EMU Railtours?

[Bittern]

Has there ever actually been one of these? I wouldn't mind seeing the only survivng Bo'ness based 303 on one.

 

[yorksrob]

Short answer - yes. I believe The Southern Electric Group are taking a 442 around the Southern Region for a spin this month.

As for anything Mk1 or older - back in the good old days they used to happen quite regularly. Then with privatisation, track access charges kicked in and they became noteably rarer and shorter (usually confined to stock farewells etc). Then came the rather ill thought out restrictions on running Mk 1's which pretty much put the kybosh on them.

 

[metrocammel]

In the mid- noughties, there were a fair few railtours in the South East just before the demise of the Southern Region 411/421/423 units.

Also, Class 309s used to perform on tours from the North West in the 1990s.

 

[Mojo]

Yes, I went on the first of two Class 312 farewell tours on the Great Eastern in either February or March 2004 which was IIRC two four car 312s coupled together.

 

[Oracle]

There were several Underground tours that I went on from around 1980 onwards.

 

[A60K]

There have been tours using the preserved Shenfield 306 on the Great Eastern as well.

 

[Oracle]

..and the NRM's 2-BIL/4-SUB now I recall

 

[CraigS]

Yes, I went on the first of two Class 312 farewell tours on the Great Eastern in either February or March 2004 which was IIRC two four car 312s coupled together.

Same here. First one was in March 2004 and was indeed two 312s coupled together (312718/721 I think).

 

[yorksrob]

..and the NRM's 2-BIL/4-SUB now I recall

Yeah, I think BR owned the SUB but maintained both in working order on the Southern. The pair used to come out quite regularly for special occasions but I only travelled on them once when they did a weekend shuttle between Brighton and Seaford. Saw them at the Chart Leacon open day in 1992 as well.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

The 5BEL should be ready for the 80th anniversary of the unit in 2012, these should be allowed on the network, as they are all steel construction and the structure of the unit is stronger than the standard MK1.

I think when the Lymington Class 421 CIGs are withdrawn, they may be preserved and can fill in for the now deceased CIG 1881, thats hopefully anyway.

As for EMU railtours, when the Class 415 EPBs were withdrawn a special farewell tour took place at London Victoria and unit 5001 was painted into orginal Green for the occasion (Although the NSE unit at the rear looked odd coupled to it!), also when the final Class 411 CEP units were withdrawn in 2005, special tickets were given out which I thought was a good idea.

 

[yorksrob]

The 5BEL should be ready for the 80th anniversary of the unit in 2012, these should be allowed on the network, as they are all steel construction and the structure of the unit is stronger than the standard MK1..

Yes, I have to admit, even though I was unhappy about the sacrifice ot that CIG, having read an article on it in the Railway Magazine, it is quite impressive what they're doing. Should look quite good whizzing around the network!

I think when the Lymington Class 421 CIGs are withdrawn, they may be preserved and can fill in for the now deceased CIG 1881, thats hopefully anyway.

As for EMU railtours, when the Class 415 EPBs were withdrawn a special farewell tour took place at London Victoria and unit 5001 was painted into orginal Green for the occasion (Although the NSE unit at the rear looked odd coupled to it!), also when the final Class 411 CEP units were withdrawn in 2005, special tickets were given out which I thought was a good idea.

Yes, I went on a couple of tours in 5001, including the "End Of An Era" in 1994. I felt quite bereft when I'd seen that it had been scrapped - especially since it was the historical prototype :cry:

Didn't manage the CEP one as I was skint. Bit of a shame really as they were more local to me than the EPB's (even though the post refurb decor was a bit mingin).

Incidentally, does anyone know if the 308's had a farewell tour in Yorkshire? I moved down South for work for two months in 2001 and by the time I came back up North they were all gone!

