

No worries!

The 150s were they also on the Chassen Road / Flixton line too ?

I'm not sure to be honest, never really went that way.

 

[jfollows]

Thanks all.





The 150s were they also on the Chassen Road / Flixton line too ?

In the 1998 timetable I linked to earlier, the stopping trains on the Warrington Central line were booked as DMU(A) (so class 142) and D3 (so first-generation DMU).

 

[03_179]

Thanks
Makes my notes a little clearer