Most multiple units used for a service

[LUL1970]

Over the recent Bank Holiday, Chiltern needed to increase capacity due to the closure of WCML. As a result, I was on a service which comprised 4x165 units. Have there been any other similar or larger number of units used in the past?

 

[lione87023]

I'm sure that in the past there was a peak Victoria - East Grinstead booked for 4 x 377/3.

 

[Kite159]

I'm sure that in the past there was a peak Victoria - East Grinstead booked for 4 x 377/3.

Used to be more than just peak use, at one point there used to be 4x 377/3 formations out on those services all day. Although that was in the past.

Other 4 unit formations is the 09:21 (or so) Salisbury to Waterloo, 11;20 back to Salisbury which is booked to be a 158+158+159+159 on Saturdays only.

Excluding the odd occasion when EMR have run 8 coach 158s from Liverpool towards Sheffield/Nottingham when something has been cancelled

 

[norbitonflyer]

5x2HAP used to be quute common on the South Eastern.
Anither five unit formation , very occasional, was MLV- TLV - CEP- BEP - CEP on boat trains.
8-car 1st generatiin DMUs formed as fiur twins were not unknown.

 

[Strathclyder]

In ScotRail-land, 7-coach Sprinter formations have appeared on the West Highland Line at least once a day in each direction on Mondays thru Saturdays on the Glasgow - Crianlarich (northbound) & from Crianlarich - Glasgow (southbound) for a little while now - at least during the current timetable - so that makes 4 units for those respective workings for at least one part of their journey (3 156s & one 153 bike van). These are 1Y48 (southbound) & 1Y23 (northbound).

They don't appear to run as a 7-car formation every day, but this week so far they have ran on Monday and today. Both ran as 7-cars every day Mon-Sat last week though (30th March - 4th April). Both also are the only West Highland workings barring 1Y20 to currently omit Dalmuir as a stop, presumably due to insufficent platform length or platform signalling (or some combination of the two).

 

[Kite159]

I would imagine Dalmuir is due to the short platforms, considering a 6 coach 156 doesn't fit. Although a 7 coach set heading towards Glasgow might also foul the junction preventing a train departing towards Dumbarton from the Yoker lines.

TfW have also used Quad 153s on Crewe - Chester shuttles, back before the 197s arrived.

 

[thenorthern]

2xClass 153 units and a Class 155 used to be common for Northern Rail at times.

 

[stadler]

You still get 377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3 formations sometimes but they are no longer booked. Recently i seen them twice on Brighton to London services. I also saw this formation not too long ago on Brighton to West Coastway services. When the football is on at Falmer stadium (which requires longer trains) they sometimes run such formations in passenger service on the Brighton to West Coastway line (with SDO being used at almost every station) to move stock around to lengthen East Coastway services. So it still happens but it is not booked any more.

At one point in the mid 2010s there was four separate 377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3 diagrams. You had two of them that both ran as 4x377/3 all day long on the East Grinstead line. Then there was another two 4x377/3 that just did extra peak hour diagrams and were reformed to work metro services during the day. The peak hour diagrams were then replaced but we still had the two all day 4x377/3 diagrams on the East Grinstead line for another year or two. Then around the late 2010s those were scrapped too.

Southeastern have run 375/3+375/3+375/3+375/3 formations very occassionally. It was never booked but i saw it in the late 2000s and early 2010s a few times. I doubt this will happen again as they have far less 375/3s compared to Southern and their 377/3s stock. Also they now need lots of 375/3s for the Medway Valley and Sheerness branches since the 466s are no longer allowed.

Southern have also run very occasional ten coach 171/7+171/7+171/7+171/7+171/7 formations formed of five of the two car units. It was never booked but it happened from time to time in the late 2010s and i am aware of three occassions it ran. Southern scrapped ten coach workings on the Uckfield line since covid (despite all the money spent on platform extensions only a few years before) and the maximum used now is eight coaches. They only have four 171/7 two coach units (instead of ten previously) since the units were reformed a few years ago so five units is not even physically possible any more. But i have seen a 171/7+171/7+171/7+171/7 formation formed of all four of the two coach units on one occassion just over a year ago.

 

[Harpo]

Not a service train but the sight of the 6x2 car rafts of 156s that ran from Scotland to Canton at the drop of a hat when the WR’s 155s were temporarily withdrawn, was an amazing spectacle.

 

[stadler]

Not a service train but the sight of the 6x2 car rafts of 156s that ran from Scotland to Canton at the drop of a hat when the WR’s 155s were temporarily withdrawn, was an amazing spectacle.

There is a photo online that i have seen of these 12 coach 156+156+156+156+156+156 formations that happened:



Certainly a very rare formation. I wonder if these are the only occassions that six DMUs have run coupled to each other. It has happened with EMUs and i know of one occassion of 6x375s and one occassion of 6x377s which were both a result of a 12 coach rescuing a broken down 12 coach.

 

[etr221]

8-car 1st generatiin DMUs formed as fiur twins were not unknown.

The 1st generation DMMUs were able to run with six power cars, so permitting 6 M+DT units in multiple: I assume that would have happened on occaision for excursions and the like, if not in everyday use.

On the Southern electric, I understand 4 4-COR was possible - though I don't know where it would fit in platforms. And I would expect 6 * 2-HAP (or predecessors) to have happened, at least on occaision.
And the 'Long Thin Drag' railtour used 2*6 car Hasting diesel units, with a power twin (2*DMBS) also in the formation, for a total of 14 cars.

When the south end of the WCML was closed, Virgin used 3*5 car class 221 units, total 15 cars for Birmingham-Euston via Oxford diversions.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I wonder if these are the only occassions that six DMUs have run coupled to each other.

