Thanks mate! As I recall, when the first generation Chester DMUs were being replaced by 150/0, 150/1 & 156 class units, most of the old units were put into store at Chester TMD; invariably the new units had considerable running-in problems, and a good many trains were cancelled. As the old units had just been left in the open, they weren't operable, and bus replacement services were often the order of the day. Although I live on the south coast, i regularly visited friends in Wrexham, usually travelling via Crewe & Chester; the problems that arose caused me untold headaches - after ringing up my mate (6 miles out of Wrexham, no bus service), I'd tell him what time the train was due to arrive at Wrexham, he'd dash off to the station to pick me up, and I'd arrive an hour later than planned - on a bus. And no mobile phones then....
I do remember writing down train numbers at Chester in the late 80s, and asked a youngish chap if he'd got the numbers of an old DMU that had just left. "No, I don't bother with them" he replied. "Why not?" says I. "Well, they're not going to be around for long, so it's not worth it" he says. Hmmmm. By the same reasoning, was it worth noting the numbers of class 20, 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 37, 40, 45, 46, 47, 50, 52, 55, 56, 60, 73, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 90, .... if you see what I mean?
