• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Animals on the line stories

Status
Not open for further replies.

elementalpat

Member
Joined
7 Nov 2011
Messages
81
Apparently, there was a swan causing problems at Tottenham Hale today (rush hour too).

Wonder if anyone has stories about animal hold ups?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Rugd1022

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2010
Messages
565
Location
Rugby
Last year I had to report a 'trespassing' cow on the Midland Mainline, gave me quite a shock to see it stood there grazing away to it's heart's content, next to the Down Fast. Strange thing was, I don't recall ever seeing a field of cows anywhere nearby at the time!
 

W-on-Sea

Established Member
Joined
18 Dec 2009
Messages
1,333
Been on a train on the Southminster branch that was held up by sheep on the line.

Sent from my TI-99/A using Tapatalk
 

142094

Established Member
Joined
7 Nov 2009
Messages
8,789
Location
Newcastle
Swans can mistake wet tarmac and ballast/rails for a river, or get caught in the wires.

Not on the railway but there were goats on the A1 (M) today in Durham.
 

Zoe

Established Member
Joined
22 Aug 2008
Messages
5,905
In 1991 I was on an HST from King's Cross to Edinburgh north of Newcastle when the previous train hit a herd of cows that had walked onto the line. The HST I was on was significantly delayed and ended up having to reverse and use the down line to pass the scene.
 

johnnychips

Established Member
Joined
19 Nov 2011
Messages
3,675
Location
Sheffield
A sprinter is bouncing along when there was a big bang and the train stopped suddenly. The guard ran forward to the driver's cab, and came out a couple of minutes later and said,

'Sorry about that, but we've just hit a cow!'

One of the few passengers, a scatty middle-aged lady said,

'Oh dear, dear, was it on the tracks?'

' No madam, we had to chase it across a couple of fields and over a hedge, but we got the b****** in the end.'

I'll get me coat.
 

tempests1

Member
Joined
3 Aug 2010
Messages
239
Location
Haslemere
On a Class 56/33 railtour in 1995 going to Tower Colliery, our train was delayed on the branch by dozens of sheep they were looking back at the train as if to say what are you doing here!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There was a swan on the line between Egham and Virginia Water yesterday!

Happens lots on this route due to the high number of bridges that cross the River Thames at one stage the Feltham/Ascot MOM's were called out a few times a month. They have specially designed swan bags in there vans
 
Last edited:

Michael.Y

Established Member
Joined
14 Oct 2011
Messages
1,431
Have experienced emergency stops due to sheep on the line at Bodorgan, and also just outside Craven Arms, BOTH while I was serving hot drinks.....<(

And then of course, we actually hit one at Penmaenmawr. Minced the thing. There were entrails tangled in the manifold of the REAR carriage. No damage to the train mind.

WAG1 hit a flock of sheep south of Abergavenny once. According to a Salop steward colleague of mine, they were lying on the side of the track legs in the air-stylee.

Then there was the dead pheasant trapped magnificently in the front coupler of a refurbed 158 down Milford Haven. The thing had its head lolling out the front as if it was sunbathing.
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
Genuinely - Once had an Ostrich on the line on the East Suffolk.

And yes I did bury my head in the sand and hoped it would go away.
 

ChiefPlanner

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
7,768
Location
Herts
I thought I would get the sack for blocking the WCML one afternoon in around 1984/5 for a horse on the line at Polesworth, - cautioned in by the box to examine - and found a collar less horse running around all 4 tracks. Mindfull of Polmont etc, - I got involved and the crew and I put track circuit clips down on all 4 tracks and tried to round the horse up - easier said than done - after about 20 mins of hot chasing mad horse - we laid a trail of Golden Delicious apples up the bank to tempt said horse of the ROW - (supplied by the buffet car attendant) - horse ate them and went back on the line ! - broke the tool box open and used the emergency coil of rope and a suitcase strap to try and lassoo the horse - no joy ....luckily a local appeared on the parallel road - got the farmer who talked the (mad) horse off the line and into the field via the hole he had got through , clips taken off and signalman got the road back.

Massive delays to trains - and the log had a big entry about it - I checked the rule book and signalmans general instructions at home - told the Euston crew it was my decision to block the line and awaited retribution. Sensibly told my boss (who rang up the Regional Operations Manager - one Peter Rayner)

Never heard a word.

Years later , at a social gathering - spoke to Peter Rayner - who laughed - gave me his absolution on the matter - and said the only thing we did wrong was not tell the signalman - but in those days there was no NRN , mobile phones or signal post phones in sight - and in the "crises" time runs away with you.

Phew ...
 

elementalpat

Member
Joined
7 Nov 2011
Messages
81
Not sure if this story is true, but I remember hearing some delays caused by a lion somewhere in the north!

