EMT 158s in slightly unusual places and a query about Burton

[sprinterguy]

Hi there, I know that this is the second thread of a similar nature that I have posted this evening asking for any information that anyone might have on a few things I've seen recently, but I felt that the two sets of queries are distinct enough from one another to deserve mentioning separately, and combining all of my questions into a single thread would make for quite a formidable length of opening post! So, here goes:

I was passing by the junction for the Matlock branch on the MML while Birmingham bound on a Crosscountry service today, at about 15:50, and saw a 158 sat at Ambergate station waiting to come off the branch. I was quite surprised by this, as while I know that Central Trains provided some peculiar rosterings of its' DMU fleet on occasion, my experiences of the Matlock branch under EMT operation have been of 153s and 156s being the typical fare on the branch, and I know that EMT are not exactly flush with spare 158s at the moment, being unable to form many of the Liverpool-Norwich services as four car trains when they desperately need to be. So is it usual for some of the Matlock services to be formed of a 158, or were EMT short of a 156 or 153 today?

I then saw another EMT 158 on the Birmingham to Derby line in the vicinity of Willington, heading towards Derby, about half an hour later. I presume that it was a Crewe to Derby service via Uttoxeter, but I have to confess that that is the first time I have ever passed one of those EMT services in all the times I've travelled up and down the Birmingham to Derby line, and I thought that that was another route that was usually worked by 153s or 156s?

Finally, does anybody know what railway preservation activities in a set of sidings to the north of Burton-upon-Trent station, on the left hand side of the line when heading north, have led to the appearance of 37413, 37679 and 56301, as well as a number of mark 2s in varying stages of restoration (Including a couple from Riviera Trains' "Great Briton" rake)? I've seen reports of some of the loco movements to the site mentioned on wnxx.com, but didn't give it a second thought at the time and would be interested to know if anybody has more information about whatever venture is underway there.

 

[eastmidschris]

158s are diagrammed for some Matlock services whilst the 153s and 156s are being refurbished.
The Crewe line is also booked 158s for some peak time Crewe - Derby services as well so what you saw in both places is definitely not unusual!!

 

[DarloRich]

Hi there, I know that this is the second thread of a similar nature that I have posted this evening asking for any information that anyone might have on a few things I've seen recently, but I felt that the two sets of queries are distinct enough from one another to deserve mentioning separately, and combining all of my questions into a single thread would make for quite a formidable length of opening post! So, here goes:

I was passing by the junction for the Matlock branch on the MML while Birmingham bound on a Crosscountry service today, at about 15:50, and saw a 158 sat at Ambergate station waiting to come off the branch. I was quite surprised by this, as while I know that Central Trains provided some peculiar rosterings of its' DMU fleet on occasion, my experiences of the Matlock branch under EMT operation have been of 153s and 156s being the typical fare on the branch, and I know that EMT are not exactly flush with spare 158s at the moment, being unable to form many of the Liverpool-Norwich services as four car trains when they desperately need to be. So is it usual for some of the Matlock services to be formed of a 158, or were EMT short of a 156 or 153 today?

I then saw another EMT 158 on the Birmingham to Derby line in the vicinity of Willington, heading towards Derby, about half an hour later. I presume that it was a Crewe to Derby service via Uttoxeter, but I have to confess that that is the first time I have ever passed one of those EMT services in all the times I've travelled up and down the Birmingham to Derby line, and I thought that that was another route that was usually worked by 153s or 156s?

Finally, does anybody know what railway preservation activities in a set of sidings to the north of Burton-upon-Trent station, on the left hand side of the line when heading north, have led to the appearance of 37413, 37679 and 56301, as well as a number of mark 2s in varying stages of restoration (Including a couple from Riviera Trains' "Great Briton" rake)? I've seen reports of some of the loco movements to the site mentioned on wnxx.com, but didn't give it a second thought at the time and would be interested to know if anybody has more information about whatever venture is underway there.

It is nemesis rail who have leased the old wagon repair depot at Burton

 

[AlexS]

In reality regardless of all else it's never been that unusual to see a 158 on local jobs for EMT as it's a reasonable way of keeping dicky ones closeish to Nottingham should they go pop, rather than sending them scudding off to Liverpool or Norwich where they're much harder to get back to fix!

 

[Yew]

Generally at weekends the Robin hood line is ran with 158's. Would imagine it's a decent line if you wan to keep things close to Nottingham too

 

[sprinterguy]

Thanks for the answers everyone, seems that my sightings of 158s were more run of the mill than I realised, it was the first time that I'd seen 158s on either of the two routes mentioned.

I wonder what exactly it is that Nemesis Rail are up to at Burton wagon repair depot then...