Virgin CrossCountry 158?

[willas00]

I was just reading on Wiki when I seen this..

Virgin Trains
Prior to the introduction of the Class 220/221 Virgin Voyagers, Virgin Cross Country operated a small number of Class 158 units, numbers 158747-158751. These were used on Manchester Piccadilly/Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow/Edinburgh services via the West Coast Main Line. One also did the Swindon-Stroud-Birmingham route. Most of these units are now operated by First Great Western.[citation needed]

Is this true? If so what livery where they in? I'm guessing it wasn't the Virgin Livery?

 

[MCR247]

http://www.freefoto.com/images/23/3...k=Virgin+Trains+Class+158+south+of+Gloucester

 

[richw]

A google search after reading this revealed they were left in the pre privatisation liverys,there is quite a few come up on google, with peoples photo sites, i just searched Virgin class 158

MCR was quicker, and posted the link to one of the many different images i found

 

[tbtc]

IIRC they were still in British Rail "Provincial" livery.

I think XCs' Swindon service was VT0. VT0 was the plan for something crazy like (London?) Swindon - Gloucester - Birmingham - Wigan - Blackpool (with "Challenger" HSTs?)

 

[willas00]

I thought it wasnt Virgin livery when I had a look around on Google.

Thanks for clearing that up would of been funny seeing a 158 in Virgin Trains livery LOL!

 

[Matt Taylor]

Standard Provincial Express livery:

http://matthew-taylor.fotopic.net/p52265956.html


By 1998 the 158s were also operating the Liverpool-Portsmouth-Liverpool service on a daily basis, in fact I may be correct in thinking they operated all three daily workings to Portsmouth for a while. They never received the Virgin livery as it was felt at the time that this would devalue the brand, which is kind of ironic given the quality of the Voyagers that arrived a few years later.

 

[Failed Unit]

One unit 158750 iirc stayed in BR livery follow it's transfer to TPE. It kept it's original seats as well right upto it arrival in the south west. One of the last sets of any class to be in an ex-BR livery.

 

[RobShipway]

The old Portsmouth - Blackpool service started out as a class 158 service before for a short while being moved to be an HST service which I believe had to be terminated at Portsmouth & Southsea rather than the harbour station if my memory is correct?

 

[387star]

I remember virgin 158s from Portsmouth-Blackpool from when I was a kid!

Yep class 47s never made it to Harbour we never had HSTs in Portsmouth though?

What route did the 158s take to reach Liverpool?!

 

[WillPS]

I've seen one unit which seemed to have "InterCity" swallow-style vinyls. Strange, seeing as the 158s were for the Provincial sector!! Were these vinyls applied by Virgin?

 

[richw]

my google search uncovered this site, where someone has photoshopped i believe a 158 into intercity livery
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/gallery/image/5081-intercity-class-158/

 

[Drsatan]

I remember virgin 158s from Portsmouth-Blackpool from when I was a kid!

Yep class 47s never made it to Harbour we never had HSTs in Portsmouth though?

What route did the 158s take to reach Liverpool?!

I'm confused as to whether XC ran 158s from Pompey to Liverpool; I assumed that Wales and West ran the service.

I'm assuming that the Portsmouth-Liverpool trains ran via Southampton, Salisbury, Westbury and Bristol, then via the Newport avoiding line to the Marches line, then through either Crewe or Chester to Liverpool - I'm not sure which.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

we never had HSTs in Portsmouth though?

They did; I remember specifically going down to Portsmouth one day in order to get my last HST trailer for haulage.

I'm sure I have a photo somewhere of the said trailer at Harbour station. Trouble is I'll have to try to remember which year that was before I can find the picture!

 

[theblackwatch]

They did; I remember specifically going down to Portsmouth one day in order to get my last HST trailer for haulage.

I'm sure I have a photo somewhere of the said trailer at Harbour station. Trouble is I'll have to try to remember which year that was before I can find the picture!

You do HST coaches for haulage? Have you ridden in every single one (inc First Class)?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I have collected all the HST trailers for haulage, yes. And all the rest of the aircon fleet except for a few charter vehicles - but certainly everything in the current scheduled passenger fleet.

And all the units except those still entering service, obviously.

 

[dubscottie]

I always thought the XC 158's (158746-50) only worked the Edinburgh to Manchester Airport run?

Did they not go straight to Northern Spirit for the Trans-Pennine service after their XC days were over as they had First Class?

 

[jopsuk]

Virgin XC ran 158s to Stansted didn't they?

 

[tbtc]

Virgin XC ran 158s to Stansted didn't they?

No, the Liverpool - Birmingham - Stansted service was Central (Citylink) - it only became XC when Central Trains was split up (and XC was no longer Virgin by this time)

 

[sprinterguy]

Did they not go straight to Northern Spirit for the Trans-Pennine service after their XC days were over as they had First Class?

No, 158747 to 158749 went to Wales and West (joining 158745/6 released from Scotrail when they got their first 170s IIRC), and 158750 eventually ended up with Transpennine at the very end of the Arriva Trains Northern franchise.

 

[TEW]

158750 joined up with the rest of the ex Virgin 158s when it was transferred from TPE to FGW.

