Footex And Other Uses

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

When I was a spotter in the early to mid 80's there was always plenty of rolling stock lying around waiting to be used at the weekend. As my title suggests they were used for football trains and summer holiday extras to name but two. And I travelled on a few myself! I was just wondering whether they had all been scrapped before privatisation kicked in? It’s hard to imagine a profit driven company keeping something "just in case".

Many thanks,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[theblackwatch]

Stock used on trains like that tends to be owned by private companies like West Coast Railways, Riviera Trains and Cargo-D now. The Train Operating Companies who run franchised services don't keep lots of spare stock stuck in sidings for a rainy (or sunny) day!

 

[fgwrich]

Stock used on trains like that tends to be owned by private companies like West Coast Railways, Riviera Trains and Cargo-D now. The Train Operating Companies who run franchised services don't keep lots of spare stock stuck in sidings for a rainy (or sunny) day!

Certainly so, although you do tend to see the odd TOC laying on special services using standard stock at weekends - FGW Using the HST Set on a Devon Metro to cope with Exeter Cheifs supporters, And a Swansea to Portsmouth Harbour HST operated Football special serveral years ago...

ATW Sort of being another example in the retiming and changing of the WAG Express diagrams during friday rugby matches during the RBS Six Nations for example...

So, although it dosent happen as much as it used to, at least there are still some TOCs prepared to lay on special services for Rugby Matches, Music Festivals and football specials.

 

[thewolf]

When I went to Reading Festival a few years back, XC had put a few extra trains on back to Birmingham. XC also put on a 'football special' from Nottingham back to Wolverhampton (and Birmingham) a few seasons back. We did however sit at Derby for about 45 minutes, during which the 'normal' Nottingham to Birmingham service overtook us. There was also an incident of a BTP officer leaning against the emergency alarm

LM stop extra trains at Wembley Central when there are events on, and ran extra services after the Take That concerts at Vile Park a couple of weeks back. They also run shuttles from New Street to Witton for Villa's home games.

 

[Drsatan]

FGW ran additional services from Castle Cary to Westbury, Reading and London Paddington in 2005 to carry festival goers to and from Glastonbury. According to Modern Railways the trains consisted of top and tail 47s (FGW's own 47s before they were converted to 57s) and several Mk2s. As far as I'm aware no extra trains were run in conjunction with Glastonbury this year.

During the Wimbledon Open SWT stop a few long-distance trains at Wimbledon station too. Normally the only services which call at that station are surburban services.

 

[YorkshireBear]

FGW ran additional services from Castle Cary to Westbury, Reading and London Paddington in 2005 to carry festival goers to and from Glastonbury. According to Modern Railways the trains consisted of top and tail 47s (FGW's own 47s before they were converted to 57s) and several Mk2s. As far as I'm aware no extra trains were run in conjunction with Glastonbury this year.

During the Wimbledon Open SWT stop a few long-distance trains at Wimbledon station too. Normally the only services which call at that station are surburban services.

Im sure some 67's took some people to glastonbury from up north? not FGW but i think some extra trains were put on.

 

[fgwrich]

Im sure some 67's took some people to glastonbury from up north? not FGW but i think some extra trains were put on.

FGW ran additional services from Castle Cary to Westbury, Reading and London Paddington in 2005 to carry festival goers to and from Glastonbury. According to Modern Railways the trains consisted of top and tail 47s (FGW's own 47s before they were converted to 57s) and several Mk2s. As far as I'm aware no extra trains were run in conjunction with Glastonbury this year.

During the Wimbledon Open SWT stop a few long-distance trains at Wimbledon station too. Normally the only services which call at that station are surburban services.

During Wimbledon, pretty much every service calls at Wimbledon for the tennis.

As for FGW & Glasto, Great Western of course, in conjunction with Rail Easy provided both the Preston to Frome & Euston to Frome loco hauled specials, aswell as the usual extra HST operated Glasto service from Paddington...

Nowadays, more TOCs seem to use in house stock more, with FGW usualy using their HSTs on extra Rugexs from Paddington to Cardiff for the RBS six nations...

 

[thefab444]

During Wimbledon, pretty much every service calls at Wimbledon for the tennis.

Not really, it's about half of the long distance services that call there for a few hours in the morning and few hours in the evening. Mainly fast services to Weymouth, Portsmouth and Exeter, although in the evening some of the Southampton/Portsmouth via Eastleigh and Salisbury services call as well.

As for FGW & Glasto, Great Western of course, in conjunction with Rail Easy provided both the Preston to Frome & Euston to Frome loco hauled specials, aswell as the usual extra HST operated Glasto service from Paddington...

Most of the HST "extras" to Castle Cary are actually using stock freed up by cancelling the Paddington - Cardiff services.

 

[RichmondCommu]

When I went to Reading Festival a few years back, XC had put a few extra trains on back to Birmingham. XC also put on a 'football special' from Nottingham back to Wolverhampton (and Birmingham) a few seasons back. We did however sit at Derby for about 45 minutes, during which the 'normal' Nottingham to Birmingham service overtook us. There was also an incident of a BTP officer leaning against the emergency alarm

LM stop extra trains at Wembley Central when there are events on, and ran extra services after the Take That concerts at Vile Park a couple of weeks back. They also run shuttles from New Street to Witton for Villa's home games.

I'm a Derby County season ticket holder and back in the late 80's football specials ran from Derby to Witton before the Rams were sadly relegated. Another regular football special ran to Sheffield when we played Wednesday. The train stopped at a station which i'm guessing must have been on the old Woodhead route and i would love to know the name of it. I've looked on my rail atlas but can't see anything so i can only imagine that it was swept away years a go.

 

[OuterDistant]

Was it Wadsley Bridge?

 

[YorkshireBear]

I'm a Derby County season ticket holder and back in the late 80's football specials ran from Derby to Witton before the Rams were sadly relegated. Another regular football special ran to Sheffield when we played Wednesday. The train stopped at a station which i'm guessing must have been on the old Woodhead route and i would love to know the name of it. I've looked on my rail atlas but can't see anything so i can only imagine that it was swept away years a go.

Wadsley bridge is indeed the SWFC station sadly no longer in use though the derelict platforms remain! So personally i think it should be used again if we ever get big.... *sighs*

I once caught a special MML or EMT (cant remember which) HST special when we played you in the 3rd round FA CUP a few years ago.