 

[ChrisCooper]

I'm another who was on the first GE 312 railtour (HRT's Grand Slam). It covered pretty much the entire GE electric network as far as Ipswich, other than Southminster and Braintree. It showed how successful EMU tours can be as it was so popular they decided to run another, I think 2 weeks later.
There were quite a few with the SR Slammers before they were withdrawn. The biggest was the Southern Belle, which involved all 3 SR TOCs (SET and SC provided the stock, SWT provided crews for running over their routes), and ran from Ramsgate to Weymouth. It used a CIG (1866) a VEP and a CEP, being a very rare 12 car working to Weymouth (needed special autherisation and monitoring due to the power draw). I did that, travelling in 1866's motor coach.
A big later was the Sussex Slammer, which was just Southern lines, using 3 of their units, 2 CIGs and a VEP. It covered a lot of Southern's Slammer routes such as Brighton, Bognor Regis (or Littlehampton, one or the other) and East Grinstead. That one didn't get pemission to run 12 cars to East Grinstead, so had to split into a 4 and an 8 for that part of the run. Did that too, on the VEP.
SET earlier ran a tour to commemorate withdrawing the CEPs, although they later got some back. I think there were a few other Slammer tours towards the end, although some were staff only.
c2c ran a small tour for their last 312 working. It went from Fenchurch Street to Southend via Upminster and Ockendon, back I think via Dagenham and Stratford, then onto Shoeburyness via Basildon. That was another one I did.
To extend to Multiple Units in general (which are just as rare on railtours as EMUs), Southern had "The Last Thump" with 3 205s just before they were withdrawn, and FGW ran a tour using 3 of their 101s a few days before they were withdrawn.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, I did the Sussex Slammer. Excellent day, although I think the staff had their own railtour which was even longer (damned track access charges again. Thank you John Major !). As it turned out I missed the East Grinstead leg because my Eurostar from Leeds (itself now a part of history) got cancelled

 

[SouthEastern-465]

The Class 309 'Clactons' had two diffrent farewell tours if I am correct. The first was on the GE in 1994 after they were ousted by other EMUs (Clas 312s I think), the 2nd was the North West final in 2000. I like the 'Clactons' dearly, they were great, units had alot of personality to them, but to me always seemed under rated, and under appreciated by enthusiasts, which was a great shame.

Only one 3-Car units survives and is under refurb.

 

[alex57601]

A few BLS tours using Merseyrail Class 507/508s have taken place - there was one a year or two back. And in the 1980s, the preserved 502 unit did a few spins when it was based at the now-gone Steamtown Southport, as did a preserved 503.

The problem with EMU tours is a) finding a unit or two free at a reasonable price, and b) if it is preserved it's in full working order and meets current standards (CDL, TPWS, OTMR, FTR-passed). The Mk1 issue someone mentioned, there is a way around it (think of the Hastings DEMU), but by no means cheap.

As for the Class 309s, I remember FNW running one from Manchester all the way to Liverpool St with 3 units in a 12-car formation that also included a run on a few of their former routes, though that was 10 years ago.

 

[yorksrob]

The Mk1 issue someone mentioned, there is a way around it (think of the Hastings DEMU), but by no means cheap.

I think the Hastings DEMU gets around it on account of having a large engine compartment at either end

 

[ChrisCooper]

Yes, the Hastings unit can run due to the engine at each end, not that it's really going to make a difference. The stupid thing with the rules when applies to railtours is that their main intention is to prevent Mk1 to Mk1 collisions, hence why barrier vehicles (which the engine compartments on the Thumpers class as) being allowed. It looses all sence when you think what the likelyhood of a railtour using a Mk1 unit coming into collision with another Mk1 actually is. Almost impossible, and if it's really that much of a concern then it's incredibly easy to make certain it would never happen.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, I think whoever dreamt up these rules probably had no consideration that there is a whole railtour industry and possibly no concept of rail enthusiasm at all.

They clearly have no concept of people taking responsibility for their own decisions and deciding what risks they are prepared to take.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Yes, I think whoever dreamt up these rules probably had no consideration that there is a whole railtour industry and possibly no concept of rail enthusiasm at all.

They clearly have no concept of people taking responsibility for their own decisions and deciding what risks they are prepared to take.

I think someone had a good idea on a previous thread (You I think!) put an Class 419 MLV on each end. That'd be brilliant on a CEP tour just like they use to run too.