Mail Trains

Dave R · 23 Dec 2009

Anybody know the diagrams of the Royal Mail Trains? AFAIK GBRF are the only operators and 3 x 325s + loco are the stock.

Had a look and couldn't find a similar thread

RailUK Forums

GB · 23 Dec 2009

Heres a couple for next week (railway week 40)

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY WEEK 40

325 WARRINGTON RMT 17.00 1A91
MADELEY 17/45
NUNEATON 18/27
NORTHAMPTON 18/58
WILLESDEN PRDC RECEP 19.54 19:58
WILLESDEN PRDC PLAT 2 20.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

325 WILLESDEN PRDC 06.40 1F00
WILLESDEN PRDC RECEP 06.42 06.47
WEEDON 07/33
NUNEATON 08/05
STOKE 08/43
CREWE 09*05 09*16
WARRINGTON RMT 09.52

TUESDAY ONLY WEEK 40

325 WILLESDEN PRDC (16.26) 1S96
WILLESDEN RECP (16.28) 16.32
WEMBLEY YARD SOUTH 16.36 (16.40)
ACTON LANE (16.45) 16:48
NORTHAMPTON 17/34
NUNEATON 18/05
MADELEY 18/41
ACTON BRIDGE 19*05 19*29
WARRINGTON RMT 19.43 20.07
SHIELDMUIR SDC 22.37
16.45

WEDNESDAY ONLY WEEK 40

325 WILLESDEN PRDC (16.26) 1S96
WILLESDEN RECP (16.28) 16.32
WEMBLEY YARD SOUTH 16.36 (16.40)
ACTON LANE (16.45) 16:48
NORTHAMPTON 17/34
NUNEATON 18/05
MADELEY 18/41
ACTON BRIDGE 19*05 19*33
WARRINGTON RMT 19.46

Please not the above is for guidance only and is subject to short notice changes or cancellations. Some info as been omitted for clarity.

33056 · 23 Dec 2009

They are normally 325s only, the loco(s) have only appeared in the last few days, presumably due to the inclement weather.

BTW, I believe that 1S96 no longer goes via Acton Lane, heads straight off north after leaving the PRDC.

GB · 23 Dec 2009

33056 said:
BTW, I believe that 1S96 no longer goes via Acton Lane, heads straight off north after leaving the PRDC.

Possibly, I dont know. But what I will say is that these are the timings on the official GBRf drivers diagrams.

CosherB · 24 Dec 2009

According to Railway Magazine, the Royal Mail EMUs are all now loco hauled (86, so it still needs to run under the wires). Anyone know why they'd go to the extra expense of loco-hauling the train when it could presumably run as an EMU set without a loco?

matt · 24 Dec 2009

Captain Speaking said:
According to Railway Magazine, the Royal Mail EMUs are all now loco hauled (86, so it still needs to run under the wires). Anyone know why they'd go to the extra expense of loco-hauling the train when it could presumably run as an EMU set without a loco?

The mail sets are only hauled by an 86/87 when the sets fails although the bad weather may have also needed a loco recently.

hstdave · 26 Dec 2009

hi

does anyone no why some (class 325) mail trains have being running on the east coast latley

thanks

Ben · 26 Dec 2009

hstdave said:
hi

does anyone no why some (class 325) mail trains have being running on the east coast latley

thanks

Hmmm, Chistmas... extra demand?

33056 · 26 Dec 2009

hstdave said:
hi

does anyone no why some (class 325) mail trains have being running on the east coast latley

thanks

Saturdays only for the last two or three weeks due to
a) Christmas
b) I suspect (but may be wrong) that part of the WCML has been shut "up north" at weekends or there are pathing issues.

hstdave · 26 Dec 2009

thanks
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
will the freight be running as normal between christmas and new year through tamworth as i am off there on wednesday
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
if you buy the freight master book that tells you the mail train times

adamp · 26 Dec 2009

Seeing as xmas is nearly over I guess the extra mailt rains have ceased.
I heard they do it every year, just to basically keep the locos going. Not sure if they were loco hauled last year though...
-Adam

33056 · 27 Dec 2009

Probably less freight than normal between Christmas and the New Year, though I would think you would see something at Tamworth on Wednesday, can't help with what is (or isn't) closed for engineering works or actually running round there.

Regarding the mail trains, the locos are available all the time to cover failures / problems, they don't get used specifically to "keep them going". There was one year recently around Christmas (can't remember exactly when :oops:

), when the WCML was closed and the mail trains were being dragged by diesels via the Western.

