1. Journey there-07.12.19

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2019 > 84. Christmas visit to mum & Sharon's-07-10.12.19 > 1. Journey there-07.12.19

The journey from Milton Keynes to Frome travelling via Birmingham New Street. We took a spirited run on 390117, our last journey with Virgin Trains, with plenty of horn blowing from the driver!

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Images 1-14 of 14 displayed.

390009, VT 09.23 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (9G11, 1L), Milton Keynes Central station
39009 'Treaty of Union' sweeps through a grey Milton Keynes forming the 09.23 Euston to Birmingham New Street service. Now devoid of any livery and branding, this will be one of the Pendolino's final runs in the hands of Virgin with the franchise coming to an end in the next twelve hours or so.
Keywords: 390009 09.23 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 9G11 Milton Keynes Central station Pendolino Virgin West Coast

221104, VT 06.52 Holyhead-London Euston (1A15, RT), Milton Keynes Central station
221104 'Sir John Franklin' pauses at Milton Keynes Central station forming the 06.52 Holyhead to Euston. On its last day of operation with Virgin Trains, the famous nose cone Virgin badge is no longer present, has it been officially removed at a depot or purloined by a trophy hunter one wonders?
Keywords: 221104 06.52 Holyhead-London Euston 1A15 Milton Keynes Central station Voyager Virgin West Coast Trains Sir John Franklin

390135, VT 09.10 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (1B48, 2L), Milton Keynes Central station
390135 'City of Lancaster' heads south through Milton Keynes Central station forming the 09.10 Birmingham New Street to Euston service. Whilst the Pendolino still carries its City of Lancaster name, the traditional cast plate was removed some time ago to be replaced by a poor vinyl version, not surprising given that the whole train has been debranded in preparation for Avanti West Coast taking over the franchise.
Keywords: 390135 09.10 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 1B48 Milton Keynes Central station Virgin Trains City of Lancaster

390040, VT 08.35 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1A16, 1L), Milton Keynes Central station
390040 slows through Milton Keynes station running against a line of caution signals forming the 08.35 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston service. The running of this service and the Pendolino itself would pass to the new operator, Avanti West Coast, at midnight, some fourteen hours away.
Keywords: 390040 08.35 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1A16 Milton Keynes Central station Virgin west coast Pendolino

390117, VT 09.43 London Euston-Glasgow Central (9S55, 4L), Milton Keynes Central station
390117 'Blue Peter' arrives at Milton Keynes station working the 09.43 Euston to Glasgow Central 9S55 service. My wife and I took this service as far as Birmingham New Street making it our final journey with Virgin Trains. The driver took the opportunity to blow his horn passing every station to herald the end of the Virgin franchise and the end of a twenty-two-year era of a post nationalisation railway.
Keywords: 390117 09.43 London Euston-Glasgow Central 9S55 Milton Keynes Central station Blue Peter Virgin Trains Pendolino

158825 & 158824, AW 11.10 Birmingham International-Holyhead (1D13, RT), Birmingham New Street station
158825 and 158824 pauses at Birmingham New Street station working the 11.10 Birmingham International to Holyhead service. Whilst a Class 158 is a glorified DMU, it is based around the trusted Mk. III design and so it rides well even with the intrusion from the under-frame Cummins NTA855R1engines.
Keywords: 158825 158824 11.10 Birmingham International-Holyhead 1D13 Birmingham New Street station Transport for Wales

350256, LN 11.33 BNS-Northampton (1Y36, 3L), 350240, 11.01 Walsall-Wolverhampton (2W22, 2L), 390130, VT 11.50 BNS-London Euston (1B18, RT) & 350374, LN 11.36 BNS-Liverpool LS (1F41, 39L) (cancelled from Liverpool SP), BNS-station
A busy scene at Birmingham New Street station reveals four trains....from left to right....

- 350256, 11.33 Birmingham New Street to Northampton
- 350240, 11.01 Walsall to Wolverhampton
- 390130, 11.50 Birmingham New Street to Euston
- 350374, 11.36 Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street

Of the four trains, all arrived late at their relative destinations with the last one, to Liverpool Lime Street, being cancelled at Liverpool South Parkway being nearly forty minutes adrift following problems encountered at Crewe.
Keywords: 350256 11.33 BNS-Northampton 1Y36 350240 11.01 Walsall-Wolverhampton 2W22 390130 11.50 BNS-London Euston 1B18 350374 11.36 BNS-Liverpool LS 1F41 Birmingham New Street station Desrio Pendolino Virgin trains London North Western

