Trivia: Stops You Wouldn't Expect

[SWTrainspottin]

1A70 0605 Frome - London Paddington calls at Reading West.

 

[RichJF]

The 2W50 1629 Three Bridges- Bedford that seems to be the only TL service that misses out Merstham & Coulsdon South but still calls at Purley.
They usually run fast Redhill-Croydon or stop on the way.

 

[30907]

When it was in use did any passenger services stop at Hoo jct staff halt? - or was it just ECS?

In 71-72 almost all the stoppers served it, 7 days a week; there was very little ECS anyway.

 

[Stuart21]

1C01, the 0519 Paddington to Swansea via Bath and Bristol Temple Meads calls at the suburban station Filton Abbey Wood even though a Taunton-Cardiff local is just five minutes behind.

Are there other examples of calls you wouldn't expect?

A significant number of the MOD employees at MOD Abbey Wood live in the Bath area So this is designed as a direct service from Bath to Filton.
Interestingly there is a working in the afternoon which bypasses Temple Meads and the next stop after Filton is Bath. . While the morning working is normally a HST the afternoon working is a 2 or 3 car Class 158.

 

[Parallel]

1C01, the 0519 Paddington to Swansea via Bath and Bristol Temple Meads calls at the suburban station Filton Abbey Wood even though a Taunton-Cardiff local is just five minutes behind.

Are there other examples of calls you wouldn't expect?


A significant number of the MOD employees at MOD Abbey Wood live in the Bath area So this is designed as a direct service from Bath to Filton.
Interestingly there is a working in the afternoon which bypasses Temple Meads and the next stop after Filton is Bath. . While the morning working is normally a HST the afternoon working is a 2 or 3 car Class 158.

I believe the first stop is actually Keynsham? It certainly used to be. Calling pattern was Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Bath Spa. Oldfield Park and Keynsham have a very large commuter flow to/from Bristol/Filton!

 

[Dai Corner]

I believe the first stop is actually Keynsham? It certainly used to be. Calling pattern was Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood, Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Bath Spa. Oldfield Park and Keynsham have a very large commuter flow to/from Bristol/Filton!

Here's the train on RTT

2R98 1554 Bristol Parkway to Bath Spa

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C58243/2018/01/12/advanced

 

[Clansman]

Ladybank on XC services?

A small Scottish village of around 1.5k, lucky enough to recieve long distance direct links to the likes of Birmingham and Bristol. How the XC timetable allows this to be possible is quite something.

 

[Stopper]

Ladybank on XC services?

A small Scottish village of around 1.5k, lucky enough to recieve long distance direct links to the likes of Birmingham and Bristol. How the XC timetable allows this to be possible is quite something.

Ladybank is ridiculously overserved. Has under 100k passengers a year, in a tiny village, yet is served by mainly a 2tph service to Edinburgh. Add that to regular links to Dundee, Perth, and services to Inverness and big cities in England.

 

[221129]

1M25 0700 Cardiff Cen to Manchester Picc XC Voyager calls at Severn Tunnel Jn, Patchway and Filton Abbeywood. This is the only XC of the day along this section of route and replaces the usual GWR Cardiff to Taunton at this time and conveys commuters into Bristol.

No it's not.

 

[tsr]

The 0526 VIC to EGR has a couple of unusual stops at Norwood Junction & South Croydon, before running fast to Oxted.

This one used to be a reasonably well-used staff train via its unadvertised stop at Streatham Hill (before some crew diagrams changed - only one or two staff now use the stop). Passengers also picked up on that stop being done, and ended up using it to travel home after nights out in town. There was a bit of a disaster one day when one of these services, carrying some fairly crucial staff and also heavily loaded with drunk passengers, unfortunately struck a person, which resulted in the entire Southern network falling to pieces for the morning. On another occasion, the train dumped some partygoers and off it went - only for everyone to find that there wasn't any (public) way out of Streatham Hill, after the "night exit" was found to be impenetrable.

At various points in its history, however, the route of this train has also been maintained as a result of it being a "route refresh" option for conductors to maintain knowledge of Balham-Norwood Jn via Crystal Palace. There may yet be seen to be folly in this not being done any more, despite there still being quite a few retained conductors who could do with the knowledge - but there we go.

The 2W50 1629 Three Bridges- Bedford that seems to be the only TL service that misses out Merstham & Coulsdon South but still calls at Purley.
They usually run fast Redhill-Croydon or stop on the way.

It used to be formed of 319 stock, which could not call in DOO mode at Merstham or Coulsdon South, due to the lack of serviceable DOO monitors, bodyside cameras and dispatch staff.

 

[SEClass375]

2H58 1551 Tunbridge Wells to London Charing Cross which calls additionaly at Chelsfield. I have got this service before and thought it was weird.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W04773/2018/01/15/advanced

 

[trainmania100]

Wouldn't expect some southern services to call at Hampden park twice. Makes no sense whatsoever to call at Hampden park the first time, if it's calling there twice.
Goes into Eastbourne calling at Hampden park, then reverses at Eastbourne, and calls at Hampden park again it's stupid

 

[northwichcat]

In the 1970s at least one of the Bristol to Liverpool trains in each direction used to call at Hartford - I was told for the benefit of the ICI staff travelling between Avonmouth and Northwich, where there were research labs as well as the chlor-alkali industry.