Now that Christmas is over, I expect that the mail trains will revert to their normal Mon to Fri only operation over the WCML between Willesden, Warrington & Shieldmuir.

captainbigun · 27 Dec 2009

The mails would normally be units on their own, no loco. The odd diagram is hauled to keep the locos warm and the drivers' knowledge up to date.

However last week saw chaos with the units due to the weather so 86701, 86702 and 87002 all saw use between Willesden and Sheildmuir. It is expected that the trio will be out again next week.

Some of you may have seen that 86701 plus a trio of 325s failed Barton and Broughton loop north of Preston on Wednesday night. This was due to a problem with the brakes on the units. 66110 was tagged on the back for brake force and the 86 hauled the whole lot north to Sheildmuir.

86101 is currently out of action with an OTMR fault.

hstdave · 28 Dec 2009

33056 said:
Probably less freight than normal between Christmas and the New Year, though I would think you would see something at Tamworth on Wednesday, can't help with what is (or isn't) closed for engineering works or actually running round there.

Regarding the mail trains, the locos are available all the time to cover failures / problems, they don't get used specifically to "keep them going". There was one year recently around Christmas (can't remember exactly when ), when the WCML was closed and the mail trains were being dragged by diesels via the Western.

Now that Christmas is over, I expect that the mail trains will revert to their normal Mon to Fri only operation over the WCML between Willesden, Warrington & Shieldmuir.

thanks

CosherB · 29 Dec 2009

Thanks for the replies, all.

gareth taylor · 29 Dec 2009

87002 was on 1F00 today between Willesden and Warrington with 3 325s.

captainbigun · 29 Dec 2009

87002 is currently heading back south from Dallam with 1A91, 86702 is heading north from WN PRDC on 1S96 and 86701 is heading south from Sheildmuir on 1M44.

25322 · 29 Dec 2009

87002 was on the mails this morning from Willesden to Warrington (1F00/1M00) and is routed via Colwich-Stone-Stoke-Crewe. One of the few non pendolinos to use that line.

Sadly i was in bed and missed it.

33056 · 30 Dec 2009

25322 said:
87002 was on the mails this morning from Willesden to Warrington (1F00/1M00) and is routed via Colwich-Stone-Stoke-Crewe. One of the few non pendolinos to use that line.

Sadly i was in bed and missed it.

Well, you had better get out of bed this morning! 86701 is doing 1F00 today 8)

Will be leaving a little late, but (hopefully!) not as late as yesterday, also the train is 1F00 - never heard of a 1M00.

captainbigun · 30 Dec 2009

All three will be out today, then nowt until 4th Jan.

86702 on 1M86.

33056 · 31 Dec 2009

Well 86701 is on a 1Z95 to Shieldmuir this morning (no idea if it is going beyond Warrington). Running in the same path as 1F00 but NOT via Stoke etc.

Much as I like seeing the locos working from a "crank" point of view, I will be glad when they stop as it is a PITA operationally.

Drimnagh Road · 31 Dec 2009

The downside of GBRf losing the Mail contract is that ETL and whoever owns the 87 will also be out of work, I doubt DBS will require their services...

HSTChris · 31 Dec 2009

How long do the Royal Mail services run for? IE are these times only valid until a certain date?

33056 · 5 Jan 2010

The times posted by GB are for some of the usual trains, ie - not the extra Christmas ones. They are the booked times that will probably run until at least the May timetable change.

Even after DBS take over, I would expect the times to still be more-or-less the same; after all those are the times that the customer wants them to run at!

HSTChris · 5 Jan 2010

Cool, thanks for that

captainbigun · 6 Jan 2010

Note that the weather is causing havoc with timings so it's a bit of a lotto at the moment. There is the odd additional move also.

matt · 6 Jan 2010

86702 worked 1Z96 Sheildmuir to Willesden this morning

http://railways.mjspencer.com/gallery/v/Jan10/IMG_6267.JPG.html

33056 · 7 Jan 2010

86701 arrived at Willesden over 100 minutes late on 1A97 earlier. No doubt there will be the usual shenanigans in the morning to run it round to work 1F00.

TGVDUDE · 8 Jan 2010

Will the loco's be hauling these units over the weekend and next week?

captainbigun · 8 Jan 2010

The mail train usually only run M-F, however with the current airport chaos there is one northbound and one southbound train tomorrow. Expect to see locos on some or all of the workings for a little while yet.

Mail Trains

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