Trivia: Areas that a class 158 have never been on.

[73001]

They won't have been anywhere on Merseyrail bar common sections like South Parkway-Hunts X. They have done Preston to Ormskirk though, and probably Wigan-Southport.

I seem to recall, at the back of my dim and distant memory, that a special ran for the golf at Royal Birkdale (actually Hillside station) and it was either 156 or 158, via the freight line from Edge Hill to Bootle and then up the Northern Line to Hillside, continuing to Southport ECS. This will have been in the 90s, probably. I think it was pelted with stones by local idiots around Kirkdale, which is why it is more memorable.

 

[Strathclyder]

For exceptions, they're regulars on Queen Street - Anniesland and previously on the now electrified/HSTed routes out of Queen Street via Cumbernauld and Croy. They were also regulars from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts and to Paisley Canal

158s were never used on Paisley Canal services between the departure/withdrawal of the last 101s in June/July 2000 and electrification work being completed in November/December 2012, 156s were the line's sole allocation between those two dates.

They were also seen fairly often on Whifflet Line services for a few years alongside the 156s before that line was electrified in late 2014 and intergrated into the Argyle Line. Same with the Motherwell - Cumbernauld via Coatbridge Central service (also shared with 156s prior to the full route being wired and switching to EMUs; integration with the Argyle Line came afterwards).

I was wondering if they had seen use in the Maryhill Park Junction - Knightswood North Junction section and onwards to Westerton in passenger service, and it turns out they have at least once in April 2004, when OHLE power supply problems on the Milngavie branch forced the use of DMUs (not for the first time, but 156s were the units most often utilized in such situations) on extended Queen St - Maryhill workings in place of the usual electric services and 158714 dropped onto one diagram. Caught here at Bearsden:

Class 158 set 714 arrives at Bearsden with a train from Milngavie to Glasgow Queen St via Maryhill. This has been the one and only time a 158 has been to Milngavie and on a day when Power problems prevented the normal EMU service from running

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(158714 pulls into Bearsden with a Milngavie - Glasgow Queen St High Level via Maryhill working - 27th April 2004. Copyright of Flickr's zebedee2013)

They also appeared on occasion on the Cowlairs West Junction - Knightswood North section fairly early on in their careers, as this Railscot image dating from 1994 (copyright of Ewan Crawford) proves:

Knightswood North Junction - RAILSCOT

RailScot, a history of Railways with an emphasis on Scottish Railways. Photographs, maps, news, queries and more.

www.railscot.co.uk

 

[warwickshire]

Please don't give people the idea that 158s were ever common between Oxford and Worcester.

We've had this before with 156s - so I will make the same point I did then.

The overwhelming majority of dmu services between Oxford and Worcester between the 155s departing in 1991 to be converted into 153s and the arrival of the 166s in 1993 were worked by Class 150s based at Tyseley, normally 150/1s in the Centro livery with a green window band. There were occasional appearance by a 150/2 in standard Regional Railways colours, as was also the case when 155s had predominated. I believe that the weekday Worcester-Oxford halts services were still worked by 150s until May 1995.

There are a number of pictures of 150s on Martin Loader's website from 1991-93 - and in books about the route - whereas pictures anywhere of 156s or 158s (or a short-lived 153 duty), are near non-existent, with the CLPG charters using Central Trains units being an exception.

I recall seeing Central Trains 158s at Oxford once or twice in the early 2000s, usually in the then platform 1 (now 2) or in the up side carriage sidings, which would suggest use on Bicester Town duties.

158s haven't been to Bicester Town as far as I am aware. Because Bicester Town was doo. Which would have required Guards to take them there. However early 2000s is quite correct because at the time the voyagers replacement of the mk2s did have quite a few problems and it was quite common for Central 158s to also work on behalf of Cross Country Reading/Oxford to Birmingham New Street in particular and sometimes onto Manchester Piccadilly vice Voyager. Also I know at the time Cross Country also used a few on route learning via Challow and Swindon also for Diversions if via Cheltenham was Closed.
Also used Oxford for storage of 158s in the past for when used on the Swindon to Gloucester route when bizarre for a while it went to xc between South Wales and West then to Wessex Trains for some bizarre reason on the local stopping service.

