TPE new trains

[jamie92208]

19 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I have just tried for 23 April. TPE site very slow with all the RMwebbers trying to grab a bargain.

 

I could only get the £1 fare on one train each way and, you guessed it, the return leaves before the outbound train gets to Carlisle.

I did try for Leeds Glasgow via Oxford Road but the same happenned so I went for Carlisle. 

 

Jamie

[Owd Bob]

Thanks for the heads up 4630. We've managed to book two day trip returns with four hours to spot/site see at each place, first one is in early March to York from Newton Le Willows, and the other trip is in mid' April to Carlisle from Wigan.N.W. Well worth a try and there's really nowt but a few pennies to lose if they get cancelled one way or another. 

[4630]

9 minutes ago, Owd Bob said:

Thanks for the heads up 4630. We've managed to book two day trip returns with four hours to spot/site see at each place, first one is in early March to York from Newton Le Willows, and the other trip is in mid' April to Carlisle from Wigan.N.W. Well worth a try and there's really nowt but a few pennies to lose if they get cancelled one way or another. 

 

You're welcome Owd Bob.

 

"Well worth a try and there's really nowt but a few pennies to lose if they get cancelled one way or another."  My thoughts exactly.  I don't throw money away - I live in Yorkshire after all - but the TPE offer was just too good to pass up.

 

Since my post yesterday I've booked another day trip under the £1 offer, this time for myself and Mrs4630 to Scarbados (Scarborough for the uninitiated) in hopefully sunny May.

 

With the four trips that I've now booked, at a significant saving over the standard day return fare even with my railcard, I at least feel that TPE is trying to make amends for some of their service problems over the past year.

[Reorte]

15 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

That's brilliant, thanks for posting. Just grabbed a Leeds to Carlisle return at the end of April.

 

TPE are running there now?

[4630]

2 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

TPE are running there now?

 

Not via the Settle-Carlisle line, if that's what you're meaning.  

 

Jamie's route using TPE services will be from Leeds with a change at Manchester, onto a TPE service originating at Manchester Airport to Glasgow. 

[Zomboid]

Don't think it's direct. Leeds to Manchester on one train then a blast up the WCML on a Manchester airport to Glasgow/ Edinburgh train.

[woodenhead]

I must have changed, the thought of whizzing up and down the WCML all day just doesn't appeal anymore.

 

Going to Glasgow & back last week from Warrington involved a book on the way there until I was firmly in the hills and then I watched Deadpool 2 for 2 hours on the way back.

[Reorte]

12 minutes ago, 4630 said:

 

Not via the Settle-Carlisle line, if that's what you're meaning.  

 

Jamie's route using TPE services will be from Leeds with a change at Manchester, onto a TPE service originating at Manchester Airport to Glasgow. 

 

Ah, that makes sense. Leeds - Carlisle I automatically think of the S&C.

[Zomboid]

Wonder how much quicker/ slower the S&C is on that journey. I suspect that going via Manchester is actually quicker.

[4630]

7 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

Wonder how much quicker/ slower the S&C is on that journey. I suspect that going via Manchester is actually quicker.

 

Just out of curiosity I've had a quick look.

 

Northern service via the S+C

=======================

 

Leeds 09.19

Carlisle 12.00

Single fare advance purchase £16.00

 

TPE via Manchester

================

 

Leeds 09.15 (1P16 Newcastle to Manchester Airport)

Manchester Oxford Rd 10.15

Manchester Oxford Rd 10.30 (1S46 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh)

Carlisle 12.05

Single fare advance purchase £52.70

 

There's not a lot in it in terms of travel time and it is clearly a limited sample.

 

Certainly a difference in cost, if that was a determining factor for anyone.

 

Of course, another factor would be any personal preference of one route over the other. 

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

One will feel faster as the train will be shifting once on the WCML but the other comes with more time to take in the true beauty of the landscape - take your own butties and a flask.

[Zomboid]

I guess frequency is greater via the WCML (though not that relevant with an advance ticket), but if I were in Leeds and needed to be in Carlisle for lunch then I'd go S&C, since I've never actually been over it.

 

Never been further north than Warrington on the WCML either, though, other than Carstairs to Glasgow.

