Wick/ Thurso to Penzance, by Sprinter

[junglejames]

Anyway. The way this is going, im going to have to extend it into a 4th day. Day 2 doesnt leave me any room for error. ie having to wait around for a 155 to appear etc etc. Plus day 3 would be up the wall if the single LM 150 diagram turned out to be a 172 for that day!!
So I either scrap the idea of going out of my way for 153s and 155s, and all the 158s, or I extend to a 4th day.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Would you count a 170+153 working?

 

[richw]

The problem is, some people see something which initially seems mad, and without thinking, start turning their noses up at the idea. Without realising they have probably done something just as mad themselves at some stage.

I did something mad back in July. Instead of driving to Roscoff for the closest ferry crossing for me on both sides, I opted to drive an extra 4 hours in France and 4 hours extra in the UK, just to try out one of P&O new spirit class ferrys at calais! Despite all the extra fuel, it saved me about £100 over Brittany Ferries, and in reality didnt take me any longer, as Brittany Ferries require you to show up significantly earlier for your crossing, than is required at Calais, and loading/ unloading is so much more quicker at Dover and Calais, as well as the crossing being 90 mins compared to 6 hours. Passport control at Plymouth averages 1hour to get out the port after the ship arrives unless your one of the first off.

 

[Lee_Again]

Last month my son and I went to Liverpool, from Stevenage. We went via Inverness, on the sleeper, just for the hell of it.

You can read about it in the trip reports section.

What I find mad, is doing nothing mad. We're only here once. May as well enjoy it.

 

[DiscoStu]

The problem is, some people see something which initially seems mad, and without thinking, start turning their noses up at the idea. Without realising they have probably done something just as mad themselves at some stage.

S'pose you're right - I did drive from London to Sydney in 2007!!

 

[Bevan Price]

I have some spare time so I have devised a plan you could do to complete the journey only using sprinters:

Thurso-Inverness 158
Inverness-Edinburgh 158
Edinburgh-Glasgow Central 158
Glasgow central-Carlisle 156
Carlisle-Preston 156
Preston-Liverpool Lime Street 156
Liverpool Lime street-Earlestown 150
Earlestown-Chester 158
Chester-Newport 158
Newport-Taunton 158
Taunton-Penzance 150 (There is a direct train from Bristol Parkway that does this, I have used it from Truro to Penzance)

And then Liverpool makes a mess of your plan and turns out a 142 on the Blackpool or Earlestown service at the most inconvenient time ??? Switching diagrams at LIme St. can occur if they are short of units, or something is running late.

Only one diagram of the 6 or 7 units on the Manchester - North Wales circuit is normally class 158, or occasionally a Class 150. On recent observation, you have probably a 50% chance of getting a 158 between Chester & Shrewsbury.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Do the 150's operate to Birmingham that often on the Shrewsbury route? There is a train an hour to Shrewsbury and alternates every two hours to Cardiff or Birmingham, your pretty much guaranteed a 158 on the Brum services if that;s what your on about, if you on about the south Wales services, ignore all of above

 

[junglejames]

Would you count a 170+153 working?

Probably, but it makes little difference over the 150.
Do we know any definite 170+153 diagrams on LM (assuming thats what you are on about!)

 

[sprinterguy]

Do we know any definite 170+153 diagrams on LM (assuming thats what you are on about!)

On the Snow Hill lines, I know that the 13:17 Worcester Shrub Hill - Dorridge (and hence the 14:46 Dorridge - Worcester) forms part of the 170+153 diagram for that corridor.

I think that there is one 170+153 diagram on Birmingham to Hereford route as well, although I do not know which services it works.

 

[junglejames]

S'pose you're right - I did drive from London to Sydney in 2007!!

Normally Id say "enough said", but actually I dont think enough has been said this time
S'pose im right? Only suppose? Out of all the mad and insane things ive mentioned on here, including this trip of mine, I think you have just put us all to shame.

So i'll finish with one sentence

I did drive from London to Sydney in 2007!!

Why the hell would anyone do that?

 

[Tomonthetrain]

On the Snow Hill lines, I know that the 13:17 Worcester Shrub Hill - Dorridge (and hence the 14:46 Dorridge - Worcester) forms part of the 170+153 diagram for that corridor.

I think that there is one 170+153 diagram on Birmingham to Hereford route as well, although I do not know which services it works.

