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Sunday 13th February 2022 class 507/508 tour

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VEP3417

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saw this on the branch line society page

Batteries Not Included - Sunday 13th February 2022

Continuing our longstanding relationship with Merseyrail, we are delighted to announce a Class 507 and Class 508 EMU charity railtour exploring the depths of the Merseyrail network. Our route includes the recently re-laid Hall Road Wallside Siding, New Brighton Wall Siding, Bidston Stabling Siding, Southport Carriage Sidings (No 10 Road requested), Chester P7A, Rock Ferry P4 bay platform, Hunts Cross P2, Hoylake crossover and the now customary visits to Birkenhead North TMD (No 5 Road requested) and Kirkdale Depot. Profits will be donated to the Merseyrail nominated charity, James' Place. A complimentary hot drink will be provided at Southport station, and comfort breaks will be included throughout the journey.

It is hoped that the Class 508 selected will be a set that has been identified for early withdrawal.

The full route in detail, bid to Network Rail, is as follows:

Liverpool South Parkway P5 (PU 08.17) - Liverpool Central P2 (RM/PU 08.31) - Reversing Siding (RM) - Liverpool Central P1 - Stock Interchange Line - Hoylake (RM) - Bidston Stabling Siding (RM) - Bidston (RM) - Birkenhead North TMD (No 5 Road requested/RM) - New Brighton Wall Siding (RM) - Signal 606 (RM) - New Brighton P2 (break/RM) - Liverpool Lime Street Low Level - Birkenhead Central Signal 717 (RM) - Birkenhead Carriage Sidings No 1 Road (RM) - Rock Ferry P4 (break/RM) - Rock Ferry Signal 722 (RM) - Rock Ferry P2 - Hooton P2 - Hooton South Jn (RM) - Hooton P1 (RM) - Chester P7A (RM) - Hooton P2 - Stock Interchange Line - Liverpool Central P1 (RM) - Hall Road Wallside Siding (RM) - Hall Road P2 - Marsh Lane Crossover (RM) - Southport P3 (break/RM) - Southport Carriage Sidings (No 10 Road requested/RM) - Southport P2 (RM) - Sandhills P1 (RM) - Kirkdale Depot - Town Green (RM) - Aintree (RM) - Maghull (RM) - Sandhills (SD 17.38) - Liverpool Central P1 (SD 17.46) - Liverpool South Parkway P5 (SD 18.01) - Hunts Cross P2 (RM) - Liverpool South Parkway P6 (SD 18.23).

with all the interest in the 313s/315s, could be an interesting tour for people into that class/shape emu
just a shame im at the opposite end of the country :lol:
 
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DanNCL

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If this sells out, which I reckon it will, that’s all those saying a 315 railtour would never be popular proven wrong...
 

JonathanH

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If this sells out, which I reckon it will, that’s all those saying a 315 railtour would never be popular proven wrong...
There are quite a lot more interesting features on the Merseyrail system than there are between Liverpool Street and Shenfield (although the down and up routes between the main and electric lines at Ilford are always highly sought after).
 

StephenHunter

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There are quite a lot more interesting features on the Merseyrail system than there are between Liverpool Street and Shenfield (although the down and up routes between the main and electric lines at Ilford are always highly sought after).
315s have worked to Southend in the past.
 

DanNCL

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There are quite a lot more interesting features on the Merseyrail system than there are between Liverpool Street and Shenfield (although the down and up routes between the main and electric lines at Ilford are always highly sought after).
Although a 315 isn’t just confined to the routes it worked in service, but rather can go nearly anywhere on the electrified network. Indeed there aren’t many interesting features on the Shenfield Metro, but there are plenty of interesting features on other parts of the electrified network.

If BLS can fill a 507/508, it just goes to show that with the right itinerary you can fill almost anything on a railtour.
 

43 302

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If this sells out, which I reckon it will, that’s all those saying a 315 railtour would never be popular proven wrong...
The traction isn't even part of the draw for this tour.
 

ANDREW_D_WEBB

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I know but the point stands, if you can fill a tour on a 507/508, you can fill a tour on anything with the right itinerary.
On a one off this is almost certainly true. Whether the market could support a preserved mainline registered EMU like a 315 for several tours is a different matter.
 

JonathanH

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On a one off this is almost certainly true. Whether the market could support a preserved mainline registered EMU like a 315 for several tours is a different matter.
Perhaps with some sustained 75mph running to have the motor sound at full volume but I don't know what damage that might cause if it was overdone. Once the traction motors went bang that would pretty much be the end of its existence.
 

StephenHunter

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On a one off this is almost certainly true. Whether the market could support a preserved mainline registered EMU like a 315 for several tours is a different matter.
It depends on the nature of the tours; shorter trips (say two hours each way) would fill a gap in the market.
 

VEP3417

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there was a whole debate about emu tours in general, talking about a lot of the older stuff anyway and even then people said there wouldnt be much interest

i beg to differ but there was so many people saying it would and even couldnt work i just stopped replying :lol:

even if the traction isnt as interesting as a steam train with mk1s, im sure the route would be like this tour, seems like it goes to a few depots or sidings that you might not normally go to
 
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Cowley

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I’ve split off the posts discussing railtour possibilities into a new which is here now:

 

paul1609

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Perhaps with some sustained 75mph running to have the motor sound at full volume but I don't know what damage that might cause if it was overdone. Once the traction motors went bang that would pretty much be the end of its existence.
Aren the traction motors the same as Southerns 313/2s? They do 70-75mph regularly on the Brighton to Portsmouth semi fast service.
 

