Stranded at a Station-Allowed to Travel on Non Passenger Service.

[Skiddaw]

We certainly used the expression 'milk train' after 1980 but you're right- it was probably a paper train. Either way, they allowed us to hitch a lift on it...

 

[BluePenguin]

Combination of the railway being busier and the way delays being penalised I suspect. That bring said, it can happen now if its the most appropriate action but a taxi nowadays will normally be more suitable.

I understand what you mean. Although if a driver wanted to stop somewhere, would they be safely able to? Passivity they don’t know what trains are behind them or how far away they are

Taxis are much slower than trains most of the time I would have thought

 

[Dai Corner]

I understand what you mean. Although if a driver wanted to stop somewhere, would they be safely able to? Passivity they don’t know what trains are behind them or how far away they are

Taxis are much slower than trains most of the time I would have thought

The signals will prevent one train running into another.

The overall journey time will depend on how long it takes the taxi or train to reach the stranded passenger, of course.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The 0210 Manchester to Cleethorpes was a newspaper train and was advertised to passengers.

Sorry yes you are correct and yes that is exactly the train I am talking about.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Giving genuine stranded passengers rides" home or to destinations was far more liberal back in the day under "deeply inefficient British Rail"

I can think of a few light engines being arranged as urgent taxis with passengers put in rear cabs at various places , parcels trains carrying passengers but control and boxes advised to bell them on class 2 service - and my particular favourite , during the one of the very grim winters in the South East , and following a bad gap in the service , a young man and his mother being given a ride on a snow plough to Waterloo - (where it was going for a crew change) - he had an important practical exam at the Royal College of Music. (which he was able to prove) - and they had walked several miles in the snow to reach the just about functioning railway......

Friend of mine when I worked at BR IS&T Darlington, got a lift in the front cab of a loco from Grantham to Nottingham

 

[The exile]

Not quite in the same vein, but back in 1988 I “yellow penned” Motherwell to Coatbridge as the sole passenger in a 303. It was teeming with rain and the driver and guard independently took pity on me (both instructing me to make sure the other didn’t notice me) thus “yellow-penning” as far as Mossend as well as staying dry.

 

[John Luxton]

Back in BR days things were so much simpler and more customer friendly. I remember that if a train was passing through a station that you wanted without stopping you could just ask the Driver or Guard to additionally call there for you and they would normally do so. I did this many times when travelling to certain stations with infrequent services. These days there is zero chance of that happening unless the control has authorised and permitted a Special Stop Order to take place.

I wonder if that is quite true of ALL lines?

Why I ask is that a couple of weeks ago I took two round trips on the Looe Branch. Now if one looks at the timetable a number run non-stop (apart from the reversal) plus a couple each day go into Coombe Junction Halt.

Only one of the trains was shown as a stopper.

However, when the guard wandered round and checked tickets ( I had a Day Ranger) I was asked asked on all four services if I was going right through to Looe or Liskeard when only one of the trains I was travelling on was scheduled to call (on request) at the intermediate stations.

I did wonder why he was asking this question on the non-stop runs.

Would it be that they had some local discretion to allow people off at intermediate stations?

 

[zwk500]

I understand what you mean. Although if a driver wanted to stop somewhere, would they be safely able to? Passivity they don’t know what trains are behind them or how far away they are

The driver can certainly stop safely anywhere (in theory). However they wouldn't necessarily know about delays etc and may get a concerned call from the Signaller asking what's wrong.

Taxis are much slower than trains most of the time I would have thought

Depends how direct the train journey is between the customer and their house, of course! Late at night, organising a taxi that drops you on the doorstep is generally safer than a train that leaves you at the station which may be some way from the final destination. Even if it's a bit longer.

 

[mmh]

I wasn't allowed to take this non-service train, but did once. Many years ago I was woken up on a train at Strawberry Hill depot. Given the time and when I'd first boarded (headed to Waterloo) we concluded I must have completed a few end to end journeys then not been noticed when the train went out of service. Whoops.