That's the workings I was thinking of

 

[junglejames]

Do the 150's operate to Birmingham that often on the Shrewsbury route? There is a train an hour to Shrewsbury and alternates every two hours to Cardiff or Birmingham, your pretty much guaranteed a 158 on the Brum services if that;s what your on about, if you on about the south Wales services, ignore all of above

Dont get many 150s between Shrewsbury and Brum do you? Virtually all 158s with ATW. Shrewsbury to Brum with ATW is likely to be part of the plan.

At present I have numerous options, depending on how I want to do this. If I decide to include all Sprinter types in the trip still, then going via Notts, Derby and Crewe is likely to be in. Unless of course I can guarentee a 153 somewhere in Cornwall. A quick detour onto a Cornish branch may be easier than going via Notts.

If I can, then I could head direct from Manchester, either via Chester, Shrewsbury and Brum, or, if anyone knows the diagram in question, Manchester to Cardiff direct on this single 158.

Ive decided fitting in all the different 158/ 159s is actually nice and easy. Making my way from Man Vic to Piccadilly, catch an EMT 158 between Oxford Rd and Pic. Short and sweet!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That's the workings I was thinking of

Do these all go from Snow Hill? The 170+153 services that is.

 

[sprinterguy]

Do these all go from Snow Hill? The 170+153 services that is.

No, the one on the Hereford route starts at New Street, assuming that it is still running.

 

[Class172]

No, the one on the Hereford route starts at New Street, assuming that it is still running.

It is.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Dont get many 150s between Shrewsbury and Brum do you? Virtually all 158s with ATW. Shrewsbury to Brum with ATW is likely to be part of the plan.

No but I thought the poster of that particular comment was saying that you get a 50% chance of a 158 on a Chester-Shrewsbury train, that is headed for Birmingham, which I don't think is true as in 6/7 years I have never seen a 150 on a Birmingham service from Chester, if the poster however was on about all services to Shrewsbury, then he is likely to be correct as 175's also operate the route

Unless of course I can guarentee a 153 somewhere in Cornwall. A quick detour onto a Cornish branch may be easier than going via Notts.

I can't say guaranteed, but the direct train from Bristol Parkway to Penzance had a 153 cranked up to a 150 when I seen it, but I don't know if that happens all the time. On the local Plymouth-Penzance trains, and again not guaranteed, they seem to have a lot of doubled up 153's and 150+153 workings on them, the branch lines would definitely have a 153 on one of them, St Ives, Falmouth, Looe would be the safest bet IMHO

 

[Rich McLean]

No but I thought the poster of that particular comment was saying that you get a 50% chance of a 158 on a Chester-Shrewsbury train, that is headed for Birmingham, which I don't think is true as in 6/7 years I have never seen a 150 on a Birmingham service from Chester, if the poster however was on about all services to Shrewsbury, then he is likely to be correct as 175's also operate the route


I can't say guaranteed, but the direct train from Bristol Parkway to Penzance had a 153 cranked up to a 150 when I seen it, but I don't know if that happens all the time. On the local Plymouth-Penzance trains, and again not guaranteed, they seem to have a lot of doubled up 153's and 150+153 workings on them, the branch lines would definitely have a 153 on one of them, St Ives, Falmouth, Looe would be the safest bet IMHO

The Newquay Branch and the Looe Branch during the winter is almost a guaranteed 153

 

[richw]

St Ives, Falmouth, Looe would be the safest bet IMHO

Remove Falmouth, has been diagrammed both diagrams as 150s recently

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Ah right thanks for the info. When I went in the summer, every time I went on that line it was 2 153's or a 150 coupled to a 150, but seeing as you live in Cornwall and I live about 300 miles away, you're the expert

 

[richw]

Previously diagram 1 was a 150 and diagram 2 was 2 x 153.
Every time I've travelled recently its been 150 on both diagrams.

 

[sprinterguy]

No but I thought the poster of that particular comment was saying that you get a 50% chance of a 158 on a Chester-Shrewsbury train, that is headed for Birmingham, which I don't think is true as in 6/7 years I have never seen a 150 on a Birmingham service from Chester, if the poster however was on about all services to Shrewsbury, then he is likely to be correct as 175's also operate the route

There's only a very small number of ATW services from Birmingham worked by 175s. In fact, I don't know that there are any services other than the 05:20 Shrewsbury - Birmingham International and the 07:09 Birmingham International - Holyhead that are booked for 175s. Obviously only 158s are used on the Cambrian line trains.

