Normal Train failed, funny replacement

[168lover]

Just wandering if anybody has had experiences where either the normal train that is supposed to run the service breaks down or is out for maintenance and a funny/very different train runs the service instead. I'll start by this morning my normal train to School from High Wycombe to Gerrards Cross is a 5 coach 165 consist (2+3) But today a 165 was out of service(probably away at Wolverton being refurbished) so the service ran with 168219 and 165033 bolted on the front. It was quite different seeing a 168 in platform 1 at Wycombe and working a stopper.

 

[PHILIPE]

Just wandering if anybody has had experiences where either the normal train that is supposed to run the service breaks down or is out for maintenance and a funny/very different train runs the service instead. I'll start by this morning my normal train to School from High Wycombe to Gerrards Cross is a 5 coach 165 consist (2+3) But today a 165 was out of service(probably away at Wolverton being refurbished) so the service ran with 168219 and 165033 bolted on the front. It was quite different seeing a 168 in platform 1 at Wycombe and working a stopper.

Hardly funny. Just one class replacing another. Happens all the time.

 

[DelayRepay]

If they had borrowed the Flying Scotsman from the National Railway Museum, that would have been funnier.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Night Riviera Sleeper set has been used (with the sleeping coaches locked OOU) in substitute for HSTs and 165/166 before.

Very unfunny is an HST replaced by a 165 or 166.

 

[yorksrob]

The kettle and mk1 which stood in for the Whitby - Middlesbrough service a couple of years ago must be up there !

 

[Mvann]

There have been a couple of kettles on rail tours that have ended up taking passengers as well for delayed/failed services.

 

[randyrippley]

they've got class 37's pulling coaches on the Furness line at the moment, now thats really funny given the age of the locos

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Night Riviera Sleeper set has been used (with the sleeping coaches locked OOU) in substitute for HSTs and 165/166 before.

Very unfunny is an HST replaced by a 165 or 166.

143s have subbed for HSTs between Bristol and Swindon a few times, but pax then transferred to other services at Swindon to avoid clogging up the mainline with a 75mph glorified speedlink van!

 

[tsr]

455s to Gatwick and Brighton are always odd, and frankly uncomfortable really.

I've heard of a 153 being put in place of a failed loco-hauled set to Great Yarmouth, which IIRC it was on JourneyCheck as 1 coach vice 10!

Seeing 377s a couple of times a day at Guildford is planned but somehow looks bizarre.

 

[dk1]

I've heard of a 153 being put in place of a failed loco-hauled set to Great Yarmouth, which IIRC it was on JourneyCheck as 1 coach vice 10!

Just goes to prove what a waste of time some of the through trains where on Summer Saturday's, especially the 12:30 Lst-Gym. Mainly carried fresh air & returned ECS.

 

[sprinterguy]

The "Pacer Replacers" that operated over the Durham Coast and Tyne Valley lines at the end of the eighties, in response to the woeful reliability of the new 143s, proved popular with the enthusiast crowd, turning out 31s and 47s on three mark 1s.

It always seems a bit peculiar to me when a pair of 170s get an outing to Manchester (and, even more occasionally, all the way back through to Bristol Parkway) in place of an unavailable Voyager.

Around the turn of the millennium, it caused me some surprise when a full West Coast mark 3 rake would turn up at Newcastle, complete with DVT tucked behind the 47, working summer dated trains through to Paignton: That was a booked working, though, rather than a substitution.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

they've got class 37's pulling coaches on the Furness line at the moment, now thats really funny given the age of the locos

To be fair, the DRS 37/4s have been stripped back to the bare frames and rebuilt; as thorough a refurbishment as it is possible to give.

 

[Bletchleyite]

143s have subbed for HSTs between Bristol and Swindon a few times, but pax then transferred to other services at Swindon to avoid clogging up the mainline with a 75mph glorified speedlink van!

They're banned east of Reading, though I forget the reason.

