Trivia: Longest trip that any loco or unit has every done.

[70014IronDuke]

1948 - Mentioned up thread (#120)

Apols, I'd missed it.

Before the diversions commenced (23/8/48) each way between Tweedmouth(Berwick)-Kelso-Galashiels, the Pacific hauled Flying Scotsman was diverted over the S&C to Carlisle, and on over the Waverley route to Edinburgh. This distance was shorter than the 393 mile ECML route. Running Kings Cross to Edinburgh using the Newcastle-Hexham-Carlisle line would have been a much longer run for the A4s, and was not attempted.

Interesting - so it went Doncaster - Leeds - Carlisle - Galashiels - Waverley? If that was shorter, why did they bother with all the faffing (and route learning) of running via Kelso?

Of the six A4s involved, in those 17 recorded 408 mile non-stop runs, 60029 accomplished the feat nine times. The decision to reroute from Tweedmouth to Edinburgh via Kelso and Galashiels, and vice versa, was announced on 17th August and workings began on Monday 23rd. I would have thought some route learning, over the St Boswells-Kelso-Tweedmouth branch must have been undertaken beforehand, by the top-link Haymarket crews involved.

Very impressive - 90 miles to the first troughs.

 

[D6130]

Interesting - so it went Doncaster - Leeds - Carlisle - Galashiels - Waverley? If that was shorter, why did they bother with all the faffing (and route learning) of running via Kelso?

Presumably because it was desirable for some trains to serve York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth and Alnmouth....giving those stations connections to and from Edinburgh?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Presumably because it was desirable for some trains to serve York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth and Alnmouth....giving those stations connections to and from Edinburgh?

Yes, sorry - my geographical & track layout knowledge was all awry here. (Although the non-stop could still have taken the Carlisle route with no harm done - assuming KX crews signed the S&C and Waverley - which has to be doubtful.)

But this meant that the A4s on the non-stop runs had to climb up the Waverley to Galashiels and then come back down to Lucker troughs via Kelso and Tweedmouth. That really must have been a real test of enginemanship.

In normal running, was there another set of troughs twixt Lucker and Waverley?

 

[Harvester]

Yes, sorry - my geographical & track layout knowledge was all awry here. (Although the non-stop could still have taken the Carlisle route with no harm done - assuming KX crews signed the S&C and Waverley - which has to be doubtful.)

But this meant that the A4s on the non-stop runs had to climb up the Waverley to Galashiels and then come back down to Lucker troughs via Kelso and Tweedmouth. That really must have been a real test of enginemanship.

In normal running, was there another set of troughs twixt Lucker and Waverley?

The S&C was only used for a week or two prior to 23/8/48. Although the Flying Scotsman could have continued using the S&C, other expresses needed to run via Newcastle for Tyneside business. Hence it was decided all trains would run to Edinburgh via Tweedmouth-Kelso-Galashiels from 23/8/48.

Yes it must have been a real test for the crews on the Waverley, especially in the northbound direction after the A4 had run over 350 miles non-stop. It is worth noting that only three Haymarket drivers (Stevenson, Swan and McLeod) were involved in the 17 recorded non-stop runs, achieved by disregarding the booked Galashiels water stop.

Going south the next set of water troughs after Lucker were at Wiske Moor, south of Darlington. So a failed or partial pick-up at Lucker troughs would necessitate a water stop at Alnmouth, or Morpeth or maybe even Newcastle.

 

[62484GlenLyon]

Sunday 2/2/1986 the 10.05 Inverness to Kings Cross HST was diverted via Aberdeen. Not only that, the set was the wrong way round so it was turned on the old Abbeyhill triangle after departing Edinburgh.

 

[gg1]

310s - Altrincham to Walsall - possibly 304s too if they ever worked that service

 

[Magdalia]

310s - Altrincham to Walsall

Class 310s worked Euston-Birmingham via Northampton, and did so for about 20 years. Is Altrincham to Walsall further than that?

 

[jfollows]

Class 310s worked Euston-Birmingham via Northampton, and did so for about 20 years. Is Altrincham to Walsall further than that?

I don't think so - it's approximately 30 miles further London-Birmingham than Manchester-Birmingham and if you add 11 miles Birmingham-Walsall and 10 miles Altrincham-Manchester it'll still come to less.

 

[gg1]

Class 310s worked Euston-Birmingham via Northampton, and did so for about 20 years. Is Altrincham to Walsall further than that?

I don't think so - it's approximately 30 miles further London-Birmingham than Manchester-Birmingham and if you add 11 miles Birmingham-Walsall and 10 miles Altrincham-Manchester it'll still come to less.

Sorry, you are correct.

I mistakenly thought with the extensions at either end it would come in at a slightly longer distance than New Street - Euston.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I vaguely recall talk on here about 304s being used on some surprisingly long relief services in the 1980s. Crewe to Carlisle was one, I think.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

310s - Altrincham to Walsall - possibly 304s too if they ever worked that service

Not sure about Class 310, but fairly sure that there was once a daily Class 304 working from Altrincham to Birmingham New Street (via Manchester Oxford Road) in the mid 1980s. Departed at 7.35 p.m. (SuX) and took just under three hours to do the 90 miles (and had over 30 intermediate station calls).

