Trivia: Areas that a class 158 have never been on.

[Doctor Fegg]

Of course don’t forget aside from the XC 158s which many people have mentioned at Oxford that Regional Railways 158s used to work on the North Cotswold services from Oxford to Worcester.

They pretty quickly became turbos and the route transferring to NSE as part of the deal which saw the last 22 x 158s become 159s and 2 extra 166s ordered instead to cover the North Cots.

I thought that it was mostly 155s on the Cotswold Line, with a brief burst of 156s. But I might be wrong (it was before I moved to the area).

I've always been a bit dubious about the caption on this Wikipedia image of a 158 at Oxford - I don't remember CT actually operating any services to Oxford, despite the proposals for a Nottingham-Oxford service. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...n#/media/File:Oxford_2003_central_special.png

 

[fgwrich]

As captured by Martin Loader here:

158790 Didcot North Junction 22 April 2002

And a charter too!

158956 & 156405 Moreton-in-Marsh 4 October 2003

I thought that it was mostly 155s on the Cotswold Line, with a brief burst of 156s. But I might be wrong (it was before I moved to the area).

I've always been a bit dubious about the caption on this Wikipedia image of a 158 at Oxford - I don't remember CT actually operating any services to Oxford, despite the proposals for a Nottingham-Oxford service. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...n#/media/File:Oxford_2003_central_special.png

As that photo is dated 2003, it’s likely that would have been working one of the First Great Western Bristol Temple Meads to Bicester Town services, as mentioned by Martin Loader in the photo above.

 

[Versa274]

The Kent metro area and kent coast
Kings Cross to Peterborough and the Hertford line
All London termini bar Waterloo and poss Marlybone

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I thought that it was mostly 155s on the Cotswold Line, with a brief burst of 156s. But I might be wrong (it was before I moved to the area).

It was indeed mostly 155s but the 158s were just taking over as the line was transferred to NSE so there was a period when they did appear.

 

[D6130]

Ilkley might have never seen one- not sure if there's anything preventing it but on the odd occasion that there's a DMU filling in for an unavailable EMU the go-to choice seemed to be a 144, and latterly a 150.

I took a 158 from Leeds to Ilkley and back one Sunday a few years ago when there was an electrical isolation for OHLE maintenance.

 

[fgwrich]

The Kent metro area and kent coast
Kings Cross to Peterborough and the Hertford line
All London termini bar Waterloo and poss Marlybone

Within the NSE area, 158s have operated at least

London Waterloo - Woking - Basingstoke - Exeter
London Waterloo - Richmond / Hounslow - Woking
Brighton - Fareham - Southampton - Salisbury
Fareham - Eastleigh
Eastleigh - Romsey
Basingstoke - Southampton
Reading - Basingstoke
London Paddington - Didcot Parkway
Didcot Parkway - Bicester Town
Portsmouth Harbour - Southampton - Salisbury
Portsmouth Harbour - Guildford - Reading - Banbury
Guildford - Woking
London Waterloo - Acton Main Line via Kensington Olympia
London Euston - Rugby
Colchester - Manningtree
Stansted Airport - Ely

158s have been into Paddington before as mentioned by Jonathan H, and 158s worked into London Euston on First North Westerns Rochdale services.

 

[Versa274]

158s have been into Paddington before as mentioned by Jonathan H, and 158s worked into London Euston on First North Westerns Rochdale services.

I did say bar waterloo(i ment they do Serve Waterloo but not many others)

 

[Bevan Price]

West Kirby ? New Brighton ? I think are barred to 23 m stock ? Then the Loop needs tripcocks. So that is essentially the Wirral no 158s ? And doubt they've ever done Liverpool / Southport or Ormskirk ?

.

Yes, I think the entire Merseyrail electric network can be condidered as "158 free" - apart from the station areas at Southport, Chester, and a short section between Hunts Cross & Liverpool South Parkway.

And have they ever done Gretna Jn - Dumfries - Kilmarnock - Glasgow, or (Glasgow) - Ayr - Stranraer ???

 

[D6130]

Did 158s not work over the Portsmouth Direct Line between Guildford and Havant for a short time in the late 1990s/early 2000s, covering Liverpool or Manchester to Portsmouth Harbour services via Reading, while on hire to Virgin Cross-Country?

 

[Lukeo2311]

I would say Ormskirk but then again I have seen a photo of one in the Preston side of the station on a Preston service in recent times!

 

[JonathanH]

Did 158s not work over the Portsmouth Direct Line between Guildford and Havant for a short time in the late 1990s/early 2000s, covering Liverpool or Manchester to Portsmouth Harbour services via Reading, while on hire to Virgin Cross-Country?

While leased to Cross Country, yes, very much so.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No 158 Thameslink core, before and after upgrade.
No 158 Crossrail core.
No 158 Moorgate via Old Street.
No 158 East London Line.
No 158 Isle Of Wight.

West Kirby ? New Brighton ? I think are barred to 23 m stock ? Then the Loop needs tripcocks. So that is essentially the Wirral no 158s ? And doubt they've ever done Liverpool / Southport or Ormskirk ?


In addition to where they have been, although already covered in other posts, 158s (159s) have done Waterloo - Southampton - Bomo - Wareham - Swanage charter / railtours for HRT at least 4 times (and I was on 2 of them).


Have they ever worked on MML south of Syston anywhere to StPancras / any cross London junction ? In 36 years since moved to Luton I can't say I can recall one. But I don't necessarily pay attention to it all.

