What was the shortest electric loco hauled service?

[tbtc]

What was the shortest (by distance or time) loco hauled electric service?

I remember ScotRail running 90s on the Edinburgh - North Berwick route for a short period - there was a Doncaster - Leeds working to get GNER trains back from Edinburgh to Neville Hill - but were there any shorter examples?

(obviously there are lots of short distance electric services run by EMUs - Brighton to Hove etc - but I'm talking loco hauled only)

 

[43096]

What was the shortest (by distance or time) loco hauled electric service?

I remember ScotRail running 90s on the Edinburgh - North Berwick route for a short period - there was a Doncaster - Leeds working to get GNER trains back from Edinburgh to Neville Hill - but were there any shorter examples?

(obviously there are lots of short distance electric services run by EMUs - Brighton to Hove etc - but I'm talking loco hauled only)

The York-Shrewsbury mail was at one time electric hauled from Stockport to Crewe. I don’t think that’s quite as short as the North Berwick workings, though.

 

[TheEdge]

Class 90 sets dragged complete with loco still attached from Norwich to Yarmouth?

Or is that rather stretching the definition of electric loco hauled service?

 

[Cowley]

I suppose London Victoria to Gatwick Airport with class 73s was reasonably short distance wise (43 miles ish?).

 

[Ianno87]

Not the shortest, but Liverpool Street-Cambridge was loco-hauled (56 miles).

 

[DanNCL]

Pretty sure many years ago 91s were occasionally used on Newcastle - Durham shuttles during engineering works. There's bound to have been occasions where 91s have worked just between Bradford and Leeds too as a result of disruption.

 

[Ken H]

The Cl89 Peterborough must have been quite short. Or the 'Cobblers' to Northampton. Or some Cl73 BSK + Vans workings on the southern.

And the York - Shrewsbury TPO was electric loco hauled between Stockport and Crewe. So while it was a long distance train the electric haulage was quite short

 

[Dave W]

73s appeared on the Kenny Belle (link to RMWeb: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/i...e-kenny-belle/&do=findComment&comment=1239364)

I took your initial question to mean shortest in terms of train length... This picture appears to satisfy both... It is obviously, however, diesel powered here - which rather scuppers my five minutes of research...

Now if your question was "Shortest Electric Loco Hauled Service", and not the other way round, I might have got away with it...

 

[gg1]

In terms of the national rail network I think the North Berwick 90s+DVT mentioned in the opening post will be the winner, though the 30 miles from Crewe to Manchester in the early 60s is worth a mention.

Widen it further though and you have the Metropolitan Railway in the early 20th century, where initially services switched from electric to steam haulage at Harrow, around 9 miles from Baker Street. The City and South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line) also briefly operated electric loco hauled trains before switching to EMUs around the same time, probably over similar distances.

 

[DustyBin]

Pretty sure many years ago 91s were occasionally used on Newcastle - Durham shuttles during engineering works. There's bound to have been occasions where 91s have worked just between Bradford and Leeds too as a result of disruption.

The locomotive hauled services on the Metropolitan line must be a good shout. Originally I believe the electric locomotives were swapped for steam at Harrow(?). I'm not sure if LU counts though!

Edit: @gg1 beat me to it, just!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Hythe Pier Railway? Shortest trains and shortest distance.

 

[Ken H]

The locomotive hauled services on the Metropolitan line must be a good shout. Originally I believe the electric locomotives were swapped for steam at Harrow(?). I'm not sure if LU counts though!

Edit: @gg1 beat me to it, just!

If we are doing LU, what about the original Central London Railway locos, before they got multiple units.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

In terms of the national rail network I think the North Berwick 90s+DVT mentioned in the opening post will be the winner, though the 30 miles from Crewe to Manchester in the early 60s is worth a mention.

Crewe-Liverpool too (35.5 miles) for a couple of years until the wires extended further south.
Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead (41 miles) was e-loco-hauled until closure.

 

[Cowley]

73s appeared on the Kenny Belle (link to RMWeb: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/i...e-kenny-belle/&do=findComment&comment=1239364)

I took your initial question to mean shortest in terms of train length... This picture appears to satisfy both... It is obviously, however, diesel powered here - which rather scuppers my five minutes of research...

Now if your question was "Shortest Electric Loco Hauled Service", and not the other way round, I might have got away with it...

I did consider that one but am I right in thinking that the 73s were running on diesel power for some or all of the journey?

 

[ExRes]

I suppose London Victoria to Gatwick Airport with class 73s was reasonably short distance wise (43 miles ish?).

Come along now Mr Cowley, I bet you're a fisherman aren't you, Victoria to Gatwick is around 25 miles, you'll be telling us next that Exeter has a football team

 

[Dave W]

I did consider that one but am I right in thinking that the 73s were running on diesel power for some or all of the journey?

