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Have any AC locos regularly been on the MML?

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IanBanks-Jones

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Have any AC Locos ever worked any scheduled services on the MML in the 30 odd years since the wires went up? I know Locos have appeared on the line, but I don't recall ever seeing one in action.
 
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RichmondCommu

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I stand corrected!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
IanBanks-Jones said:
Well, that's quite impressive, and I do like, but I did mean a regular turn
Click to expand...

In that case the answer is no. Regular services were always in the hands of class 317's and later 319's when Thameslink was closed for maintenance.
 
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YorkshireBear

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As nice as St Pancras is it would be so nice to go into the shed on MML services.
 
12CSVT

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As well as the two weekends in 1991, there were also diversions for one weekend in May 1992
 
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RichmondCommu

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asylumxl said:
Already is. One incorrect routing by West Hampstead and it's all gone down the ****ter. From experience.
Click to expand...

Exactly! The problem is expanding the station over the adjacent road would have cost a fortune. It wouldn't surprise me if some future MML services are run via Thameslink.
 
Peter Mugridge

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86 240 also put in an appearance during the diversions...
 

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SeanG

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What route did these diversions take?
Nuneaton - Wigston - Bedford - St P with diesel haulage Nuneaton - Bedford?

Or was it reversal at Bletchley & Beford with diesel haulage Bletchley - Bedford?

Edit: from the description of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT3Lo2n3SD4

"Work on the West Coast Main Line upgrade resulted in weekend diversion of trains to St Pancras. Class 47 s hauled trains complete with their class 87 locomotives between Nuneaton and Bedford where they could run under the wires to St Pancras.

This cold not happen today for a number of reasons. These days bus replacement services ensure weekend train travel is to be avoided."
 
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D1009

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A friend of mine is a Euston driver who worked one of these trains, with a route conductor between Bedford and St Pancras. After the diesel had been detached and they got away from Bedford, he asked where the 110 mph stretch started. The conductor driver said he didn't know, as the 317s he normally drove were incapable of reaching that speed!
 
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D7666

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D1009 said:
A friend of mine is a Euston driver who worked one of these trains, with a route conductor between Bedford and St Pancras. After the diesel had been detached and they got away from Bedford, he asked where the 110 mph stretch started. The conductor driver said he didn't know, as the 317s he normally drove were incapable of reaching that speed!
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AFAIR it was either (1) there was no 110 mph at south of Bedford at the time or (2) the diverted electric trains were limited to 100 mph

As a resident of Luton, I spent some time on all of the dates of diversion going up and down on as many different individual ACL as practical.

--
Nick
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
RichmondCommu said:
I stand corrected!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Regular services were always in the hands of class 317's and later 319's when Thameslink was closed for maintenance.
Click to expand...


And 377s.

And 313s.

And yes I do mean 313s.

A number of 313s were used on regular Bed-Pan services from St Pancras - but not Moorgate - during one of the 317d riots. IIRC it was not one of the snow riots but something else in the early days. 313s were not allowed on the the Midland / Widened Lines route into Moorgate hence their use limited to St Pancras.

--
Nick
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
IanBanks-Jones said:
Didn't know if any freight from East Anglia ended up South of Bedford somewhere
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None electric.

Because there is no simple electric route.

There was - and still is - no 25 kV wired route connecting MML / BedPan with anywhere else.

There is no wired connection even today at St Pancras - the one track - a through siding - that links MML into SP International is not wired.

There is no AC or even DC connection to NLL, nothing.

There was a recent FCC proposal (~5 years or so ago) to 25 kV wire from Carlton Road Jn to NLL to allow EMUs to get to Hornsey. This was part of the route mods for the Thameslink upgrade. I have not heard of this happening of late, I think it has been dropped as it was an FCC suggestion but pre-dated finalisation of the new units depots - the contract had not even gone to ITT then never mind Siemens, who have planned for Three Bridges.

The only through electric routes between the north side of Thameslink and anywhere else have to use DC through Thameslink core go round the houses and re-cross the Thames somewhere else.

Today 319s and 377s get from Hornsey to Bedford in a AC DC DC loop Bedford - Thameslink core - West and North London lines - Hornsey.

The most recent uses of FCC 317s also used that route, tractored by 319s.


--
Nick
 
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