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Trivia: Unusual, bizarre or oddly specific causes of delay

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py_megapixel

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I'm writing this from a city centre bus which has been delayed due to someone leading a couple of horses down the road!

I know Darwin has a delay attribution code for "a supermarket trolley on the railway" although I've never actually heard it announced or seen it on an info screen.

Any others which people know of or have experienced?
 
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Tracked

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On an EMT HST earlier this year: The seat reservations were put on the wrong train (this was on the 1st of the Leeds-St Pancras HST's, the one that goes through Doncaster).
 

CC 72100

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On an EMT HST earlier this year: The seat reservations were put on the wrong train (this was on the 1st of the Leeds-St Pancras HST's, the one that goes through Doncaster).

On that subject, a couple of years back, not long after their respective brand launches, TransPennine Express and Great Western Railway reservation labels ended up in the opposite place to that intended, so for a few days until more stock could be obtained, TPE served Portsmouth Harbour and GWR the Pennines.
 

Dr_Paul

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Years back a work colleague was always late in and gave increasingly implausible excuses. On one day he said that all trains were running late because a badger had bitten through a signalling cable at Shoeburyness. 'Oh yeah', we all said. But it was true, as it was on the news that evening.

One evening at Waterloo, all trains were running late and a voice came over the tannoy apologising for this, and added: 'This is entirely due to management incompetence.' I don't know if it was, but we all had a good laugh and cheer on the concourse.
 

Ianno87

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A dog did a poo in the wheelchair space of an XC 170 I was on a few months back. The New Street cleaners didn't have the correct stuff to clean it up, so set swap it was....

(Annoyingly, a 42 minute late start managed to get recoved to a marginally sub-Delay Repay 29 by my destination through some very slick operation and green signals...)
 

CC 72100

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A dog did a poo in the wheelchair space of an XC 170 I was on a few months back. The New Street cleaners didn't have the correct stuff to clean it up, so set swap it was....

(Annoyingly, a 42 minute late start managed to get recoved to a marginally sub-Delay Repay 29 by my destination through some very slick operation and green signals...)

Ah 'late departure whilst the train was cleaned specially'.

Never a nice one to hear...
 

Bald Rick

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Mouse in a light fitting of a 153.......

No doubt acting out the old joke:

How many mice does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Two - it’s just a wonder how they got in it in the first place.

My favourite was an Ostrich on the line - up on the East Suffolk about 10-15 years ago.
 

APT618S

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I have had swans on the line at Offord where the ECML runs next to the Great Ouse several years ago.
 

Bald Rick

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I have had swans on the line at Offord where the ECML runs next to the Great Ouse several years ago.

Swans on the line are a pretty regular occurrence. Many a Mobile Ops Manager has had a run in with same!
 

Kingspanner

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A dog did a poo in the wheelchair space of an XC 170 I was on a few months back. The New Street cleaners didn't have the correct stuff to clean it up, so set swap it was....

(Annoyingly, a 42 minute late start managed to get recoved to a marginally sub-Delay Repay 29 by my destination through some very slick operation and green signals...)
Years ago I had to travel in one of the enclosed carriages on the Eskdale and Ravenglass Railway. I was with a mate, a severe hangover, and two noisy kids belonging to someone else. Situation fairly grim.
On arrival at the top station there was a commotion on the platform. It transpired that two standard poodles has disgraced themselves in a carriage. The cleaner handed the dog's owner a cloth. His face was a picture. There's always someone worse off than yourself....
 

MotCO

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I heard of 'guard bit by rabbit' on the Underground in the 1970s.I should add that it was out on the Central Line near Epping.
 

scosutsut

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Not odd in their own right, but an odd combo...

The other day the 0806 on my line was cancelled due to the driver taking ill and the subsequent 0818 was delayed due to problems with the electrical supply.

Being in possession of quite a sick sense of humour I passed the extra time waiting wondering how the two might have been related(!)
 

Bald Rick

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Just remembered, there was a sofa on the line near Waterloo over the weekend.
 

LAX54

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2 or 3 years ago, we had an Alpaca on the line at Baylham Level Crossing :) Marquee stopped the North Walsham tanks near Wroxham Few years ago, Driver reported a loss of air, going back to take a look, reported that a car had come through a fence and wedged itself between two wagons !
 

trebor79

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I know Darwin has a delay attribution code for "a supermarket trolley on the railway" although I've never actually heard it announced or seen it on an info screen.
Many years ago I was on a train from MetroCentre to Newcastle that stopped somewhee after Dunston. Driver got out of cab, shopping trolley seen departing down the embankment. Driver back in cab and off we went.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Late 1980s / early 1990s, West Coast Main Line, 07.20 Euston - Glasgow.

Delayed at Preston for about 20 - 30 minutes because the tea urn in the buffet car was not working. Fitter attending...
 

306024

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I guess they mean an Emu bird rather than an EMU train?

Correct Sherlock. It escaped with an Ostrich. The Ostrich was recaptured but the emu escaped.

Cat walking across the panel at Tilbury Riverside locking the signals.
 
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Parallel

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I was at Bath earlier this year when my train was cancelled 'due to a fault on this train that is now fixed', which caused some head scratching.



I discovered after that it has diverted via Bristol Parkway due to being moderately delayed.
 

hawk1911

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My favourite (I still have the TRUST printout that someone gave me):
23 June 2001 - 10:38 Glasgow Central to Euston service (1M05) - Train delayed at Lancaster due to 'Monkey Loose On Train'.
 
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