Trivia: Odd through trains?

[Eagle]

IIRC Plymouth to Edinburgh via Manchester would have been a regular service prior to the CrossCountry Trains franchise.

Post-Operation Princess, the standard pattern was two-hourly Plymouth to Glasgow via Warrington and two-hourly Plymouth to Edinburgh via Leeds. Trains via Bolton were usually extensions of the hourly Reading to Manchester service.

(Although XC services weren't as strictly regular as they are now.)

 

[Whistler40145]

Thanks Eagle for that information.

I incorrectly assumed there was a Plymouth to Edinburgh via Birmingham & Manchester.

 

[Cambus731]

Is it worth mentioning Anglia Railways venture at running through trains from the Great Eastern Main Line to Basingstoke.
Of course the idea was that eventually they would be able to obtain paths to Southampton. I used one once to travel from Chelmsford to Feltham and cane in the chord from the North London Line to the Hounslow Loop.
A couple of friends of mine who are 'normals' went to London for the day from CHM and were astonished to see a train announced as going to Basingstoke. But they thought "what the hell" and used it to go to Camden Road.

 

[Tetchytyke]

That early TPE Lancaster to Windermere via Morecambe has always puzzled me.

If TPE wanted to serve Morecambe, why at stupid o'clock in the morning?

If it's to do with keeping the direct curve from Bare Lane, wouldn't Northern's 1 Morecambe to Leeds train be enough to satisfy the rules?

The Northern service did not exist when the TPE franchise was let, so it was the Parliamentary service at the time.

I can only assume it's in the franchise agreement and nobody has got around to removing it?

Speaking of Northern Spirit, they had a regular Carlisle to York pacer, via Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Yarm. Always booked a pacer, and then went fast up the ECML (Darlington only IIRC) afterwards as a positioning move.

 

[12CSVT]

I'm a Blackpool lad and have no recollection of a direct Blackpool to Holyhead service.

1D80 1015 Blackpool North - Holyhead ran during the summer timetable of 1993, and was booked Crewe based class 37/4 haulage.

 

[Whistler40145]

Well I never, I don't remember it!


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[Welshman]

Talking of odd through services to Holyhead, I seem to remember that in the 1990s there was a service about 0940 from Wakefield Westgate to Holyhead, usually in the hands of a Cl.150!

Obviously an operating convenience, joining-together Wakefield-Huddersfield-Manchester Victoria-Chester-Holyhead legs, but I wonder if anyone used it for a through journey?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Is it worth mentioning Anglia Railways venture at running through trains from the Great Eastern Main Line to Basingstoke.
Of course the idea was that eventually they would be able to obtain paths to Southampton. I used one once to travel from Chelmsford to Feltham and cane in the chord from the North London Line to the Hounslow Loop.
A couple of friends of mine who are 'normals' went to London for the day from CHM and were astonished to see a train announced as going to Basingstoke. But they thought "what the hell" and used it to go to Camden Road.

I used that a few times from Staines to Chelmsford and Colchester, just to try it out, it worked well for me, but I think it did get cancelled quite often. I even think there were a few trains that went as far as Norwich.

They ran well from Stratford to the Anglia area and again fine I think from Staines towards Basingstoke, but were very slow around the North London Line.

They used dmus, poss class 170 I think. Shame it did not continue. Those earlier cross London services did not seem to do that well sadly.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I remember too doing one of the above Cross Country Intercity trains from Oxford to Clapham Junction as mentioned before. On one occasion I was sat near the front and could hear how powerful the diesel loco was that hauled the train, very impressive, I have not idea what type or class it was though..

 

[David Goddard]

Yes, Crosslink was provided by Cl170s. I went through Basingstoke in the evening of the last day and they were having a photo call before the last train departed.

 

[pitdiver]

This service ran Milton Keynes to Penzance every summer for a good few years according to the National Rail Timetables (have a few old ones dating back to 1983)

I don't doubt what has been said. Just don't remember. Next question if it hasn't already been asked. What would fellows members REALLY like to see reinstated which could be considered as an "unusual " through service not for the benefit of the TOC but for the travelling public,

 

[Quakers Yard]

Central had a Cardiff to Cleethorpes via I think Chepstow, Worcester and Droitwich. It must have taken hours!
WB or Regional Railways I am sure had a Newquay to Treherbert that got shortened from Par to Pontypridd on a 150.
I akso recall a Birmingham to Barry Island through Worcester that must have been a summer service.
Many Portsmouth trains started west of Cardiff, mostly Swansea.
I am sure there was a far-west Wales to Penzance but not sure where from.

 

[PHILIPE]

Pontypridd to Par (one way), it was. Also Carmarthen to Penzance both ways.
(158 but once worked by a 143 !!!)

