Recent content by John C

I remember travelling on a 142 from Chester to Bradford as they were regulars on the new Leeds-Chester route prior to the introduction of the 195s, seem to recall it had a 153 coupled to it.

I travelled on 142088 from Carlisle to Shipley over the S&C back in 2018 when it was drafted in to cover a Leeds service due to disruption at the Yorkshire end of the line earlier that day. https://www.flickr.com/photos/railphotosonline/46358001762/

Here are a couple of pics of 195’s in Huddersfield but they are not regular visitors. https://www.flickr.com/photos/railphotosonline/50754354058/in/photolist-2gxR7bX-2jnsFa5-2jnvATM-2jnvAUd-2jnvAVF-2jnwK3B-2kjZkcY-2kjZke1...

I remember a couple of years back there used to be an ECS working from Manchester Piccadilly to Newton Heath that went via Huddersfield running via Marsden both ways and was a 195 (prior to that 142’s). I think it used to come off Rose Hill or Marple peak AM services and was a routed via...

I would expect this would of been either 221142 or 143 which arrived from Crofton Depot yesterday as 5M60 presumably for maintenance at Central Rivers https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K01348/2024-02-28/detailed. These two units have been with Grand Central for some months now and...

Managed to capture 142003 looking very smart as it passed Manchester Oxford Road. Looks like it’s going to get held up however at Chester due to an issue near Rhyl. Currently all coast bound TFW’s services are being held at Chester...

I expect the 2 will be based at Crofton rather than Central Rivers which operationally makes more sense being on the route they will serve and Crofton currently services XC 220/221’s, I would imagine GC drivers won’t have route knowledge to Central Rivers either.

A number of years ago a 158 used to run a Leeds-Ilkley return on a Saturday morning before going onto a Carlisle service. I managed to capture a few photos on 158‘s in Ilkley 158843 Ilkley 158792 Ilkley 158792 Menston 1682109052 158’s I know have run ECS between Dunbar and Chathill. When the...

I was travelling today on the 1223 York to Blackburn service (normally Blackpool North) and it has a scheduled call at Low Moor at 1323, this seemed odd as Low Moor is normally served by the 10 past the hour Chester service (aswell as the Huddersfield and Grand Central services). On checking RTT...

I agree this is very welcome as a regular user of this line travelling on a Sunday is nearly always standing room only.

Clitheroe is another example (ish) where the service arrives generally at :56 departing at :23 minutes past the next hour, however the ish part is the unit is not sat the whole dwell time in the station as it reverses from platform 2 to platform 1 via Horrocksford Junction, this ECS move more...

Up until recently before it was cancelled the EMR service was an example of this arriving Scarborough (York in Winter) late morning and returning to St Pancras early evening.

Buxton the layover is around 50 minutes, generally outside of peak times arrives from Manchester Piccadilly at :06 and departs again around :55.

401 is now in Northern livery, I want to say it was repainted early September.

I like the 195’s wouldn’t say they are my favourite unit to travel on but I find them decent enough for mainly the same reasons you’ve highlighted, my only issue I have is the 2 car units which are inadequate capacity wise in my opinion for the majority of services they are used on, it’s on...