Have Class 323s ever worked into London?

[90sWereBetter]

I was wondering, has there been any instance of a Class 323 working a passenger service into Greater London? I know these units have likely never gone anywhere near the capital due to them being a Regional Railways fleet and not Network SouthEast prior to privatisation, but in the 30 years they spent in the Birmingham area, was there any chance one might have been rostered as a late swap for a 350 on a Central Trains or London Midland service and got the chance to work into Euston?

Have any mad lads tried organising a Class 323 charter service into Euston perchance?

 

[AJDesiro]

They’re not cleared north of Bletchley South Junction, so they won’t have been swapped onto a Euston service at any point.

 

[warwickshire]

No, but way back in the days Of First North Western and the Manchester Airport to London Euston service, when the booked class 322 failed at Longsight, prior to ecs move to Manchester Airport, a 323 was actually sent, However this was swiftly picked up prior to its next ecs departure, from Manchester Piccadilly, to Manchester Airport, where at Manchester Piccadilly, which lead to a 8 car 309, being used instead. So near yet so far. Which did lead though to the following next days, Mondays am peak From Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly being the 323 instead of 309, due to the 309 out of place as a result.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not 323s, but I believe a pair of 150s wasn't unknown on the south WCML on a Sunday morning, I think to swap the Goblin units over. You also occasionally got 313s on MKC stoppers. I sadly never experienced either directly but I did see a couple of 150s in Euston once on one of the middle roads.

 

[Anonymous10]

Not 323s, but I believe a pair of 150s wasn't unknown on the south WCML on a Sunday morning, I think to swap the Goblin units over. You also occasionally got 313s on MKC stoppers. I sadly never experienced either directly but I did see a couple of 150s in Euston once on one of the middle roads.

Im curious, were they /1 or /2 and what sort of era was this re the class 150.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Im curious, were they /1 or /2 and what sort of era was this re the class 150.

They were Silverlink 150/1s (which had a /2 style airline seated interior).

 

[JonathanH]

Im curious, were they /1 or /2 and what sort of era was this re the class 150.

150120/21/23/27-31 operated for Silverlink (Bedford to Bletchley / Gospel Oak to Barking) through the 2000s.

 

[90sWereBetter]

They’re not cleared north of Bletchley South Junction, so they won’t have been swapped onto a Euston service at any point.

I thought that might be the case, and I imagine there will likely never be a need for them to be cleared now the fleet is being concentrated at Northern.

I don't suppose any have been dragged by locos through Greater London, maybe to Eastleigh or to depots like Hornsey or Ilford for any work (grasping at straws here )

 

[DarloRich]

I am sure i have seen pictures of a 323 at Bletchley and at the TMD

 

[87015]

I am sure i have seen pictures of a 323 at Bletchley

They were based there for many years when new to traffic. All booked ECS to/from Northampton but I’m sure a few snuck out in farces.

The 150s alluded to were mainly Centro units, not Silverlink ones. 1x8-car worked the 2036 off New St Saturday, 1x4-car the 2136 then worked the overnight/early Sunday services before they were all replaced with buses instead. Believe one Silverlink 4-car then replaced one of the Tyseley sets when extra units moved down for T&H service increases.

 

[AJDesiro]

I am sure i have seen pictures of a 323 at Bletchley and at the TMD

They often go to Bletchley for work, but they're not cleared south of there.

 

[DarloRich]

They often go to Bletchley for work, but they're not cleared south of there.

agreed!

They were based there for many years when new to traffic. All booked ECS to/from Northampton but I’m sure a few snuck out in farces.

Thanks - I did not know that. Assume they worked Northampton > Birmingham services then?

 

[Efini92]

They’re not cleared north of Bletchley South Junction, so they won’t have been swapped onto a Euston service at any point.

Do you mean they are not cleared south of Bletchley south junction?

 

[87015]

agreed!


Thanks - I did not know that. Assume they worked Northampton > Birmingham services then?

Can’t remember the detail but would have been a few Northampton starters to Brum etc replacing 304/310 which did same. The daytime service remained through 321s but a few moves to/from maintenance and the like. After they forced the service to split at Northampton much later then Sundays saw regular 323s Northampton-New St. 2006ish?

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Can’t remember the detail but would have been a few Northampton starters to Brum etc replacing 304/310 which did same. The daytime service remained through 321s but a few moves to/from maintenance and the like. After they forced the service to split at Northampton much later then Sundays saw regular 323s Northampton-New St. 2006ish?

The split at Northampton was in place between Sept 2004 and Sept 2008. Central Trains operated the service North of Northampton. 323's appeared quite regularly vice 350's on the hourly
Off Peak Service (which IIRC needed 3 Sets cycling every 3rd Hour). In the Peaks it was up to half hourly and through Trains from London so deffo 350's.

 

[swt_passenger]

Do you mean they are not cleared south of Bletchley south junction?

Your understanding is matched by the route clearance tables in the public sectional appendix, I expect the earlier post is a typo…

 

[DaventryRabbit]

The split at Northampton was in place between Sept 2004 and Sept 2008. Central Trains operated the service North of Northampton. 323's appeared quite regularly vice 350's on the hourly
Off Peak Service (which IIRC needed 3 Sets cycling every 3rd Hour). In the Peaks it was up to half hourly and through Trains from London so deffo 350's.

Edit
When I say 350's , they where only in service from 2006. Before that it would have been 321's