How far did Network SouthEast coaching stock stray?

[TravisM]

I've recently bought Bachmann's Graham Farish "Capital Connection" but to be honest, I've no real use for it but I've always liked the livery and remember "Network Launch Day".  I suppose I'm guilty like a lot of people on here who have bought things on a whim with the thought "I'll find a use for it" but after some thought, I wondered how far NSE coaching stock strayed?

 

As I'm building a S&C layout based on Ais Gill, I wondered if stock used by NSE wandered far and wide on excursions and special trains, even as far as travelling over the S&C?  

 

Julian Sprott

[owentherail]

Every where

[RPNaylor0301]

A few ended up on trains in the north west, I think they were displaced by the arrival of the turbos etc

[Steamport Southport]

I used to see them all the time in the North West.

 

Photo of a Railfreight Class 31 at Prestatyn with a couple half way down this page. http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1604e.htm

 

 

I know that's not strictly the NW, but that's the sort of make up I remember regularly seeing.

 

 

Jason

[TravisM]

I should have clarified the thread better; I know that by the early 90's, NSE stock could be seen far and wide, far more common once 2nd generation units came on stream but I was wondering if they started to stray not long after NSE launch day in the mid 80's.

 

Julian Sprott

[Steamport Southport]

I can't say for certain, but any observations by me would have been before 1988 as I didn't follow railways much after about that date. Too busy doing other things.

 

But I'm sure someone will know for definite.

 

 

 

Jason

[108]

The oddest place I've seen NSE liveried stock was on the south quays in Dublin city centre (on the back of a low loader).

 

CIE had swapped some old C class diesels for some early Mark 2 stock, mostly in blue/grey.

 

Some of this stock had mismatched doors in later liveries, including NSE.

 

Quite a surprise on my cycling commute home.

[Metr0Land]

As I'm building a S&C layout based on Ais Gill, I wondered if stock used by NSE wandered far and wide on excursions and special trains, even as far as travelling over the S&C?  

 

Julian Sprott

 

 

Hertfordshire Railtours ran several weird and wonderful tours with NSE stock.  The Thames-Eden express reached the S&C for sure.

 

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/870926hr.htm

45 052, Leeds, 26-09-87 by afc45014, on Flickr

[Metr0Land]

And a pic at Ribblehead:

 

45 128 & 45 007, Ribblehead, 26-09-87 by afc45014, on Flickr

[Metr0Land]

Pathfinder's Fellsman Railtour in 1988 took Class 50's + NSE stock to Carlisle

 

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/880130_1.htm

 

 

A Nice Pair At Smardale. by neilh156, on Flickr

[Mike Storey]

Scotland for sure.

[JohnR]

If we are talking about stock being used in regular service, rather than on railtours, then you could occasionally see some NSE stock at Penzance. 

[Phil R]

In 1988 stock reached places such as Aberystwyth from Euston and York from Taunton.

NSE commuter sets were often used at weekends for NE-SW services.

 

Regards

 

Phil

[mjkerr]

I wondered how far NSE coaching stock strayed?

I wondered if stock used by NSE wandered far and wide on excursions and special trains, even as far as travelling over the S&C?

In general use, the allocated coaching stock would normally only operate on the NSE routes

 

As above, for special trains the coaches would briefly be seen anywhere

Two rakes made it to Scotland between 1988 and 1990

 

By 1992 some of the allocated coaching stock was starting to get transferred to Provincial and ScotRail, to allow vacuum braked coaches to be withdrawn

This generally resulted in a mix of blue/grey and NSE liveries in some rakes

However, some complete rakes in NSE livery did operate

Sadly it was very brief as the red stripe was replaced by a light blue stripe, and any retained coaches were then repainted into the new Regional Railways livery

 

My own layout has not escaped NSE livery!

I have one rake of mixed blue/grey and NSE livery

I have one rake of Regional Railways livery, with the later NSE/Provincial livery

Edited May 30, 2017 by mjkerr

[SRman]

I rode on NSE liveried mark 2 stock on the Inverness - Aberdeen line in the later 1980s. It surprised me at the time!

