21st December 2003

First North Western
(Class 101 Farewell)

DMU's Used 101676, 101685 & 101693

Route: 1T01 throughout

DMU's Route
as listed Manchester Piccadilly - Ardwick Jn - Heaton Norris Jn - Stockport - Hazel Grove - Furness Vale - Buxton
as listed Buxton - (reverse of outward route) - Adwick Jn - Manchester Piccadilly - Oxford Road - Castlefield Jn - Ordsall Lane Jn - Salford Crescent - Bolton - Chorley - Euxton Jn - Preston - Lancaster - Morecambe South Jn - Morecambe 
as listed Morecambe - Heysham Port
as listed Heysham Port - Morecambe
as listed Morecambe - Bare Lane - Hest Bank - Carnforth North Jn - Carnforth - Arnside - Ulverston - Barrow in Furness
as listed Barrow in Furness - Ulverston - Arnside - Carnforth - Lancaster - Preston - Euxton Jn - Chorley - Bolton - Salford Crescent - Ordsall Lane Jn - Castlefield Jn - Oxford Road - Manchester Piccadilly

Source : Martin Barnsdall (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by Martin Barnsdall)

Here are some photos taken on the day.

Where were you when they retired the last of the 1st gen units, they will say in years to come. Well, 200 lucky people rode on the Farewell Tour – justified to my wife so close to Christmas, as the rail equivalent of Concorde being retired!

Having decided to drive to Manchester Piccadilly, I made my way onto the station. 87008 rumbled in as I made my way to Platform 4, the supposed departure point for the 101 Farewell Tour. A quick coffee and I stood on the overbridge waiting for the train. They decided to run into platform 3 and as the 3 2 car units ground to a halt, massed ranks of FNW employees stood at every door to check tickets of participants as they got on the train.

For the record, the consist was: 101676 in Regional livery, 101693 in Strathclyde orange and 101685 (Daisy) in green. (Of course!)

‘Daisy’ had been named “Daisy” on Wednesday 17th, her 47th Birthday as was sporting nice adhesive nameplates on both sides of each vehicle.

A nice run up to Buxton was first in order, with ˝ hour layover/photostop, then a glide down the hill back to Piccadilly. A good run – about 70mph passing Horwich, saw a virtually on time arrival in Preston, (yet more photos), then a sprint up to Lancaster, sharp left to Morecambe (more photos) and onto Heysham Port (more photos!).

Another reversal and then the north curve at Bare Lane lead to a 15-minute late arrival in a cold Barrow in Furness.

The buffet at Barrow stayed open longer, just for the tour participants.

Regaining the WCML at Carnforth a spirited run was had to Preston, passing non-stop on centre roads through Lancaster at between 70 and 73 mph (depending who you talk to!)

Delays near Bolton and Salford Crescent made for a 13 minute late arrival in Piccadilly.

All in all, a darn good day out. Excellent running by the ancient DMU’s, good organising by FNW. Many thanks to Andy Houghton of FNW for raising the blinds in the cab of 676!

Martin Barnsdall
Timings (Booked & Actual)
 (booked from Martin Barnsdall)

Location Booked Actual
Manchester Piccadilly 11.30d 11.30
Ardwick Jn 11/33 11/32
Slade Lane Jn 11/36 11/36
Heaton Norris North Jn 11/40 ?
Stockport 11.42a ~ 11.44d 11.43 ~ 11.45
Edgeley No.1 11/45 ?
Hazel Grove 11.50a ~ 11.52d 11.51 ~ 11.52
Furness Vale 12/02 ?
Chapel-en-le-Frith 12/10 ?
Buxton 12.25a ~ 12.55d 12.20 ~ 12.55
Chapel-en-le-Frith 13/03 ?
Furness Vale 13/11 ?
Hazel Grove 13/19 13/23
Edgeley No.1 13/22 ?
Stockport 13.24a ~ 13.27d 13.29 ~ 13.32
Heaton Norris North Jn 13/29 ?
Slade Lane Jn 13/33 13/36
Ardwick Jn 13/35 13/39
Manchester Piccadilly 13.39a ~ 13.41d 13.41 ~ 13.43
Oxford Road 13.43a ~ 13.45d 13.45 ~ 13.46
Deansgate 13/46 13/47
Castlefield Jn 13/46˝ ?
Ordsall Lane Jn 13/48 13/48
Salford Crescent 13/49 13/50
Bolton 13.58a ~ 14.00d 14.01 ~ 14.03
Lostock Jn 14/04 14/07
Chorley 14/11 14/19
Euxton Jn 14/17 14/22
Preston 14.23a ~ 14.57d 14.30 ~ 14.57
Lancaster 15*18a ~ 15*20d 15.18 ~ 15.20
Morecambe South Jn 15/23 15/23
Bare Lane 15/26 ?
Morecambe 15.29a ~ 15.33d 15.29 ~ 15.33
Morecambe Jn GF 15*34a ~ 15*34d ?
Heysham Port 15.44a ~ 15.54d 15.46 ~ 15.58
Morecambe 16.04a ~ 16.08d ??.?? ~ 16.14
Bare Lane 16/13 ?
Hest Bank 16/16 ?
Carnforth North Jn 16/19 16/29
Carnforth 16.20a ~ 16.22d ?
Arnside 16/28 16/42
Grange-over-Sands 16/32 ?
Ulverston 16/43 ?
Barrow-in-Furness 17.00a ~ 17.35d 17.17 ~ 17.35
Dalton Jn 17/42˝ ?
Ulverston 17/50 ?
Grange-over-Sands 18/01˝ ?
Arnside 18/05˝ 18/12
Carnforth 18/15 ?
Carnforth North Jn 18/15˝ 18/21
Morecambe South Jn 18/19 18/27
Lancaster 18/20˝ 18/29
Preston 18.42a ~ 18.44d 18.50 ~ 18.52
Euxton Jn 18/52 18/59
Chorley 18/55˝ 19/03
Lostock Jn 19/03 19/14
Bolton 19.09a ~ 19.12d 19.24 ~ 19.26
Salford Crescent 19/22 19/39
Ordsall Lane Jn 19/23 19/43
Castlefield Jn 19/24 ?
Deansgate 19/25 19/47
Oxford Road 19.26a ~ 19.29d 19.48 ~ 19.50
Manchester Piccadilly 19.31a 19.52


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