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September 2007


156484 in Newton Heath depot, 16.September.2007
Northern Rail held a 'Community Open Day' at Newton Heath Depot in Manchester on Sunday 16th.

Class 156s present were: 156484 (from Heaton depot) in the latest Northern livery, on display in road 7 of the main shed, 156426 (A exam) in road 4, and 156461 (B9 exam) in road 10.

Units 156466 (repair to screen wash) and 156486 (B4 exam) were outside in the holding sidings.

A purple NT855R5 engine for a 156 was also on display outside by the stores area.

First ScotRail. The latest two units to be refreshed by Bombardier were 156476 which left Derby on Thursday 13th, and 156477 which went south on Monday 3rd and returned to Corkerhill on Thursday 27th.

Two units at the Litchurch Lane works at the end of September were 156453 - south on Friday 14th (photo) and 156496 south on Friday 28th (photo).

Central Trains. 156403 returned from its Summer loan to First ScotRail on Saturday 22nd. It travelled south from Corkerhill via Carlisle, Newcastle, York and Leeds.

One Railway. 156417 returned from Tyseley depot in Birmingham after C4 overhaul on Monday 17th. It was moved between Nottingham and Norwich on the 09:52 Liverpool - Norwich service. (photo).

August 2007


156424 at Liverpool Lime Street, 24.August.2007
Photo: James Rawlinson
Northern Rail's 156424, seen here at Liverpool Lime Street on August 24th, with carriages in two different liveries, has had a recent tidy up.

Originally in First Group 'Barbie' livery, car 57424 has been victim of graffiti attacks twice, first on the left-hand side in October 2006, and then on the right-hand side in April 2007 (photo).

57424 has now had the remainder of it its vinyl stripes removed on the right-hand side, and the white roof stripe has been painted grey. It is now effectively in the plain blue livery carried by four other units. The left-hand side features a Northern Rail logo (photo).

The final Angel-owned unit to receive a C6 overhaul at Glasgow Railcare, 156489, returned south on August 21st (photo).

First ScotRail. Engineering work at Kilmarnock on Sunday 5th August, saw a few trains between Glasgow Central and Carlisle diverted via the goods lines from Newton-on-Ayr to Mauchline via Annbank. 156462+156505 worked the 12:52 from Carlisle, and 156432 was on 15:05 from Glasgow.

Two units had interior work completed at Derby during August. 156456 returned to Scotland on Friday 17th (photo) 156467 went south on Monday 6th (photo) returning on Friday 31st. 156476 arrived at Derby on Monday 20th (photo).

156462 at Edinburgh Waverley, 31.August.2007 First ScotRail's 156s are starting to have the filament tail lights replaced by red LED lights. The headlights and marker-lights remain unchanged.

One of the first recipients, 156462 is seen at Edinburgh Waverley on 31st August.



July 2007


156407 at Berney Arms, 25.July.2007

One Railway's 156407 has been specially branded to promote 'the Wherry Lines', from Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

It was launched on Wednesday 25th July at Great Yarmouth and is seen here at Berney Arms on the way back to Norwich after the ceremony.

Photo: Top Can

[One press release].
[Wherry Lines website].

The left-hand side of each car has 'Ride the Wherry Lines' in large white lettering, plus the line's emblem at the inner end, and the right-hand side has 'www.wherrylines.org.uk' lettering with the Norfolk County Council logo at the inner end.

The line's emblem is also carried on the gangway doors at each end. Inside, this unit also has new seat covers, and promotional table tops.



First ScotRail ran a number of additional trains for the 2007 Open Championship golf tournament at Carnoustie.

As well as locomotive hauled trains, an 6-car class 156 formation consisting of SPT liveried units 156437, 156504 and 156514 worked the following diagram on the 19th, 20th and 21st:
156437+504+514 at Carnoustie, 20.July.2007


1Z29 08.03 Glasgow Queen St to Carnoustie
5Z29 09.56 Carnoustie to Perth
5Z37 14.55 Perth to Carnoustie
1Z37 15.51 Carnoustie to Aberdeen
5Z32 18.05 Aberdeen to Carnoustie
1Z32 19.16 Carnoustie to Glasgow Queen St

The SPT trio are seen departing Carnoustie with the 1Z32 on Thursday 19th.

Photo: Jim Ramsay

A concrete block was dropped from an overbridge between Cleland and Hartwood, onto the 16:15 Glasgow Central to Edinburgh on Friday 27 July 2007.

The block made a large hole in the GRP cab roof of 156514 at the rear of the 4-car train. Fortunately there were no injuries to those onboard.

The unit was repaired at Corkerhill and returned to service early in August.

[News Story]. [BTP appeal for Info]

First ScotRail units at Derby for interior work during July were: 156499, retuning north on Friday 13th (photo), 156493 south on Monday 2nd and back to Scotland on Friday 27th (photo),and 156456 which arrived at Bombardier's works on the 16th (photo).

Northern Rail ran a 'Stakeholder Special' train on Saturday 7th of July, from Saltburn to Whitehaven, via Newcastle and Carlisle. Recently repainted 156484 was used, and carried an appropriate headboard (photo).

The Carlisle - Dumfries - Kilmarnock routes was blocked for a two week engineeering possesion between Saturday 14th - Sunday 29th July. During this time SPT liveried units 156435 and 156509 were borrowed by Northern Rail, and worked between Carlisle and Newcastle.

On Saturday 28th 156435 worked the 1700 Metro Centre - Chathill service.

156498 was released from Glasgow Railcare on Friday July 20, and 156489 arrived at the works on the Monday 23th. This should be the last of 28 Angel Train's owned 156s to be overhauled there in the current programme.



Reports from Northern Railway Forum and Class_156_Sprinters, Scot-Rail, Northern_Rail, Anglia-Gen.


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