First North Western must be short of stock today. They announced that the 8:24 was running a Reginald Perrin-style 22 minutes late (Escaped puma at Heaton Chapel?), then when it finally turned up, instead of the usual class 323 electric, in rattled an ancient class 101 DMU.
Dating from 1958, these are just about the oldest trains on the network. They were supposed to have been withdrawn something like five years ago, but FNW’s latest trains, the shiny new class 175s, have failed to work as reliably as hoped. A dwindling number of ancient relics from a past age have to soldier on.
Could have been worse. Tonight I might have to travel home in one of the ghastly 4-wheeled class 142 “Nodding Donkeys”, a strong candidate for the worst trains ever built.
