[hstudent]

Originally Posted by steam for ever

Today I managed with a bit of waiting to get on the last 142 I have seen on the line.
The number is 142005.

I really don't know what you mean by the 'last' as there's at least two Pacer diagrams assuming no Sprinters get swapped for 142s. Yesterday (Tuesday) a Sprinter diagram was indeed run by a 142 (the 15:17 Manchester to Chester and the 17:07 Chester to Manchester is usually a 150 but was a 142 yesterday.) In addition some of the usual 142 weekday workings remained as 142 yesterday such as the 08:07 Chester to Manchester service. As I've said before we get an extra 142 on the Mid-Cheshire line in the evenings when the pair of 150s used on the 15:07 Chester to Manchester service are swapped for a 142 at Piccadilly so that the 17:09 Manchester to Chester service is a 142 that's been in the depot for most of the day.

There has been a 158 in recent years on the mid cheshire.
There are often a lot of diverted services and I did see a 158 (not in northern livery) heading to chester. I saw this at Altrincham.

Most likely an Arriva Trains Wales Manchester to Llandudno service during engineering works on the Warrington line, although only one or two Llandudno services are usually 158s as most are 175s - the type of train we used to get on the 065x Chester to Manchester via Altrincham service when it continued through to Oxford Rd and back to Chester via Warrington.

Where driver experience is concerned the 156s is very similar. This class is used currently on this line.

156s are still based at Manchester, 158s are not so they just don't bother having Piccadilly drivers learn them. Leeds based 158s do run Manchester Victoria - Leeds and York-Blackpool services so Victoria drivers still do sign them.

If the oldham loop has lost 142s and the mid cheshire has got one (from what was many more)- where are they going?

I think that's a common misconception that all Oldham services were 142s. They were actually a mix of 142s, 150s, 153s and 156s. In FNW days they were mostly all 142s but Northern put more Sprinters on them. The units released from the Oldham Loop are being used to strengthen Victoria-Rochdale-Leeds services.

Forgetting is not an option (although this would explain a lot of late trains) and if such an occurance was to come around then someone is not doing their job properly

That's assuming all the drivers learnt 158s in the first place. It's quite a while since 158s were transferred to Leeds so any new drivers won't have learnt them in the first place. It sounds stupid but a driver or conductor have to have training as to where things like the fire extinugisher, first aid boxes and all the doors are and can't sign a unit until they've been tested on it.