Unusual Diversions.

[Peregrine 4903]

Oh, a good few ...

Summer morning train, Victoria to Brighton. People could be seen walking up the platform at Victoria the length of the 12-car set to be first off at Brighton. However, on getting to Three Bridges, long stop, announcement we are being diverted via Horsham as line ahead blocked. Went right through to Littlehampton platforms to reverse, then along the coast line.

Meanwhile the "first-offs" started to trickle through from what was now the back, falling over baggage and feet, grumbling as they went, and we rocked along to Hove - where we turned left, round the avoiding line to Preston Park, to reverse again to come into the main platforms.

Whereupon, of course, they were at the back again

The diversion via Littlehampton and Horsham to Brighton is a very common diversion when there are engineering works on the Brighton Main Line south of Three Bridges.

 

[hilly]

My best is Leeds to Cardiff - around 2005/6. Leeds to Birmingham new steeet via Doncaster, Loughborough, Leicester and Nuneaton, followed by a Birmingham to Cardiff service via Worcester

 

[QJ]

I managed to travel on many trains diverted from the expected route over the years in all regions of the British Rail starting in the 1970s. However, a lot of these diversions were over routes regularly used for such eventualities (Leamside line. Knottingley, Tinsley Yard, Sleaford via the station or avoiding line, Lincoln avoiding line, York avoiding line to name but a few on the East Coast mainline let alone the diversionary routes utilised by other regions).

The first possible rare routing I travelled on, a Western hauled footex from Plymouth to Cardiff, in 1967 was allegedly routed via the Up goods line at Exeter Saint Davids and also around St Philips Marsh and the Rhubarb curve to avoid Bristol Temple Meads. Unfortunately I have no recollection of this being too young to take notice of what was outside the train and I've never managed to find any evidence to prove or disprove this. I have also lost the record of when the power was off at Woking Junction and the Salisbury to Waterloo train I was on got routed along the goods line to reach Woking station. However I do have a record of catching a train around the back of Basingstoke station on 05 November 1983. The train was 1M71 1240 Poole to Manchester hauled by 33039 which I travelled on between Winchester and Reading which ran along the Basingstoke Up Goods from Worting Junction and along no 6 Sidings Road to join the Reading line.

Some major re-signalling schemes threw up diversionary routes rarely used otherwise for passenger trains. The 1985 Crewe Resignalling Project utilised the Crewe Independent lines to bypass the station. As an example 1D42 0955 London Euston to Holyhead was routed via the Down Fast Independent and Down Chester Independent. The route of the 1426 Crewe to Stafford was to depart from the old platform 1 at Crewe to Crewe North Junction where the train reversed to take the UP Chester Independent and Up Fast Independent to Basford Hall Jn. 1G75 1752 Preston to Coventry ran via Crewe Coal Yard, Up Liverpool Independent, Up Slow Independent, Basford Hall SS North and the Up Independent to Basford Hall Junction. The 0750 Swansea to Manchester was routed from Nantwich by way of Gresty Lane No1 and the Down Manchester Independent to Sydney Bridge Junction.

I also caught 1E24 2250 Shrewsbury to York as far as Stafford on 07 June 1985 whereupon I jumped aboard 1V01 0138 Stafford to Cardiff. Both these trains were routed by way of the Oxley Chord. For interest 1E24 was powered by none other than 47555. My abiding memory of travelling on 1V01 was it was so bitterly cold (no train heat despite 47450 being provided) that I and a few other rail enthusiasts on the train bailed at Abergavenny into the inviting warmth radiating from the coal fire in the waiting room to defrost.

 

[Efini92]

Leeds to Manchester Victoria. A train failed at todmorden so went via Blackburn and Bolton.

 

[Taunton]

Mid-1970s, through Liverpool to Edinburgh trains ran via Newton-le-Willows to the WCML, but one Sunday morning this was closed, so diverted vis Ditton Junction, the Fiddlers Ferry line to Widnes, unusual enough, then the freight-only single line from Widnes to St Helens, on from there. Guard said it had been years since any passenger train had gone along this obscure line, let alone a Class 47-hauled express. It looked (and felt) like it had very little ballast at about 20-30 mph.