MR-507508

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What 508 unit do we think may work in this rail tour?
I notice the comment below on the BLS website describing the tour;
"It is hoped that the Class 508 selected will be a set that has been identified for early withdrawal."
My bets on either; 508140, 508143 or 508123.
 

prod_pep

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What 508 unit do we think may work in this rail tour?
I notice the comment below on the BLS website describing the tour;
"It is hoped that the Class 508 selected will be a set that has been identified for early withdrawal."
My bets on either; 508140, 508143 or 508123.
I would say 508122 is another possibility. After that, the 508s not overhauled for the longest, in fleet order, are 508111/115/117/127/128/138.

It would be nice for 507002 to be the chosen 507.

On units numbered upwards of 315844, yes.
Originally, 315801-841 had Brush motors and 842-861 GEC but there have been many swaps in recent years, leaving most with a mixture of both types.
 

O L Leigh

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If this sells out, which I reckon it will, that’s all those saying a 315 railtour would never be popular proven wrong...

Chalk and cheese, old fruit.

That the BLS could fill this tour with track bashers does not mean that there is sufficient activity to pay for the preservation of any MU in mainline condition. These guys and girls have no interest whatsoever in traction and, once they've coloured-in their track atlases, they won't be bothered about another tour covering the same tracks.

Besides, what we're talking about here is a tour of a network organised in cooperation with the train operator using "native" stock still in frontline service, driven and supervised by their own staff. Not being part of the railtour scene I can only imagine that this is the "cheap as chips" option compared to the costs of running a tour with preserved withdrawn stock. It strikes me that this is very much the BLS's preferred modus operandii.

It might be possible to sell-out a Cl315 railtour, but selling-out one tour is probably not going to be enough to elevate the Cl315 Preservation Society out of the hole they're currently in. Even assuming that they can secure a unit (which, at the rate they're going, I seriously doubt) they will need to sit down and do some serious maths to work out how much such an endeavour is going to cost them. If this means that the cost of tickets ends up prohibitively high then it's going to be a non-starter.
 

headshot119

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Chalk and cheese, old fruit.

That the BLS could fill this tour with track bashers does not mean that there is sufficient activity to pay for the preservation of any MU in mainline condition. These guys and girls have no interest whatsoever in traction and, once they've coloured-in their track atlases, they won't be bothered about another tour covering the same tracks.

Besides, what we're talking about here is a tour of a network organised in cooperation with the train operator using "native" stock still in frontline service, driven and supervised by their own staff. Not being part of the railtour scene I can only imagine that this is the "cheap as chips" option compared to the costs of running a tour with preserved withdrawn stock. It strikes me that this is very much the BLS's preferred modus operandii.

It might be possible to sell-out a Cl315 railtour, but selling-out one tour is probably not going to be enough to elevate the Cl315 Preservation Society out of the hole they're currently in. Even assuming that they can secure a unit (which, at the rate they're going, I seriously doubt) they will need to sit down and do some serious maths to work out how much such an endeavour is going to cost them. If this means that the cost of tickets ends up prohibitively high then it's going to be a non-starter.

I was on board the 507/508 tour in early 2019 put on by the BLS ahead of the 507/508 withdrawals, obviously Covid has pushed all of that back and it's great to see them doing another tour.

However you're spot on in what you say, almost everyone on the tour was in it for the rare track it was nothing to do with the traction, other than perhaps it potentially being the last chance to get the rare track on that type of traction. The fact the two tours are three years apart from each other is also very telling.
 

Pep and co

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What 508 unit do we think may work in this rail tour?
I notice the comment below on the BLS website describing the tour;
"It is hoped that the Class 508 selected will be a set that has been identified for early withdrawal."
My bets on either; 508140, 508143 or 508123.
Wouldn't 143 be favourite due to it being one of the originals transferred from the southern network back in the day?
 

prod_pep

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Wouldn't 143 be favourite due to it being one of the originals transferred from the southern network back in the day?

Using 508143 would be rather embarrassing without a fair bit of work. It is a scruffy unit that currently offers a rotten ride. Incidentally, this unit was used on one of the BLS' previous Merseyrail charters back in 2015.
 

The exile

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I think the point is 508042/142 and 508043/143 were the first two to transfer to Merseyside back in early 1982.
Ah, right! Get the point. Of course the real crowd puller might be a 507/508 tour of the SR. 507s fast to Weymouth, anyone!
Dream on, I think!
 

VEP3417

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thats the thing traction of interest depends where you come from, would be interesting to see different traction as you say down weymouth way compared to where the trains are just daily transport to other people :lol:
 

gazr

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Bumping this thread as it's now been re-dated to Sunday March 6th (due to Omicron/Covid).
 

MR-507508

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The paths for the tour on Sun 6th March are on RTT now;

I noticed this morning, test runs for the tour took place, including Hall Road siding and Bidston Sidings.
 

ginge8991

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