Unusual/interesting services

[voyagerdude220]

Thanks for that VXC fan. You beat me to it, as I was going to mention the 17:52 Edinburgh to Birmingham, including: Preston-Wigan-Bolton-Manchester-Wilmslow-Crewe-Stoke,Stafford-Birmingham.

220 028 "Black Country Voyager" formed it this evening, with
221 141 "Amerigo Vespucci" forming the similarly run 06:01 Birmingham-Edinburgh, (via Perry Bar?).

221 141 got delayed by at least 15 minutes, on the alternative Birmingham-Stafford route this morning, but was on time by Carlisle.

I've always wondered why the 06:10 Birmingham New Street to Paignton is given soooo much time between Birmingham & Cheltenham, but the Droitwich route useage explains it.

Also to note, is the fact that all Voyagers to/from Bristol and Wolverhampton/Manchester/Preston and beyond have been running along St Andrews Junction, and Camp Hill, diverging to/from the Cross City line at Kings Norton, and then near Proof House Junction.

This removes the need for reversal at New Street, but, it may just be me, but I personally feel that Voyagers often loose additional time when running along this route, instead of Five Ways/University/Bourneville, with Birmingham-Cheltenham journeys taking sometimes taking the best part of an hour.

The Clitheroe to Helifield line is only used twice a week each way, every Sunday, with the 'Dalesrail' Carlisle to Preston/Blackpool North services running along the S&C line.

I'm sure I can come up with a few more suggestions, but I'm just too tired now, so I think i'll save them for another time...

 

[djw1981]

Taken from the wiki at scot-rail.co.uk:

2B61 - 20.26 Aberdeen to Edinburgh
1B61 - 20.30 Aberdeen to Edinburgh
and
2L41 - 05.37 Edinburgh to Dundee

Run via the edinburgh suburban line (which is as described by VXC above. That page of the wiki was last updated in Feb 07, and thus may have changed.

 

[Mintona]

The freight only Camp Hill lines diverging at King's Norton to avoid Birmingham New Street are often used by passenger services in the evenings, though it's not guaranteed.
If your train leaves New Street for the South West from platform "XA" it is likely

 

[theblackwatch]

I am also informed there is a 20xx Voyager off Aberdeen that goes via the Fife Circle and not via the coastal route as well, covering that irritating difficult to cover north side of the triangle of lines at Glenthrothes. Was going to do it myself after bailing at Ladybank on the Wick tour, but more miles with 40145 was just too tempting to bail, massive wait and possibly not covering the new track.

If you look at the link I provided earlier you will see the train is:
2026 SSuX, 2030 SO Aberdeen - Edinburgh

It also answers some of your other 'not sure' bits such as Kingsbury Jn - Whitacre Jn. Virtually all the answers to queries regarding unusual track in the UK are there!

 

[voyagerdude220]

The freight only Camp Hill lines diverging at King's Norton to avoid Birmingham New Street are often used by passenger services in the evenings, though it's not guaranteed.
If your train leaves New Street for the South West from platform "XA" it is likely

Is that a typo, or do some trains actually avoid New Street station altogether? I know it's happened before when Voyagers have run Cheltenham-Tamworth/Derby non-stop, due to scheduled engineering works, but I've not heard of any permanent trains avoiding New Street.


TBH, I do like the Birmingham-Kings Norton avoiding route, but the problem I have with it, is the time lost Birmingham-Cheltenham by using it.

 

[theblackwatch]

Is that a typo, or do some trains actually avoid New Street station altogether? I know it's happened before when Voyagers have run Cheltenham-Tamworth/Derby non-stop, due to scheduled engineering works, but I've not heard of any permanent trains avoiding New Street.


TBH, I do like the Birmingham-Kings Norton avoiding route, but the problem I have with it, is the time lost Birmingham-Cheltenham by using it.

He is referring to *the lines* avoiding Birmingham New Street I think (re-read it and he doesn't say the trains avoid the station - just they use the line). Going back a number of years (mid 80s), on Summer Saturdays there used to be some Cross Country services which avoided New Street - the 06.40 Newcastle-Plymouth (or Paignton, can't remember which) HST is one which springs to mind. It was a good idea - the train was already pretty full, and it stopped a crush of people trying to get on at New St.

 

[martyn29]

whats the best pendo route

 

[rail-britain]

whats the best pendo route

To take advantage of the maximum tilt at full whack, I usually take a Glasgow - Preston return once a month
There are about eight corners all done at 125mph on maximum tilt, between Glasgow and Preston

Carstairs to Abington is mostly 125mph
Lamington curve is on maximum tilt, and is probably the most impressive

Abington - Beattock - Greenhillstairs is restricted to about 100mph

Sadly, there aren't many tight curves between Greenhillstairs and Carlisle

390s are equally impressive up or down Shap, there are many curves, but I can't think of any done at maximum speed

Get yourself a Pendplan and try to book the following seats
First Class -
Southbound G45 / H45 (Quiet Zone) / J35 / G15 / H15 (Quiet Zone) / J5
Northbound K3 / J10 / J28 / H20 (Quiet Zone) / H38 (Quiet Zone) / G20 / G38
Standard -
Northbound C1 (this seat is opposite the shop, but it is the ONLY single bay seat in Standard!)

