Mersey Travels 3rd february 2022

My first Merseyside meandering of 2022, heading out on Thursday 3rd February.

Still haven't copped a 777 outside of Kirkdale Depot yet! The 507/508 units still giving stalwart service on probably the most limited frequency weekday timetable I've travelled on (am aware they ran like this during lockdown but I was a good boy and didn't go disobeying the do not travel rules)

Addeed bonus of this is that most sets were running as 6 cars. They'd also just started a few extra journeys running between Southport and Liverpool Central that I got a ride on.

Problems for the Wirral Line towards the end of the day with emergency engineering work meaning trains couldn't travel around the loop for around two hours. This gave the rarity factor a boost with outbound services using the city bound platform at James Street, the only station on the loop available to them. By coincidence I was on the first affected train and then on the first train allowed back round the loop! Fun and games all round!

Also, are the 508s going to win the prize for the last units on the whole network that still make my beloved dubba dubba dubba sound? I know the 315s are hanging by a thread on a few peak hour Shenfields but other than that, as far as I'm aware, only the 508s and the 455s now make the iconic noise. The delays in driver training and methods of workings seems to indicate that our lovely little Merseyside PEPS (derivatives!) aren't heading for the scrapman any time soon so they may outlive their Southern/South Western descendants! I would really love these to be the last trains on the network making that noise. It will always be embedded in my brain and it starts a whirlwind of nostalgia every time it kicks in

Quite a lengthy one (aren't they always!) so hopefully the timestamps below will be useful in combatting brain fatigue. Travel safely everyone and please get back on the trains!

0:00:01 - James Street comings and goings
0:03:20 - Up to Moorfields low level and a quick jaunt up to Kirkdale
0:10:56 - Quick look over Kirkdale Depot wishing for some 777s to actually move before heading back south to Sandhills. Some ludicrous zooming experiments from the end of the platform featuring celebrity liveried 508 111 amongst others
0:14:58 - We decide to head on up to Hillside because we can
0:24:53 - Southbound and northbound trains depart from Hillside at the same time. We then join a recently added "additional service" from Southport to Liverpool Central showing off that jointed track loveliness between Formby and Hall Road
0:36:27 - After seeing a northbound train leave Central low level we descend to the deep level platform for a trip to the quirky delights of Green Lane with its unique platforming arrangement for 6 car stock - the front and rear doors open fully with no platform to get off at! Our train continues off to Chester and we then join a northbound train up to Hamilton Square.
0:47:46 - Now above ground at Birkenhead Park we see a New Brighton train leave before we join an inbound service, travel right round the loop and head back out To Manor Road. Nearly missed the 2 TFW 230s parked on Birkenhead North!
0:58:36 - A bit of Hamilton Square activity before the fun begins. Our train from New Brighton is held for ages before continuing to James Street and terminating at the City bound platform. Emergency engineering work on the outbound platform was resulting in the loop being cut off and trains (starting with the one I'd been on) were reversing back from the city bound platform. They turned it round that quick that it left for New Brighton before people had got over from the other platform!
1:03:46 - A few other trains do likewise before I decided to claim the rarity value of heading out of town from the inbound platform with a quick trip out to where else but Green Lane again!
1:14:38 - I am lucky enough to have been on the first train allowed back round the loop (which was essential for making my connection at Lime Street!). We see my last Merseyrail train of the day leave Lime Street deep level before I head back up to the main station (and continue the unusual theme by boarding one of the very limited Wigan via Earlestown Northern trips of the day!)

Altogether another nice day out. About to head down to Lakenheath this week where hopefully everything won't have upped and left for Poland before I get there! Should be an interesting trip if nothing else.

Видео Mersey Travels 3rd february 2022 канала Chris Birkett's adventures in video