Station pilots

[Kevin51]

I was thinking about some other point of station operations which got me thinking there are no longer station pilots. So when was the last station pilot in London or any where else come to that?

 

[SargeNpton]

I was thinking about some other point of station operations which got me thinking there are no longer station pilots. So when was the last station pilot in London or any where else come to that?

Probably the only routine "station pilot" duty these days are for the Sleepers. Where, on arrival, a loco is used to take the stock into the sidings and allow the Sleeper's loco to be released from the stops.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Probably the only routine "station pilot" duty these days are for the Sleepers. Where, on arrival, a loco is used to take the stock into the sidings and allow the Sleeper's loco to be released from the stops.

Does that happen anywhere? ECS at Euston, Glasgiw, Edinburgh and Paddington is brought in by a mainline loco (92 or 57), and at other locations I've observed it is propelled to and from the sidings by the loco(s) that brought it in or will take it out.

 

[DarloRich]

do you mean with an 08 shunter?

 

[LowLevel]

Does that happen anywhere? ECS at Euston, Glasgiw, Edinburgh and Paddington is brought in by a mainline loco (92 or 57), and at other locations I've observed it is propelled to and from the sidings by the loco(s) that brought it in or will take it out.

On occasion the 08 comes out to Penzance to haul the sleeper out.

 

[45Fox]

On occasion the 08 comes out to Penzance to haul the sleeper out.

I was wondering if there was still one at Penzance.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I was wondering if there was still one at Penzance.

There is, but it seems to be mainly used for shunting carriages aroud within Long Rick depot.

 

[zwk500]

How long did Brighton retain a pilot for? Did it last beyond privatisation to the end of the loco-hauled services or did it get pulled before that?

 

[D1537]

I'm going to guess that the end of loco-hauled parcels operations was the death-knell for many pilots.

 

[Harpo]

It depends how you define station pilot. I’m guessing the OP means a loco that only works at that place and its sidings, such as the Penzance example?

 

[dk1]

Yarmouth Vauxhall lost its 03 pilot quite early on in late 1982 with the opening of Crown Point Depot.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

I was thinking about some other point of station operations which got me thinking there are no longer station pilots. So when was the last station pilot in London or any where else come to that?

The introduction of DVTs and the replacement of hauled stock by units would eliminate the need for even residual use of pilots. At somewhere like Paddington which still had hauled stock into the NSE era, I think trains were serviced if necessary in the platforms, so another locomotive took the train away for the next departure and released the incoming loco.