Virgin trains to Paddington

[welshdragon]

So that explains the Pendolino I caught terminating early at Wolverhampton...

Sunday Evening (6pm) there was a pendo every 10 minutes through Carlisle, Overkill much?

Highly unlikely, as even in peak times Carlisle sees a max of 3 VT services per-hour; one to Brum, one to Euston, and sometimes an extra one that starts at Carlisle.

Ok, i must have been more tired than I thought...

[audigex]

Not to mention the fact that the Brum-Scotland services are virtually always Voyagers. That part of the line sees mostly Voyagers/185s, although there are plenty of Pendos - considering the ratios, though, I seem to end up on a lot of Pendo's. I've been on one voyager ever :s

[welshdragon]

Not to mention the fact that the Brum-Scotland services are virtually always Voyagers. That part of the line sees mostly Voyagers/185s, although there are plenty of Pendos - considering the ratios, though, I seem to end up on a lot of Pendo's. I've been on one voyager ever :s

The Voyagers are mainly used on Euston - Chester - North Wales Turns, however having just re - checked there are 5 Voyager diagrams to Scotland.

[JamieLei]

Not to mention the fact that the Brum-Scotland services are virtually always Voyagers. That part of the line sees mostly Voyagers/185s, although there are plenty of Pendos - considering the ratios, though, I seem to end up on a lot of Pendo's. I've been on one voyager ever :s

The Voyagers are mainly used on Euston - Chester - North Wales Turns, however having just re - checked there are 5 Voyager diagrams to Scotland.

AND used between Birmingham and Scotland. All Birmingham - Scotland runs are 221s. Audigex is right, and Pendos are only used when Voyagers are displaced for blockbuster services via the Chiltern.

Virgin plan to introduce some Pendos on the route when they get the new ones however.

(Just because 221s indeed go to Wale's, doesn't mean they only all go to Wale's! - there is a world east of the border)

[Ameecher]

there is a world east of the border)

Thank christ.

[JamieLei]

there is a world east of the border)

Thank christ.

A safe refuge fur the English language, the apostrophe, and sheep.

[Dave]

The 5 diagrams to Scotland form a Euston-Birmingham turn and then continue to form the hourly Birmingham-Scotland turn, hence why there's a 20 minute layover at New Street.

These are every two hours. The other 6 Voyagers to Scotland start at Birmingham.

[welshdragon]

...

Re - read my post. I do say that there are 220's to Scotland as I have *all* the VT diagrams on my Macbook.

[Ameecher]

...

Re - read my post. I do say that there are 220's to Scotland as I have *all* the VT diagrams on my Macbook.

No VT 220s go to Wales.

[JamieLei]

...

Re - read my post. I do say that there are 220's to Scotland as I have *all* the VT diagrams on my Macbook.

But they're not mainly used on North Wales turns, they're also used on North Wales turns. I suppose we're also about to hear the majority of 390s used to also be loco-hauled to Holyhead too.

Also, what Ameecher said.

[Dave]

The *majority* of Virgin's 21 Super Voyagers (which, by the way are 221s - they haven't had 220s since they went to XC) are used on the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham and Scotland.

I refuse to believe there are only five diagrams - especially now certain Voyagers are extended to London Euston. I would say there is a requirement for at least 6, and possibly 7.

And how many Voyager diagrams are there to the North Wales Coast? Considering it's a shorter journey time to Chester and Llandudno than it is between Birmingham-Glasgow/Edinburgh.

[JamieLei]

Perhaps those 5 diagrams are the through ones from London Euston to Scotland via Birmingham. I've been (twice) on 221s between Euston and Birmingham (via the WCML) (they're surprisingly comfortable, particularly in Coach D which is on-off First/Standard!)

Welshie - upload yeh diagrams!

[Dave]

Right I've done the usual digging, and this is what I've found.

Diagram 1:
GLC 0550
BHM 0955 1017
EDB 1422 1452
EUS 2034
(disappears)

Diagram 2:
BHM 0617
EDB 1020 1052
EUS 1634
(disappears, probably to do a NW turn)

Diagram 3:
EDB 0651
BHM 1055 1120
GLC 1517 1600
BHM 1955
(disappears)

Diagram 4:
BHM 0719
GLC 1116 1200
BHM 1555 1620
EDB 2022
(disappears)

... Oh I can't be bothered, but assuming you're going to need four Voyagers off Birmingham before 1017 when the first one down can make the return journey, that means you'll need a minimum of 8 diagrams, although it appears a couple will be shared by the NW... I reckon with a two hourly run to Holyhead you'll need two for that, then two for the others. There's also another diagram from Holyhead-Birmingham, but I think that's the precursor to the 0617 or 0717.

[Kevo00]

Just to chuck in something else Dave will enjoy, the aforementioned Glasgow - MK Central journey on Sunday included a Pendo, as far as Crewe for me, which was on a Glasgow Central - Wolverhampton run that approached Wolverhampton via Birmingham New Street. Outward on Thursday saw a 221, presumably ex New Street, on the Crewe-Glasgow bit.

All the Euston-Holyhead/Chester trains I've ever seen passing through MK Central, or even caught from Euston to here or the other way, have been Voyagers as far as I can remember - no sightings of a 390 on it.

[Dave]

Haha all amusing; this weekend XC have been running via Nuneaton and Water Orton as well. Bet that was fun for route knowledge.

[welshdragon]

These are the diagrams I referred to.

Every Saturday Kevin there is a Pendo Drag from Crewe - Holyhead:
1D83 08:50 London Euston - Crewe (add loco 10:35-10:50) Holyhead 12:56
1A55 14:36 Holyhead - Crewe (detach loco 16:43-16:57) - London Euston 18:36

[Dave]

There are 9 VWC diagrams there, operating between Birmingham-Preston/Glasgow/Edinburgh.

You tit. They're out of date anyway.

[welshdragon]

pffffffffffffffft.

[jvassie]

Bank Holiday works on the West Coast Main result in "Blockbuster" services down the Chiltern Main Line. Routeing Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington Spa - High Wycombe - West Ruislip - Ealing Broadway - Willesden Junction - London Euston.

I was one one of those in Easter Sunday 2009 - bloody long journey!

Virgin Trains haven't served Paddington for many years! The ones that did go down that way on proper regular services were CrossCountry services to Gatwick and Brighton. Routeing Oxford - Reading - Ealing Broadway - Kensington Olympia (an actual Station Stop) - Clapham Junction - East Croydon (a station Stop) and down the Brighton Main Line. They were not part of the franchise commitment, and as a result CrossCountry phased them out.

These trains don't actually call at High Wycombe though surely? Was down there one such bank holiday and saw a Voyager pass through northbound, think it was doubled up too if memory serves.

[Chris]

These trains don't actually call at High Wycombe though surely? Was down there one such bank holiday and saw a Voyager pass through northbound, think it was doubled up too if memory serves.

No, I believe they ran non-stop from Birmingham to London, and I think they were all doubled up, to make a similar capacity to the pendolino.