Mark 3s on Chiltern Main Line

[Red_Machine]

I'm planning to travel into London on Sunday 9th August and wanted some advice on how best to time my arrival at the station so that I can get on a Mark 3 carriage instead of one of the DMUs as the seats on those give me backache and would rather avoid them. Plus I have a soft spot for the Mark 3 anyway. I need to be in London to arrive at Trafalgar Square around 12:00 and the event I'm attending is due to finish 20:30, though I may well leave earlier.

I will be boarding the train at High Wycombe and will be alighting there on the return trip. Thanks.

 

[swt_passenger]

The Mk3 sets are known as Mainline Silver services and are shown in the Chiltern timetable with 'MS' at the column head. They don't stop at High Wycombe as far as I can see.

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/s...imetables/Timetable May 19 2015 incl. key.pdf

 

[Red_Machine]

So I can only board an uncomfortable DMU if I go from High Wycombe? What a disappontment.

 

[6Gman]

So I can only board an uncomfortable DMU if I go from High Wycombe? What a disappontment.

If you think Chiltern units are uncomfortable then give praise to the Gods that you don't live in Northern Land and need to use their 142s and 150s!

 

[MCR247]

I'm planning to travel into London on Sunday 9th August and wanted some advice on how best to time my arrival at the station so that I can get on a Mark 3 carriage instead of one of the DMUs as the seats on those give me backache and would rather avoid them. Plus I have a soft spot for the Mark 3 anyway. I need to be in London to arrive at Trafalgar Square around 12:00 and the event I'm attending is due to finish 20:30, though I may well leave earlier.

I will be boarding the train at High Wycombe and will be alighting there on the return trip. Thanks.

So I can only board an uncomfortable DMU if I go from High Wycombe? What a disappontment.

I'm sorry but if sitting on a 168 seat for half an hour gave me backache I'd be more concerned with my back rather than the train

 

[Red_Machine]

I recently spent a week and a half commuting to Reading from Marlow station via Maidenhead. First Great Western uses Class 165's on that route, and even just spending 20 minutes in one of those things was enough to make me ache. The seats are lacking in padding.

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

Deleted

 

[NSEFAN]

I recently spent a week and a half commuting to Reading from Marlow station via Maidenhead. First Great Western uses Class 165's on that route, and even just spending 20 minutes in one of those things was enough to make me ache. The seats are lacking in padding.

Try Chiltern's 165s for comparison. They were refurbished a few years back and are very smart and comfortable. The former 1st class area also has 2+2 seating if you would rather not use the 2+3 seats.

If your train has started at Bicester North, Aylesbury or High Wycombe it will probably be a 165. If has come from Birmingham it will probably be a 168, which are also quite comfy (especially the silver refurbished ones which have similar decor to the mark 3 sets, albeit without such nice seats!)

 

[MK Tom]

Chiltern's DMU stock (although no comparison to a Mark III) is very comfortable. The 168s have some of the nicest seating I've found in a DMU.

I thought there were a few silver mainline services that call at High Wycombe - is that only in the peaks?

 

[NSEFAN]

I thought there were a few silver mainline services that call at High Wycombe - is that only in the peaks?

There are indeed a couple which do this. From the frequently requested diagrams thread, the 0744 PRR - MYB and 0744 BAN - MYB are the morning workings. In the evenings, it is the 1750 MYB - BAN. Note that the train to and from Banbury is not formed of refurbished sets but Blue/Grey Mk3 carriages with manually operated doors.

 

[Bungle965]

I recently spent a week and a half commuting to Reading from Marlow station via Maidenhead. First Great Western uses Class 165's on that route, and even just spending 20 minutes in one of those things was enough to make me ache. The seats are lacking in padding.

Quit moaning you don't know what uncomfortable is unless you have spent more than 30 minites on a ex mersyrail pacer (or any pacer whatsoever).
Its grim up north.
Sam

 

[trivran]

I'm sorry but if sitting on a 168 seat for half an hour gave me backache I'd be more concerned with my back rather than the train

It's less backache than arseache for me - they're still hard seats even if the poor old third world backwater we call the north of England suffers even worse!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I thought there were a few silver mainline services that call at High Wycombe - is that only in the peaks?

And a couple of trains working against the peaks: the 0845 Marylebone-Moor Street during the week does, for instance.

There is only one return Mainline Silver working on a Sunday, and that does not call at High Wycombe.

 

[67018]

So, the best advice is to get one of the longer distance trains, which will also have the benefit that they are faster. These will be 168s which, as has been said, are much more comfortable than 165s.

The 168s have two different styles of seats - the ones in the middle section (between the doors) have one style, the carriage ends have the other. So there's an option to pick the one that suits you best, or swap if one does your back in.

The 1106 from High Wycombe and 2100 from Marylebone would seem to fit the biill for this journey.