Trivia: Odd through trains?

[12CSVT]

Wow, some of those DMU services did go over long distances didn't they?

I do recall being at Cardiff Central in the 1980s and there was a 2 or 3 car old DMU going all the way to Nottingham which seemed to me to be a long trip in one of those trains.

I don't see that as any different from, for example, a 156 working from Great Yarmouth / Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street / Blackpool (as they were rostered to do when new) or a 150 from Southampton / Weymouth to Great Malvern.

 

[Welshman]

I don't see that as any different from, for example, a 156 working from Great Yarmouth / Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street / Blackpool (as they were rostered to do when new) or a 150 from Southampton / Weymouth to Great Malvern.

I think it was a case of passenger perception and expectation.

When the 1st gen dmus were introduced, they were promoted mainly as saviours of the local branch lines, and it was fully expected that a "main-line" train consisting of an engine and coaches, would be provided for the main lines. Hence, a dmu used on longer-distance services such as York-Banbury or "Castleford-Blackpool" was still regarded as a novelty.

Nowadays, with the tendency towards multiple-unit trains rather than the traditional loco-hauled, we are more used to 156s or 158s on services such as Liverpool-Norwich or Southampton-Great Malvern.

 

[Goatboy]

we are more used to 156s or 158s on services such as Liverpool-Norwich or Southampton-Great Malvern.

158's from GMV to Southampton? Try 150's!

 

[marks87]

There's a Kyle of Lochalsh to Elgin service and an Inverness-Aberdeen-Edinburgh service.

The Kyle to Elgin serves as a parliamentary to keep the Rose Street curve open.

Or used Platform 4?

I think you mean platform 5. But it wouldn't help, because the connection between platform 5 and the south is via a ground frame, which certainly can't be used in passenger service. You'd also probably struggle to fit even a 158 in the space.

By all intents and purposes, Inverness is two stations - platforms 1-4 for the south and platforms 5-7 for the north. The only in-service connection between them is via Rose Street and reverse.

 

[172212]

It's usually a 158. It's just the Great Malvern to everywhere-else (Excluding the Paddington's obviously) that are stiffed with 150's.

I'm sure the 12:48 Great Malvern to Weymouth is booked for a 158/9

 

[hst43053]

One service I always found odd was the early morning Portsmouth Harbour - Liverpool Lime Street via the Marches line. It's a shame the service no longer operates because it would be very useful for passengers making intermediate journeys. I think the service stopped operating when the Wales and West franchise was disbanded in October 2001.

Interestingly Wales and West still retain a website (www.walesandwest.co.uk) explaining that the franchise disbanded on 14/10/01, and thereby inviting you to visit the Wessex trains and Wales and Borders' websites, which themselves cease to exist nowadays.

 

[pitdiver]

I use to work for National Express coaches as a Coach Station Manager. I often wondered what the origin was of some NX Coach routes, For instance the 339 from Westward Ho to Grimsby. Are there or have there been any really strange through rail services that forum members have puzzled over.

 

[alexf380]

Aberdeen to Penzance has to be one of them

 

[rf_ioliver]

My personal favourite is the 1V59 1232 Holyhead to Maesteg, a long-distance express as far as Cardiff where it becomes a commuter service to Maesteg. ATW diagram it like this so a big 3-car 175 is on the busiest evening peak train to Maesteg. It does cause confusion at the Holyhead end though, as this train connects with a ferry, and few ferry passengers have ever heard of Maesteg :P
Adam

Weren't there a few like this, eg: Treherbert to Penzance IIRC?

t.

Ian

 

[Bantamzen]

There was the rather odd Wakefield Westgate > Wakefield Kirkgate > Huddersfield > Brighouse > Halifax > Bradford > Leeds > Selby service that ran for some time. It was often know as the magical mystery tour by seasoned commuters at Wakefield, although I did once have to use it between Wakefield & Bradford when there were problems going via Leeds. What fun that was....

 

[Buttsy]

Perhaps you're thinking of the York - Tenby Summer sat service which was introduced in 1975 when Tenby became a "golden rail" resort.......remember that? It wasn't overnight but arrived in Tenby mid afternoon IIRC. There was a balanced working leaving Tenby at (I think) about 0930. The first arrival was greeted with brass bands and the Mayors of York and Tenby at the station.......like a scene from a railway's opening day!! Again memory a bit vague but I'm sure it ran well into the 80s. 47 hauled with about 8 Mk 1s.

