Class 91 - ever operated blunt end first?

[David Pemberton]

Hello

A post out of idle curiosity, prompted as I sat on my regular 1630 from KGX looking at a Class 91.

Are they ever operated blunt end first?

Wikipedia suggests that, "An additional requirement of the design was that they could operate as normal locomotives. This led to a second cab being incorporated into the 'blunt end'". And I think I read elsewhere that one situation where this might happen would be in heavy snow so that the locomotive could pull the train south - but my memory may be wrong.

That cab at the back looked a) unused and b) expensive. Is it used or was it an unnecessary specification?

 

[GNERman]

it is useful if something happens to the other cab or smething like a tdm failure, but I believe they can only do 100mph like this, due to being not very aerodynamic

 

[MCR247]

It was built like that so it could operate freights at night

 

[90019]

They are used if there is a fault in the DVT meaning that it cannot be used to operate the train, or sometimes if there is a fault with the cab at the other end of the 91.

The slab end was originally so they could operate intermodals at night, but the 90s ended up on intermodals instead of them.

 

[Aictos]

it is useful if something happens to the other cab or smething like a tdm failure, but I believe they can only do 100mph like this, due to being not very aerodynamic

I think you will find it's Class 91s are limited to 110mph when running slab end first.

Talking of which, there was one from Edinburgh to Bounds Green running though my station slab end first at the London end of the train last week so must have been a problem with the DVT or something for the 91 to be leading the set.

Good to see the high level tail lights in use though at the rear of the set!

 

[WillPS]

When I was on a CrossCountry service to York I saw some strange work at Doncaster, incolving what appeared to be an angle grinder. There was a 91 shunting around blunt end first there too.

 

[GNERman]

i've seen lonesome 91111 at neville hill recently...

 

[SqUaShIe P]

one of my pax told me this evening that he saw a double headed halled set, of which, both locos were running blunt end first

 

[Sun Chariot]

The railway press of '87/'88 told that the 91's could be diagrammed on the (as was at the time) Edinburgh-Kings Cross sleeping car service.

Whilst I never saw that service, back in late-May 1990 I did see a 91 hauling, blunt-end first, a rake of Mk2F's out of York, on a Kings Cross bound service.

 

[Aictos]

I thought the Angle Scottish Sleepers all moved to Euston in 87, with all being cancelled other then the ones already running to Euston?

I've got timetables at home and I'm sure 85 to 86 was the last time Sleepers operated on the ECML.

 

[Sun Chariot]

That could well be the case. Component manufacture, for the approved "two-cab" design, may have progressed sufficiently, before the decision to withdraw the Edinburgh-Kings Cross sleeper service.

Sleeper service utilisation was definitely quoted in the Modern Railways and Rail Enthusiast articles of the time. It would figure that, with the requirement gone, there was little other scope for driveability from both ends.

 

[Aictos]

Well I've checked my timetables and I've got the InterCity Executive timetable expiring on the 28th September 1986 which has the Sleepers from Euston, Kings Cross and Paddington which seems to be the last time Sleepers ran from Kings Cross.

 

[Helvellyn]

The Sleepers were withdrawn from the East Coast to allow work on electrification to take place overnight. They never returned.

The 91s were intended to be used on freight, parcels and sleeper work overnight, but by the time they entered service Sectorisation had put an end to this, and InterCity locomotives were used just for InterCity work. As an example, Class 87s used to be used on Freightliners and other freight on the West Coast, largely overnight, but this ended too around '87/'88.

The Class 90s, which were built as mixed traffic locomotives, have raked-back cabs at both ends. The prototype Class 89 was also built this way.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

Passed a couple of 91s running solo recently, one of which was running blunt end first.

 

[poshbakerloo]

Ive seen photos of it...but i dunno how good it is is practise...

 

[Moodster020]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlvE-Iysxkk

It's on this vid^

 

[poshbakerloo]

^^^ great video!!

 

[Spartacus]

There are a few pictures about of 91s on strange consists. It always looks weird!

As for them running blunt end first, I remember 91029 as she was then spent months running blunt end first.

 

[Drsatan]

Apparently 91s also run blunt-end first when the other driving cab has broken air con, otherwise the driver would refuse to drive it. Makes sense given that the wind noise at 125mph would deafen you.

 

[Old Timer]

91121 currently working blunt end first on Class 1 service to KX.

Passed Marholm at 1222