Odd workings you remember?

[Voyager 2093]

I remember in the late 80s or perhaps early 90s travelling from London Victoria all the way to Lewes on a Gatwick Express (Class 73 and full mk2 formation) on an evening peak train. I recall the train going to Eastbourne.

Now that really is strange.

 

[NSE]

Not really too out of the ordinary, On leaving East Croydon Platform 1 I left the fast lines and crossed the station lines on to the slow lines and crossed the junction with the London Bridge lines before rejoining the fast lines as we approached Selhurst.

Twice I have seen an empty Intercity 225 train on the slow lines of the ECML. Once North and once South, Both around the Hitchin/Arlesey area.

I have also seen a 450 Desiro going through the slow lines (platform 2) at Raynes Park.

I know know of these really grab the attention, but its all I can contribute so far. I do also recall seeing a Mallard style steam engine (apologies for the vague description still quite young, have no knowledge of steam) running up the ECML pulling one carriage.

 

[yorksrob]

ooh, that reminds me of a good one a couple of years ago. Me and a couple of mates had been out for a day in Brighton and had missed the last train back to Ashford via the coast. We then planned to get the slightly later last non-London train via Redhill-Tonbridge and as such ended up on a stopping service to Victoria (lovely CIG of course - them were the days ).

The trains were severely delayed by a landslip around the Merstham area and by the time we'd got to Redhill we'd missed the last connection back to Tonbridge. Fortunately, the guard allowed us to go back via Victoria but the line North was now completely blocked, so the train had to reverse into the overgrown fast platforms at Earlswood where the driver changed ends and proceeded North via the Quarry line. We were late but we managed to get into Vic in time for the last train back to Ashford.

 

[D6975]

Late 80s, on an all-line, I was on 1S19 (TM-Scotland sleeper) when I was woken by shunting at Crewe. Electric replaced by 47480 due to wires down ahead, a quick check of my watch revealed that we were already well down, we must have been stationary for some time. We proceeded towards Manchester instead of up the WCML. The expected diversion via Bolton did not materialise, instead after Stockport I saw Stalybridge signs through my bleary eyes. Across the pennines and on to York, where I got off. I was heading for Glasgow initially, but I got off at York, only about an hour before the train was due into Glasgow.
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Another one - mid 80s, a 9 car thumper formation arrives at TM on a Portsmouth Cardiff. Unusual enough in itself, but made even more unusual in that it did go to Cardiff instead of being turned round at TM as was the case usually.