Azuma naming at Darlington Tuesday 14th

[DominikM]

LNER are naming an Azuma at Darlington on Tuesday the 14th (or 21st, the information hasn't been very clear) to celebrate Railway 200. Does anyone know what time (and more importantly which day) this will happen?

 

[Intercity_225]

According to RealTimeTrains, there's a 3G01 to Darlington from Bounds Green and a 1G01 to York, with it arriving at DAR at 10.21 and departing at 10.41, so probably around then.
3G01 -> https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:N49371/2025-01-14/detailed
1G01 -> https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:N49374/2025-01-14/detailed

 

[800001]

According to RealTimeTrains, there's a 3G01 to Darlington from Bounds Green and a 1G01 to York, with it arriving at DAR at 10.21 and departing at 10.41, so probably around then.
3G01 -> https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:N49371/2025-01-14/detailed
1G01 -> https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:N49374/2025-01-14/detailed

Ecs all the way from London to Darlington, via Newcastle!

Comes back from York as 1G02, then departs back to Bounds Green as 5G02

Realtime Trains | 1G02 1215 York to Darlington | 14/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1G02 1215 departure from York to Darlington on 14/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 5G02 1250 Darlington to Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D | 14/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 5G02 1250 departure from Darlington to Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D on 14/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800Travel]

Ecs all the way from London to Darlington, via Newcastle!

Comes back from York as 1G02, then departs back to Bounds Green as 5G02

Realtime Trains | 1G02 1215 York to Darlington | 14/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1G02 1215 departure from York to Darlington on 14/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 5G02 1250 Darlington to Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D | 14/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 5G02 1250 departure from Darlington to Bounds Green T&R.S.M.D on 14/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Wonder if/how they'll cover the livery on the way, or if maybe we'll see it leaked on Twitter as the train makes it's way up from London.

Does Heaton depot not do livery application? Wondering if this is, in part, why the unit is coming from London rather than more local.

 

[DarloRich]

This train will be named after Craig Liddle the former Darlo defender, manager, all round club legend and good egg.

Assume it will be "Railway 200" as part of the PR around the celebrations. It should, of course, be Darlington: Birthplace of the Railways

 

[JordR]

Ecs all the way from London to Darlington, via Newcastle!

Any ideas why it would run a good way past Darlo? Is Newcastle the closest place to keep the set the same way around without reversing, which might be important for a livery reveal?

This train will be named after Craig Liddle the former Darlo defender, manager, all round club legend and good egg.

Assume it will be "Railway 200" as part of the PR around the celebrations. It should, of course, be Darlington: Birthplace of the Railways

I'll throw "Tin Shed" into the mix.

 

[DarloRich]

Any ideas why it would run a good way past Darlo? Is Newcastle the closest place to keep the set the same way around without reversing, which might be important for a livery reveal?

to eat up time, fit in with actual services and make sure the first class section is in the right place for the VIP trip.

 

[800001]

to eat up time, fit in with actual services and make sure the first class section is in the right place for the VIP trip.

Most likely King’s Cross driver to Newcastle who the passes back to London.
Newcastle driver goes to York and bsck
To Darlington.
Then another driver takes it back to Bounds Green.

 

[tumbledown]

The Green Signals podcast has an interesting piece on the preparations for the naming of a loco Nigel Harris.

 

[ainsworth74]

Wonder if/how they'll cover the livery on the way, or if maybe we'll see it leaked on Twitter as the train makes it's way up from London.

Not sure there's any suggestion that it's a livery?

Assume it will be "Railway 200" as part of the PR around the celebrations. It should, of course, be Darlington: Birthplace of the Railways

Yes I made the same assumption. Bit boring I thought. I fancied "Stockton & Darlington 1825" or perhaps "George Stephenson" if there isn't one of them on the network at at the moment.

 

[DanNCL]

Not sure there's any suggestion that it's a livery?

All of LNER’s other named 80xs have a livery on the first class driving vehicle, it would be surprising if this one was any different.

 

[ainsworth74]

All of LNER’s other named 80xs have a livery on the first class driving vehicle, it would be surprising if this one was any different.

