Unusual locos hauling failed HSTs?

[Harvester]

IIRC for a number of years HSTs with a failed power car were not allowed to run over the Devon Banks unassisted. This would have been back in the eighties or nineties when standby locos were more readily available to assist! The policy was eventually dropped.

 

[Cowley]

IIRC for a number of years HSTs with a failed power car were not allowed to run over the Devon Banks unassisted. This would have been back in the eighties or nineties when standby locos were more readily available to assist! The policy was eventually dropped.

That’s right. Being a bit of haulage fan back in those days you’d see that an incoming service from Paddington or up north was losing time and the mutter would go around that there was an HST running on one power car, then we’d all be looking across at the Exeter depot to see what loco had just been fired up. I had runs with HSTs piloted by 31s, 37s, 47s and 50s back then. 37s seemed to be the most likely ones in the early 1990s because there were often a couple sat around EX at the weekends.

Great fun!

 

[43096]

IIRC for a number of years HSTs with a failed power car were not allowed to run over the Devon Banks unassisted. This would have been back in the eighties or nineties when standby locos were more readily available to assist! The policy was eventually dropped.

The policy wasn't dropped, but it was refined. A westbound set on one power car had to have a clear run through Totnes and up the bank - if it was booked to call at Totnes that stop was pulled.

 

[Richard Scott]

That’s right. Being a bit of haulage fan back in those days you’d see that an incoming service from Paddington or up north was losing time and the mutter would go around that there was an HST running on one power car, then we’d all be looking across at the Exeter depot to see what loco had just been fired up. I had runs with HSTs piloted by 31s, 37s, 47s and 50s back then. 37s seemed to be the most likely ones in the early 1990s because there were often a couple sat around EX at the weekends.

Great fun!

A 31 would have been interesting, almost better to let the HST go it alone?!!!

 

[Cowley]

A 31 would have been interesting, almost better to let the HST go it alone?!!!

Yeah I think it was 31284 (or something similar) off the top of my head. I only had it along the sea wall for a short hop so I didn’t get to see how it coped on the banks.

 

[hexagon789]

Yeah I think it was 31284 (or something similar) off the top of my head. I only had it along the sea wall for a short hop so I didn’t get to see how it coped on the banks.

There is a log of a 31 rescuing a 50+11 on the Paignton to Glasgow & Edinburgh in about 1983. The 50 failed before starting away, so a 31 was sent from Exeter to haul the train as far St D's by which time a replacement loco wouldve arrived.

The 31 managed a minimum of 12mph up the bank from Torre and a maxima of 65 past Exminster.

A 2+7 HST set would be slightly lighter though, but it gives a flavour of what might be expected.

 

[devon_belle]

I don't have pics, but I once saw a HST rescue another that had failed somewhere north of Exeter St Davids. I can't remember whether the failed HST was pushed or pulled. Mid 2000s

 

[Ash Bridge]

There is a log of a 31 rescuing a 50+11 on the Paignton to Glasgow & Edinburgh in about 1983. The 50 failed before starting away, so a 31 was sent from Exeter to haul the train as far St D's by which time a replacement loco wouldve arrived.

The 31 managed a minimum of 12mph up the bank from Torre and a maxima of 65 past Axminster.

A 2+7 HST set would be slightly lighter though, but it gives a flavour of what might be expected.

Wondering why it went via the LSW route, could it have meant Exminster?

 

[hexagon789]

Wondering why it went via the LSW route, could it have meant Exminster?

That should have been Exminster!!!

I blame autocorrect governor, nuffin' ta do wiv me, honest.

 

[Ash Bridge]

That should have been Exminster!!!

I blame autocorrect governor, nuffin' ta do wiv me, honest.

Haha, no problem!

Thought our very own “man on the spot” Mr Cowley might have got in first though?

 

[Cowley]

Haha, no problem!

Thought our very own “man on the spot” Mr Cowley might have got in first though?

I did see it but forgot to mention it.

 

[Irascible]

I don't have pics, but I once saw a HST rescue another that had failed somewhere north of Exeter St Davids. I can't remember whether the failed HST was pushed or pulled. Mid 2000s

I was going to ask, are there many records of ( full, not spare powercar ) HST sets rescuing something else? not necessarily another HST.

