Your experiences of unbelievable rolling stock diagram allocations (past and present)

[route101]

Did 2 and 4 car 158s not used to run on the E-G on a half hourly frequency? Compared with 8-car 385s every 15 minutes now.

I seen a vid of a 6 car 158 working in the 90s. 6 car 158 working , ive never seen one in Scotland.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Anything operated by a pacer.

150’s substituting for the loco-hauled Chester - Manchester were, in my opinion, inappropriate and was often resemblant of a sardine tin. Still, better than it not running at all, I suppose.

I once did Bristol Temple Meads - Weymouth on a 150. Wasn’t very comfortable either.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Was that 1735 from Reading? Sounds strange there were no stopping services booked for a HST at that time, should have been a 5/6 car turbo.

It may have been a Friday - not entirely sure, sorry. It was the 17:36 from London (18:18 stopping train from Reading to Oxford).

 

[PHILIPE]

Anything operated by a pacer.

150’s substituting for the loco-hauled Chester - Manchester were, in my opinion, inappropriate and was often resemblant of a sardine tin. Still, better than it not running at all, I suppose.

I once did Bristol Temple Meads - Weymouth on a 150. Wasn’t very comfortable either.

150s were standard traction for Bristol to Weymouth until the Turbos came on the scene over the last 2 yea.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

150s were standard traction for Bristol to Weymouth until the Turbos came on the scene over the last 2 yea.

Yes. But it wasn’t a very comfortable journey I’ll give you that!

 

[scotrail158713]

I seen a vid of a 6 car 158 working in the 90s. 6 car 158 working , ive never seen one in Scotland.

I think there’s a morning peak service from Dundee to Edinburgh that’s a 6-car 158. Apart from that though I don’t think there’s any others. (I think there’s maybe been one off ones if there’s golf at Carnoustie - not 100% sure on that though)

 

[CJ]

A 2 carriage HST set deputising for a Class 158 on the Scotland - Manchester Airport service in the 90s/early 00s.

 

[dewsnapsliding]

There was a Summer of drags by (56s?) from New Street to London due to Overhead works I think?

People have referenced it here before with You Tube links

 

[Kite159]

Got a pic of 168322 at Moor Street about to do the run down to Marylebone, 14/7/16. Both coaches already full. Not sure whether it was calling at the usual stops or running non-stop or whatever though.

Chiltern do have a habit of throwing out 2 coach 168s on the Birmingham route, which can cause issues if the WCML falls over!

Last November during the West Mids Strike, they put a 2 coach unit on the ~ 16:55 from Moor Street, thankfully not calling at Dorridge but there was a large flow of passengers alighting at Solhill (as I believe WMR were running an hourly stopper to Dorridge at around XX:25). Needless to say it was very full with Christmas shoppers heading home a good 5 minutes before departure, and was still quite cosy after Banbury.

 

[louis97]

Sure it wasn't an Adelante? Think that was a booked working.

This was a one off, 11th October 2014. There was a two track railway in the London area and FGW wanted some stock to get to Old Oak, NR refused a path, so they ran 2+3 HST, formed of said stock, on a Oxford to London stopper from Reading. Was 43028+43189.

 

[alangla]

At the time didn't they share these with 150s, 318s, and 158s? Some time that was.

I don’t think so. IIRC, there were a couple of through services from Glasgow that were 318s, everything else was 90s. Sunday might have been diesel & diesel units were still substituting on occasions up to recently. I think the 150s left around the time the Turbostars started turning up in the early 2000s. It was a crazy time though, I remember going to North Berwick once & the acceleration out of Waverley through Calton tunnel & down the hill with the 90 shoving on the back pressed you into your seat. Faster acceleration than a Pendolino I suspect

 

[ld0595]

I don’t think so. IIRC, there were a couple of through services from Glasgow that were 318s, everything else was 90s. Sunday might have been diesel & diesel units were still substituting on occasions up to recently. I think the 150s left around the time the Turbostars started turning up in the early 2000s.

Interesting. I didn't realise 318s worked as far as there, I thought they just stuck to the main Strathclyde routes.

Regarding 150s, I believe that the last 150 to leave Scotland was in 2005 whereas Turbostars were introduced in 1999, so some crossover there.

 

[Bevan Price]

Some of the worst:
A single 153 on a Summer Saturday Manchester - Llandudno service once during the 1990s. Many people left on stations......

A 2 car 142 on a Hull - Holyhead Trans Pennine service

 

[route101]

Interesting. I didn't realise 318s worked as far as there, I thought they just stuck to the main Strathclyde routes.

Regarding 150s, I believe that the last 150 to leave Scotland was in 2005 whereas Turbostars were introduced in 1999, so some crossover there.

The 150s worked to Fife and Bathgate if i remember , recall seeing them in Queen St to.
Yeah rememeber taking a 318 from Drem to Glasgow.

 

[route101]

I don’t think so. IIRC, there were a couple of through services from Glasgow that were 318s, everything else was 90s. Sunday might have been diesel & diesel units were still substituting on occasions up to recently. I think the 150s left around the time the Turbostars started turning up in the early 2000s. It was a crazy time though, I remember going to North Berwick once & the acceleration out of Waverley through Calton tunnel & down the hill with the 90 shoving on the back pressed you into your seat. Faster acceleration than a Pendolino I suspect

Remember going on a 158 to North Berwick .170s i seen too , maybe 156.