A couple of years ago, there used to be an ATW service that passed through Birmingham just after 5pm (So the 13:28 Holyhead - Birmingham International) that utilised one class 158 and one class 150 if a second 158 was not available. I saw this formation a few times, and I believe that this arrangement has continued sporadically until quite recently.

 

[Goatboy]

Newport-Taunton 158

Isn't this normally a 150?

 

[class17]

Why would anybody want to do this?

Well here is a reason.

I will donate to the Railway Children £25 if you do it in 3 days, £20 in 4 days, £15 in 5 days etc. Plus £5 for each different class.

So when are you planning it?

Best regards

 

[12CSVT]

On recent observation, you have probably a 50% chance of getting a 158 between Chester & Shrewsbury.

The Birmingham trains are diagrammed 158s, as the diagrams are interworked with the Birmingham - Aberystwyth / Pwllheli services which can only be worked by ATW 158s.

 

[junglejames]

Well here is a reason.

I will donate to the Railway Children £25 if you do it in 3 days, £20 in 4 days, £15 in 5 days etc. Plus £5 for each different class.

So when are you planning it?

Best regards

Assuming im not too busy, then January. If I cant manage it in January, then at a push, December. Otherwise it'll have to be postponed for a while.

I think ive found a way of completing it in 3 days, and taking in every class of sprinter, as well as a 158/159 from every TOC. It may mean getting the Metrolink between Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly though. I think that is just about allowed! At a push! Its the 155 that could cause problems though.
The latest train I can get from Leeds to Victoria is the 1037. The earliest i will be in Leeds for is the 0907. So the 155s have 4 trains in which to turn up!! If Im left catching the 1037, then I only have 30mins to cross Manchester, plus I dont have a choice of Chester services. So if a pacer turns up! HELP.

My intention is to stay in Worcester for the 2nd night. Hopefully the LM 150 is still on the prescribed diagram. If not, im in a bit of trouble, but i can still make it. Just means id have to head back to Shrewsbury, and get the stupid o clock HoW service on the 3rd day. and lose the money from the worcester hotel lol

As for giving money to the Railway Children. Nice idea. This is going further than i expected it to though!

 

[jopsuk]

Once you confirm you're doing it, set up a JustGiving page to handle donations.

 

[junglejames]

Once you confirm you're doing it, set up a JustGiving page to handle donations.

Interesting idea. I only intended this as a fun, different, thing to do. Something that I could look back on. Now its turning into something more! Do you all want to pay for my ALR as well?!! lol

 

[87015]

The latest train I can get from Leeds to Victoria is the 1037. The earliest i will be in Leeds for is the 0907. So the 155s have 4 trains in which to turn up!! If Im left catching the 1037, then I only have 30mins to cross Manchester, plus I dont have a choice of Chester services.

None of those are booked a 155 I'm afraid so you'll be relying on a diagram change in December or a drop out. The 1007 is a 155 today, so it does happen...

 

[junglejames]

None of those are booked a 155 I'm afraid so you'll be relying on a diagram change in December or a drop out. The 1007 is a 155 today, so it does happen...

Well i will hope for a 155, but if it doesnt happen, its not the end of the world. I have to think of the Chester leg as well, because the chances are, I wont be able to catch the first train available, if a pacer is on it. Any later than the 1317 from Manchester to Chester then i'd have to spend the night in Brum, and if i do that, I really am relying on that single LM 150 diagram. All I need is for that to be a 172 on the day in question, and id have to extend the trip into a 4th day at the last minute. Not the end of the world i suppose.

 

[Rich McLean]

Well i will hope for a 155, but if it doesnt happen, its not the end of the world. I have to think of the Chester leg as well, because the chances are, I wont be able to catch the first train available, if a pacer is on it. Any later than the 1317 from Manchester to Chester then i'd have to spend the night in Brum, and if i do that, I really am relying on that single LM 150 diagram. All I need is for that to be a 172 on the day in question, and id have to extend the trip into a 4th day at the last minute. Not the end of the world i suppose.

Unless you strike it lucky, and end up with a 158 on a Manchester - Cardiff run

 

[junglejames]

Unless you strike it lucky, and end up with a 158 on a Manchester - Cardiff run

Does anyone know which train is booked 158 on this route? Ive never seen anything but a 175 on this run, so the chances are, unless I turn up for the train actually booked 158, then its never going to happen.