[jamie92208]

I'm going that route to get to ride the new trains and it's only cost me £2.  Havi g grown up across the valley from Settle watching steam in the S&C my preference would always be the direct and better route.

 

Jamie

[Reorte]

15 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

One will feel faster as the train will be shifting once on the WCML but the other comes with more time to take in the true beauty of the landscape - take your own butties and a flask.

 

IME what really gives the impression isn't how fast you're moving (within reason) but how much time you spend stopped (or barely moving). What you can see out of the window will help too, little variety will make a journey drag (but both the S&C and the WCML are good on that front, even if the S&C comes out top).

 

Within reason I'll almost always prefer the more pleasant journey to the faster one.

[Reorte]

2 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I'm going that route to get to ride the new trains and it's only cost me £2.  Havi g grown up across the valley from Settle watching steam in the S&C my preference would always be the direct and better route.

 

£2 for a chance to get a trip and try out the new trains is of course a rather different criteria than just wanting to get from A to B, and you can't really go wrong for £2.

[jamie92208]

20 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

£2 for a chance to get a trip and try out the new trains is of course a rather different criteria than just wanting to get from A to B, and you can't really go wrong for £2.

Having been born in Cumberland  and then doing missionary work in Yorkshire for 60 years, the Yorkshireman's attitude to money must have rubbed off.

 

Jamie

[4630]

Nova 1 802205 calling at Huddersfield on 26th February 2020 with 9M17, Edinburgh to Liverpool Lime Street.

[newbryford]

Looks like the flash sale has ended.

 

[TomScrut]

Something I have noticed whilst ratting about on Flickr, and would like it confirming if anybody knows, but it looks like they have been using 802s occasionally to Scarborough on passenger duty. I know they have been sending them on driver training and mileage accumulation but it would seem that at least in the examples below they have been on passenger duties, I have checked headcodes where provided and they show as passenger.

 

 

 

 

It's my local line so I'd be keen to get a ride on one of these! Been on a 68/Mk5 set.

 

I have noticed that with the new timetable they have increased the time from Scarborough to Manchester, I presume to make it realistic as it was never on time.

 

Another thing, do the 185s out accelerate the 68/mk5s as I do think they seem to struggle more with timekeeping?

[4630]

Just a couple of observations from what I understand to be TPE's current diagramming and also from what I've seen since both the class 68/Mark5 and class 802s were introduced to passenger service.

 

The intention, publicly stated by TPE, was for class 68/Mark5s to work Liverpool Lime Street-Scarborough and class 802s to work Liverpool LIme Street-Newcastle/Edinburgh and Manchester Airport-Newcastle services.

 

Importantly the driver and crew training undertaken to date has been geared around these services over the past few months. 

 

From my day-to-day observations along the line between Leeds and Liverpool Lime Street, that approach to diagramming has been maintained universally since both classes were introduced last year.  It's also borne out by reference to a couple of forums from posters, including some working for TPE, who follow the situation more closely than I do.

 

Looking at the photos a bit more closely suggests several errors in the captions might have crept in.

 

The first photo of 802206 taken at Saddleworth on 16th December 2019 and captioned as 1F62.  The EXIF data suggests that the image was taken at 12.24.  On that day 1F62 was +14 late and my information shows that it wouldn't have been at Saddleworth until around 12.44.  In my opinion it's more likely to be a photo of 9M08, 10.06 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street which was +24 late and would have passed Saddleworth around 12.24.

 

The second photo of 802213 at York on 25th January 2020 shows the pantograph raised.  That, in my view, is unlikely on a service headed to Scarborough.  In addition to which, I'd photographed 802213 a few hours earlier that day near Huddersfield working 1P22, a service from Newcastle which terminated at Manchester Airport at 13.39.  The next booked working for this is 1P29, 14.10 Manchester Airport to Newcastle, which on this date arrived at platform 5 at York (where that photo was taken) at 16.10.  That's roughly an hour ahead of the EXIF time shown for that photo. I wonder if the photographer had the time correctly set on their camera?

 

The third photo of 802218 taken at Leeds on 15th October and captioned as 1E31 is right at the start of the 802s being introduced to passenger service.  Reference to another forum suggests that only two class 802s were in passenger service that day - 802207 and 802218.  Both were being used, as would be expected, on Liverpool Lime Street-Newcastle diagrams.  The photograph was taken from platform 17 and the red tail lights suggest that the train is leaving platform 16, not arriving at platform 15 as 1E31.  I suggest it's actually 9M08, 10.02 Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street, which departed from Leeds that day at 11.35. 

