158s certainly ran between Weymouth, Dorchester and Wareham when SWR briefly ran summer Saturday only service to Corde Castle. Not sure about Bournemouth though.
I remember in the BR era being on a manchester to bournmouth service that was substituted by a DMU. I remember being very disappointed when seeing the DMU but pleasently surprised when I actually got on.
They'll have gone beyond as far as Branksome to get into Bournemouth depot. But Branksome to Wareham may never have seen one.
I've had a 159 from Weymouth to Wareham, if that counts?
Have they made it to the depot at Bournemouth, perhaps for the Lymington branch?
Looe or Gunnislake is certainly a possibility. I can’t recall many visiting Newquay either, but GWRs 158s have visited Falmouth and St Ives within the last few years.
Within the NSE area, 158s have operated at least
SWRs diesel fleet regularly goes to Bournemouth depot for C4 exams
I also think when those short lived Wareham services were operating in 2019, in the middle of the day they didn’t hang around in Wareham, they may have run empty to Bournemouth? I seem to remember what was in the published timetable didn’t always happen - there were various weekends with crewing problems.
They went to Corfe Castle!
Are Class 158/159 cleared on the New Guildford Line?
Yes, CrossCountry used to run 158s on their services which went via Reading and Guildford - I remember seeing them go past at Wokingham.
Here's a special on the Cotswold Line: http://www.hondawanderer.com/158956_156405_Moreton-in-Marsh_2003.htm
No. Not cleared.
I recall being told they were cleared to Buxton and the Sectional Appendix confirms this but I doubt if one has ever been on the route, Buxton would not sign them and in the days when Piccadilly has cl158 work to Cumbria etc the link(s) which signed them didn't sign Buxton.
