44. Trip to Bradford-15.07.15

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2015 > 44. Trip to Bradford-15.07.15

A work-related trip to Bradford to collect a car for a customer. Having done this my boss and I drove the car to Knaresborough to collect a second car. I had the delight of driving a lovely old Golf back from Yorkshire whilst my boss chose the MG ZS.

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Images 1-15 of 15 displayed.

350128, LM 06.24 London Euston-Crewe (2U23), Stafford station
There is generally a number of spotters found on Stafford station and this morning is no exception. However, none of the four seen in this view is taking any notice of London Midland's 350128 as it leaves the station working the 06.24 Euston to Crewe. My boss and I had taken this train from Northampton as the first train of our journey to Bradford.
Keywords: 350128 06.24 London Euston-Crewe 2U23 Stafford station London Midland Desiro

220006, XC 08.07 Manchester Piccadilly-Paignton (1V47), Stafford station
222006 pauses at Stafford station working the 08.07 Manchester Piccadilly Cross Country service to Paignton. Is a four-car DMU really adequate for a service such as this?
Keywords: 220006 08.07 Manchester Piccadilly-Paignton 1V47 Stafford station

90048, 05.01 Trafford Park FLT-Felixstowe North FLT, Stafford station
Photographed by a fellow enthusiast at Stafford station, 90048 leads the 05.01 Trafford Park to Felixstowe North Freightliner. Notice the new starter colour light at the north end of platform four. This has been installed as part of the complete re-signalling of the Stafford area that will precipitate the closure of two large signal boxes at the north and south of the station in the next month.
Keywords: 90048 05.01 Trafford Park FLT-Felixstowe North FLT Stafford station Freightliner

221134, XC 07.00 Bristol Temple Meads-Manchester Piccadilly (1M21), Stafford station
Our second train of the day arrives at Stafford station. We took 221134 working the 07.00 Bristol Temple Meads to its destination at Manchester Piccadilly. Unfortunately, it was already running a little late, a situation that worsened as we headed north meaning that our connection was looking rather tricky at Piccadilly.
Keywords: 221134 07.00 Bristol Temple Meads-Manchester Piccadilly 1M21 Stafford station Cross Country Voyager

185112, TP 07.26 Cleethorpes-Manchester Airport (1B69) & 323233, NT 10.14 Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Airport (2A75), Manchester Piccadilly station
Due to missing our connecting train because our Crosscountry service arrived late into Manchester Piccadilly, we had a little time on our hands. Turning my camera round looking back into the main station sees two trains standing at platforms nine and ten. To the right is 323233 that will soon leave with the 10.14 to Manchester Airport. To the left 185112 has just arrived with the 07.26 from Cleethorpes and will soon partially retrace its steps also to Manchester Airport.
Keywords: 185112 07.26 Cleethorpes-Manchester Airport 1B69 323233 10.14 Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Airport 2A75 Manchester Piccadilly station Trans Pennine Express Northern Trains

390135, VT 10.15 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1A22) & 185148 TP 09.55 Manchester Airport-Cleethorpes (1B72), Manchester Piccadilly station
390135 'City of Lancaster' waits to leave Manchester Piccadilly with the 1A22 10.15 to London Euston. Meanwhile, beyond the Pendolino 185148 leaves with the 09.48 to Cleethorpes. Unfortunately, I have not quite got the Transpennine train positioned quite right with the rear of it partially obscured by a signal; taking going away pictures is always more tricky!
Keywords: 390135 10.15 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1A22 185148 09.55 Manchester Airport-Cleethorpes 1B72 Manchester Piccadilly station Virgin Pendolino Trans Pennine Express City of Lancaster

350407, TP 10.00 Manchester Airport-Edinburgh Waverley (1S46), Manchester Piccadilly station
Transpennine Express operates a number of Desiros as a sub-class of their own to differentiate from those operated by London Midland. One of the ten that they operate arrives at Manchester Piccadilly station working the 10.00 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley. The Desiros have proved to be reliable and dependable units operating these services even though there is talk of them being replaced in the next few years.
Keywords: 350407 10.00 Manchester Airport-Edinburgh Waverley 1S46 Manchester Piccadilly station Transpennine Express Desiro TPE

323233, NT 10.14 Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Airport (2A75), Manchester Piccadilly station
After a very dull start, the sun has begun to emerge and it was turning into a very pleasant summer's day. At Manchester Piccadilly one of Northern's class 323 units leaves with the 10.14 to Manchester Airport. 323233 is one of a number that Northern Trains operate in the north-west and like their cosins in the West Midlands, they are dependable and relaible units tahta are the backbone of local services.
Keywords: 323233 10.14 Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Airport 2A75 Manchester Piccadilly station Northern Trains

