90 and MkIII workings for Virgin
 

Does anyone know if Virgin is still using a couple of class 90s to cover for out of service pendolinos on the bimingham to euston working

Yes Virgin are still using the class 90, and Mk3 coaches. 90036 was the machine of choice for sometime, but last night I was passed by an EWS red, and gold machine, but I was not able to see which one it was.
Passed Willesden at approx 1905 going south

To save me rooting through recent magazines, can soembody post the schedule for these Class 90 workings, please.

I understand it is 3 return trips daily ?

Thanks in advance

Martin

Probably 90028 (was working it on Friday)

From memory the times are;
0743 Eus - Bhm
0930 Bhm - Eus
1143 Eus - Bhm
1330 Bhm - Eus
1543 Eus - Bhm
1730 Bhm - Eus

Thanks for that. I've since confirmed the times in the latest issue of Todays Railways UK. Believe it or not, I couldn't find the info at all on a Google search yesterday.

I plan to ride the 1730 BNS - Eus on Thursday, probably as far as Coventry.

If your intrested then these are the headcodes:

1G05
0743 London Euston-Birmingham New Street

1B35
0930 Birmingham New Street-London Euston

1G18
1143 London Euston-Birmingham New Street

1B50
1330 Birmingham New Street-London Euston

1G30
1543 London Euston-Birmingham New Street

1B74
1730 Birmingham New Street-London Euston

Caught up with the 1730 BNS - Euston yesterday hauled (OK, pushed !) by 90028. What a refreshing change to ride on a REAL train !

Lots of room in the air carriages, large seats, seats which (almost) lined up with them, no rattling blinds, no beeping intercoms when people press the alarm button by mistake in the toilets, a toilet in every coach, buffet inbetween the first and standard class like it should be. I could go on ...

Return journey from Coventry was by a Virgin Voyager !

Photos to follow shortly ....

Thanks to all you folks who provided the details.

I've now got around to putting a photo of this on my website

http://martin-grosberg.fotopic.net/p58735192.html

Quite coincidentally, this evening (around 6pm), 90028 and a rake of Mark 3s were being hauled (empty) north through Stafford station by a class 57. Anyone know what that was about ?

Re: Midland Compound's comment "What a refreshing change to ride on a REAL train !", I get the same feeling when my CrossCountry train is one of their refurbished HSTs rather than a Voyager. (Shame about the lack of a buffet though).

The loco hauled set apparently failed in the Coventry area last Thursday, so maybe it was being returned to Crewe for a loco swap by one of the Thunderbirds?

90019 (First livery!) on the set today.