Suburban stock on long runs

[HMS Ark Royal]

I should imagine route availability for 142s and 143s would be the same. A 143 worked from Cardiff to Paddington and return in Wales and West days.

If it was possible to do it then... Can it do so again?

 

[221129]

I believe something like that did once happen, but it only got as far as Reading as they are banned east of there.

I believe it was a 142 (or 143) from Exeter - Swindon due to a HST failure

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Surely the 1252 Carlisle - Lancaster via the Cumbrian Coast is both longer in time and distance - 3 hour 36 minutes and about 120 miles.

Fairly confident that, as bb21 says, this is one half of the one booked out and back 142 run on the Cumbrian Coast.

Indeed - Northern have just replied saying its a 142 and 153 that works it

 

[PHILIPE]

I believe it was a 142 (or 143) from Exeter - Swindon due to a HST failure

That is correct. a 142. Were able to connect into other trains at Swindon.

 

[455driver]

I believe it was a 142 (or 143) from Exeter - Swindon due to a HST failure

Twas a 142, attached a 150 at Bristol and train terminated Swindon due to 'control' not wanting to send a 75mph unit into London and effing up the whole timetable, spoilsports!

Oh the driver was more than happy to carry on as well.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Out of curiosity, if I was to organise a railtour with a pacer would it be permitted to go to London? Are there any gauging issues?

Twas a 142, attached a 150 at Bristol and train terminated Swindon due to 'control' not wanting to send a 75mph unit into London and effing up the whole timetable, spoilsports!

Oh the driver was more than happy to carry on as well.

That would have been fun to do... 142 horn blaring out as it pulls into London

 

[455driver]

If it was possible to do it then... Can it do so again?

There is no technical reason but 'they' wouldn't do it unless forced to.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Pacers are cleared over pretty much the whole GWR, even today (except for the Cornish branches, from which they are banned). One could theoretically run from Penzance to Paddington.

 

[headshot119]

Pacers are cleared over pretty much the whole GWR, even today (except for the Cornish branches, from which they are banned). One could theoretically run from Penzance to Paddington.

Source for them being banned off the Cornish Branches ? The sectional appendix only has them banned from the Newquay branch.

 

[PermitToTravel]

The Sectional Appendix listed them as being banned from them all last year, as I recall.

 

[185143]

Pacers are cleared over pretty much the whole GWR, even today (except for the Cornish branches, from which they are banned). One could theoretically run from Penzance to Paddington.

dont give HMS Ark Royal ideas......

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Pacers are cleared over pretty much the whole GWR, even today (except for the Cornish branches, from which they are banned). One could theoretically run from Penzance to Paddington.

dont give HMS Ark Royal ideas......

I'm off to ask them now if its possible - I'll let you know what their reply is

 

[Class 170101]

Source for them being banned off the Cornish Branches ? The sectional appendix only has them banned from the Newquay branch.

The Sectional Appendix listed them as being banned from them all last year, as I recall.

They have been banned from Looe ages before the update last year due to the bad squeal on the curvy Looe Branch messed up the track.

 

[PHILIPE]

Remember the Skippers banned from the Cornish Branches in the late 80s. The Class 141s which were removed due to their unsuitability causing excessive rail and wheel wear

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Remember the Skippers banned from the Cornish Branches in the late 80s. The Class 141s which were removed due to their unsuitability causing excessive rail and wheel wear

Those were 142s.

The 141s only ever worked in the Leeds / Doncaster / Lincoln / Sheffield area.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Those were 142s.

The 141s only ever worked in the Leeds / Doncaster / Lincoln / Sheffield area.

I think the class 140 prototype unit had a spell working the Plymouth-Bere Alston-Gunnislake service back in the 1980's?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It did, but the "Skippers" name was a marketing thing for the 142 fleet.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Those were 142s.

The 141s only ever worked in the Leeds / Doncaster / Lincoln / Sheffield area.

And, once or twice, to Hull

 

[306024]

It's not in place of a 90/DVT as the 19:30 wouldn't run if the 17:02 terminated Stowmarket as originally planned.

Indeed, the 19.30 Norwich to Liverpool St is a bonus, no commercial justification for it but as the 17.02 from Liverpool St can't terminate Stowmarket without causing all sorts of pathing problems the 321s may as well come back on a fast run to blow the cobwebs away.

