Trivia: Electrification that's (likely) never been used.

[DM352]

Remains of Lichfield Trent Valley platform 4 high level has been electrified but never used as emus use the other platform and change ends there.

Cannot see it ever being used as the electrification overrun does not go to the next crossover by the signal box.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Actually just remembered a pretty long stretch, although there are breaks on the line. Ormskirk to Preston has electrification, but I don't think it's been used since the Burscough curves were removed, and maybe even before that.

Ormskirk to Farington Curve Jcn on WCML doesn't? There's only a small overrun beyond Farington Curve Jcn on street view.

 

[Elecman]

Preston North Union sidings as they are permanantly Earthed

 

[Efini92]

Preston North Union sidings as they are permanantly Earthed

Where is north union sidings?

 

[nw1]

In the past, Wolverhampton-Stafford and Carstairs-Edinburgh have been hardly used by electric stock (mainly because Voyagers rather than electric stock were used).
Colwich-Stone almost became redundant at one point under BR.

This would presumably have only been for a short time though, as in the days of hauled Cross-Country services most would have used electric locos. It can't have been long after the introduction of Voyagers that the New St-Lime St EMU service was introduced.

 

[Llama]

Platform 5 Oxford Rd has been used, I've taken 331s out of there.

 

[Beebman]

This would presumably have only been for a short time though, as in the days of hauled Cross-Country services most would have used electric locos. It can't have been long after the introduction of Voyagers that the New St-Lime St EMU service was introduced.

Between 1973 and the start of Voyagers I made a number of journeys from Reading to places such as Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow, and there was always a loco change at New Street (or at Coventry, I remember making two journeys in 1984 when that happened). According to Wikipedia Virgin XC stopped running to Liverpool in Winter 2003 about a year or so after the start of 'Operation Princess' so maybe that period was when Wolverhampton-Stafford saw little use by electric passenger trains?

 

[Llama]

Weren't CT still using 323s on New St - Lime St stoppers then?

 

[Efini92]

Weren't CT still using 323s on New St - Lime St stoppers then?

Didn’t FNW also operate an EMU service from Piccadilly- New st then?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Preston North Union sidings as they are permanantly Earthed

Where is north union sidings?

It's an old name, believe they are (or were) to the South/West side of Preston station, part of which was once referred to as 'North Union' station. (The North Union Railway had opened an early line from Wigan into Preston in c. 1838 along what's now essentially part of the WCML).

 

[nw1]

Didn’t FNW also operate an EMU service from Piccadilly- New st then?

I think this was just an occasional, peak only service, using 309s - which ran during the period (mid to late 90s) when there were regular 86-hauled fast New St-Piccadilly anyhow. Essentially the FNW 309s appeared to operate as peak extras; they seemed to work in collaboration with, rather than in competition with, the Virgin service.

 

[Llama]

As far as I know the FNW Piccadilly - New St / International service with 309s was two return trips per day and lasted until the early 2000s, although I think possibly by the time the service was panned it was run using 175s.

There were also the FNW Manchester Airport-Euston services formed of class 322s.

 

[43095john]

York Platforms 1 and 8

York platform 2:
Too short for Mark 4 sets. Have occasionally been used to stable 86s and 90s.

York platform 8:
Too short for Mark 4 sets, and despite being electrified only serves Harrogate line trains. I’m not aware of any record of an electric loco visiting York platform 8.

As for York

Platform 1 has seen TPE 802s on a fair few occasions when services were curtailed at York from the south. Doesn't happen often as Northern often stable a unit in Platform 1. It even had a special visitor last year before working a LSL Charter (See Below)

Platform 8 is long enough to Fit a 5 Car 80x, however the frequent Northern Harrogate service that uses the Platform occupies Platform 8 for majority of the hour, plus a unit stables there occasionaly off peak. So the sight of a 80x unit in 8 hasn't happened as of yet.