They won't have been anywhere on Merseyrail bar common sections like South Parkway-Hunts X. They have done Preston to Ormskirk though, and probably Wigan-Southport.

 

[Lukeo2311]

They did the Southport - Leeds service sometimes, I have seen photos of them at Southport, another place I have never seen a 158 would be Hooton / Ellesmere Port other DMU classes but not a 158

 

[61653 HTAFC]

They did the Southport - Leeds service sometimes, I have seen photos of them at Southport, another place I have never seen a 158 would be Hooton / Ellesmere Port other DMU classes but not a 158

Yes, they were common on the Leeds to Southport before those services were cut back to Wigan. I'd have thought they may have done Kirkby, as I thought the most constrained area in that neck of the woods was the Wallgate bridge- which clearly 158s can pass. 153s were barred there though. WRT the comment upthread about Kirkby being barred to 23m stock, I'm pretty sure 156s have run there, so if 158s are barred it isn't down to vehicle length alone.

EDIT- Just realised that comment was about West Kirby, not Kirkby... In my defence, the second K in Kirkby is usually silent!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

They went to Corfe Castle!

Yes and in between the Waterloo via Yeovil to Corfe down and up runs it popped to Bournemouth or Poole and back, I am certain of it.

 

[BridgeofSighs]

They don't fit down the Conwy Valley

There was a comment I read not too long ago that 158714 covered this route as part of the aforementioned 'camera mounted' tours of the network. It was from this that the route was deemed inappropriate. Is there any further information, or even some credence to this? Not another mention has been made, not least a photo coming to light.

 

[90sWereBetter]

It looks like 158s have never operated on the Bittern, East Suffolk and Felixstowe branch lines in East Anglia. They did occasionally turn up at Great Yarmouth on summer services in the 1990s, while there was an early morning Lowestoft to Norwich service booked for an EMR 158 for a fair portion of the 2010s.

I don't think 158s have ever run on the London Tilbury and Southend, in addition to all of the GEML branches mentioned earlier.

 

[Prestige15]

Anywhere on the South Eastern network?

Probably the closest to the SE Network would probably be London Waterloo.

Other areas i think i never seen/heard of they have been on

Chiltern Mainline
Essex
Isle of Wright
Kent
Woodhead Line
Penistone Line
ECML Between Dunbar - Chathill?
Northampton loop
Snow Hill lines
Stourbridge Shuttle
MML South of Bedford
Cambridge - Hitchin / South or Peterborough

 

[Intercity110]

The brighton mainline north of Gatwick airport?

 

[Western 52]

Has a 158 ever done HS1?

 

[Whistler40145]

Are 158s cleared on the Blackpool South and Colne branches?

 

[Ribbleman]

Are 158s cleared on the Blackpool South and Colne branches?

They are almost daily visitors on both lines and inter-work on Preston-Ormskirk services.

 

[John C]

I took a 158 from Leeds to Ilkley and back one Sunday a few years ago when there was an electrical isolation for OHLE maintenance.

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

Probably the closest to the SE Network would probably be London Waterloo.

Other areas i think i never seen/heard of they have been on

Chiltern Mainline
Essex
Isle of Wright
Kent
Woodhead Line
Penistone Line
ECML Between Dunbar - Chathill?
Northampton loop
Snow Hill lines
Stourbridge Shuttle
MML South of Bedford
Cambridge - Hitchin / South or Peterborough

158’s I know have run ECS between Dunbar and Chathill. When the 158‘s (158867 etc) transferred from ScotRail to Northern they travelled this way. They do show up on the Penistone line from time to time.

 

[Whistler40145]

Glasgow Central to Carlisle via Kilmarnock and Glasgow Central to Stranraer Harbour must be top of the list for not seeing 158s

 

[Geeves]

They are almost daily visitors on both lines and inter-work on Preston-Ormskirk services.

They were, but no 158s on those routes now since the last timetable change Ribbleman

In regards to the Woodhead line that one would be difficult, they have however been to Penistone in the past

Did the NWT trains from Rochdale to Euston run via Northampton?

 

[ScottGallagher]

Pretty sure they've been between Barrow and Millom on evening services around 2018/2019 before 195s were at Barrow.

I was under the impression that although 175/185 and 195 are cleared as far as Millom, something particular about the 158 prevented them going past Barrow.

 

[Sm5]

I v much doubt 158s have visited London St Pancras or London Kings Cross

Class 158 in St Pancras

158714 at St Pancras. 1990.

During gauging trials throughout the UK, note the CCTV cameras. I have some video footage of this unit at Southport during these trials, entering and leaving platforms 6,5,4 and 3 from memory. Has a 158 been to Southport since ? no doubt somebody will know...

flic.kr

 

[Bevan Price]

Probably the closest to the SE Network would probably be London Waterloo.

Other areas i think i never seen/heard of they have been on

Chiltern Mainline
Essex
Isle of Wright
Kent
Woodhead Line
Penistone Line
ECML Between Dunbar - Chathill?
Northampton loop
Snow Hill lines
Stourbridge Shuttle
MML South of Bedford
Cambridge - Hitchin / South or Peterborough

They have definitely done Sheffield / Penistone / Huddersield - at least once with me on board.

 

[RPI]

Newquay, Looe and Gunnislake.
Always find it weird that HST's, Voyagers and IET's are cleared for St Blazey to Newquay but 158's aren't.
158's (and a 159 at least once) have been as far as St Blazey.

 

[jonesy3001]

Was going to ask if a 158 has been on the ilkley line until I seen this video from halish railways on YouTube.