Locomotives performing unusual tasks

[al.currie93]

Hi people!

Apologies if this has already been discussed, I'm fairly new here :P

Saw the following videos yesterday so thought I'd share them and see if anyone else has seen or taken any videos, photographs, or actually witnessed other similar situations where locomotives perform tasks which you wouldn't associate with them:

Class 91 hauling a HST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odDwpfW44-U&list=PLCC2B4EA029E03FB4

Class 43 hauling a Mk 1 vehicle (barrier car maybe?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDFhlxWZN3s

Class 43 hauling an 8*Mk 3 rake on its own:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OniwKY8dAoU&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

 

[nathanclass323]

I saw a Voyager carry passengers once. I'm surprised that's allowed even

Though in all seriousness, I think there's been 168s that went to Shrewsbury occasionally while Wrexham and Shropshire were around.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Though in all seriousness, I think there's been 168s that went to Shrewsbury occasionally while Wrexham and Shropshire were around.

I believe a 168 may have ventured all the way to Wrexham once or twice, though it was more usual to start W&S services at Wembley Stadium or Banbury (using a Chiltern unit to shuttle the two lots of crew and passengers between Marylebone and Banbury). And I can only recall one occasion where W&S had a rail replacement coach leaving Marylebone, preferring instead to divert via the WCML after that.

Chiltern units have also been to New Street in passenger service as well (allegedly to the annoyance of Virgin) during a blockade.

 

[455driver]

Chiltern units have also been to New Street in passenger service as well (allegedly to the annoyance of Virgin) during a blockade.

Well lets be honest, it doesnt take much to upset Virmin trains does it!

 

[nathanclass323]

Well lets be honest, it doesnt take much to upset Virmin trains does it!

True but I'm certainly glad that they're still running the WCML and not WorstGroup. Though I think the SRA may be a better option for it.

 

[12CSVT]

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

 

[route:oxford]

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

If there isn't much wind during the coming winters, it may well happen again...

 

[al.currie93]

I saw a Voyager carry passengers once. I'm surprised that's allowed even

Haha! Fair point, I should have made it more clear :P meant things along the lines of the single class 43 within the HST formation, or the 91 hauling something other than its usual Mk 4 + DVT rake lol!

But to include things like the 168s venturing out of their usual operating area, I did once hear of a FGW 153 working (I think) the Portsmouth to Cardiff service normally done by 3 car 158s.

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

I think that just about wins it!

 

[delt1c]

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

There was also I believe a peak used for similair, a Blue Pullman power car at Bristol retained as a power unit
The origaonal LMS prototype shunter (1831) converted from a steam Jinty shunter then converted to a Mobile Power unit.

 

[RPM]

Chiltern units have also been to New Street in passenger service as well (allegedly to the annoyance of Virgin) during a blockade.

This is the one and only time I have driven a train into New St. Virgin couldn't have been that annoyed, because they provided the conductor driver!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/5856427861/

 

[WessexEclectic]

If there isn't much wind during the coming winters, it may well happen again...

It already is (nationalgrid.com). If the wind doesn't blow, money wil flow to anyone with a suitable generator, nevermind the premium paid compared to power from a regular power station. See here.

So perhaps some suitable traction could be connected to the 'grid and earn some cash for preservation societies...

 

[D365]

It already is (nationalgrid.com). If the wind doesn't blow, money will flow to anyone with a suitable generator, never mind the premium paid compared to power from a regular power station. See here.

So perhaps some suitable traction could be connected to the 'grid and earn some cash for preservation societies...

Grid on the Grid? [56]

 

[12CSVT]

So perhaps some suitable traction could be connected to the 'grid and earn some cash for preservation societies...

Or a novel way of load bank testing locos destined for a return to the main line (or preserved locos nearing the end of a lengthy overhaul).

 

[Will.C]

This is pretty unusual, those 59's have some power!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqXecQ9KZJE

 

[ex-railwayman]

To the OP, yes, I occasionally saw Class 50's hauling scheduled daily Freightliner trains between Birmingham Landor Street FLT and Nottingham (Beeston) FLT in the early 1980's, and as a shameful plug will point you in the direction of my flickr account to prove it.........

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59849121@N08/8720410283/

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[D7666]

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

It wasn't used as a generator as such - but as an exciter.

Relative to a power station generator a locomotives generator does nothing, pointless having it there, thats like trying to heat your house with an AA battery.

What happened at West Thurrock was one of the power station's generator's field exciter failed, and it happened that the main generator characteristics of a 47 matched that of the failed exciter. 47155 did of course generate electricity in this role, but not to be used as power to heat or light anything, but to allow the power station generator to do so.

This was not the first time a BR diesel loco found such a function, some time well before this a 45 (at least I think it was a 45 it could have been a 46) performed a similar exciter role at one of the smaller Trent area power station, IIRC it was Willington, but it might have been Castle Donnington, in 1960s.

