DRS approached by LM for loco hauled peak time train.

[plastictaffy]

Afternoon all
Was having a chinwag with a DRS driver the other day, who was telling me that apparently London Midland approached them with regard to running a loco hauled set - I'm assuming from Northampton in the morning peak. Anyone heard similar?? Apparently DRS turned the work down due to being unable to provide crews for it.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Did they not run a loco hauled service in recent years in the Morning & evening peak periods? Possibly using some spare Virgin stock?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's been done before - the Pretendolino set was hired to run "The Master Cobbler" (unofficial name these days) in Silverlink days.

 

[plastictaffy]

Define 'recent years'. I've been with them just over two years, and they haven't while I've been there. The pretendolino has run as a one off - purely because Cobblers were playing at Wembley. They ran several additionals into Euston for it, and the P'lino was one of them.

 

[westcoaster]

Define 'recent years'. I've been with them just over two years, and they haven't while I've been there. The pretendolino has run as a one off - purely because Cobblers were playing at Wembley. They ran several additionals into Euston for it, and the P'lino was one of them.

Iirc it was around 2005 the coobler sets stopped running.

 

[plastictaffy]

I suppose the closest there is to a "Cobbler" now would be the 0641 and the 0716. There's no non-stop return working though, oddly.

 

[matt]

It's been done before - the Pretendolino set was hired to run "The Master Cobbler" (unofficial name these days) in Silverlink days.

That wasn't the Pretendolino. It was just a rake of ex-virgin mark 3s.

 

[87015]

2005 was two Mk3 sets
2001 one Mk2 Wolves set AM only
1994-1996 one set on and off
1990 the end of real cobblers

Don't think there has been anything more than the odd riot at other times, 310/322/IL321 hires seemed NX's preferred option. My memory isn't what it was though!

Seems unlikely to me, unless LM are after something cheaper than training crews on 319s / have realised they can't release crews to do so without decimating the service because its all cut beyond the bone...?

 

[sprinterguy]

A rumour doing the rounds at LM a couple of months ago was that they were interested in hiring a loco hauled set from DRS for the Birmingham to Hereford route.

 

[TheEdge]

A rumour doing the rounds at LM a couple of months ago was that they were interested in hiring a loco hauled set from DRS for the Birmingham to Hereford route.

Timetabled locos up the Lickey. LM will wonder why their loadings have gone up 800%

 

[plastictaffy]

Ah, that'd be what it was then. I would certainly be tearing the arse out of my free travel to go blasting up the Lickey with a 37 or a pair of 20's at the sharp end!!!!!

*lets his brain wander off into those not so far back halcyon days of Virgin's XC 47's hammering up that hill.........*

 

[anthony263]

Timetabled locos up the Lickey. LM will wonder why their loadings have gone up 800%

I think London Midland wont be complaining if they suddenly start getting more money

 

[Peter Mugridge]

*lets his brain wander off into those not so far back halcyon days of Virgin's XC 47's hammering up that hill.........*

You must be one of the younger members? I can remember spending a week at the Scout camp site at Blackwell Court in summer 1980 and the majority of the XC trains then were class 45 hauled. Now that was noise!

 

[alexl92]

Railways Illus suggested that LM had made enquiries but that they were nothing more than just enquiries, iirc

 

[DarloRich]

Afternoon all
Was having a chinwag with a DRS driver the other day, who was telling me that apparently London Midland approached them with regard to running a loco hauled set - I'm assuming from Northampton in the morning peak. Anyone heard similar?? Apparently DRS turned the work down due to being unable to provide crews for it.

Would that this were true and the services could be arranged to stop at MKC & Bletchley

Sadly i fear nothing more substantive than grapevine style Chinese whispers

 

[BantamMenace]

Define 'recent years'. I've been with them just over two years, and they haven't while I've been there. The pretendolino has run as a one off - purely because Cobblers were playing at Wembley. They ran several additionals into Euston for it, and the P'lino was one of them.

That would be 2013, and we smashed them

 

[Freightmaster]

1990 the end of real cobblers

Is it really 25 years ago? that makes me feel so old!

Here is some info I found on the last day of regular Mk.1 operation:

http://www.leightonlogs.org/86401may90.htm


MARK

 

[Techniquest]

The odds of LM having a loco-hauled set on New Street to Hereford services has me both raising an eyebrow as to the logisitics of it, but also quite interested due to my location. There is the point that most passengers, given the choice when they pair up with 170s, will avoid the 153s because, to quote my little sister, they're manky old trains! This also seems to apply to those at Ledbury, Colwall and anywhere else on the LM Hereford services, the norms prefer 170s over 150s and 153s all day long. So what they'd think of slam-door MK3s with a diesel loco on the front I dread to think!

There's also the start from Bromsgrove to contend with. 170s struggle up the Lickey after the Bromsgrove stop, I can't see a loco on load 4 or 5 having an easier time, unless it was a Type 5!

Of course, there's no chance it'll happen. More likely that LM will snap up some HSTs in a couple of years time instead.

 

[sprinterguy]

I think London Midland wont be complaining if they suddenly start getting more money

Some of the passengers might be a bit miffed if the loco-hauled trains were touted as a capacity increase, only to find them rammed to the gunwales with enthusiasts.

That said, I jumped at the idea of a trip out on such a working, but that was when the after work tittle-tattle was suggesting an all day diagram, rather than just a peak time working. It's all academic anyway if DRS are unable to source the crews: I thought that any talk had gone a bit quiet, and as DarloRich says it was mainly a case of industry hearsay and rumour in the first place.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's also the start from Bromsgrove to contend with. 170s struggle up the Lickey after the Bromsgrove stop, I can't see a loco on load 4 or 5 having an easier time, unless it was a Type 5!

