Pretendolino

[Masbroughlad]

Saw the Virgin Pretendolino set in BHM at about 2035 on Friday.

What service would this have been working. Didn't realise it worked any ex-Euston services via Birmingham.

(As an aside, did First intend to keep the loco hauled train - not that it matters now!!!)

 

[MCR247]

It works the 1843 Euston - Crewe every Friday

 

[bb21]

That would be the 2020 service to Crewe. (1K39 London Euston - Crewe)

 

[Qwerty133]

FO 18:43 Euston to Crewe via Birmingham is its usual working.

 

[Masbroughlad]

It works the 1843 Euston - Crewe every Friday

Ah, cheers for that. Didn't realise any of its Pretendo services went through Brum.

 

[ainsworth74]

(As an aside, did First intend to keep the loco hauled train - not that it matters now!!!)

In answer to this point, as far as I'm aware, First never got far enough through their mobilisation to tell us if they'd keep it or not. Certainly I don't think they ever announced they'd be dropping it.

 

[calc7]

Ah, cheers for that. Didn't realise any of its Pretendo services went through Brum.

Out of interest, where did you think it went to then?
Being the shortest of Virgin's usual runs I would think it's naturally the most obvious route to see it on (although I concede the set continues to Wolverhampton and then almost empty onto Crewe!)

 

[Masbroughlad]

Out of interest, where did you think it went to then?
Being the shortest of Virgin's usual runs I would think it's naturally the most obvious route to see it on (although I concede the set continues to Wolverhampton and then almost empty onto Crewe!)

Thought they went up the Trent Valley to the North West.

I wondered if this was standing in on a Euston - Wolves train.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I believe it has in the past when a 390 was unavailable long-term a few years ago (it may have been after the Lambrigg crash; AKA Grayrigg) - it did 3 Euston-Birmingham / Wolves services each way per day during the week for a good while. Of course I doubt it would happen nowadays with the four extra 390s.

 

[dvboy]

Is it still mainly full of rail enthusiasts, mainly of the annoying teenager variety?

 

[Greeby]

Is it still mainly full of rail enthusiasts, mainly of the annoying teenager variety?

Between EUS - MKC it's jammed with commuters, being as it's the first open stop Virgin train between the two for three hours.

 

[MCR247]

Thought they went up the Trent Valley to the North West.

I wondered if this was standing in on a Euston - Wolves train.

It tends to stick to Birmingham runs as they are the shortest and involve the least amount of 125mph running

 

[dangie]

It works the 1843 Euston - Crewe every Friday

Does it do a reverse run... and when?

 

[sprinterguy]

Does it do a reverse run... and when?

No, it doesn't. The carriage rake is worked back to Willesden from Crewe as empty coaching stock by a 57 (on the Sunday?) ready for the next weeks' working.

 

[AndyLandy]

Does it do a reverse run... and when?

As far as I was aware, it was hauled ECS back to Euston. Possibly by a 67?

 

[dangie]

No, it doesn't. The carriage rake is worked back to Willesden from Crewe as empty coaching stock by a 57 (on the Sunday?) ready for the next weeks' working.

Thanks. Interesting. Never seen it passing through Rugeley Trent Valley which is I presume the route it would take. Is it a daytime timetabled run or could it be anytime day or night?

 

[sprinterguy]

Thanks. Interesting. Never seen it passing through Rugeley Trent Valley which is I presume the route it would take. Is it a daytime timetabled run or could it be anytime day or night?

Having done a little bit more research into it, it looks like the ECS move heads south from Crewe at 21:45 on the Friday night, straight after working the 18:43 from Euston. It arrives back at Wembley at 01:35, so it is quite a late night working. It does indeed travel via Rugeley and the Trent Valley, passing there at 22:38.

Here's the details on open train times:
http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/C55141/2012/11/2

 

[NXEA!]

The Pretendolino usually works the FO 18.43 Euston to Crewe via Birmingham, but does have a regular diagram it can substitute on if needed (starting with the 07.03 Euston-Birmingham and 08.50 return I think?), and this is usually the case if there's a fall in Pendolino availability such as the winter two years ago where a number of sets were running around with covered up windows due to breakages from ice. As for whether First were planning to keep it, Tony Miles from Modern Railways reported that he had asked and someone had specifically told him that the set was going to be retained but DVT 82101 was going off-lease, not that this matters now! Hope this helps.

 

[headshot119]

Having done a little bit more research into it, it looks like the ECS move heads south from Crewe at 21:45 on the Friday night, straight after working the 18:43 from Euston. It arrives back at Wembley at 01:35, so it is quite a late night working. It does indeed travel via Rugeley and the Trent Valley, passing there at 22:38.

Here's the details on open train times:
http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/C55141/2012/11/2

Just to add its hauled back south by a 57. Not a 67 as someone has posted further back.

 

[sprinterguy]

Just to add its hauled back south by a 57. Not a 67 as someone has posted further back.

I did, however, post that it was hauled by a 57 in the post before the one that you are referring to.

 

[AndyLandy]

I did, however, post that it was hauled by a 57 in the post before the one that you are referring to.

Indeed you did. Just slipped in before I pressed submit.

Not sure where I heard it was 67-hauled, clearly I was mis-informed. Unsurprising to learn it's actually 57-hauled, that certainly seems more in-line with what locos are likely to be available for that duty.

 

[matt]

As posted by captainbigun on wnxx the Pretendolino is now DVT-less as they are both at Eastleigh having bogie swaps the mark 3 set will be out of action.

 

[DarloRich]

What a shame it wont run without a DVTthis Friday? I was looking forward to a run back on the pre Olympic 1843 service rather than the 1903 it ran during the Olympics

 

[MCR247]

Matt just said above that the set will be out of action?

 

[matt]

The dvt is the brake vehicle so can't run without it. It depends how long a boggie swap takes but I don't think there are any other available dvts.

 

[DarloRich]

altered post

 

[dk1]

The dvt is the brake vehicle so can't run without it. It depends how long a boggie swap takes but I don't think there are any other available dvts.

Pop over & see us at Crown Point. Sure we can borrow them one.

 

[Class172]

The dvt is the brake vehicle so can't run without it. It depends how long a boggie swap takes but I don't think there are any other available dvts.

Could they not borrow a mk2 BSO/DBSO from somewhere to act as a brake vehicle, or would that require a lot of paperwork?

 

[matt]

I doubt it as mark 2s are only 100mph coaches plus Virgin guards will only sign mark 3s.

 

[MCR247]

And there isn't really a need because it isn't that vital