 

[JN114]

158s haven't been to Bicester Town as far as I am aware. Because Bicester Town was doo. Which would have required Guards to take them there. However early 2000s is quite correct because at the time the voyagers replacement of the mk2s did have quite a few problems and it was quite common for Central 158s to also work on behalf of Cross Country Reading/Oxford to Birmingham New Street in particular and sometimes onto Manchester Piccadilly vice Voyager. Also I know at the time Cross Country also used a few on route learning via Challow and Swindon also for Diversions if via Cheltenham was Closed.
Also used Oxford for storage of 158s in the past for when used on the Swindon to Gloucester route when bizarre for a while it went to xc between South Wales and West then to Wessex Trains for some bizarre reason on the local stopping service.

158s definitely worked to Bicester Town, with a guard, in the early 2000s.

 

[JonathanH]

158s haven't been to Bicester Town as far as I am aware. Because Bicester Town was doo. Which would have required Guards to take them there.

158s definitely worked to Bicester Town, with a guard, in the early 2000s.

As indicated by this picture.

158790 Didcot North Junction 22 April 2002

A stranger in the Didcot area! Central Trains 158790 passes Didcot North Junction on 22 April 2002 with the 17:29 Bristol Temple Meads to Bicester Town First Great Western service. Class 158s were occasionally hired in to cover for unavailable Class 165s on this route, until the little used service was axed in 2003.

 

[NorwichRailFan]

Norwich-Sheringham

 

[matchmaker]

From Railscot:

Class 158 route clearance Scotland

 

[dk1]

Norwich-Sheringham

All the time right up until 2019 when the 755s took over. Intact the first passenger service in East Anglia was on the 13:55 Sheringham back in the early 1990s when a training trip was used rather than cancelling the service.

 

[NorwichRailFan]

All the time right up until 2019 when the 755s took over. Intact the first passenger service in East Anglia was on the 13:55 Sheringham back in the early 1990s when a training trip was used rather than cancelling the service.

It wasn't 'All the time' as you say. it was always a mix of 153's and 156's before the 755's. GA didn't have any in their fleet. I know they leased some from time to time off EMR/EMT, but I thought they were limited to the Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth lines. I am not old enough to remember Regional railways days or Anglia Railways. There may have been some then but as I say I wouldn't have been around to see them.

 

[dk1]

It wasn't 'All the time' as you say. it was always a mix of 153's and 156's before the 755's. GA didn't have any in their fleet. I know they leased some from time to time off EMR/EMT, but I thought they were limited to the Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth lines. I am not old enough to remember Regional railways days or Anglia Railways. There may have been some then but as I say I wouldn't have been around to see them.

No, 158s were regular performers on the 19:33 Yarmouth then 21:15 Sheringham. This was using the 19:19 arrival from Lime St which was 'hired in' by GA & NXEA before them. The East Suffolk link drivers & local guards signed them to cover the 05:36 Lowestoft/06:38 return daily. We were always desperate for units in the bad old days before Stadler arrived on the scene.

 

[NorwichRailFan]

Ok, your the expert. To be honest I am only 15 and don't remember much of pre 755 greater anglia(I have only been a regular lone rail traveler since I started vollenteering on the NNR about a year ago). To be honest It sounds a bit alian to me seeing a EMT 158 on the Bittern line. Thanks for teaching me something I didn't know.

 

[dk1]

Ok, your the expert. To be honest I am only 15 and don't remember much of pre 755 greater anglia(I have only been a regular lone rail traveler since I started vollenteering on the NNR about a year ago). To be honest It sounds a bit alian to me seeing a EMT 158 on the Bittern line. Thanks for teaching me something I didn't know.

No problem mate. Occasionally we used it on the 21:15 Cambridge instead depending on driver availability. They also came in handy when engineering blocks meant up to four EMT 158s sat at Norwich doing nothing all weekend.

 

[Pinus contorta]

I was under the impression that although 175/185 and 195 are cleared as far as Millom, something particular about the 158 prevented them going past Barrow.

Don't remember ever seeing the Scotrail liveried 158 that was at Barrow for training purposes ever coming up the line towards Millom. If that didn't travel up the line then its difficult to imagine any of them did so in passenger use.

 

[warwickshire]

As indicated by this picture.

158790 Didcot North Junction 22 April 2002

Learn something new every day, So as well at the time wasn't there a Oxford to Bristol service via Challow jct which should have been a 165.
But at peak etc it went to Bicester Town again a 165 but no 165 then a 158 as well etc.
Would it have been Bristol Crew that signed this way out of interest?.

 

[Prestige15]

As indicated by this picture.

158790 Didcot North Junction 22 April 2002

That route was running by a joint TOC of Thames trains and first great Western. FGW did had the 158 at the time and was shared with the Network Turbos.