Similar period, ECML express north from Durham on a Sunday afternoon, right round the west side of Tyne Yard, eventually passing under the main line and coming up on the east side at Gateshead.

in 1967 ... around St Philips Marsh and the Rhubarb curve to avoid Bristol Temple Meads.

This was common on summer Saturdays up to the 1960s, avoiding the main station. From the west end of Bristol TM platforms you could see these services passing.

 

[Springs Branch]

Mid-1970s, through Liverpool to Edinburgh trains ran via Newton-le-Willows to the WCML, but one Sunday morning this was closed, so diverted vis Ditton Junction, the Fiddlers Ferry line to Widnes, unusual enough, then the freight-only single line from Widnes to St Helens, on from there. Guard said it had been years since any passenger train had gone along this obscure line, let alone a Class 47-hauled express. It looked (and felt) like it had very little ballast at about 20-30 mph.

Around the same period (possibly the same occasion), Liverpool - Newcastle TransPennines were diverted via a similar route: Ditton - Widnes - Sutton Oak - St Helens Shaw St, then on towards Wigan, diverging onto the Ince Moss Curve to Bamfurlong Jn, then south on the WCML to Golborne Jn and regaining the Chat Moss line at Parkside.

I've seen a photo of a Peak + rake of Mk.1s on the historic, but then freight-only Widnes - St Helens line. I think I recall forum member @Bevan Price previously mentioned travelling on one of these diversions (a nice little South Lancashire railtour for the price of a Lime St - Man Vic Cheap Day Return, if you happened to have gen about the diversionary route beforehand)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

1997ish, journey from Huddersfield to Manchester with a 144 shuttle to Mirfield, diverted TP 158 to Piccadilly (and on to the Airport) via Calder Valley, Victoria and reversal at Salford Crescent. This meant I chalked off the line through Brighouse three years before it reopened, but had to wait for Bradley chord as it still had trees growing out of it!

Nowadays, with that chord passable again, the service would reverse at Huddersfield and probably use the Ordsall chord rather than reversing at Salford.

 

[greyman42]

I remember the ECML, on Sunday mornings in the late 70s, diverting via Stockton and Ferryhill.

 

[MadMac]

Around 1980, I had been working in Salisbury and was returning home mid afternoon. Boarded the usual (for that period) Class 50 and Mk2 stock. Everything was fine until just after the Basingstoke stop, then we started to slow down, by the time we got to Woking there was obviously a serious problem. The guard came through and explained that a problem in the Earlsfield area was the cause of the delays. Eventually we crawled through Wimbledon, by this time it would have been around 5pm. We then 'turned left' and proceeded up the District line tracks through Southfields. The expression on the faces of the commuters was worth the delay, we were probably trundling along at 20 - 25mph at this stage and they were obviously gobsmacked at seeing a 'proper' train, and the class 50s were not the quietest locos on the network. Round the curve at East Putney and through Wandsworth Town to Clapham Junction rejoining our route to Waterloo.

Arrived home well late think I finally made the 7pm out of Kings Cross towards home.

Just wish I had a camera to captures the faces of the commuters on the platforms at Southfields. I know these tracks are used occasionally as a diversion, but not I suspect that often by a full loco hauled set in the rush hour.

Not an “unusual route” but I once travelled from Waverley to Uddingston on a rake of Mark 3s hauled by a 47! Apparently the DMU had failed and the stock was going to Polmadie, so someone used their initiative and ran it in service. The looks on the faces of passengers waiting at the likes of Addiewell were a picture.

Also, when Haymarket interlocking was undergoing repairs due to the condition of the wiring, Eastbound Shotts line services were diverted round the Sub.

 

[SeanG]

I did a Hexham - Middlesbrough which reversed at Newcastle P12 (south/west facing) the other week. So it had to cross the main ECML lines twice, and took the (former) Gateshead station avoiding line which I think is rather rare.

