Yes, it's YET ANOTHER Merseyrail wandering video, but I make no apologies. I should have been doing this years ago, can't believe I never thought of it and consequently i have no record of the blue/grey low back seats era that was so familiar to me at the time.
Oh well there's no point grumbling, we must just make the most of the time left with our very long lived 507s and 508s as they reach the evening of their careers. They certainly owe no favours to anyone by this stage in proceedings, they're still as reliable as stock half their age and are presented by the Merseyrail teams with as much pride as ever (so much so that I've seen several comments from people who haven't travelled on them until now about what great condition they're in!)
Anything thats been in intensive use for over 40 years is never going to be perfect, but they are still holding their own as the replacement 777s begin to make their presence felt - taking over diagrams on the Kirkby line first with Ormskirk, the Wirral and finally Southport to follow eventually.
So all in all there's some quite nice contrasts to be seen at the moment, especially at Sandhills with both types in passenger service and driver training runs appearing too.
I've ended up combining these videos simply because it took me that long to get round to sorting footage out from the visit at the start of the month! That was on the 2nd (featuring our first 777 ride!), with a subsequent trip on the 28th coinciding nicely with some weekday engineering work closing Moorfields-Hunts Cross on the Northern line (with the added bonus of rare crossover action) and the 777s being out of service for software updates so spied my chance to head up to Fazakerley with the old guard.
to the Timestamps!
0:00:01 - Starting off on the 2nd we head down to Central low level and some Island platform departures
0:02:07 - My first 777 in passenger service! 049 takes us up to Kirkdale
0:10:13 - some Kirkdale general views
0:12:34 - and on to Sandhills with plenty comings and goings and some obliigatory daft zooming experiments.
0:17:38 - Happily we get to see another 777, 018 is on driver training runs on the Southport line. It heads into the siding waiting for its path to go back up to Hillside offering some nice shots with passing units and then 777 049 heading back up to Kirkby
0:23:42 - The Airbus "Beluga", heading into Chester Broughton, makes a rushed appearance as we wait at Brunswick to head back into town - but then, OH NO! The northbound jointed track bit has gone, WAAHH!!!
0:24:41 - A quick jaunt out to Bidston where a TFW 150 guest stars on the Wrexham turn back duty . We then head back to Hamilton Square and pick up at Spital heading south to Hooton
0:34:30 - After arrival there's a nice brucie bonus of a stabled 508! Back to Hamilton Square again for a quick break before onwards to the City
0:39:30 - Now right at the top of the network, a lengthy segment at Southport featuring arrivals and departures, joining up units ready for the peak, other peak extras coming out of the carriage sidings, 777s stabled on the Liverpool side, some 769s actually in use with Northern and even a light aircraft heading into Woodvale
0:51:50 - Having shunted off the wall sidings, 508 138 takes us to Blundellsands. Thankfully the jointed track section at Formby is still there!
1:01:19 - Having doubled back to Formby as I'd seen what would be on the next southbound, 507s 001 and the thrashtastic 008 take us back into Liverpool at the end of the day
1:11:23 - Moving onto the 28th, A quick ride out to Rock Ferry then head up to Moorfields low level which was as far south as Northern Line trains were going due to 777 preparation work around Central low level. (You can see the stop board on the track - and barriers preventing access to the northbound platform.) Only Southport and Ormskirk services were operating here and nice rarity value was found in a northbound departure from the Hunts X platform crossing over when at the top of Leeds street bank.
1:21:57 - Kirkby services were only operating from Sandhills, and with 777s having software updates took the opportunity to head up to Fazakerley on a 508. Possibly the last time I'll get the opportunity to do so. Spot the RAF Atlas overhead!
1:29:55 - After returning to Sandhills, we see 131 and 122 (ALERT - 122 being withdrawn mid March along with 019) departing Freshfield where we have a quick view of a poster advertising the new trains - 777 010 is illustrated, any coincidence that 508 110 was the face of Merseyrail publicity for many years!?
1:30:46 - Deja Vu time as 138 and 004 again (with 138 leading) take us back to Liverpool
1:37:47 - My 1 stop to Lime Street was 508 111 so went to Hamilton Square to end the day!
Get them whilst you can folks, again 507 019 and 508 122 are due for withdrawal by 19th March. Others will follow as the 777s pick up diagrams so do make the trip if you haven't done yet!
Unit list in the comments