Maximum Pacerage - 4th December 2018
With the Pacers (Classes 142, 143, 144) being phased out by 2020, the main purpose of this trip was to 'cop' and photograph as many of the class before their demise.
An early start saw me head to Selhurst station for 06:00. A couple of minutes after I arrived up popped a mate from work so we ended up chatting. 1F01 Brighton to Victoria was delayed by 7 minutes, looks like the Quarry line was closed northbound. 377464, 377426 still got me to Victoria before the slow train. Down to the Victoria line to Euston (11075) in plenty of time for the 07:20. So what do you do if you have time at a station – Yep break out the notebook!
Sat at the buffers on platform 1 was 90043 in its Freightliner livery at the end of the sleeper at the other end 87002 sat waiting to take the ECS to Wembley InterCity Depot.
Winners at Euston are few and far between for me now but 390020 was there on 1F11 Euston to Liverpool Lime Street and 1D81 Euston to Chester threw up 221109 as another ‘cop’.
Boarding my train 1H08 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly was 390118 a first for haulage.
Willesden had a 710 just outside but we moved a little too quickly to see the number. At Wembley area I managed two ‘cops’ 90035 and 67004. Also in attendance were; 66501, 37611, 67024, 90019, 66019, 92019, 66015.
Rugby as an 86 but I couldn’t get the number but I managed to see the 57: 57308.
Near Atherton we passed 6X41 Dagenham Dock Receiving to Garston Car Terminal with 92043 pulling it (Thanks The_Train). At Stoke on Trent I got a winner in the shape of 323224 and Stockport also revealed 15128.
Longsight was empty apart from an 08 but the other side of the tracks was 68020 (in EWS livery) with the stock for the 1D34 Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead [Consist: 12177, 12183, 12182, 12184, 82308]
In Ardwick Jn area I managed three more ‘cops’: 156464, 323231 and the first of the Pacers I had come to hunt down – 142040. So now up to NINE winners before even arriving in Manchester.
Manchester Piccadilly.
Off the train, over the footbridge and to the London end of platforms 8/9 and that was the best place to be. It was quite misty for about 45 minutes but it did ease off thankfully. There is nowhere to sit that far down the end of the platform, maybe a few nice seats for us older spotters???? LOL
The first 350/4 came through as 350406 to start me off right. 150111, 323232, 142014 142038, 221144, 156403, 156410, 142052, 156468, 158774, 150131, 323229, 150224, 323224 were all the winner before 10am bring me up to 23 ‘cops’.
10:00 – 11:00
The winners still came along; 150269, 323236, 142033, 175113 all inside ten minutes. I’d forgotten that 175s went into Piccadilly. Then came a really good one for me in the shape of 4M95 0344 Southampton M.C.T. to Trafford Park F.L.T. 70005 (now leaves me with just six to get of these (003, 006 012 (never getting that one), 813, 815, 817)), 156443 came through next and ten minutes later another new one 323230. 323223 arrived at the same time as 185104 and just before 10:30 221128 pulled in from Southampton Central. The next half hour started with 150104 going in the book as out friend The_Train would say along with 185137, 150112. The next 350/4 I got was 350408, the thought of travelling from Glasgow to Manchester on a 350 fills me with dread. Two more new pacers were written down in the shape of 142044 and 142054. The mist had cleared and it wasn’t too cold which was nice as I feared rain. A Norwich bound service gave me 158863 but on the back of it was a new one 158773. Two more ‘cops’ popped by with 150129 arriving first and two minutes later 150203 coming in on an ECS move. Now up to 41 Winners !
11:00 – 11:35.
I decided that I would pop round to Victoria and decided on catching the 11:35 train which wold leave me 30 odd minutes to get a few more numbers and photos. Immediately 150116 popped up and joined 185129 in ‘the book’. 185135 arrived from Cleethorpes and an ex Llandudno Junction was formed of 158831. A new vomit comet arrived 390157 from London continuing the good run. Another Welsh 175 numbered 116 came in from Carmarthan. It was hectic, photographing and writing numbers down is hard LOL 156455 and the only other 350/4 409 arrived as I went off to platform for the TPE train.
1P23 Manchester Airport to Newcastle duly arrived as 185129 sadly not a ‘cop’ for sight, but it was for haulage.
Manchester Oxford Road.
150201 too the tally for the day up to 49 and the 50thwinner was 156460 that was from Preston and Windermere to Piccadilly.
Manchester Victoria.
Now that is a seriously dark station! Not inviting at all but very good for spotting. From the ‘lighter’ end of the platforms it afford you a good view of the trams. If your not in to trams then scroll down … you’ve been warned:
3103, 3069, 3078, 3049, 3048, 3044, 3010, 3096, 3007, 3057, 3032, 3100, 3117, 3001, 3017, 3020, 3016, 3077, 3024, 3029, 3052, 3073, 3116, 3107, 3004, 3037, 3014, 3040, 3021, 3054, 3118, 3084, 3010, 3106, 3061, 3065, 3092, 3009, 3011, 3029, 3035, 3112, 3082, 3012, 3026, 3086, 3019. ALL winners.
Normal service is now resumed:
11:47 – 13:09.
In the 15 minutes before midday I enjoyed a chat with a chap from Warminster. Whilst collecting 150101, 150222 and 150106 as new. Then another new Pacer 142011. From midday onward it was a bit quiet but that didn’t stop the winners to turning up regularly.
150205 and 153357 arrived together from Rochdale then 153305 and 156459 were headed to Blackburn. Another Pacer 142055 was also heading to Blackburn and from there 150118 came in. TPE didn’t let me down when 185111 came in heading to Selby. 185145 arrived from Middlesbrough and a Southport bound train came in with 150117 in its formation. 9M08 Newcastle toi Liverpool Lime Street was 185127 this was followed by a Leeds bound 156489. 153360 pulled in with a Clitheroe train. Pacer 142094 terminated then a rare treat. 5Z02 1200 Longsight Wheel Lathe to Newton Heath T.M.D. was a pair of Pacers … 142028 and 142060. Ex Scarborough TPE train was 185121. I had intended to catch the 12:39 back to Piccadilly but it terminated at Victoria. Still it gave me two more Pacers 142037 and 142053 together from Southport.
Now another for both sight and haulage. 185139 formed 1P72 Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport and took me back to Piccadilly.
Manchester Piccadilly
13:20 14:15
Walking from platform 13 over to get some food (and use the facilities) 185119 was sat at the buffers and departing in was 175103 heading to Tenby or Dinbych-y-pysgod if you so wish. An extremely overpriced Burger King later and I found myself by platform 12. 323237 had been sat there all day and it was a cop, to think I might have missed that one!
Back to the end of platforms 8/9 but it took until 13:43 for a new one to hit the book 158770 on a Norwich train. It was now more duds than ‘cops’ until 185149 and 158826 arrived. Now my fear of rain materialised and it began to drizzle, so a snap decision was made to get the next London train. I’d just missed the 13:55 which went via Crewe and I wish I caught that as there was a new unit delivered and I might well have got a look at it. 1A42 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston was to be my train with 390131 being a new haulage.
Again Longsight disappointed but Longport had a number of locos and my train was passing slowly. One ‘cop’ was seen 56009. Whilst en route I made the radical decision to bail out at Milton Keynes Central and then jump the Southern train to Selhurst. Two ‘cops’ in the shape of 390013 and 221115.
Total of 88 Heavy Rail 'cops'
Total of 49 Trams.
Total miles 384m 08ch.
New Haulages: 4
A FULL list will appear on the blog shortly.
