Strange Services You’ve been on or seen operating

[Sad Sprinter]

What are the odd services, past or present, you’ve been on or seen operating?

For instance, I once caught a train from London Bridge to Balham in about 2002 in a Connex yellow class 455 (remember those?), and instead of it running via New Cross Gate and Crystal Palace, I found myself going via Peckham, Dulwich and the Leigham Court Curve.

In about 2009, a Southern service arrived at Balham announced by Celia Drummond to have come from Wimbledon(!) Never saw that service again.

Lastly, my dad once told me a story he boarded an Ascot to Waterloo train one late night in 1993, and immediately fell asleep, and woke up finding himself just pulling into Balham. He swears he didn’t wake up and change at Clapham Junction and there is no history of sleepwalking in our family!

Anybody know of any similar experiences or can shine any explanations to the weird services I’ve mentioned? I suggested to my dad that perhaps the Waterloo train was stabled at Selhurst, perhaps.

 

[yorksrob]

I was once on a Hallam line train from Leeds to Sheffield that got part way towards woodlesford, had to reverse back via the Whitehall curve then continue towards Normanton via Wakefield Westgate.

 

[xotGD]

Dunston to Newcastle via a reversal at Tyne Yard.

 

[vlad]

I'm not sure if this is what you're after. Back in the days of Virgin XC I was travelling from the north-east to Derby. Soon after leaving York we stopped for quite a while before being told that the train was being diverted due to a breakdown in the Garforth area. However, the powers that be decided the train still needed to serve Leeds so we ran via Sherburn and Castleford to reach Leeds from the west, then reversed to continue on to Sheffield.

(Due to a points failure at Ambergate the train lost even more time before getting to Derby - but you don't want to know that.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've boarded a 12 car LM service to Euston at Bletchley platform 6 (doors released front 4 only). I think this could well be the only time a London service has ever called at that platform.

(The reason was that a points failure was forcing trains from the Up Slow to the Up Bletchley, a line that very rarely sees any use and, since the platform extension works, cannot access the main platforms)

 

[Iskra]

I once had a Northern class 144 on a semi-fast from Sheffield-Leeds (quite rare in itself) that went via Wakefield Kirkgate which then reversed and went via the Wakefield Westgate through line to Leeds. This was to put the 144 on the right side of Leeds station to access the Morecambe line on its next service.

Some London-bound Leeds HST services also leave the station heading North, which was confusing the first time that happened.

Also done Inverness-London on the sleeper down the ECML.

I also remember an Aberdeen-Leeds train taking a very circuitous route from York-Leeds one time, with us arriving from the South. I think that was a booked working for route knowledge. I think I was the only one left on the train.

Finally, a Leeds-London train that stopped on the South ECML and then reversed to switch running lines before reversing again to head to London. This was due to engineering works.

 

[Kite159]

A few years ago the Hull Train diverts into St Pancras, reversed around Hornsey to use the viaduct, reversed north of the viaduct to continue south taking the chord towards the Goblin line, came off before Gospel Oak to join the MML reversing once more around West Hampstead

 

[30907]

For instance, I once caught a train from London Bridge to Balham in about 2002 in a Connex yellow class 455 (remember those?), and instead of it running via New Cross Gate and Crystal Palace, I found myself going via Peckham, Dulwich and the Leigham Court Curve.

In about 2009, a Southern service arrived at Balham announced by Celia Drummond to have come from Wimbledon(!) Never saw that service again.

Lastly, my dad once told me a story he boarded an Ascot to Waterloo train one late night in 1993, and immediately fell asleep, and woke up finding himself just pulling into Balham. He swears he didn’t wake up and change at Clapham Junction and there is no history of sleepwalking in our family!

The first two are quite plausible diversions, but Ascot to Balham would be spectacular, with a reversal at Virginia Water and diversion via Weybridge and Haydons Road, or Clapham Jn - Factory Jn - Herne Hill. Even pre privatisation it would be highly unusual.

 

[mm333]

I once had a Northern class 144 on a semi-fast from Sheffield-Leeds (quite rare in itself) that went via Wakefield Kirkgate which then reversed and went via the Wakefield Westgate through line to Leeds. This was to put the 144 on the right side of Leeds station to access the Morecambe line on its next service.

A couple of my favourite diversions have been that way. A Goole-Leeds service that couldn't go via Woodlesford so went up the Westgate Curve, through p1 at Westgate the wrong way, then over the crossover north of the station to head back to Leeds. And a Virgin CrossCountry service that called southbound at Westgate, went along the curve, reversed at Kirkgate and then headed to Sheffield via Barnsley). And a CrossCountry service that called at Kirkgate when engineering works sent them that way between Leeds and Sheffield.

