Wrexham & Shropshire

[Proud Salopian]

P.S. Proud salopian, have you been on salop station the last few weeks. I keep waving to a few neds that look familiar from pic's on here.

I'm rarely at the station - only when I actually go somewhere by train (usually only about twice a month!) do I go inside.

As for the service stopping at other stops, I would rather hope not. It's annoying enough that it will be stopping at Tame Bridge. This is meant to be an express service for Salopians (and the Welsh just over the border) to get to London. The Banbury stop is good though. Definitely wouldn't want the train to stop at New Street!!

 

[Philip]

Plus 150's,158's & 175's are just way faster than skips isn't going to help matters at all.I know a 67 has a higher top speed than a 150,158 but between Shrewsbury & Wrexham the speeds are 15mph(salop),70mph(clear of Crewe Jcn), 60mph(approach to Cefn Viaduct to just before Ruabon, 50mph before Ruabon to otherside of the station & then back to 70mph up to Wrexham.

Slightly off topic but do you know the general line speed on the Crewe-Shrewsbury line?

 

[Respite]

Slightly off topic but do you know the general line speed on the Crewe-Shrewsbury line?

Hmm I should as I sign it, let me see.

Salop 15mph, 70mph clear of station & points,MU 90mph(70loco) past Harlescot box,
MU 80mph for short section before Prees's distant signal for sighting, then back to MU 90mph, MU 70mph just before Whitchurch station till other end of curve then back to MU 90mph, 60mph just before Nantwich, 70mph after newcastle road Xing, 30mph just before Gresty lane box, 20 Mph just before joining the WCML & then same all the way into the station. Back to shrewsbury is the same in reverse.
Think loco limit is 70mph max the whole way apart from the slower speeds of course.

 

[TDK]

Hmm I should as I sign it, let me see.

Salop 15mph, 70mph clear of station & points,MU 90mph(70loco) past Harlescot box,
MU 80mph for short section before Prees's distant signal for sighting, then back to MU 90mph, MU 70mph just before Whitchurch station till other end of curve then back to MU 90mph, 60mph just before Nantwich, 70mph after newcastle road Xing, 30mph just before Gresty lane box, 20 Mph just before joining the WCML & then same all the way into the station. Back to shrewsbury is the same in reverse.
Think loco limit is 70mph max the whole way apart from the slower speeds of course.

Don't forget the MU80 for sighting Harlescott distant on the up
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I'm rarely at the station - only when I actually go somewhere by train (usually only about twice a month!) do I go inside.

As for the service stopping at other stops, I would rather hope not. It's annoying enough that it will be stopping at Tame Bridge. This is meant to be an express service for Salopians (and the Welsh just over the border) to get to London. The Banbury stop is good though. Definitely wouldn't want the train to stop at New Street!!

Tame bridge wasn't first choice, WSMR are stopping there to link Walsall etc to London because VWC wouldn't let them pick up at Wolves or New Street & VWC are supposed to be are a passenger friendly company? I Think not. The stop at Tame Bridge does not add any time to the journey time as the WSMR service is pathed behind a stopper anyway
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Well considering a 67 with ?12 coaches and another shut down 67 at erm, Manchester Vic, beat most of the pacers and early sprinters out of the station IMO up the gradient towards Salf Ctrl. I don't think the're too badder loco... *waits for barrage of things being thrown*

Quite correct a 67 at full welly with leave most DMU's in it's wake especially with 3 & a DVT

 

[The Planner]

The 70 mph loco speed is likely to come off south of Prin Ris soon as it's assumed to be a speed related to jointed track. Thats gone now so it should go to 75mph. The DMU differentials only apply up to 168 (so a 170 or 22x has to use loco speed !) and thats down to the embankments in places being built from ash. Theres a fair bit of work being done though to get speeds raised south of Aynho as Chiltern aspire to a 100 then a 90 minute journey Moor St to Marylebone.

 

[Respite]

Don't forget the MU80 for sighting Harlescott distant on the up

You mean the MU 0 speed as some bugger has nicked the 8 of the boards!hock: I realised after I had posted that I missed that one, forgot to amend it.

Re an earlier point about 67's being fast, I am quite shocked at that as I spent a lot of time on 67's back in 2001 as a Network Rail M.O.M doing signal sighting around the west mids. I did a lot with 67's when I couldnt get a 47 & every EWS one I got was quite slow getting away from everywhere even when LE. Maybe it was just the drivers throttling up the wrong way due to them having cack handed controls!

