Trivia: largest age gaps between rolling stock running alongside each other

[A S Leib]

At the moment, Harrow (-on-the-Hill / & Wealdstone) is served by Class 710s, which came into service in 2019, 730s (2023), S8 Stock (2010), with 805s and 807s (last year) passing through... and 165s (1991), 168s (1998) and 1972 Stock. That gives an age gap of 52 years between 1972 Stock and 805s and 807s. Excluding heritage railways and railtours, which other examples are there of large age gaps between rolling stock running alongside (I know it isn't technically on the same line in this case) each other?

• When S8 Stock trains started running, the A Stock had been there since 1961, for a difference of 49 years
• 803s entered service in 2021, 41 years after Tyne & Wear Metro Metrocars / 599s
• Any rolling stock serving Partick introduced between 1948 and 1977 would beat the examples I've thought of, counting the Glasgow Subway

 

[hexagon789]

At the moment, Harrow (-on-the-Hill / & Wealdstone) is served by Class 710s, which came into service in 2019, 730s (2023), S8 Stock (2010), with 805s and 807s (last year) passing through... and 165s (1991), 168s (1998) and 1972 Stock. That gives an age gap of 52 years between 1972 Stock and 805s and 807s. Excluding heritage railways and railtours, which other examples are there of large age gaps between rolling stock running alongside (I know it isn't technically on the same line in this case) each other?

• When S8 Stock trains started running, the A Stock had been there since 1961, for a difference of 49 years
• 803s entered service in 2021, 41 years after Tyne & Wear Metro Metrocars / 599s
• Any rolling stock serving Partick introduced between 1948 and 1977 would beat the examples I've thought of, counting the Glasgow Subway

Any station along the Edinburgh to Glasgow mainline, except Falkirk High, plus Polmont-Larbert and North to Stirling and Dunblane.

These all see 385s, the youngest of which is 5 and a bit years old now and potentially 43003 the oldest in-service HST power car on one of the I7C workings - that's a 44 year gap.

 

[Snow1964]

Chiltern still has some mk3s. I think oldest are about 47 years old

Do they meet any newish 196, 197s in Birmingham area ?

 

[xotGD]

73967; as E6006 in traffic 1962, hauling Mark 5 coaching stock, the youngest of which was built in 2018.

Gap of 56 years.

 

[Theburritoz]

Chiltern still has some mk3s. I think oldest are about 47 years old

Do they meet any newish 196, 197s in Birmingham area ?

I'm pretty sure they both serve Leamington spa but I could be mistaken.

 

[Harpo]

GWR sleeper vehicles versus IET.

 

[ls2270]

Class 455s and 701s on SWR come pretty close and they even operate on the same routes.

 

[Class15]

73967; as E6006 in traffic 1962, hauling Mark 5 coaching stock, the youngest of which was built in 2018.

Gap of 56 years.

Yeah, it’ll surely have to be a 73 and Mk5s.

 

[birchesgreen]

I'm pretty sure they both serve Leamington spa but I could be mistaken.

Yes 196s are regulars on the Elephant & Bear Line

 

[D365]

Class 455s and 701s on SWR come pretty close and they even operate on the same routes.

However the Class 455s are not intended to co-exist with the Class 701s in the long term...

Class 73/9 with Mk5 sleeper stock has to be the modern day winner.

 

[westernpunk]

At the moment, Harrow (-on-the-Hill / & Wealdstone) is served by Class 710s, which came into service in 2019, 730s (2023), S8 Stock (2010), with 805s and 807s (last year) passing through... and 165s (1991), 168s (1998) and 1972 Stock. That gives an age gap of 52 years between 1972 Stock and 805s and 807s. Excluding heritage railways and railtours, which other examples are there of large age gaps between rolling stock running alongside (I know it isn't technically on the same line in this case) each other?

• When S8 Stock trains started running, the A Stock had been there since 1961, for a difference of 49 years
• 803s entered service in 2021, 41 years after Tyne & Wear Metro Metrocars / 599s
• Any rolling stock serving Partick introduced between 1948 and 1977 would beat the examples I've thought of, counting the Glasgow Subway

quite an extensive thread on dimilar subject here. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-oldest-and-newest-together.266203/

 

[DanNCL]

555s are now running alongside Metrocars. Age difference of 45 years between the newest delivered 555 (555028) and the oldest remaining operational Metrocar (4003).

777s ran alongside 507s and 508s. The age difference between the newest 777 and oldest 507 was 47 years.

717s briefly ran alongside 313s, another difference of over 40 years there.

