Trains you regret that you did not catch when you were at the station

[Bungle158]

For me it's Weymouth Quay. I was on an All Line Rover and joined the 09:40 Waterloo to Weymouth Quay with 73123. I had intended on doing it all the way through, to do the track, and for the novelty value. Word reached me that there was a Eurochildren Charter running from Dover Western Docks to Stranraer that evening, booked for 40122 forward from Carlisle. Going all the way through to Weymouth Quay would jeopardise my chance of getting all the way to Dover to pick up the charter, so I baled out and Basingstoke., thinking I'd pick up Weymouth Quay some other time. I never did, and now it's being lifted.
[Edit: I'm slightly off the original topic I realise, in that I did actually catch the train, but then got off it short of destination].

I did it in 1966 en route to Guernsey. As a youngster, l felt pretty pleased with myself and spent the tramway journey at the window, looking down on lesser mortals in the streets below. Sadly, the train was hauled by a diesel shunter and not a steamer, although we did have a "Navy" on the front for the run down from Waterloo.

 

[Neptune]

On a family holiday in Dawlish in August 1982 we took a day trip to Exeter.

On the way back we noticed on the screens that there was a severely late running Bradford - Paignton service which stopped at Dawlish. However we decided to catch another service 10 minutes earlier with a dud for haulage duff on the front.

At Dawlish we hung around to see what was on it and it was 47079 GJ CHURCHWARD (required for haulage) dragging a dead peak. We never did get 079 after that and never will as it's been rebuilt as bodysnatcher 57009 (not that I've chased haulage for the last 20 years).

Not a biggie but still rankles with me and my dad 38 years on.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

If I had to name one, it would probably be the Fridays Only Cardiff Central to London Paddington Non-Stop Relief in the late 1970s / early 1980s (I can't remember the exact dates).

I travelled back and forth between Cardiff and Newport then, and often saw it in the platform at Cardiff at around 4.15pm before it went out, just before the normal stopping service which I probably caught. I'd have liked to have gone through Newport non-stop, which I've never done, as all the services that I've caught that have gone through Newport have stopped, which isn't really the same.

Mind you, I do know of people who got that one by mistake and found themselves on their way to London when they should have been getting off at Newport!

 

[bussikuski179]

For me it’s the last Sm2 on the Helsinki City Lines. I never did get an Sm2 on either City Line after moving away from Oulunkylä in 2012. I actually saw it off, but I got the next Sm5 instead because the Sm2 was packed and I wanted a seat.

 

[PeterC]

I can think of quite a few.
Stratford - Palace Gates
Broad Street services to DC Lines and GN suburban
Moorgate to MML and GN suburban
Anywhere on a class 124 (when it still had a buffet)
Brighton Belle

I was too young to really appreciate my trip on the Mumbles Railway. The loan of a TARDIS would be welcome!

 

[Calthrop]

At Dawlish we hung around to see what was on it and it was 47079 GJ CHURCHWARD (required for haulage) dragging a dead peak. We never did get 079 after that and never will as it's been rebuilt as bodysnatcher 57009 (not that I've chased haulage for the last 20 years).

Off at a bit of a tangent; but -- I'm woefully ignorant about non-steam traction in general. Could I request an explanation of "bodysnatcher"?

 

[Neptune]

Off at a bit of a tangent; but -- I'm woefully ignorant about non-steam traction in general. Could I request an explanation of "bodysnatcher"?

The class 57 used a 47 body with GM engine and brush alternator hence bodysnatcher.

 

[Calthrop]

The class 57 used a 47 body with GM engine and brush alternator hence bodysnatcher.

In the favourite words of a much-liked (non-railway) message board of mine -- "ignorance fought" ! Thanks.

 

[Neptune]

In the favourite words of a much-liked (non-railway) message board of mine -- "ignorance fought" ! Thanks.

No probs

 

[32475]

In the 1970's, any train from Paddington to Cardiff from where I could have carried on to Barry Island to explore Woodham's Scrapyard. I never did. What a chump!
Also the Brighton Belle and the Night Ferry.
I also wish I'd started spotting a few years earlier than I did plus recording which loco's I've been hauled by so there are a good number of 52's and 55's which went unrecorded

 

[65477]

Title has been altered to better reflect the requested theme of the thread

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Did the Night Ferry several times as a seated passenger but always regret not ignoring my budgetary limitations of the time to travel in the Wagons Lits rather than having to walk on and off the ferry.

