Trivia - most reversals on a service

[gazthomas]

Last Saturday I took the HST from London Paddington to Pembroke Dock which reversed twice, once at Swansea then at Carmarthen.

Can this be beaten in the UK or at least matched?

 

[306024]

Norwich - Liverpool is the obvious suggestion, reverses at Ely and Sheffield.

There used to be an all stations Harwich Town to Walton-on-the-Naze service that reversed at both Colchester and Colchester Town. Trouble was that by the time the station announcement at Dovercourt had finished the train was already at Harwich International.

 

[gazthomas]

Norwich - Liverpool is the obvious suggestion, reverses at Ely and Sheffield.

Good suggestion! Any with 3 reversals?

 

[43074]

Norwich - Liverpool is the obvious suggestion, reverses at Ely and Sheffield.

...and on Thursday and Friday last week, they were reversing at Nottingham as well before going via Loughborough. That was a one off though due to the disruption on the ECML, so that would have been 3 reversals.

 

[gazthomas]

...and on Thursday and Friday last week, they were reversing at Nottingham as well before going via Loughborough. That was a one off though due to the disruption on the ECML, so that would have been 3 reversals.

That must be a record!

 

[tsr]

I believe there is a Liskeard-Gunnislake service (or vice versa) which would reverse twice.

 

[Paul Kelly]

The 0637 Nottingham to Bournemouth reverses at Derby, Birmingham New Street and Reading.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Is it possible the 17:05 Man Picc - Cardiff Central XC has 2 reversals Birmingham New St. And Bristol TM ?

 

[gazthomas]

So 3 is the record so far!

 

[asylumxl]

I believe there is a Liskeard-Gunnislake service (or vice versa) which would reverse twice.

I was going to say this.

Went to Gunnislake once while in Devon just to scope out the area. I like sitting facing the directional of travel and being from the home counties, I didn't expect reversals. Luckily there was plenty of choice as far as seats were concerned.

 

[StarCrossing]

I travelled on the same service as the OP last August bank holiday weekend. The line was closed somewhere between Reading and Bristol Parkway for planned engineering works, so the HST was diverted via Newbury and Bath with four reversals at Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Swansea and Carmarthen.

 

[gazthomas]

I travelled on the same service as the OP last August bank holiday weekend. The line was closed somewhere between Reading and Bristol Parkway for planned engineering works, so the HST was diverted via Newbury and Bath with four reversals at Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Swansea and Carmarthen.

4 reversals, I can't imagine that will be beaten!

 

[1D53]

Until recently the Selby to Wakefield Westgate service would have been in with a shout, reversals at Bradford Interchange, Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirkgate.

 

[bb21]

If engineering works count, I believe there was a story about a late-night Southern service that took an esoteric route that involved seven reversals en route. Have a browse through past threads and you might be able to locate it.

 

[crosscity]

Is it possible the 17:05 Man Picc - Cardiff Central XC has 2 reversals Birmingham New St. And Bristol TM ?

It is possible, but only if the Camp Hill line is blocked as this train is timetabled along there, so arrives into New St from the west and departs eastwards.


My favourite reversing train was 1L38, the 08:41 Halifax-Kings Cross which reversed at Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate and Wakefield Westgate. It consisted of three or four Mark I's and on the front it would have whatever engine was spare at Holbeck shed (I have slides of classes 24, 25, 31, 40 and 47 on this train, although no 37's, Peaks or Deltics!). Mind you it was 1974!

 

[Jonfun]

I recall an XC Manchester to Bournemouth (which would normally reverse once, at Reading) was diverted due to engineering works. Manchester to Stoke as normal, then via Hixon to Nuneaton. Reversal #1, then through Coleshill to Birmingham. Reversal #2 and onwards to Reading, going normal route via Coventry. Reversal #3 out of Reading heading through Basingstoke then branching off to take in the sights of Andover, and coming into Southampton from the South. Reversal #4, then through Brockenhurst to Bournemouth.

Didn't know whether I was coming or going!

 

[crispy1978]

I can't think of a service I've travelled on with more than one.

Generally that's Bradford Interchange en-route to Accrington, but also done at Georgemas Jn amongst others.

 

[tsr]

If engineering works count, I believe there was a story about a late-night Southern service that took an esoteric route that involved seven reversals en route. Have a browse through past threads and you might be able to locate it.

