150/1, 150/2 and 153 in Cornwall

nanstallon · 11 Dec 2017

Is there an allocation of particular types of Sprinter to the various branch lines in Cornwall? My observation is that it is totally at random whether you get a 150/1 or 150/2 or indeed 2x 153 on the Falmouth branch, and other branches are often a single 153, at least in winter. I was wondering whether 150/1 are preferred sometimes because of the 2+3 seating.

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PHILIPE · 11 Dec 2017

nanstallon said:
Is there an allocation of particular types of Sprinter to the various branch lines in Cornwall? My observation is that it is totally at random whether you get a 150/1 or 150/2 or indeed 2x 153 on the Falmouth branch, and other branches are often a single 153, at least in winter. I was wondering whether 150/1 are preferred sometimes because of the 2+3 seating.

Although they have their own diagrams, 150/1 and 150/2s more or less work as a common Pool. The 2+3 seating is ignored, passengers won't fill all 3 if they can help it, even preferring to stand at times. The 2 Falmouth diagrams are both 150/1s (or /2s in practice) but at other times of the timetable is 2x153s including current Saturdays. There will be more 153s on the branches from January.

nanstallon · 11 Dec 2017

Thank you. I hope that they won't have single 153s on the Falmouth branch - it can be crowded enough with 2 car trains!

Clarence Yard · 11 Dec 2017

All the GWR 153 workings in January are booked to be doubles, apart from the Looe. There will also be a daytime spare at Plymouth. 12 units diagrammed out of 14.

nanstallon · 11 Dec 2017

Clarence Yard said:
All the GWR 153 workings in January are booked to be doubles, apart from the Looe. There will also be a daytime spare at Plymouth. 12 units diagrammed out of 14.

That is good news - the Newquay branch train is often a single car in winter. Mind you, that is adequate for the traffic - very different in summer!

Peter Mugridge · 11 Dec 2017

In the summer, the St Ives branch will be a 4 car 150 pairing all day.

Parallel · 12 Dec 2017

Peter Mugridge said:
In the summer, the St Ives branch will be a 4 car 150 pairing all day.

Which last year, frequently emptied out to an already full 2-car 150 at St Erth for stations towards Plymouth. :lol:

The47Wanderer · 12 Dec 2017

nanstallon said:
Thank you. I hope that they won't have single 153s on the Falmouth branch - it can be crowded enough with 2 car trains!

I remember seeing a single 153 working that line for years, just after the franchise change to fgw!

83G/84D · 13 Dec 2017

Slightly off topic but 150002 has been to Penzance this week.

SWTrainspottin · 13 Dec 2017

These are the booked formations for Cornwall branches:

Looe - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September
Newquay - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September. Don't forget that expresses run through too during summer.
Falmouth - Both diagrams booked are 2 coaches. Believe it's booked for one diagram to be a 150 and the other as a pairing of 153's during winter and booked for both diagrams to be 150's in summer.
St Ives - 2 coach from September to May, 4 coach from May to September.

Clarence Yard · 14 Dec 2017

SWTrainspottin said:
These are the booked formations for Cornwall branches:

Looe - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September

Newquay - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September. Don't forget that expresses run through too during summer.

Falmouth - Both diagrams booked are 2 coaches. Believe it's booked for one diagram to be a 150 and the other as a pairing of 153's during winter and booked for both diagrams to be 150's in summer.

St Ives - 2 coach from September to May, 4 coach from May to September.

Not quite. The January 2018 to May 2018 diagrams are as follows;

Looe 1 x 153.
St Ives 2 x 153.
Newquay 2 x 153
Falmouth 2 x 153 + 2 x 153
Gunnislake 1 x 150

The 153 diagrams will be substantially reduced in May - eventually all the above diagrams will be 1 x 150, with 2 x 150 on the St Ives in summer.

Deafdoggie · 14 Dec 2017

Clarence Yard said:
Not quite. The January 2018 to May 2018 diagrams are as follows;

Looe 1 x 153.
St Ives 2 x 153.
Newquay 2 x 153
Falmouth 2 x 153 + 2 x 153
Gunnislake 1 x 150

The 153 diagrams will be substantially reduced in May - eventually all the above diagrams will be 1 x 150, with 2 x 150 on the St Ives in summer.

does a 150 fit down the Looe branch?

bramling · 14 Dec 2017

Deafdoggie said:
does a 150 fit down the Looe branch?

Yes Looe has seen 1x150 on busy days in the summer months, presumably mainly Saturdays.

Kite159 · 14 Dec 2017

Deafdoggie said:
does a 150 fit down the Looe branch?

Yes it does, more common during the summer times.

Seems a waste having 2x 153s on Newquay services during the winter moves

nanstallon · 14 Dec 2017

Parallel said:
Which last year, frequently emptied out to an already full 2-car 150 at St Erth for stations towards Plymouth.

I always thought that the main traffic on the St Ives branch was people using the Park and Ride facility at Lelant Saltings, with some wanting to go on down to Penzance, with not so many going on up the main line towards Plymouth. That said, 2 car trains on the main line in summer are pretty daft.

83G/84D · 14 Dec 2017

nanstallon said:
I always thought that the main traffic on the St Ives branch was people using the Park and Ride facility at Lelant Saltings, with some wanting to go on down to Penzance, with not so many going on up the main line towards Plymouth. That said, 2 car trains on the main line in summer are pretty daft.

A lot of people make a day trip to St Ives from other parts of Cornwall entirely by train.
They usually arrive at St Erth in the morning between 0930 & 1130 and arrive back from St Ives between 1600 & 1800.
This is also the busiest time for Park and Ride passengers and 2 150’s are essential during the summer holidays.

