Trivia: Longest crewed service?

[221129]

XC service managers can do Bristol - Newcastle which is just over 5 hours and when shifts were 13 hours long NCL staff went as far south as TAU.

Deleted

 

[tiptoptaff]

When I was chatting with one of the (catering) crew they said they did Holyhead - Cardiff - Holyhead.

Caterers yes, they "lodge" during the day in Cardiff. Train Crew swap en-route

 

[craigybagel]

At VTWC, there are a couple of GLC - EUS via Trent Valley (and vice versa) which are manned by the same crew throughout. That's 409 miles and 4 1/2 hours.

Are you sure, unless you are talking about catering crew. Everything changes at Preston

Quite a few trips the length of the WCML for catering staff. My info is a few years old, but as well as EUS-GLC (or reverse) round trips there were even some that involved Birmingham in one direction. In the days before the Scotland - Birminghams were extended to London, there used to be a Birmingham - London service crewed rather oddly by Scottish caterers.

Traincrew don't normally go that far as has been stated. There used to be one exception to the "all change at Preston rule"; an early Crewe - Glasgow worked throughout by a Preston TM. I'm not sure if that's still the case though.

When I was chatting with one of the (catering) crew they said they did Holyhead - Cardiff - Holyhead.

Caterers yes, they "lodge" during the day in Cardiff. Train Crew swap en-route

Both driver and guard swap over at Chester in both directions. In addition, there is a driver swap at Newport on the morning service.

 

[dk1]

A think a few years back vt did a run with a pendo from Euston to Glasgow non stop, i was talking to the driver that did the run. Must be good milage wise ?

Virgin Angels that did the run in 3h55. There was more than one driver on the trip & would changeover on the move as & when required.

 

[londonboi]

Are you sure, unless you are talking about catering crew. Everything changes at Preston

Everything don’t change at Preston some Glasgow drivers (polmadie) go as far as Wolverhampton

 

[Welshman]

I've seen VT Voyager drivers leave their Euston-Chester terminator at Chester and catch the next Merseyrail service to Liverpool as a passenger.
It never occurred to me before that that was how Liverpool drivers got to work the Chester/North Wales services.
Unless there's a cohort of Liverpool VT drivers who live on the Wirral!

I seem to remember reading somewhere that VT crews are taxied to/from Liverpool for the first/last Holyheads.
That might have been changed now, though.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Everything don’t change at Preston some Glasgow drivers (polmadie) go as far as Wolverhampton

Preston crew sign the entire length, everything still changes at Preston.

 

[craigybagel]

Everything don’t change at Preston some Glasgow drivers (polmadie) go as far as Wolverhampton

I know I don't work there any more, but I'd be extremely surprised if that is the truth. They certainly never used to, and I've not heard anything from friends still there to say it's changed.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that VT crews are taxied to/from Liverpool for the first/last Holyheads.
That might have been changed now, though.

Drivers from both Manchester and Liverpool cover Holyhead. I believe it's a mixture of taxis, passing on ATW and actually working trains out and back depending on the time of day.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Only Preston sign both sides of Preston, in any case

 

[Crossover]

I believe that an XC turn may be Birmingham to Bournemouth and back for a driver at least (assuming no disruption that is 3 hours each way)

 

[Mag_seven]

some Glasgow drivers (polmadie) go as far as Wolverhampton

No they don't - Polmadie drivers sign to Preston only.

 

[Mag_seven]

Virgin Angels that did the run in 3h55. There was more than one driver on the trip & would changeover on the move as & when required.

The same driver did it throughout although there was another driver on the train to change over if they wanted to.

 

[londonboi]

I have a friend who is a driver at polmadie and he goes to Wolverhampton

No they don't - Polmadie drivers sign to Preston only.

 

[Mag_seven]

I have a friend who is a driver at polmadie and he goes to Wolverhampton

That's interesting - must be a recent development!

 

[londonboi]

That's interesting - must be a recent development!

No idea he has been a driver for years long before they had 390 will try find out more

 

[londonboi]

Don’t get me wrong I may be wrong but I am sure when I have spoken to him before when he was on his break he said he was at Wolverhampton. That was when he was on voyager that day

 

[Worldwide]

Apologies, yes you are correct i refer to catering crews

VTWC crew have a mixture of long and short days the short days normally changing at Preston.