185126, TP 09.22 Liverpool Lime Street-Scarborough (1E83), Manchester Piccadilly station
The next train of our journey from Northampton to Bradford arrives at Manchester Piccadilly. We took 185126 working the 09.22 Liverpool to Scarborough as far as Huddersfield. There we were supposed to catch a connecting train to Bradford via Halifax. Unfortunately, this plan did not pan out necessitating us travelling on the following TPE service.
Keywords: 185126 09.22 Liverpool Lime Street-Scarborough 1E83 Manchester Piccadilly station TPE Transpennine Express

185142, TP 10.06 Manchester Airport-York (1P24), Huddersfield station
Having alighted from the 09.22 Liverpool to Scarborough TPE service at Huddersfield we had missed our connecting train to Bradford via Halifax. With no other train due for some time, station staff suggested that we caught the following TPE 10.06 Manchester Airport to York service as far as Leeds. We would then have to double back to Bradford alighting at Forster Square rather than Exchange as was planned. 185142 arrives at Huddersfield that was to be our fourth train of the day from Northampton to Bradford.
Keywords: 185142 10.06 Manchester Airport-York 1P24 Huddersfield station TPE Transpennine Express

142020, NT 11.48 Leeds-Sheffield (2N23), Leeds station
142020 and another unit wait in one of Leeds' bay platforms to work the 2N23 11.48 to Sheffield. The original image needed a fair bit of Photoshop manipulation to bring the bright blue sky back from the white maras as taken.
Keywords: 142020 11.48 Leeds-Sheffield 2N23 Leeds station Northern Trains Pacer

333004, 11.40 Leeds-Bradford Forster Square (2P40), Leeds station
With the exception of the gaping hole accommodating the coupling mechanism, I think that the front-end design of the class 333s operated by Northern on the Wharfedale and Airedale routes out of Leeds look very smart with their elegant curved screens reminiscent of some first-generation electric and diesel multiple units. Our final train of the journey from Northampton to Bradford waits to leave Leeds as the 11.40 to Forster square. This was my first ride on one of these units despite them be introduced some fifteen years ago. My boss, Trevor, is seen standing next to the train looking excited about his ride too!
Keywords: 333004 11.40 Leeds-Bradford Forster Square 2P40 Leeds station Northern Trains West Yorkshire Metro

322484, NT 12.11 Bradford Fortser Square-Skipton (2S24), Bradford Forster Square station
322484 basks in the summer sunshine at Bradford Forster Square station ready to work the 12.11 to Skipton service. There is some historical disagreement about the name applied to the station with it being referred to variously as Market Street, Exchange as well as Forster Square. The present-day station was opened in 1990 replacing the rather grand old structure located to its immediate right hat is now covered in the inevitable car parking and retailing. The station, along with most of the Wharfedale lines, was to be closed under the Beeching proposals but thanks to the efforts of Bradford Corporation and latterly the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive the lines and station were saved and today flourish with electrification arriving in 1994.
Keywords: 322484 12.11 Bradford Fortser Square-Skipton 2S24 Bradford Forster Square station Norther Trains

66618, 11.49 Tunstead Sidings-West Thurrock Sidings (6L87), from Golf YB03JNK, A43 Corby southern ring road
The recently opened Corby southern ring road is now designated as part of the A43 that opened last year in 2014 runs parallel to the railway for some two miles. 66618 is seen leading the 6L87 11.49 Tunstead to Thurrock cement train along the recently redoubled track south-west of Corby.
Keywords: 66618 11.49 Tunstead Sidings-West Thurrock Sidings 6L87 A43 Corby southern ring road

Tickets, Northampton-Bradford Forster Square
By using split ticketing, the cost of our journey from Northampton to Bradford was reduced considerably. However, it is interesting to break down the relative costs of the four legs that it was split into with a great variation in the relative costs.

Northampton to Stafford - 9p/mile
Stafford to Stoke-on-Trent - 33p/mile
Stoke-on-Trent to Stockport - 31p/mile
Stockport to Bradford (via Piccadilly) - 20p/mile

Once again, does somebody else fancy taking this anomaly with regard to ticketing on as previous attempts have comprehensively failed to deal with it?
Keywords: split Tickets Northampton-Bradford Forster Square

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