 

[The exile]

Sometime in the late 90s, my parents did a Sunday journey from Bristol to Edinburgh which only did the normal route from Temple Meads to Westerleigh Junction, Wolverhampton to Norton Bridge, Carlisle to Carstairs and Haymarket to Waverley. My father was delighted at the trip via Oxford, Bescot, Stockport, Blackburn, Settle, Motherwell and Falkirk; my mother considerably less so.
What I had hoped would be a similar feast of diversions off the ECML on the Highland Chieftain in 1987 was not be - the first of those - Inverness to Edinburgh via Aberdeen - taking so long that the only diversion still on was the Abbeyhill loop!

 

[xotGD]

ECML express north from Durham on a Sunday afternoon, right round the west side of Tyne Yard, eventually passing under the main line and coming up on the east side at Gateshead.

So that took the now-gone Bensham curve. I never travelled over that, but have done the freight line round the back of Tyne Yard.

On a similar theme, train from Dunston to Newcastle, diverted on the freight line from Norwood Jn to Tyne Yard, reverse, then ECML to Newcastle.

Further south, Derby to Birmingham via Leicester and the old flyover at Nuneaton avoiding the station.

 

[Spartacus]

In the early days of Voyagers I had a reversal at Castleford on the way into Leeds one night. Even as someone who knows the area pretty well I still did a double take, nothing rare track-wise, but very random. That was when nothing was booked Altofts - Methley direct so was probably a route knowledge thing.

Also did Pontefract Monkhill - Castleford via Turners Lane on a Goole service due to a cable theft, and Bradford - Pontefract via Whitehall & Turners Lane curves on Grand Central.

Also did both the Up Goods at Wakefield Kirkgate and Down Main at Wakefield Westgate on a diverted HST due to engineering work around Sandal & Agbrigg.

 

[MontyP]

I once went from Birmingham to Southampton via Swindon - at the time (mid 80s), I didn't have much interest in railways so have no idea of the routing from Birmingham to Swindon nor from Swindon on to Southampton!

 

[70014IronDuke]

Birmingham N Street to Rugby in, I think, 1962.

Turned south at Coventry, past the closed and I think empty loco shed, to Leamington Avenue LNW station (line at that time closed to normal passenger traffic, IIRC), then trundled onto Rugby - I don't know what that line was called - all behind a Cl 40.

This was not unusual at the time, because of electrification work, but an unusual one for me.

Hmmm. I've just checked on Wiki and it says Leamington Spa Avenue station only closed in 65.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that at Leamington, over on the GW branch we passed a 70xx Castle (sorry, can't remember which one) on a Pad - Wolves working (I suppose). This would have been about 15.30 or so, I should think, in case anyone can identify the train.

 

[Gloster]

Hmmm. I've just checked on Wiki and it says Leamington Spa Avenue station only closed in 65.

The Avenue station was only open for trains towards Coventry. Trains towards Weedon had ceased in 1958 and to Rugby the following year.

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

Engineering work east of Dartford had a few Charing Cross-Gillingham services running from London as normal to Dartford, then reverse and head back towards London on the Sidcup loop, turn left at Hither Green on the Lee Spur (3rd side of the Hither Green triangle), then down via the Chislehurst junctions and Sole Street to the Medway Towns.

This was the usual diversionary route on summer Sundays in the 70s for the xx36 Charing Cross to Ramsgate services. In those times they were fast from London Bridge to Woolwich Arsenal. We usually had two windows open in the ticket office at Woolwich A, and the queues for tickets were really long.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Came home from York to Airdrie on a Saturday in October 1976 on an overnight to Aberdeen leaving just before midnight, the train ran via Gateshead through Newcastle wrong way, over to Carlisle and up to Edinburgh, going into Waverley via the sub. Changed at Waverley into a push pull which went initially via Dalmeny due to flooding in Winchburgh tunnel then a scheduled diversion via Falkirk Grahamston, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge Central, Carmyle into Glasgow Central. Over to Queen Street and a bus to Bellgrove before the final train to Airdrie.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The Avenue station was only open for trains towards Coventry. Trains towards Weedon had ceased in 1958 and to Rugby the following year.

Thks. I was under the impression that it was closed when I went through - but it was a long time ago, and I was on the lookout for that Castle on the western side!

 

[Harvester]

Birmingham N Street to Rugby in, I think, 1962.