 

[Coxster]

Basing services via putney run most of the time

No they don't - that's the only Basingstoke service booked to run that route. The other services are 0105 Waterloo-Southampton and 0042 Waterloo-Shepperton. I'm speaking as someone who uses Basingstoke services near enough every day...

 

[Mintona]

He is referring to *the lines* avoiding Birmingham New Street I think (re-read it and he doesn't say the trains avoid the station - just they use the line). Going back a number of years (mid 80s), on Summer Saturdays there used to be some Cross Country services which avoided New Street - the 06.40 Newcastle-Plymouth (or Paignton, can't remember which) HST is one which springs to mind. It was a good idea - the train was already pretty full, and it stopped a crush of people trying to get on at New St.

Yup sorry, by avoiding Birmingham, I meant freight. I realise I wasn't particularly clear.

 

[Techniquest]

If you look at the link I provided earlier you will see the train is:
2026 SSuX, 2030 SO Aberdeen - Edinburgh

It also answers some of your other 'not sure' bits such as Kingsbury Jn - Whitacre Jn. Virtually all the answers to queries regarding unusual track in the UK are there!

I know there are, I was posting them in a post so as to avoid everyone having to use it and spend some time searching for them.

In any case, there are bits in my previous post that are not in the PSUL, such as the bit on the theatrical box displays at Cardiff Central, which are damn useful. Adding to which, actually, 'R' indicates departure onto the relief lines.

EDIT: As for Voyagers to/from the West Coast that go to/come from the South West (in VT1 basically) using the Camp Hill route, it is to save reversing at Birmingham New Street. Which takes a lot of time up, especially when it's at a busy time of day.

Summer Saturday Holidaymaker HSTs have been using this route this summer too. If the TGS is leading on 1V29 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay, then it goes via Camp Hill. If not, then it's a reversal at Birmingham New Street.

 

[Donny Dave]

Note notable, but worth keeping your eye open for. If there is disruption between Doncaster and Kirk Sandall, it's not unknown for TPE to divert via Adwick and enter Doncaster from the Leeds line. (Jordy knows about this).

 

[Techniquest]

Uber rare track for a passenger train that is too...Still to this day envious that Jordy managed to get it in...

 

[Jim]

The freight only Camp Hill lines diverging at King's Norton to avoid Birmingham New Street are often used by passenger services in the evenings, though it's not guaranteed.
If your train leaves New Street for the South West from platform "XA" it is likely

As a rule, VT1 uses Camp Hill

 

[Markinch]

What about the Chiltern Paddington services? One a day, Mon-Fri, at times not many people want to travel. I caught the Paddington to Wycombe service a month or so ago (as far as Beaconsfield): it was held for ages in South Ruislip waiting for a Marylebone to Snow Hill train to pass. Why don't Chiltern run more trains at Paddington? Much better tube connections than Marylebone.

 

[Oracle]

Re the Point Pleasant Junction-Wimbledon route, from December 2007 I had details of:

0105 Train 1B01 London Waterloo - Southampton
0042 Train 2K77 London Waterloo - Strawberry Hill via Wimbledon
0142 SuO London Waterloo - Twickenham (a. 0230)
0005 MX London Waterloo - Bournemouth has time allowed for it to run via Point Pleasant Junction but is not booked that way. It may go that route depending on Engineering works.

plus the
0454 SuX Train 2L10 Basingstoke - London Waterloo
2110 MX Weymouth - London Waterloo ...although it used to be the case that it could run via the Byfleet Curve and the Windsor Lines. I then ascertained that it might run via Point Pleasant depending on overnight engineering, etc. Is there a definitive routing now please in the new TT?

 

[Tom]

1B01 is booked via Pt Pleasant
2K77 the same
2K79 (0142) isn't as far as I can see.
1B81 (0005) isn't.
2L10 is booked.
2W80 (2110) runs route as per requirement in engineering works. Can be seen when running via Pt Pleasant if it arrives Waterloo approx 0116.

 

[RJ]

What about the Chiltern Paddington services? One a day, Mon-Fri, at times not many people want to travel. I caught the Paddington to Wycombe service a month or so ago (as far as Beaconsfield): it was held for ages in South Ruislip waiting for a Marylebone to Snow Hill train to pass. Why don't Chiltern run more trains at Paddington? Much better tube connections than Marylebone.

