I didn’t know they had that!! Rolling stock you didn’t know that company operated.

[E100]

Also, its probably quite well remembered, but Northern using class 37s with DRS coaches on the Cumbrian Coast line was a great example of strange rolling stock being used.

Arguably the pair of 68's that were used was even stranger as the DBSO was incompatible with the 68. IIRC two 68's on a two coach DRS branded train was quite the sight with a northern conductor.

I wonder, given Merseyrail's desire for more unelectrified expansions, if 3rd-rail/diesel bi-mode loco(s) would be of interest to them! Not sure how else they'd rescue a failed battery loco!

I presume with another battery equipped 777?

I think for me one of the strangest was an LNER(It may have been VTEC depending on the year) branded HST with full mk3 set with one LNER branded coach with the older style seats in them. I'd been on several east coast HST's by that point but never one with the old seating that was on the East Coast Main Line.

In the same vein, the partly hired in HST set that ran for a while with a hodgepodge of EMR and VTEC/LNER Mk3's and power cars depending on the day. Made it up to Edinburgh IIRC.

 

[Class15]

Has anyone mentioned the GBRf Class 87?

 

[generalnerd]

Class 170s ran out of London with Midland Mainline and Hull Trains in the early years before 222s came along was a surprise to me. This was more especially surprising with Hull Trains, given the 125mph potential for most of the route.

I don’t think they had lots of money, it was an open access for a small city, why invest big when you don’t know it will pay off.

 

[Taunton]

Going back in time ...

GWR (the proper one) bought three French designed and built 4-4-2 4-cylinder compounds, which actually lasted for a full life, mainly based at Oxford.

 

[Towers]

Going back in time ...

GWR (the proper one) bought three French designed and built 4-4-2 4-cylinder compounds, which actually lasted for a full life, mainly based at Oxford.

What on earth was their reason for buying locos from France?!

 

[Prime586]

You don't say! Thanks for the shout, and the pictures!
I wonder what they're using now

Merseyrail don't have any of their own maintenance or sandite units now. Network Rail are contracted for deicing trains using their MPVs. Network Rail's Class 73s were also occasional visitors after Merseyrail disposed of theirs, hauling the track recording train (as they were allowed to run through the tunnels off the third rail).

Brilliant! What were the 501s used for?

As mentioned, they were converted to Class 936s for the application of Sandite. They were visible in the picture of the line of Merseyrail Class 73s I posted, as in the later years they operated with one of the converted Class 73/9s sandwiched between them:

 

[Whisky Papa]

Lack of more suitable diesel units to directly strengthen weekday services in the TfGM area saw three units employed on two Hazel Grove/Man Vic - Blackpool North diagrams for a couple of years, until the ex-LM class 150s were released following the late introduction of 172s in the West Midlands.

There were two diagrams*, I think NH801 and 802 (one diagram was on Hazel Grove - Preston services, the other Manchester Victoria - Blackpool North) and as far as I am aware, only two units - I'd be puzzled as to why a third unit did not have a 'SPARE' diagram allocated? If a unit was unserviceable on the day, other trains would be short-formed to cover, the same as the 769s now. As these workings required 2x156 (at least for the peak journeys) this was a definite pain. They also required replacement on Saturdays when the 180s were not used - I believe this reflected the crew arrangements, but I can't recall the details now - which reduced the number of spare units of other classes for strengthening for special events, football, etc.

I was briefly involved with delivery and training paths in summer of 2008 prior to their introduction in the December timetable, which required an increase in Northern's unit requirement, partly on the back of changes necessitated by the Pendolino introduction. I'm not sure how exactly long they lasted, but I recall travelling on one in late May 2011 between Poulton-le-fylde and Preston.

Edit: * initially. I guess this could have changed later, as I'd left the planning department by then, but I did keep in touch and don't recall being told a third unit had been brought in.

 

[adc82140]

On January 1st 2006, we continued from Didcot Parkway to Oxford (coming from Plymouth) on the 16:31 which naturally I expected one of the 'old Thames Trains' only to find a Class 180 actually operated that. How delighted I was.

