2 x 323 13:48 Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly 2H48

[OrangeJuice]

On my daily exercise I saw 2H48 the 13:48 Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly formed of 2 323's (one refurbished and one un-refurbished going by the liveries) crossing Holmes Chapel viaduct - I couldn't make out the unit numbers.

When I looked at the platform lengths for this line I'm sure 6 x 23m was too long for some of the stations this would've called at, so does anyone know how this would have operated or why it was a double not a single set like usual?

My thoughts/speculation could one of them have been a failure and this was the best way to get the unit back to the depot. I noticed the 10:48 Crewe to Manchester was cancelled so maybe a fitter was sent on the replacement?

Would it have been one unit in passenger use or even local door operation? (I think I saw lights in both sets although it was hard to tell with the sunny weather).

 

[Thomas6187]

One of the units had a fault at Stoke this morning so it was brought back to Piccadilly. I believe it was a fault with the Driver Key switch so one of the middle cabs couldn't be used. So to save a cancellation, and a few more hours to come up with a plan to swap unit it was just kept together. In fact it appears the units have gone back to Allerton, with another set replacing it

 

[sd0733]

One of the units had a fault at Stoke this morning so it was brought back to Piccadilly. I believe it was a fault with the Driver Key switch so one of the middle cabs couldn't be used. So to save a cancellation, and a few more hours to come up with a plan to swap unit it was just kept together. In fact it appears the units have gone back to Allerton, with another set replacing it

2 323s arrived into Crewe around 1900 on 2k32 from Manchester, presume they then formed the 1948 back to Manchester.

 

[Purple Orange]

Are the 323s capable of SDO to allow calling at shorter platforms?

 

[Ianno87]

Interesting; 6 Car 323s in passenger service in the Manchester area have never been common; my only recollection is them being used on MUFC shuttles many years back.

 

[jonnyfan]

The only recent regular use of a 6 car 323 in Manchester is the last Stoke service from Piccadilly on Saturday nights during Christmas Markets - one direction only

 

[scrapy]

Are the 323s capable of SDO to allow calling at shorter platforms?

No they don't have SDO. 6 cars were regularly used on MUFC shuttles. The only other route where they can fit all stations is to Stoke although they have to use platforms 1 or 2 at Stoke. They won't fit any stations on the Glossop/Hadfield route (except Hattersley and Glossop and that's tight). They also won't fit at all stations on the Chat Moss line, Alderley Edge, Chelford, Mauldeth Rd, East Didsbury, Gatley, Davenport or Woodsmoor. (Some of these stations they fit in one direction only). It's possible they may be used in 6 car formation to Blackpool in the future.

 

[deltic]

I have traveled on a 2x4car class 304 on a all stopper Crewe to Altrincham service on a Crewe works open day back in the late 1970s.