 

[Quakers Yard]

Thank you.
Quakers Yard to Ponty is far enough for some on a 143 let alone to Cornwall though I have been on a 142 / 143 mix of pacers all the way from QYD to Newton Abbot with 3 very quick changes en route to Cornwall last summer on a Sunday. To be fair the journey was passable for comfort albeit a trundle.

 

[dannypye9999]

Can anyone confirm this service ever existed but I think it was around 1997 to 2001 (could be earlier or later).

The then TOC (Central trains) operated a morning stopper service from the West Midlands to Macclesfield, then from Macclesfield it ran ECS back to Birmingham or ECS to Stoke where it formed a passenger service. Cannot remember so if anyone remembers it and has the times it'd be great! thanks

 

[johnnychips]

Talking of odd through services to Holyhead, I seem to remember that in the 1990s there was a service about 0940 from Wakefield Westgate to Holyhead, usually in the hands of a Cl.150!

Obviously an operating convenience, joining-together Wakefield-Huddersfield-Manchester Victoria-Chester-Holyhead legs, but I wonder if anyone used it for a through journey?

I did once as far as Bangor, in my rock climbing days!

 

[class303]

Southern used to have a great quite fast service too from Brighton & Gatwick, again via Kenny O & onto Watford, Milton Keynes and Rugby....but this was vastly altered I think owing to path problems when the Penolinos came in and now does Croydon to MKC stopping frequently, it's always busy though. Shame the service can not be extended back to Brighton & Gatwick, through to MKC and Brum, I am sure it would be well used. It must be possible as it used to go to Rugby. I guess it's set up costs and pathing problems that would prevent this from going ahead.

Useful and cheaper service for people from Rugby and Northampton to get to Gat airport, Brighton and suburban South London (changing at clapham junction), trains originated from the southern facing bays at Rugby. If memory serves it was always the 1st service to get the chop from Connex in times of disruption.

 

[adrock1976]

I remember in the days of British Rail two summer Saturday or Sunday Intercity Crosscountry services from somewhere north of Birmingham that ran to Eastbourne and Dover Priory in the 1980s/1990s if my mind is not playing tricks on me.

I seem to remember some of the seaside resort summer weekend services going south from Birmingham called at Birmingham International, Coventry, Milton Keynes (or Watford Junction), Kensington Olympia, East Croydon?, Redhill, then either Gatwick Airport, Haywards Heath, and Brighton or Eastborne, or to Dover Priory via Tonbridge, Ashford, and Folkstone Central.

There was a traction change (most likely at either Wembley or Willesden) as BR had a strict policy of no diesel traction being allowed under the wires.

In the last couple of years of BR, these services were rerouted between Coventry and Kensington Olympia to run via Banbury, Oxford, Didcot Parkway, and Reading. These journeys may have been run by the Intercity 125 HST or loco hauled coaching stock with a change of traction power at Birmingham.

In peace
Adam

 

[Bill EWS]

I used the direct train from Folkestone to Oxford on a few ocassions. It was a long way round and faster going direct to Waterloo and the underground to Paddington but it did allow you to see countryside and places that you wouldn't normally have gone through. It was also nice having a class 47 on a longish run.

 

[Marton]

I'm sure there was a random Middlesbrough-Stranraer service a few years ago?? I also remember boarding a train to Skegness from Worksop in the 80's and seem to remember it coming from Manchester??

1992 Sunderland - Preston and Barrow - Sunderland both via the Cumbrian Coast line

Also

Liverpool - Newcastle via Durham Coast stopping everywhere with a trolley service

1994 several named trains

Galloway enterprise Newcastle to Stranraer
Ayrshire Trader Newcastle to Ayr
Tyne Trader Girvan to Newcastle
Tyne Enterprise Stranraer to NCL
Borderer Glasgow to NCL - as now, but sunderland - glasgow on reverse

Also Nunthorpe to Carlisle

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Useful and cheaper service for people from Rugby and Northampton to get to Gat airport, Brighton and suburban South London (changing at clapham junction), trains originated from the southern facing bays at Rugby. If memory serves it was always the 1st service to get the chop from Connex in times of disruption.

Yes that was a good service and I recall they did go from the southern facing bays at Rugby, but as you say they could get cancelled in times of problems. A pity it did not continue or extend to B'rum.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I used the direct train from Folkestone to Oxford on a few ocassions. It was a long way round and faster going direct to Waterloo and the underground to Paddington but it did allow you to see countryside and places that you wouldn't normally have gone through. It was also nice having a class 47 on a longish run.

Yes I used these services from Oxford to Clapham Junction and also around Kent for the novelty and powerful diesel traction.