Random termination points

[jfollows]

Thanks. Starting in 1975 there was also a very early morning Banbury-Moor Street. In 1977 that was 0700SO and 0715SX. But I don't know if it was an LMR unit empty from Leamington Spa or a WR unit empty from Oxford.

There's no ECS from Oxford in my timetable, D2, so I think the previous workings were 2H62 06:28 Leamington Spa - Banbury (which has a staff stop SX 06:37 at Greaves Siding and is booked to leave Leamington 06:30 SO but advertised 06:28).

 

[Magdalia]

There's no ECS from Oxford in my timetable, D2, so I think the previous workings were 2H62 06:28 Leamington Spa - Banbury (which has a staff stop SX 06:37 at Greaves Siding and is booked to leave Leamington 06:30 SO but advertised 06:28).

Thanks. I didn't see that as I was looking at table 71 in the PTT not table 116.

Anyone setting out from Leamington Spa had a decent connection towards Marylebone but an hour to wait for anything to Oxford!

And it is a good entry for the recent list of long journeys with only a start station and an end station but no intermediate calls (unless you count Greaves Siding).

 

[D854_Tiger]

Possibly some confusion here? The first all line timetable, in 1974, has daytime trains to/from Leamington Spa using Moor Street but evening services using New Street.

I think it was around 1969 maybe 1970 that the Leamington trains were routed into New Street.

It didn't last for very long and I suspect for political reasons to help the case for closing Moor Street. Once Moor Street was reprieved, most trains reverted to Moor Street as the terminus and once services were improved by WMPTE Moor Street was no longer an option, rather a necessity.

The down side of course, is that connections to the north from places like Warwick and Solihull do involve a bit of a walk across Birmingham.

I can never understand why XC don't stop at either place. A Solihull stop for New Street could be highly useful as well as bringing a through train to further afield.

I suspect XC aren't interested in developing the Solihull route because they would rather be running via International but that's been the case for too long now and still seems just as unlikely.

 

[jfollows]

The down side of course, is that connections to the north from places like Warwick and Solihull do involve a bit of a walk across Birmingham.

You're right, of course, but I've often wondered why people complain about this - it's really easy!
I used to work for IBM, and sometimes had to go to IBM Warwick. Driving was always a nightmare because it involved driving through Birmingham, although the M6 toll helped in due course. I often drove home via Water Orton and Lichfield, Burton and/or Ashbourne.
I used the train, but it was a long walk from Warwick, but I did it.
Then they built Warwick Parkway which was a short walk from IBM - so that was brilliant. Once this was built I almost never drove to IBM Warwick any more.

 

[Magdalia]

The down side of course, is that connections to the north from places like Warwick and Solihull do involve a bit of a walk across Birmingham.

I've done that walk. Narrow underground passages with blind corners, always relieved to get to the other end.

In those days all of the Paddington-Birmingham and xcountry trains ran via Solihull, and most called there. The Leamington-Coventry line was freight only. The opening of the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International station changed all that.

 

[Sprinter107]

I think it was around 1969 maybe 1970 that the Leamington trains were routed into New Street.

It didn't last for very long and I suspect for political reasons to help the case for closing Moor Street. Once Moor Street was reprieved, most trains reverted to Moor Street as the terminus and once services were improved by WMPTE Moor Street was no longer an option, rather a necessity.

The down side of course, is that connections to the north from places like Warwick and Solihull do involve a bit of a walk across Birmingham.

I can never understand why XC don't stop at either place. A Solihull stop for New Street could be highly useful as well as bringing a through train to further afield.

I suspect XC aren't interested in developing the Solihull route because they would rather be running via International but that's been the case for too long now and still seems just as unlikely.

All of the off peak Leamington stopping trains were still using New Street in the 1972 to 1973 timetable. Just the hourly North Warwicks trains using Moor Street. After the 18.40 departure, Moor Street and Bordesley closed and all trains went from New Street.

 

[Some guy]

There’s been a few TPE trains coming from Glasgow/Edinburgh terminating at Lancaster instead of running through to Preston which has been really strange

 

[IanXC]

Which it wasn't in for long, as there used to be a morning service from Skipton that was a Pacer.

I seem to recall the final diesel under the wires diagram was Neville Hill to Bradford, then Skipton, back to Bradford, then Leeds and to Neville Hill?

I think there has traditionally always been an early morning DMU service covering all of the Aire Valley routes to keep crews trained on DMU’s as well as the electric units they normally operate.

Looking at the Driver route knowledge thread there doesn't seem to be any depot that would otherwise only work electric units so this seems unlikely.