If I've gone off topic I apologise.

I'd completely forgotten that First Great Western Link (which was the successor to Thames Trains, so a distinctly separate TOC to FGW) ran some of the 180s for a while. Whether FGW crew operated them or whether it was FGWL I'm not sure. It was all a bit of a holding pattern anyway prior to the establishment of the Greater Western combined franchise.

 

[dosxuk]

Didn't GNER have some class 321's And some class 373's at some point

Seeing a Eurostar liveried* 373 turn up and realising it actually was your Peterborough to Doncaster train always brought on a "I didn't know GNER had these".

* The non-GNER branded NOL sets didn't have Eurostar logos, but were otherwise in the full livery

 

[D6130]

Trans Pennine use of Mark 3s. Blink and you've missed it.

When did TPE use Mark 3s?

Arriva Trains Northern's use of top and tail 37s with mark 2 air-con stock on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line in 2003-2005....with fill-in turns on morning and evening peak services on the Harrogate loop.

 

[_toommm_]

When did TPE use Mark 3s?

It was planned for IIRC two diagrams a day, but there was a lot of (rightful) furore about accessibility, and TPE only paying for a taxi if two back to back services were formed of MK3 coaches.

In the end, they just operated a return Manchester Piccadilly to Airport service on NYE 2017:

Transpennine Express decide not to use MK3's on limited services

So for the short term run the trains with locos that are compatible then. As I said, don't gild the lily, just increase capacity NOW. If the franchises have mismanaged their rolling stock procurement then that is their problem. I would say hire in locos and drivers if needed (or train up...

www.railforums.co.uk

Manchester Piccadilly DSC00270-1

68030 waits to leave with the 20:38 to Manchester Airport this service was Trans Pennine answer to a contract commitment to run a Loco hauled train before the end of 2017

www.flickr.com

 

[D6130]

It was planned for IIRC two diagrams a day, but there was a lot of (rightful) furore about accessibility, and TPE only paying for a taxi if two back to back services were formed of MK3 coaches.

In the end, they just operated a return Manchester Piccadilly to Airport service on NYE 2017:

Transpennine Express decide not to use MK3's on limited services

So for the short term run the trains with locos that are compatible then. As I said, don't gild the lily, just increase capacity NOW. If the franchises have mismanaged their rolling stock procurement then that is their problem. I would say hire in locos and drivers if needed (or train up...

www.railforums.co.uk

Manchester Piccadilly DSC00270-1

68030 waits to leave with the 20:38 to Manchester Airport this service was Trans Pennine answer to a contract commitment to run a Loco hauled train before the end of 2017

www.flickr.com

Thanks. I'd completely forgotten about that!

 

[Taunton]

What on earth was their reason for buying locos from France?!

Churchward, GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer, was just interested to see how the locos would compare to his own. Described here:

GWR 102 La France - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[generalnerd]

It was planned for IIRC two diagrams a day, but there was a lot of (rightful) furore about accessibility, and TPE only paying for a taxi if two back to back services were formed of MK3 coaches.

In the end, they just operated a return Manchester Piccadilly to Airport service on NYE 2017:

Transpennine Express decide not to use MK3's on limited services

So for the short term run the trains with locos that are compatible then. As I said, don't gild the lily, just increase capacity NOW. If the franchises have mismanaged their rolling stock procurement then that is their problem. I would say hire in locos and drivers if needed (or train up...

www.railforums.co.uk

Manchester Piccadilly DSC00270-1

68030 waits to leave with the 20:38 to Manchester Airport this service was Trans Pennine answer to a contract commitment to run a Loco hauled train before the end of 2017

www.flickr.com

I wonder what is so attractive about loco hauled stock for them (especially on the Scarborough services)

 

[Sun Chariot]

How bizarre! That's certainly news to me!

Further to Peter's and Prime586's shots:
Here is info and some photos, on RMWeb thread, of the more southerly 501 conversions, into battery locomotives to use in OHLE tunnel maintenance.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/160595-977-ex-class-501-battery-locomotive/

 

[Davester50]

1986 and Scotrail running Pacers to Bathgate.

