There's rarely only one sprinter available in West Wales, and even if there was, blocking the line down there is less likely to cause issues nationwide than a problem around Manchester.
There is today. Everything else is a 197. Regarding your second point, if a 769 fails at Salford Crescent and the other diagram is near Southport, it's still going to cause a lot of disruption waiting for the rescue to arrive.
In an emergency, you can rescue a 15x with a 197 - albeit slowly and painfully. And it shouldn't take that long to get a unit down from the HOWL. As I said though, a failure in West Wales, as annoying as it would be for passengers down there, does not have the capacity to gridlock the entire nation like Castlefield can.
Lots of disruption, yes, but at least a rescue unit will be available to get to it eventually. Worst case scenario is still going to be less than 2 hours to get a 1Z99 across. How long is it going to take to rescue the unit if there's literally no other 769s available to rescue it?
I would assume there's another unit that's fit to run parked on a depot somewhere - possibly with a fault that means it can't be used in passenger service but can be used to rescue a failed unit?
There were two 769s out yesterday. The 0705, 1005 from Southport etc was 769 434. 769 431 operated from Stalybridge to Southport as 2W15 (arriving 1430) where it should have operated the 1505 to Oxford Road. That was cancelled and the unit was dropped onto 2W60 1526 back to Stalybridge. A fair few unit swaps yesterday, but definitely two in service...
Currently due out around the 9th August.
Thank you very much Dave
424 is waiting for overhauled engines.
450's just had an engine changed, just waiting for parts.
Interesting, - how are the engines performing in practice in terms of expected periods between maintenance/overhaul?
Thank you Dave
Dave, are you, or any other kind soul, able to confirm if 769450 was one of the 2x 769s next to each other in the Allerton yard, at the Hunts Cross end today, Tuesday 6/8 circa 4pm?
769450 & 769456 should be going out on a test run today 07/08 (possibly the diagram below) so watch out for them.Dave, are you, or any other kind soul, able to confirm if 769450 was one of the 2x 769s next to each other in the Allerton yard, at the Hunts Cross end today, Tuesday 6/8 circa 4pm?
Wasnt able to go past twice on the main network and from the Merseyrail 777 the view had too much dreaded buddleia...
Thanks in hope... Simon
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Sorry, can't say where or what ones they would of been.
Its higher than it has been for some time, even though 6 are actually diagrammed which hasn't been hit since the last 'blue moon'
When did Stalybridge switch to electric? I thought it wasn't going to be until December.
Earlier this month. 5 August was first day.
Last week i believe but not 802s.
Good! That saves a lot of thrashing the diesel pollution generators up to Miles Platting.
769450 back in service today for the first time in a long time. 769424/48 not allocated today, but the other 6 are in traffic, first time for a long time that 6 (as diagrammed) are in service. Perhaps the 'extended' electric runs to Stalybridge are helping?
456 is on Crewe C.S after having new bogies fitted.