Merseyrail

[313201]

RE: Merseyrail
Hi Wirralbus

Do you know if there was or had been any plans to possibly do a complete rebuild of that stabling area to the same as what is at Kirkdale depot.

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Merseyrail

(19/08/2020 13:58)313201 Wrote:  Hi Wirralbus

Do you know if there was or had been any plans to possibly do a complete rebuild of that stabling area to the same as what is at Kirkdale depot.

If you're on about Birkenhead North then I don't believe that's on the cards. As for Birkenhead Central then unless there's a significant increase in the size of the fleet then I very much doubt it

[507022]

RE: Merseyrail

(19/08/2020 11:47)wirralbus Wrote:  These where the units that had been in a near enough complete state when Covid 19 hit Europe , all other units after these two will have been built post covid 19 .

I wonder how much spare space there is there for these units , its going to come to a point soon where units will come for commissioning and then have to go elsewhere for storage , Merseyrail hasnt got an awful lot of siding space do they ?

Edge Hill Downhill Sidings is an option for storing some later sets that won’t need to accumulate as many miles as the earlier ones

[507022]

RE: Merseyrail
66776 is working the new 777 trains with 66756 from Crewe

[507022]

RE: Merseyrail

(19/08/2020 14:43)SK15 GZG Wrote:  If you're on about Birkenhead North then I don't believe that's on the cards. As for Birkenhead Central then unless there's a significant increase in the size of the fleet then I very much doubt it

Birkenhead Central shed is a non starter. It’ll cost a fortune to make safe and reinstate the sidings and the money to do it is not there

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

RE: Merseyrail

(19/08/2020 22:25)507022 Wrote:  Birkenhead Central shed is a non starter. It’ll cost a fortune to make safe and reinstate the sidings and the money to do it is not there

To be honest I can't say I'm surprised

[SNL 824]

RE: Merseyrail
Regarding the previously preserved sets, the Southport unit was left to rot somewhere in Cumbria by NRM, and is still undergoing restoration at MTT. The Wirral set has suffered A similiar fate under a tarpaulin in a yard for many years. With the best of intentions, it is really difficult to Preserve EMUs, because there's nowhere to run them.

[SNL 824]

RE: Merseyrail
And call me naive, and I know there's a reduced timetable, but it does seem premature to scrap 508, when there's no immediate prospect of new stock in service.

[SNL 824]

RE: Merseyrail
And yes I too enjoyed riding Metro Cammel and the occasional Park Royal DMU Rock Ferry to Chester, behind the driver With the blind up! Showing my age!

[313201]

RE: Merseyrail
I moved to Rock Ferry in 1977 at age 4 with my mum and dad.

My only journeys on the train from there were the 503s to Birkenhead, Liverpool, New Brighton or West Kirby.

We never rode from Rock Ferry to Chester on the dmu's, an experience I will never get to do.

The only time I got to ride on a dmu ( class 101 ) to chester was from Hooton when the electric service was extended up there when the 508s arrived in 1982 or 1983.

After the class 101 was replaced by uncomfortable class 142s, I left going to chester on the train until the 507 & 508 units started running all the way there in 1993.

This was when they were in livery transition from blue and grey to regional railways yellow with black and grey stripes + white around the windows as well as having the shoe gear removed from under the cabs.

This in turn left the shoe gear on the the inner end motor bogies giving a much better ride over 3rd rail gaps.