Platforms 2 and 4 are not electrified, and any TPE 802s that use these Platforms on occasion stop on Platform 3 to switch to diesel before proceeding. Never recalled any electric loco in 2 before so I presume if it did happen it was dragged into there

 

[DanNCL]

As for York

Platform 1 has seen TPE 802s on a fair few occasions when services were curtailed at York from the south. Doesn't happen often as Northern often stable a unit in Platform 1. It even had a special visitor last year before working a LSL Charter (See Below)

Platform 8 is long enough to Fit a 5 Car 80x, however the frequent Northern Harrogate service that uses the Platform occupies Platform 8 for majority of the hour, plus a unit stables there occasionaly off peak. So the sight of a 80x unit in 8 hasn't happened as of yet.

Platforms 2 and 4 are not electrified, and any TPE 802s that use these Platforms on occasion stop on Platform 3 to switch to diesel before proceeding. Never recalled any electric loco in 2 before so I presume if it did happen it was dragged into there

Platform 2 was a typo for platform 1 in my original post.

 

[Efini92]

It's an old name, believe they are (or were) to the South/West side of Preston station, part of which was once referred to as 'North Union' station. (The North Union Railway had opened an early line from Wigan into Preston in c. 1838 along what's now essentially part of the WCML).

Cheers, I’ve only ever known them as the south sidings.
I saw one of the early AC locos in number 3 siding a few years ago, possibly a class 83

 

[londonmidland]

Looks like most of the electrification inside DB’s yard at Bescot Stadium has been removed?

 

[Elecman]

Where is north union sidings?

Behind the RES platform

 

[59CosG95]

Looks like most of the electrification inside DB’s yard at Bescot Stadium has been removed?

It has. Might be something to do with the new EMU depot planned for there...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Weren't CT still using 323s on New St - Lime St stoppers then?

Yes, but when they joined Stansted-Birmingham and Birmingham-Liverpool services they went over to 170s for maybe 5 years.
It was only when 350s arrived that these services were split again and Liverpool services went back to EMU.
There was also a curious period when Voyagers were allowed 125mph on Bushbury-Stafford, but electrics were limited to 90mph until the OHLE was upgraded.

 

[KevinTurvey]

Although it is now used every day had the Earlestown - Newton le willows section ever been used by electric traction in the period between initial electrification in c1973 and 2015?

 

[Efini92]

Although it is now used every day had the Earlestown - Newton le willows section ever been used by electric traction in the period between initial electrification in c1973 and 2015?

Just as a diversion from the wcml

 

[Darandio]

There surely must be a few electrified cripple sidings that have probably never been used. Ferryhill on the ECML is one that springs instantly to mind, there is one very short road in the yard that is electrified but i'm fairly certain it's never been used in anger.

 

[Beebman]

There's quite a lengthy wire run along the Middlewich line from Sandbach, my guess is it's never been used.

 

[Whistler40145]

Has Platform 7 at Preston been used by electric trains?

 

[Jdunn94]

I can think of the small section that runs just past Skipton station to the old junction where the line used to diverge off to Colne, that section has overhead wires but I can't imagine it's ever been used before.

 

[Class 170101]

Graham Road curve

Doesn't see electric trains now

 

[Whistler40145]

Im pretty sure platforms 7 & 8 have seen TPE 397s on odd occasions during disruption.
Has the OHLE at Hardendale quarry sidings been used at all in recent decades ?

Hardendale Quarry sidings had the OHLE removed several years ago

 

[Elecman]

Has Platform 7 at Preston been used by electric trains?

Yes

 

[YorksLad12]

I can think of the small section that runs just past Skipton station to the old junction where the line used to diverge off to Colne, that section has overhead wires but I can't imagine it's ever been used before.

Is that on the main line, as far as the sidings? ECS moves, perhaps, if the station needs to be kept clear?

 

[grumpyoldman01]

Until very recently the cables at St. Pancras (MML) were just for decoration. They’d been up 10+ years.

Weren't they used by 319s when the St Pancras Thameslink box was being constructed?

One that amazed me was Millerhill yard which was wired as part of the ECML job, very few if any electric hauled freights but it was used briefly for storing class 91s just before the electric service started.

It was planned to have electric hauled freights on the ECML - the investment authority for some of the class 92s was the ECML one, but it was originally planned to procure class 90s for freight on that route