I'm interested in the reference to the Sheffield - Pontefract (Baghill)
- York line as the Dearne Valley Line. This is presumably mainly the
former Midland and North Eastern Joint route.
  The Dearne Valley Line name is frequently used; I wonder if this
is a modern usage as there was formerly a Dearne Valley Railway (L&Y
associate) which ran from Wakefield Kirkgate to Edlington, near Doncaster.

  I made a round trip on that line shortly before it closed to passengers
(probably 1951). The train was hauled by an LMS 2-6-4 tank. The journey
was unusual, as besides stopping at stations, the train stopped at every
signal box and some platelayer's huts to distribute pay packets!
  Pay trains were used in North America but I was surprised to find one
in England. Were railway staff generally paid by a pay train in Britain?
--
Harry Dodsworth Ottawa Ontario Canada  af877@freenet.carleton.ca
----------------------------------------------------------------

"Harry Dodsworth"  wrote in message 
news:dc1bri$1av$1@theodyn.ncf.ca...

>
>  I'm interested in the reference to the Sheffield - Pontefract (Baghill)
> - York line as the Dearne Valley Line. This is presumably mainly the
> former Midland and North Eastern Joint route.
>  The Dearne Valley Line name is frequently used; I wonder if this
> is a modern usage as there was formerly a Dearne Valley Railway (L&Y
> associate) which ran from Wakefield Kirkgate to Edlington, near Doncaster.
>
>  I made a round trip on that line shortly before it closed to passengers
> (probably 1951). The train was hauled by an LMS 2-6-4 tank. The journey
> was unusual, as besides stopping at stations, the train stopped at every
> signal box and some platelayer's huts to distribute pay packets!
>  Pay trains were used in North America but I was surprised to find one
> in England. Were railway staff generally paid by a pay train in Britain?
> --
> Harry Dodsworth Ottawa Ontario Canada  af877@freenet.carleton.ca
> ----------------------------------------------------------------

You are correct. The name "Dearne Valley Line" is only used by West 
Yorkshire PTE (Metro). I also travelled on the real DV line on a railtour on 
its last day of operation (RCTS South Yorkshire No. 5).

Peter Fox

There are 2 Virgin XC trains scheduled to use the S & K joint (both SX)
- the 20.25 Newcastle - Birmingham NS and the 17.58 Bristol TM -
Newcastle.  The former also runs via Woodhouse Jcn and the 'Old Road'
to Tapton Jcn (to retain driver route knowledge presumably).

On 25 Jul 2005 03:32:05 -0700, "GMac"  wrote:


>There are 2 Virgin XC trains scheduled to use the S & K joint (both SX)
>- the 20.25 Newcastle - Birmingham NS and the 17.58 Bristol TM -
>Newcastle.  The former also runs via Woodhouse Jcn and the 'Old Road'
>to Tapton Jcn (to retain driver route knowledge presumably).


Virgin knock spots of the other TOCs  when it comes to route knowledge
for diversions. There are quite a number of trains which run over bits
of unusual route in order to keep it up.

This explains to some extent the map on the MML website which I
recently criticised in here. A few weeks ago, I caught the 2321hrs FO
Sheffield - Leeds VXC service, and was very surprised when it turned
right at Hare Park Junction and went to Wakefield Westgate via Turners
Lane Junction and Wakefield Kirkgate. I was even more surpised when I
found out this was a booked move.

You can also do Aldwarke Junction to Mexborough via Kilnhurst Central,
or Sheffield to Aldwarke Junction via Woodburn Junction and Rotherham
Central, (the old GC route) on certain trains.

These always seem to run in the margins though, so they will be
difficult to access for a lot of people.




-- 
 
Regards

Mike

mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet

"Mike Roebuck"  wrote in message 
news:5tfue1p9vnok6h85dpp29h3nmr2lt80lrh@4ax.com...

> On 25 Jul 2005 03:32:05 -0700, "GMac"  wrote:
>
>>There are 2 Virgin XC trains scheduled to use the S & K joint (both SX)
>>- the 20.25 Newcastle - Birmingham NS and the 17.58 Bristol TM -
>>Newcastle.  The former also runs via Woodhouse Jcn and the 'Old Road'
>>to Tapton Jcn (to retain driver route knowledge presumably).
>
> Virgin knock spots of the other TOCs  when it comes to route knowledge
> for diversions. There are quite a number of trains which run over bits
> of unusual route in order to keep it up.


