Odd workings you remember?

[Voyager 2093]

Just a thread to talk about things that occurred in the past such as odd workings.

To get us started

Does anyone remember this, in August 2007 whilst travelling on a Southern Class 377 heading towards Watford Junction. Our Train was held to a stop just before North Pole, this was due to a failed Class 92 and we were held for 5 minutes before crossing over to the next track and back in front of the the 92. Did anyone happen to be on this train or hear about this incident.

 

[yorkie]

If that's the criteria for an odd working, I could be typing all day

Perhaps the oddest thing that happened to me was, due to a failed train south of Kings Norton, my HST to the West Country was diverted via the Kings Norton avoider, Camp Hill, Birmingham New St non-stop, Kidderminster, Worcester and back on to the main line.

Another diversion I encountered was being held at Grindleford on a CT 158, I was going toward Sheffield (with Max) but due to a problem ahead we avoided Sheffield, taking the sharp curve at Dore and went straight to Chesterfield. Fortunately a HST turned up not long later to take us to Sheffield.

I've been on a Class 87 out of Euston which had a broken windscreen, and terminated at Bletchley after running at a fairly slow speed (50mph?) on the slow lines for a while. I've also been on a Class 87 that failed to call at Rugby due to a failed windscreen wiper on a Pendolino blocking the only usable platform (at that time). But, like your 377 crossing tracks, that's not terribly exciting.

A far more exciting event occured when I made sure I was the last to board a GC HST for London via Cambridge, ensuring my place by the window immediately next to the Valenta on a hot summer day (the other pax wedged into the vestibule were more than happy for it to be open!). We then had an additional diversion via Church Fenton, Knottingley and Askern, which was a nice bonus!

If planned diversions count, then a class 37 via Glasgow Central low level on the Scotrail sleeper in the Spring of 2006, and a class 50 to Fishguard via the Swansea and District and Barry on 2 September 2006 have to rank quite highly (this was the first time the trolley bloke had ever sold literally everything from the trolley. Jim bought the very last item, a packet of Nobby's nuts, on approaching Cardiff!). If only I had not had to go back to York, I believe there was then a non-stop class 37 to Rhymney in passenger service after the 50 arrived. 3 1/2 years ago? I remember it like it was yesterday but sadly the railway has got a lot worse since then.

 

[A60K]

An HST running on the Watford DC lines around 10 years ago was pretty unusual!

 

[Matt Taylor]

June 26th 1999, I was (by chance) rostered to work up to Manchester Pic and then take 1V77 down to Cardiff. There was rugby at Cardiff so I was expecting a 37/4 or 47 with some Mk1s but in rolled D172 with 37029 at the rear!

37029 led from Manchester but suffered a fault at Crewe where it was decided to throw D172 on the front for the 127 mile run to Cardiff.

The bush telegraph did it's work and by the time we got to Hereford we had more cranks on board than rugby fans!

To this day it still remains my one and only Class 46 haulage.

 

[Voyager 2093]

An HST running on the Watford DC lines around 10 years ago was pretty unusual!

Where abouts did you see this on the Watford DC lines?

 

[oliverj8]

I'm not sure if this is an odd working or not.
I was on an Anglia Class 150 from Acle to Norwich, we had just left Brundall and were approaching Brundall Gardens which is a request stop, there was someone on the platform wanting to get on but the train overshot the platform by about quarter of a mile. The driver stopped the train reversed the train back to the platform WITHOUT SWITCHING ENDS!! so the passenger could get on.
Is this rare and would it still happen today?

 

[43167]

Virgin HST diverted via Avonmouth in June 2004.

37521 covering for a 37/4 on the 1743 Leeds-Knaresborough and was extended to York in July 2004.

56105 from Preston-Oxenholme dragging 87006 on a Euston-Glasgow following a wires shambles in March 2001.

The 56 working is the one that stands more than any for me.

 

[Voyager 2093]

I remember seeing a 313 in 1998 on the WCML fast lines.

 

[bengley]

Not that it's ever happened, but who would be rather shocked to be waiting at Chalfont and Latimer and a 395 goes past at 100mph?

 

[Oracle]

There was a photo in UNDERGROUND NEWS of an HST on the DC Lines heading north during a diversion, just north of Willesden Junction.

I was on a Portsmouth Direct 442 once that was diverted at Woking because of a broken-down train at Haslemere. It was sent instead to Eastleigh, then via Botley; it was stopped at Fareham to set down, and thence ran to Cosham and Pompey.

 

[boing_uk]

I remember back in the early 90's when Garden St level crossing was being re-built and the track layout remodelled. Because of this, West Marsh sidings, which at the time were mainly used for steel coil/slab wagons, gypsum and (unbraked) ilmenite wagons for Tioxide, were being used to stable units.

All using the now removed eastern chord at West Marsh Sidings junction.

Lots of 150's and 142's parked up between services, which was an interesting change.

 

[Geezertronic]

Where abouts did you see this on the Watford DC lines?

On MSTS

 

[ailsa]

At Oxford in about 1994 ish, I saw a 158 and 165 coupled together - I think the 165 was rescuing the 158 as it wasn't exactly quick with just the two Perkins running... not sure if it qualifies as odd but it struck me as unusual.

 

[t0ffeeman]

I remember driving about 100 313s on the WCML in the last year.

In Silverlink days there was a diagram for the 150s from the GOB to arrive at Euston then couple then go to Northampton via DC lines to Watford then mainline to Northampton. As it was the last train of the day at 2345 it was packed!

 

[A60K]

On MSTS

No, for real - somewhere in my archives I have a photo of it, and as Oracle has posted above there was a picture in Underground News.

