The whole of the London Underground network except Harrow on the Hill on the Metropolitan Line and the more important stations beyond it. The idea of diesels on the LU is not all that preposterous - the whole of the Met and District lines (inculding the Circle) were originally steam hauled.
Sandhills to Ormskirk & Preston, and to Kirkby & Wigan Wallgate both had dmu services from the 1960s until the closure of Liverpool Exchange in 1977.Has the Ormskirk line ever had diesels? I thought the last steam service to Preston and beyond was the last through service, i.e. the through services were withdrawn at the end of steam leaving only the EMUs.
Hadfield has had a DMU (Pacer) service from Manchester Victoria via Ashburys during a closure of Picc for engineering works some years ago. It squealed like a pig round Ashburys curve.
Has the Ormskirk line ever had diesels? I thought the last steam service to Preston and beyond was the last through service, i.e. the through services were withdrawn at the end of steam leaving only the EMUs.
Hadfield has had a DMU (Pacer) service from Manchester Victoria via Ashburys during a closure of Picc for engineering works some years ago. It squealed like a pig round Ashburys curve.
The Ormskirk line was severed in 1970 so there must have been a diesel service to Preston for two years.I recall going to Ormskirk from Maghull with my mum one Saturday and finding that dmus were substituting for emus, while something was amiss with the power supply. Only happened once in my experience.
As someone has already said, that was on the Phase 2 (via Ashford) routes - the SR had no main line diesels in June 1959 when the Chatham lines went electric.The Kent Coast had alot of scheduled Diesel hauled trains (mostly BR/Sulzer Type 2 in the D5000 series) in the run up to Electrification.
And the regular floods at Clock House saw Cromptons replace steam on the emergency for a couple of years in the early 60s.Re. The southern 3rd rail area:
Tunnel flooding at Maidstone and Strood (not at the same time afaik) occasioned the use of diesel locos or thumpers at times
Apart from the obvious DEMU routes, Pirbright Jn to Basingstoke was part dieselised from about 1962 when Cromptons took over 1 or 2 Bournemouth trains (I remember being gutted to catch the 1130 Bournemouth in summer 1964 and discover this - suspect my Dad was too). But then, of course, that line never became 100% electric.I think the same applies to most of the Southern Region.....
If you read my post you will see that Stratford Low Level was mentioned as an exception:Stratford low level had a diesel service usually 105's to North Woolwich. There was also a morning service post privatisation to I believe Watford which used a 150
With the exception of Liverpool St - most main line trains, Stratford - Low Level platforms and some Lea Valley line services, /..../ the line from London to Southend Victoria has ISTR, never had services that used diesel-halued trains.
Has the Ormskirk line ever had diesels? I thought the last steam service to Preston and beyond was the last through service, i.e. the through services were withdrawn at the end of steam leaving only the EMUs.
I recall going to Ormskirk from Maghull with my mum one Saturday and finding that dmus were substituting for emus, while something was amiss with the power supply. Only happened once in my experience.
They did for a while - Class 50 haulage too, but I have no idea how common this was. This photo is now where Asda is.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryp28/6250482170/in/album-72157627315460580/
Sandhills to Ormskirk & Preston, and to Kirkby & Wigan Wallgate both had dmu services from the 1960s until the closure of Liverpool Exchange in 1977.
I caught a 150 + 142 from Alderley Edge into Manchester last autumn. I'm sure that class 104 dmus worked between Manchester and Crewe for a short time before the 1960s electrification.Local trains in South Manchester. Guessing Glossop/Hadfield line but also possibly stations on the line to Crewe e.g Alderley Edge?
According to the history books*, the Bury - Holcombe Brook branch closed to passenger trains on 8 May 1952 - so before DMUs began to make their appearance in north-west England.Bury to Holcombe Brook Branch went from steam to electric and then back to steam before closure. I can't find out if it ever saw diesels. Does anyone know for certain? And if so do any pictures survive?
Oops.If you read my post you will see that Stratford Low Level was mentioned as an exception:
Ac
How about most of the stations on the Manchester - Bury electric line (now Metrolink)?
In the 1960s DMUs were used on Manchester Vic - Bacup trains (which got to Bury via Heywood) and on the final services on the Man Vic - Bury - Accrington - Colne - Skipton route (which took the original East Lancs Railway route via Salford & Clifton Jn).
As far as I can tell, only the 1200V DC EMUs used the line via Whitefield, meaning stations from Bowker Vale to Radcliffe never saw diesels.
Maybe DMUs were used on occasions during preparation for the Metrolink conversion, but I suspect bustitution was coming into vogue as the preferred option by that time.