Its just a trip to keep driver's knowledge of the route up to date. Ironically it can run via Ealing Broadway.

 

[Mojo]

Also isn't there a daily Chiltern to Oxford? Not rare track or stock (if a 165 shows up), but certaintly looks a bit out of place! Again, like the Padd service I believe this is for driver route knowledge.

Also, the 1859 Bristol TM to Manchester Picc goes via Camp Hill, presumably why it's timetabled to take 1h43m vs ~1h28m. Whenever I've been on it it's galloped all the way up to the junction, sat there for 15 minutes, and chugged into New Street about 10 min late.

 

[RJ]

That would be the 2V92 23:00 Stratford Upon Avon - Oxford (00:18)

 

[Zamracene749]

A few from the north east-

On sundays, there are services at 12.20 and 15.37 from Darlington that run direct to Hartlepool via Stockton returning 13.30 and 16.24. These are the only direct passenger services between the two towns, a remnant of what used to be a regular daily service many years ago and the only services to use the Eaglecliffe-Stockton direct line/chord avoiding Thornaby (until Grand central start that is).

Also worthy of mention are the three Saturday only Sheffield-Cleethorpes services via Gainsborough and the two M-Sa trains from Retford High level to Sheffield and return.

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail All!

2L10, 04:54 Basingstoke to London Waterloo (arrives 06:12) - Mon-Sat
Booked to run Wimbledon-Putney-Clapham rather than via the mainline.

Putting aside the fact that it isn't a guarenteed working, it is probabally unique for all of the mainline services listed here...
...As the Wimbledon - Putney - Clapham route is the only one (That I know of) where mainline trains are cleared for use on LuL lines!

Staying on unusual workings:
A few years ago when they were playing around with the idea of running Eurostars from Manchester, wern't those runs done using normal Virgin workings with a 373 trainset (So it was ridden by the public) insted of the normal 86 or HST and Mark III arrangements?

I seem to recall that I caught a GNER train from Darlington to Leeds back in October '02, and that was a Eurostar branded 373 as well.

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[Oracle]

As the Wimbledon - Putney - Clapham route is the only one (That I know of) where mainline trains are cleared for use on LuL lines!

Yes apart from the Harrow-on-the-Hill to north of Amersham line of course. The then Southern Railway ran stopping trains along the East Putney-South Wimbledon route until around 1941 I seem to recall. But they owned the line and the District trains had running powers!

Underground trains run on NR tracks, and of course can and do run from Queens Park to Kilburn High Road Up platform and back on special occasions.

 

[NSEFAN]

Does the daily train from Newhaven Marine still run?

I've read it goes from the Harbour station now, as the marine platform is in a poor state...

 

[Tom]

It does go to Marine but it runs ECS.

 

[merseytrains]

What about the once weekly Stockport-Stalybridge service?

Summer Saturdays once a week Chester-Runcorn service?

 

[voyagerdude220]

Also, the 1859 Bristol TM to Manchester Picc goes via Camp Hill, presumably why it's timetabled to take 1h43m vs ~1h28m. Whenever I've been on it it's galloped all the way up to the junction, sat there for 15 minutes, and chugged into New Street about 10 min late.

All VT1 trains, (Bristol to Wolverhampton/Manchester/Preston/Carlisle) run via Camp Hill, removing the need to reverse at New Street.

What annoys me, is that Voyagers running this route, like you say, often get delayed Birmingham to Cheltenham, taking alot longer than Voyagers via Bourneville.

 

[DavyCrocket]

Yes apart from the Harrow-on-the-Hill to north of Amersham line of course. The then Southern Railway ran stopping trains along the East Putney-South Wimbledon route until around 1941 I seem to recall. But they owned the line and the District trains had running powers!

Underground trains run on NR tracks, and of course can and do run from Queens Park to Kilburn High Road Up platform and back on special occasions.

The East Putney - Wimbledon line is owned and operated by Network Rail. The Harrow-Amersham section is owned and operated by LUL. Chiltern often send lots of additional trains and empties via LU, so long as they are fitted with working tripcocks. And it doesn't cost them any more ££££!

 

[Oracle]

Sorry, but from East Putney [at a position just south of the junction] to just south of Wimbledon Park is owned by TfL, formerly London Transport/GLC I suppose, but is signalled by Network Rail and Underground trains abide by NR procedures. The then British Rail transferred the line on 1st April 1994. Previously the BR/LT junction was on the bridge.

 

[nowananorack]

Not sure of details but I think there's a Southern Victoria to Southampton train that regularly goes from Fareham to Eastleigh, drivers change ends and the train goes on the direct route to Southampton, rather than via the normal Swanwick/Hamble route. Arrives in Eastleigh sometime after 22:00. I understand this is for route training for when the normal Swanwick/Hamble route is closed.