1955 electric working

[edwin_m]

Because some were through trains (or connectons) to Liverpool Central.

I realise that, but in the list I quoted one out of the four in each direction terminated in Manchester. I guess there might be connections towards Liverpool, but the same would apply to the Sheffield-Manchester trains that were mentioned to be much more frequent and terminated at London Road.

 

[Welshman]

Perhaps because the ex-Leicester conveyed a regular consignment of parcels for Liverpool, and it was easier to run the train to Central rather than transfer them across Manchester by road?
Just a thought.

 

[30907]

Because some were through trains (or connectons) to Liverpool Central.

The 10.40pm ex Central had through coaches from Liverpool - which were balanced by the 10pm from Marylebone which (1958) ran to London Rd but detached a Liverpool portion at Godley Jn which ran direct to Warrington.
I expect the Leicester to Central was involved in the stock workings somehow....

Amazing what you discover in old timetables - I was looking for the night train from Marylebone and....

 

[Taunton]

Aside from passengers to Liverpool, in former times "passenger" trains could have as much capacity provided for mail, parcels, news (not just morning papers - weekly magazines too), etc, and having them over in Central made the transfer to further services, either by porters or shunting the vans over, much more practical. This was behind the continuance of a number of secondary services and unusual through trains. Even distribution of these locally within the city could be better from a large, quieter station like Central rather than through the crush at London Road.

 

[6Gman]

The 10.40pm ex Central had through coaches from Liverpool - which were balanced by the 10pm from Marylebone which (1958) ran to London Rd but detached a Liverpool portion at Godley Jn which ran direct to Warrington.
I expect the Leicester to Central was involved in the stock workings somehow....

Amazing what you discover in old timetables - I was looking for the night train from Marylebone and....

You beat me to it on the L'pool through coaches on the night train!

Curiously the Leicester went ECS to Ardwick, and then ECS to London Road to work peak hour services to Marple and Rose Hill!

 

[ac6000cw]

in former times "passenger" trains could have as much capacity provided for mail, parcels, news (not just morning papers - weekly magazines too), etc,

Yes, even by the 1970's, there was a lot of mail and parcels traffic conveyed by passenger trains.

I often trainspotted at B'ham New Street in the early 70's, and the Euston trains used to have a full-brake vehicle at each end for mail & parcels (there was some on pretty well every train, and veritable mountains of it at times, mailbags thrown onto wet platforms just to get it unloaded in time if a train was running late - seeing that happening has reminded me ever since to package stuff properly when posting it!).

 

[Bevan Price]

I realise that, but in the list I quoted one out of the four in each direction terminated in Manchester. I guess there might be connections towards Liverpool, but the same would apply to the Sheffield-Manchester trains that were mentioned to be much more frequent and terminated at London Road.

Until Manchester Central closed, there were no through trains between Manchester London Road and Liverpool. The nearest equivalent was the very sparse stopping service between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime St. via Lymm & Warrington Bank Quay Low Level.