Back up / standby buses are sometimes provided.

nanstallon · 15 Dec 2017

83G/84D said:
A lot of people make a day trip to St Ives from other parts of Cornwall entirely by train.
They usually arrive at St Erth in the morning between 0930 & 1130 and arrive back from St Ives between 1600 & 1800.
This is also the busiest time for Park and Ride passengers and 2 150’s are essential during the summer holidays.

Back up / standby buses are sometimes provided.

I don't question that - I am one such person who travels quite often from another part of Cornwall. Neither is there any doubt that the Park and Ride is busy, especially at those times. A 4 car train is needed, if not more, during the summer and I can remember 5 car set ups in the days of the Modernisation Plan dmus and railcars. However, a 4 car train from St Ives will lose much of its load at Lelant Saltings and at St Erth some people will want to go on down to Penzance. However, a 2 car train coming in from Penzance may well be already full and unable to provide seating for people wanting to go 'up the line'.

With the new trains coming down for Paddington to Penzance workings, releasing some short HSTs, perhaps 2 car trains for local workings from Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter and even Bristol/ Cardiff will become a distant and unlamented memory.

SWTrainspottin · 15 Dec 2017

Clarence Yard said:
Not quite. The January 2018 to May 2018 diagrams are as follows;

Looe 1 x 153.
St Ives 2 x 153.
Newquay 2 x 153
Falmouth 2 x 153 + 2 x 153
Gunnislake 1 x 150

The 153 diagrams will be substantially reduced in May - eventually all the above diagrams will be 1 x 150, with 2 x 150 on the St Ives in summer.

I was talking about now, but I forgot that the timetable was changing. Those were the formations that happened last year.

pompeyfan · 15 Dec 2017

I’m sure I’ve asked this before but can’t remember the answer. On the Gunnislake branch, would a 3 car be accommodated everywhere? I’ve been on it full and standing on more than one occasion.

Busaholic · 15 Dec 2017

nanstallon said:
I don't question that - I am one such person who travels quite often from another part of Cornwall. Neither is there any doubt that the Park and Ride is busy, especially at those times. A 4 car train is needed, if not more, during the summer and I can remember 5 car set ups in the days of the Modernisation Plan dmus and railcars. However, a 4 car train from St Ives will lose much of its load at Lelant Saltings and at St Erth some people will want to go on down to Penzance. However, a 2 car train coming in from Penzance may well be already full and unable to provide seating for people wanting to go 'up the line'.

With the new trains coming down for Paddington to Penzance workings, releasing some short HSTs, perhaps 2 car trains for local workings from Penzance to Plymouth, Exeter and even Bristol/ Cardiff will become a distant and unlamented memory.

There is a new Park and Ride facility being created at great public expense (Cornwall Council's, in the main) at St Erth with associated roadworks at the dangerous junction with the A30, which appear to have now halted for the Christmas period. In case anyone wonders where the cars will go, a large number of spaces are being created to the east of the station, off the road down to the recycling centre. The promoters of the scheme i.e. Cornwall Council have been remarkably coy imo as to the purpose of the scheme e.g. when originally proposed by them it was as a P&R for Penzance

Sir Felix Pole · 15 Dec 2017

I had assumed, perhaps mistakenly, that the St Erth P&R is meant as a replacement for Lelant Saltings? Access to the latter has been badly compromised by the housing estate surrounding it - another planning farce. At least Lelant Village would get a full train service again.

83G/84D · 15 Dec 2017

The story going around was that Lelant Saltings station and Park & ride would close.

Unsure if that will happen.

SWTrainspottin · 17 Dec 2017

pompeyfan said:
I’m sure I’ve asked this before but can’t remember the answer. On the Gunnislake branch, would a 3 car be accommodated everywhere? I’ve been on it full and standing on more than one occasion.

Three coach formations are not allowed on the Gunnislake branch due to the sharp bends (for example a 3 coach 150 or 150 and 153 formation).

PHILIPE · 18 Dec 2017

SWTrainspottin said:
Three coach formations are not allowed on the Gunnislake branch due to the sharp bends (for example a 3 coach 150 or 150 and 153 formation).

I thought it was anything involving a 153 where there is a restriction. 153s can only work singly and in past Simmers the 1749 Liskeard to Gunnislake has been booked a 150+153 but has had to kick the 153 off at Plymouth

PHILIPE · 18 Dec 2017

bramling said:
Yes Looe has seen 1x150 on busy days in the summer months, presumably mainly Saturdays.

Booked 150 on all days during High Summer

PHILIPE · 18 Dec 2017

SWTrainspottin said:
These are the booked formations for Cornwall branches:

Looe - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September

Newquay - 1 coach from September to May, 2 coach from May to September. Don't forget that expresses run through too during summer.

Falmouth - Both diagrams booked are 2 coaches. Believe it's booked for one diagram to be a 150 and the other as a pairing of 153's during winter and booked for both diagrams to be 150's in summer.

St Ives - 2 coach from September to May, 4 coach from May to September.

Currently the Falmouth is 2 x 150 Monday to Friday and Sunday and 1x150 + 2x153 on a Saturday. Has been like this since the Summer service. All change January as posted elsewhere in the thread,

SWTrainspottin · 18 Dec 2017

PHILIPE said:
I thought it was anything involving a 153 where there is a restriction. 153s can only work singly and in past Simmers the 1749 Liskeard to Gunnislake has been booked a 150+153 but has had to kick the 153 off at Plymouth

Have heard word before that 150001/150002 wasn't allowed onto the Gunny.

150/1, 150/2 and 153 in Cornwall

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