Compiled by Charlie Hulme with major contrbutions by Alastair Graham and DJ Crawford.
Last Update 23 November 2000: archived for historical researchers and modellers
This page tells the story of the coaches used on the regional services from Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester to the North Wales Coast line in the Class 37/4 era from 1993 onwards. The coaches used on trains to and from London, latterly by Virgin trains, are left for others to chronicle. When the Class 37/4s first appeared on the line in 1993, it appears from photos of the time that Mark 2a coaches formed the majority of the fleet, some initially retaining Network SouthEast and InterCity liveries from their previous allocation.
Each set includes one brake coach with four passenger compartments and a guard's/luggage area, all but one of these were Mk 2a vehicles with first-class compartments. The picture above shows 35516.
As time went by, however, some older Mark 1 coaches were acquired, and the usual formation of four coaches usually included one such vehicle, such as 4854 shown above.
When Regional Railways North West introduced Class 37s to the North Wales coast in May 1993 the coaching stock came from a pool based at Edge Hill, Liverpool. In addition to North Wales duties these coaches also covered services from Liverpool and Manchester to Southport, Preston, Blackpool and Barrow. One rake of coaches was also provided for Regional Railways South Wales and West for use on the Bristol to Weymouth Route.
Many of the coaches for the new service were transferred from the London Waterloo to Exeter route, and soon after arriving at Edge Hill, their Network SouthEast livery was modified by painting the red lower body stripe over with light blue. The brake coaches retained "West of England" route branding. These coaches were repainted into Regional Railways livery at overhaul, the last, 35518, was turned out in October 1995.
During the winter 1993/4, ten vacuum-braked Mk1 coaches were sent to Doncaster Works for fitting with air brakes and repaint into Regional Railways livery. On completion they were allocated to the North West pool at Edge Hill, but initially saw use on excursion trains.
On 1st April 1994 ownership of the coach fleet was transferred to Eversholt Leasing (which later became Forward Trust Rail, and is now known as HSBC Rail). On that date 61 vehicles were in the fleet.
For the Summer 1995 timetable it was decided to concentrate loco-hauled operations on the North Wales Coast route. In the event, a shortage of railcars caused by a collision at Holyhead meant that one loco hauled train between Blackpool and Manchester was retained until May 1996. The fleet of coaches was reduced to 45, as South Wales and West now leased its own stock, based at Bristol.
June 1996 saw an unusual development. RR North West had reduced its leased fleet to 30 coaches, but for the period of the Summer timetable hired in extra coaches from Riviera Trains to strengthen the trains to five coaches. This was again repeated during 1997, but none were needed for 1998 as the number of loco-hauled trains was reduced.
In June 1998 maintenance of the coach fleet was transferred from Edge Hill to Oxley, near Wolverhampton, necessitating long distance empty stock movements. This arrangement lasted until March 1999 when the London and North Western Railway Company of Crewe was awarded a contracted to maintain the fleet until the planned withdrawal date in May 2000.
The leased fleet was reduced to 23 in 1999, but a shortage of
railcars
saw a loco-hauled train reinstated in June and coaches were again hired
in for the summer.
The list below includes the Regional Railways-liveried coaches which have been used on the Coast line in the late 1990s. The basic fleet was seven sets of four coaches, and the usual formation would be Mk1 TSO - Mk 2 TSO - BSK - Mk 2 TSO. They modified some TSO vehicles with a wheelchair space, and a widened vestibule door which should have been marshalled next to the van end of the BSK, so the wheelchair could be loaded through the wide doors of the van and then taken through, although latterly this did not always happen, and wheelchair passengers were obliged to ride in the van space.
Mk 1 TSO, diagram AC 201, built 1959-60 lot no. 30525. 64 Seats, two toilets.
4849 4854 4866 4873 4875 4876 4880
Mk 1 TSO diagram AC 201, built 1961, lot no. 30646. 64 Seats, two toilets. Aluminium window frames
4917
Mk 2a TSO diagram AC206, built 1967-68 lot no. 30776/87. Remainder 64 seats. Two toilets.
5276 5278 5309 5322 5331 5335 5345
Mk 2a TSO As above but with 62 seats plus one wheelchair space and modified door to end vestibule.
5381 5386 5389 5412 5419 5420 5433
Mk 1 BSK diagram AB201, built 1963. lot no. 30721. Aluminium window frames. Seats 32 in 4 compartments.
35452
Mk 2a BSK (ex BFK) diagram AB204, built 1967-68 lot nos. 30775/786. 24 seats in four compartment; these nominally ran as First Class vehicles until May 2000.
35512 35513 35514 35515 35516 35517 35518
From 31 March 2000, the fleet was reduced to just 19 vehicles, the remainder being returned to the leasing company, Forward Trust Rail. Some of the others remain in serviceable condition: 4917, for example was in the consist of 2V42 from Crewe to Cardiff on May 27 hauled by 37 029. it was the front coach and the only one in the rake in RR livery. On the other hand, 35514 could be seen in the 'Railway Age' yard at Crewe from passing trains on the Coast route, and is in a very sorry condition indeed.
April 2000: there were four rakes in use which are subject to a three day cycle to correspond, I presume to the 'supposed' diagramming of the locos. One set began its travels on 1K53 (Diagram 1) which then became Diagram 3 next day beginning with 1G95 the 0634 off Holyhead having arrived on 1D99 from International at approximately 0230. That set completed its second day back at Holyhead on 1D45, the arrival from Man Pic being at approximately 2012. This is then used for 1G91 (now Diagram 2) the 04:15 which finished itss duty at Crewe at 20:02 having worked 1K77 from Bangor. It could then have its tanks filled so all the 'bogs' are in flushing order and I presume it got some sort of mechanical exam too, ready to appear in a day's time.