 

[xotGD]

Here's another one: Boarding a sleepers-only service at Dunbar (where it wasn't scheduled to stop) and travelling in the BG to Edinburgh. Oh, and there was a 37 on the front after the 47 had failed somewhere near Morpeth. Dreadful!

 

[Dai Corner]

Bristol Temple Meads to Newport, diverted via Gloucester following an incident in the Severn Tunnel. Not fancying a replacement bus, a few of us had decided to sit it out and wait until the tunnel reopened when to our surprise the train was announced.

This would have been been between 2002 and 2004.

 

[cactustwirly]

Last January there was a blockade in the Long Eaton area, so my Leicester to Derby train was diverted via Castle Donnington, and reversed at Stenson Jct, to approach Derby from the Burton directon.

Been on a few London - Nottingham services, that have been diverted via Harringworth, and reversed at Leicester.

 

[Techniquest]

Too many weird and wonderful workings over the years, the majority have been booked diversions due to engineering works or just slightly oddly timetabled ones.

In terms of last minute diversions, I've done Bristol Parkway to Newport via Gloucester on a FGW (as it was back then) HST instead of the direct route, must have been an issue in the tunnel. It was in 2007 I seem to recall, and to date the only time I've had a Western HST between Parkway and Gloucester. Certainly an interesting experience with the noisy power car and keen driver!

There used to be on Saturdays a Swansea to Paddington that reversed at Bristol Parkway to go to Bristol Temple Meads and reverse again to go to London via Chippenham, did that more than once in the mid-2000s.

HSTs over Leckwith Curve (near Ninian Park) on early morning HSTs too often to count. Dr Days/Rhubarb Curve just east of Bristol Temple Meads, another I've done way too many times to count including once on the booked service out of Bath Spa which used to use it in the daytime. Westbury East Curve, done on both the sleeper in summer 2004 and too many times to count on HSTs on diversion.

Memory reminds me of a CrossCountry HST (pre-refurb) from Reading to Leeds (as far as Birmingham for me) on a festival extra, which ran non-stop to Leamington Spa. To date the only time I've had an HST between Wolvercot Junction and Birmingham!

I'm sure there's plenty of other weird and wonderful routings I've done in the past!

 

[Kite159]

There used to be on Saturdays a Swansea to Paddington that reversed at Bristol Parkway to go to Bristol Temple Meads and reverse again to go to London via Chippenham, did that more than once in the mid-2000s.

Still is services which reverse at both Bristol stations (i.e. 0359 Swansea to London Paddington on Saturday mornings).

 

[xotGD]

Another: Sheffield to Birmingham via Toton, Leicester and the original Nuneaton flyover. Some yellow pen consolation after watching Newcastle get thumped 4-0 at Barnsley in the pouring rain.

 

[Kite159]

Another on New Years Day the line between Wolverhampton & Stafford was closed, so the XC services were going via Nuneaton, reversing in either platform 1 or 2. Felt strange being on a voyager bound for Manchester departing the 'wrong way' out of New Street.

Another strange feeling was last May bank holiday weekend when Birmingham area had engineering works the Glasgow bound voyager departed New Street heading towards Five Ways to take the Lifford Curve & the Camp Hill line to eventually rejoin the regular route.

 

[Whistler40145]

Not a service train, but on a Pathfinder Tour (Roarer Reqiuem), did the line from Soho to Perry Barr and Aston to Birmingham New Street and then via Soho, Perry Barr and Aston to Stechford

 

[LowLevel]

Not that interesting in the scheme of things but my last 150 on the Snow Hill lines (quite an event when they were such a fixture) happened to involve boarding a Stratford train at Smethwick GB (most trains were 172s by then). Consequently I was rather pleased approaching Snow Hill to hear over the PA that there had been a bridge bash at Shirley and consequently we were diverted express via Dorridge from Moor Street to Wilmcote - a fine way to see out many travels on the class in Birmingham We got a clear run as well and this was at the time when hardly anything took the north curve at Hatton.

 

[shap summit]

Many years ago, after a naval exercise of the north of Scotland, our ship docked in Rosyth dockyard. A lot of us had to get back to our air statIon in Cornwall. We were told to be at the dockyard station at a certain time to catch a train. At the appointed time a loco propelled two mk 2 carriages into the platform. We all got on and the train set off and proceeded to Waverly station where we were attached to the rear of a standard Edinburgh to London train.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Been on a 175 and a HST between Cardiff and Bridgend via Barry when the mainline via Pontyclun, Llanharan and Pencoed was blocked for engineering works.

I also went on a Voyager from Manchester to Cardiff back in Virgin days.