MML Sprinters

[Crant90045]

I can remember a faint memory of catching some sort of EMR sprinter from luton to somewhere i dont remember, this was before 2021 or 2022 is this really a thing that has happend or is some sort of memory that never happend
i believe it was a 156 but dont take my word on that

 

[High Dyke]

Could it have been a Class 170? See the section on former operations.

British Rail Class 170 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Midland Mainline (MML) was the first operator to order Turbostars, the first being delivered in November 1998 and entering service in May 1999

I travelled on these a few times. The legroom on them was poor, as I recall.

 

[sad1e]

They have never run that far the midland mainline, I don't even think that they are route cleared down there.

The only DMU's that are cleared down the south MML are 222's and 170's and even then the 170s haven't run down that far since midland mainline in the late 90's , so if it was a DMU it has to have been a 222.

So unless there is something that I don't know you must be thinking about something else. Maybe you were going to east midlands airport and have just misremembered it ?

But I am almost 100% sure no 156 has ever run that far down the midland mainline in passenger service ever .

 

[liamf656]

I only recall a handful of times a regional unit has gone south of Leicester

There used to be a diagram where a 222/4 would work an afternoon Derby to Kettering via Corby (1P99) followed by a Kettering to Sheffield (1F56) then back to the depot. 156s have done it a few times but only once a 170 did it in 2021.

Maybe this is what you mean?

 

[duffman82]

Pretty sure 156s ran the Kettering - Corby when they had unit shortages.

 

[RJ]

Sprinters are a regular fixture at Bedford, although not for EMR.

 

[JonathanH]

I only recall a handful of times a regional unit has gone south of Leicester

I haven't checked, but thought that, in Regional Railways days, there was an early unit out of Bedford going north which preceded the start of the main HST service each day.

However, it seems that in the 1994 timetable, a HST went empty from Derby to Bedford to form a service north to Sheffield. I might need to look at earlier timetables.

Now checked. In the 1992 and 1993 timetables, the first train north from Bedford ran to Manchester via Derby and fast from Chesterfield to Stockport, no first class, presumably a 158.

 

[Crant90045]

Could it have been a Class 170? See the section on former operations.

British Rail Class 170 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I travelled on these a few times. The legroom on them was poor, as I recall.

couldntve been
from what i remember it was painted in the classic red blue and yellow livery

 

[High Dyke]

couldntve been
from what i remember it was painted in the classic red blue and yellow livery

Fair enough.

 

[sad1e]

couldntve been
from what i remember it was painted in the classic red blue and yellow livery

222 in emt livery?

 

[Class15]

222 in emt livery?

222s were in white, not the livery that @Crant90045 is suggesting.

 

[liamf656]

I only recall a handful of times a regional unit has gone south of Leicester

There used to be a diagram where a 222/4 would work an afternoon Derby to Kettering via Corby (1P99) followed by a Kettering to Sheffield (1F56) then back to the depot. 156s have done it a few times but only once a 170 did it in 2021.

Maybe this is what you mean?

Here is a Flickr link to a photo of 156404/414 working 1F56 in 2016

156404 1F56

East Midlands Trains 156404 and 156414 stand at Derby working 1F56 18:14 Kettering to Sheffield vice a class 222 on the 20/5/16

flic.kr

 

[Roger1973]

I haven't checked, but thought that, in Regional Railways days, there was an early unit out of Bedford going north which preceded the start of the main HST service each day.

This rings a bell, but I can't find a reference or a photo, but I used the Midland Main line a bit around the late 80s / early 90s, and remember noticing in the timetable that there was a train in the night / early hours from Derby or Nottingham to Bedford and return - I think it connected with Thameslink journey/s to and from central London. While I never travelled on it or saw it, I think I was told it was a 'Sprinter'

The nearest I have got via Flickr (not my account or photo, picture here) is a class 150 apparently on a Kettering - Bletchley service, photographed in 1986. (which surprised me, as I thought that Bedford - Bletchley had been Network South East.)

 

[bunnahabhain]

I haven't checked, but thought that, in Regional Railways days, there was an early unit out of Bedford going north which preceded the start of the main HST service each day.

However, it seems that in the 1994 timetable, a HST went empty from Derby to Bedford to form a service north to Sheffield. I might need to look at earlier timetables.

Now checked. In the 1992 and 1993 timetables, the first train north from Bedford ran to Manchester via Derby and fast from Chesterfield to Stockport, no first class, presumably a 158.

Yep, definitely a 158, I have seen photos of one on this service around Wellingborough.

Interestingly in more recent years before the rebuilding of Market Harborough 158s were subject to a 5mph gauge clearance limit through the platforms. Hence why it was only the 156s and on one occasion a 170 subbed for the 222 diagram on the Kettering to Corby shuttles.

 

[Crant90045]

222s were in white, not the livery that @Crant90045 is suggesting.

Yea it was, thanks to all of you for acctually trying to figure out what it was i dont know what else to say