Where have 159s ran to?

[D6975]

The true number of the beast, 616 is Wembley on that list.
Make of that what you will.

 

[causton]

Just noticed the list: Is "Inner Cirlce" spelt like that to the passengers? Or is that a small village I haven't heard of?

 

[Scotrail84]

Quite appropriate

Absolutely

 

[33056]

Most unusual place I have ever seen a 159 is at Wichnor Junction back in 1994; I think it was en route to Derby for some reason.

 

[The 375 King]

I was at Waterloo the other day and saw 2 159s in adjacent platforms. One had a guard next to it who was issuing tickets for an imminently-departing Exeter service (15:20 on Friday), however the destination blind on the train said DREM. The guard looked like a good man, giving out advice and he had his Avantix out issuing excesses and upgrades etc.

The one alongside was out of service, and the blinds were scrolling through destinations in alphabetical order, and I unfortunately just missed taking a picture of it saying Hatfield! It also scrolled through Hitchin and others, but there were so many I was there for about 4-5 minutes and it was still on H.

So...

a) If anyone knew that guard, congratulate him on my behalf for being excellent!
b) I presume all 159s have a common destination blind setup then?
c) Have 159s ever run to places like Hitchin or Hatfield? I mean, not even FCC trains have Hatfield as a destination AFAIK, so why a 159 would have it is beyond me! I don't think I saw Hertford show up in any form though...!
d) Has anyone got a picture of a 159 with the destination as Hatfield, or can help me finding/obtaining one?

I expect B and C are the easiest to answer, so you can skip A and C

I am sure I have seen a 159 go through Waltham Cross.

 

[David10]

Remember seeing one attached to a Wessex 158 in Cardiff in about 2001, think it was during a sporting event at the Millenium Stadium.

 

[headshot119]

0+506 Redditch.

Might be an interesting place for a 158 to get to.

 

[317666]

0+506 Redditch.

Might be an interesting place for a 158 to get to.

Until Central Trains was split it would certainly have been possible, but whether it actually happened I don't know.

 

[Nat the Ned]

Slightly off the topic of digital blinds, but some South West units still have roller blinds featuring 'Newton Abbeywood', no such station, some kind of mix up between Newton Abbot and Filton Abbeywood?? 153318 for one carries blinds with this on to this day...

 

[northernrailer]

Slightly off the topic of digital blinds, but some South West units still have roller blinds featuring 'Newton Abbeywood', no such station, some kind of mix up between Newton Abbot and Filton Abbeywood?? 153318 for one carries blinds with this on to this day...

I have a couple of these destination blinds which ATW gave to me as they had no use for them since the Wales and West days.

The blind starts with Abbotswood and there isnt a station there, also the destination blind has Filton, and Filton Abbeywood. It has baffled me to why there is a Newton Abbeywood there im sure it will have been some kind of mistake.

The new black and yellow blinds that are fitted to some FGW class 143 and 153 units also start with Abbotswood, but have had Filton Abbeywood and Newton Abbeywood removed.

 

[Charlie2555]

159's are the only trains at my local station. I was once there and I saw a 159 with the destination being Manchester Piccadilly! It was incorrect but still amusing (should've been Exeter St Davids)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C38UR-9grs8&feature=plcp

 

[Nat the Ned]

The newest FGW blinds in black and white arent even in Alphabetical order, as this is supposed to help!!

 

[Eagle]

The newest FGW blinds in black and white arent even in Alphabetical order, as this is supposed to help!!

Makes sense; there's no point waiting ages for it to scroll from (say) Exmouth to Paignton when you could just put those two next to each other.

 

[northernrailer]

I took this video at Exeter of the driver changing the destination blind from Exeter to Penzance on one of the new blinds mentioned above and it confusedf him too!! See the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrD1y9B-i1c

 

[dcd]

I have just seen 158890 at Eastleigh going to Romsey via Chandler's Ford with display Outer Circle.

 

[tbtc]

The newest FGW blinds in black and white arent even in Alphabetical order, as this is supposed to help!!

Makes sense; there's no point waiting ages for it to scroll from (say) Exmouth to Paignton when you could just put those two next to each other.

That's how most bus blinds work/worked

 

[Phil6219]

I'm not sure as I had kinda lost interest in the railways at that point but I'm positive I saw a 159 at Stockport a few years ago, it was the standard SWT/EMT livery but clearly said "South West Trains" on it which is why I figured that they must have borrowed one in place of their 158s for the Liverpool - Norwich run.

As for Voyagers, I've got a clip of one waiting to depart on a very cold morning and the display reads "brrrrrr.....wrap up warm", I'll upload it at some point as part of a compilation. Didn't want to include it in that days upload as didn't want to drop the driver in it.

Seen one say "wherever" a few times too.

Phil

 

[Nat the Ned]

That's how most bus blinds work/worked

works fine if you are on a branchline, but when you need a destination and its not adjacent to the previous one on the blind you then have to take a gamble which direction to go.... Exeter Central and Exeter St.Davids for instance are total different ends of the blind, can lead to a seriously sore arm unless you try to memorise it. Alphabetical was far easier, most the far SW branchs just leave the blind in the same place all day anyway, with say St.erth one end St.Ives the other, they are not changed every trip.

 

[BestWestern]

works fine if you are on a branchline, but when you need a destination and its not adjacent to the previous one on the blind you then have to take a gamble which direction to go.... Exeter Central and Exeter St.Davids for instance are total different ends of the blind, can lead to a seriously sore arm unless you try to memorise it. Alphabetical was far easier, most the far SW branchs just leave the blind in the same place all day anyway, with say St.erth one end St.Ives the other, they are not changed every trip.

Or you can opt for the fail-safe, arm saving, "Blank" Especially considering every b*gger asks you where you're going anyway!

 

[MCR247]

I'm not sure as I had kinda lost interest in the railways at that point but I'm positive I saw a 159 at Stockport a few years ago, it was the standard SWT/EMT livery but clearly said "South West Trains" on it which is why I figured that they must have borrowed one in place of their 158s for the Liverpool - Norwich run.

As for Voyagers, I've got a clip of one waiting to depart on a very cold morning and the display reads "brrrrrr.....wrap up warm", I'll upload it at some point as part of a compilation. Didn't want to include it in that days upload as didn't want to drop the driver in it.

Seen one say "wherever" a few times too.

Phil

I don't believe EMT have ever borrowed a 159, they have borrowed 158s though

 

[David Goddard]

I don't believe EMT have ever borrowed a 159, they have borrowed 158s though

Correct. They had one from SWT while their own 158s were going through refits. 158890 was in December 2007:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:South_West_Trains_@_Lincoln_Central_Station.jpg
Incidentally, 158882 is presently on loan to FGW, was working Swindon-Cheltenhams yesterday.

 

[hozza94]

Anyone know what other trains have matrix that can input any text like the Voyagers?

 

[MCR247]

Desiros might do? At least 450s do on the inside PIS screens

 

[WillPS]

Correct. They had one from SWT while their own 158s were going through refits. 158890 was in December 2007:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:South_West_Trains_@_Lincoln_Central_Station.jpg
Incidentally, 158882 is presently on loan to FGW, was working Swindon-Cheltenhams yesterday.

They definitely had 2, if not to start with then soon after. At one stage c.2009 they had 158881 and 158882, they went back at some point and were replaced by 158883.