Class 504s were used up to the bitter end, from my reading. Partly a combination of:
-BR being desperately short of diesel fleet at the time with Class 158 deliveries being late, and
-The last 2 months or so of BR operation was Crumpsall-Bury only (the network south of Crumpsall being severed for construction of the depot etc.)
I read that the reliability of the route when operated by 504's was extremely high, right up until the end. This was apparently due to there being a lot of them close at hand on account of having been somewhat overprovided.
Sorry, not even that one. Onetime office colleague who lived down the Southend Victoria line (Rochford?) arrived late one morning to tell that after a power failure in the 1980s a Southminster dmu was hijacked from Wickford to run down to Victoria and back to Shenfield picking up as many as would fit in. Not for the first time apparently. I wrote about it on here a while ago.With the exception of Liverpool St - most main line trains, Stratford - Low Level platforms and some Lea Valley line services, Romford - Upminster shuttles, Shenfield - a few main line stoppers and Wickford, - Southminster shuttles, the line from London to Southend Victoria has ISTR, never had services that used diesel-halued trains.
There was a mail/parcels service carrying passengers to Norwich in the early hours that called at Romford and Brentwood.With the exception of Liverpool St - most main line trains, Stratford - Low Level platforms and some Lea Valley line services, Romford - Upminster shuttles, Shenfield - a few main line stoppers and Wickford, - Southminster shuttles, the line from London to Southend Victoria has ISTR, never had services that used diesel-halued trains.
There was a regular diesel service from Southport to Liverpool Lime Street in the sixties and early seventies I believe. Also although the main commuter service from Exchange to Ormskirk was electric, there were through trains towards Preston which would have called at least at Ormskirk and possibly other stations. The Hunts Cross line was diesel operated until its temporary closure (1970?). So that only leaves the Wirral Line as far as Rock Ferry/ New Brighton/ West Kirby.Most of the present Merseyrail system apart from the extensions electrified since 1977.
DMUs did substitute for EMUs on all-stations-to-Altrincham services on several occasions.Stations on the electrified line from Manchester to Altrincham, but not including Manchester Oxford Rd, (Deansgate? Did Liverpool diesel services stop there?), Sale or Altrincham, where the Chester DMU services started / called. So...Old Trafford, Warwick Rd, Stretford, Dane Rd, Brooklands, Timperley. Not Navigation Rd, as that has been a stop for the Chester services since the rest of the line was converted to Metrolink
According to the history books*, the Bury - Holcombe Brook branch closed to passenger trains on 8 May 1952 - so before DMUs began to make their appearance in north-west England.
The ex-L&Y third-rail electric units ran on the branch until 24 March 1951, being replaced by steam trains for the last year and a bit before closure to passengers in 1952.
How about most of the stations on the Manchester - Bury electric line (now Metrolink)?
In the 1960s DMUs were used on Manchester Vic - Bacup trains (which got to Bury via Heywood) and on the final services on the Man Vic - Bury - Accrington - Colne - Skipton route (which took the original East Lancs Railway route via Salford & Clifton Jn).
As far as I can tell, only the 1200V DC EMUs used the line via Whitefield, meaning stations from Bowker Vale to Radcliffe never saw diesels.
Maybe DMUs were used on occasions during preparation for the Metrolink conversion, but I suspect bustitution was coming into vogue as the preferred option by that time.
* A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain vol.10 The North West by G.O. Holt
OK, I excepted Romford, (because of ther Upminster shuttle, so Brentwood had a one, maybe two trains calling there.There was a mail/parcels service carrying passengers to Norwich in the early hours that called at Romford and Brentwood.
At one time a couple of Sunday morning Southminster services ran in service from London rather than as empty stock.
As Taunton posted DMUs did sometimes get used in emergency. I remember travelling on one from Liverpool Street.
I was going to suggest the London Tilbury and Southend but I never knew the line well enough round about electrification.
No diesel services ever operated on the Isle of Wight railways in BR ownership - the only diesels ever based on the island were shunters for p-way duties. The steam railway has, ironically, operated the only diesel passenger trains ever to run on the Island.
Not sure that is right, because there was an (infrequent) Liverpool Lime Street to Southport via Bootle DMU service which connected with certain London trains (I presume replacing steam hauled through carriages), and the Liverpool Central-Hunt's Cross section was DMU operated. So apart from the Mersey Tunnel lines all had DMUs at one time?
I was going to mention Lake - which opened about 30 years ago - but from what you've said, the other stations on the line (except for Smallbrook Jcn) would also count.