 

[WesternLancer]

Did the Night Ferry several times as a seated passenger but always regret not ignoring my budgetary limitations of the time to travel in the Wagons Lits rather than having to walk on and off the ferry.

so were the seated carriages 'domestic' only? It didn't occur to me it took seated passengers - I don't know why not now you mention it!

 

[Whistler40145]

Was doing 31465 from Liverpool Lime Street to Preston, there we were entering Preston and saw 37407 heading for Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street, obviously no 47 available to work South

 

[yorksrob]

There were a couple of occasions I could have caught the VEP with the TC driving trailer. One occasion, I was at Ashford, heading to Brighton and the unit was actually heading to Charing Cross, so I could have used it to get there. The other I was at Charing Cross heading back to Ashford and the unit was on the Hasings service, so I could have caught it as far as Tonbridge (and would have, were the family not in tow).

 

[Cheshire Scot]

so were the seated carriages 'domestic' only? It didn't occur to me it took seated passengers - I don't know why not now you mention it!

Leaving Victoria the Night Ferry was formed of seated coaches at the front for Dover Marine (latterly renamed Western Docks) including a buffet car, then a restaurant car for sleeping car passengers only (gangway doors locked - but also detached at Dover) then sleepers and vans mainly for Paris but including one or two for Brussels which were then shunted onto the Ferry whilst the 'foot passengers' walked onto the same ferry. At Dunkerque the sleepers were attached to a train of seated coaches for the onward journey - which took the longer route via Lille where the Brussels cars were transferred to another train.
I recall travelling to/from Dover in a formation of 18 vehicles several times, six seated, two restaurant vehicles, plus seven sleepers and three vans.
At busy times a relief EMU ran between London and Dover.
In later years the UK seated portion and restaurant car were discontinued in favour of an EMU connection to the same ferry while the 'Night Ferry' itself ran with just the sleepers and vans - plus a Mk1 brake for the Guard to ride in - but still ran attached to day coaches on the French side .

 

[WesternLancer]

Leaving Victoria the Night Ferry was formed of seated coaches at the front for Dover Marine (latterly renamed Western Docks) including a buffet car, then a restaurant car for sleeping car passengers only (gangway doors locked - but also detached at Dover) then sleepers and vans mainly for Paris but including one or two for Brussels which were then shunted onto the Ferry whilst the 'foot passengers' walked onto the same ferry. At Dunkerque the sleepers were attached to a train of seated coaches for the onward journey - which took the longer route via Lille where the Brussels cars were transferred to another train.
I recall travelling to/from Dover in a formation of 18 vehicles several times, six seated, two restaurant vehicles, plus seven sleepers and three vans.
At busy times a relief EMU ran between London and Dover.
In later years the UK seated portion and restaurant car were discontinued in favour of an EMU connection to the same ferry while the 'Night Ferry' itself ran with just the sleepers and vans - plus a Mk1 brake for the Guard to ride in - but still ran attached to day coaches on the French side .

Thanks - interesting to read those details. Do you mind me asking when the 18 vehicle formation travelling you mention you did was? Would that have been in the 1960s or did that remain into say the early 70s?

 

[Gloster]

Leaving Victoria the Night Ferry was formed of seated coaches at the front for Dover Marine (latterly renamed Western Docks) including a buffet car, then a restaurant car for sleeping car passengers only (gangway doors locked - but also detached at Dover) then sleepers and vans mainly for Paris but including one or two for Brussels which were then shunted onto the Ferry whilst the 'foot passengers' walked onto the same ferry. At Dunkerque the sleepers were attached to a train of seated coaches for the onward journey - which took the longer route via Lille where the Brussels cars were transferred to another train.
I recall travelling to/from Dover in a formation of 18 vehicles several times, six seated, two restaurant vehicles, plus seven sleepers and three vans.
At busy times a relief EMU ran between London and Dover.
In later years the UK seated portion and restaurant car were discontinued in favour of an EMU connection to the same ferry while the 'Night Ferry' itself ran with just the sleepers and vans - plus a Mk1 brake for the Guard to ride in - but still ran attached to day coaches on the French side .

I don’t know how the train was formed, but by the time it ceased the Southern Region had two BCK which were designated to work with UIC stock, being fitted with modified gangways (possibly only at one end), etc. These worked for a week at a time on the Night Ferry, with the other kept at Clapham Junction and the swap taking place on Saturday morning.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Thanks - interesting to read those details. Do you mind me asking when the 18 vehicle formation travelling you mention you did was? Would that have been in the 1960s or did that remain into say the early 70s?

