Oldest Northern Stock

[61653 HTAFC]

I've always wondered what worked the Leeds-Doncaster route before electrification. I know when the line was first electrified in 1988 they used class 305 units from West Anglia, then these were followed by class 307s in 1989 pending the introduction of new class 321s (the 307s themselves displaced by 321s of the GEML). It wasn't until July 1991 when the Class 321/9s entered service and even then they weren't without their problems hence the 307s were retained until 1993 when they were replaced by slightly newer class 308s which then went on to work the lines west of Leeds following electrification in 1994. The 308s were then replaced by class 333 units built in 1999-2000 the first one I do believe entered service on 4th January 2000 and these are the newest EMUs in the Northern fleet. I understand the 333s will be taking over the Leeds-Doncaster route in 2020 I know for a fact that they have worked that service before but they can't use the terminal platform at Doncaster due to clearance issues is that right?

305s never came to West Yorkshire, just 307s for Leeds to Donny. Prior to electrification services were run with whatever Neville Hill had available, anything from a 101 to a 156.

 

[MatthewRead]

305s never came to West Yorkshire, just 307s for Leeds to Donny. Prior to electrification services were run with whatever Neville Hill had available, anything from a 101 to a 156.

But if you watch East Coast Main line memories it shows a class 305 at Doncaster even thought the narrator refers to them as 302s and 308s look carefully and you'll see it has 305 written on the front.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

But if you watch East Coast Main line memories it shows a class 305 at Doncaster even thought the narrator refers to them as 302s and 308s look carefully and you'll see it has 305 written on the front.

Could it have been up there for a visit to the works? I'm intrigued anyway, could you post a link?

 

[MatthewRead]

Could it have been up there for a visit to the works? I'm intrigued anyway, could you post a link?

Talk to John Laker and Keith Spillet they made the video (J7K videos)

 

[sprinterguy]

Could it have been up there for a visit to the works? I'm intrigued anyway, could you post a link?

The 305s which were put to work around Manchester and on the North Berwick branch were overhauled at Doncaster beforehand, so it could be something to do with that.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I like that attachment

"Plus a toilet compartment!"

As if trains didn't have them before...

And: "...you'll feel as if you're still sitting at home."

Well, I suppose if your home was in the middle of an earthquake zone and the builders were in next door using pneumatic drills...

 

[themiller]

A couple of corrections



Pretty sure there was a gap between construction of the 150/0s and 150/1s; no point in having prototypes if you don't allow time to try them out. So 150/1 built 1984-5.



I don't doubt that the Harrogate line may have been used to launch the Metro-Train sponsored 155s (341-347). But this small batch was an add-on order to the main class (301-335). IIRC they started their lives at Cardiff Canton primarily working to Portsmouth and Manchester though once enough crews signed them they could turn up on many other routes.

The 2 prototype 150s were built at the same time as the 2 prototype 151s. The order for the production run could have gone to Metro-Cammell but the design of the 150s was preferred which is why the 151s spent a lot of time stored before being prematurely scrapped. I travelled on a 151 from Crewe to Derby (I think) and found it a decent unit and thought it had a better ambience than the 150s.

The 155s when introduced spent a period in sidings somewhere whilst faults (with the doors I think) were rectified which may explain why Leyland didn't want to build more. There wasn't a large gap in the production of the main and WYPTE batches of 155s as I went round the factory one Saturday morning and saw them being built at Lillyhall. The bodies were taken from there to a facility near the docks at Workington for mating with the bogies and commissioning. Leyland had a severe reverse curve laid in the commissioning compound and the whole facility was built just for the 155s (possibly in the hope of future work as it's unused now). I have some slides somewhere of units at the docks commissioning facility and the WYPTE units inside the Lillyhall bus factory.

 

[3270]

Was the 305 at Doncaster perhaps 305935? It had a Class 302 vehicle at one end and was used as a mobile classroom to train staff on the ECML about the forthcoming electrification. It spent time at various locations, I remember it being in Platform 2 at Darlington for a week or two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_305

"One unit was converted in 1984 for use as a mobile classroom in connection with the East Coast Main Line electrification project, becoming unit 305935, painted in InterCity livery. One of the driving vehicles contained blue asbestos and was subsequently replaced with a driving vehicle from a withdrawn Class 302 set, forming a hybrid set but retaining the same unit number."

Pictures:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3624908340_bce28a4eb5.jpg
http://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3513/3233069513_8d47e33011_b.jpg

And in Blue+Grey livery at York:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_Railways_305935_(2321813347).jpg

 

[ashworth]

Entirely correct: The first 150/0 prototype was handed over to BR Provincial by BREL on 8th June 1984, and the order for the production 150/1 units was placed in November 1984, with 37 sets delivered for service across the East Midlands (based at Derby Etches Park) before the end of January 1986. An official launch for use of the remaining units on the Cambrian lies took place in March 1986.

As part of the introduction of 150/1s in the East Midlands a two hourly, supposedly fast Nottingham-Sheffield-Wakefield Westgate-Leeds inter urban service was introduced. I can remember using this service regularly to travel from Alfreton to Sheffield in the late 1980's.

It was introduced to maintain a regular service between Nottingham and Sheffield via the Erewash Valley after most Sheffield to St. Pancras services were routed via Derby. Previous to this alternate Sheffield to St Pancras services ran via Nottingham rather than Derby. This 2 hourly Nottingham to Leeds service did not last many years as it was stopped when the Norwich to Liverpool service became hourly following the introduction of 156s.

Therefore the new Nottingham to Leeds service introduced by Northern a few years ago wasn't something completely new but a revival of a service that had operated for a few years in the late 1980s by East Midlands based 150s. Interesting that that original service ran via Moorthorpe and not Barnsley.