During Covid weren't there a bunch of Pacers (like 40 carriages or so) stored together on a heritage line? Might be mis-remembering.

 

[Harpo]

I wonder if these are the only occassions that six DMUs have run coupled to each other.

In the 1982 ASLEF dispute, long DMU formations operated trains from Kings Cross. I’ve no record except for my hazy memory and wonder if anyone has proper data?

 

[Bletchleyite]

There used to be a set built up in Preston platform 2 in the evening to go back to Newton Heath, I think it was 5 units. Typically a mash up of 142, 150 and 153 from the West Lancashire "triangle" services.

 

[Kite159]

There used to be a set built up in Preston platform 2 in the evening to go back to Newton Heath, I think it was 5 units. Typically a mash up of 142, 150 and 153 from the West Lancashire "triangle" services.

Likewise back around 2016 there used to be a late night Nottingham - Derby EMT service which was formed of a mash up of 4 different trains, solely as a way to get it back to Derby

 

[Russel]

I recall back in the Frist Great Eastern days using services formed of 3 x 321 forming 12 car services from Colchester into Liverpool Street.

 

[stadler]

I recall back in the Frist Great Eastern days using services formed of 3 x 321 forming 12 car services from Colchester into Liverpool Street.

Three units as a 12 car formation is extremely common. You still see these used every day. We have had formations of 317+317+317 / 319+319+319 / 321+321+321 / 322+322+322 / 350+350+350 / 357+357+357 / 360+360+360 / 365+365+365 / 375+375+375 / 377+377+377 / 379+379+379 / 387+387+387 / 450+450+450 / 455+455+455 / 465+465+465 all used in passenger service.

 

[Bayum]

3x5-car 221s by Virgin.
12-car XC service at some point last year.
Used to be some interesting Newton Heath/Neville Hill combos.

 

[stadler]

I also remember Southern running extra long 456 formations on ECS workings between SN withdrawing them and SWT receiving them. I recall that they were stored in yards around Hove or Preston Park and they ran coupled together along the BML to get there. I remember there was definitely some 4x456 formations that happened and possibly 5x456 and 6x456 too but i am not certain.

 

[Russel]

Three units as a 12 car formation is extremely common. You still see these used every day. We have had formations of 317+317+317 / 319+319+319 / 321+321+321 / 322+322+322 / 350+350+350 / 357+357+357 / 360+360+360 / 365+365+365 / 375+375+375 / 377+377+377 / 379+379+379 / 387+387+387 / 450+450+450 / 455+455+455 / 465+465+465 all used in passenger service.

I know, my post was regarding the services out of Liverpool Street, hence the reference to Frist Great Eastern.

 

[norbitonflyer]

In the 1982 ASLEF dispute, long DMU formations operated trains from Kings Cross. I’ve no record except for my hazy memory and wonder if anyone has proper data?

Only recollection, but I recall a class 114 formation at Kings Cross during the dispute - I think there were four units but it may have been five.
I also recall an excursion from Gainsborough to Keighley in the mid 70s: again eight cars - 3x114 plus a 2car 104

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

Another recollection, a three or possibly four set of Swindon class 120s on a Leicester - Cardiff via Derby merrymaker ADEX in about 1974. An absolute riot. Not that I thought that at the time, of course.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Before the 197s arrived, some of the Sunday services up the Marches Line used to be 158+153+153+153+153.

 

[Magdalia]

Only recollection, but I recall a class 114 formation at Kings Cross during the dispute - I think there were four units but it may have been five.
I also recall an excursion from Gainsborough to Keighley in the mid 70s: again eight cars - 3x114 plus a 2car 104

Another recollection, a three or possibly four set of Swindon class 120s on a Leicester - Cardiff via Derby merrymaker ADEX in about 1974. An absolute riot. Not that I thought that at the time, of course.

For first generation DMUs the maximum number of motor cars in the formation was six.

Three car sets (including Swindon Cross Country units) each had two motor cars, so the maximum number of three car sets together in multiple was three.

Many two car sets only had one motor car, so it was possible, but unusual, to string up to six of these together. Four was relatively common in the early days.

 

[Kite159]

..

Before the 197s arrived, some of the Sunday services up the Marches Line used to be 158+153+153+153+153.

I'm sure the first train from Crewe towards Holyhead on a Sunday morning used to be a multiple sprinter lash-up as far as Chester. Simply as a way to get the units from Crewe sidings to Chester.

Again that was before the 197s arrived

 

[norbitonflyer]

The trains on the Central Line of the London Underground are made up of four two-car units of 1992 stock. Each unit has either one cab or none. The fleet has a few more cabbed units than cabless ones, so you occasionally see a train with a cab in the middle. I think they deliberately avoid running with all four units having cabs, as each cab reduces the passenger space and the number of doors available.

 

[DaveTM]

For electric units in 750V DC land, there is a limit to the power that one train can consume; see the attached picture of the Sectional Appendix. Anything normally capable of drawing more power than the infrastructure can give will have to have some of its motors isolated to stay within the limit. Thus the 6 x 377 that was seen when a 12-car rescued a 12-car would necessarily have had the acceleration of a tadpole in treacle.

 

[cool110]

Not in service, but there was that time Merseyrail kept sending more 507s and 508s to rescue a set stranded on an iced up third rail. Ended up as 508+507+508+507+508+508.

 

[stadler]

Not in service, but there was that time Merseyrail kept sending more 507s and 508s to rescue a set stranded on an iced up third rail. Ended up as 508+507+508+507+508+508.

There is a video on youtube that someone took of that rare working:

The unit numbers 508143 + 507001 + 508111 + 507032 + 508117 + 508123 were the units.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Rare but at times an SWR service to west country may be made of 10cars, leaving a possible formation of 159+159+158+158 for example.

Video below, credits to author.