Merseyrail legacy fleet updates (Class 507/508)

[zain_031]

The same three pairs as yesterday are out again this morning: 001 + 029 on the 06.21 Hunts Cross - Southport, 010 + 018 on the 06.36 and 016 + 023 on the 06.51.

Great performances were had from most of these over the last few days. 001 outstanding, 023 which can be lacklustre was very good this morning, whilst 010 is still as fit as a fiddle and is definitely the best of the three imminent withdrawals for me.

I assume 017 is in a race against time to make a brief return to service as it has been inside the repair shed of Birkenhead North for a good few days now. Fingers crossed it gets out one final time.

For the Wirral Line tour, I do hope they mix up the units slightly and don't just throw 001 and 003 on both tours. I wouldn't mind spending the day on a beastly 018 actually

Thank you yes I meant flower show!

Now fully booked.
Had the BLS website open in a tab, and kept refreshing it every so often. Unfortunately didn't do so yesterday and ended up missing out. Guess I'll have to wait for the 777 farewell tour to do the stock interchange line, and it's touch-and-go whether I'll live that long!

There will be another Pep tour, it said on the BLS website before bookings opened that this was only a Wirral tour and that Northern would be done at a later date as Peps are still in service

 

[cjbirkett]

The same three pairs as yesterday are out again this morning: 001 + 029 on the 06.21 Hunts Cross - Southport, 010 + 018 on the 06.36 and 016 + 023 on the 06.51.

Great performances were had from most of these over the last few days. 001 outstanding, 023 which can be lacklustre was very good this morning, whilst 010 is still as fit as a fiddle and is definitely the best of the three imminent withdrawals for me.

I assume 017 is in a race against time to make a brief return to service as it has been inside the repair shed of Birkenhead North for a good few days now. Fingers crossed it gets out one final time.

For the Wirral Line tour, I do hope they mix up the units slightly and don't just throw 001 and 003 on both tours. I wouldn't mind spending the day on a beastly 018 actually!

Yes I enjoyed 001 yesterday more than my recent encounters - I’m sure the rheo was kicking in at some points too

i would love 017 to have a final fling out - especially with the “flying arrow” still sported on one end - it and 018 are defo my favourites of the ones left. I appreciate what they sound like doesn’t translate as to their underlying condition but 010 was smooth as anything.

When they announced that there would be two tours I hoped they may use a couple of different units for one of them, hence me asking about 016 and 017 for the Wirral one. (But if they have gone, 018 would definitely get my vote too!!)

016 and 023 on the 15.12 ended up running semi fast Central to Hunts X as they had been delayed between Waterloo and Seaforth due to a passneger requiring assistance in a wheelchair (he was going to wait for the next train but the guard told him the two following services would both be the same as ours and got the gentleman onboard himself using the ramp)

And just to show how people don’t listen to announcements, a Northern staff member was able to board at Central (were there were at least two tannoys whilst the the train was in the platform that it was running straight to Hunts X) and reacted in total shock when we didn’t call at Brunswick and I had to tell him the bad news!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Aug 2024 ==

Thank you yes I meant flower show!

No probs, I was about to drop everything and head to Southport if so!!

 

[Ianigsy]

003 is inside Birkenhead North depot at the moment, visible from passing trains.

 

[prod_pep]

Thanks for this mornings gen. Is there any intention to use pairs tomorrow with it being the last day of the Southport airshow?

Yes, there surely will be. I'd be very surprised if there are no 507s out tomorrow as they have been used on Sundays throughout the summer.

Generally they are confined to the Liverpool - Southport short workings which run from around 10.00 - 19.00 only, using two pairs. However on the Air Show Sunday in July there were three pairs out, including one on the all-day Hunts X - Southport service.

 

[MR-507508]

Yes, there surely will be. I'd be very surprised if there are no 507s out tomorrow as they have been used on Sundays throughout the summer.

Generally they are confined to the Liverpool - Southport short workings which run from around 10.00 - 19.00 only, using two pairs. However on the Air Show Sunday in July there were three pairs out, including one on the all-day Hunts X - Southport service.

Look as though maybe two pairs at best. The third pair would work 5U08 from Birkenhead North depot (instead of 5U08 from Kirkdale depot) and according to RTT there is no 5U08 from North in for tomorrow.

 

[mikecmac]

Just had my final ride on 507016 leading to Huntscross. Car 64420 has wheel flats but has recently had a overhauled compressor fitted.

 

[Liverpool 507]

There’s major disruption in the city centre from this afternoon which is ongoing. Two signals between Central and Moorfields are being passed at danger. Trains are suspended between Sandhills and Hunts Cross. I would expect the 507s out to be out of diagram as a result.

 

[cjbirkett]

With credit to Johnathon James in the Mersey Railways group,

507001/029 have worked 2G01 1012 Southport - Liverpool Central
507023/016 have worked 2S18 1038 Liverpool Central - Southport

 

[Fundee on Tay]

Does anyone have tomorrow’s diagrams?

 

[MR-507508]

Does anyone have tomorrow’s diagrams?