 

[Bevan Price]

I seem to recall, at the back of my dim and distant memory, that a special ran for the golf at Royal Birkdale (actually Hillside station) and it was either 156 or 158, via the freight line from Edge Hill to Bootle and then up the Northern Line to Hillside, continuing to Southport ECS. This will have been in the 90s, probably. I think it was pelted with stones by local idiots around Kirkdale, which is why it is more memorable.

That was the Hastings DEMU (1001).

 

[317666]

What about Ely - King's Lynn?

 

[DanNCL]

Kings Cross to Peterborough and the Hertford line

They’ve ran ECS on the ECML as far as Belle Isle, usually when transferring from Salisbury or Canton to Doncaster for overhaul. Not sure they’ve ever worked into Kings Cross itself but that would be the only bit of the ECML they haven’t done.

ECML Between Dunbar - Chathill?

They run between Chathill and Belford ECS daily as the Chathill service has to continue to Belford to reverse. North of Belford they’ve ran ECS, most recently last autumn when a 158 was ‘trapped’ at Carlisle after the freight derailment at Petteril Bridge, the 158 went back to Heaton via Edinburgh.
Not 100% sure of this but it wouldn’t surprise me if they’d made it as far north as Berwick in passenger service in the early 90s on the odd occasion.

 

[dk1]

What about Ely - King's Lynn?

Good call. I can’t recall if they were ever cleared. Last DMUs on that route were the NSE 101s.

 

[WarrenTManager]

158s certainly ran between Weymouth, Dorchester and Wareham when SWR briefly ran summer Saturday only service to Corde Castle. Not sure about Bournemouth though.

There have been two retirement runs in SWT days to Corfe Castle from Waterloo in 2014 and 2017. Both went through Bournemouth to pick up colleagues en route. One was a 158 (can't remember number) and one was 159102.

 

[King Lazy]

Re the posts about the Cumbrian Coast. 158s have never been beyond Barrow. They aren’t cleared north of Barrow.

Before 195s Millom saw 185s and earlier still 175s.

Interestingly, under FNW Workington depot guards signed them (despite them never reaching their home depot ) and had a job from Preston to Barrow. This ended on the formation of Northern.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Re the posts about the Cumbrian Coast. 158s have never been beyond Barrow. They aren’t cleared north of Barrow.

Before 195s Millom saw 185s and earlier still 175s.

Interestingly, under FNW Workington depot guards signed them (despite them never reaching their home depot ) and had a job from Preston to Barrow. This ended on the formation of Northern.

What is particular about the 158 (assuming it's been tried) that it can't go north of Barrow but the other 3 classes can at least as far as Millom?

 

[D6130]

Not certain....but could it be the opening plug doors that swing out from the body sides and may foul some of the platforms?

 

[Whistler40145]

Have 158s ever worked Crewe to Derby via Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent via Macclesfield?

 

[Class15]

Have 158s ever got down the Camden Road Jn. - Camden Jn line (the Primrose Hill route)?

 

[Topological]

Have 158s ever worked Crewe to Derby via Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent via Macclesfield?

Crewe to Derby I am sure I have seen whilst changing in Crewe.

Portsmouth Harbour to Manchester Piccadilly I have done - that train was routed through Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield. (This was 2001 and am prepared for someone to say I changed at Birmingham but am 99% sure it was a direct train under then Virgin Cross-Country). I took the morning train direct from Manchester to Portsmouth too, but am not convinced that it was a 158 on that.

 

[CJ]

Have 158s ever worked Crewe to Derby via Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent via Macclesfield?

Crewe to Derby I am sure I have seen whilst changing in Crewe.

They have indeed.

More recently, they have been on Crewe - Newark Castle services via Stoke and Derby.

 

[route101]

From Railscot:

Class 158 route clearance Scotland

East Kilbride ECS only, I guess its the doors issue.

 

[Matt1981]

I would imagine they have worked most routes around the west midlands, but I would be surprised if they worked the Redditch branch. I'm sure I remember 150s working the Redditch branch while the southern part of Cross City was being electrified and 1st generation diesels were on the way out, or possibly covering for 323s during introduction, but I don't recall seeing 158s working to Redditch at that time

As others have said, Stourbridge branch is unlikely to have seen a 158. It's a while since I've been down the branch, but from pictures I've seen it looks like the platform wouldn't be long enough for a 158

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They were also regulars from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts

This still happens on occasion; 158 733 was at Glasgow Central on an Edinburgh service only yesterday evening ( 15th June ).

In fact, I think that might still be diagrammed - looking at Real Time Trains shows that service, the 20.19 from Glasgow, was a 158 on four occasions this week and a 385 on only one day.