Do train drivers race each other?

[jumble]

Romney Hythe and DymchurchParalell runnimg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjdOCxYHno
only twice a year but great experience and it is a race cause no one has any idea who will arrive at Hythe first

 

[Johncleesefan]

We get a nice job in the afternoon. Leave Newport on the relief, max linespeed 60. Hst leaves Newport 5 mins after and flies past you on the main doing 90 around pengam junc and usually see him parked up in a heap at the bottom of the bank waiting a platform at Cardiff whilst my unit plods back past at 15 and straight in. Always a slight "yeh f you pal" moment haha

 

[fairysdad]

ive caught up with an train on an adjacent line and turned to the driver and smiled (as if to say im beating you!) and then overtaken him...... all within safety speeds and signals etc i have to point out!

To be honest, that's the sort of thing I was wondering about - more of a mindset rather than an actual race.

 

[fowler9]

Not a race as such but back in the day the 17:15 Lime Street to Preston hauled by a 31/4 and the 17:14 Lime Street to Cardiff hauled by a 37/4 would often end up leaving at exactly the same time. It was fun going up the cutting to Edge Hill next to each other. I was normally on the Cardiff as it stopped at West Allerton where I live by and also because I prefer 37's. The 31's were fun to. Sometimes the two would be hauled by none ETH 31's and 37's but also 47's and occasionally something more rare. The noise of the two locos bouncing off the walls of the cutting was incredible. Happy days.

 

[CAF397]

I like this video


https://youtu.be/gAL5ZMb_7a4

 

[class 9]

No Drivers do not 'race' each other.
TPE have conductors, it will have been him that made the announcement.:roll:

 

[Cowley]

Back in the last days of steam in the early1960s, and doubtless before, the Taunton to Minehead local left its bay at the west end of Taunton station a few minutes after the main express from Bristol and the north. Quite a number of the latter used to change crews at Taunton, who would stand having a chat to the Minehead crew, as the two trains stood on opposite sides of the platform. If the main train ran in a bit late, the Minehead would wait, connecting passengers would be hurried along, mails exchanged, and both would be ready to leave at the same time .......

The "game" was for the Minehead, heading out onto the Down Relief, to not only show the express its tail lamp by Staplegrove Road bridge, but to get stopped at Norton Fitzwarren platform before the express passed it. The Castle with maybe 11 on would wind out over the crossover onto the Down Main, steadily opening out to full regulator and 75% cutoff, not only for the race but to get all possible speed before the start of Wellington Bank. The Minehead would be a 45xx with 4 non-corridors. Out at the footbridge west of the station it was a glorious sight to see all this coming, both drivers with noses against the glass, Minehead fireman looking back (express fireman was too busy on the shovel to do this). And on they went.

Nobody ever got on (and very few off) at Norton Fitzwarren, so after a certain "toot" was exchanged as the express passed, if an up service was just a few minutes away the signalman would be grateful to get the Minehead, and maybe even the Barnstaple that had followed a block behind, away in seconds and across the junction there promptly, the moment the down express had its signals restored. Whereupon a more relaxed atmosphere came to the footplate, and also up in the signalbox, where there had been several moments of old Ivan crashing the levers over.

Brilliant
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not a race as such but back in the day the 17:15 Lime Street to Preston hauled by a 31/4 and the 17:14 Lime Street to Cardiff hauled by a 37/4 would often end up leaving at exactly the same time. It was fun going up the cutting to Edge Hill next to each other. I was normally on the Cardiff as it stopped at West Allerton where I live by and also because I prefer 37's. The 31's were fun to. Sometimes the two would be hauled by none ETH 31's and 37's but also 47's and occasionally something more rare. The noise of the two locos bouncing off the walls of the cutting was incredible. Happy days.

Also brilliant.
In the late 80s from what I remember, on summer Saturdays there used to be a twin departure from St David's platforms 1 and 3 of a Waterloo bound class 50 service and the Brighton to Plymouth train hauled by a 47. It seemed like at times they both set off (at about 4:30) at full pelt to see who could get away fastest, it probably just seemed like a race to us though, and not a very long one either.

 

[Welshman]

I remember reading somewhere of a race which used to happen on the North Wales Main line between Holywell Junction and Rhyl.

The last down stopper from Chester called at Holywell Junction, and the connecting push-pull up to Holywell departed as soon as passengers had transferred. The crew then pushed up the bank to Holywell, and as soon as the passengers had alighted, returned back down to the Junction, and raced along the slow lines [it was quadruple track then as far as Abergele],trying to beat the train from Chester, which called at Prestatyn, as far as Rhyl. Then both engines were shedded at Rhyl.