I certainly remember this in 1982 as we had a family holdiay in Tenby and we stayed in a hotel on the road to the station. I saw a 47 in the platform when we got there so I wandered down to spot it and noticed it was working a Swansea service. Wasn't until the next Saturday I saw it came in on the ex-York. Was good for me as I copped a Gateshead or Tinsley 47 on the 2nd Saturday.

I'd wager that the 47s on this service spent a week 'away from home' before working back on the following Saturday's service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Summer Saturdays in the 70s and 80s brought about a number of odd through trains such as Nelson (Rose Grove after singling) Paignton, Oxford - Paignton (only passenger service via Foxhall curve). There was also a regular Euston - Inverness (Clansman?) service (eventually sent through Birmingham) that gave a through service from London to Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Central. I seem to remember that this and the sleeper were the only services to stop at Coatbridge Central in the 80s until Argyll line services were sent there in the peak in about 1988.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In the 70s, just before closure, there were a number of services to Filey Holiday Camp on summer weekends from various places. The one that always caught my eye was Leicester - Filey Holiday Camp with a Castleford call. I assume that the service went via the Anlaby Road (?) curve at Hull to avoid reversing, even though these services are often pictured as 8-9 car DMUs (mainly 101s).

 

[JB25]

East Croydon (not sure of the origin) to Southampton which seems to go way out East along the coast to come back across took well over 3 hours. hock: No idea why my friends went with that one over the much quicker Clapham to Southampton I suggested.

 

[tractakid]

A bizarre one I found recently was an Arriva Trains Wales service from Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly via Shrewsbury, Chester and Newton-Le-Willows!

 

[PHILIPE]

I'm sure the 12:48 Great Malvern to Weymouth is booked for a 158/9

On re-visiting the thread to read a new post, this does not seem to have been answered. It is correct this train is worked by a 158/9 off 07 23 from Warminster. The 0900 from Brighton is likewise returning 14 50 Great Malvern to Weymouth.

 

[Ibex]

London Midland's 2H51 05:24 Shrewsbury to Rugeley Trent Valley has stuck out to me as a bit of a strange service for a while now. I assume it's the 170 for the RTV run coming down from Shrewsbury so why not advertise it as a through service.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G27102/2013/12/19/advanced

 

[Blindtraveler]

No call I shouldnt think and even if there was it would have to go when RTV services become electric. When is that BTW? And what stock? And is this propper electrification or is it going to be similar to the Paisley Cannalle job?

 

[TB]

That early TPE Lancaster to Windermere via Morecambe has always puzzled me.

If TPE wanted to serve Morecambe, why at stupid o'clock in the morning?

If it's to do with keeping the direct curve from Bare Lane, wouldn't Northern's 1 Morecambe to Leeds train be enough to satisfy the rules?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I certainly remember this in 1982 as we had a family holdiay in Tenby and we stayed in a hotel on the road to the station. I saw a 47 in the platform when we got there so I wandered down to spot it and noticed it was working a Swansea service. Wasn't until the next Saturday I saw it came in on the ex-York. Was good for me as I copped a Gateshead or Tinsley 47 on the 2nd Saturday.

I'd wager that the 47s on this service spent a week 'away from home' before working back on the following Saturday's service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Summer Saturdays in the 70s and 80s brought about a number of odd through trains such as Nelson (Rose Grove after singling) Paignton, Oxford - Paignton (only passenger service via Foxhall curve). There was also a regular Euston - Inverness (Clansman?) service (eventually sent through Birmingham) that gave a through service from London to Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Central. I seem to remember that this and the sleeper were the only services to stop at Coatbridge Central in the 80s until Argyll line services were sent there in the peak in about 1988.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In the 70s, just before closure, there were a number of services to Filey Holiday Camp on summer weekends from various places. The one that always caught my eye was Leicester - Filey Holiday Camp with a Castleford call. I assume that the service went via the Anlaby Road (?) curve at Hull to avoid reversing, even though these services are often pictured as 8-9 car DMUs (mainly 101s).

Yes I remember many of those odd summer Saturday trains, Eg the one mentioned above from Rose Grove to the Southwest.

There were also the infrequent Intercity trains that came down via Oxford/Reading, Kenny O to Clapham Jct and onto either Gatwick & Brighton, or around the Kent coast to serve the Channel ports.

I used these from Oxford to Clapham Jct and also from Dover to Bromley south. Shame they finished.

There was also another odd service I recall in the late 1970s/early 1980s, that was an old fashioned DMU from I think, Banbury or High Wycombe, via Kenny O, and I presume Ealing or Acton, through Clapham Jct, I don't know if it stopped there or just sent through and it ended up at Gatwick.