 

I'm not convinced that any class 802s have made it to Scarborough yet in passenger service.  I'm happy to be persuaded though if more convincing photographic evidence comes to light.

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by 4630
Typo. Later edit to add further info about photo 3.

[SHMD]

I've not experienced any 802 on a Scarborough service, ok, I've only been on them 38 times but...

 

I've also not seen an 802 on a Scarborough service, but it's hard to tell as everything is running so late and is so mixed up!

I've also found that there have been a LOT of 185 substitutions on the 68 diagrams and the 185s have no trouble keeping time on the 68 diagram.

 

I know the Stalybridge to Manchester routes VERY well and the 68 stock is rough riding compared to the 185 on the same route, diagram and speed over the EXACT same track.

Indeed, I am thoroughly unpressed with the 68 hauled Nova stock. (Love the 68s though!) Bottoming out, lurches and a continuous orchestral cacophony of clanks, clunks and clicking making laptop mouse work much more difficult than on other stock.

 

Indeed, the 802 is good riding, then the 185, then the 150 156 158 units,  then the 142 - Yes, and THEN the 68 Nova stock! Especially over cross-overs and jointed track.

 

 

Kev.

 

                                                   
    
 

 

[TomScrut]

1 hour ago, 4630 said:

Looking at the photos a bit more closely suggests several errors in the captions might have crept in.

 

Thanks, that probably explains it as I must say I was surprised, as it would also then beg the question what was doing the 802s job that day! As you say there isn't any evidence I am aware of that suggests they are being used elsewhere other than the Flickr pics you appear to have debunked.

 

I saw the panto and wondered if it was going to be lowered but thinking about it it's probably York where it gets raised isn't it? They'll run from Colton to York on diesel I'd expect?

Edited February 29, 2020 by TomScrut

[4630]

Just now, TomScrut said:

 

I saw the panto and wondered if it was going to be lowered but thinking about it it's probably York where it gets raised isn't it? They'll run from Colton to York on diesel I'd expect?

 

Correct on both counts. 

[woodenhead]

Well if this video is anything to go by, the transformation of TPEs trains is well under way

 

Interesting trains arriving from the East have their pantographs up by the time they are entering, but IEPs heading east leave on diesel - I'd have thought an initial punt on the juice to get the train moving then drop the pantograph under the bridge.

[luckymucklebackit]

I had a business trip to Manchester last week, staying at the airport. Journey down on Wednesday 26th was straightforward enough, I had one of the new class 397s (397006) to Manchester. Left and arrived on-time, but I was not particularly impressed, seats were fairly hard (much as most new stock today), the staff could not get a comfortable temperature in the coach, it was either too cold or stifling hot, the public address system was also not in use, they tried switching it on a Lancaster and it immediately told us we were at Deansgate!  Ride quality was rough compared to a 390 as well.
The journey home on the Friday was totally different! I arrived at Manchester Airport station in plenty of time for the 11:07 to Glasgow, but this was shown as cancelled and we were advised to use the 10:53 (to Cleethorpes) as far as Manchester Piccadilly, so I set of on a class 180 DMU for the short hop to Manchester, noticed a class 350 sitting at Ardwick and figured correctly that this was my ride home. Nipped across to platform 14 and duly the 350 (409) rolled in. Seat reservations were out the window and the train was full and standing. We then took 20 minutes to get to Deansgate as there were signalling issues in the area and we were under pass signal at danger rules all the way. Further delays were accumulated before Bolton just due to being out of path and stoppers in front. We then were brought to a stand at Lostock and the train manager told us that the driver had been told about possible OHLE damage between there and Blackrod, so we were to proceed at 10mph. Just beyond Blackrod we passed a unit that had broken down on the other line, turns out they though that unit had damaged the OHLE but thankfully it hadn't.
From Blackrod we were then 55 minutes down and although there were no further delays we were then told as we approached Carlisle that the train was terminating there, Avanti and Scotrail were accepting tickets so we were transferred to a class 390 that we running just behind us,TBH I was happy to be transferred as I had a much more comfortable seat.
 

Jim