Wednesday 27 May 2015

Current 319 Rosters

I have received a number of emails from people enquiring as to which services are 319 worked, or reporting a particular train as diesel operated, so I thought it might be useful to create a list.  I was just beginning the process of doing so when a correspondent kindly pointed me to this page on the Rail website, where they have the complete rostered workings for the 319s, thus saving me a job!

Monday 18 May 2015

Hello Electric (2)

The first Monday of the new timetable didn't start well.

319386's first duty was 5F53 05:25 Preston Carriage Sidings to Wigan North Western, an ECS move prior to it working 2F53 06:03 Wigan North Western to Liverpool Lime Street High Level.  However, it only got as far as Boar's Head before failing, blocking the up WCML for an hour until another 319 rescued it.

This resulted in the 06.03 and 06.33 departures from Wigan being cancelled, along with a number of subsequent workings.

After this inauspicious start things improved, and by the time I went out to collect a few pictures the service was back to normal, although there was quite a lot of late running.  Here's a selection of pictures:

 Anyone hoping we've got rid of the 142s was in for a disappointment, here's 142046 leaving Huyton on 2N80 10:28 Liverpool Lime Street High Level to Blackpool North.  (One of the Warrington Bank Quay workings was also a 142.)



319363 at Huyton working 2F50 10:32 Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western.



At Lime Street we see 319365 about to work 1H47 11:16 Liverpool Lime Street High Level to Manchester Airport, and 319361 which has just arrived on 2F21 10:02 Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street.



319369 arrives at Earlestown on 2F29 12:02 Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street.




Later, in improved weather, 319371 calls at Huyton while working 2F53 13:03 Wigan North Western to Liverpool Lime Street.



319361 on 2F33 13:02 Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street pulls away from Edge Hill.



Across the platform at Edge Hill, here's 319371 on 2F64 14:00 Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western.




At Prescot, 319364 departs on 2F59 14:03 Wigan North Western to Liverpool Lime Street.



And finally, two 319s meet at Huyton's middle platform.


P.S.  I understand the only planned working north of Wigan is 2N74 18:00 Liverpool Lime Street to Preston.  Here it is at Huyton with 319371.  I believe the stock then stables overnight at Preston, so let's hope 371 has better luck in the morning than 386 did today!

Sunday 17 May 2015

Hello Electric

Well, sort of.  The Sunday trains at Huyton consist of an hourly Blackpool service and an hourly Manchester Airport service.  In the new timetable, which starts today, the latter are to be electric, albeit still on diesel timings.

Here's 319361 calling at Huyton while working 2A08 11:15 Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport.

Saturday 16 May 2015

Goodbye Diesel

A few farewell pictures on the last day of diesel services at Huyton.

Unfortunately, no 142s turned up (I never thought I'd write that!) so I didn't get a complete set.


156456 on 2N88 12:05 Liverpool South Parkway to Blackpool North.







 



150220 on 2F51 12:31 Wigan North Western to Liverpool Lime Street High Level.

 





 


150146 on 2F69 12:03 Blackpool North to Liverpool South Parkway.




 





While I was waiting in vain for a 142, I snapped a few newer trains:


319362 on
1F97 12:40 Manchester International Airport to Liverpool Lime Street.










185141 on 1F67 11:10 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street.













Yes, I know this isn't really the end of diesel workings at Huyton.  The Blackpool services will be diesel at least until September, and the Newcastle workings until who knows when.  Nevertheless, it feels a bit like the end of an era.  As a relative newcomer to the area, I never used first generation DMUs here, and my first train trip from Huyton was on the 16.45 to Lime Street on Friday 24 October 1997, which was worked by 150224 - I think that one's still about.



Sunday 3 May 2015

Pendolino

Engineering diversions have routed Liverpool to Euston services via the L & M today, so we have an hourly service of Pendolinos using our new electrification.  Here's 1A20 10:43 Liverpool Lime Street High Level to Euston cruising through a rather grey Huyton.

Saturday 2 May 2015

Early Electric Two

This morning, as last Saturday, a 319 worked the 06.00 Liverpool to Wigan and 07.00 return.  This week 319362 "Northern Powerhouse" did the honours, here's a shot of it at St Helens Central on the return run, kindly supplied by Paul Gaskell.
So for phase 2 that's only Manchester Victoria still waiting for a passenger working.  Any day now?

Apparently ten 319s should be diagrammed from the start of the new timetable so we can expect to see a lot more use on stopping trains soon.