Rarest Movements ?

[sad1e]

I was wondering what people would nominate as the rarest Movements / services in recent times.

For this year I would either nominate the 37 on the Caledonian sleeper or 6Z10 which was 33012 on a Eastleigh East yard to London gateway intermodal.

Any ideas for the past few years or any differing opinion on this year ?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Reverse HST drags where it’s the HST (ok,Castle) doing the dragging. A complete contrast to the 1980s!!
Sadly with the way the Night Riviera is performing recently it’s probably not that rare.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For me, a few years ago now, but once did a five-and-a-half mile (Southbound) section of the Brighton line on a Southern Class 377 Electrostar on a random Sunday evening, this from Balcombe Tunnel Junction, through the tunnel of the same name, past Balcombe station and over the Ouse Valley viaduct, and into Haywards Heath station, mostly all on the 'Up Main' line, which is normally only ever used by Northbound trains. This was due to a broken down train on the 'Down Main' line, which also had a number of other service trains stuck behind it.

 

[LRV3004]

47830 rescued a TPE Mark 5 set at Gorton last winter and dragged it to Stalybridge where it was terminated and dragged empty to Longsight.
Also, earlier this year, 66433 failed outside York on a Tesco job and 60026 had to drag it back to York Yard.

 

[Spartacus]

Did I see something about Class 20s rescuing 730s due to the dewirement at Proof House Jn last week? Must be some of the oldest stock recuing some of the newest!

 

[Bill57p9]

Maybe not that rare these days, but I have just seen a 37 dragging a Northern 769 through Auchinleck on it's way to Brodie's Engineering in Kilmarnock.
Just a bit of a weird combination

 

[Harpo]

Reverse HST drags where it’s the HST (ok,Castle) doing the dragging. A complete contrast to the 1980s!!
Sadly with the way the Night Riviera is performing recently it’s probably not that rare.

It also begs the question about the contingencies for a failed GWR sleeper once the HSTs are gone.

 

[trainmania100]

Southeastern class 375 passing Lewes. Pretty rare.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Hello @sad1e

This 2010 video (I've no connection with its origin) shows (from 2m 06s) a Hanson 59/1 pushing a failed First Great Western HST along the Berks & Hants. The 59 also had its aggregates train load behind it.

 

[sjm77]

Avanti operating through to Holyhead

 

[Sun Chariot]

More locally and much more recently: 6th March this year...

73128 and 73107, working that day's Snow & Ice Treatment Train, were commandeered to rescue failed 66782 which had expired at Christs Hospital to the south of Horsham.
The 73s and their train coupled to the front of the Shed and its train. The whole ensemble ran down the Mid Sussex and West Coastway.
I had to return home before it passed; however a fellow local photographer caught the action, linked here.

ED's to the rescue

Working what has to be one of the most audacious Coastway workings of all time and of 2025 so far, 73128 and sister 73107 pilot failed 66782 which had sat down at Christs Hospital to the south of Horsham, approaching the end of the engineers block in order to originally work the 6G16...

www.flickr.com

 

[sad1e]

Hello @sad1e

This 2010 video (I've no connection with its origin) shows (from 2m 06s) a Hanson 59/1 pushing a failed First Great Western HST along the Berks & Hants. The 59 also had its aggregates train load behind it.

This has got me wondering what headcode this would have run under ?

A passenger headcode eg ,1 and 2 or a freight headcode eg 4,6,7 and 8.

 

[D1511]

Avanti operating through to Holyhead

Ah....you beat me to it with the Avanti gag......I was going to say a 390 north of Preston when it's wet and/or windy

 

[Class15]

A pair of Freightliner 90s recently worked a cement train (I think it was cement rather than aggregates) from Wembley to Crewe (Class 90 group description of working shown below):

Tuesday 24th June 2025

On the evening of the above date, 90015 and 90004 worked the 13:05 aggregates service from Theale Lafarge to Hope Earle Sidings forward from Wembley hauling 16 JPA wagons and 66601 as far as Basford Hall. The train initally ran as 6Z91, but swiched to 4Z91 at Wembley and presumably switched back to 6Z91 from Basford Hall.

Upon arrival at Basford Hall, the 90s were detached from the train in effect allowing the 66 to go forward. It is unclear why the 90s were used, but it can be classified as being one of the biggest workings of 2025.

 

[NSE]

Southeastern class 375 passing Lewes. Pretty rare.

What was the cause for this? I know Southern borrowed some 375’s for a short period of time once, but that was when they were white I’m pretty sure.

 

[Trainguy34]

What was the cause for this? I know Southern borrowed some 375’s for a short period of time once, but that was when they were white I’m pretty sure.

I vaguely remember some diversions when Victoria to Hastings ran that way during engineering works, I can't remember when though.

 

[NSE]

I vaguely remember some diversions when Victoria to Hastings ran that way during engineering works, I can't remember when though.

Oh cool. Seems a long way round. I assume the closure was between Hastings and Tonbridge so they couldn’t run via Redhill. Equally, surprised they didn’t just run extra SN services but where would the stock come from etc etc.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

This has got me wondering what headcode this would have run under ?

A passenger headcode eg ,1 and 2 or a freight headcode eg 4,6,7 and 8.