Ah yes good point!

 

[800Travel]

This train will be named after Craig Liddle the former Darlo defender, manager, all round club legend and good egg.

Assume it will be "Railway 200" as part of the PR around the celebrations. It should, of course, be Darlington: Birthplace of the Railways

Or ‘The Rocket’ - could be a good name for an express train I guess

Or ‘The Rocket’ - could be a good name for an express train I guess

Scrap that

 

[DarloRich]

Or ‘The Rocket’ - could be a good name for an express train I guess

erm, thats nothing to do with Railway 200 or SDR or Darlo..................

 

[800001]

erm, thats nothing to do with Railway 200 or SDR or Darlo..................

Just passed The rocket on the back of a lorry in Cockerton, heading from Hopetown to Locomotion

 

[800Travel]

erm, thats nothing to do with Railway 200 or SDR or Darlo..................

Got the wrong loco. Built by the same person though I think

 

[DarloRich]

Just passed The rocket on the back of a lorry in Cockerton, heading from Hopetown to Locomotion

was that not the Locomotion replica? It has been on show at North Road

 

[800001]

was that not the Locomotion replica? It has been on show at North Road

One of the 2! I get confused which is which.

 

[Twingo37175]

Just seen it pass through Doncaster on its way north. The first class driving vehicle has Darlington wrapped along it, similar to others and further reference to S&DR 200.

 

[DarloRich]

One of the 2! I get confused which is which.

this is supposed to be a railway forum! How can you get the origin story confused

 

[bunnahabhain]

It passed me this morning and I didn't pay any attention but I seem to recalled it said Darlington in big letters on the Driving TRUB car.

 

[DarloRich]

The Azuma has a special livery wrap on the fist class driving carriage saying Darlington: Driving innovation for 200 years. According to my source there was quite a decent crowd at the station including a choir for this unveiling which is nice. Hopefully some good local press.

 

[DanNCL]

801207 is the unit named.

 

[ainsworth74]

Driving TRUB car

The what now? Think you'll find that's an HST thing we don't have any of that old tat anymore in these parts!* That vehicle is a DPTF!

*I fear I should now retreat to a bunker for that comment to avoid the incoming shellacking?

The Azuma has a special livery wrap on the fist class driving carriage saying Darlington: Driving innovation for 200 years. According to my source there was quite a decent crowd at the station including a choir for this unveiling which is nice. Hopefully some good local press.

Yes apparently the name itself is just Darlington, much better than something like "Rail 200" which is what I feared we'd be getting!

 

[43096]

The what now? Think you'll find that's an HST thing we don't have any of that old tat anymore in these parts!* That vehicle is a DPTF!

*I fear I should now retreat to a bunker for that comment to avoid the incoming shellacking?

Well you did ask… They haven’t been TRUBs for almost 40 years!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes apparently the name itself is just Darlington, much better than something like "Rail 200" which is what I feared we'd be getting!

Really needs another unit named "Stockton" then for completeness... though as LNER don't serve Stockton it'd have to be a Northern 156 or 158!

 

[800001]

Attached is a photo of the unit.

 

[RealTrains07]

Really needs another unit named "Stockton" then for completeness... though as LNER don't serve Stockton it'd have to be a Northern 156 or 158!

LNER have a middlesborough service which calls at Thornaby don’t they? So surely that would count as them serving Stockton?

Though I’am surprised LNER decided not to name one end of 801207 Darlington and the other end Stockton

 

[800001]

Be interesting to know at what cost this ‘naming’ has come at, from an internal source at LNER, over the last few days they have cancelled and short formed some services (due to other issues as well) to enable this set to have vinyl applied and to take part in todays event.

 

[DarloRich]

Be interesting to know at what cost this ‘naming’ has come at, from an internal source at LNER, over the last few days they have cancelled and short formed some services (due to other issues as well) to enable this set to have vinyl applied and to take part in todays event.

Money well spent. It supports an industry wide national celebration of 200 years of the railway. It might well help deliver more money to the industry than any lost fares via positive PR and increased engagement etc etc.