 

[curly42]

The Virgin takeover of the Cheltenham - Swindon line was an utter and total disaster. The train crews ran down from Birmingham to Gloucester with two empty 158s in the early morning. One of them stayed at Gloucester all day on stanby for when the other failed.
It wasn't so much a case of them being dodgy units,but more a case of the train crews knowing very little about them. Any minor door problem or electrical fault that could have been put right straight away saw them as failures.
The drivers and conductors knew so little about the traction that it was usually left to Gloucester men to "put them right".
Eventually Virgin gave up caring and handed the route over to Wessex to work,paying the company to hire trains and train crew.
Then came "Operation Princess" ...

 

[Bevan Price]

I remember virgin 158s from Portsmouth-Blackpool from when I was a kid!

Yep class 47s never made it to Harbour we never had HSTs in Portsmouth though?

What route did the 158s take to reach Liverpool?!

The Virgin 158's ran via Oxford & Birmingham. In the year or two before Voyagers, they also interworked with the Edinburgh - Liverpool service (one per day each way)

Bevan

 

[junglejames]

The 158s definitely worked From Pompey to Liverpool and Blackpool. Route was via Guildford, Reading and Birmingham.
Most of the diagrams eventually went over to 47s and Mk2s. These terminated at Portsmouth and Southsea so the loco could run round. It was P&S low level the trains used one the 47s took over.

 

[Failed Unit]

I remember virgin 158s from Portsmouth-Blackpool from when I was a kid!

Yep class 47s never made it to Harbour we never had HSTs in Portsmouth though?

What route did the 158s take to reach Liverpool?!

Under BR the 158s only did Scotland - Manchester / Liverpool routes. To get to Liverpool they went via Wigan and St Helens. It is such a long time ago I can't remember if they split at Preston or not. On the Manchester route the 158 was used on very lightly loaded service other trains would do Birmingham - Manchester - Bolton - Scotland.

I do not know if as they were all based out of Haymarket if Scotrail units ever showed up or if the IC 158s ever turned up on Scotrail services.

Virgin then extended the network which when they started appearing at Portsmouth and Blackpool. Some very interesting diagrams if I recall, I am sure for example one diagram did Scotland - Liverpool - Portsmouth.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Wales & West operated a 0600 Portsmouth Hbr-Liverpool which was 4 car to Newport, the same unit would then return at 1300 from Liverpool attaching at Newport to the 1630 Cardiff-Portsmouth. The XC Portsmouth-Liverpool service was later in the day and routed via Guildford/Banbury. XC did initially operate 158s to Portsmouth but this was in addition to 158s, this soon changed to LHCS and 158s and by 2002 they operated Voyagers until the service ended.

 

[thefab444]

The timetable for Portsmouth XC services in summer 2001 was:

Weekdays:
10:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Liverpool Lime Street (supposedly had a buffet service, but no cycles so presumably booked 158)
14:40 Portsmouth & Southsea - Blackpool North (LHCS/HST)
17:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston (158)

Saturdays:
14:40 Portsmouth & Southsea - Blackpool North (LHCS/HST)
17:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston (158)

Sundays:
16:05 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston/Blackpool North & Manchester Piccadilly (double 158)

As Matt mentions, there were other services for the North out of Portsmouth via Salisbury operated by Wales & West.

 

[Matt Taylor]

The timetable for Portsmouth XC services in summer 2001 was:

Weekdays:
10:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Liverpool Lime Street (supposedly had a buffet service, but no cycles so presumably booked 158)

1M13 1035 Portsmouth-Liverpool was indeed a 158:

http://matthew-taylor.fotopic.net/p52265956.html

 

[merlodlliw]

Virgin West Coast ran 158s which included first class between Chester & Crewe & Holyhead/Crewe, about ten years ago or so, when the through services were cancelled due to the line problems & restrictions following the East Coast accident which effected all regions. You took the first train from Crewe to London which took various routes.

Virgin Trains stickers were pasted on the doors.

 

[Track Basher]

Under BR the 158s only did Scotland - Manchester / Liverpool routes. To get to Liverpool they went via Wigan and St Helens. It is such a long time ago I can't remember if they split at Preston or not. On the Manchester route the 158 was used on very lightly loaded service other trains would do Birmingham - Manchester - Bolton - Scotland.

I do not know if as they were all based out of Haymarket if Scotrail units ever showed up or if the IC 158s ever turned up on Scotrail services.

Virgin then extended the network which when they started appearing at Portsmouth and Blackpool. Some very interesting diagrams if I recall, I am sure for example one diagram did Scotland - Liverpool - Portsmouth.

This is correct it was 06:xx Edinburgh - Liverpool 10:xx Liverpool - Portsmouth then 16:xx back to Liverpool.

I think I remember this correctly.

 

[RobShipway]

The timetable for Portsmouth XC services in summer 2001 was:

Weekdays:
10:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Liverpool Lime Street (supposedly had a buffet service, but no cycles so presumably booked 158)
14:40 Portsmouth & Southsea - Blackpool North (LHCS/HST)
17:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston (158)

Saturdays:
14:40 Portsmouth & Southsea - Blackpool North (LHCS/HST)
17:35 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston (158)

Sundays:
16:05 Portsmouth Harbour - Preston/Blackpool North & Manchester Piccadilly (double 158)

As Matt mentions, there were other services for the North out of Portsmouth via Salisbury operated by Wales & West.

Had the Portsmouth & Southsea 14:40 service prior to 2001 been HST service? As I though the HST trains got moved over to the Portsmouth Inter City services early 1990's, but by 1996 the HST's got moved over to the Bournemouth Inter City services with only the service from Poole being LHCS?