At a guess 1Z99, locomotive or train going to clear the line. That would nicely avoid the complexities of trying to reclassify a combined freight and passenger train!

 

[Kite159]

What was the cause for this? I know Southern borrowed some 375’s for a short period of time once, but that was when they were white I’m pretty sure.

Wasn't it down to the Hastings line being closed for a time due to a landslip?

 

[trainmania100]

What was the cause for this? I know Southern borrowed some 375’s for a short period of time once, but that was when they were white I’m pretty sure.

This was a one off ecs move but I cannot remember when.

Wasn't it down to the Hastings line being closed for a time due to a landslip?

Yes I think it was related to that. It was an ecs working.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jul 2025 ==

And if youre looking for more east coastway rarity, how about an aggregates freight working on the Eastbourne bound line at Glynde. Seaford branch shut but control sent the train down unknowingly. It got to Lewes before realising. Ran around at Hampden park then back up the BML.

 

[Doomotron]

There was a YouTube video uploaded years ago of a late-running FGW HST held at Dawlish, which was passed by a CrossCountry HST on the wrong line to stop it from being delayed. I couldn't find the video but I'm sure someone will know which one it is.

Hello @sad1e

This 2010 video (I've no connection with its origin) shows (from 2m 06s) a Hanson 59/1 pushing a failed First Great Western HST along the Berks & Hants. The 59 also had its aggregates train load behind it.

I believe one of the comments said that the full HST set weighed roughly the same as just one of those aggregate wagons. It's surprising just how powerful the 59s really are.

 

[sjm77]

Today's 9E16 (16:24 Lime Street to Newcastle) started from Manchester Victora but for some reason took the Ordsall Chord and has just trundelled through Manchester Piccadilly before taking the route to Guide Bridge. In doing so it has been 'overtaken' by the delayed 15:54 Lime Street to Hull which has run the direct route through Ashton-under-Lyne which departed Manchester Victoria a few minutes later. I am not sure why you would add to the Castlefield Corridor whilst the direct route is open!

 

[Sun Chariot]

I believe one of the comments said that the full HST set weighed roughly the same as just one of those aggregate wagons. It's surprising just how powerful the 59s really are.

The gross laden weight of each JHA bogie hopper is 102t. The non catering Mk3 is around 33.6t unladen.
So let's round it up to 40t fully laden (as that factors in the load of the heavier catering vehicle)
So each loaded hopper equates in weight to two and a half Mk3 carriages.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Today's 9E16 (16:24 Lime Street to Newcastle) started from Manchester Victora but for some reason took the Ordsall Chord and has just trundelled through Manchester Piccadilly before taking the route to Guide Bridge. In doing so it has been 'overtaken' by the delayed 15:54 Lime Street to Hull which has run the direct route through Ashton-under-Lyne which departed Manchester Victoria a few minutes later. I am not sure why you would add to the Castlefield Corridor whilst the direct route is open!

Points failure between Victoria and Stalybridge which was resolved shortly after 9E16 had set off the other way.

 

[MrJeeves]

I managed a Class 700 yesterday on right-hand running through City Thameslink, using the crossovers either side of the station.

While I'm not one to seek out rare moves by any means, I'll happily enjoy those I happen to come across.

 

[aliceh]

This one was probably around 15 years ago now, but my rarest was a 158 from Brockenhurst to Bournemouth running wrong line due to flooding. Also ran into Bournemouth P1 which, at the time, was very rarely used.

 

[Doomotron]

The gross laden weight of each JHA bogie hopper is 102t. The non catering Mk3 is around 33.6t unladen.
So let's round it up to 40t fully laden (as that factors in the load of the heavier catering vehicle)
So each loaded hopper equates in weight to two and a half Mk3 carriages.

Don't trust YouTube comments then! Still, it proves even more how strong the 59s are.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Don't trust YouTube comments then! Still, it proves even more how strong the 59s are.

We get a 59 hauled 2000t aggregates path along the West Coastway on several days each week. The 59 coasts slowly through Havant but it then gets its train up to line speed very quickly. Awesome power.

 

[Class15]

6Z10 which was 33012 on a Eastleigh East yard to London gateway intermodal.

It wasn’t. It hauled 2 cranes, not an intermodal train. This is a picture I found (not mine!)

33012 - Worting Junction

Coasting through Worting Junction, 33012 'Lt Jenny Lewis RN' hauls a pair of Kirow KRC 250 cranes on 6Z10 Eastleigh East Yard to London Gateway. The cranes had earlier come down in the consist of 6Y44 Hoo Junction Up Yard to Eastleigh East Yard. 09.07.2025

www.flickr.com

 

[sad1e]

It wasn’t. It hauled 2 cranes, not an intermodal train. This is a picture I found (not mine!)

33012 - Worting Junction

Coasting through Worting Junction, 33012 'Lt Jenny Lewis RN' hauls a pair of Kirow KRC 250 cranes on 6Z10 Eastleigh East Yard to London Gateway. The cranes had earlier come down in the consist of 6Y44 Hoo Junction Up Yard to Eastleigh East Yard. 09.07.2025

www.flickr.com

My mistake , I must have been some false information about the working.

Still a rare moment either way though.