EDIT: Forgot to mention that at Leamington, over on the GW branch we passed a 70xx Castle (sorry, can't remember which one) on a Pad - Wolves working (I suppose). This would have been about 15.30 or so, I should think, in case anyone can identify the train.

In 1962 the Paddington-Wolverhampton departures (SuX) were 10 minutes past the hour, so the train may well have been the 14:10 departure from Paddington (unless it was a Sunday).

I visited Paddington a few times in 1962 during the last week of the school holidays (the last week of the summer timetable), and this service was still about fifty per cent steam hauled, by Kings and Castles. From the start of the winter timetable (10/9/62) Western diesels took over, but only a dozen had entered service by then so many steam substitutes occurred. In fact Old Oak Common had to keep six Kings in service during the autumn as standby locos.

 

[Magdalia]

Forgot to mention that at Leamington, over on the GW branch we passed a 70xx Castle (sorry, can't remember which one) on a Pad - Wolves working (I suppose). This would have been about 15.30 or so, I should think, in case anyone can identify the train.

In 1962 the Paddington-Wolverhampton departures (SuX) were 10 minutes past the hour, so the train may well have been the 14:10 departure from Paddington (unless it was a Sunday).

I don't have the 1962 timetable but I do have 1963. Departures from Paddington were 10 minutes past the hour but after 80 minutes journey time they had only got to Banbury. A 1310 departure would get to Leamington Spa at just before 1500 and a 1410 an hour later. Such a diversion is I think more likely on a Sunday than other days of the week. But on Sundays the 1310 departure from Paddington only ran in high summer.

 

[70014IronDuke]

In 1962 the Paddington-Wolverhampton departures (SuX) were 10 minutes past the hour, so the train may well have been the 14:10 departure from Paddington (unless it was a Sunday).

I visited Paddington a few times in 1962 during the last week of the school holidays (the last week of the summer timetable), and this service was still about fifty per cent steam hauled, by Kings and Castles. From the start of the winter timetable (10/9/62) Western diesels took over, but only a dozen had entered service by then so many steam substitutes occurred. In fact Old Oak Common had to keep six Kings in service during the autumn as standby locos.

I don't have the 1962 timetable but I do have 1963. Departures from Paddington were 10 minutes past the hour but after 80 minutes journey time they had only got to Banbury. A 1310 departure would get to Leamington Spa at just before 1500 and a 1410 an hour later. Such a diversion is I think more likely on a Sunday than other days of the week. But on Sundays the 1310 departure from Paddington only ran in high summer.

Gosh, you've both got me intrigued now as to when all this was. It's possible it was 1961, but I don't think so. I remember I hoped the Castle would be a King (as I never saw a King in service), and as I knew the Kings were on the way out, that's why I think it was 62, as I was desperate for a 60xx. It might have been the Easter hols, but I'd fancy that it was more September, around the time of the Summer-Winter timetable change (probably just after).

I remember that day we went to Birmingham NS, then walked to Snow Hill, where we saw a northbound express - I was told it was the Pines - arrive (behind another Castle, probably a 50xx series, but again, have lost the records). My guess is that we stayed about an hour at Snow Hill, maybe noon to 13.00 or so (would that fit the Pines schedule?). I can't remember it being busy, but maybe we just didn't stop long enough.

We then walked back to New Street and caught the southbound train behind the 40. (I can't remember seeing much at NS either, though I have a hazy recollection of passing Saltley shed, replete with masses of steam.)

It was definitely not a Sunday, and I'm pretty sure it was a weekday. If the southbound train left New Street at about 14.20-30, I guess we'd have got to Leamington to pass the 13.10 ex-Pad. Somehow leaving at 15.20-30, to see the 14.10 at Leamington near 16.00 feels a wee bit late.

It's only writing this that I realise that that day was probably the only time I ever did Rugby - New Street (we went directly in the morning, ie not via Leamington) - which is quite a surprise given all
my rail travel subsequently.

 

[Magdalia]

I remember that day we went to Birmingham NS, then walked to Snow Hill, where we saw a northbound express - I was told it was the Pines - arrive (behind another Castle, probably a 50xx series, but again, have lost the records). My guess is that we stayed about an hour at Snow Hill, maybe noon to 13.00 or so (would that fit the Pines schedule?). I can't remember it being busy, but maybe we just didn't stop long enough.