 

[142094]

A Pacer using platform 4a at Darlington during the day - not a regular sight. Then a few weeks later a northbound express used platform 1 while a TPE was in platform 4. Very interesting to see the faces of people on the platform waiting for the London train.

 

[87015]

In Silverlink days there was a diagram for the 150s from the GOB to arrive at Euston then couple then go to Northampton via DC lines to Watford then mainline to Northampton. As it was the last train of the day at 2345 it was packed!

Possibly not as good as the 8 car 150/1 lash up on the 2036 New St - Euston (SO) for a timetable period, even more stupid when it was via Weedon...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not that it's ever happened, but who would be rather shocked to be waiting at Chalfont and Latimer and a 395 goes past at 100mph?

Well there has been at least a thumper and a bubble car on the Chesham branch services during long-lost Steam on the Met days, which is fairly good!

 

[Oracle]

Front cover, heading round the curve under the WCML. The lines could only handle a train every 15 minutes it was said which restricted its use.

 

[barrykas]

Booked working due to Engineering Work, but the Wrexham and Shropshire diversions via Neasden and Acton Canal Wharf back in January were something of a highlight for me...Rare track aplenty, and on a service train!

Cheers,

Barry

 

[33056]

Does anyone remember this, in August 2007 whilst travelling on a Southern Class 377 heading towards Watford Junction. Our Train was held to a stop just before North Pole, this was due to a failed Class 92 and we were held for 5 minutes before crossing over to the next track and back in front of the the 92. Did anyone happen to be on this train or hear about this incident.

Nothing really unusual about this, the signalling round there is all bi-directional and the Southerns quite often get shuffled about round various freight workings.

The Euston - Watford DC lines have been used a few times in the past for diverted stuff. I can recall a very late running Glasgow to Euston service diverted that way circa 1991 so that an important and time-critical engineers possession could start on time. Also Royal Mail trains between Willesden and Crewe / Carlisle, IIRC when the mainline was being resignalled around 2000.

As for 313s on the down fast, back in the late 1980s / early 1990s there was a regular move about 2030 off Watford to Bletchley TMD. As the unit was invariably coming off the DC, the only way off was out into the Down Fast platform at Watford and keep going - if it came out in the right path it could easily make it to Ledburn

 

[westcoaster]

The strangest move I have done was during the real bad windy weather 3/4 years ago, a 12 car 321 from euston to northampton via the old road (weedon) and rugby but non stop from wolverton to northampton. Also due to the wind it was 50 mph all the way.

 

[t0ffeeman]

378s that work Clapham J - Shep Bush on Sundays are routed via the relief and then fast lines to Euston.

 

[Chester025]

and a class 50 to Fishguard via the Swansea and District and Barry on 2 September 2006 have to rank quite highly (this was the first time the trolley bloke had ever sold literally everything from the trolley. Jim bought the very last item, a packet of Nobby's nuts, on approaching Cardiff!). If only I had not had to go back to York, I believe there was then a non-stop class 37 to Rhymney in passenger service after the 50 arrived. 3 1/2 years ago? I remember it like it was yesterday but sadly the railway has got a lot worse since then.

There was something like a plus 3 connection onto the 1701 Cardiff - Rhymney booked for a 37. Despite it being a Saturday, by this time it had been reduced to just a morning run to Cardiff and evening return. However, due to delays on the outward journey the 50 arrived back about 20 late IIRC thus so missing the 37.

Anyway hows about this? http://flusky.fotopic.net/p7285501.html

43153 had failed on the inbound working so 37425 was despatched from Newport to pilot the return from Plymouth to Birmingham New Street on the 1420 Newquay - Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[90019]

Saw a 156 working the North Berwick services a couple of weeks back, something I'm not aware of ever happening before.

 

[Ivo]

The following is not an unusual sight, but the cause was very unusual.

Just under three years ago - 2nd April 2007, conveniently the first weekday after my 18the birthday - I went into London for a Travelcard day-out (my second such day). Everything seemed to be going fine, until I got to Tower Hill in the evening. Whilst my Circle service was stationary, there was an announcement - "c2c Suspended". Eventually, all trains were diverted to Liverpool Street, which is obviously not an unusual event. But the problem was that the high wind had blown some sheet metal from some scaffolding near the line (I can't remember where exactly, Bromley-by-Bow I think) onto the OHL, just before the 1730 from Fenchurch Street (non-stop to Benfleet) came through, ripping off its pantograph. The ensuing panic resulted in people jumping off the train onto the tracks, right next to the District Line, so LUL had to shut off the power east of Whitechapel (the last available terminus) as well.

I also remember once waiting for a c2c train that was about 25 minutes late for no obvious reason, which (on a Sunday morning) ran all stations to Basildon, then Fenchurch Street.

 

[Mojo]

57 vice Turbo on a Paddington to Twyford service a few years ago

 

[A60K]

90+Mk3 on the North Berwick services a few years ago as well.

 

[90019]

90+Mk3 on the North Berwick services a few years ago as well.

Unfortunately, I missed these by a couple of years (It was between 2004 and 2005).
The ScotRail 90/DVT Stop signs are still there in Waverley though, with the old branding on them too (The attached photo is from last month, at the end of platform 7).

 

[embers25]

Night Riviera stock beeing used a few weeks back to cover a Padd-Oxford diagram.

 

[jay jay]

I remember in the late 80s or perhaps early 90s travelling from London Victoria all the way to Lewes on a Gatwick Express (Class 73 and full mk2 formation) on an evening peak train. I recall the train going to Eastbourne.