The April 2000 sets were:
5389 35452 5331 4876
5420 35513 5381 4849
5419 35515 4880 4873
5386 35518 5278 4854
They seemed to go for quite a few weeks in these formations but then seem to get changed round quite a lot, mainly I suppose as maintenance dictates, for example set '513' until 24 April had 5309 in the formation but this was replaced by 4849 from this date. Also, for about a week, one set was running with two half brakes (9/4-18/4) that set was
5389 35516 35452 4876
5309 was in Crewe carriage shed in April, as were 5276 and 4917, both in RR livery but neither had latterly been operated by First North Western, in the last few months anyway. There is also a set:
5412 35517 4875 4866
which was on hire at Cardiff for Rugby specials in Spring 2000, but is no longer in FNW use.
June 2000: Four sets of four coaches are normally used, referred to by convenience by the number of their brake vehicle.
On 10 June 2000 the sets were as follows and in this order in the consist:
5389 35452 5335 4876
5419 35515 4880 4849
5420 35516 5309 4873
5381 35518 5278 4854
As of 28 June the sets were as follows and in this order in the consist:
5306 35513 4876 5335
5419 35515 4880 4849
5389 35516 4873 5309
5420 35518 5331 4854
Spares on 28 June (presumed): 35452 5335 5381 5278
For what it is worth and I know not if it has any significance, in set 513 and 516, the Mk1 coach has been moved from the 'normal' position at one end to one of the middle two. Set 515 is the only one not to have remained the same consist and 518 having just one change.
August 2000: after having one or two Riviera Trains vehicles on hire for a couple of weeks, First North Western finally saw sense and hired enough coaches to make up all sets to five coaches in the face of severe overcrowding of many trains. These were more of mixed bag than in previous years, with a full First Class vehicle and a Mk 1 brake second in use as well as the more usual Mark 1 open seconds. A full brake with no seats, 92936, previously used on Scotrail sleeping car services, had a brief career, leading to comment from users about drastic methods of improving capacity ....
Riviera trains vehicles are shown thus: 5029
06/06/00
5420, 35513, 5309, 4873
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35452, 5335, 4876
5381, 35518, 5278, 4854
Spare: 35516, 5386, 5331
10/06/00
5420, 35516, 5309, 4873
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35452, 5335, 4876
5381, 35518, 5278, 4854
Spare: 35513, 5386, 5331
28/06/00
5386, 35513, 4876, 5335
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5309
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5381 5278
30/06/00
5025, 35513, 4876, 5030
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5309
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5381 5278, 5386, 5335
07/07/00
5381, 35513, 4876, 5309
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5278, 5386,
09/07/00
5381, 35513, 4876, 5309
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5030
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5278, 5386, 5335
13/07/00
5381, 35513, 4876, 5278
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5386, 5309
30/07/00
5381, 92936, 4876, 5278
5419, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335
5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452, 5386, 5309, 35513
05/08/00
5381, 92936, 13227,
4876, 5278
4902, 5419, 35515, 4880,
4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335, 35453
5386, 5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452? 5309, 35513?
12/08/00
5381, 35513, 13227,
4876,
5278
4902, 5419, 35515, 4880,
4849
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335, 35453
5386, 5420, 35518, 5331, 4854
Spare: 35452? 5309,
19/08/00
5381, 35513, 13227,
4876,
5278
4902, 5419, 35515, 4880,
5309
5389, 35516, 4873, 5335, 5029
35453, 5420, 35518, 5331,
4854
Spare: 35452?, 4849 5386
22/08/00
5381, 35513, 13227,
4876,
5278
4902, 5419, 35515, 4880,
5309
5025, 5389, 35516, 4873,
5335,
35453, 5420, 35518, 5331,
4854
Spare: 35452?, 4849, 5386, 5029
19/10/00
35513, 13227, 4876, 5278
5386, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35518, 5331, 4854
4902, 5025,
35453, 5335
Spare: 5029, 5309,
5419, 5381, 4873, 5420, 35516, 92936
24/10/00
35513, 13227, 4876, 5278
5386, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35518, 5331, 4854
4902, 5025, W17056, 5335
Spare: 5029, 5309, 5419,
5381, 4873, 5420, 35516, 92936, 35453
28/10/00
35513, , 4876, 5278 )
5386, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35518, 13227 , 4854
4902, 5025, W17056, , 5335
Spare: 5029, 5309, 5419,
5381, 4873, 5420, 35516, 92936, 35453, 5331
05/11/00
5420, 35513, , 4876, 5278
5386, 35515, 4880, 4849
5389, 35518, 13227 , 4854
4902, 5025, W17056, 5335
Spare: 5029, 5309,
5419, 5381, 4873, 35516, 92936, 35453, 5331
12/11/00
5420, 35513, 4876, 5278
5386, 35516, 4880, 4849
5389, 35518, 5335, 4854
4902, 5025,W17056, (N.S.)
Spare: 5029, 5309, 5419,
5381, 4873, 92936, 35453, 5331, 13227 35515
20/11/00
5331, 35513, 4876, 5278
5386, 35516, 4880, 4849
5389, 35515, 5335, 4854
Spare: 5309, 5419, 5381, 4873, 35518,
5420
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