 

[Proud Salopian]

As we're talking about the Shrewsbury-Crewe line - what's the latest on Crewe Bank? Are they completely taking it out of action? If so where will the signals and points be controlled from? Crewe Junction or Harlescott? (Or a mixture of the two?) Come to think of it, is Crewe Junction still an independent box, or is it controlled from Severn Bridge Junction?

Questions I know! Sorry!

 

[Respite]

As we're talking about the Shrewsbury-Crewe line - what's the latest on Crewe Bank? Are they completely taking it out of action? If so where will the signals and points be controlled from? Crewe Junction or Harlescott? (Or a mixture of the two?) Come to think of it, is Crewe Junction still an independent box, or is it controlled from Severn Bridge Junction?

Questions I know! Sorry!

AFAIK there are no plans to take Crewe bank out. It spends 99% of the time switched out & unmanned but is available to be open as required (Same as Whitchurch box is). Crewe Junction box is still very much an independant box controlling all trains from Chester & Crewe into the platforms where Severn Bridge takes over at the other end.
I believe Sutton bridge box has been targeted as the next box to shut at Salop, I think that was quoted around 2010 with succesful completion of ERTMS on the Cambrian line. Like thats going to happen anytime soon. :razz:

 

[thefab444]

I think VWC will be attempting the Wrexham to London with a 5 car super voyager. It is just a proposal currently and they may come to a brick wall if they do not get the path over the single line between Wrexham and Saltney Jct. ATW I think may have to give up one of their paths for VWC to be able to depart around 07.00. The journey time currently for WSMR varies from 3h 50m to 4h 25m approx, this is short of the 5 hours you have quoted.

The proposal for the VWC service is it will join up at Chester with another unit, hence 10 coaches for most of the journey.

Most of the WSMR journey times are over 4 hours, not 5, sorry.

 

[TDK]

You mean the MU 0 speed as some bugger has nicked the 8 of the boards!hock: I realised after I had posted that I missed that one, forgot to amend it.

Re an earlier point about 67's being fast, I am quite shocked at that as I spent a lot of time on 67's back in 2001 as a Network Rail M.O.M doing signal sighting around the west mids. I did a lot with 67's when I couldnt get a 47 & every EWS one I got was quite slow getting away from everywhere even when LE. Maybe it was just the drivers throttling up the wrong way due to them having cack handed controls!

It is probabaly the driver not powering up in notch 8, those freight drivers arn't used to doing high speed and get a nose bleed over 70. As you know the route here are some things I have noticed. You can get 55mph by Wrexham's section signal on the up line from Wrexham at a push and that is off p3 with the 15mph until the 5 vehicles are clear, you can get almost 70 by belverdere bridge from Salop on the up and 60 600m from the big arched bridge out of Salop on the down, up Gresford bank you can easily maintain 60 in notch 4 (there are 8 notches). This description gives you more of an idea of the differences between the 67 & the MU's. Hope you're behaving yourself Shane, thinking about the controls pushing the power controller forward to go forward is logical pulling it back is illogical so maybe the 66's & 67's are correct and everything else is wrong then again the yanks do drive on the wrong side of the road LOL
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AFAIK there are no plans to take Crewe bank out. It spends 99% of the time switched out & unmanned but is available to be open as required (Same as Whitchurch box is). Crewe Junction box is still very much an independant box controlling all trains from Chester & Crewe into the platforms where Severn Bridge takes over at the other end.
I believe Sutton bridge box has been targeted as the next box to shut at Salop, I think that was quoted around 2010 with succesful completion of ERTMS on the Cambrian line. Like thats going to happen anytime soon. :razz:

There was a plan to have TCB or Axle counters all the way from Severn Bridge to Craven Arms at one point but I think this was scuppered as the level crossing at Marsh brook could not be converted to AHB or CCTV due to the sighting distance from a car drivers point of view. As for Sutton Bridge going that would be viable with the ERTMS coming in. Have you any info on the resignalling plans at Wrexham by any chance? Of course eventually if ERTMS is network wide will we need signal boxes anymore or signal (wo) men any more?

 

[Respite]

Hope you're behaving yourself Shane,

I always behave myself Tony, you know that!hock:

Gotta keep my nose clean for DRS plan anyhow. & because of course I keep to the profesional drivers policy................. :?

 

[Jordy]

Well its day 1 for Wrexham & Shropshire, the 0542 Wrexham - Marylebone is currently 50 late at Stechford, having left Wrexham on time, it was 14 late at Gobowen and 55 late by the time it reached Telford!

The 0725 is pretty much on time, as is the 0645 Marylebone - Wrexham.

Looks like a pretty good start lets hope it continues! Will be interested to hear what the loadings are like too!

Jordy

 

[Philip]

Hmm I should as I sign it, let me see.

