Omnidekkalover
Member
Remember back in the days of East Midlands trains I ended up on a meridian between derby and Stoke in place of a 15x unit.
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Most unusual/unexpected unit allocation you’ve been on?
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Tetragon213
Member
Class 150s on the Merthyr/Aberdare/Treherbert lines for well over a year after the wires went up...
MadMac
Established Member
Long time ago, I was travelling from Edinburgh Waverley to Uddingston when a platform alteration was announced that it would now depart from Platform 21 (now 8) where a Class 47 with Mark 3 coaches rolled in in lieu of the expected Class 107 DMU! The DMU had failed and the coaches were running empty to Polmadie, so someone showed some initiative and commandeered them to operate the service as far as Cambuslang where anyone heading to Glasgow could change to an Argyle Line service.
I've seen and been on various interesting allocations with East Midlands
A 222 on a London to Sheffield via Nottingham (swapped for HST onwards to Leeds), which was weird calling at the Erewash stations!
A pair of ex Anglian 156s on Corby Kettering shuttles for a whole morning vice 222
1P99 (Derby to Kettering via Corby) and 1F56 (Kettering to Sheffield) throwing up a pair of 156s vice 222, and I believe even a 170 has worked it before!
1F75 (20:02 off St Pancras) starting at Leicester but with 170533!
More recently a 222 on a Notts to Leicester stopper vice 170, which post-pandemic doesn't usually happen
(edit: I say this then find out it's happened again tonight!)
Realtime Trains | 2L87 2141 Leicester to Nottingham | 17/05/2025
Real-time train running information for 2L87 2141 departure from Leicester to Nottingham on 17/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Although not quite the criteria I also travelled on 1C99 one Saturday evening, which is usually Sheffield to Derby via the Erewash. However for this particular day it called at Alfreton, Langley Mill, Ilkeston and Long Eaton!! It's the only service I've ever seen the Erewash line connected to Derby!
Elsewhere I've also had 150127 on Northern's once a day Leeds to Nottingham via Derby service, which no longer runs
A Northern 155 to Nottingham a good few years ago also
Crosscountry have occasionally turned a Notts to Leicester ECS move into a passenger train in place of a cancelled EMR service as well, another thing to happen tonight!
Realtime Trains | 1Z85 2335 Nottingham to Leicester | 17/05/2025
Real-time train running information for 1Z85 2335 departure from Nottingham to Leicester on 17/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
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Further afield I was also surprised when I was waiting for my TfW service at Birmingham New Street and a 175 had shown up!
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I have not personally been on all of these but i can think of quite a few different rare allocations that have happened over the years.
• 150 (GWR) on a Exeter Saint Davids to Reading
• 150 (SL) on a London Euston to Northampton
• 150 (SL) on a Clapham Junction to Stratford
• 150 (SL) on a Richmond to Stratford
• 150 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 153 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 156 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 170 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 170 (SWT) on a London Waterloo to Penzance
• 170 (XC) on a Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads
• 170 (XC) on a Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly
• 172 (LO) on a Clapham Junction to Stratford
• 172 (LO) on a Richmond to Stratford
• 171 (SN) on a London Bridge to East Grinstead
• 313 (SN) on a Brighton to Southampton Central
• 313 (SL) on a London Euston to Northampton
• 332 (HX) on a Heathrow Connect
• 360 (HC) on a Heathrow Express
• 380 (VT) on a Glasgow Central to Carlisle
• 455 (SN) on a London Victoria to Brighton
• 456 (SN) on a London Victoria to Brighton
• 707 (SWR) on a London Waterloo to Southampton Central
None of these were booked so they were all last minute allocation changes that resulted in units working services that they do not normally work.
• 150 (GWR) on a Exeter Saint Davids to Reading
• 150 (SL) on a London Euston to Northampton
• 150 (SL) on a Clapham Junction to Stratford
• 150 (SL) on a Richmond to Stratford
• 150 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 153 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 156 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 170 (ONE) on a London Liverpool Street to Norwich
• 170 (SWT) on a London Waterloo to Penzance
• 170 (XC) on a Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads
• 170 (XC) on a Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly
• 172 (LO) on a Clapham Junction to Stratford
• 172 (LO) on a Richmond to Stratford
• 171 (SN) on a London Bridge to East Grinstead
• 313 (SN) on a Brighton to Southampton Central
• 313 (SL) on a London Euston to Northampton
• 332 (HX) on a Heathrow Connect
• 360 (HC) on a Heathrow Express
• 380 (VT) on a Glasgow Central to Carlisle
• 455 (SN) on a London Victoria to Brighton
• 456 (SN) on a London Victoria to Brighton
• 707 (SWR) on a London Waterloo to Southampton Central
None of these were booked so they were all last minute allocation changes that resulted in units working services that they do not normally work.