Southern used to have a great quite fast service too from Brighton & Gatwick, again via Kenny O & onto Watford, Milton Keynes and Rugby....but this was vastly altered I think owing to path problems when the Penolinos came in and now does Croydon to MKC stopping frequently, it's always busy though. Shame the service can not be extended back to Brighton & Gatwick, through to MKC and Brum, I am sure it would be well used. It must be possible as it used to go to Rugby. I guess it's set up costs and pathing problems that would prevent this from going ahead.

 

[Blindtraveler]

That early TPE Lancaster to Windermere via Morecambe has always puzzled me.

If TPE wanted to serve Morecambe, why at stupid o'clock in the morning?

If it's to do with keeping the direct curve from Bare Lane, wouldn't Northern's 1 Morecambe to Leeds train be enough to satisfy the rules?

I have enquiried about this in the past and a Carlisle Guard told me it was route knoledge for diversions!↲

 

[dannypye9999]

1989 there was a Milton Keynes to Penzance and a return service too. Both via and calling at Northampton.

 

[pitdiver]

1989 there was a Milton Keynes to Penzance and a return service too. Both via and calling at Northampton.

I lived in MK for 25 years but I don't remember a service to Penzance, but I certainly remember a Saturday service to I believe Ramsgate. Did seem weird to see that on the departure board.

 

[Eagle]

Intercity summer services to Margate continued for a while under Virgin (although by then they were going via Reading rather than Milton Keynes). They used a bit of track near Clapham Junction connecting the West London line to the Chatham Mainline that nowadays is only used by freight.

 

[87015]

Intercity summer services to Margate continued for a while under Virgin (although by then they were going via Reading rather than Milton Keynes). They used a bit of track near Clapham Junction connecting the West London line to the Chatham Mainline that nowadays is only used by freight.

The Saturday Ramsgate was outwards via WCML until it finished - return was via Reading though.

 

[pitdiver]

The Saturday Ramsgate was outwards via WCML until it finished - return was via Reading though.

Agree with that if I remember we would have come back via CX or VIC.

 

[Sheepy1209]

Another service I remember as well in Central Trains days was when I was at Hinckley Station, think it was Autumn 2001 a train came in for Chester , not sure where it originated from though as at the time my interest in trains waned a great deal (didn't come back fully until 2003-ish).

I'm late to this thread so sorry if this has already been covered - but that reminded me that at the time I lived in Ruabon and the in-laws lived in Hinckley - having a through service was brilliant - especially the time we just dumped the kids on the train and they were picked up at the other end

(I think the through service was Lincoln - Chester via Birmingham and Shrewsbury. And it was sometimes a 150).

I also remember around that time getting a direct train to Chester from Blackpool North - it was a through Blackpool - Holyhead service, Saturdays only, was packed, and a bit of a party train. Blackpool gets lots of Irish visitors and that train was popular. I wasn't really into trains too much then (my interest was awakened around then by the 37s on Holyhead-Crewe) but I think it was a 153 + another 15x. Can anyone remember if it went down the WCML?

 

[EssexGonzo]

I remember well the Plymouth - Edinburgh "Express".

Late 90's early noughties, loco hauled, Mk3 ??? carriages with no opening windows where the power and therefore aircon would regularly fail.

I was a regular user of the sole first class carriage from Bristol to Bolton (no changes, got me to the in-laws on a Friday afternoon) with a journey time of about 4 hours.

IIRC the total journey time was 9 hours +!!

 

[12CSVT]

The Saturday Ramsgate was outwards via WCML until it finished - return was via Reading though.

For the first year it was WCML both ways

 

[eastwestdivide]

I lived in MK for 25 years but I don't remember a service to Penzance, but I certainly remember a Saturday service to I believe Ramsgate. Did seem weird to see that on the departure board.

Photo of a DVT in deepest Cornwall on the MK-Penzance service on this thread in another forum (might need to scroll down a bit)

 

[dannypye9999]

I lived in MK for 25 years but I don't remember a service to Penzance, but I certainly remember a Saturday service to I believe Ramsgate. Did seem weird to see that on the departure board.

This service ran Milton Keynes to Penzance every summer for a good few years according to the National Rail Timetables (have a few old ones dating back to 1983)

 

[Whistler40145]

I'm a Blackpool lad and have no recollection of a direct Blackpool to Holyhead service.

If this ever did run, I would like to know when.

Also, why is Plymouth to Edinburgh service being classed as odd?

IIRC Plymouth to Edinburgh via Manchester would have been a regular service prior to the CrossCountry Trains franchise.