--
Nick
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Saw the following videos yesterday so thought I'd share them and see if anyone else has seen or taken any videos, photographs, or actually witnessed other similar situations where locomotives perform tasks which you wouldn't associate with them:

[1] using a locomotive to haul rails - but not on wagons

- when they did LWR recovery off the Woodhead route west of Woodhead for re-use elsewhere, a single 37 on the by then part demolished route attached by chains to drag rails further westwards as demolition continued. In effect, the real last ever train over some section was this "train" removing rails behind itself.

[2] using a bunch of locos as anchors during recovery

- somewhere up a Welsh valley (Ebbw Vale line ???) a 37 derailed and rolled down a bank. It was recovered by literally pulling it up slope again by chains, but they had about half a dozen various locos positioned as stationary anchors to restrain the chains and track, and also fixed by chains. There are some pics of this in a contemporary Modern Railways - its not mentioned in the caption but you can easily see one of the anchor locos is actually D1200.

[3] MLVs to haul Mk.1 loco hauled passenger stock must count here

- see Six Bells Junction SEG "Vulcan Vantrain" ; I was the SEG train manager for this.

[4] and this - permit me to drift outside the UK into France -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montech_water_slope

specifically

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:France_-_Montech_-_Automotrices_de_la_pente_d'eau_-_2005-01-15.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Montech_fermeture.jpg


Those things are not locos even though thats what it says, but are dmu motor coaches from a (failed ??) export order adapted for this job. They don't exactly run on rails though, but are just about trains, and act as locos, one each side of the boat. Its in operation today. (This is not the same as the Panama canal locos - there they don't actually haul the ship through the locks, but guide it.)


--
Nick

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A class 37 and steel rope demolished the part wrecked Gwaun-Cae -Gurwen signal box - fatally damaged after a coal wagon bounced into it.(1973)

An 8F from Carnforth supplied steam to help decontaminate track circuits north of Preston after a major salt wagon leak (1997)

 

[breadfan]

I remember being on Preston station one cold night when we (the enthusiasts) got word that there was a runaway Class 104 on its way on a Carlisle-Blackburn foot-ex. Vacuum brake failure, or something. 47111, unlucky number is 111, was heading North into Preston light engine and was held just South of the Ribble to stop the runaway 104. All the passengers on the 104 were moved to the rear of the unit for the impact.

47111 was towed to Lostock Hall sidings before being scrapped. Lostock Hall shed's final moment of notoriety?

 

[Lrd]

I did once hear of a FGW 153 working (I think) the Portsmouth to Cardiff service normally done by 3 car 158s.

It wouldn't have got past Southampton Central as 153s are banned east of Southampton.

150s are a regular occurrence.

 

[High Dyke]

There's one that could out do all those mentioned above.

In 1976 a class 47 (minus its bogies) was hired to West Thurrock Power Station for use as a static generator.
EDIT : it was D1748 / 47155 for anyone interested.

If there isn't much wind during the coming winters, it may well happen again...

Not if it's a Colas Rail 47...they seem to keep blowing up / catching fire etc...

About 25 years ago i was spotting at Chesterfield when a solitary HST power car trundled through.

 

[Genocide]

I remember being on Preston station one cold night when we (the enthusiasts) got word that there was a runaway Class 104 on its way on a Carlisle-Blackburn foot-ex. Vacuum brake failure, or something. 47111, unlucky number is 111, was heading North into Preston light engine and was held just South of the Ribble to stop the runaway 104. All the passengers on the 104 were moved to the rear of the unit for the impact.

47111 was towed to Lostock Hall sidings before being scrapped. Lostock Hall shed's final moment of notoriety?

That's not quite how it happened. Driver didn't realise he'd no brake until attempting to drop to mandatory 35 through Preston. Questions have been raised about drivers concentration levels due to possible unauthorised individuals in cab.

474xx had failed in 3B - booked for a following splitter - 47111 was brought out of Ladywell to drop back into 3/4B awaiting the splitter and was on the bridge waiting for the dolly when the 104 over-ran the home on 4 and hit it.

 

[al.currie93]

It wouldn't have got past Southampton Central as 153s are banned east of Southampton.

150s are a regular occurrence.

Ahh, knew about the 150s but didn't know the 153s were banned ha! It may have been a service from Weymouth, I'll try to find the source I found
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Ahh, knew about the 150s but didn't know the 153s were banned ha! It may have been a service from Weymouth, I'll try to find the source I found

Found the source: http://www.miac.org.uk/class153.htm

It was actually 153370 on Southampton Central to Great Malvern and back again. I wonder what the overcrowding on that might have been like!