Halish Railway
Established Member
Over 10 years ago I had a 150 on a Leeds to Ilkley service in place of a 333. I did also once see a 150 on a Bradford to Skipton working, again vice a 333, pictured below.
The most unpleasant surprise would have to be a 144 in place of a 195 on a Lincoln to Leeds service. When waiting for it at Sheffield I initially thought that a stopper had accidentally been put into the platform I was waiting on.
The most unpleasant surprise would have to be a 144 in place of a 195 on a Lincoln to Leeds service. When waiting for it at Sheffield I initially thought that a stopper had accidentally been put into the platform I was waiting on.
I’ve had this before from New Street to International, but with the preceding LNWR service to Euston cancelled back when they called at Marston Green, so I unexpectedly bagged a clear run, passing through Marston Green at close to 100 mph.
It was always interesting having a 185 vice 350 on Manchester to Scotland services
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Impressive!
WirralLine
Member
A London Midland 323 subbing for a 350 on a Birmingham to Liverpool for me. If i remember rightly it was 323210 in the summer of 2013.
Iskra
Established Member
A Northern 144 on a Nottingham-Leeds semi-fast working (cancelled South of Sheffield I believe), that then did the Kirkgate-Westgate chord and the Wakefield Westgate through line before heading to Leeds via Outwood.
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Mcr Warrior
Veteran Member
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- 15,048
Class 37 hauled passenger service on the Cumbrian Coast line between Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness in the mid / late 2010s. Was expecting a dreaded Class 142 Pacer or similar. Had to check with the guard that I wasn't boarding an excursion train.
Class15
Established Member
Good grief! Very glad that doesn’t happen anymore!
Class 317s Kings Cross-Leeds and Liverpool Street-Norwich.
Class 313s to/from Cambridge.
Going back to BR days, various DMU types on the Cambridge-Royston shuttle, including Derby Heavyweight 2 car (class 114) and class 150/1. Also a Swindon cross country DMU (class 120) and a class 302 EMU Cambridge-Liverpool Street.
Class 313s to/from Cambridge.
Going back to BR days, various DMU types on the Cambridge-Royston shuttle, including Derby Heavyweight 2 car (class 114) and class 150/1. Also a Swindon cross country DMU (class 120) and a class 302 EMU Cambridge-Liverpool Street.
Iskra
Established Member
Wasn’t that Class 321?
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Waiting at maidenhead for a London bound train many years ago, something that looked not at all like a 117 came into view. It was a 128 (there was a 117 coupled behind - I didn't have to pretend to be a parcel!)
bramling
Veteran Member
Not going to win any prizes, but the GN 313s very occasionally strayed beyond their usual services during severe disruption.
A 313 worked a Stevenage to Cambridge shuttle service on the day of the Hatfield derailment.
And once I had 6/313 on a morning peak Royston to King’s Cross fast service on a day where there was disruption. Presumably this either assisted with balancing with stock, or they had a driver but not the right type of shock and the 313 were available so were used.
SteelWeelApeal
Member
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- Messages
- 298
Class 166 turbo Didcot to Bristol Parkway. Also Crosscountry HST Temple Meads to Swindon. Both because of the cracking issues on the IETs.
I wasnt fortunate to have been on the pacer that famously substituted an HST on a Temple Meads to Paddington service (it got as far as Swindon), but I was once waiting for a Cross Country Voyager at Taunton, heading south, when we were surprised to find a 153 showing up in its place.
DustyBin
Established Member
Both IIRC.
Although I didn’t travel on it, back in Northern Spirit days I saw a class 144 pass through Dinsdale. Totally out of place, especially in WYPTE livery!
150 vice HST between Swindon and Bristol Parkway (Severn Tunnel collision day)
Both class 317s and class 321s. The class 321s were relatively common to Norwich, they had a booked working for many years.
Thinking again about EMUs to Norwich the Clacton class 309s can also be added, they did a few summer Saturday trains just after electrification.
aliceh
Member
A few years back I was on a SWR 158 doing the stopper from Brockenhurst to Bournemouth after the line flooded at Sway and the spicy rail was switched off. It was pulled off the Lymington branch and ran wrong line the whole way.
