Strangest Places you have come across trains

53703 · 10 Jun 2019

Matt_pool said:
Does the cut off cab of a 37 in the beer garden of The Alexandra Hotel pub in Derby count!?

I was just about to mention that one

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Cowley · 10 Jun 2019

sprinterguy said:
The class 47 that was stored there, on the site of Sinderby station, 47540, was moved to the Wensleydale Railway in 2009 but was subsequently stripped of parts and scrapped by T.J. Thomson's at Stockton in 2016. The carriages were relocated to Dalton airfield, near Thirsk, but I think have mostly been scrapped since then.

Personally, I was most surprised to encounter a Pullman carriage in use as holiday accommodation at the Little Mill Inn (pictured below), tucked away in the tiny Peak District village of Rowarth. The vehicle is in fact a Driving Motor Brake Parlour Third from the Brighton Belle, Car no.89 formerly of set 2051, and has been there for over forty years.

With regard to Pullman cars in unusual places, there were also for many years three Pullman cars, "Rosalind", "Padua" and "Sapphire" formerly used as part of the London - Dover Orient Express, on the seafront at Seaburn in Sunderland as part of the Pullman Lodge Hotel. They were removed in 2017 shortly before the complex was demolished, having been bought by the Folkstone Harbour Company and currently undergoing restoration at Barrow Hill prior to moving to Kent.

There was also a mark 1 carriage on the site, and just up the road you can still find two mark 1s and a BR suburban vehicle (Which houses the kitchen) on the seafront at South Shields, incorporated into the fabric of "The Rattler" bar. They've carried a range of liveries over the years, including a striking giraffe inspired scheme during the late nineties!

Another interesting place to house a Pullman carriage is Pecorama at Beer in Devon.
Not surprising in the sense that it’s a railway centre, more that that they were able to get it there through the local lanes.

hexagon789 · 10 Jun 2019

alexl92 said:
We travelled on this - there's two types, the longer distance ones that go across the island and the local ones that run through the streets. I knew about the long distance onces but didn't realise the tracks through the streets were still used on regular services until I nearly got myself squished!

Yeah and I think the Sóller one is orginal stock too. The longer-distance routes are a bit truncated from the original network.

sprinterguy · 10 Jun 2019

Cowley said:
Another interesting place to house a Pullman carriage is Pecorama at Beer in Devon.
Not surprising in the sense that it’s a railway centre, more that that they were able to get it there through the local lanes.

Having experienced the roads around Beer I think you've got a point there! Must have involved some interesting manoeuvres.

kristiang85 · 10 Jun 2019

I was once working in this dusty town called Kadoma in the middle of Zimbabwe, and one day I decided to go for a walk.

Out in the scrubland behind some overgrown trees, i found a couple of rusting old steam trains, I guess from the colonial days. One had a plaque "Beckett & Sons Ltd, 1926, No. 1705, Bristol". I'd love to know the history behind it.

Old Yard Dog · 10 Jun 2019

The Flying Scotsman at a service station on the M62. Can't remember which.

trebor79 · 10 Jun 2019

kristiang85 said:
Out in the scrubland behind some overgrown trees, i found a couple of rusting old steam trains, I guess from the colonial days. One had a plaque "Beckett & Sons Ltd, 1926, No. 1705, Bristol". I'd love to know the history behind it.

There's a bit of info here as a starting point:
https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/worksplate-peckett-sons-ltd-bristol-number-1705-da-2008nov-0164.html

SN1 19-5 · 10 Jun 2019

Today, I saw an 09/08 shunter on the back of a wagon heading South on the M5 near Cheltenham. It was DNR 6 I think.

Minutes later, a Red Arrow jet was heading the same way. Just behind that was a grey jet on a wagon. Quickly followed by (I think( a Chinnook helicopter.

I turned off the M5 to go into Cheltenham. Dunno if there was anymore odd loads heading South.

43096 · 10 Jun 2019

zuriblue said:
Similarly the first time I went to Chur I was walking through the City Centre and was passed by the Arosa train. I’d never seen a street running railway before and it came as a bit of a surprise.

I once saw a pair of electric locos on load 10 going up the street in Chur. Fantastic sight - think I have a photo somewhere of it at Chur Stadt. That’s a proper “bus stop move”!

Howardh · 10 Jun 2019

It's not unusual to see a train on rails (except on a Sunday in Northern Land) but when it's a temporary replacement for a bus service is it a railstitution?

Tom Scott explains all....

joncombe · 10 Jun 2019

Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Think it was once used for coal mining.

STEVIEBOY1 · 10 Jun 2019

Re Pullman cars mentioned above. There is one at Shepperton Station, it is connected to the Ian Allan firm which is located close by.

bobbyrail · 10 Jun 2019

alexl92 said:
Steam or diesel? What happened to it

Steamer as i remember, according to the article linked below it was only used at the soap works in Irlam, and not on the whole MSC line as i have always thought to be the case.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...news/steam-train-saved-from-scrapyard-1077607

Edit:
It's still on the A57 bypass for all to see, a little overgrown shrubbery around it but more than accessible, unfortunately it's been more decommissioned since it was in the park. Used to be able to turn all the handles and operate levers etc when in the park now most of it is welded up.

Ploughman · 10 Jun 2019

On the island of Cyprus in a mine on top of a mountain lived an old Hunslet diesel.
Well it was there back in 1981.

Cowley · 10 Jun 2019

Ploughman said:
On the island of Cyprus in a mine on top of a mountain lived an old Hunslet diesel.
Well it was there back in 1981.

That sounds like a great opening line for a book...

Crossover · 10 Jun 2019

A HST powercar on the M1 came as a bit of a surprise!
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hst-powercar-on-m1-10-12-18.174835/

randyrippley · 10 Jun 2019

not a train but.........a new A320 fuselage and tailplane heading down the M6 last week was interesting, presumably off the ferry from Belfast

TrainBoy98 · 11 Jun 2019

The Gardeners Arms pub in Lancing has a Mk 2 (iirc) semi built in to the back of the pub where you can sit for dining

Arrpi87 · 11 Jun 2019

53703 said:
I was just about to mention that oneView attachment 64283 View attachment 64284 View attachment 64283 View attachment 64284

If I had the money and know-how, I'd love to enclose the windows with a large screen and projector and find a way to hook up the controls to a PC interface and turn the whole thing into a simulator.

kristiang85 · 11 Jun 2019

kristiang85 said:
I was once working in this dusty town called Kadoma in the middle of Zimbabwe, and one day I decided to go for a walk.

Out in the scrubland behind some overgrown trees, i found a couple of rusting old steam trains, I guess from the colonial days. One had a plaque "Beckett & Sons Ltd, 1926, No. 1705, Bristol". I'd love to know the history behind it.

Oh thanks! Interesting. I'll use info in that to dig some more

adamello · 11 Jun 2019

trebor79 said:
There's a MK1 in the garden of a house at Sutton Bridge, near the green hydraulic accumulator tower. You can only get a glimpse of it in winter when there are no leaves on the trees, but even then it's difficult to spot. Looks to be in good nick.

that'll be this one right? https://www.google.com/maps/@52.765...4!1sOYnd1VtNhaLG5Pb1obMl-g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

trebor79 · 11 Jun 2019

That's the one!

xotGD · 11 Jun 2019

This device in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic...

phantomphish · 11 Jun 2019

In the mid-to-late 1990's I watched a Class 158 cross the Cob on the way into Porthmadog ...

Brush 4 · 12 Jun 2019

The Carriages Tea Room at Bellingham, Northumberland. This surprised me but, not in a good way. So far from home or indeed a railway. I don't know where the other half is but, it really needs to come home, painted Rail Blue with raised double arrow symbols and partnered with 33 111. Plenty of old Mk1 or 2 coaches around to replace them.

vlad · 12 Jun 2019

If we're talking about railway carriages there's the Spotgate Inn east of Stone. There are two Pullman dining cars hidden behind the pub still in regular use for dining.

Although the pub sign shows a level crossing gate with the red circle on (hence the name of the pub) as far as I know there has never been an actual railway within several miles of the place.

Parham Wood · 16 Jun 2019

This sighting is not a locomotive but rolling stock but I thought it might be interesting. Today whilst walking on Salisbury Plain (on public permitted tracks) I came across three rows of short and long wheel based (box) vans, about fifteen in total. I could not get close to see if they were on tracks as the location was the army training village near Tilshead. They obviously form part of the training environment there. It was just odd seeing them there with no rail line for miles and really in the middle of nowhere.

Alanko · 16 Jun 2019

Probably considered 'low hanging fruit' in the spotter world, but there is a small number of steam locos (shunter type) next to the railway line in Kirkcaldy. Probably once a common sight in scrapyards across Scotland.

Cowley · 16 Jun 2019

Alanko said:
Probably considered 'low hanging fruit' in the spotter world, but there is a small number of steam locos (shunter type) next to the railway line in Kirkcaldy. Probably once a common sight in scrapyards across Scotland.

In a similar ‘low hanging fruit’ vein, there’s some kind of industrial diesel shunter (maybe an ex Devonport one?) next to the road on the way into St Agnes, Cornwall on the old station site.
I was surprised to see it when passing one day, and having looked around the site since there’s some quite interesting stuff there....

Mag_seven · 16 Jun 2019

As a kid I remember seeing the steam loco that was outside Butlins at Ayr.

Strangest Places you have come across trains

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