The Pines Express went via the Somerset and Dorset until I think September 1962, and up to that point used New Street not Snow Hill.

When it was diverted off the Somerset and Dorset to go via Basingstoke, then it started to use Snow Hill. The southbound train was Snow Hill 12.43 pm and the northbound 2.27 pm.

 

[CW2]

When there were still overnight sleeper services out of Kings Cross, some of the diversions they took at weekends were epic. The timetable was arranged in periods so that for about 2 months there would be one particular diversion in place, then for the next two months a second (different) one. The same train might get diverted off the main line several times in the course of its journey. Here's a few for you:

Sat 06/06/81
55017 22:15 Kings Cross - Edinburgh via Doncaster, Askern, York, Stockton, Newcastle, Carlisle, Edinburgh Suburban Line.

Sat 26/09/81
55016 22:30 Kings Cross - Edinburgh via Hitchin, Cambridge, Peterborough, Doncaster, Askern, York, Darlington, Leamside, Newcastle, Carlisle, Carstairs avoider, Edinburgh.
A total of 460.25 miles, my highest single trip with a Deltic.

Sat 14/11/81
40025 21:00 Kings Cross - Edinburgh via Peterborough, Sleaford, Joint Lines, Doncaster, Hare Park, Normanton, York, Leamside, High Level Bridge, Blyth & Tyne, Edinburgh Suburban Line.

When there was resignalling work taking place at St Pancras back in 1980, there were weekend diversions into Euston via Bedford - Bletchley.
Sat 31/05/80
45138 2120 Euston - Leicester via Bletchley, Bedford.
The 23:59 Sheffield - St Pancras was similarly diverted, re-engineing to a pair of 25s at Bedford (as the traincrew working it didn't know 45s), giving me 25095 + 25210 back into Euston.

Conversely, in 1991 when there was some engineering blockade on the southern end of the WCML, there were some weekend diversions of Liverpool - Euston services into St Pancras. These ran electrically hauled (or pushed) to Nuneaton, where an ETH 47 attached to take them via Wigston South Curve to Bedford, where the diesel was detached and the electric put the pan back up and worked into St Pancras. I did a couple of weekend trips, and was fortunate enough to manage an 86/2, an 87, and a 90 to St Pancras.

When the overnight Manchester - Gatwick Airport used to run on a Saturday night, the route of that train was never the same two weeks running. As well as the wide range of diversions that the LMR had to offer, it had a similar range of routes from Willesden to Gatwick on the Southern. A friend of mine once did it out of Manchester Piccadilly with a class 40 on the front, and it went via Latchford on the Low Level lines to Warrington, a route I never had.

Sun 22/11/81
There was some sort of engineering work affecting the route between Oxford and Leamington Spa, so the Paddington - Birmingham services were being diverted all day.
50001 11:36 Birmingham New Street - Paddington via Hartlebury, Worcester, Oxford.
50035 1900 Paddington - Coventry (- Manchester Piccadilly) via Oxford, Bletchley Flyover, Rugby.
This remains the only occasion on which I did the Oxford - Bletchley line throughout.

 

[Magdalia]

When there were still overnight sleeper services out of Kings Cross, some of the diversions they took at weekends were epic. The timetable was arranged in periods so that for about 2 months there would be one particular diversion in place, then for the next two months a second (different) one.

In the late 1970s/early 1980s weekend ECML diversions via Cambridge were always in April and September. I can't recall there ever being more than 4 consecutive weeks of diversions.

Cambridge and Lincoln both added about an hour to the journey so they didn't happen at the same time.

 

[Harvester]

Gosh, you've both got me intrigued now as to when all this was. It's possible it was 1961, but I don't think so. I remember I hoped the Castle would be a King (as I never saw a King in service), and as I knew the Kings were on the way out, that's why I think it was 62, as I was desperate for a 60xx. It might have been the Easter hols, but I'd fancy that it was more September, around the time of the Summer-Winter timetable change (probably just after).