I would have thought that load 4 or 5 would be childs' play for the likes of a class 37. I don't know off the top of my head how the short(ish) class 37 hauled formations on the likes of Highland Main line and the North Wales coast in the nineties compare to the timings of the current multiple unit worked services, but, in the former case especially, they didn't seem to have any issues with gradients. Through-wire the coaches for blue star multiple working (as DRS seem to be doing) and you could have the benefit of two class 37s working top and tail.

Thinking back to ATNs' loco hauled trains over the S&C in 2004, I think the main limiting factor on the schedules was potential dwell times, rather than performance up the long drag (That was one service that was through-wired for top and tail operation).

 

[Chester025]

So what they'd think of slam-door MK3s with a diesel loco on the front I dread to think!

These aren't manky at all -

Inside The Blue Train by darkprince66 (Tug Chasing Super Hero ), on Flickr

 

[plastictaffy]

I think London Midland wont be complaining if they suddenly start getting more money

I personally think they won't give a toss, seeing as it is currently a Direct Award Contract!! The easiest way for them to get more money (if they did care) would be to have all ticket offices and barriers manned, all the time. Cheaper than giving DRS a contract for LHCS!!!!

Peter Mugridge -yes, I'm afraid I'm only 33. I wasn't even an itch in my father's pants when you were watching "Peaks" going up there!!

 

[pemma]

These aren't manky at all -

Why did they use bathroom colour wallpaper as part of the interior?

 

[plastictaffy]

There's also the start from Bromsgrove to contend with. 170s struggle up the Lickey after the Bromsgrove stop, I can't see a loco on load 4 or 5 having an easier time, unless it was a Type 5!

.

Load of crap. Turbostars might well struggle up there, but I've been up with 47807/817 and 8 mark 2's many moons ago. The trailing 47 was dead, and the one powering still went over the top at pushing 40 mph. Without a stop at B'grove, I grant you, but from memory, there was a reasonably heavy slack at the bottom at the time. We certainly weren't doing line speed (80??) at the bottom.

 

[Bungle965]

The odds of LM having a loco-hauled set on New Street to Hereford services has me both raising an eyebrow as to the logisitics of it, but also quite interested due to my location. There is the point that most passengers, given the choice when they pair up with 170s, will avoid the 153s because, to quote my little sister, they're manky old trains! This also seems to apply to those at Ledbury, Colwall and anywhere else on the LM Hereford services, the norms prefer 170s over 150s and 153s all day long. So what they'd think of slam-door MK3s with a diesel loco on the front I dread to think!

There's also the start from Bromsgrove to contend with. 170s struggle up the Lickey after the Bromsgrove stop, I can't see a loco on load 4 or 5 having an easier time, unless it was a Type 5!

Of course, there's no chance it'll happen. More likely that LM will snap up some HSTs in a couple of years time instead.

People seem to cope reasonably well in the First "Great" Western area of the UK.

 

[Techniquest]

They might in the South West, but people around here are...different!

 

[Class172]

The odds of LM having a loco-hauled set on New Street to Hereford services has me both raising an eyebrow as to the logisitics of it, but also quite interested due to my location. There is the point that most passengers, given the choice when they pair up with 170s, will avoid the 153s because, to quote my little sister, they're manky old trains! This also seems to apply to those at Ledbury, Colwall and anywhere else on the LM Hereford services, the norms prefer 170s over 150s and 153s all day long. So what they'd think of slam-door MK3s with a diesel loco on the front I dread to think!

Ah, but I think the issue of train length generally seems to override any views between units. As you know, having a service formed of more than three coaches on our line is rather a luxury, so if passengers see a 4/5 coach set arrive I think they will be quite pleased.

 

[Techniquest]

Oh no doubt aye, and 5-car 170s do exist with the 1719 New Street to Hereford (well, it always has been in my experience!) and I think the 0709 from Hereford is usually a 5-car working (again, based on experience). Of course I could have been lucky!

The Bromsgrove issue won't be relevant in the near future, once the new station opens

 

[Class172]

Oh no doubt aye, and 5-car 170s do exist with the 1719 New Street to Hereford (well, it always has been in my experience!) and I think the 0709 from Hereford is usually a 5-car working (again, based on experience). Of course I could have been lucky!

The Bromsgrove issue won't be relevant in the near future, once the new station opens

Yes, we have a couple of 5 car services, but they need it as they are usually heaped to the rafters - when the ex-0709 from HFD arrives at Droitwich in the mornings, it's a wonder anyone manages to get on. As an aside, the week before last my train to school was short-formed; for the first time in my life outside the LU, I (and around 25 other people) physically could not fit on the train!

Part of me hopes selfishly that even when Bromsgrove has a shiny new station, our services will continue to cruise through as they do now... I mean, they'll have 3tph to New St. then so they can afford to allow the rest of the line some room.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Yes, we have a couple of 5 car services, but they need it as they are usually heaped to the rafters - when the ex-0709 from HFD arrives at Droitwich in the mornings, it's a wonder anyone manages to get on. As an aside, the week before last my train to school was short-formed; for the first time in my life outside the LU, I (and around 25 other people) physically could not fit on the train!

Part of me hopes selfishly that even when Bromsgrove has a shiny new station, our services will continue to cruise through as they do now... I mean, they'll have 3tph to New St. then so they can afford to allow the rest of the line some room.

Yes they are full Class172 but there will still be people who want to travel from Bromsgrove to Droitwich and vv

 

[Class172]

I did say selfish, and also it's not my overall opinion!