158835 & 150259, AW 07.15 Holyhead-Birmingham International (1G20, RT), Birmingham New Street station
Still in its ATW livery, 158835 and 150259 arrive at Birmingham New Street with the 07.15 Holyhead to Birmingham International. If I was making this journey from the far north-west of Wales, I would have chosen to travel in the relative comfort of the Class 158 leading the service rather than the rather antiquated 150 bringing up the rear!
Keywords: 158835 150259 07.15 Holyhead-Birmingham International 1G20 Birmingham New Street station Transport for Wales

220017, XC 10.05 Manchester Piccadilly-Bristol Temple Meads (1V51, 4L), Bristol Temple Meads station
220017 stands at Bristol Temple Meads' platform seven having terminated with the 10.05 from Manchester Piccadilly. My wife and I had travelled down from Birmingham New Street on this CrossCountry service. The state of the Voyagers leaves a lot to be desired. The interior of this one was tired with a number of windows full of condensation due to the failure of the bonding meaning no view, this included ours. With the franchise now in its twelfth year of operation, they really ought to be putting these Voyagers through a mid-life full overhaul, as BR would have done.
Keywords: 220017 10.05 Manchester Piccadilly-Bristol Temple Meads 1V51 Bristol Temple Meads station

166221, GW 12.13 Swindon-Bristol Temple Meads (1Z43, RT), 800317,-GW 14.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London-Paddington (1A20, 4E) & 800311, GW 14.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A20, RT), Bristol Temple Meads station
This is the first time that I have visited Bristol temple Meads since the introduction of the IETs replacing the HSTs and it seemed very strange! To see 800317 and 800311 sitting at the former parcel platforms working the 14.00 and 14.30 workings to Paddington takes a little getting used to. They mark yet another incarnation of motive power working the Bristol to London express trains that I have experienced in my spotting career at Temple Meads, starting off with the Westerns, then to the 50s with the HSTs replacing them from 1976 onwards. Note 166221 and another unit to the left having arrived a little earlier with the rather odd 12.13 from Swindon running as 1Z43, any ideas or local knowledge on this working please?
Keywords: 166221 12.13 Swindon-Bristol Temple Meads 1Z43 800317 14.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London-Paddington 1A20 800311 14.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A20 Bristol Temple Meads station IET Great Western Railway

60163, 13.19 Bristol Temple Meads-Bristol East Depot, Bristol Temple Meads station
On arrival at Bristol Temple Meads, The Christmas Bath and Bristol Express charter, running as 1Z92 , had just arrived with A1 60163 'Tornado' leading. Having detached from the stock its is seen here with its support coach waiting for the green signal to run a short distance west from Temple Meads to then return to Bristol East Depot for servicing prior to it return later in the day. I remember the time when hundreds would turn up to see Tornado when it was new, now there were no more than half a dozen people observing it here and some of those were 'normals'!
Keywords: 60163 13.19 Bristol Temple Meads-Bristol East Depot Bristol Temple Meads station Tornado West Coast railways The Christmas Bath and Bristol Express
A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

166211, GW 13.25 Bristol Parkway-Weston super Mare (2Y18, 12L), 60163, 13.50 Bristol East Depot, & 800317, GW 14.00 Bristol Temple Meads London-Paddington (1A20, 4E), Bristol Temple Mead station
An interesting trio of motive power at Bristol Temple Meads station. In the centre, is new build (now eleven years ago) Peppercorn Class A1 60163 'Tornado' passing through the station with a support coach as the 13.50 Bristol East Depot to Temple Meads positioning move. To its left, 166211 arrives with the 13.25 Bristol Parkway to Weston-super-Mare service. Finally, behind is the stock of 14.00 to Paddington formed by IET 800317.
Keywords: 166211 13.25 Bristol Parkway-Weston super Mare 2Y18 60163 13.50 Bristol East Depot 800317 14.00 Bristol Temple Meads London-Paddington 1A20 Bristol Temple Mead station Tornado IET Great Western Railway Turbo A1 Locomotive Trust

166212, GW 13.44 Bristol Temple Meads-Frome (2C18, 2L), Bristol Temple Meads station
With the Class 150s largely banished from the Bristol area, the far superior former Thames Valley turbo units are now operating in their place. This is the first time that I have traveled in the Bristol area since their introduction and it takes a bit of getting used to them seeing them. Here, 166212 waits at platform nine with the 13.44 departure to Frome. My wife and I took this stopper service all the way to the Somerset town where my mum and her partner live.
Keywords: 166212 13.44 Bristol Temple Meads-Frome 2C18 Bristol Temple Meads station Thames Valley Turbo

Tickets, Milton Keynes Central-Frome
Our tickets from Milton Keynes to Frome. The cheapest way was to split the tickets travelling via Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads. This one hundred and seventy-three miles journey worked out to be twenty pence per mile, not the best value on the network but infinitely cheaper than going via London.
Keywords: Tickets Milton Keynes Central-Frome

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