 

[D7666]

Ahh, knew about the 150s but didn't know the 153s were banned ha! It may have been a service from Weymouth, I'll try to find the source I found
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Found the source: http://www.miac.org.uk/class153.htm

It was actually 153370 on Southampton Central to Great Malvern and back again. I wonder what the overcrowding on that might have been like!

Why are 153s banned east of Southampton ?

155s were not banned, 155s used to work all Portsmouth Bristols, and 153s were converted from 155s.

So it can't be a loading gauge thing.

Is it because 153s are single units - and it is single unit operation that is not allowed ?

Or just that no-one has done the paperwork to allow them ?

--
Nick

 

[matchmaker]

ETHEL Class 97

http://www.derbysulzers.com/97250.html

When the LMR started using Mk3 sleepers on their services, it included those inter-regional workings that crossed into the Scottish Region, which was not a problem until the trains conveying the sleepers used routes that were not electrified and could not accomodate ETH equipped Class 47's due to their route availability. Principally this involved the sleeper service to Fort William, which in the early 1980's was in the hands of Eastfield's steam heat equipped Class 37's.

One remote option was to use the recently displaced Edinburgh - Glasgow Class 27/2's. However these locomotives were mechanically challenged after their years of gruelling service on the high speed Edinburgh - Glasgow shuttle. A number had already suffered serious fires and the separate Deutz engine/generator set used to power the coaches electrical needs would be inadequate for the heavier demands of the Mk3 sleepers. The option finally chosen was to equip a batch of Class 37's with electric train heating equipment. This however could not be accomplished overnight so a short term solution was taken in the conversion of a number of withdrawn Class 25's to operate as mobile ETH sources, relatively intact as a locomotive but unable to move under its own power.

 

[starrymarkb]

Why are 153s banned east of Southampton ?

155s were not banned, 155s used to work all Portsmouth Bristols, and 153s were converted from 155s.

So it can't be a loading gauge thing.

Is it because 153s are single units - and it is single unit operation that is not allowed ?

Or just that no-one has done the paperwork to allow them ?

--
Nick

I believe the steps on the new cab made contact with a platform (Portsmouth comes to mind but I'm not sure which one it was) - IIRC one did sneak though and lost its steps/took chunks out of a platform

 

[WestCountry]

Why are 153s banned east of Southampton ?
155s were not banned, 155s used to work all Portsmouth Bristols, and 153s were converted from 155s.
So it can't be a loading gauge thing.

It can be, and is. The cab-access steps on the bogie at the converted end need a bit more clearance than the originals.

 

[breadfan]

That's not quite how it happened. Driver didn't realise he'd no brake until attempting to drop to mandatory 35 through Preston. Questions have been raised about drivers concentration levels due to possible unauthorised individuals in cab.

474xx had failed in 3B - booked for a following splitter - 47111 was brought out of Ladywell to drop back into 3/4B awaiting the splitter and was on the bridge waiting for the dolly when the 104 over-ran the home on 4 and hit it.

I don't recall 47111 coming off Ladywell, I seem to remember it was heading North and we could see its lights but only knew which loco it was from rumour at the time. If it had of come off Ladywell to work a passenger train, I would have had a ticket for a run behind it.

I've since talked about this with a railway employee friend of mine who said that the driver of 47111 had to make a hasty exit from his cab as the 104 approached. But I remember being in the buffet on 3/4 and being told of the runaway train quite some time before it passed, so all the enthusiasts were gathered on the platform (which I think was platform 3) as the 104 passed. A short time after the discussion with my friend, another chap who was on the station that night came into the pub so I asked him of his recollection, which was the same as mine. He also reminded me that we knew an enthusiast from Blackburn who was on the 104 (he came onto the station after the crash, I recall) and he knew it was a runaway long before Preston.

 

[bronzeonion]

I take it the Class 104 handbrakes were not great?

 

[chorleyjeff]

I don't recall 47111 coming off Ladywell, I seem to remember it was heading North and we could see its lights but only knew which loco it was from rumour at the time. If it had of come off Ladywell to work a passenger train, I would have had a ticket for a run behind it.

I've since talked about this with a railway employee friend of mine who said that the driver of 47111 had to make a hasty exit from his cab as the 104 approached. But I remember being in the buffet on 3/4 and being told of the runaway train quite some time before it passed, so all the enthusiasts were gathered on the platform (which I think was platform 3) as the 104 passed. A short time after the discussion with my friend, another chap who was on the station that night came into the pub so I asked him of his recollection, which was the same as mine. He also reminded me that we knew an enthusiast from Blackburn who was on the 104 (he came onto the station after the crash, I recall) and he knew it was a runaway long before Preston.

See http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1184
for official report.
Brake problem came to light when the driver tried to slow for Preston station.

 

[D7666]

I believe the steps on the new cab made contact with a platform (Portsmouth comes to mind but I'm not sure which one it was) - IIRC one did sneak though and lost its steps/took chunks out of a platform

ok thanks

--
Nick