I was very surprised to see my Voyager last month was diverted without 
problems through to Manchester Victoria instead of Piccadilly when Pic' was 
closed for a security alert. Virgin don't usually go to Man' Victoria, do 
they?

KW

"Ken Ward"  wrote in message 
news:svKHe.20621$Fx3.10314@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...

>
> "Mike Roebuck"  wrote in message 
> news:5tfue1p9vnok6h85dpp29h3nmr2lt80lrh@4ax.com...
>> On 25 Jul 2005 03:32:05 -0700, "GMac"  wrote:
>>
>>>There are 2 Virgin XC trains scheduled to use the S & K joint (both SX)
>>>- the 20.25 Newcastle - Birmingham NS and the 17.58 Bristol TM -
>>>Newcastle.  The former also runs via Woodhouse Jcn and the 'Old Road'
>>>to Tapton Jcn (to retain driver route knowledge presumably).
>>
>> Virgin knock spots of the other TOCs  when it comes to route knowledge
>> for diversions. There are quite a number of trains which run over bits
>> of unusual route in order to keep it up.
>
> I was very surprised to see my Voyager last month was diverted without 
> problems through to Manchester Victoria instead of Piccadilly when Pic' 
> was closed for a security alert. Virgin don't usually go to Man' Victoria, 
> do they?



I should have said "From the North" ie. Preston.

KW

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 13:34:36 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Fox"
 wrote:


>
>"Mike Roebuck"  wrote in message 
>news:5tfue1p9vnok6h85dpp29h3nmr2lt80lrh@4ax.com...

>>
>> You can also do Aldwarke Junction to Mexborough via Kilnhurst Central,
>
>I would like to do this, but according to the Branch Line Society's PSUL the 
>only booked trains are Trans-Pennine ones in the middle of the night. VXC 
>used to have one last summer, but by the time we found out about it, it was 
>dark at the times they ran.


I think that's correct. I was trying to memorise what I'd read on a
website for which someone recently posted the URL in here.

I did that bit of track last year, in the other direction, on a
diverted Voyager though, so the VXC crews do have the route knowledge.




-- 
 
Regards

Mike

mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:25:44 GMT, "Ken Ward" 
wrote:


>I was very surprised to see my Voyager last month was diverted without 
>problems through to Manchester Victoria instead of Piccadilly when Pic' was 
>closed for a security alert. Virgin don't usually go to Man' Victoria, do 
>they?


No, but it (like the Ribble Valley -> S&C routes) is a common
diversion when there is engineering work.

As the OP said, VT are very good at diversions and drags.  They could
cop out and put on buses, but in most cases, where feasible, they
don't.  This is greatly to their credit.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

When Virgin WC and XC use the Ribble Valley line upto Carlisle they spend 
several weeks beforehand route training the drivers.  The sight of a light 
loco with s staff at each end is very common.

"Mike Roebuck"  wrote in message 
news:u97ve1df4fpaccck0oo5o5i440cpjcjo89@4ax.com...

> On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 13:34:36 +0000 (UTC), "Peter Fox"
>  wrote:
>
>>
>>"Mike Roebuck"  wrote in message
>>news:5tfue1p9vnok6h85dpp29h3nmr2lt80lrh@4ax.com...
>
>>>
>>> You can also do Aldwarke Junction to Mexborough via Kilnhurst Central,
>>
>>I would like to do this, but according to the Branch Line Society's PSUL 
>>the
>>only booked trains are Trans-Pennine ones in the middle of the night. VXC
>>used to have one last summer, but by the time we found out about it, it 
>>was
>>dark at the times they ran.
>
> I think that's correct. I was trying to memorise what I'd read on a
> website for which someone recently posted the URL in here.
>
> I did that bit of track last year, in the other direction, on a
> diverted Voyager though, so the VXC crews do have the route knowledge.
>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
> Regards
>
> Mike
>
> mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet