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Your favourite hybrid / combos / unusual mixed formations

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Snow1964

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Mine was 4-VEP + 4TC + class 33 locomotive in the 1970s

I am sure there was a period where there was a scheduled train from Waterloo to Salisbury that split in the evening peak, always operated from one of the centre platforms (9 ?) as it was 13 vehicles

I remember getting similar once at New Milton when a REP wasn’t available so the TC joined a VEP and 33/1 was on the back
 

Snow1964

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Was at City Thameslink one evening and a 319 came in Southbound towing a brand new unit, in slightly different livery, was one of the new later 319s with first class. Stopped half way along the platform waiting for a double amber. Presumably the driver didn’t fancy stopping on the incline to Blackfriars with a dead shoeless 319 in tow

Presumably Selhurst was easier to reach with EMU haulage via Thameslink tunnel, than taking a diesel hauled train a different delivery route (think it would have been about early 1990)
 

Bringback309s

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Was at City Thameslink one evening and a 319 came in Southbound towing a brand new unit, in slightly different livery, was one of the new later 319s with first class. Stopped half way along the platform waiting for a double amber. Presumably the driver didn’t fancy stopping on the incline to Blackfriars with a dead shoeless 319 in tow

Presumably Selhurst was easier to reach with EMU haulage via Thameslink tunnel, than taking a diesel hauled train a different delivery route (think it would have been about early 1990)
Yes, they "revised" the NSE livery whilst the 319s were being built - original livery of light grey, medium blue and sharp cornered up-sweeps were replaced by darker grey, darker blue and round cornered up-sweeps. Heres a good comparison: https://www.philt.org.uk/BR/BR-emu/i-s4xg4zc
 

norbitonflyer

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I am sure there was a period where there was a scheduled train from Waterloo to Salisbury that split in the evening peak, always operated from one of the centre platforms (9 ?) as it was 13 vehicles

There were two such workings every evening - both had a 33+TC on the front, for Salisbury and Yeovil respectively, with, respectively, a CEP/VEP or VEP/VEP behind for, I think, Eastleigh. The trains both divided at Basingstoke. The 33+TC for the second working of the evening was formed from the stock of the "Kenny Belle", which ran light from Clapham Junction after its second run.

Some time after regular 33/TC operation ended, I worked in an office overlooking the West London Line near West Brompton, and almost anything could turn up on the Kenny Belle - a pair of 73s with a TC, a pair of 73s with a pair of Mk 1s, 33+TC, a Hampshire diesel unit.....
 

Bikeman78

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Not sure if this has been mentioned before but 317s worked with 322s on rush hour Peterborough trains after the 322s were displaced off the Stansted Express. Back in 1999 a 317+322 pair made it to Norwich. I've not seen or heard of 317+321 pairs.
 

Whistler40145

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Has it ever been known for a 4TC or 8TC to work with a 33/1 on one end and a 73 on the other end paired in multiple?
 

Bringback309s

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Not sure if this has been mentioned before but 317s worked with 322s on rush hour Peterborough trains after the 322s were displaced off the Stansted Express. Back in 1999 a 317+322 pair made it to Norwich. I've not seen or heard of 317+321 pairs.
The 322 must win for being the EMU that has worked the most routes in its life!
 

JonathanH

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The 322 must win for being the EMU that has worked the most routes in its life!

Maybe, Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, Manchester Airport to London Euston, Edinburgh to North Berwick, Liverpool Street to Manningtree, Glasgow Central to Edinburgh / North Berwick, Leeds to Doncaster / Ilkley / Bradford / Skipton.

However, some of the original 317 fleet have operated all of the main London OHLE routes which is perhaps more route mileage - eg Moorgate / St Pancras to Bedford, London Euston to Northampton, Kings Cross to Kings Lynn / Cambridge / Peterborough, Liverpool Street to Enfield Town / Chingford / Hertford North / Stansted Airport / Cambridge, Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, Liverpool Street to Ipswich / Norwich
 

Bringback309s

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Maybe, Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, Manchester Airport to London Euston, Edinburgh to North Berwick, Liverpool Street to Manningtree, Glasgow Central to Edinburgh / North Berwick, Leeds to Doncaster / Ilkley / Bradford / Skipton.

However, some of the original 317 fleet have operated all of the main London OHLE routes which is perhaps more route mileage - eg Moorgate / St Pancras to Bedford, London Euston to Northampton, Kings Cross to Kings Lynn / Cambridge / Peterborough, Liverpool Street to Enfield Town / Chingford / Hertford North / Stansted Airport / Cambridge, Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, Liverpool Street to Ipswich / Norwich
The 322's also turned up on some Colchester - Walton / Clacton shuttles, I've a picture of one somewhere.
 

Strathclyder

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On the subject of 322s, near the end of their second spell with First ScotRail, one (no. 484) made it to Ayr in passenger service on a evening peak run (on 21st April 2010 to be precise). The Ayrshire Coast Line was still in the hands of 318s & 334s at that time; the 380s had yet to arrive. Images of it calling at & leaving Irvine linked here. Hardly a regular duty, but regardless, one more to add to the seemingly endless list of routes they've worked in passenger service since new lol
 

ginge8991

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On the subject of 322s, near the end of their second spell with First ScotRail, one (no. 484) made it to Ayr in passenger service on a evening peak run (on 21st April 2010 to be precise). The Ayrshire Coast Line was still in the hands of 318s & 334s at that time; the 380s had yet to arrive. Images of it calling at & leaving Irvine linked here. Hardly a regular duty, but regardless, one more to add to the seemingly endless list of routes they've worked in passenger service since new lol

Didn't they end up on Peterborough to Kings X services in the WAGN days also?
 

TB

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I'm guessing not, given the very short timescales of both classes working for the same TOC, but has there ever been a Turbostar/Pacer lash up?
 

61653 HTAFC

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I'm guessing not, given the very short timescales of both classes working for the same TOC, but has there ever been a Turbostar/Pacer lash up?
Although the couplers are compatible, there's some sort of electrical issue thrown up when they've tried to be coupled... so Northern haven't allowed it since they got the 170s.

One of the TPE 170s was involved in a fatality at Deighton in around 2009/10 and was apparently recovered using a Pacer that was stabled in Huddersfield sidings. I'm not aware of any other instances of the two types even trying to be worked together, though the knowledge of the electrical issue suggests that someone must have tried it!
 

anamyd

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Although the couplers are compatible, there's some sort of electrical issue thrown up when they've tried to be coupled... so Northern haven't allowed it since they got the 170s.

One of the TPE 170s was involved in a fatality at Deighton in around 2009/10 and was apparently recovered using a Pacer that was stabled in Huddersfield sidings. I'm not aware of any other instances of the two types even trying to be worked together, though the knowledge of the electrical issue suggests that someone must have tried it!
I think Pacer+170 combos can run ECS, but in "passenger service" mode there's some issue with doors opening themselves. When TfW got the 170s they were told not to couple them to Pacers under any circumstances. They did actually run a 150+170 but I think it was an ECS run.
 

PHILIPE

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I think Pacer+170 combos can run ECS, but in "passenger service" mode there's some issue with doors opening themselves. When TfW got the 170s they were told not to couple them to Pacers under any circumstances. They did actually run a 150+170 but I think it was an ECS run.

170s can work with any 15x units and since TFW have had an allocation have worked with 153s and do so all day and every day with WMT. Pacers as you say.
 

Bikeman78

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Maybe, Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, Manchester Airport to London Euston, Edinburgh to North Berwick, Liverpool Street to Manningtree, Glasgow Central to Edinburgh / North Berwick, Leeds to Doncaster / Ilkley / Bradford / Skipton.

However, some of the original 317 fleet have operated all of the main London OHLE routes which is perhaps more route mileage - eg Moorgate / St Pancras to Bedford, London Euston to Northampton, Kings Cross to Kings Lynn / Cambridge / Peterborough, Liverpool Street to Enfield Town / Chingford / Hertford North / Stansted Airport / Cambridge, Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, Liverpool Street to Ipswich / Norwich
You can add Braintree to this list. Also they go to Clacton for maintenance but, unless somone knows differently, they have never been there with passengers.