 

[Taunton]

As individual moves this was nothing unusual on the Western, where all steam locos periodically visited Swindon works, including those from the far-flung corners, and then after overhaul commonly got reallocated wherever elsewhere, so over time all tended to have made these lengthy runs. Most notable were the two pannier tanks, 1646/49, which from new in 1951 were allocated to the Dornoch branch in the far north of Scotland until withdrawn in 1962. I believe they only came back to Swindon for overhaul once in that time, plus their initial delivery run, but it must have been quite a trip.

I've actually since found a correction here, the two Western Pannier tanks in the north of Scotland in the 1950s were taken to and fro out of steam, marshalled at the rear of freight trains.

 

[hexagon789]

Sunday 2/2/1986 the 10.05 Inverness to Kings Cross HST was diverted via Aberdeen. Not only that, the set was the wrong way round so it was turned on the old Abbeyhill triangle after departing Edinburgh.

The southbound Sunday Highland Chieftain was normally booked via Aberdeen outside high summer until the late 80s. The HML being shut on Sunday mornings outside the June-September season.

Certainly it was booked via Aberdeen in the 1986 timetable, outside June-September. During the period it did run via Aviemore, a normal Mk2 set ran the 1005 Inverness to Aberdeen instead.

 

[D6968]

Has a 323 ever made it to Euston either under BR, Central, LM or FNW? If not, New Street to Liverpool is probably the longest.

I could be wrong but I think a pair might have got as far south as Wembley on a Footex from Aston.

 

[jfollows]

I vaguely recall talk on here about 304s being used on some surprisingly long relief services in the 1980s. Crewe to Carlisle was one, I think.

See #210 and https://www.flickr.com/photos/79134428@N03/49580146083/in/dateposted/ for a Carlisle to Birmingham relief working (193m 52ch).

 

[nw1]

Quite limited possibilities for such a small class anyway, but Class 707s are toilet-less standard class units intended for - and usually limited to - inner suburban routes in/out of London Waterloo. 707018+015 operated the 1735 Waterloo to Southampton Central in place of the usual 444 on 18/12/2019 though, very much out of their usual stomping ground. I seem to recall it was as a last minute thing as a result of disruption further down the line.

Interesting. I've never seen suburban units of any description down that far before, and I've travelled on the SWML regularly since the end of the 80s.

For example, I've never seen them try to substitute a mainline unit to Southampton or beyond with a 455. Granted they have no toilets, but arguably it would be better than a cancellation.

I wonder what the longest was for a 455? Not sure if they have come up yet.

Back in EPB days, though, I believe they did make it that far down in times of disruption.



== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Feb 2023 ==

Class 159 - Penzance to London Waterloo.

Waterloo - Weymouth would be the winner for multiple 3rd rail EMUs including 442s and 444s in regular service, with 450s, 411s, 421s and 423s visiting occasionally I think. A longer journey when diverted via Guildford and Havant.

I believe that at some point in the 90s there were a small number of 42x units diagrammed for Waterloo-Weymouth. I am fairly sure that there was an early-morning which stopped just about everywhere beyond Woking, which was diagrammed for a single VEP. I might be imagining this though.

 

[Bikeman78]

I believe that at some point in the 90s there were a small number of 42x units diagrammed for Waterloo-Weymouth. I am fairly sure that there was an early-morning which stopped just about everywhere beyond Woking, which was diagrammed for a single VEP. I might be imagining this though.

You are thinking of the 06:40 down from Waterloo which was booked pair of slam doors for years. It returned on the 10:50 up from Weymouth which ran to the usual schedule including a non-stop run from Winchester to Waterloo. A particularly enthusiastic driver got 104 mph out of a CIG+BEP pair at Brookwood. I stood in the middle cab watching the needle creep higher and higher. The 14:30 return trip on Saturdays was booked slam door as well. Usually CIGs but often produced VEPs.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Has a 323 ever made it to Euston either under BR, Central, LM or FNW? If not, New Street to Liverpool is probably the longest.

Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly after the 309s were withdrawn. It ran with 6 cars for a spell.

 

[Grumpy]

This is a thread where we tell about the most longest journey that one class of loco has every done in it service. also units that are not suitable for one type of route.

Could I nominate the York to Newton Abbot Motorail in the late 1970‘s as the longest journey in service by a class 31

 

[delt1c]

How about the Indian Pacific, when I did it , 1 loco all the way from Sydney to Perth with a run round at Adelaide

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly after the 309s were withdrawn. It ran with 6 cars for a spell.

Would that have been two 3-car units? As the 2-car sets (which had all been augmented to 4 by then anyway) didn't move to Longsight. Thought the ones that did move up north all stayed as 4-cars but it was a long time ago so I may have simply forgotten they'd been shortened to 3.

According to an earlier post, they occasionally stood in for 322s on the short-lived Manchester Airport to London runs.

 

[Magdalia]

Could I nominate the York to Newton Abbot Motorail in the late 1970‘s as the longest journey in service by a class 31

On 27/12/85 31447 and 31458 worked the 0855 Penzance-Newcastle from Plymouth to Newcastle, according to Rail Gen Archive.