 

[warwickshire]

1. First north Western Monday to Friday 309 4 car on a reqular local one way trip hazel grove to Manchester Piccadilly. Before it formed the evening trip 1716 to Birmingham new Street. From Manchester Piccadilly.
2. 305 single and pairs off 305 very common on overnight Manchester airport to Birmingham international. When 309 not available.
3. Early morning service 0652 stoke on Trent to Manchester Piccadilly 2 car 142 full and could take no more passengers after macclesfield.
4. When 309 finished and due to poor very poor 175 reliability ie saw in 2000 to 2001 before franchise ended the 1716 Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham new Street and then the return working which was around 1920 approximately Birmingham new Street to Chester via Manchester Piccadilly and warrington bank quay either a two car 158 or a two car 150. Which when forming the above 1716 Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham new Street. Left many people behind at Manchester Piccadilly

 

[WYSH]

FGW used to run a 153 on the Great Malvern to Brighton. Just pray the toilet wasn’t out of use

 

[mjmason1996]

The EMT 222 to Liverpool lime Street on grand national days? Don't know If they still run that now

 

[Clansman]

170s worked North Berwick as late as last year. Can't mind what diagram it was, but it was infamous for leaving people stranded at Musselburgh in the mornings.

 

[Wivenswold]

Under National Express off peak Ipswich - Liverpool Street trains went from 4 or 8 car 321 or 360 to a 3 car 170 from either Peterborough or Lowestoft. Stopping them at Witham and Chelmsford just added to the disappointment for anyone wanting to use one of them seat thingys. 5 car Aventras will be the lap of luxury by comparison.

 

[PHILIPE]

FGW used to run a 153 on the Great Malvern to Brighton. Just pray the toilet wasn’t out of use

Not all the way. 153s are barred beyond Southampton

 

[scotrail158713]

170s worked North Berwick as late as last year. Can't mind what diagram it was, but it was infamous for leaving people stranded at Musselburgh in the mornings.

I think the 170 worked the 08:03 Prestonpans - Edinburgh service which wasn’t too bad on the odd occasion I caught it. The 07:55 North Berwick - Edinburgh (often reported in the East Lothian Courier as “the sardine express”) was worked by a 380 and frequently left people at Musselburgh, and is probably the one you’re thinking of. I think it was diagrammed as 6 coaches but 3 coaches seemed to turn up more often than not.

 

[StephenHunter]

Didnt a 455 once operate to Brighton? That would not be a good journey!

Believe that slam door EMUs with no toilets also did that run back in the 1960s on summer Saturdays.

 

[Huntergreed]

I once caught a 6 car class 156 from Carlisle to Dumfries one night last year. Trains are always 2 carriages on this line so it was most surprising, yet everyone still managed to pack into the rear two coaches!

 

[Parallel]

I used a 143 from Westbury to Exeter in recent years on the Fridays only afternoon relief service that was booked for a 153. It was bouncing around so much between Castle Cary and Taunton I thought it might take off!

I've also used a single 153 from Westbury (started from Westbury vice Portsmouth) to Cardiff covering for a 158. That was snug. Also, solo 153s occasionally turned up on Great Malvern to Westbury services before they moved away from GWR. I've used them for part of the journey a few times around Bristol, and even outside of peak hours they were full and standing.

Although I didn't experience it, a 143 ran from St. James' Park to Cardiff Central within the last year or so.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One of the York to Blackpool services was booked 158+Pacer in the 1990s as it left Leeds between 5pm and 6pm. Usually the Pacer was a 142 but 141s weren't unheard of.

 

[Taunton]

Some of the things that went on in BR's day seem amazing now... Sending a 'no-heat' freight loco out to head up a working on a chilly spring or autumn day seemed to happen quite often.

After the 1974 electrification of the WCML to Glasgow, portions from Birmingham/Manchester to Edinburgh were commonly worked on from Carstairs by non-ETH locos, even in winter. This was fine for Mk2a-c stock the services started off with, which also had steam heat, but progressively odd Mk 2d-f AC stock was dropped in, often just one coach in the formation, with no ability to be heated or pass it to the vehicles to the rear. Was still going on by 1990, indeed when steam heat had been given up.

 

[RailWonderer]

317s and 321s were thrashed up the ECML from Kings Cross to Leeds back around 1998 to cover for class 91 problems, but someone's mentioned this already.
It depends what you mean by unbelievable - unusual or regular but crazy? Nothing is that unbelievable me since there is always a good reason why it happens - stock shortages or train manufacturing faults more often than not.
Does Northern still operate that one class 180 on hire to do Hedben Bridge to Leeds? (obviously not now but before the virus timetables were instated). That's as unusual as the 90s from Edinburgh - North Berwick if you ask me.

I used to use the Oxford line around 2017-18 and used 165s, 166s, HSTs and 180s but when the latter left IETs started arriving. Then 387s came in also, up until Didcot in January 2018. Stepping from one to the other was like going from a bus to a Skoda to an old Bentley to a Toyota. Each train was so completely different in length, noise, comfort and crowding capacity. It felt like GWR were throwing out anything they had.

 

[RichardKing]

The weirdest one I encountered was a 10/442 covering a 171 Brighton - Ashford diagram (obviously, only going as far as Eastbourne).

 

[Chris M]

In the early FGW days the Bristol TM to Weston-Super-Mare stoppers were normally operated by 143 or 150s, but there was a short period where they ran some mk2s top-and-tailed by Class 67s. After my first journey on this set, I set in some feedback saying how lovely it was to travel on a comfortable, quiet and spacious service when the usual provision was none of these. FGW's response was to appologise and assure me that it was only a short term measure (while work was being done?) and promised things would be back to normal as soon as possible. Unfortunately this was a promise they kept.