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Alliance Blackpool service to be run by Grand Central and start in 2021

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hexagon789

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Theoretically, any loco with a buckeye can haul MK4's.

Afaik the TOE has a drophead buckeye, as 47s hauled them in BR days into Bradford iirc, and 47s don't have buckeyes.

Really all you need is an air-braked loco for conventional haulage, but I'm sure any prospective operator will want to use them in a push-pull configuration.
 
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pt_mad

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On existing Grand Central services, are route any permitted off peak and anytime tickets valid on those services?
 

HSTEd

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Perhaps it is finally time for the return of the Flying Badger
 

MylesHSG

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Afaik the TOE has a drophead buckeye, as 47s hauled them in BR days into Bradford iirc, and 47s don't have buckeyes.

Really all you need is an air-braked loco for conventional haulage, but I'm sure any prospective operator will want to use them in a push-pull configuration.

Can 86's and 87's work push-pull?
 

ainsworth74

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Can 86's and 87's work push-pull?

Yes if fitted with TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) to enable them to speak to the DVT. As far as I'm aware the 87s were fitted with it as they worked push-pull with Mk3 DVTs on the West Coast Mainline but I'm not sure if the 86s were also fitted with the same equipment.
 

HSTEd

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Considering there is only one and a lot of its parts are unique, how would that work?
The 125 Group hope to get her operational again at some point.........
Well she could provide cover for 91s and the like......

I admit it, I just really like her and want to see her back in service
 

MylesHSG

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The 125 Group hope to get her operational again at some point.........
Well she could provide cover for 91s and the like......

I admit it, I just really like her and want to see her back in service

Is it still in GNER livery?
 

Darandio

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It's the AC locomotive group handling 89001 isn't it? And it's now in Intercity Executive livery, or at least it was before it was taken to bits to get it running again.
 

hexagon789

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The 125 Group hope to get her operational again at some point.........
Well she could provide cover for 91s and the like......

I admit it, I just really like her and want to see her back in service

I'm not against her re-entering service, I just don't think her uniqueness makes her ideal for a regular service like this. Though I suppose the GNER workings are a precedent for this.
 

Clip

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They're advertising for Qualified Drivers to be based at Blackpool so it looks like they are really going to be running the services contrary to forum belief
 

hexagon789

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They're advertising for Qualified Drivers to be based at Blackpool so it looks like they are really going to be running the services contrary to forum belief

Well that's certainly some progress, I sincerely hope that I'm recruiting for drivers does indeed lead to the services running at some point.
 

Clip

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Well that's certainly some progress, I sincerely hope that I'm recruiting for drivers does indeed lead to the services running at some point.

Well they wont be paying a driver or two to sit there doing nothing i would imagine
 

Darandio

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They're advertising for Qualified Drivers to be based at Blackpool so it looks like they are really going to be running the services contrary to forum belief

Indeed. But it's neither staff recruitment or stock procurement that could kill it off.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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The branding appears simply to be the Grand Central North West route, in the same way there's already the West Riding and North East routes. Can't see anything wrong with that, though I have to wonder whether it will be the same branding but a different legal entity?
 

Clip

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Indeed. But it's neither staff recruitment or stock procurement that could kill it off.

Well lets not try to be too pessimistic about it - they've made more progress now than at any other point and that's a good indicator for me
 

DynamicSpirit

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Out of interest... That advert specifies only qualified train drivers. That presumably means, drivers who are likely to have been trained by a TOC. Is that standard practice amongst open access operators - to only employ drivers who have been trained by other companies? And if so, wouldn't that amount to an indirect way that the open access operators are being subsidised if it's always the franchised operators who have to pay to train them?
 

tbtc

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Out of interest... That advert specifies only qualified train drivers. That presumably means, drivers who are likely to have been trained by a TOC. Is that standard practice amongst open access operators - to only employ drivers who have been trained by other companies? And if so, wouldn't that amount to an indirect way that the open access operators are being subsidised if it's always the franchised operators who have to pay to train them?

You could make a similar argument about "InterCity" TOCs being subsidised by "Provincial" ones, since a lot of staff learn the ropes on local train services before moving onto the more lucrative (better paid) jobs on long distance trains. A lot of the problems that Arriva Trains Northern had around the millennium were blamed upon GNER snapping up their better staff, I've heard of complaints in recent times that expanding TOCs like TPE have "poached" staff, causing shortages at Northern/ ScotRail.

I don't know if there's an answer, other than forcing staff to pay for their own training (like some airlines) or introducing a transfer market (like football clubs)... neither of which are entirely serious suggestions. Interesting question though.
 

mmh

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Swings and roundabouts. Plus the open access operators, First and Arriva, will be training far more drivers through their franchised TOCs than the open access routes use.

The number of drivers used for this will be a drop in the ocean compared to those who've transferred to long established franchised TOCs who rarely or never hire trainees.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Presumably the terms and conditions, and prospects, for GC jobs on the new OA service with be different to those for the local franchise TOCs, despite the common Arriva ownership between Northern and GC.
We all know what happened at Wrexham & Shropshire.
 

Aictos

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Bearing in mind the formations are Class 91 - 7 Mk4s - DVT as discussed earlier, how much of a difference will two less coaches make to the performance compared to the LNER formation of Class 91 - 9 MK4s - DVT?
 
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