Then in the last days of steam haulage, there is the famous Saturdays-only "8am Departure from Bradford Exchange" One was to Scarborough via Laisterdyke, and the other I think to Great Yarmouth via Halifax. Their neck-and-neck running as far as Mill Lane Junction was captured on many videos and photographs.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Depending on pathing/timetabling it's probably possible to have 4 units heading in the same direction (either inbound or outbound) from Waterloo going around the same speed, fairly level with each other giving the impression that they're racing even though they aren't

 

[fowler9]

Brilliant
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Also brilliant.
In the late 80s from what I remember, on summer Saturdays there used to be a twin departure from St David's platforms 1 and 3 of a Waterloo bound class 50 service and the Brighton to Plymouth train hauled by a 47. It seemed like at times they both set off (at about 4:30) at full pelt to see who could get away fastest, it probably just seemed like a race to us though, and not a very long one either.

The 50 must have won, even if it wasn't in front, much better sound. Ha ha. Had a few "races" between 50's and units heading out of Paddington and Waterloo on regular bashing trips.

 

[RichmondCommu]

There is a famous photo of two Deltics leaving York, one heading to the 'Cross and one heading towards Liverpool. Both appear to be racing each other.

 

[D6975]

In the late 90s a Cork-Tralee and a Tralee-Cork used to run round at Mallow at the same time in the early afternoon. They used to depart at the same time and I've seen them racing to the divergence of the Cork and Tralee lines several times.

Once I was on the Tralee which was a pair of baby GMs against a single one on the Cork. I was window hanging and waved at the driver of the Cork who gesticulated at me that it wasn't fair, two against one. Needless to say we won by a country mile.

(187+146 were on my train)

 

[Doctor Fegg]

There was a lovely tale told on uk.railway years ago of Central Trains 158s coming from Stamford towards Peterborough, and being overtaken by GNER 225s on the parallel lines. The CT conductor would indicate their displeasure on the display: "BALLOCH".

 

[FileTrekker]

In the modern climate of instant passenger social media and print/broadcast media living to bash the railways, any driver who'd PA they're having a race needs a chat with.....

The most innocent remarks would end up being blown out of all proportion....

Not sure what you'd do about this guy then;

[youtube]9A4Xy3OWozA[/youtube]

 

[Bletchleyite]

If that was a guard I'd find it amusing except the turning off of the lights which is a bit irresponsible. As it's DOO, though (I think), he shouldn't be doing that as it will be distracting his attention from the actual driving.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

A PA joke doesn't necessarily say that the drivers were doing anything other than driving professionally and correctly

No Drivers do not 'race' each other.
TPE have conductors, it will have been him that made the announcement.:roll:

There is a famous photo of two Deltics leaving York, one heading to the 'Cross and one heading towards Liverpool. Both appear to be racing each other.

I have done that myself, done a attheraces style spoof commentary of my 185 vs a voyager or a HST leaving york simultaneously and Im probably not the only one to have done it for comedy value. At the end of the day there is no deliberate race but what you are most likely seeing is the physical differences between the acceleration profiles of the different trains coupled with the track layout and linespeed limits of the route concerned.

Take another way, slow lines Reading to Didcot. By Cholsey A 220 voyager will out perform a HST leaving Reading simultaneously but only if that HST is booked stop at Didcot. Despite the slows only being 100mph the superior acceleration and breaking characteristics of a voyager will see it out perform a HST as it takes far longer to reach 125mph and needs more stopping distance under normal circumstances. If however the HST is NOT scheduled to stop at Didcot then it should pass by at Cholsey.

Or a 185 will leave a voyager for dust if on the up leeds departing York where the voyager is on the up main and doncaster bound. Where the voyager wins is past copmanthorpe the 185 has hit its max 100mph yet the voyager is still accelerating to 125 so by the time the two trains reach carlton junction the voyager has caught up and is gaining ground on the 185. If however a 9 car VTEC HST is involved then Bart Simpson will speak his usual one liner.....

Despite the voyagers top end speed a 185 will out accelerate it particularly when 2nd gear kicks in. However the sign of mechanical transmission over electric a voyagers acceleration profile remains a relatively constant curve whereas a 185 peaks and troughs in line with the gears kicking in at 40 and 70mph.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Pulling out as though you're going to overtake a tram sometimes gets the driver to demonstrate the acceleration those things are capable of. It's very impressive!

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Despite the post above reminiscing of the TPE 'race'?