Seven? Don't remember that one, but there was a London Victoria-Brighton service which reversed at West Croydon, Norwood Junction (ish) and IIRC Lewes one night. It may also have done a reversal in the Factory Junction area.

This was on the night the clocks went back one particular year, so the service actually arrived at Brighton at its usual scheduled time, or something...

There would have had to have been a crew change on that one, as no guards would sign the whole route, and Southern "overnights" don't run DOO.

 

[bb21]

Can't remember the exact details but I think it involved reversals at places like Horsham.

 

[class303]

it's not a record but I used to get the (i think) 08.40 Glasgow Central to Penzance as far as newton abbot regularly back in the late 1990s.

Loco change at Preston, occasionally a reversal at Manchester Piccadilly, and a reversal at Birmingham new street.

Occasionally it didn't reverse at Birmingham new street and it was a surprise.

 

[bb21]

OK, my memory may have been deceiving me. This may have been the post I was thinking of, so four reversals.

 

[greatkingrat]

Not in the current timetable, but in the past there was a through train from Wick to somewhere like Elgin with four reversals (Thurso, Georgemas, outside Inverness, and Inverness).

 

[tsr]

OK, my memory may have been deceiving me. This may have been the post I was thinking of, so four reversals.

That's a different one from the service I'm thinking of. The one you've found would also be easier for diagramming and route knowledge, but I'm pretty sure it would take longer.

 

[thealexweb]

On the 12th January 2014. I did Manchester Airport to Darlington with First Transpennine Express. My single Class 185 reversed at Manchester Piccadilly, it also reversed out of Leeds and finally I watched it reverse out of Darlington. I have never done the route before or since but have reason to believe this was due to engineering works.

 

[Searle]

What about the most reversals per minute travelled then?

 

[Welshman]

My favourite reversing train was 1L38, the 08:41 Halifax-Kings Cross which reversed at Huddersfield, Wakefield Kirkgate and Wakefield Westgate. It consisted of three or four Mark I's and on the front it would have whatever engine was spare at Holbeck shed (I have slides of classes 24, 25, 31, 40 and 47 on this train, although no 37's, Peaks or Deltics!). Mind you it was 1974!

Ah - if we're allowed the indulgence of reminiscing, I'd like to nominate the journey from Middlesbrough to Scarborough, which used to reverse at Battersby, Whitby Town station, Whitby West Cliff and Scarborough Londesborough Rd.

The dmu driver did not want for exercise on that trip!

 

[Chris M]

What about the most reversals per minute travelled then?

I suspect Bath to Newport via Bristol Parkway, which happen when the Swindon-Bristol Parkway line is closed for engineering works, would be a contender for that. Certainly if the train called additionally at Patchway or Severn Tunnel Junction.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
What about the most reversals per distance travelled?
My guess for that would be the Looe Valley Line, only one reversal but it's only about 6 miles end-end I think.

 

[Groningen]

In the Netherlands the maximum is 1:
Den Helder - Nijmegen (Arnhem)
Groningen'/Leeuwarden/Enschede - Den Haag/Rotterdam (Utrecht)

Belgium has non

Germany has the record with 5 reversals with ICE 619:
Dortmund Hbf 20:58
Köln Hbf 22:19 - 22:30
Frankfurt(Main)Hbf 00:00 - 00:05
Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf 00:28
Karlsruhe Hbf 01:56 - 02:11
Stuttgart Hbf 03:20 - 03:36
München Hbf 06:02

And ICE 618:
München Hbf 00:01
Stuttgart Hbf 02:18 - 02:30
Karlsruhe Hbf 03:35 - 03:49
Frankfurt(M) Flughafen Fernbf 05:12
Frankfurt(Main)Hbf 05:33 - 05:44
Köln Hbf 07:05 - 07:13
Dortmund Hbf 08:26

 

[Michael.Y]

I suspect Bath to Newport via Bristol Parkway, which happen when the Swindon-Bristol Parkway line is closed for engineering works,

Or indeed on Saturday mornings in the other direction.

Newport into Parkway. Reverse into Bristol TM. Reverse out towards Bath. (Or, at the moment, reverse out towards Bristol Parkway!)

 

[ComUtoR]

Er.. Whats a reversal ?