Rescue Locos

[SqUaShIe P]

Hey
At a TOC I previously worked at, there was usually a 'thunderbird'/loco on standby to rescue or assist any failed trains. Whereas where I work now we dont have any.

Im curious to know which TOCs do and dont have standby locos and if they do, what traction they use.

Thanks in advance

 

[matt]

East Coast use class 67s. Virgin use class 57s. Greater Anglia used to use class 47s but now use a class 90. Southern use a class 73.

 

[Rich McLean]

East Coast use class 67s. Virgin use class 57s. Greater Anglia used to use class 47s but now use a class 90. Southern use a class 73.

FGW also have 4 57s, but they are rarely in the right places (3 at OC and 1 at PZ), and an external assisting loco is sent instead

 

[Monty]

SWT don't have any that they have on lease directly (but did at one point use 73s), often use NR 57s when a rescue loco has been needed.

 

[SqUaShIe P]

Thanks everyone for the replies you guys, all very interesting.
Someone told me about a time when a FOCs loco (think it was a FreightLiner Class 66) rescued a failed train. Does that happen often or could it have just been it was used because it was nearby?

 

[Chrisgr31]

This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulErho5YEjw seems to imply that Virgin use a steam train to rescue theirs!

Incidentally isn't there a You Tube video somewhere of a loco pushing one train whilst pulling another?

 

[IanXC]

Incidentally isn't there a You Tube video somewhere of a loco pushing one train whilst pulling another?

I know the one you mean, its a 59 hauling a loaded aggregate train whilst pushing a failed FGW HST if I remember rightly!

 

[Sox]

I often see, what I take to be, a "rescue engine" parked up at the north end of Preston station.

 

[Bigfoot]

I know the one you mean, its a 59 hauling a loaded aggregate train whilst pushing a failed FGW HST if I remember rightly!

This video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqXecQ9KZJE#t=127

 

[Strathclyder]

Another video of the above event:
[youtube]?v=IlUw4ial6oA[/youtube]

 

[Katada]

Another video of the above event:
[youtube]?v=IlUw4ial6oA[/youtube]

Saw one with an EC 225 and an EWS 66 + Load in 2012

 

[Tommy91125]

Those freight trains have got other jobs to do, not pushing stricken ec 225s
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There's normally a class 67 at Newcastle, for stricken 225s

 

[Boothby97]

There's normally a class 67 at Newcastle, for stricken 225s

There is usually Class 67s at Doncaster, Bounds Green TMD and London Kings Cross for thunderbird duties as well.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I often see, what I take to be, a "rescue engine" parked up at the north end of Preston station.

That would be a Virgin Trains Class 57/3
Other locations for WCML thunderbirds include London Euston, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe and Polmadie Depot.

 

[Alistair G.]

There's a DRS class 57 parked in the South Bay at rugby as a thunderbird and sometimes there's also a 92 parked next to it which is a loco which will be used for a Daventry service later that day

 

[Tomnick]

Those freight trains have got other jobs to do, not pushing stricken ec 225s

No use if they can't do that job because there's a failed train in the way! It's not all that uncommon for a freight train to be recessed somewhere and the loco commandeered as 1Z99 to clear the line.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulErho5YEjw seems to imply that Virgin use a steam train to rescue theirs!

What the flying f.... hock: looks rather bizzare!

 

[Beveridges]

What the flying f.... hock: looks rather bizzare!

W ..... T .......F ?

How the hell does such a small steam engine have that much power ??

 

[tsr]

Southern can borrow at least one 57 (I think) from NR, if they feel so inclined. It's relatively rare, though, for them to choose that option.

 

[Boothby97]

There's a DRS class 57 parked in the South Bay at rugby as a thunderbird and sometimes there's also a 92 parked next to it which is a loco which will be used for a Daventry service later that day

Well there in DRS livery, still call them Virgin Trains thunderbirds myself.