Merseyrail don't have any of their own maintenance or sandite units now. Network Rail are contracted for deicing trains using their MPVs. Network Rail's Class 73s were also occasional visitors after Merseyrail disposed of theirs, hauling the track recording train (as they were allowed to run through the tunnels off the third rail).

Don't NWR own the infrastructure, so not really "contracted", rather maintaining their track for Merseyrail and other TOCs to run on?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Mid 1992, I was with a guided visit into WN. We'd alighted at Stonebridge Park and, upon entering the railway's property, I saw two of Stagecoach Rail's short-lived Mk 2 seated stock for Anglo-Scottish sleeper services.
35mm photo in loft - so here is info on Kent Rail and RMWeb:

Stagecoach Rail Sleeper

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/33200-1992-stagecoach-rail-mk2-sleeper-service-carriages/

 

[jus363]

03179 Use to be owned by First Capital Connect for shunting at Hornsey.

 

[CW2]

86101 and a rake of air cons working Doncaster - Kings Cross for Hull Trains.

 

[Iskra]

86101 and a rake of air cons working Doncaster - Kings Cross for Hull Trains.

Hull Trains HST too. Their 170's seem a very distant memory also.




GNER Class 89 (and subsequent franchises) Class 90 too are easy to overlook.

The modern Caledonian Sleeper franchise has used quite a few older classes randomly including Class 37, 47, 86, 87 and 90.

Virgin Trains Class 158's and 55 were pretty niche.

First Class Western 322's for London Euston services.

 

[Russel]

The Arriva Trains Wales class 121 bubble car, used on the Cardiff Bay shuttle, sadly, I visited Cardiff twice in around 2007/2008 to ride it, but both times it was broken.

I remember being told by an ATW guard that it was often out of service as the newer drivers who weren't used to driving trains with manual gears kept breaking it... No idea how true this is though!

 

[Sun Chariot]

03179 Use to be owned by First Capital Connect for shunting at Hornsey.

Indeed - post #8 covers it, with linked info.

 

[12LDA28C]

I remember being told by an ATW guard that it was often out of service as the newer drivers who weren't used to driving trains with manual gears kept breaking it... No idea how true this is though!

This seems rather unlikely as they would have been trained the correct way to drive the ‘bubble car’ and warned of, for example, the likely outcome of attempting to change gear without shutting off the throttle and waiting for the revs to drop.

 

[Tilting007]

Southern used 350s for a while. While dual voltage 377/2’s went to TL awaiting the 387’s, LM loaned a few to SN. Didn’t really appreciate what that was all about at the time. Would have enjoyed seeing that.

Those were driven by EWS drivers…

 

[sad1e]

Lts rail / c2c class 317's they only ran for a short while before the 357's were introduced

also c2c class 387/3's

 

[themiller]

Also, its probably quite well remembered, but Northern using class 37s with DRS coaches on the Cumbrian Coast line was a great example of strange rolling stock being used.

Not to mention the class 57s tnt mk3s(?) on the Maryport - Workington shuttles after the floods which cut off roads from the north into town.

 

[JKF]

During my wilderness years where I stopped paying that much attention to railways I was somewhat surprised to see a Deltic in Porterbrook livery running light engine through Camden while down in the capital for a gig. One of those ‘what did I just see?’ moments.

 

[trainswitheddy]

Virgin XC operated a deltic for a brief while...

 

[Sun Chariot]

Virgin XC operated a deltic for a brief while...

Yes, D9000 Royal Scots Grey made for an incongruous sight: green loco, Virgin red/black Mk2s; especially on the third rail leg, down the Kent Coast.
I took photos of it: at St Mary Cray, at Kenny O & at Hanwell.

 

[generalnerd]

Yes, D9000 Royal Scots Grey made for an incongruous sight: green loco, Virgin red/black Mk2s; especially on the third rail leg, down the Kent Coast.
I took photos of it: at St Mary Cray, at Kenny O & at Hanwell.

That would be bizzare