After a query from a colleague as to her journey last weekend, I looked 
up services from London to Liverpool for the coming weekend. Both the 
National Rail and DB planners agree that there's a 10:03 departure 
arriving at 13:48! DE also tells me that this is taking 1:26 to run 
non-stop from Crewe!!

I deduce that there's some kind of diversion going on. Can any kind soul 
provide details?

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather                       | Home: 
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work)             | Web:  <http://www.davros.org>
Fax: +44 870 051 9937                    | Work: 
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"Clive D. W. Feather"  wrote in message 
news:rN7ud1A$1aCDFwif@romana.davros.org...

> After a query from a colleague as to her journey last weekend, I looked up 
> services from London to Liverpool for the coming weekend. Both the 
> National Rail and DB planners agree that there's a 10:03 departure 
> arriving at 13:48! DE also tells me that this is taking 1:26 to run 
> non-stop from Crewe!!
>
> I deduce that there's some kind of diversion going on. Can any kind soul 
> provide details?
>


When is a diversion not a diversion?

Above is exactly as per the advertised timetable and for all Saturdays 
through the summer. OK the train adds a 57 at Crewe and it runs via 
Warrington, but it is not diverted from its timetabled route. The time 
allowed between Crewe and Liverpool is excessive and there can be early 
arrivals.

From what I saw last Saturday, the 57s seemed happy to talk to the Pendos 
and loco changes were quite swift, so has the latest software cured the 
problems or is it still a matter of luck?

David

David Thornhill wrote:

> From what I saw last Saturday, the 57s seemed happy to talk to the Pendos
> and loco changes were quite swift, so has the latest software cured the
> problems or is it still a matter of luck?
>


All the ones I've seen for a few months now have been trouble free so I
guess it's due to a bit of software tweaking and lots of practice
making perfect (e.g. the daily North Wales Coast services!)


pete

Clive D. W. Feather wrote:

> After a query from a colleague as to her journey last weekend, I looked
> up services from London to Liverpool for the coming weekend. Both the
> National Rail and DB planners agree that there's a 10:03 departure
> arriving at 13:48! DE also tells me that this is taking 1:26 to run
> non-stop from Crewe!!
>
> I deduce that there's some kind of diversion going on. Can any kind soul
> provide details?
>


Yep, I did it last month and it went like clockwork - the class 57
'Thunderbird' attaches to the front on arrival at Crewe, a quick brake
test and then it heads off up the main line through Warrington BQ
before turning left at Winwick Jcn onto the original Grand Jcn link to
Earlestown, round the curve onto the L & M (not much in the way of
screeching flanges either) and thence through St Helens Jcn & Huyton to
Lime St.  The 57s are very impressive machines I have to say - they
cope with the 390s without breaking sweat and usually arrive quite
early in Liverpool (my particular trip arrived more than 20 minutes
ahead of time) - the schedule is way too generous in all honesty and
could easily be trimmed by at least 10 minutes without affecting
puncuality stats.

"GMac"  wrote in message 
news:1124735888.996061.270980@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> Lime St.  The 57s are very impressive machines I have to say - they


Try telling that to FGW! The 57/6s seem to be chronically unreliable. The up 
sleeper on Friday night/Saturday morning was four hours late leaving 
Plymouth after the 57 from Penzance failed and the replacement 57 from Laira 
also failed. Train eventually left formed of an HST...

"David Thornhill"  wrote in message 
news:6JiOe.38$JT2.18@newsfe7-gui.ntli.net...

>
> "Clive D. W. Feather"  wrote in message 
> news:rN7ud1A$1aCDFwif@romana.davros.org...
>> After a query from a colleague as to her journey last weekend, I looked 
>> up services from London to Liverpool for the coming weekend. Both the 
>> National Rail and DB planners agree that there's a 10:03 departure 
>> arriving at 13:48! DE also tells me that this is taking 1:26 to run 
>> non-stop from Crewe!!
>>
>> I deduce that there's some kind of diversion going on. Can any kind soul 
>> provide details?
>>
>
> When is a diversion not a diversion?
>
> Above is exactly as per the advertised timetable and for all Saturdays 
> through the summer. OK the train adds a 57 at Crewe and it runs via 
> Warrington, but it is not diverted from its timetabled route. The time 
> allowed between Crewe and Liverpool is excessive and there can be early 
> arrivals.
>


Schedule could be under 60 minutes, but on Saturdays, northbound trains are 
booked to follow the xx:48 all stations Warrington Bank Quay to Lime Street 
services.

Bevan

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:07:39 +0100, "John Tattersall"
 wrote:


>Try telling that to FGW! The 57/6s seem to be chronically unreliable. The up 
>sleeper on Friday night/Saturday morning was four hours late leaving 
>Plymouth after the 57 from Penzance failed and the replacement 57 from Laira 
>also failed. Train eventually left formed of an HST...


Ouch.  I bet that was fun.

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.

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:07:30 GMT, wensleydale@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil
Williams) wrote:


>On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:07:39 +0100, "John Tattersall"
> wrote:
>
>>Try telling that to FGW! The 57/6s seem to be chronically unreliable. The up 
>>sleeper on Friday night/Saturday morning was four hours late leaving 
>>Plymouth after the 57 from Penzance failed and the replacement 57 from Laira 
>>also failed. Train eventually left formed of an HST...
>
>Ouch.  I bet that was fun.


The Australian XPT's have sleeping accommodation. which converts into
daytime seating accommodation. I'm surprised no-one ever came up with
that idea for the HST's here. Much more flexible (and cheaper) than
messing around with dedicated loco-hauled coaches.


-- 
 
Regards

Mike

mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 23:34:18 +0100, Mike Roebuck
 wrote:


>The Australian XPT's have sleeping accommodation. which converts into
>daytime seating accommodation. I'm surprised no-one ever came up with
>that idea for the HST's here. Much more flexible (and cheaper) than
>messing around with dedicated loco-hauled coaches.


Probably not a high enough standard unless you go for a very low
seating density, though.  (I stand to be corrected)

What would be sensible is for fGW to standardise their motive power
and convert the sleeper coaches to be hauled by a pair of power cars
instead of locos.  There are spares, so they could be a dedicated
permanent set.

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.

John Tattersall wrote:


> Try telling that to FGW! The 57/6s seem to be chronically unreliable. The up
> sleeper on Friday night/Saturday morning was four hours late leaving
> Plymouth after the 57 from Penzance failed and the replacement 57 from Laira
> also failed. Train eventually left formed of an HST...


I should have been more specific (i.e the Virgin 57/3s) shouldn't I?
The VWC fleet are pretty well regarded from what I've seen & heard, but
obviously their FGW breatheren aren't......