I've had 317342 out of King's Cross, Moorgate and Fenchurch Street. When I spotted this I made a point of having it out of Liverpool Street as well. I'm too young to remember them out of Euston.
 

Dr_Paul

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There were a lot of peculiar combinations on the Southern, as at one point practically all the electric units could work together. The 4 SUBs were the only ones remaining of the old electric stock, and they couldn't work with the more modern ones. I never saw a 4 REP with anything other TCs, although other people here have. When I first commuted up to Waterloo in the early 1970s, the different types of electric units tended to be kept apart, with all VEP formations, CIG-BIG-CIG formations, etc, but this gradually changed; I saw quite a few VEP-CIG formations, and I think I saw six-car formations made up of a 4 VEP and a 2 EPB or a 2 HAP when the latter came across to the South-Western sector, and I think that some 4 CEPs came across and worked mainly with 4 CIGs during the last years of the Mark 1 stock.

Was it possible for the 442 to couple to other stock? I've never seen a Porker coupled to anything but another one.

4 x 4 EPBs with 9 compartment trailers (instead of 10) that were built in the 1940s as composites but never ran as such)

I don't remember 4 EPBs with bigger compartments, although they did have them on a few 4 SUBs. They looked odd because not all the compartments were big, there were still two or three (I can't recall exactly) normal compartments in the carriage, making the carriage look a bit irregular.
 

Dr_Paul

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Some time after regular 33/TC operation ended, I worked in an office overlooking the West London Line near West Brompton, and almost anything could turn up on the Kenny Belle - a pair of 73s with a TC, a pair of 73s with a pair of Mk 1s, 33+TC, a Hampshire diesel unit.....

There was at one point in the mid-1980s when I was using the service a two-car Western Region DMU in use; unfortunately, I can't recall what class it was.
 

norbitonflyer

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There was at one point in the mid-1980s when I was using the service a two-car Western Region DMU in use; unfortunately, I can't recall what class it was.

Usually a class 117. It was when the service was first extended to Willesden Junction but before it was electrified. They worked empty up to Clapham Junction from Gatwick and back

Very briefly 455s ran the Kensington shuttle when it was electrified as far as North Pole for Eurostar empty stock workings.
 

Dr_Paul

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Usually a class 117. It was when the service was first extended to Willesden Junction but before it was electrified. They worked empty up to Clapham Junction from Gatwick and back.

That explains why, when it was running late, it would appear at platform 16 and we'd all have to leg it from platform 2 over the bridge or down the subway to the other side of the station. I assumed at the time that it had been stabled at Streatham Hill or Selhurst. I don't recall that it went up to Willesden Junction; I used the service during 1985-87, and I'm sure that it didn't venture further north than Olympia.
 

PHILIPE

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I think Pacer+170 combos can run ECS, but in "passenger service" mode there's some issue with doors opening themselves. When TfW got the 170s they were told not to couple them to Pacers under any circumstances. They did actually run a 150+170 but I think it was an ECS run.

Just out of interest and point proving, 1A91 1745 Glasgow Queen St to Aberdeen is currently formed 170450+158707
 

rdlover777

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Once a Class 376 rescued a 375 somewhere in London. Funnily, the doors couldn't all be opened at the same time, so the 376's doors were opened separately to the 375's. There's more information here.

This is a 23 coach Electrostar. I know it's technically not made of multiple types of train but I thought it was interesting enough to post here. One full-length set broke down so another full-length set was attached and pushed it, but only one of the individual units could actually push it (I guess they were only mechanically connected as the Mitrac system would probably have a fit).

if thats full length, how is it an odd number of coaches?
 

JohnElliott

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Was it possible for the 442 to couple to other stock? I've never seen a Porker coupled to anything but another one.

Yes - I've seen photos of a 442 and a VEP in multiple. But they couldn't run like that in service because the slammer wouldn't be able to control the 442's doors.
 

Melancholia

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I remember a few years back (2015 I believe), a FGW Blue livered Class 166 centre car was put inbetween a 2 car Dynamic Lines livered Class 165, running temporarily as a 3 car unit. Does anyone remember, and have any details about that, and perhaps even pictures?
 
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