There were class 313s to Cambridge after both Hatfield and Potters Bar, and for quite a few days. A handful of units had their shoes removed to work the stopping trains because they were out of gauge north of Royston.
I remember these too. Non stop on the fast line, I think from Knebworth or Welwyn North.
SimplyLlama
Member
Similar to this I remember a class 150 or similar on wharfedale line services around when a tree fell in what I think was about 2017/18.
If we are including units hired in then there are a bunch of other unusual allocations that have happened:
• 350s on East Croydon to Milton Keynes Central services. For about a year Southern hired in 350s to work these services.
• 357s on London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria services. For a couple months One hired in 357s to work these services.
• 375s on London to Brighton and London Bognor Regis and London to Littlehampton services. Southern hired in three 375/9s (905 and 921 and 924) for a couple months. They stayed as a fixed twelve coach formation that spent all day doing mostly London to Brighton return workings plus one return London to Bognor Regis peak hour working and one return London to Littlehampton peak hour working.
• 458s on Gatwick Express services. In the early 2000s they hired in two 458s (001 and 002) as the 460s were experiencing reliability issues. It only lasted a couple months and i think they only actually got used on a couple occassions.
These were all technically booked workings (rather than one off unplanned ones) for the period while these were hired in but were still very unusual allocations to see on these services.
• 350s on East Croydon to Milton Keynes Central services. For about a year Southern hired in 350s to work these services.
• 357s on London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria services. For a couple months One hired in 357s to work these services.
• 375s on London to Brighton and London Bognor Regis and London to Littlehampton services. Southern hired in three 375/9s (905 and 921 and 924) for a couple months. They stayed as a fixed twelve coach formation that spent all day doing mostly London to Brighton return workings plus one return London to Bognor Regis peak hour working and one return London to Littlehampton peak hour working.
• 458s on Gatwick Express services. In the early 2000s they hired in two 458s (001 and 002) as the 460s were experiencing reliability issues. It only lasted a couple months and i think they only actually got used on a couple occassions.
These were all technically booked workings (rather than one off unplanned ones) for the period while these were hired in but were still very unusual allocations to see on these services.
On the afternoon of the day of after the Clapham Junction accident in 1988 I travelled from Clapham Junction to Wimbledon (via Balham) in a Gatwick Express set (class 73 + Mk2s + converted 2-HAP driving vehicle).
I didn't travel on this one, but sometime in the late 1980s I saw the preserved Hastings d.m.u. working the Kensington Olympia shuttle.
I didn't travel on this one, but sometime in the late 1980s I saw the preserved Hastings d.m.u. working the Kensington Olympia shuttle.
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Sun Chariot
Established Member
For GWR150 (1985) events, I rode a 210 (002, I think) from Paddington to Old Oak Common for the depot open day there.
I traveled on a 455 operating a service from Victoria to Brighton mentioned further up the thread. I also went from Brighton to Hove on a shuttle operated by a 319.
I was a commuter from East Grinstead in the first days of the electric service in 1987 and various combinations of CEG/CIG/EPB/VEP stock would turn up. One morning soon after the Great Storm of October 1987 I found I had traveled to work on something that called itself a 4-VIG: I think it was a mixture of 4-CIG driving trailers with a 4-VEP motor and trailer in between.
I was a commuter from East Grinstead in the first days of the electric service in 1987 and various combinations of CEG/CIG/EPB/VEP stock would turn up. One morning soon after the Great Storm of October 1987 I found I had traveled to work on something that called itself a 4-VIG: I think it was a mixture of 4-CIG driving trailers with a 4-VEP motor and trailer in between.
LittleRedTrain
Member
Didn't travel on it but saw it while I was waiting for my train to work:
Back in SWT days, a 444+450 combo working one of the Farnham-Waterloo via Ascot peak diagrams, with the 444 leading.
This was before the Desiros had proper SDO, so the 444 would have had to be 'local door only' for the short platforms at Frimley and only the 444 could have been opened on the then 8-car platforms along the rest of that route.
Anyone who'd boarded the 450 at Farnham or Aldershot would probably have ended up with a nice peaceful ride all the way up to Waterloo.
Back in SWT days, a 444+450 combo working one of the Farnham-Waterloo via Ascot peak diagrams, with the 444 leading.
This was before the Desiros had proper SDO, so the 444 would have had to be 'local door only' for the short platforms at Frimley and only the 444 could have been opened on the then 8-car platforms along the rest of that route.
Anyone who'd boarded the 450 at Farnham or Aldershot would probably have ended up with a nice peaceful ride all the way up to Waterloo.