Hogwarts Express to the Rescue!

[Essan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-41621266

A family stranded in the Scottish Highlands have been rescued by the "Hogwarts Express" steam train.

Jon and Helen Cluett and their four young children were staying at a remote bothy in Lochaber when their canoe was swept away by a swollen river.

Facing a long walk back to their car across boggy land, they phoned the police for advice.

To their delight, they arranged for the steam train used in the Harry Potter films to pick them up.

The train, called The Jacobite, is used for excursions on the West Highland Railway Line, crossing the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct that also features in the movies...

A nice story - family of 6 rescued from "my" bothy after their boat was washed away. Sensible actions all round. The place is not at all easy to access by land (no paths since they built the railway on top of the old track along the loch and very rough ground all round)

btw just coincidence it was the Hogwarts - had the next scheduled train been a Scotrail 156, that would have been asked to pick them up.

 

[Pete_uk]

Just read this. Great thinking by the police, it saved having to get search and rescue out to help them across dodgy ground.

 

[Highlandspring]

Just read this. Great thinking by the police, it saved having to get search and rescue out to help them across dodgy ground.

The police didn't come up with the plan, they just passed on the family's request to Network Rail Control in Glasgow. It was the NR controller who authorised and arranged the stop with Banavie signalling centre and West Coast Railways.

 

[djpontrack]

I remember in the 1980's when I lived in Fort William that the steam loco for the Mallaig service was the only available loco and was used to trip some wagons to the local aluminium factory.
I don't know if anything like that would happen now.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I remember in the 1980's when I lived in Fort William that the steam loco for the Mallaig service was the only available loco and was used to trip some wagons to the local aluminium factory.
I don't know if anything like that would happen now.

No sure about that, but I remember reading, I think on this forum only a year or so ago ago, a steam loco was helping haul some wagons etc in connection with engineering works on the Manchester tram system, which was unusual in itself, but even more so if it involved any street running. There is a photo somewhere. I also remembering reading a few years ago about a similar rescue to that mentioned above and the North York Moors Railway helped out in the same way. There has also been cases when a steam or diesel rail tour has been asked to pick up service train passengers in case of an incident on the mainline or bad weather etc. (Tornado was mentioned on the BBC Today Radio 4 programme when in a snow day in December in Kent, the electric trains were having problems, but of course the steamer could get through ok.)

 

[sprinterguy]

No sure about that, but I remember reading, I think on this forum only a year or so ago ago, a steam loco was helping haul some wagons etc in connection with engineering works on the Manchester tram system, which was unusual in itself, but even more so if it involved any street running. There is a photo somewhere.

An Austerity tank engine from the East Lancs Railway was used on a ballasting job (IIRC) on the Bury branch of Metrolink, there was no street running. I'm not convinced that a fixed six wheel wheelbase could negotiate the tight curves of the city centre section of Metrolink.

 

[Malcolmffc]

Good on the NR staff for not just quoting back some passage from a rule book on why “it can’t be done” as is so often the attitude on the railway.

 

[Steveman]

Good on the NR staff for not just quoting back some passage from a rule book on why “it can’t be done” as is so often the attitude on the railway.

I'm sure that plenty of NR higher ups we're not happy at all with this as you would expect.

 

[Essan]

Fortunately common sense prevailed

The alternative option would have been to pick them up by boat - but this would have entailed the family having to cross the railway line ......

(Normally you can get a boat to Essan by passing under the railway bridge - as the family did when they arrived there - but with the burn in spate, this would have been impossible)

 

[GatwickDepress]

A lot of Network Rail bashing here. All I'm waiting for is someone to go "elf and safety jobsworths" and I can shout Bingo.

But yes, this is a pretty nice feel good story for the railways - and good advertisement for the Jacobite as well. Well done everyone involved.

 

[Highlandspring]

Let's just say the way it was reported on the BBC website doesn't necessarily bear much resemblance to how it actually happened.

 

[MCR247]

Let's just say the way it was reported on the BBC website doesn't necessarily bear much resemblance to how it actually happened.

Interesting, are you able to expand at all without losing your job or something like that?

 

[Highlandspring]

Not really.

 

[6Gman]

I remember in the 1980's when I lived in Fort William that the steam loco for the Mallaig service was the only available loco and was used to trip some wagons to the local aluminium factory.
I don't know if anything like that would happen now.

There is certainly a tradition of "doing things differently" when you're a long way from HQ. I recall (as a youngster) our family being stuck in Georgemas Junction with a long wait for the next Thurso train. The four of us (mum, dad and 2 children) were put into a brake van and taken to Thurso behind our own private 26. Never found out whether it was a booked move! (The fact that my father was on the footplate, albeit at a shed 500 miles away, may have been relevant.) I've also seen (more recently) the Guard working the buffet on the West Highland while the Attendant took a break.

