In article ,
"John Rowland" wrote:

Sam Wilson wrote:

In the 1970s there were Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh trains
which split or joined at Preston and Carstairs.

Did all four routes have some carriages, or would passengers for some routes
have to walk along the train between Carstairs and Preston?

You had move into the correct portion. The guard would come through the
train between Carlisle and Carstairs (northbound) to check whether
people were in the correct carriages. I can't remember the drill
southbound. The joining evolution at Carstairs was exciting (and I
think it's still similar for the sleepers): diesel hauled portion from
Edinburgh arrives at Carstairs over exciting hump onto mainline, stops
in station then pulls out again towards Glasgow. Electric hauled
Glasgow portion arrives in station. Edinburgh portion backs down (about
half a mile) onto rear of Glasgow portion. Diesel is detached and runs
away. Electric takes train to Preston.

Great fun.

Sam

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
Sam Wilson wrote:

In the 1970s there were Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh trains
which split or joined at Preston and Carstairs.

Did all four routes have some carriages, or would passengers for some
routes
have to walk along the train between Carstairs and Preston?

Before 1974 the norm was three portions, e.g. Liverpool to Glasgow,
Manchester to Glasgow, and Manchester to Edinburgh - so Liverpool to
Edinburgh passengers had to walk through tghe train, and at least the length
of the Manchester to Glasgow portion. After electrification through to
Glasgow the norm was two portion trains, Liverpool and Manchester to either,
but not both, of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Birmingham trains split at
Carstairs; the Lancashire to Glasgow ones did not normally call there, but
the Lancashire to Edinburgh trains called at Carstairs to re-engine and
reverse. There were however various exceptions to this norm - for example
the morning train from Manchester ran complete to Glasgow, and the train
from Liverpool ran complete to Edinburgh. As they both had a lengthy stop at
Preston to re-engine, a cross-platform interchange was arranged between
them.

Peter

In article ,
"Peter Masson" wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
Sam Wilson wrote:

In the 1970s there were Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh trains
which split or joined at Preston and Carstairs.

Did all four routes have some carriages, or would passengers for some
routes
have to walk along the train between Carstairs and Preston?

Before 1974 the norm was three portions, e.g. Liverpool to Glasgow,
Manchester to Glasgow, and Manchester to Edinburgh - so Liverpool to
Edinburgh passengers had to walk through tghe train, and at least the length
of the Manchester to Glasgow portion. After electrification through to
Glasgow the norm was two portion trains, Liverpool and Manchester to either,
but not both, of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Birmingham trains split at
Carstairs; the Lancashire to Glasgow ones did not normally call there, but
the Lancashire to Edinburgh trains called at Carstairs to re-engine and
reverse. There were however various exceptions to this norm - for example
the morning train from Manchester ran complete to Glasgow, and the train
from Liverpool ran complete to Edinburgh. As they both had a lengthy stop at
Preston to re-engine, a cross-platform interchange was arranged between
them.

I used the train several times a year between Manchester and Edinburgh
between 1974 and 1981. For the first year or two my usual experience
was a change at Preston and/or Carstairs, after that the trains usually
joined and split. ISTR that there weren't usually Manchester-Edinburgh
portions.

Sam

On 15 Feb, 16:18, Sam Wilson wrote:
In article ,
"John Rowland" wrote:

Sam Wilson wrote:

In the 1970s there were Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh trains
which split or joined at Preston and Carstairs.

Did all four routes have some carriages, or would passengers for some routes
have to walk along the train between Carstairs and Preston?

You had move into the correct portion. The guard would come through the
train between Carlisle and Carstairs (northbound) to check whether
people were in the correct carriages. I can't remember the drill
southbound. The joining evolution at Carstairs was exciting (and I
think it's still similar for the sleepers): diesel hauled portion from
Edinburgh arrives at Carstairs over exciting hump onto mainline, stops
in station then pulls out again towards Glasgow. Electric hauled
Glasgow portion arrives in station. Edinburgh portion backs down (about
half a mile) onto rear of Glasgow portion. Diesel is detached and runs
away. Electric takes train to Preston.

Great fun.

Sam

If one was asleep, what's the chances one would still be asleep come
the end of it all?

On Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:06:31 -0000, "John Rowland"
wrote:


Sam Wilson wrote:

In the 1970s there were Manchester/Liverpool-Glasgow/Edinburgh trains
which split or joined at Preston and Carstairs.

Did all four routes have some carriages, or would passengers for some routes
have to walk along the train between Carstairs and Preston?

It was a Liverpool to Edinburgh train which was joined up with a
Manchester to Glasgow train at Preston and split again at Carstairs. I
don't remember it being split differently. The guard used to walk
through the train asking everybody where they were going and then to
walk to the front or the back.

Certainly when I used the service I used the carriage where the
join/split was and never had to change seats. I'd lean out of the
window watching the fun.

I used to go from Manchester to Glasgow and back two or three times a
year. I liked Glasgow, It had a major model railway exhibition, an
excellent transport museum, Kelvingrove museum etc. Good pubs. Great
people. And a ride round the clockwork orange even it didn't take me
anywhere I wanted to go to.