Anyway a couple from the past:
Class 306 Liverpool St to Colchester (During disruption, a good bounce at 70mph).
Class whatever (EPBs?) on the Brighton bike ride trains before they ceased.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

[
Anyway a couple from the past:
Class 306 Liverpool St to Colchester (During disruption, a good bounce at 70mph).
Class whatever (EPBs?) on the Brighton bike ride trains before they ceased.[/QUOTE]

A class 304 on a special Crewe to Euston in 1977 (large numbers of passengers due to a "Network Day" for Senior Citizens.

321's (brand new) used on Friday reliefs Kings Cross to Doncaster and Footex specials Euston to Wolverhampton.

And my all time favourite a class 101 Cravens 2 car which for diagramming purposes went Sudbury to Leicester via Colchester / Ipswich / Cambridge and Peterborough.

 

[Parallel]

I remember reading about the Paignton - Swindon 143 one off! The seating on GWR's 143s is tolerable though but still a long time to be on one. Shame it didn't make it all the way to Paddington though... Could control have routed it to the relief lines?

 

[168lover]

165s on London to Birmingham

 

[43096]

GWR HSTs on Paddington-Penzance. The interiors are designed for "Great Western Metro" (i.e. Reading/Didcot commuters), not a long-distance InterCity service.

 

[Iskra]

GWR HSTs on Paddington-Penzance. The interiors are designed for "Great Western Metro" (i.e. Reading/Didcot commuters), not a long-distance InterCity service.

I have to agree with you there.

 

[Deepgreen]

[
Anyway a couple from the past:
Class 306 Liverpool St to Colchester (During disruption, a good bounce at 70mph).
Class whatever (EPBs?) on the Brighton bike ride trains before they ceased.

A class 304 on a special Crewe to Euston in 1977 (large numbers of passengers due to a "Network Day" for Senior Citizens.

321's (brand new) used on Friday reliefs Kings Cross to Doncaster and Footex specials Euston to Wolverhampton.

And my all time favourite a class 101 Cravens 2 car which for diagramming purposes went Sudbury to Leicester via Colchester / Ipswich / Cambridge and Peterborough.[/QUOTE]

Pedantry corner - class 101s were Metro-Cammells, while 105s were Cravens.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Indeed, the 19.30 Norwich to Liverpool St is a bonus, no commercial justification for it but as the 17.02 from Liverpool St can't terminate Stowmarket without causing all sorts of pathing problems the 321s may as well come back on a fast run to blow the cobwebs away.

Anyway a couple from the past:
Class 306 Liverpool St to Colchester (During disruption, a good bounce at 70mph).
Class whatever (EPBs?) on the Brighton bike ride trains before they ceased.

The 4EPBs were class 415, and they probably achieved their highest speeds in service on those runs - they balanced at 75 but often well exceeded 80 on some stretches of the BML. BTW, in the 1950s, it was common for 4SUBs (405s) to be used to Brighton on BH Mondays and similar.

 

[PHILIPE]

I remember reading about the Paignton - Swindon 143 one off! The seating on GWR's 143s is tolerable though but still a long time to be on one. Shame it didn't make it all the way to Paddington though... Could control have routed it to the relief lines?

No. Was a 142 - see post #65

 

[physics34]

class 455 Victoria to Horsham.

There have been a couple of Vic to Brighton 455 workings in the past too.

 

[Taunton]

Class whatever (EPBs?) on the Brighton bike ride trains before they ceased.

The 4EPBs were class 415, and they probably achieved their highest speeds in service on those runs - they balanced at 75 but often well exceeded 80 on some stretches of the BML.

Summer 1978. Bob Dylan etc at Blackbushe Airfield, attended by about 1/4 million, including self. After the 1 am finish a huge lift operation by a string of specials from Fleet station nonstop to Waterloo, all I saw were 12-EPB from all over, ours was a Slade Green set. Nothing else around. Crossed over to the fast, and did we run, I reckon we must have been up at 80 or beyond. Droplights fully down

I have to tell you it was a lot more enjoyable than that Hereford service I wrote about in the opening post here!

 

[Kite159]

165s on London to Birmingham

Also 172s as they are more suburban inside than intercity stock/168s (i.e. no tables, no wi-fi, no seat back tables, armrests)

 

[shaun]

165s on London to Birmingham

Before the 'Mainline' timetable was introduced, 165s occasionally reached Kidderminster as well. I remember one turning up on a London service at Rowley Regis once.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

GWR HSTs on Paddington-Penzance. The interiors are designed for "Great Western Metro" (i.e. Reading/Didcot commuters), not a long-distance InterCity service.

Hardly a 'metro' design? With 2+2 seating, generous legroom, tables, 2+1 first class and buffet car! I for one think they are very comfortable, more so than their ECML equivalents.