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Your favourite hybrid / combos / unusual mixed formations

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hexagon789

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I entirely agree, but then I am always surprised by the number of people who regard GNER livery as the best of the post-privatisation schemes. It is just plain blue with a red stripe!

It is a fair point, I can see the similarity. Perhaps it's simply the shade and lining of GNER against BR Blue.

I don't mind Blue/Grey so much, on HSTs it's a very powerful livery.
 

Taunton

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Back in the 1960s the WR took over from the SR the lines west of Salisbury. Apart from the London trains, the steam services with hauled stock were taken over by a variety of 3-car dmus pulled from elsewhere in the region. There were 9 Class 120 cross-country units, the last ones built, which were more or less OK, and 9 Class 116 suburban units which weren't, with no toilets. All were assigned indiscriminately, leading to suburban units doing runs like Salisbury to Ilfracombe.

Complaints got up to various MPs, thence to the BR Chairman, from whom the missive came down to Paddington to Do Something. So next weekend the sets were all remarshalled, the cross-countries, which had two toilet vehicles out of three, exchanged their centre trailers with the suburbans, which had none, so at least all sets had one vehicle with toilets. As the suburbans were non-gangwayed all through access was prevented and all the gangways hung loose. Further, it was midway through the dmu repainting from green to blue, and the cross-countries were in blue/grey. So not only did the sets look ridiculous with their different profiles, but there were sets with the three cars in three different colours. It actually lasted for quite some years.
 

Deepgreen

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At Glasgow Central in early 1987, a tri-colour class 105, 107 and 120 hybrid, with very temporary unit number.
 

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High Dyke

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Wonderful video, those were the days.
Is that music Jethro Tull? I like it.
...It's not one I recognise, and it sounds like if it were it would be from my preferred eighties period. Might just be a pleasingly Tull-esque jingle.
House Of The King by Focus.

In later years a 101/105 combo was a familiar sight across the Eastern Region. On the matter of additional power cars (or trailers) added to a unit. I once did the Stockport - Stalybridge 'Parly' with a second 101 car added to a normal 2-car 101, as a three car set.
 

sprinterguy

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Power cars? All vehicles have engines.

If you mean driving (cab) vehicles, yes. See the Class 150/9 "hybrids".
And similar fleets of 3-car hybrids with Centro/Central Trains/London Midland (Numbered in the 150/0 series following on from the two prototypes) in the West Midlands from the mid-nineties until 2011, and with Regional Railways North West in the Manchester area during the mid-nineties. Quite a common occurrence.
House Of The King by Focus.
Ah, that explains why it appeals to me, cheers.
At Glasgow Central in early 1987, a tri-colour class 105, 107 and 120 hybrid, with very temporary unit number.
That's an impressive menagerie of vehicles. It's amazing how much flexibility was possible with first gen DMUs.
 
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dubscottie

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Still on the lookout for proof of a fabled moment when a 442 was supposedly coupled to a Mk1 unit, either a VEP or CIG.. As I think I've read here before this was purely for stock movement purposes, not for passenger service.

I have a pic of that in a old magazine. It was an ECS move from Wimbledon to Eastleigh works.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Do 153s ever get coupled with a 155 both as 2 or 3 car combinations?
When you say 2-car, do you mean a temporary hybrid lash-up such as the 150+153 examples like the Devon one of a few years ago? I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of one but in theory it could happen under similar circumstances.

In the early 90s there were semi-regular 141+158 workings (multiple rather than hybrid) on the Calder Valley.
 

4REP

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My favourite combo in the slam door days were a Rep/TC/TC until their demise. Then particularly the cig/bep/cig 12 car formation which were commonly used on the SWD expresses. My best and regular service being the 1645 Waterloo to Poole diagram when it went over to cig bep cig when 442s were used on Portsmouth direct.
 

Deepgreen

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My favourite combo in the slam door days were a Rep/TC/TC until their demise. Then particularly the cig/bep/cig 12 car formation which were commonly used on the SWD expresses. My best and regular service being the 1645 Waterloo to Poole diagram when it went over to cig bep cig when 442s were used on Portsmouth direct.
Yes, the REPs were special but those combinations were not temporary - just standard formations. There was an occasion in the 90s. when two cars each from a TC and a REP were amalgamated for a Royal working from Waterloo (all trailers). No idea why a normal TC wasn't considered OK. The REPs' loose wooden chairs in the buffet cars were quirky for their time until their withdrawal.
 

Deepgreen

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Only just seen this, lovely stuff.

Still on the lookout for proof of a fabled moment when a 442 was supposedly coupled to a Mk1 unit, either a VEP or CIG.. As I think I've read here before this was purely for stock movement purposes, not for passenger service.
I have seen this at Clapham yard but have no proof!
 

Deepgreen

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A few more odd mixtures. 73s top-and-tailing the 'Kenny Belle', 33034 leading a 4EPB and a 4CIG into Ashtead in January 1982 and a 73 hauling a 4VEP.6981834628_948fcd5376_o1200.jpg 7175613746_21ceeaf4b6_o1200.jpg 8112068770_0c0376da91_o1200.jpg
 

nlogax

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Mostly Glasgow-ish. Mostly.

TheSeeker

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One of the loco hauled single deck peak trains on the usual service I get into Brussels has got two double deck carriages on the end with a driving van trailer. It is quite surreal.
 

big all

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A few more odd mixtures. 73s top-and-tailing the 'Kenny Belle', 33034 leading a 4EPB and a 4CIG into Ashtead in January 1982 and a 73 hauling a 4VEP.View attachment 75568 View attachment 75569 View attachment 75570
I don't know if it was that winter, but I had a Crompton and an 8EPB relived it at the Quarry tunnel at 6am while en-route to Victoria, but it only reached East Croydon. We then ran round and headed for Horsham calling at all stations.

Running in to crawley the few people that were there ran in all directions. This was hardly surprising as the staff had swept the snow onto the track filling up to near platform level:D
 
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Taunton

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The REPs' loose wooden chairs in the buffet cars were quirky for their time until their withdrawal.
I suspect these (maybe even the same chairs) came from the Mk1 refreshment vehicles that the REP buffets were adapted/rebuilt from. These had loose chairs as standard in the refreshment area, it was only towards the end of the Mk1 era that fixed seating at refreshment tables came along.
 

Master29

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Some GE ones - The DC 504 driving car in a 302 on the LTS - https://flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/47121592151/
309 working with a 302 - this did happen in public service once that I travelled on during snow - https://flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/4448606926/in/photolist-7M7gRq
The intercity training unit was a 305 at one end and a 302 at the other - https://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]

One of my favourite full time hybrids was the small number of 305s that got a 302 trailer followed by a refurb with the low back seating replaced with NSE blue high back seats - see around 2 mins into this

During peak times from Chingford stabling point would couple various formations which as a kid would fascinate me. 3 car 305/1 coupled to either 305/2, 308/1 or 302,s. All these types would inter mix in 6, 7, 8, or 9 car formations.
 

61653 HTAFC

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During peak times from Chingford stabling point would couple various formations which as a kid would fascinate me. 3 car 305/1 coupled to either 305/2, 308/1 or 302,s. All these types would inter mix in 6, 7, 8, or 9 car formations.
305s and 308s looked pretty much the same to my eyes, along with 304s. Were there any differences that were obvious once you know them?
 
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