Hartford also had London and Cardiff to Liverpool services calling there. It was seen as a convenient park & ride station until demand got too high for the number of parking spaces available.

 

[northwichcat]

Not all that long ago there was a late LM service that called at stations between Liverpool South Parkway and Lime Street and I think there still is an EMT service which effectively forms a Hope Valley stopping service between Stockport and Sheffield.

 

[221129]

Wouldn't expect some southern services to call at Hampden park twice. Makes no sense whatsoever to call at Hampden park the first time, if it's calling there twice.
Goes into Eastbourne calling at Hampden park, then reverses at Eastbourne, and calls at Hampden park again it's stupid

Except it makes perfect sense

 

[Lrd]

Wouldn't expect some southern services to call at Hampden park twice. Makes no sense whatsoever to call at Hampden park the first time, if it's calling there twice.
Goes into Eastbourne calling at Hampden park, then reverses at Eastbourne, and calls at Hampden park again it's stupid

It allows people from Hampden Park go to Eastbourne and then people returning from Eastbourne can get to Hampden Park...

 

[Starmill]

Makes no sense whatsoever to call at Hampden park the first time, if it's calling there twice.

What about for people who wanted to get off there? Make them wait while the train goes into Eastbourne and reverses? Or people waiting at Hampden Park for Eastbourne?

 

[tsr]

It has been known for some trains which are only booked to call at Hampden Park once to actually end up getting stop orders to call there twice, during disruption!

 

[AndrewE]

Here's the train on RTT

2R98 1554 Bristol Parkway to Bath Spa

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C58243/2018/01/12/advanced

Thanks for that! In 4 years living in Bristol, including a year working on the railway there, I don't think I was ever aware of an opportunity to travel over that curve. I shall have to start planning... Maybe I'll make a visit to [the] Great Britain with a devious route home!

 

[Stuart21]

1M25 0700 Cardiff Cen to Manchester Picc XC Voyager calls at Severn Tunnel Jn, Patchway and Filton Abbeywood. This is the only XC of the day along this section of route and replaces the usual GWR Cardiff to Taunton at this time and conveys commuters into Bristol.

The return journey in the evening was one of my regular trains home to Patchway many years ago.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C11122/2018/01/15/advanced

 

[Dai Corner]

Thanks for that! In 4 years living in Bristol, including a year working on the railway there, I don't think I was ever aware of an opportunity to travel over that curve. I shall have to start planning... Maybe I'll make a visit to Great Britain with a devious route home!

You're welcome.

I must admit that I've never done it, despite living fairly locally a lot longer than Filton Abbey Wood station has existed! Must put that right soon.

 

[PHILIPE]

No it's not.

Hold my hands up. The return one in the evening makes the stops.

 

[Busaholic]

2H58 1551 Tunbridge Wells to London Charing Cross which calls additionaly at Chelsfield. I have got this service before and thought it was weird.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W04773/2018/01/15/advanced

When I used these services in the 1980s there was a lot of schools traffic. Given the timing, could this be the reason (from Tonbridge, probably)?

 

[Spartacus]

Come the May timetable 1P60, the 0547 YRK-MIA will be booked to call at Batley, and while there won’t be anything terribly unusual about that, what is unusual is that it’s booked a 68 diagram.

 

[SEClass375]

When I used these services in the 1980s there was a lot of schools traffic. Given the timing, could this be the reason (from Tonbridge, probably)?

Yes, your right, I caught it from High Brooms to Tonbridge en route to Paddock Wood after school

 

[racklam]

The first southbound VTEC from north of Newcastle has a 'normal' stopping pattern to York, then only calls at Retford between York and London - I don't think there's any other services that are fast from Retford to London (or from York to Retford for that matter).

 

[Iskra]

The Northbound Highland chieftain is ‘fast’ as it doesn’t stop at Doncaster or Durham, yet strangely calls at Berwick-upon-Tweed even though the Southbound equivalent doesn’t.

 

[30907]

Given the overall service pattern (xx00 from KGX and xx30 EDB tend to call Berwick) I would say its odd that the southbound omits the stop. Probably a perfectly good reason - either pathing the HST or spreading the loadings.

 

[nw1]

The Liverpool - Birmingham services which stop at Coseley

Yes, I've always thought that a bit odd, rather like a Waterloo to Weymouth stopping at West Byfleet.
Presumably this is due to congestion on this line and one of the Wolverhampton locals misses Coseley out to avoid the stopper jamming the line, and the Liverpool takes the stop to compensate?

 

[sd0733]

Yes, I've always thought that a bit odd, rather like a Waterloo to Weymouth stopping at West Byfleet.
Presumably this is due to congestion on this line and one of the Wolverhampton locals misses Coseley out to avoid the stopper jamming the line, and the Liverpool takes the stop to compensate?

Both the locals stop at coseley. Presumably its to give the 3 busier stations at least 3tph with the Shrewsbury stopping at sandwell and 1 Liverpool stopping at smethwick gb and 1 at coseley in addition to the stoppers