Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton?

[antharro]

I was on the OpenTrainTimes website watching the progress of tonight's 2B77 (Waterloo - Bournemouth). I noticed that it was following 1L79 which isn't a headcode I recognize as bring a regular on the SWML. So I clicked on it; OTT showed me a working for 5F69, Woking - Woking Up C.H.S, obviously the wrong train. Went to RealTimeTrains and typed in the headcode, and found it was a Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton, which is not a journey I recall seeing before. (It's this one). It's fast from Basingstoke to Southampton, then fast to Salisbury and gets to Southampton 15 minutes before the last down Weymouth of the day (2B77).

I then looked at RTT for tomorrow (29/10) and it shows it as a Waterloo to Yeovil Junction, going the usual route of taking the Wessex Main at Basingstoke, via Andover, Salisbury, etc. (This one). It's the usual service, calling almost all stations from Basingstoke to Yeovil.

Was tonight's train a one off? Are there many Salisbury via Southampton trains? Does this working have anything to do with turning the train around (i.e., approaching from Southampton would turn the south end of the train back towards the north?). So many questions!

 

[Gloster]

Going from Basingstoke to Salisbury via Southampton doesn’t turn the set round unless you reverse at Southampton or Eastleigh and run via Chandlers Ford. I don’t think it is permitted to reverse passenger trains using the Laverstock Curve either. If you needed to turn a set, I think it is possible to do it from Salisbury station via the Laverstock Curve in either direction if it is an empty stock.

 

[antharro]

Yeah, I've just been looking at the line diagrams and saw that. So that rules that out. Interesting. If it was fast to Southampton then called all stations to Salisbury then I could understand it providing the "last train" service for that route. But it's fast from Southampton, so... :-\

 

[JonathanH]

I noticed that it was following 1L79 which isn't a headcode I recognize as bring a regular on the SWML. So I clicked on it; OTT showed me a working for 5F69, Woking - Woking Up C.H.S, obviously the wrong train. Went to RealTimeTrains and typed in the headcode, and found it was a Waterloo to Salisbury via Southampton, which is not a journey I recall seeing before. (It's this one). It's fast from Basingstoke to Southampton, then fast to Salisbury and gets to Southampton 15 minutes before the last down Weymouth of the day (2B77).

Given there is a bus replacement running via Andover, 1L79 is just being diverted due to engineering work, as it is unable to run via the normal route.

Realtime Trains - 0B00 0035 Basingstoke to Salisbury

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Back to the normal route next week

Realtime Trains - 1L79 2340 London Waterloo to Salisbury

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Horizon22]

It's only running this week & booked from Monday. This would suggest to me an overnight block via Andover. Set goes onto Salisbury depot and presume it needs servicing there for the morning service.
Edit: I see @JonathanH just beaten me to it!

 

[antharro]

Looking at Andover, it's marked as "NOGO", which would make sense. Shame it's not a regular thing, getting a 158 or 159 out of Waterloo late at night for a journey home down south would be a nice change from a 444 or 450!

Also happened to notice there's a "SINK HOLE" at the sidings in Poole!

 

[JonathanH]

Shame it's not a regular thing

Often, late night engineering diversions are a regular thing, just infrequent - for example once every 13 weeks or so.

However, it does require the route through to Salisbury to be open - on the week beginning 29 November, 1L79 (ie 2340 from Waterloo) terminates at Basingstoke with a bus to Salisbury because it appears there is also engineering work west of Southampton.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's only running this week & booked from Monday. This would suggest to me an overnight block via Andover. Set goes onto Salisbury depot and presume it needs servicing there for the morning service.
Edit: I see @JonathanH just beaten me to it!

Isn't this the diversion that was being discussed as “impossible nowadays” a couple of weeks ago? I had pointed out the daily ECS route learning moves in the WTT, and despite them existing we discussed how diversions hadn't been happening for a few years…

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looking at Andover, it's marked as "NOGO", which would make sense.

Which means? Is that an acronym?

 

[zwk500]

Isn't this the diversion that was being discussed as “impossible nowadays” a couple of weeks ago? I had pointed out the daily ECS route learning moves in the WTT, and despite them existing we discussed how diversions hadn't been happening for a few years…

1 train, at the end of the night, is very different from regular hourly slots.

Which means? Is that an acronym?

It's a berth description entered into the train describer by the signaller to remind him or her not to route trains that way. I'm not sure if you'd call it a contraction of 'No Go'?

 

[Horizon22]

Which means? Is that an acronym?

It means just "No Go". Signallers can only put 4 characters in on the berth, so that's what they'll do.

 

[D6975]

Going from Basingstoke to Salisbury via Southampton doesn’t turn the set round unless you reverse at Southampton or Eastleigh and run via Chandlers Ford. I don’t think it is permitted to reverse passenger trains using the Laverstock Curve either. If you needed to turn a set, I think it is possible to do it from Salisbury station via the Laverstock Curve in either direction if it is an empty stock.

It is permitted - must be, a kettle-ex did it back in the summer.

 

[Gloster]

It is permitted - must be, a kettle-ex did it back in the summer.

Reversing the set or just going around the curve? Even if a special is allowed to do it, it does not mean than the signalling allows the move to be done routinely. The diagram on Open Train Times shows shunt signals, but no Limit Of Shunt boards.

 

[D6975]

The kettle worked to Salisbury and back from Southampton. It had a diesel on the back and the outward journey went round Laverstock and the diesel dragged the train back to Salisbury so that the kettle was facing the right way for the return.

 

[dingdinger]

Also happened to notice there's a "SINK HOLE" at the sidings in Poole!

That sink hole has been at Poole sidings a while

 

[zwk500]

It is permitted - must be, a kettle-ex did it back in the summer.

Excursions can get special permission to do moves not permitted for trains in regular passenger service.