Come to think of it, what about single powercars.

 

[Richard Scott]

I was going to ask, are there many records of ( full, not spare powercar ) HST sets rescuing something else? not necessarily another HST.

Come to think of it, what about single powercars.

Pair of back to back power cars worked Penzance sleeper, not sure if 57 was in tow. Did see a single power car on a cross country train many years ago with a translator vehicle on the back in place of missing power car. Not seen a full HST rake rescue anything else, think the bar coupling arrangement may preclude it as certainly couldn't push a failed train.

 

[Spartacus]

I know full HSTs have rescued other HSTs in the past, as seen here, way back in 1986.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85954524@N02/40591651483/

 

[Cowley]

I know full HSTs have rescued other HSTs in the past, as seen here, way back in 1986.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85954524@N02/40591651483/

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in BR days before.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Here’s a screenshot from the HST coupling training film showing 2 HSTs being coupled.

And here’s a link to that film.

Interestingly the original Class 155 handbook says that if a complete failure occurred they could be assisted by an HST. This being achieved by using the BSI adapter and one of the HST bars (I can’t remember which). I don’t think this ever happened.

 

[MotCO]

I know full HSTs have rescued other HSTs in the past, as seen here, way back in 1986.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85954524@N02/40591651483/

This was a train from Kings Cross to Newcastle. Are the platforms at Newcastle long enough to accept an 18 coach rake? Likewise, could an 18 coach rake fit at Kings Cross if the journey had been from Newcastle?

Likewise, how would a rescued HST being hauled by a diesel observe stop plates at stations, since the rake would be one 'carriage' longer than the normal train - would there be an danger of the last carriage being left off the platform?

 

[43096]

This was a train from Kings Cross to Newcastle. Are the platforms at Newcastle long enough to accept an 18 coach rake? Likewise, could an 18 coach rake fit at Kings Cross if the journey had been from Newcastle?

At the time, East Coast sets were (mostly) 2+8, so you're talking 16 coaches, plus four power cars.

 

[Spartacus]

This was a train from Kings Cross to Newcastle. Are the platforms at Newcastle long enough to accept an 18 coach rake? Likewise, could an 18 coach rake fit at Kings Cross if the journey had been from Newcastle?

Likewise, how would a rescued HST being hauled by a diesel observe stop plates at stations, since the rake would be one 'carriage' longer than the normal train - would there be an danger of the last carriage being left off the platform?

Platform 2 would probably take it, though probably with the front & rear locos off the platform.

In regards to the stopping point the same could be said about rescuing any service, probably stop a loco length beyond the board, if it was even there at all, they were somewhat rare, or just using own judgement. Guard should still be looking to see if it's stopped correctly, and even if it wasn't something interlocked there wasn't a huge issue then about passengers jumping off a bit down the ramp.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I know full HSTs have rescued other HSTs in the past, as seen here, way back in 1986.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85954524@N02/40591651483/

I think there is still a YouTube video extant of a 2+6 Grand Central HST hauling another (totally dead) 2+6 Grand Central HST out of York in the early Valenta days (prior to their initial remedial work whilst retaining their Valentas). Much easier with their unconventionally conventional drawgear.

 

[SWFreight]

Pair of back to back power cars worked Penzance sleeper, not sure if 57 was in tow. Did see a single power car on a cross country train many years ago with a translator vehicle on the back in place of missing power car. Not seen a full HST rake rescue anything else, think the bar coupling arrangement may preclude it as certainly couldn't push a failed train.

I recall sometime in the last year hearing about the up Night Riviera service failing, and being hauled the rest of the way by a 2+4 HST set. I need to look it up and see if I can find any further details. I remember looking for pictures of it at the time but didn't have any luck.

One of the drawbacks of being into sleeper trains; photographs and videos are harder to come by when the train runs in the middle of the night!

 

[racyrich]

Take a look at the opening 20 seconds of this Class 40 documentary. In the background there's a 37 pulling an HST

 

[01d-and]

Chatting to an ex-railwayman yesterday who told me that "The Lickey Bankers" - 2 x 37's , were sent to rescue an HST , not sure where it failed , and hauled the set right through to Newcastle. This was thought to be around 1983. Any photos or indeed confirmation ??