I didn't get any alternative transport back to Waterloo provided and had a long night of night buses.

It only occurred to me weeks later that of course passing 3rd rail while being escorted out happened. Something that if I'd had my wits about me would have absolutely terrified me!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 May 2022 ==

Depends how direct the train journey is between the customer and their house, of course! Late at night, organising a taxi that drops you on the doorstep is generally safer than a train that leaves you at the station which may be some way from the final destination. Even if it's a bit longer.

I think the chance of a door to door drop off will be linked to how many there are of you and how local the taxi is.

If you're one of dozens of people being taken a hundred miles, expect to be put in a taxi with others going to the same station and dropped there.

 

[Stephen1001]

Superb - an experience possibly good enough to inspire a musical composition (I'm reminded of 'Overture 125' )

Not wishing to derail this thread too much but Overture 125 was written by my grandfather so nice to know it made such an impression!

 

[The exile]

I wonder if that is quite true of ALL lines?

Why I ask is that a couple of weeks ago I took two round trips on the Looe Branch. Now if one looks at the timetable a number run non-stop (apart from the reversal) plus a couple each day go into Coombe Junction Halt.

Only one of the trains was shown as a stopper.

However, when the guard wandered round and checked tickets ( I had a Day Ranger) I was asked asked on all four services if I was going right through to Looe or Liskeard when only one of the trains I was travelling on was scheduled to call (on request) at the intermediate stations.

I did wonder why he was asking this question on the non-stop runs.

Would it be that they had some local discretion to allow people off at intermediate stations?

Other explanations could be force of habit or managing passenger expectations (I’m afraid this train doesn’t stop at Sandplace) to avoid injudicious use of the cord.

 

[CW2]

A few examples spring to mind - mostly already featured in the "Back in the Day" thread:

There used to be a Fridays Only overnight train in summer which ran from Euston to Carlisle, and divided there for Stranraer and Inverness. Having done 40160 into Stranraer one Saturday morning, it looked like a long wait for anything decent back out. 40160 was running round the stock to go ECS to Carlisle. That's when a couple of bewildered French back-packers sidled bleary-eyed up to me and said "Is this where we change for Inverness?" I took them to the station master, explained their plight, and got him to arrange for the ECS back to Carlisle to run as a class 1. Naturally I (and all the other bashers) suddenly had a pressing need to be in Carlisle too, so we had 40160 all the way back.

Likewise 40050 did a Euston - Holyhead additional forward from Crewe, and was booked to return ECS to Crewe. On that occasion the guard wasn't up for going through the faff of getting official permission for it to run class 1, so he turned a blind eye to about 10 bashers hiding in the bogs when the train arrived at Holyhead. We departed in quick order back to Crewe - with the guard in the back cab of the 40 and lights off all the way - and ran direct to Crewe Carriage Shed!

My first ever trip to Kings Lynn was by mistake. I did 37044 on the 0155 Cambridge - Kings Lynn, intending to alight at Ely for the Ipswich - Peterborough, but overdossed. The 37 was going back light engine to Cambridge, so I got a lift in the back cab, arranged by the station supervisor.

 

[WesternLancer]

Not wishing to derail this thread too much but Overture 125 was written by my grandfather so nice to know it made such an impression!

Thanks for that! Probably deserves thread of its own on Overture 125. An absolutely superb film that I have enjoyed many times thanks to the BFI, up there with the best railway films in my opinion - but it is the music that makes it so special of course.

Do you mean your grandfather composed the music (as opposed to say, wrote the script) - that is something to be proud of (writing the script would also be something to be proud of).

 

[EbbwJunction1]

This journey wasn't because I'd missed a train, but I once had a trip thorough Millerhill Yard in the cab of a Class 40 (I can't remember which one, as my books have long gone).

