Trivia: "InterCity" Services That Don't/ Didn't Stop At Any Intermediate Cities

[43096]

In 1979, BR ran daily non-stop Edinburgh-Euston trains via the WCML, because of the Penmanshiel tunnel collapse on the ECML.

Out of interest what was the traction for these as Carstairs-Edinburgh wasn’t wired back then?

 

[D6975]

Would Glasgow/Edinburgh-Inverness count? "Inter-City"/"InterCity", later "Inter-City Scotrail" and latterly just "ScotRail" branded Mk2s with either BR Blue, Large Logo, InterCity or ScotRail livery 47s. No cities en-route but I suppose Inverness wasn't a city back then either, so perhaps it doesn't count under the OP's terms?

But Stirling is a city and has been for a very long time.

 

[lachlan]

But Stirling is a city and has been for a very long time.

Indeed, as with Perth. Unless the Inverness-central belt trains previously took a different route that avoided Stirling and/or Perth?

 

[hexagon789]

But Stirling is a city and has been for a very long time.

Only since 2002, so not when the route was 47s plus InterCity-branded Mk2s

Indeed, as with Perth. Unless the Inverness-central belt trains previously took a different route that avoided Stirling and/or Perth?

Perth was not a city between having its city status removed in 1975 and 2012 when its status was restored.

 

[D6130]

In 1979, BR ran daily non-stop Edinburgh-Euston trains via the WCML, because of the Penmanshiel tunnel collapse on the ECML.

Presumably they would have had to have stopped at Carlisle and/or Preston for crew change purposes....even if not advertised to the public.

Perth was not a city between having its city status removed in 1975 and 2012 when its status was restored.

....and Inverness only gained city status in 2000.

 

[hexagon789]

...and Inverness only gained city status in 2000.

I addressed that point in my earlier post

 

[D6130]

I addressed that point in my earlier post

Sorry....another senior moment!

 

[adrock1976]

I can remember there being an early morning train on Monday - Friday that ran Birmingham New Street to Euston, with a northbound return in the early evening.

This train was named "The Birmingham Pullman" with the only intermediate call between New Street and Euston being Birmingham International, meaning that this was the only InterCity West Coast train that did not call at Coventry.

The standard pattern was Wolverhampton, Sandwell & Dudley, New Street, International, Coventry, Watford Junction, Euston every 60 minutes, and New Street, International, Coventry, Milton Keynes Central, Euston every 60 minutes. On Sundays, I think there may have been an additional call at Rugby.

 

[Watershed]

I can remember there being an early morning train on Monday - Friday that ran Birmingham New Street to Euston, with a northbound return in the early evening.

This train was named "The Birmingham Pullman" with the only intermediate call between New Street and Euston being Birmingham International, meaning that this was the only InterCity West Coast train that did not call at Coventry.

The standard pattern was Wolverhampton, Sandwell & Dudley, New Street, International, Coventry, Watford Junction, Euston every 60 minutes, and New Street, International, Coventry, Milton Keynes Central, Euston every 60 minutes. On Sundays, I think there may have been an additional call at Rugby.

And indeed up until the pandemic, and for a short while last year (or was it the year before?), Avanti had a non-stop Birmingham to London service in the morning peak. 07:30 off New Street if memory serves, with a "relief" in its normal path from International to Euston (conveniently making use of the Aston-Stechford line for the ECS from Oxley). Strangely there wasn't an equivalent working in the evening peak.

Sadly that service is no more.

 

[D6130]

With regard to the use of 'InterCity' branded stock on lesser duties, IIRC, at least one of the Mark 2 BFKs used on the West Highland and Glasgow-Dundee services in the early-mid 'eighties carried the branding. I believe the first use of the 'Inter-City' name was on a steam-hauled paek hour Paddington-Birmingham Snow Hill express in the late 'fifties....followed a year or so later by the Edinburgh-Glasgow class 126 fast DMU shuttle service, after which the name was perpetuated with their successors - the 'top 'n' tail class 27-worked shuttles, which carried the 'Inter-City' branding (with the hyphen in those days) on the sides of their specially-modified air-braked Mark 2 stock.

 

[hexagon789]

I can remember there being an early morning train on Monday - Friday that ran Birmingham New Street to Euston, with a northbound return in the early evening.

This train was named "The Birmingham Pullman" with the only intermediate call between New Street and Euston being Birmingham International, meaning that this was the only InterCity West Coast train that did not call at Coventry.

Launched in the May 1989 timetable, up only and timed at 110mph. The Manchester Pullmans were also slightly accelerated in this timetable as they were now timed for 110mph as well. Previously only the Euston-Glasgow trains were timed for 110mph.

With regard to the use of 'InterCity' branded stock on lesser duties, IIRC, at least one of the Mark 2 BFKs used on the West Highland and Glasgow-Dundee services in the early-mid 'eighties carried the branding.

I believe all Mk2A were so-branded. Originally all air-braked Mk2s (as the 2A were) had the Inter-City branding applied. Some vacuum braked 2Z had it applied in error.

When certain 2A FK and BFK were transferred to the Scottish Region for internal services they were converted to vacuum brakes but retained the branding until "Scotrail"/"ScotRail" came along.

followed a year or so later by the Edinburgh-Glasgow class 126 fast DMU shuttle service

These were originally termed "Inter-Urban" before "Inter-City" was adopted instead. And strictly speaking were not 126s as they didnt survive long enough for TOPS numbers to be allocated (bar a handful of cars transferred to Ayrshire). They were even wired differently to the Ayrshire batch which did become the 126s, and that caused some issues in the early days. The 79xxx E&G vehicles were wired based on the earlier Yellow Diamond MU system, the later Ayrshire cars were wired based on the Blue Square system. Though each utilised a unique control air system which gave both the unique White Circle code and rendered them incompatible with any other types.

 

[Merle Haggard]

The fact Reading is still not yet a city is a bit of a shambles when you look at some of the places which ARE official cities.
Reading has a far better case than anywhere else yet is continually overlooked for some reason!

I have a suggestion. Just make sure your publicity says 'Reading New City'. which doesn't seem to be a problem if you don't actually have official 'City' status. And after a few weeks quietly drop the 'New' bit, and make sure that, when your representatives are on the media they refer to Reading only as 'The City' in every sentence. Soon, everyone will think it's a city. Brilliant!!! Seems to have worked round here...

Edited for wretched auto-correct

 

[BeijingDave]

The fact Reading is still not yet a city is a bit of a shambles when you look at some of the places which ARE official cities.
Reading has a far better case than anywhere else yet is continually overlooked for some reason!

Reading is just London commuter belt. If you make Reading a city, you may as well make Bracknell and Slough cities.

*runs*