Salop 15mph, 70mph clear of station & points,MU 90mph(70loco) past Harlescot box,
MU 80mph for short section before Prees's distant signal for sighting, then back to MU 90mph, MU 70mph just before Whitchurch station till other end of curve then back to MU 90mph, 60mph just before Nantwich, 70mph after newcastle road Xing, 30mph just before Gresty lane box, 20 Mph just before joining the WCML & then same all the way into the station. Back to shrewsbury is the same in reverse.
Think loco limit is 70mph max the whole way apart from the slower speeds of course.

Cheers - they don't seem to hang around much after leaving Shrewsbury!

Are they replacing the rails on that line? It used to be quite a loud line around Nantwich and Wem but the roar seems to have gone recently.

 

[175001]

1st day going OK. Loco on the 1st southbounf failed, so the rear had to be attached to the front. Same will happen at London on the return.

1st train to Wrexham dead on time!

This company really looks like a well-oiled machine!

1st time I saw it was on Saturday when it ran a family special, just before I was about to leave down to HoW to Swansea and back!

 

[Mushroom]

Looking like the 2nd Train to Wrexham isn't suffering the same luck as the first, and is currently over 1 hour 10 mins down

 

[Coxster]

1J81 (10:17 MYB-WRX) seems to have had it's WVH stop removed.

Edit 14:40- Further delays can be expected following a TCF that is holding signal NS334 at danger. VT have started diversions via the Grand Lines, commencing with (I believe) 1G12.

 

[RJ]

The Planner, are you a train planner for Chiltern by any chance? If so does your first name begin with 'M'?

He is on here

 

[voyagerdude220]

Does anyone know when it will be possible to book AP singles with WSMR, as the website only seems to be letting me book on the day fares? (I've tried several dates in the future)

 

[Mojo]

1P33 left Wrexham General 96 mins late, but 1J83 has left Marylebone on time (ish).

Interesting to see some are routed non-stop through New Street! According to the system 1J81 (1017 from MYB) passed through BHM 66 late. Can anyone confirm it went this way?

 

[nutter]

I hope ren't going through new street, they shouldn't be, I thought they used the old dive under line near washwood heath yard to get to the solihull line. Just my understanding looking at the route.

 

[Mushroom]

Eek, its now over 2 hours late at Telford Central, Bets on where they Cap it

 

[matt]

I hope ren't going through new street, they shouldn't be, I thought they used the old dive under line near washwood heath yard to get to the solihull line. Just my understanding looking at the route.

A few are booked via Solihull and New Street with the rest via Aston and Birmingham International.

 

[The Planner]

He is on here

Nope, sure I said somewhere before that Im NR.
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A few are booked via Solihull and New Street with the rest via Aston and Birmingham International.

I think there is an odd one that does the Grands, then Soho, New St and Solihull. Id need to double check that. We could never get a test run train pathed round there though. WSMR were serious about it from the start though, as we were constantly on the EWS exec train up and down the route and its £30K a pop to run that.

 

[RJ]

Nope, sure I said somewhere before that Im NR.

I meant the Chiltern planner that Yorkie was referring to is on here

 

[Coxster]

1P33, 15:10 WRX to MYB, terminated at Banbury 109 late (19:50 instead of 18:01) therefore enabling 1J84, 20:03 MYB to WRX, to start right-time from Banbury at 21:14.

 

[Proud Salopian]

Oh dear! A bit of a disastrous first day!

 

[will1337]

1P33, 15:10 WRX to MYB, terminated at Banbury 109 late (19:50 instead of 18:01) therefore enabling 1J84, 20:03 MYB to WRX, to start right-time from Banbury at 21:14.

Yup I was on it, went via Aston and BHam International. Held up a Voyager and FGW 165 by blocking P3 of Banbury for a while heh

 

[175001]

Oh dear! A bit of a disastrous first day!

Colud have been worse. They did try and keep to a timetable, and they have offered full refunds to those affected, which in part shows that they care about the consumer.

IMHO, a much more organised start than GC!

 

[TDK]

Oh dear! A bit of a disastrous first day!

The 2nd day was better I think, no major problems

 

[support-uk-rail]

That's pathetic of Branson, starting a new service just because another company saw business before him.

Whatever happened to fair play? Oh wait, it's business

Branson's one of my idols. It is business to make money yes, but that wasn't his attitude at the formation of Virgin Atlantic! He's a fun entrepreneur, granted, but this is so unlike him... well, strictly speaking it's not him, it's the operator of the Trains branch of Virign.

I hate BA for ****ing up Laker and doing almost the same to Branson, but Branson's doing the same here to Wrexham & Shrop, ffs give 'em a chance!