I'd gone there from Edinburgh on the bus and visited the shed at one end. I was then going to walk along the pathway to the other end to see what was there, and then get a bus back into Edinburgh. After visiting the shed (I asked for permission!), one of the drivers (I think) asked me where I was going next. I told him, and he said that he was taking a loco to the far end, and did I want a lift? It took me about 30 seconds to say yes, so he said there it is and I was to get on board.

We went the length of the yard, and he then asked me how I was going to get back to Edinburgh. I replied that I was going to take a bus (there was a stop nearby) and he said that I didn't need to do that as there was a crew bus going to Waverley in a few minutes, and I was welcome to get on it. After another 30 seconds ... yes, please ... so off we went, and they dropped me at the back of the station.

It was all very unofficial, but I was very grateful.

 

[Busaholic]

Back in BR days things were so much simpler and more customer friendly. I remember that if a train was passing through a station that you wanted without stopping you could just ask the Driver or Guard to additionally call there for you and they would normally do so. I did this many times when travelling to certain stations with infrequent services. These days there is zero chance of that happening unless the control has authorised and permitted a Special Stop Order to take place.

Happened to me after an evening meeting in Ashford, Kent. The fast train to Charing Cross went through my station at Hither Green without stopping, and arrival time at London Bridge was eleven minutes after the last train of the evening for Hither Green had left. Explained plight to guard, he spoke to driver, and it was arranged that the train would slow to a pace so that I could open the slam door, jump out, and slam the door shut again! All went perfectly, I was early 30s then, and decided to throw my capacious briefcase onto the platform before throwing myself, and its contents did manage to escape, but I scraped them up successfully. The bored ticket collector, asleep til I showed up, seemed surprised as to where I'd come from, but I showed my season ticket and marched on.

 

[John Luxton]

Other explanations could be force of habit or managing passenger expectations (I’m afraid this train doesn’t stop at Sandplace) to avoid injudicious use of the cord.

Yes could well be! - I should have asked. If it happens on a future trip and it happens again - I will ask.

 

[Stephen1001]

Thanks for that! Probably deserves thread of its own on Overture 125. An absolutely superb film that I have enjoyed many times thanks to the BFI, up there with the best railway films in my opinion - but it is the music that makes it so special of course.

Do you mean your grandfather composed the music (as opposed to say, wrote the script) - that is something to be proud of (writing the script would also be something to be proud of).

Sorry yeah, could have been clearer: he was the composer of the music that appeared in the film. David Gow was his name - quite successful at the time but not so well remembered now. He died shortly after I was born but both my grandmother and his second wife are alive and well!

 

[WesternLancer]

Sorry yeah, could have been clearer: he was the composer of the music that appeared in the film. David Gow was his name - quite successful at the time but not so well remembered now. He died shortly after I was born but both my grandmother and his second wife are alive and well!

Thanks, I thought that was what you meant - very interesting to read. I have just read his obituary in The Independent on line. Interesting life, and no doubt if I knew more about music I would probably recognise other work. But since I am a big HST 125 fan that film and the music seem like a high point to me.

 

[Bevan Price]

Was returning from a weekend tour to Fort William on a very late running special in the 1980s. Reached Preston much too late for the last connection to St. Helens & Liverpool, but Preston staff arranged for a group of passengers to travel on a booked E.C.S. from Preston to Edge Hill, including a very brief stop at St. Helens.

 

[AY1975]

Charter trains have occasionally carried stranded passengers. On 4th September 2004 I went on a South West Trains 4-CEP EMU charter from Portsmouth Harbour to Weymouth. I seem to recall that at least one normal service train from Portsmouth to Southampton was cancelled that morning so its passengers were allowed to travel on the CEP charter train.

Obviously carrying stranded passengers is at the discretion of the charter train promoter, but in this case the operator was the same company as the regular service trains on the same route.

Hastings Diesels Ltd's "Olympia Express" from Hastings to Shepherds Bush on 18th December 2010, a day dogged by service disruptions caused by heavy snow, also rescued a load of stranded passengers on the return journey, making additional stops at Sevenoaks, Hildenborough and High Brooms. No doubt a lot of those passengers were astonished to see that train (complete with a buffet car), let alone travel on it, five years after the last slam-door EMUs were withdrawn and 30-odd years after the end of buffet cars on the Hastings line.