 

[theironroad]

Not really.

Probably wasn't much point saying anything then if you can't or won't explain what happened.

The story was written in a rather famous five adventure style language, but can only hope the facts were true.

 

[Holly]

Good on the NR staff for not just quoting back some passage from a rule book on why “it can’t be done” as is so often the attitude on the railway.

I can image that a special excursion train might have some latitude that might not apply to an ordinary scheduled service.
Would a normally scheduled train be allowed to do such an unplanned stop and pick up?

 

[Highlandspring]

The Jacobite is a normal scheduled service, albeit national rail tickets arent valid.

 

[Chris M]

The police didn't come up with the plan, they just passed on the family's request to Network Rail Control in Glasgow. It was the NR controller who authorised and arranged the stop with Banavie signalling centre and West Coast Railways.

It sounds like the police came up with the idea to contact the railway to see if they could help. The railway said "yes", worked out the details and implemented it. If so then I think credit for "the plan" belongs jointly to the railway and the police.

I remember in the 1980's when I lived in Fort William that the steam loco for the Mallaig service was the only available loco and was used to trip some wagons to the local aluminium factory.
I don't know if anything like that would happen now.

When I was on the Jacobite in ~2005 we were delayed outside Fort William on the return due to the delayed sleeper having problems. There was talk of sending the steam loco to rescue it, but eventually it made it into the station under its own power. It was the sickest sounding 37 I've ever heard though!

 

[Highlandspring]

It sounds like the police came up with the idea to contact the railway to see if they could help. The railway said "yes", worked out the details and implemented it. If so then I think credit for "the plan" belongs jointly to the railway and the police.

As I said the police control room simply passed on a request made by the family, though you'll have to take my word for that. There's more to this story than meets the eye and in light of the BBC report and the photos of the happy smiling family, all apparently well and having a great time boarding the "Hogwarts Express" (must have got lots of likes on their facebook or twitter feed) I'm not sure the same reponse would be forthcoming in similar circumstances in the future.

 

[6Gman]

Couple of oddities here.

The father describes grabbing belongings and rushing to the railway. But had time to take at least one photograph.

If the access to the bothy is by canoe getting six people and their belongings and food across the Loch using a canoe [singular] would be a challenge.

Just saying.

 

[Highlandspring]

Indeed!

 

[theironroad]

Couple of oddities here.

The father describes grabbing belongings and rushing to the railway. But had time to take at least one photograph.

If the access to the bothy is by canoe getting six people and their belongings and food across the Loch using a canoe [singular] would be a challenge.

Just saying.

They could easily have made 2 or 3 canoe trips at the start of their trip to set up the bothy.

 

[6Gman]

They could easily have made 2 or 3 canoe trips at the start of their trip to set up the bothy.

They could. Could have taken a few more than 2 or 3 trips though. A bit like one of those puzzles - how do you get a man, a fox and a chicken across a river when you can only transport one at a time and avoid the chicken eating the fox or whatever.

Two adults, four children, luggage, food ... one canoe. Just think there may be more to this than meets the eye ...

 

[Highlandspring]

Just think of all the likes on instagram. Lucky that the timing just so happened to coincide with the Jacobite. This may yet go viral, then they'll be famous....

 

[theironroad]

They could. Could have taken a few more than 2 or 3 trips though. A bit like one of those puzzles - how do you get a man, a fox and a chicken across a river when you can only transport one at a time and avoid the chicken eating the fox or whatever.

Two adults, four children, luggage, food ... one canoe. Just think there may be more to this than meets the eye ...

Haha,

Trip 1: dad and 2 kids cross taking some luggage leaving mum, 2 kids and some luggage. Dad returns alone
Trip 2: dad, mum and 2 kids and rest of luggage cross
Trip 3 : happy families set light a fire in bothy and have a brew.

 

[IanXC]

I've also seen (more recently) the Guard working the buffet on the West Highland while the Attendant took a break.

Keep your eye out next time you are on VTEC!

I'm sure that plenty of NR higher ups we're not happy at all with this as you would expect.

Any evidence for this or is it a guess?

 

[Trainfan344]

Also the fact that no arrangement was made to transport the father back to the car and he had to "hitch a lift"...

 

[Clip]

What ever the ins and outs of this story its a fantastic bit of advertising for the Jacobite.

Plus I'm pretty sure you can get canoes that hold more than one person

 

[mark-h]

Lucky that the timing just so happened to coincide with the Jacobite.

How many more people in difficulties will "just happen" to coincide with the Jacobite?