Manchester Piccadilly between trains
During a journey break enroute from Fife to Dorset, on 6/5/10, for the Swanage Railway Diesel Gala and Beer Festival I spent a few hours between trains at Manchester's Piccadilly station. After the gala I made the same journey north again with a few more hours on the platform at Piccadilly on 10/5/10.
East Midlands liveried class 158 Sprinter 158813 stands at platform 13 in Manchester Piccadilly station with 1L11 1252 Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich cross country service.
Journey's end for Pendolino 390019 as it rolls into the spacious train shed with 1H66 1140 off London Euston.
Class 142 Pacer 142014 approaches from the south with an unknown working.
Side by side under the Piccadilly train shed is 390019 and 390029. On the left 390019 has just arrived with 1H66 1140 from Euston while on the right is 390029 which will depart at 1355 as 1A41 to Euston.
A group of P-Way men walk out to their job as First Group 185143 approaches with 1P35 1115 Newcastle to Manchester Airport which will reverse here.
As 185143 runs in to make its station stop before reversing out to the airport, Arriva Coradia unit 175009 comes out of the stabling siding to stop at platform 14b to form 1D38 1350 Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno.
On time 390029 glides out almost silently, apart from wheel flange squeal, for the two hour journey to London's Euston station.
Sister Desiro units 185136 and 185143 pass at Piccadilly station with 185136 making its station stop en-route to the nearby airport. It is 1U65 1245 Blackpool to Manchester Airport. A few minutes later 185143 will head away for the same destination.
National Express liveried 221120 runs in with a terminating service from Bristol Temple Meads, 1M37 1100 off the city.
390043 approaches the station with 1H23 1200 Euston to Piccadilly. Trains from London are every 20 minutes with a city centre to city centre journey of about 2 hours which is much quicker than flying.
EMU 323232 runs in with a class 2 working from the airport to the station, 2A68 1346 off. The guard looks out from the rear cab as the set approaches.
Voyager 220004 departs for Paignton with 1V59 1407 off Piccadilly whilst on the adjacent road is First Group liveried 170307 with 1B77 1128 from Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport.
A busy scene in the station throat at Piccadilly with, L-R 185129 on 1B80 1355 Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes, 185142 1E81 1322 Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough and 185146 forming 1S66 1400 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh. On the far right in the turnback siding is Coradia set 175007.
Sprinter 156466 runs in to stop with a Preston to Hazel Grove class 2 working, 2H06 1323 off. On the right is Pacer 142038 which will bounce its way to Chester as 2D46 1417 off Piccadilly.
Desiro 185129 is employed on the Manchester to Cleethorpes circuit and is approaching Piccadilly from the Airport as 1B80 1355 off. After a short dwell time it will head back out for Cleethorpes on Humberside.
390038 glides silently in with 1H24 1220 Euston to Piccadilly. Virgin has virtually eliminated domestic flights between the two cities with their three trains an hour and two hour journey time.
Having previously worked in from Bristol, 221120 now departs heading for Bournemouth, 1O50 1427 off.
150276 looks smart in Northern Trains livery as it slows for the end of its journey with a class 2 local service 2S37 1401 from Newmills Central.
Virgin Pendolino 390043 departs with 1A44 1435 off to Euston and it passes former Virgin Voyager 221124 with 1M38 0945 from Bournemouth which will terminate here.
221124 comes into the last few yards of its journey before coming to a stand at the buffer stops.
175107 comes out of the turnback siding to stop at through platform 14b to start its journey to Llandudno as 1D39 1450 off.
390042 passes the station running in board on the platform end announcing the terminating stop. The train is 1H67 1240 from London Euston.
A pair of Northern Trains class 323 EMUs glide away from Piccadilly on their respective class 2 workings. 323225 on the left heads to Hadfield as 2H74 1448 off. At the same time 3213226 works 2K18 to Stoke on Trent.