I was on a Scotrail service between Paisley and Glasgow going down the middle line when the stopping service came up the inside of us and undertook us. We passed it though when it stopped at Hillington West.

Theres footage of a cab ride on a 50 out of woking "racing" an EMU, probs an EPB. The electric had the edge and the driver joked about it on the video but as it stopped at brookwood but the 50 hauled service didnt obviously the 50 gained the edge and shop passed. Hardly what Id call a race. 8 EE507s pushing 2000hp to shift 8 on at 75mph compared to 6 EE538's generating 2700hp to shift a load 9 at 100mph. Not really a basis for comparison once station stops are taken into account...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Pulling out as though you're going to overtake a tram sometimes gets the driver to demonstrate the acceleration those things are capable of. It's very impressive!

They can shift like, assuming you have all 3 engines of course....

Now load 6 thru standedge tunnel heard from centre cab droplights...... hell.....fire.....

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Is there any station where a 4 car Desiro and a 4 car Electrostar, both running on AC are due to depart at the same time?

 

[Class172]

Is there any station where a 4 car Desiro and a 4 car Electrostar, both running on AC are due to depart at the same time?

I guess that could occur at Milton Keynes and stations south of there, but I don't know what lines the Southern services use.

 

[321446]

It may appear that there are times when it can happen but in reality the different line's alignment/linespeeds/acceleration capabilities of different units/signaling section lengths mean that while I know that the 315 on the Down Electric will beat my 321 on the Main to Stratford and the 317 on the Suburban will be 50/50 to Bethnal Green. I'm paying more attention to me signals and keeping it all balanced on those two thin bits of metal through the curves to be honest.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I guess that could occur at Milton Keynes and stations south of there, but I don't know what lines the Southern services use.

The Southern services use the slows, so to get both in parallel there would have to be disruption that had caused a LM on the fast to stop, as at most times of day LM don't stop when they are on the fasts.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The Salisbury train crash in 1906 was as a direct result of the rivalry between the GWR and the LSWR, both of which tried to get the Boat Trains to Plymouth first.

They weren't racing side by side, but the aim was to get to Salisbury before the other. This link from Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_rail_crash tells the full story.

Interesting routing if GWR boat trains were going through Salisbury! The aim, of course, was to get to London first.

Yes, of course it was .... my mistake, thanks!

 

[XC90]

I think what you hear over the PA is a lot different from what is happening inside the cab.

I first heard the term 'train racing' on this forum. Its more of a phenomenon of two trains beside each other than any form of out and out racing.

What would determine start and finish lines and how would the Drivers of their respective trains communicate ?



Not really 'racing' though are they.

No other reason to come up the inside, especially as it was a stopping train.

 

[causton]

The Southern services use the slows, so to get both in parallel there would have to be disruption that had caused a LM on the fast to stop, as at most times of day LM don't stop when they are on the fasts.

If the Southern is slightly late (more chance of the other way round!), the xx13 off Milton Keynes Southern and the xx15 ex-Crewe... as far as Bletchley they can race

Using both trains on the same line, the 377s feel a bit more rough but faster (neutral sections, passing trains etc make a horrific amount of noise) but 350s are smooth but a bit slower.

Perhaps if the xx31 ex-Birmingham south from Watford is 20 minutes late, it will leave at the same time as the xx51 Southern south

Bit academic at the moment considering the current Southern service levels! I think one ran on Sunday and nobody knows why

 

[tsr]

Here's an example of a semi-regular event on GWR, which happened to be quite fun earlier today in particular, though I can assure you all that it appeared all safety protocols were followed...
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...14/0542-0545?stp=WVS&show=passenger&order=wtt

(For the uninitiated, these trains both reverse at Redhill and, if one is slightly out of sync, can be seen to depart side-by side in the same direction, before diverging onto their separate routes.)

 

[The Crab]

David L Smith in his book "Legends of the GSWR in LMS days" narrates a common race out of Glasgow Central in, I think, the 30s. Late afternoon a slow train to Ayr (?) with an LMS 2P would leave a few minutes before an express probably with a Compound. The way the race unfolded was for the 2P to chug very sedately round the western curve outside Central but a soon as it was out of sight would go absolutely hell for leather. The express would follow by a different route until they joined up at a junction station (the express booked first and not stopping), can't remember where. As soon as he pulled up at the junction the driver of the 2P would grab his pipe and a rag and shoot out along the footplating aiming to be leisurely polishing the smokebox door as the express passed whilst he enjoyed a quiet smoke.