I suspect all of it, which is why I ruled it out myself, but thought I'd post anyway

 

[gg1]

Crewe-Liverpool too (35.5 miles) for a couple of years until the wires extended further south.
Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead (41 miles) was e-loco-hauled until closure.

A few of the Woodhead services were shorter still, those continuing on to Manchester Central and Liverpool changed traction at Guide Bridge.

 

[Cowley]

Come along now Mr Cowley, I bet you're a fisherman aren't you, Victoria to Gatwick is around 25 miles, you'll be telling us next that Exeter has a football team

You know where you are with crabs…

 

[gg1]

Does anyone know if the NER/LNER Newport to Shildon line had any shorter distance electrified freight workings to intermediate locations on the route, or were they all end to end?

 

[Ash Bridge]

The York-Shrewsbury mail was at one time electric hauled from Stockport to Crewe. I don’t think that’s quite as short as the North Berwick workings, though.

That’s a decent shout @43096 as its only about 4 miles difference to North Berwick - Edinburgh.

 

[52290]

The electrified system at Kearsley power station was only a short distance to the exchange sidings adjacent to the Bolton to Manchester line.

 

[30907]

I assume it has to be a passenger or parcels not ECS?

 

[DarloRich]

I am going for the North Berwick one. At least that was a regular service and not a special or disruption remedy. Otherwise you will be including something like a Leeds > Neville Hill/ Centela > Heaton ECS effort.

You know where you are with crabs…

The drs?

 

[317666]

If we are doing LU, what about the original Central London Railway locos, before they got multiple units.

The winner there would be the original City & South London Railway from Stockwell to King William Street, 3.2 miles. The original CLR was a few miles longer.

 

[xotGD]

Three suggestions:

The Edinburgh portion of the Caledonian sleeper - electric loco from Carstairs to Waverley
Also on the sleeper, the drag backs from Wembley to Euston when diverted via the ECML.

After a drag from Nuneaton to New St, the electric would then put its pan up for the short run to Wolverhampton,

 

[HamworthyGoods]

In terms of the national rail network I think the North Berwick 90s+DVT mentioned in the opening post will be the winner, though the 30 miles from Crewe to Manchester in the early 60s is worth a mention.

Widen it further though and you have the Metropolitan Railway in the early 20th century, where initially services switched from electric to steam haulage at Harrow, around 9 miles from Baker Street. The City and South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line) also briefly operated electric loco hauled trains before switching to EMUs around the same time, probably over similar distances.

Victoria to Gatwick with class 73s was shorter

 

[fishwomp]

Presumably the flywheel on the Stourbridge flyer is electrically powered at each end?
Doh. Not loco hauled though.

 

[Strathclyder]

Funny, I was just looking up the ScotRail Class 90+Mk3 North Berwick turns a few days ago. Most associated with the National Express era (believe it started after the demise of the 305s in late 2001/early 2002, but am willing to be corrected there; they shared the route with SPT 318s on and off too during this time), but it lasted into First's tenure before the 322s returned north again. Indeed, the second of the linked images below is dated 30th June 2005, 8 months into First's tenure.

North Berwick 90

In the period when weekday Edinburgh to North Berwick services were operated using Class 90 locomotives and ex-VWC Mark 3 stock with a DVT, 90017 approaches Drem Junction with the 13:17 North Berwick to Edinburgh service. Drem Junction is where the North Berwick branch joins the ECML.

www.flickr.com

North Berwick 'Law'

On 30th June 2005, during the period of locomotive-haulage on North Berwick services, EWS Class 90 No. 90026 is seen rounding the curve on the approach to Drem Junction, where the North Berwick branch joins the East Coast Mainline, while heading a North Berwick - Edinburgh Waverley service. Note...

www.flickr.com

90030 PST 1617 NBW-EDB 23-7-04

Owing to an EMU shortage in the summer of 2004, North Berwick services used 90s and a short push-pull set on Mon-Fri for the duration; on 23 July 2004 we see 90030 at Prestonpans on the 1617 North Berwick - Edinburgh.

www.flickr.com

EWS 90036, Drem

English Welsh & Scottish Railway Class 90, 90036, passes through Drem Up Passenger Loop with a ScotRail Railways service from Edinburgh to North Berwick

www.flickr.com

(linked images copyright of Flickr's RobT653, John Whitehouse, 6089Gardener & Ewan respectively)

 

[gg1]

Presumably the flywheel on the Stourbridge flyer is electrically powered at each end?
Doh. Not loco hauled though.

No, it's powered by a small LPG fuelled engine.

 

[TommyJ]

I suppose London Victoria to Gatwick Airport with class 73s was reasonably short distance wise (43 miles ish?).

26 miles 47 chains according to https://my.railmiles.me/mileage-engine/