I travelled on the night Dunkerque service three times in 1974, once in 1975 and twice in 1980.
The 1985 book 'Night Ferry' by George Behrend and Gary Buchanan reports the seated portion ceased to be attached to the Night Ferry in 1975 and thereafter was provided by an EMU - and by 1980 it was in it's final months so my journeys would have been in 1974 and possibly 1975 also.
The book also notes twelve Mk1 vehicles - 2 x BCK, 2 x CK, 3 x TSO 3 x RB, 2 x RUO - were allocated to the Night Ferry workings (including maintenance spares etc), and fitted with UIC ETH plus there was one additional BCK available with UIC ETH. The RUOs had gangways on one end adapted to couple to the sleepers. In the latter years as stated, only the BCK was conveyed, the restaurant facility having been withdrawn in the intervening years, by then also with an adapted gangway.
The formation on my 18 vehicle workings hauled by a class 71 departing Victoria was from the loco BCK, 2 x CK, RB, 2 x TSO, (locked gangway doors) RB, RUO, 7 x WL type F, 3 x SNCF vans (which conveyed mails), five WL for Paris and 2 for Brussels.
The aforementioned book notes the Brussels sleeper(s) were marshalled between the Paris sleepers and the vans (which all went to Paris) so obviously some remarshalling took place as they came off the ferry at Dunkerque to have them at one end of the train for detachment during the Lille reversal.
For a period in the 1960s a sleeper for Basel was also conveyed, also detached at Lille together with the seated vehicles from Dunkerque to Basel and Milano (which got there well into the evening)- I recall travelling on that portion which was one of I think three trains in the day (the other two from Calais) routed via Charleville-Meziers and Metz and onwards through Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
Boarding at Victoria seated and sleeper passengers were segregated as those in the sleepers passed through UK passport control which foot passengers encountered at Dover , hence the need to lock the gangway doors between the seated and sleeper portions of the train and with a physical barrier on the platform.

 

[WesternLancer]

I travelled on the night Dunkerque service three times in 1974, once in 1975 and twice in 1980.
The 1985 book 'Night Ferry' by George Behrend and Gary Buchanan reports the seated portion ceased to be attached to the Night Ferry in 1975 and thereafter was provided by an EMU - and by 1980 it was in it's final months so my journeys would have been in 1974 and possibly 1975 also.
The book also notes twelve Mk1 vehicles - 2 x BCK, 2 x CK, 3 x TSO 3 x RB, 2 x RUO - were allocated to the Night Ferry workings (including maintenance spares etc), and fitted with UIC ETH plus there was one additional BCK available with UIC ETH. The RUOs had gangways on one end adapted to couple to the sleepers. In the latter years as stated, only the BCK was conveyed, the restaurant facility having been withdrawn in the intervening years, by then also with an adapted gangway.
The formation on my 18 vehicle workings hauled by a class 71 departing Victoria was from the loco BCK, 2 x CK, RB, 2 x TSO, (locked gangway doors) RB, RUO, 7 x WL type F, 3 x SNCF vans (which conveyed mails), five WL for Paris and 2 for Brussels.
The aforementioned book notes the Brussels sleeper(s) were marshalled between the Paris sleepers and the vans (which all went to Paris) so obviously some remarshalling took place as they came off the ferry at Dunkerque to have them at one end of the train for detachment during the Lille reversal.
For a period in the 1960s a sleeper for Basel was also conveyed, also detached at Lille together with the seated vehicles from Dunkerque to Basel and Milano (which got there well into the evening)- I recall travelling on that portion which was one of I think three trains in the day (the other two from Calais) routed via Charleville-Meziers and Metz and onwards through Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
Boarding at Victoria seated and sleeper passengers were segregated as those in the sleepers passed through UK passport control which foot passengers encountered at Dover , hence the need to lock the gangway doors between the seated and sleeper portions of the train and with a physical barrier on the platform.

Thanks - v interesting to read. Also reminds me to have a look at some of the old Thomas Cook timetables I've got to see how it is described. Long time since I've looked for that train in them.

 

[DerekC]

Nearly meeting the OP's criteria, although it wasn't a scheduled service and I couldn't have bought a ticket. Standing on the platform of Tallyllyn Junction station one day in 1967 or 68, after closure of the Brecon & Merthyr but whilst the refreshment room was still open as a pub, as I recall. The demolition train arrived from the Brecon direction hauled by a Class 37 and stopped in the platform (I have a photo somewhere) - probably for a PNB, although things were less formal in those days! Got chatting to the guard, who offered me a ride "up to the top" (I guess he meant Torpantau). If only I hadn't had two younger boys to get back to the camp site by a reasonable time!