 

[driver_m]

Don’t get me wrong I may be wrong but I am sure when I have spoken to him before when he was on his break he said he was at Wolverhampton. That was when he was on voyager that day

He can’t sign Wolves. Scottish based drivers only sign as far as Preston. There’s only Preston that sign the full length of the route.

As for Chester, the driving turns there are covered by a combination of Euston, Liverpool and Manchester. Preston also sign the route as a diversion. Only Liverpool and Manchester sign towards N Wales. Liverpool have Chester-Wrexham exclusively. The TM ‘s at Holyhead can also the full journey Holyhead-Euston. 263m and takes about 3hr 50

Not seen any Scottish caterers recently, but they definitely still did full length journeys earlier this year to Euston.

 

[wils180]

GWR PAD TMs do plymouth paddington via bristol which is a fair old stretch

 

[Michael.Y]

When I was a trolley dolly for ATW we did Newport - Holyhead - Newport shifts - 9.5 hours each - 0736-1700, 0936-1900, 1136-2100, all (usually) on the same unit each way. We also did the 0900 HOWL off Shrewsbury which (usually) formed the 1310 Swansea-Cardiff, so close to 5 hours on the same unit in one direction (that was an 0557 start at Newport).

 

[dk1]

The same driver did it throughout although there was another driver on the train to change over if they wanted to.

That's cool. I wouldn't have wanted to give up the chair either. Must have been quite exhilarating.

 

[pompeyfan]

So, so far, 2 pages on, we’ve got no real numbers or facts to compare.... :/

 

[306024]

That will be because few on here will have access to crew diagrams to give accurate answers. Lots of guessing and ‘I think’.

Kings Cross to Newcastle and back in a shift (or vv) always strikes me as a good days work. Lots of time in the chair on those diagrams. To add another guess though, wasn’t there a TV programme recently that if I recall correctly said Newcastle drivers worked to Inverness as a lodge turn. Stand to be corrected there as that is over five hours with just a short break at Edinburgh.

 

[Parallel]

Some Welsh Marches services must be up there too. I’m pretty sure Cardiff sign to Carmarthen and Crewe, though often there will be several changes of crew en-route at Carmarthen, Cardiff, Shrewsbury and Crewe.

 

[PHILIPE]

Fratton crews will work from Portsmouth Hbr to Cardiff

 

[PudseyBearHST]

I have a friend who is a driver at polmadie and he goes to Wolverhampton

From my understanding, Polmadie drivers only go down to Preston. There have been talks for many years to have Euston Drivers go as far as Carlisle or Lancaster and have the Scottish Drivers come down as far as Crewe which would eliminate Preston’s depot but nothing has materialised.

 

[PHILIPE]

That will be because few on here will have access to crew diagrams to give accurate answers. Lots of guessing and ‘I think’.

Kings Cross to Newcastle and back in a shift (or vv) always strikes me as a good days work. Lots of time in the chair on those diagrams. To add another guess though, wasn’t there a TV programme recently that if I recall correctly said Newcastle drivers worked to Inverness as a lodge turn. Stand to be corrected there as that is over five hours with just a short break at Edinburgh.

Are there not 2 drivers ? They change over en route (Stirling at one time, I believe) and then the driver on the cushions takes over again at Inverness to dispose. They take their PNBs while on the cushions. Reverse procedure next mornig

 

[306024]

No idea, would be interesting to know. What you say makes sense regarding continuous driving, but the economics of providing 2 drivers driving just 2.5 hours in a shift makes you wonder how this came about. Other 'admin' savings must outweigh the hotel bill.

 

[Dieseldriver]

I believe that an XC turn may be Birmingham to Bournemouth and back for a driver at least (assuming no disruption that is 3 hours each way)

XC Bournemouth Drivers regularly work from Bournemouth to Birmingham in one hit.

 

[craigybagel]

Some Welsh Marches services must be up there too. I’m pretty sure Cardiff sign to Carmarthen and Crewe, though often there will be several changes of crew en-route at Carmarthen, Cardiff, Shrewsbury and Crewe.

Cardiff do indeed work all the way through to Crewe - and to Milford Haven in the other direction (but not on the same turn!). Crewe traincrew however routinely go all the way between Manchester and Cardiff in one go.