Unusual Passenger trains

[43021HST]

Can anyone recall any unusual hauled passenger trains like a class 60 or class 58 pulling a passenger train or DMU along. Or any other unusual traction for that matter.

 

[delt1c]

Cant remember the exact dates but think it was aroun d mid 80's we had heavy snow in the outh East and 56's were hauling EMu's in Kent.
In the mid 70;s there was a summer only service from Glasgow to Oban which on several occasions had the origonal "White Ghost".

 

[craig87034]

The Class 58 loco group has all the passenger workings the bones did
http://www.c58lg.co.uk/html/passenger_workings.html

 

[Drsatan]

In August 2002, I saw a very unusual combination of a Virgin XC 47 hauling an XC HST (with no rear power car) up the Lickey Incline.

 

[route:oxford]

In the mid 70;s there was a summer only service from Glasgow to Oban which on several occasions had the origonal "White Ghost".

I've had a quick google around, what was the original (and subsequent) "White Ghost"?

The most unusual passenger working of recent weeks has got to be the "Night Riviera" sleeper being pressed into action for an Oxford Service.

 

[poshbakerloo]

Does this count?

 

[43034 The Black Horse]

Looks an awful lot like this image; http://hondawanderer.com/43042_Moreton-in-Marsh_2008.htm

 

[43021HST]

Does this count?

I hope that formation will replace the 165s! on the Gatwick train

 

[EM2]

I understand that sometime last year FGW pressed two HST powercars into service to run the up Sleeper. They were lashed up back-to-back and stuck on the front.

 

[delt1c]

I've had a quick google around, what was the original (and subsequent) "White Ghost"?

.

When the 1st generation DMU,s were being refurbished they were origonally painted white with a blue stripe, hence the nickname "White Ghosts" . Due to cleaning problems subsequent refurbs were painted Blue and Grey. The origonal White Ghost was the prototype refurb 101, this had intercity 2+1 seating in 1st class in one of the power cars and high dencity 2nd class seating. the other car had a cheaper refurb (as adopted for subsequent refurbs) which kept the origonal seat frames and had them retrimmed. The unit toured the country showing the options available before entering normal service in Scotland. Shortly after 1st class was abolished on most SC internal DMU services so you could enjoy the luxury of full recling seat on a 101 at no extra cost.
At the same time HST's were nicknamed Flying bannanas due to the extended yellow on the power cars.

 

[Helvellyn]

I remember in the last months of the 442s on SWT one developed a fault so had 73109 put on the front and ran a BMH-WAT-BMH service like that. Probably happened a few times, but it was unusual given the fleet were then known to be on the way out (with SWT at least).

 

[Royston Vasey]

This one must be fairly unusual! And yes it was carrying passengers...

Source and full story at http://www.luxsoft.demon.co.uk/village/hst.html

 

[Oracle]

I was on a 2x442 formation on the direct Pomey route and we had a 33/1 added at the rear to push us through because of prior problems with leaves on line causing motor problems.

Some years ago a Class 25 I think it was ended up at Euston on an especially-extended service. It was one of those days when Senior Citizens travelled for nearly nothing or so, and because the traisn was full, and the pax all wanted to go to London, the North Wales train was extended down to London. Photos appeared in RAIL etc.

 

[yorksrob]

I was on a CIG hauled by a class 47 between Ashford and Hastings once due to a shortage of DEMU's. Only time I've ever been on a train going through a tunnel (Ore) without any lights

 

[poshbakerloo]

Only time I've ever been on a train going through a tunnel (Ore) without any lights

Some of the old Moscow metro trains have the lights go out in the tunnel lol, happened to me a few times!

 

[yorksrob]

Some of the old Moscow metro trains have the lights go out in the tunnel lol, happened to me a few times!

They could try that on the tube. Might save a bit of dosh

 

[driver9000]

VXC used a 56 on more than one occasion to power 1V96 from Birmingham New Street to Reading in the late 90s

 

[Polarbear]

I was travelling from Manchester to Chester via Northwich many years ago, my train, (a 108 Derby lightweight) failed at Northwich.

In those days, Northwich still had its depot & a Cl 40 was duly summoned to drop on top of the 108 & take us all shacks to Chester!

One other noteable working I can recall was having a HST from Crewe to Shrewsbury. This was sometime in the early 1990's & the midlands had had a lot of snow dumped onto it that day. Birmingham was particulaly badly affected & cross country services were being diverted via the marches, (which was relatively unaffected).

I recall in the early 1980's, there was a relief service from Llandudno to London Euston one day. A Cl 24 brought the train down to Crewe for a loco change, only no electric was available. The 24 took the ensemble all the way to Euston - much to the amazement of all concerned. Would love to have been on that one!

 

[Dolive22]

They could try that on the tube. Might save a bit of dosh

They did last time I was on the Circle Line.

 

[mindfeeder]

This one must be fairly unusual! And yes it was carrying passengers...

Source and full story at http://www.luxsoft.demon.co.uk/village/hst.html

Brilliant stuff. Those passengers would have enjoyed being up close to the Valenta too!

 

[theblackwatch]

There have been plenty of Class 58s and 60s on service trains, in fact the first ever passenger working of a 60 was on a Leeds-Carlisle train which failed somewhere on the S&C and was rescued by 60006. Similarly, there have been plenty of 56 workings - of the Romanian ones (001-030), I had 009, 010 and 019 all on Cross Country services.

 

[BlythPower]

Bonfire night 1986, a journey from Sunderland into Newcastle to see The Rose of Avalanche support The Mission was in a Heaton 101 hauled by a Thornaby 47/3. A couple of years later, when going from Coventry to Birmingham for a gig, the 47 on an IC Cross Country train had failed and was being dragged by a 58. It put a in decent performance speed-wise as well.

 

[rick_suffolk]

Surely one of the strangest to happen for a while was yesterday 9th Feb 2010 on NXEA out of Norwich to Yarmouth and Lowestoft? Class 20-DVT-Mk3-Mk3-Class 47, covering for DMU shortage? Pics here: http://geoffsangliaphotos.fotopic.net/c1813050.html

 

[poshbakerloo]

Surely one of the strangest to happen for a while was yesterday 9th Feb 2010 on NXEA out of Norwich to Yarmouth and Lowestoft? Class 20-DVT-Mk3-Mk3-Class 47, covering for DMU shortage? Pics here: http://geoffsangliaphotos.fotopic.net/c1813050.html

That is pretty OTT

 

[yorksrob]

I was once on a service train from Leeds to Normanton, which, if I remember correctly, travelled a few bridges down the traditional route towards Woodlesford, before reversing back around the whitehall curve to travel to Wakefield Kirkgate via Westgate, before reversing again to regain it's route through Barnsley. I think I had to get the bus from Wakefield but at least it could be considered a sort of mini-railtour