Should be the following Monday to Friday this week, with 2 x 6 cars operating between Hall Road and Hunts Cross.
I don't believe there are any 507s planned to operate between Southport and Formby.
If todays diagrams are followed, 507016 and 507023 should be stabled up at Southport out of use this week.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024

Train information at Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Fundee on Tay]

Should be the following Monday to Friday this week, with 2 x 6 cars operating between Hall Road and Hunts Cross.
I don't believe there are any 507s planned to operate between Southport and Formby.
If todays diagrams are followed, 507016 and 507023 should be stabled up at Southport out of use this week.
View attachment 163859

Realtime Trains | Departures from Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024

Train information at Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Should be the following Monday to Friday this week, with 2 x 6 cars operating between Hall Road and Hunts Cross.
I don't believe there are any 507s planned to operate between Southport and Formby.
If todays diagrams are followed, 507016 and 507023 should be stabled up at Southport out of use this week.
View attachment 163859

Realtime Trains | Departures from Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024

Train information at Hall Road between 0400 and 0359 on 19/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Thank you. It’s a long way from Dundee to Liverpool in a day so glad I’ll be able to catch a few out!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Honestly surprised they’re stringing it out so long to be honest - are these final 507s really going to be needed for many weeks longer now that there are plenty of 777s around?

 

[simonmpoulton]

507016 and 507023 are stabled up at Southport sidings this evening!

 

[Skie]

Honestly surprised they’re stringing it out so long to be honest - are these final 507s really going to be needed for many weeks longer now that there are plenty of 777s around?

No reliable 8 car working yet so they’re still needed to double up on the busier routes. ASDO is required on the Central to Hunts Cross section so even when Southport gets 8 cars the 507s will keep running until it’s confirmed working and reliable.

 

[Class777]

Hi all. Courtesy of Doug Birmingham from MR2.0 group, here is diagrams. 2 pairs of 507’s are out Hall Road - Hunts Cross.

507010 and 507018: 2U06, 2S09, 2U13, 2S16, 2U20, 2S23, 2U27, 2S30, 2U34, 2S37, 2U41, 2S44, 2U48, 2S52, 2U55, 2S59, 2U62, 2S66, 2U69, 5D18

507001 and 507029: 2U07, 2S10, 2U14, 2S17, 2U21, 2S24, 2U28, 2S31, 2U35, 2S38, 2U42, 2S46, 2U49, 2S53, 2U56, 2S60, 2U63, 2S67, 2U70, 5B16

507016 and 507023 are at Southport as a back up for the Southport to Formby section.

 

[prod_pep]

Subject to confirmation, 507003 and 507016 are at Southport as a back up for the Southport to Formby section.

507016 and 507023 are the two at Southport. I'm hoping they see some action this week; recent 777 performance suggests this is not unlikely.

507003 is still at Birkenhead North Depot alongside 507007, with 507017 still inside the depot's workshop as far as I know.

 

[Class777]

507016 and 507023 are the two at Southport. I'm hoping they see some action this week; recent 777 performance suggests this is not unlikely.

507003 is still at Birkenhead North Depot alongside 507007, with 507017 still inside the depot's workshop as far as I know.

Thanks for the clarification. I have updated this now.

 

[Bikeman78]

No reliable 8 car working yet so they’re still needed to double up on the busier routes. ASDO is required on the Central to Hunts Cross section so even when Southport gets 8 cars the 507s will keep running until it’s confirmed working and reliable.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there five pairs to Southport at one point? So they have already cut two peak formations.

 

[Fundee on Tay]

As far as I’m aware out today were 507018 & 507010, 507001 & another (not sure).

 

[prod_pep]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there five pairs to Southport at one point? So they have already cut two peak formations.

Six pairs.

 

[MR-507508]

Reported as being only 1 pair of 507s out today, 507001 & 507029 working the first diagram listed in an earlier post.
Not sure as to why only one pair out, the other pair should have stabled at Kirkdale depot at the end of service yesterday.

 

[Bikeman78]

Six pairs.

Worse than I thought then. So they should have kept around 15 507s until the 777s were signed off for eight car operation and they actually had enough to cover the diagrams.

 

[GhostManDN91]

Any idea if there's any 507s out today? Was gonna go for a ride to Liverpool after work.

 

[Pacef8]

The final tour de wirral is running in september apparently, its bookable via the branch line society .

 

[mikecmac]

The tour sold out within hours of tickets becoming available!!!

 

[507016]

Any idea if there's any 507s out today? Was gonna go for a ride to Liverpool after work.

507018 + 507003 And 507001 And 507029 are out to play, 01 and 29 ran the 6:21 out of hunts cross, 18 and 03 ran 6:36

 

[zain_031]

Hello, im wondering what’s happening to the 507s after this week? I was told that there would be 2 diagrams on the Hunts X - Ormskirk services, however also been told that thete wouldn’t be any diagrams at all after Saturday?

 

[Babybirdrobin]

[Delete]

 

[MR-507508]

Hello, im wondering what’s happening to the 507s after this week? I was told that there would be 2 diagrams on the Hunts X - Ormskirk services, however also been told that thete wouldn’t be any diagrams at all after Saturday?

Yes I've heard mixed reports.
From a capacity view and 777 availability, 507s would run on at least 1 diagram on the Ormskirk to Hunts Cross line come next week. But I have also heard if availability of the 777 fleet is good to cover all the diagrams, then the 507s would not be used. The latter option would mean reduced capacity on this line at peak with only 4 car 777s being able to run. I guess time will tell come the changes from 25th August.

 

[prod_pep]

Several Merseyrail people have confirmed to me that 507s will be used on the Ormskirk to Hunts Cross service from Monday and that's good enough for me. If 507 usage were not planned, there would be no morning ECS to Hunts Cross from Birkenhead North, outside which a 507 pair is stabled overnight. This ECS is not currently showing beyond the December timetable change.

Leaving units stabled in sidings and only used ad hoc is impractical and crew knowledge could start to become a problem with 507s remaining into December.