Edited May 30, 2017 by SRman

[D854_Tiger]

I should have clarified the thread better; I know that by the early 90's, NSE stock could be seen far and wide, far more common once 2nd generation units came on stream but I was wondering if they started to stray not long after NSE launch day in the mid 80's.

 

Julian Sprott

 

 

In day to day NSE use, doing the job they were painted for, they didn't really stray that much.

 

The longest route away from London they operated was Exeter (via Salisbury) with one weekend extension to Plymouth.

 

New Street would see a NSE set, every couple of hours or so, on the remaining Paddington services, via Oxford, that terminated there, mostly hauled by class 50.

[D854_Tiger]

In 1988 stock reached places such as Aberystwyth from Euston and York from Taunton.

NSE commuter sets were often used at weekends for NE-SW services.

 

Regards

 

Phil

 

 

The Cobbler sets used to find their way to Aberystwyth on summer Saturday workings and I remember sitting in a NSE mk 1 on the Birmingham - Yarmouth through train.

 

Looked a bit flea bitten to me, something was certainly alive in there, though not the passengers after being subjected to the around the houses all shacks route that train took.

 

Involving the Castle Donnington freight line, Nottingham, Peterborough, Ely (reverse) and Norwich (reverse).

[Metr0Land]

The Cobbler sets used to find their way to Aberystwyth on summer Saturday workings.

Shrewsbury, 1J24 by Nick Allsop, on Flickr

[luckymucklebackit]

September 1990, 47210 takes  empty stock out of Millerhill yard. Three NSE coaches in the consist

 

 

 

Jim

Edited May 30, 2017 by luckymucklebackit

[mjkerr]

I rode on NSE liveried mark 2 stock on the Inverness - Aberdeen line in the later 1980s

I don't remember any NSE livery in use until the summer 1990 timetable

There was blue/grey livery until the Class 156 units entered service

They were then displaced, initially blue/grey, and a few weeks later some NSE when they had been moved to Scotland

[CloggyDog]

In 1988 stock reached places such as Aberystwyth from Euston and York from Taunton.

NSE commuter sets were often used at weekends for NE-SW services.

 

Regards

 

Phil

 

There was discussion recently somewhere (BR Coaching stock e-list most likely) about the early wanderings of NSE coaching stock. With plenty of it sitting spare at weekends, it was often 'borrowed' to run reliefs, adexes, railtours, etc. This only lasted a year or two (so 1986-87/8) before NSE issued a 'cease and desist' as they were paying for the additional wear and tear on the stock but not seeing the revenue.

 

On my bashing forays in the mid-late-80s, I certainly recall seeing NSE stock as far north as Newcastle and Carlisle on weekend services, along with Skegness and Llandudno

Edited May 30, 2017 by CloggyDog

[Andy W]

Although straying slightly off topic, I once found 12 cars-worth of 321 units in NSE livery sitting in Platform 3 of Preston station labelled as a relief to Euston one Sunday afternoon. At that time they normally never worked north of Birmingham. Always wondered which depot provided the driver and guard.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Andy W

[TheSignalEngineer]

Although straying slightly off topic, I once found 12 cars-worth of 321 units in NSE livery sitting in Platform 3 of Preston station labelled as a relief to Euston one Sunday afternoon. At that time they normally never worked north of Birmingham. Always wondered which depot provided the driver and guard.

In BR days the Euston men used to work to Preston.

[Nearholmer]

Not only regularly diagrammed to Aberystwyth on Saturdays, but Pwllheli too.

 

Strange experience sitting on " the usual seat", heading off to somewhere as exotic as Porthmadog, instead of to or from work in London.

 

I'm pretty sure there is already a thread discussing exactly the same topic, incidentally.

 

Kevin

[roythebus]

Going by road to Scotland in 1992, I saw 2 2-car Metro-Cammell DMUs on the river bridge north of Carlisle in NSE livery.