The Pines Express went via the Somerset and Dorset until I think September 1962, and up to that point used New Street not Snow Hill.

When it was diverted off the Somerset and Dorset to go via Basingstoke, then it started to use Snow Hill. The southbound train was Snow Hill 12.43 pm and the northbound 2.27 pm.

The Summer-Winter timetable change was on Monday 10/9/62, which was the date the Pines Express started to use Snow Hill.

Paddington-Wolverhampton services were accelerated from 10/9/62 booked for Western diesel haulage, but there were many steam substitutes. Castles would struggle to keep time on the new schedules, so its possible the Castle was running quite late, and so could have been on the 13:10 from Paddington.

 

[Bungle]

2004-5ish, Central Trains Birmingham - Nottingham via Nuneaton and Leicester service (assume this was a timetabled service back then.)

Both ways on the particular weekend, the route between Trent junction and Nottingham via Beeston was shut, so we went up the Erewash line as far as a crossover just north of Langley Mill, reversed under hand signals (remember seeing the driver change ends and the man holding the flags) and reversed in to Nottingham via Trowell Junction - and vice versa on the return the next day. Not sure that’s one that’s seen use since then.

 

[Beebman]

On the day after the derailment at West Ealing in August 1989 my regular morning train from Twyford to Paddington turned left at Hanwell East Jct and ran via the Greenford East Curve to rejoin the main line at Old Oak Common. My evening train back home did the same route in reverse but AFAICR everything was back to normal the day after.

 

[Tony73E]

In about 1973 I was travelling from Margate to London. When train reached Faversham there was a bit of a wait followed by reversal, and a tour of Kent taking in Dover, Folkestone & Sevenoaks to name but a few. I was late for work.

Yep - done that one!

On another occasion on the way home from Victoria to Faversham we got as far as Swanley and got stopped by a lineside fire at Sole Street. So Driver changed ends then back to Chislehurst Junction, Grove Park, round the Lee Spur, Dartford, Gravesend (centre road) to rejoin booked route at Rochester Bridge Junction.

The other game you could play was to get diverted from Swanley via Maidstone East, Ashford and Canterbury West and deciding whether to get off at Maidstone East for the promised bus replacement across to Chatham. Always being suspicious of such promises I stayed on to Canterbury West then trooped over to Canterbury East for train to Faversham.

 

[CW2]

In the late 1970s/early 1980s weekend ECML diversions via Cambridge were always in April and September. I can't recall there ever being more than 4 consecutive weeks of diversions.

Cambridge and Lincoln both added about an hour to the journey so they didn't happen at the same time.

Yes, you are right. The Cambridge diversions always seemed a bit elusive to me, whereas the Joint Lines were relatively common, so I guess the respective spread of weeks per year wasn't at all equal.

Meanwhile, another one has sprung to mind, this time on the WCML.
If ever the WCML was blocked between Crewe and Hartford, diversions would take place via Chester. For a (say) Euston - Liverpool service, the pan would be dropped on the electric at Crewe, and a diesel attached. Then it would haul the train to Chester, run non-stop through the station middle road, and turn right as if heading towards Hooton. Once past Chester North Junction the train would stop, then propel around the avoiding line to Chester South Junction. There it would stop again, and come forward non-stop through the middle road of Chester station (for the second time in about 10 minutes), and take the junction towards Warrington. If heading to Liverpool the train would then take the chord at Frodsham to Halton Jn and on to Runcorn. This was all a very slick operation, with special instructions written in the Sectional Appendix to allow propelling of passenger trains. I think one of the stipulations was that there had to be a brake vehicle leading during the propelling movement. This diversion was used on a timetabled basis for exceptional engineering blocks, but also ad hoc in the event of wires down etc.

One Saturday in 1983 I did the Chester Triangle move in the southbound direction on a Barrow - Crewe service. On arrival at Crewe the loco - 40096 - was hurriedly taken to work a Euston - Liverpool service, which went via Sandbach, Northwich, and Hartford LNW Jn. Another variant of the diversions.

The "Chester Triangulation" moves always took place in the same direction, regardless of whether the train was ultimately heading northbound or southbound, i.e. you always propelled around the avoiding line from North to South, never South to North.