 

[racklam]

They're banned east of Reading, though I forget the reason.

Wouldn't want them getting too near London...

 

[Parallel]

They're banned east of Reading, though I forget the reason.

Are they? I thought they were cleared to Paddington!

--

I've seen a 153 having replaced a HST between Cheltenham Spa and Swindon before!

 

[RepTCTC]

Back in the late 80s, I was taking a cross country service from Bournemouth to somewhere in the Midlands and instead of the usual duff (which had clearly lived up to the moniker) we were provided with a 73/0 ... running on diesel despite the presence of juice as far as Basingstoke. Thanks to some spirited driving, we were only about 10 mins down at Reading where a non-duff ETHless duff took over in short order leaving us pretty much on time.

Do any of you more knowledgeable types know why the 73 didn't switch power source at Basingstoke? I'm sure there's a good reason, but it did seem a bit strange at the time as the poor thing was thrashed mercilessly in an attempt to keep time - not complaining though, as it provided a very enjoyable experience at the window in the front vestibule.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are they? I thought they were cleared to Paddington!

Don't think so. Certainly I never saw one there.

 

[PHILIPE]

They're banned east of Reading, though I forget the reason.

There's no reason for being banned east of Reading because they are not. One has worked to Paddington in Wales and West days. Been highlighted on the Forum several times.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I did hear of a 153 starting out on a Penzance-Paddington service, another unit (158??) added at Plymouth and then the units were replaced by a HST at Exeter St Davids.

In 1998, class 365s and 321s were used for London-York and London-Leeds services and 156s worked some Newcastle-Edinburgh (and return) services, all in place of Mk4 stock.

Virgin Crosscountry used a 2+2 HST on a Edinburgh-Manchester Airport service (and return) in place of a class 158 back in 1997.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

When I was younger, there was an occasion when the 0902 service to York (booked as either a 155 or a 156) was once replaced by a 153

 

[headshot119]

They're banned east of Reading, though I forget the reason.

Incorrect, there's no restrictions on a 142 or 143 reaching Paddington.

 

[PHILIPE]

Incorrect, there's no restrictions on a 142 or 143 reaching Paddington.

Already mentioned, Post #17

 

[kevconnor]

Incorrect, there's no restrictions on a 142 or 143 reaching Paddington.

I see an opportunity farewell heritage tour around the country on a 142 before April 2019.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I see an opportunity farewell heritage tour around the country on a 142 before April 2019.

Already working on it...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Already mentioned, Post #17

Yes, I stand corrected, sure I heard that somewhere. I must be thinking of somewhere else.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

We had a two car 165 work a Kidderminster - Marylebone service in lieu of a 68 + six Mk3 coaches and a DVT in the AM peak relatively recently. Didn't see it myself so I'm not 100% sure of the details but as far as I'm aware the loco failed on the depot overnight so the whole service was cancelled. It was then reinstated at Birmingham Moor Street when someone realised they could pinch the stock which formed the all stations stopper from Birmingham to Leamington Spa. Not ideal but probably better than doing nothing.

 

[james60059]

Not sure if this is appropriate, but when the WCML was being upgraded and there was various bustitution, the local service from Nuneaton to Stafford was substituted with a TAXI as opposed to a bus .

 

[randyrippley]

Not sure if this is appropriate, but when the WCML was being upgraded and there was various bustitution, the local service from Nuneaton to Stafford was substituted with a TAXI as opposed to a bus .

go back 30 years or so and that was common enough on the Sudbury branch for the local taxis to have regular contracts

 

[Deepgreen]

When I was younger, there was an occasion when the 0902 service to York (booked as either a 155 or a 156) was once replaced by a 153

Extraordinary!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Extraordinary!

Yes - funny to see two coaches burst into one

 

[Haywain]

go back 30 years or so and that was common enough on the Sudbury branch for the local taxis to have regular contracts

Both Sinfin Central and Croxley Green branches were operated exclusively by taxis for years before they were finally closed.