Probably a hoax, but I heard the story on the radio a while back.
 

driver9000

Established Member
Joined
13 Jan 2008
Messages
4,230
I ran into a flock of around 30 sheep, as soon as I saw them I threw the brake in but still ran quite a few of them over. As soon as my train came to a stand the NRN burst into life with an emergency call warning drivers of sheep on the line...
 

driver9000

Established Member
Joined
13 Jan 2008
Messages
4,230
Not sure if this story is true, but I remember hearing some delays caused by a lion somewhere in the north!

Probably a hoax, but I heard the story on the radio a while back.

It is true that there were reports of a Lion, I can't remember where - Yorkshire I think. I remember a station being closed because of it, not sure what the outcome was or if a Lion was found.

*Eagle beat me to it
 

dvboy

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
1,937
Location
Birmingham
Been held up by a cow on the line on the way into Derby in the past. The guard couldn't stop giggling as she told us.
 

321446

Member
Joined
15 Nov 2008
Messages
223
Location
Southend Stations
Had a small Terrier running about twixt Southend Vic & Prittlewell a while back. Bloody thing wouldn't let anyone near it, so no point blocking lines to chase it. Would just dart out of hedge yapping at the up road train, get bored, start sniffing about the four foot, trot off god knows where, so we'd all relax cos its buggered off, then it'd appear from underneath the next down road. Usually sumersaulting with the aerodynamic effect and another severe bout of yapping. Never got hold of it. Police knocked on all surrounding doors, nothing. We managed to block a hole in the fence we found, not been seen since. Broke up the monotony for a coupla weeks tho.
 

LE Greys

Established Member
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
5,389
Location
Hitchin
Swans can be interesting. We had one, for some reason, between Northallerton and Darlington a while back. I volunteered to shift it (they're only difficult to handle if they get annoyed, and go quiet if you cover their eyes) but was turned down. I remember a stag on the line story getting into the Press and Journal a while back. Just before the rut, and he was in a very foul mood, actually charging someone at one point.

As for the Lion, cue music>>>

Born Free,
To haunt an English county,
Not hunted for bounty,
But here to frighten Pacers away.
 

33056

Established Member
Joined
12 Nov 2007
Messages
2,414
Location
On a train somewhere in Europe
.....................(who rang up the Regional Operations Manager - one Peter Rayner)...............
Ah yes, one of life's gentlemen; could do with a few of his ilk running the railways these days.

Back in the days of real DMUs that you could see out the front of, I was on one that chased a small stupid dog up the hill towards Dingle Road on the Penarth line. It was running like mad down the four foot with the DMU grinding along in first gear behind it, every time the driver blew the horn it merely leapt into the air and carried on running straight along the track!
 

ChiefPlanner

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
7,768
Location
Herts
A Swansea Burrows sidings to Onllwyn load of empties in arond 1974 found a Flamingo on the line near Penscynor (having escaped from the wildlife park there) - stopped the job for a while , and made the TV news.

(not much happened in Sth Wales that day)
 

Dampflok

Member
Joined
22 Sep 2009
Messages
126
Location
Haddenham, Bucks
A few instances here:

1. Having arrived at the foot crossing near Kingsey to see the Wrexham trains due shortly, I found a southbound Chiltern turbo crawling along behind a cow (actually a bullock, I think)! 165 025 was the 14:12 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone train, here somewhat delayed at 15:53. The bullock then moved to the side of the track and the train was able to pass. Not knowing whether the signaller was aware of the situation, I phoned the BT Police to ask them to pass on the information. It seems the signaller was aware as all approaching trains were reduced to a crawl, and after a short while people appeared from local farms and Network Rail to try and get the animal off the track. Saturday 3rd May 2008.

2. BR Standard 5MT No. 73096 has the brakes hard on at Froxfield Lower Lock alongside the Kennet & Avon canal due to a large ram on the line! This had wandered along earlier and had nowhere to go when the train arrived going at full throttle on the climb to Savernake. Although the engine didn't hit, it was caught by one of the coaches and sustained injuries. The train ground to a standstill in a very short space, but resumed its journey after a minute or so. Saturday 8th November 2003.

3. Four feet in the four foot! This fox may not be wearing a Hi-Vixen vest but at least she is correctly facing oncoming traffic as she perhaps searches out her quarry at Ardley Quarry, north of Bicester. 16:12, Thursday 12th May 2011.

Cheers, Geoff
 

Attachments

  • GMP_IMGP4796_165025_Cow_Kingsey.jpg
    GMP_IMGP4796_165025_Cow_Kingsey.jpg
    568.1 KB · Views: 93
  • GMP_Slide32825_73096_Froxfield_081103.jpg
    GMP_Slide32825_73096_Froxfield_081103.jpg
    691 KB · Views: 85
  • GMPI8953_ChilternFox_ArdleyQuarry_120511.jpg
    GMPI8953_ChilternFox_ArdleyQuarry_120511.jpg
    778.9 KB · Views: 88

rdwarr

Member
Joined
2 Feb 2012
Messages
398
Location
Stevenage
On Thameslink the other day there was a tortoise on the line ahead of us. Fortunately it was going in the same direction so we never caught up with it.;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top