In the more distant past, probably in about the late 1960s or early '70s, a late colleague of mine who lived in Hykeham found himself with a long wait for the next train home from Lincoln and had his bike with him, but the guard on a DMU on an ECS working that was going through Hykeham took pity on him and gave him and his bike a lift home on his train, making a special stop for him at Hykeham. I think he may have known the said guard but I wouldn't be sure of that.

 

[Acey]

Several times in the past after driving the last down services from London to Hayes ,you would get the odd passenger who had fallen asleep ( usually due to to much happy juice )and missed their stop, if possible I would drop them off while taking the ECS back to the depot !

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Summer 1964, having travelled from Pwllheli to Aberystwyth for our first visit to the VoR Rly, Dad, my brother and myself found ourselves at Dovey Junction awaiting the last train up the coast. Unfortunately it terminated at Porthmadog, then going ecs to the carriage sidings at Pwllheli. Having explained our plight to the Driver, he suggested that we could stay on the train after it reached Porthmadog and alight once the sidings were reached, but we'd 'better keep our heads down as we went through Criccieth'. That's what we did, although I do recall being very concerned that we might somehow get caught, even with the driver's permission....not that was, I suppose, able to legitimately give that permission.

 

[Tangent]

Not, very strictly, within the remit of the thread, but:

When I was 6 or 7, back in the mid-80s, I was heading to school by myself on the bus in South London, and I decided, on a whim, to skip the stop for school and stay on the bus until it got to Victoria, and spend some time gawping at trains. I spent some time on the platform, until a railman spotted me - I might have been trying to get onto a platform.

After questioning me, and finding out my story, the railmen took me into a mess room. I then travelled to my home station with a railman who was coming off duty, and going to the same station - I think we travelled in the brake van, but I can hardly remember.

When I got home, my story was that I had fallen asleep on the bus, and I only fessed up after many years. I shudder to think what might have happened had someone with uglier intentions had spotted me...

 

[Western Sunset]

Back in the late 80s I'd alighted from a train at Brocklesby (now closed) to take some photos. The signalman invited me into his box (situated on the platform) and was happy for me to take photos of the lever frame etc. The train service was rather limited; I think one train was cancelled or failed to call - can't remember the details. Anyway, the signalman stopped the next passenger train (due to pass non-stop); the guard seemed rather bemused as I got on board to continue my journey.

 

[Spartacus]

Not so long ago the first service off Whitby was cancelled, I think due to overrunning engineering work, so it ran from Grosmont to Middlesbrough using a steam loco & support coach off on it's way somewhere, possibly to Scotland.

 

[GB&K Joint]

Early eighties railtour failed to stop at Barrhead on the return journey. The five passengers expecting to leave the tour were carried on to the next booked stop at Kilmarnock. With the tour continuing south to Dumfries, we were directed over to a motley collection of vans parked on platform 3 and invited onboard. I suspect this was an empty newspaper train waiting to head back to Glasgow after delivering the Sunday editions to Ayrshire.

Eventually off we went into the night with a Class 27 in charge and when we reached Barrhead, unusually we were signalled onto the up platform. After stepping off the train the guard escorted us off the end of the platform and onto the signaller‘s path to make our exit, the station having been locked hours ago.

 

[D1537]

In May 1983, myself and another basher (who I didn't know at the time) did the "Annan move" to get a Class 27 for haulage from Carlisle. Unfortunately due to a signalling problem we missed the southbound return at Annan, and were faced with not being able to get home to the Midlands if we waited for the next train. While we were debating what to do, an engineers train ran into the platform hauled by 25138. We politely explained our predicament to the workers on the train, and were conveyed back to Kingmoor Yard on this train, from which we walked back to Citadel in time for the last southbound WCML train.