 

[hexagon789]

Chatting to an ex-railwayman yesterday who told me that "The Lickey Bankers" - 2 x 37's , were sent to rescue an HST , not sure where it failed , and hauled the set right through to Newcastle. This was thought to be around 1983. Any photos or indeed confirmation ??

Found this:

Toon tractors

37158 and 37296 take a breather after arriving at Newcastle with 1E37 the 13.28 Paignton - Newcastle on 11th May 1984. The HST clearly failed on the Lickey and the bankers were called to assist. Apparently because the "temporary" coupling bar proved to be slightly less temporary than intended the 37's had to remain on the train so that Heaton could attend to the problem. I recall being tipped off about this working by an enthusiast who worked on the ticket barriers at Newcastle and had time to return home, get some cash and my tripod, tip off a friend and still get to Durham for it. I still remember the bell on the down platform at Durham that alerted staff to the imminent arrival of a train ringing and waiting with trepidation to see if the 37's were still on the train. They were - amazing!​

​

Toon tractors

37158 and 37296 take a breather after arriving at Newcastle with 1E37 the 13.28 Paignton - Newcastle on 11th May 1984. The HST clearly failed on the Lickey and the bankers were called to assist. Apparently because the "temporary" coupling bar proved to be slightly less temporary than intended...

www.flickr.com

(Photo credit: Mark Lawrence flickr)

It's 1984 rather than 1983, but the locos appear to be Lickey Banker allocated 37s and the working is to Newcastle.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Some time September 1980 - early 1981 evening probably (but it was daylight so maybe weekend) I was travelling back from Birmingham Newstreet to Longfield when at Five Ways a silent HST powercar went past in the opposite direction then the coaches no noise from the rear except - surprise the howl of fans twice. I slowly deduced that I had heard the sound of the Lickey bankers free wheeling down the slope into New Street. I got off at Longfield and waited, and waited. Eventually I could her the EE throb. They came slicing through Longfield on full chat. The only time I ever saw the Lickey bankers.

 

[01d-and]

Many thanks hexagon 789. I was always led to believe that Lickey Banker drivers were cleared to work as far north as Derby but I guess that's for discussion elsewhere.

 

[Strathclyder]

I think there is still a YouTube video extant of a 2+6 Grand Central HST hauling another (totally dead) 2+6 Grand Central HST out of York in the early Valenta days (prior to their initial remedial work whilst retaining their Valentas). Much easier with their unconventionally conventional drawgear.

This the one? This occurred overnight on 25th-26th July 2008 with the dead HST set having expired at Biggleswade:

And further to the above discussion of 86s/87s rescuing HSTs, here is 87020 piloting 43063+062 out of Preston headed north on 6th August 1992 (from the Hughesy YT channel). 063 at the back is smoking away to itself, so the reason for this particular rescue is most likely due to 063 throwing in the towel:

 

[43096]

This the one? This occurred overnight on 25th-26th July 2008 with the dead HST set having expired at Biggleswade:

And further to the above discussion of 86s/87s rescuing HSTs, here is 87020 piloting 43063+062 out of Preston headed north on 6th August 1992 (from the Hughesy YT channel). 063 at the back is smoking away to itself, so the reason for this particular rescue is most likely due to 063 throwing in the towel:

062 at the back would still be running to provide ETS to the coaches.

 

[Strathclyder]

062 at the back would still be running to provide ETS to the coaches.

Oh of course, somehow forgot to mention that.

 

[26021]

I think possibly the last Class 26 rescue of an HST was one of the best -
Sunday 09/08/92
26026+26005
1V58 Edinburgh to Penzance; Barrhead to Carlisle. One of the power cars had its fire bell ringing at Central. Despite attention by fitters, the fault continued. The rear power car was shut down. The train set off, but, on arrival at Barrhead, the driver announced the front power car had shut down as well… 005+026 were put together at Polmadie and sent to the rescue. On arrival at Carlisle, the pair was removed for a 47/4.
There was a professional video doing the rounds of them arriving at Carlisle which is available on YouTube.