 

[Poolie]

Conversely, I was on a Mystery Tour from Wembley Central in June 1970 that ended up in Weston Super Mare. OK, nice place, pleasant day out with my girlfriend at the time. The route back took us through Bath and the station was full of Hippy types. Wondering what it was all about, as a 16 year old, I hadn't realised the Bath Festival with was on, but I wish I had been at the festival and not on the train!!

 

[SteveM70]

I spent most of the school summer holidays in the early 80s out and about in the West Midlands as I had a countywide bus and rail pass for getting to and from school, and I think it worked out cheaper to buy an annual one.

So plenty of trips to Bescot and Duddeston (for Saltley) and lots of opportunities for decent stuff from New Street to/from Wolverhampton and Coventry but I very rarely had enough money to do any of the really interesting stuff that used to be around on NE/SW trains

If nothing else, hindsight reminds me how little money we had back then

 

[GB71]

Moved back down to London area from Scotland in September 94 and was aware that I had 3 weeks to do both the Aldwych branch and Ongar - did neither - at the time kept putting it off "to tomorrow" - now can't believe I had the opportunity and missed it

In the early to mid eighties we acquired a family railcard for our annual trips up to see family in Dundee (in those days we were always advised to go Milton Keynes to Birmingham and then pick up the afternoon train that used to go up the West Coast and split at Carstairs with a portion for Aberdeen via Edinburgh and a portion for Glasgow). In the 83/84 timetable there was what I considered a really bizarre working of the Cornishman Penzance to Edinburgh HST which was for that year booked to carry on as a through working to Dundee calling at all stations from Edinburgh to Dundee. The concept of an HST calling at places like North Queensferry and Springfield and with nearly twice the number of stops between Edinburgh and Dundee as between Birmingham and Edinburgh was fascinating to a young me.

Unfortunately the day arrived and we got to New Street in time for us to nip to Casey Jones (now there's a blast from the past) to see the 12:50 InterCity 125 to Dundee marked as severely delayed - and in the end we got the 14:05 up the West Coast as rumour had it the 12:50 was "no way going all the way to Dundee". It was a bit of a blow but I thought there'd be another time - unfortunately that working only lasted that year

 

[Jamesrob637]

Forges-les-Eaux in France in 2000 on one of Dad's many golfing trips. I think there was still a loco-hauled train from Paris to Dieppe at the time. Now it's buses pending the completion of electrification to Serqueux, and it'll be boring but functional EMUs upon reopening.

 

[Jturner98]

With the more recent withdrawal of various trains - most being replaced by new build units. What units do you wish you’d traveled on?

My nomination are the class 332s which I never went on and the class 317/7. I went on a 317/7 a few times on London Overground but I wish I went on it when it was on the Stansted Express or when they briefly went back to Greater Anglia.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Midland Pullman from St Pancras to Manchester Central or vice-versa. Via Leicester and Miller's Dale. Operated by MetroCam Blue Pullman multiple units.

Route now partially closed of course and never got to travel on the Blue Pullman as they were in operation somewhat before my time.

 

[Pigeon]

Units? Class 123 Inter-City DMU with corridor ends. Got a photo of one but never had a ride.

 

[nw1]

Loco-hauled services on my local section of the Portsmouth Direct during the 80s. I was intimately familiar with the line and the various sections of jointed track and roaring rails, but it would have been fun to traverse it on the Cross Country 47-hauled ICs or the one-a-day 50-hauled Waterloo Portsmouth in the late 80s.

The issue was that none of these services called at my local station so would have involved a rather expensive combination of tickets, and given I was still at school at the time, funds would not have been readily available...

More generally, I made hardly any use of the 50-hauled services out of Waterloo in the 80s; only used them by chance on one occasion in December 1989 when I needed a fast route home from Basingstoke (had used a bus 'Explorer' ticket to reach there via various routes which give you an intimate view of rural Hampshire, but it was too late in the day, 15.00 or so, to return by bus - and by chance 50007 'Sir Edward Elgar' turned up on the first train to Woking).

 

[Speed43125]

More recent example I suppose. I've seen the Scotrail 68+mk.2 sets many times but never actually ridden on one.

Currently am considering organising a trip that will involve a Chiltern 68 set before those get withdrawn (apparently) in a few years, but the boat has now sailed on mk.2s in TOC service.