What is/was the regular Traction where you live?

[Briggsy]

Just curious as to what locos/units were/are the most common where you live?

I'm from Coventry - and during my spotting days back in the early to mid 90s, the regular traction would be:

Class 86/87 locos hauling Mk2 or Mk3 sets with DVTs on the Euston to Birmingham/Wolverhampton services.
Class 90's - occasional appearances on the Euston to Birmingham/Wolverhampton services.
Class 47s - hauling Mk2 sets on Intercity Cross-Country services.
Class 43 HSTs - on Intercity Cross-Country services.

We'd also have Class 86's on mail trains - and also Class 47's on container/freight traffic. Very very occasionally, a Class 37 would occasionally pass through - although these were quite rare in Coventry. We'd also have the occasional Class 58 on the Coventry to Nuneaton line. We'd have a Class 60 once a day, usually late at night, on tankers.

Class 31's were regulars passing through light-engine or on engineers trains - probably heading for Bescot via the turn-off at Stechford.

In the form of units, Class 310's were regulars on the Coventry to Wolverhampton local services. Occasionally Class 304s during peak hours. There was a phase of us having 312s and 308's for a year or two (309s too - but they rarely ventured as far as Coventry. Birmingham International was their limit), whilst the 323's were under production - and then the 323's replaced all of the EMUs. Class 321's were used on the NSE/Silverlink Birmingham to Euston semi-fast services.

Class 150s, 153s and 156's would be seen at Coventry station heading up the Nuneaton line. Class 158's passed through on Sundays.

These days, its all very dull - with plastic Pendolinos on the Euston to Birmingham services, Class 350's on the Euston to Birmingham semi-fast/local services, Class 66's on freight duties (occasionally a Class 70), and Class 153's on the Coventry to Nuneaton line. Boring.

[fizzywizzy]

Well the usual trains that were on my local line, the LTS Line there used to be Class 302s, Class 310s and Class 312s. The Gospel Oak - Barking Line is one of my local lines too and also Class 150s used to be regular traction. But i used to live in Ilford before i moved to Barking and at Ilford the regular tractions were Class 86s and the usual FGE units.

[Warbo40]

Living only a stones throw away from Toton depot back in my original spotting days in the 1980's it was mainly class 45's, 20's, 56's, 25's and 31's.

Now all it is are sheds, sheds, and more sheds.

[fizzywizzy]

I am absolutely bored of multiple units...

[Briggsy]

Now all it is are sheds, sheds, and more sheds.

Is Toton no longer is use these days? I'm quite out of touch these days as my spotting days ended in the 90's. I only found out that Tinsley depot closed last week!

I am absolutely bored of multiple units...

Me too, which was the main reason why my spotting days came to an end. I used to enjoy the 37's on the Holyhead to Birmingham International service, the 31's on the New Street to Norwich (via Nuneaton) services and all of the run-arounds at New Street - plus the odd rare loco venturing into the Midlands when it had rescued one of the Cross-Country services - or unexpected coaches in rakes (such as a Scotrail or NSE liveried coach making it into a Cross-Country set).

These days, the Pendolinos and Voyagers, etc are all rather bland and boring. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. No unexpected locos or coaches. No run-arounds. Its straight in, straight out - with the same trains on the same services every day.

I'd much rather see an 86 run-around at New Street, whilst a smelly, noisy, Class 43 screams out of the station in the background.

[Warbo40]

Toton is still in use with 4 maybe 5 of the yards still in use. The old bank yard, the north yard, part of the meadows sidings which is the virtual quarry, the Stapleford & Sandiacre ballast sidings and the 5th being the new bank yard which has or will shortly be used by Network Rail.

http://www.toton-rail.co.uk/images/toton4.jpg

[Briggsy]

Ah that photo brings back memories! My dad and I used to park on the A52, and then we'd walk along the embankment and sit just below where the text says "old bank" and then we were able to see everything from up there with our binoculars.

I used to love Toton depot. But hated that old embankment - but my dad loved it. I don't do heights, so it made me feel a bit uncomfortable! lol.

[Dean_Forest]

I'm just stuck with Pacers and Sprinters.

[ricky25]

Living only a stones throw away from Toton depot back in my original spotting days in the 1980's it was mainly class 45's, 20's, 56's, 25's and 31's.

Now all it is are sheds, sheds, and more sheds.

Occasionally, a loco will turn up for some fuel and a wash too, I'm sure

80's and early 90's: 305/308/315/317/321/322
Mid 90's: Lived in Stafford, Class 08/20/31/37/43/47/58/60/86/87/90 and even 92's at one point on light engine duties to/from Crewe and Dollands Moor. Units were 309/310/322/323/325 and plenty of freight and parcels traffic.
Not much spotting done from Late 90's to early 2000's.
Present day: Any loco that visits Hither Green Yard and any unit from Class 375/376/465/466 that visits Grove Park Shed.

[pellet]

I used to get quite a variety of locos, not that I can remember them well (although my first railway memory is of a pair of 31s)

These days, loco wise, I regularly get
20,37,43,47,57,66,70,86,90,92, with the odd 31,56 and 67 thrown in, although most of the aforementioned types pass through on monotonous modals.

[tjfrancis]

the regular tration where me are 323,350,220,158,323,70,66 and 60

[WessexElectricNutter]

Class 313's and Class 377s, thats it.. 313's if you are lucky. 158's if you are VERY lucky, 150's appear once in a blue moon and loco hauled stuff tends to be in your dreams, although I've known Class 59s, 60s and 66's to visit the area.

We do get steam traction once a year however, as Chichester is a popular place for excusions.

[WessexElectricNutter]

I am absolutely bored of multiple units...

Why do you think there are multiple units everywhere? Well, lower access charges, quicker turn around, greater capacity, lighter and cheaper to run. Locos are fine for infrequent services, but the railway has to now adapt to its customers in order to keep the money rolling in. In fact, when you have a railway that is carrying more passenger than it did 50 years ago on a smaller system, then you need to adapt, which means you have to rewrite the timetable, which means tigher turnaround times, more use of your assets and thats why.

[Briggsy]

I am absolutely bored of multiple units...

Why do you think there are multiple units everywhere? Well, lower access charges, quicker turn around, greater capacity, lighter and cheaper to run. Locos are fine for infrequent services, but the railway has to now adapt to its customers in order to keep the money rolling in. In fact, when you have a railway that is carrying more passenger than it did 50 years ago on a smaller system, then you need to adapt, which means you have to rewrite the timetable, which means tigher turnaround times, more use of your assets and thats why.

We realise all of this. That doesn't mean that they're interesting though. From an enthusiasts point of view, they're quite boring

[fizzywizzy]

But locomotive hauled trains are very popular in continental Europe.. like Germany etc...