Was there still a 37 hauled diagram out of Norwich when the first 755 entered service? If so that would be a difference of over 50 years.

 

[norbitonflyer]

455s and 701s are a big gap, but I think the biggest must be class 807 Everos, less than two months old, alongside 1972 Tube stock between Queens Park and Harrow & Wealdstone -a 52 year difference.

 

[A S Leib]

quite an extensive thread on dimilar subject here. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-oldest-and-newest-together.266203/

Thank you.

 

[class ep-09]

No idea about age gap but what about old London Underground battery train at West Ealing sidings and Elizabeth Line / 387’s / 800’s on GWR mainline ?

 

[Dstock7080]

No idea about age gap but what about old London Underground battery train at West Ealing sidings and Elizabeth Line / 387’s / 800’s on GWR mainline ?

Two cars of 230.001 delivered to LT 20 March 1981.

 

[robert thomas]

Aberystwyth Tywyn & Minffordd

 

[A S Leib]

Aberystwyth Tywyn & Minffordd

I did say

Excluding heritage railways and railtours

 

[davart]

The Penistone line has 150001 & 2 (1984) running Huddersfield to Sheffield via Barnsley. The line also has 195s (2019) on it from time to time, a 35 year difference.

 

[Mag_seven]

Would freight vehicles / wagons count - there must be a few elderly freight wagons still being hauled about the network passing very modern passenger units.

 

[JKF]

Maybe not quite the OP’s intent, but a few years back (oct 2019 apparently) we had 20007 of 1959 vintage (oldest main line registered loco I think?) trundling down to Portbury to pick up one of the newly imported multiple units from Spain. A 60 year age gap!

 

[43OO4]

That gives an age gap of 52 years between 1972 Stock and 805s and 807s.

I think the biggest must be class 807 Everos, less than two months old, alongside 1972 Tube stock between Queens Park and Harrow & Wealdstone -a 52 year difference.

Just here to clear up confusion - north of Euston approach, the DC & Bakerloo lines are functionally a different railway to the WCML.

 

[Class15]

Just here to clear up confusion - north of Euston approach, the DC & Bakerloo lines are functionally a different railway to the WCML.

They still run alongside so I think it’s allowed?

 

[43OO4]

They still run alongside so I think it’s allowed?

Alongside in the same way that, for example, two theatres could put on a show next door to each other, yes, but not 'alongside' in the traditional sense.

 

[lyndhurst25]

There must be some pretty ancient class 08 depot shunters about, at depots that service new stock?

 

[43096]

Alongside in the same way that, for example, two theatres could put on a show next door to each other, yes, but not 'alongside' in the traditional sense.

The 710s on the DC lines aren't that much older than the 807s. And they definitely count.

 

[John C]

ECML on LNER as far as Leeds/York you have the 80x Azuma’s alongside the 91’s and Mk4 stock.

 

[Sorcerer]

The 1973 stock on the Piccadilly Line was first introduced in 1975, and with the 2024 stock due to enter service later this year, that would put them at a 50-year age gap! But if the option for the Inspiro units to replace the 1972 stock on the Bakerloo Line was chosen, maybe as far as the late 2030s/early 2040s, then you'd have trains of 60/70 year age gaps! But outside of theory, the Piccadilly Line stock age gaps are quite impressive already. Personally I wouldn't count the 1972 stock alongside the Everos though like some have suggested because they run on functionally different railways by different operators and just happen to be parallel for some portions of their journey.

 

[Silent]

At the moment, Harrow (-on-the-Hill / & Wealdstone) is served by Class 710s, which came into service in 2019, 730s (2023), S8 Stock (2010), with 805s and 807s (last year) passing through... and 165s (1991), 168s (1998) and 1972 Stock. That gives an age gap of 52 years between 1972 Stock and 805s and 807s. Excluding heritage railways and railtours, which other examples are there of large age gaps between rolling stock running alongside (I know it isn't technically on the same line in this case) each other?

• When S8 Stock trains started running, the A Stock had been there since 1961, for a difference of 49 years
• 803s entered service in 2021, 41 years after Tyne & Wear Metro Metrocars / 599s
• Any rolling stock serving Partick introduced between 1948 and 1977 would beat the examples I've thought of, counting the Glasgow Subway

Tbh the 1972 stock is the oldest in the country running regularly so there probably isn’t a service where the rolling stock have as big age gap in the uk.

 

[D365]

Tbh the 1972 stock is the oldest in the country running regularly so there probably isn’t a service where the rolling stock have as big age gap in the uk.

As mentioned previously, the Caledonian Sleeper with Class 73/9s hauling Mk5 sleeper stock.