‘Scene’ in Manchester Trains 1 on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Friend Peter Rose and I recently had a joint day out rediscovering the delights of both rail and road transport in this great city.

 

Being more rail oriented than road, Peter settled for a spell at Heaton Chapel railway station.

 

The station used to be called Heaton Chapel & Heaton Moor as seen on the running in board which I believe to be a replica.

 

The station is now just called Heaton Chapel.

 

The station is on the mainline to the South of Manchester but to the North of Stockport.

 

His images are reproduced here with Peter’s permission and my thanks. As usual, they have not been edited by me.

 

390002 Pendolino ‘Avanti Rail West Coast’. Alstolm built Electric Multiple Unit

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’ 

 

Working 1A37 the 13-15 Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston.

 

 

 

 

68021 ‘Trans Pennine Express’ ‘Tireless’. Stadler Rail (formerly Vossloh) Electric Locomotive

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

 

 

175003 ‘TRANSPORT FOR WALES’. Alstolm built Diesel Electric Multiple Unit

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

I have not seen this livery before. 

 

Whilst I think it very attractive and that it is much better than the livery that preceded it. 

 

It is a pity that something green (the doors for example) could not have been included which would then have meant that the livery reflected the colours on the Welsh flag.

 

Working 1V44 the 13-31 Manchester Piccadilly to Carmarthen.

 

 

 

 

319386 ‘Northern Rail’. BREL York built dual voltage Electric Multiple Unit

on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’

 

Interesting units. 

 

 

 

Built in two batches in the late 1980s and early 1990s for use on electric services from Bedford into London then going on South of the River Thames where I know one place they reached was Brighton.

 

 

 

The Bedford-London line was known at that time as the BED-PAN line. Why I can’t imagine.

 

 

 

Branded as ‘Thameslink’. 

 

 

 

I used to ride on them regularly between Luton and St. Pancras. 

 

 

 

With the arrival of new rolling stock on those services in 2015 onwards they were cascaded to other areas.

 

 

 

A number have been converted to Bi-mode Class769 with the addition of a MAN D2876 diesel engine under each power car. 

 

‘Scene’ around Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station

One of the busiest stations in the Northwest with a wide range of operators and rolling stock on display

 

142052

 

The much derided diesel engined ‘Pacer’. Seen in the livery of ‘Northern Rail’ (NR) and dating from the mid nineteen eighties, the 4 wheeled ‘Pacer’s rough riding has become legendary. However as I have said before. On welded track they are OK. On old track they are poor riders. Maybe they will be gone before long.

 

323225

Electric inner suburban units operated by ‘NR’. Built by Hunslet Barclay (HB) in the early 1990’s for use around both Manchester and Birmingham. They were the last vehicles built by ‘HB’ before the company went out of business.

 

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Once more a ‘NR’ unit this time a diesel engined Class 150/1dating from the mid eighties. Built by British Rail Engineering Ltd. (BREL) at York. The first of the so called ‘modern’ DMU’s, production ran to 137 units.

 

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When production of the Class 150/1’s at York ceased, production of the Class 150/2 started. 85 of these units were built. The main improvement being the provision of corridor connections.

 

350 403

 

A Siemens of Germany product known as the ‘Desiro’. similar to other Class 350‘s operated by ‘London Midland’ 

 

These electric units have just entered service with ‘First TransPennine Express’. The 10 units delivered are used primarily on services from Manchester to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

 

This image was taken at Manchester Airport by friend Jim Riley and is used with his permission.

 

390 156

The ‘Pendolino’ or tilting train. These high speed electric trains were built by Alstom using FIAT’s tilting train technology between 2003 and 2004 for use on the West Coast Main Line. 

 

53 units were built in the original tranche with a further 4 trains and an additional 62 coaches following between 2009 and 2012.

 

220023

Branded as ‘Voyagers’ when first introduced by ‘Virgin Trains‘ (VT) in 2000/2001. These 4 coach diesel powered units were built in Belgium by Bombardier Transportation. 

 

34 sets were completed for use by ‘VT’ which were transferred to ‘CrossCountry’ when ‘VT’ lost the franchise in 2007.

 

319363

These dual voltage electric loco’s were built in the late 1980’s by ‘BREL’ at York  for what was then the new North/South line from Bedford to Brighton.

 

At privatisation they were operated as part of the ‘Thameslink’ franchise and there they stayed until March 2015 when the first of a batch of 20 units that were surplus to requirements with the introduction of newer units transferred to ‘Northern Rail’ for use around Manchester and Liverpool.

 

Seen at Manchester Airport.

 

175 002

A diesel engined unit operated by ‘Arriva Trains Wales’. Built in 1999 to 2000 by Alstom in Birmingham and known as ‘Coradia’s. There were 27 sets built and all are owned by Angel Trains, a rolling stock leasing company.

 

185 130 and 131

Diesel engined units built by Siemens of Germany. 51 3 car sets were delivered in 2006-7 for the exclusive use by ‘First TransPennine Express’. Known as ‘Coradia’s.