Strangest Diversion

[Eagle]

Never happens now.

It happened all last weekend...

 

[Blindtraveler]

There used to be some weird and wonderful stuff for the Anglo-Scotland services during WCML modernisation - start at Coventry, then International, Stetchford, Aston, Bescot Stadium, Wolves, Crewe, Styal, Manchester Piccadilly, Eccles, Wigan, Preston and up the WCML was one.

and sticking with WCML in the days of Virgin full length crosscountry HSTS and before WCML modernisation work started there was one Sunday when there was a power failure north of CAR which snarled up a few 86/90 hauled London to Glasgow workings And the Aberdeen bound HST0I was on which was already 2 hours down reversed at CAR and ran along the Tyne Valley, reversing again at Newcastle and eventually reaching Waverley 4 late!

Another time in the early voyager days a dubbled up 8 car working ran BHM up the Wcml To0Preston, picking myself and my then girlfriend up at Crewe and then diverted via the S and C And after a 30 min stop at CAR ran via Dumfries and Kilmarnock to Glasgow and then the shots line to Edinburgh. Nearly 8 hours but great for a somewhat hungover bash!

 

[Aictos]

I remember December 2006/January 2007 when I arrived into Kings Cross for my shift at 2pm, by 3pm all services were being shown as delayed/cancelled with nothing moving in or out of Kings Cross due to the high winds bringing the OHL down in a number of places.

By 6pm though, a FCC service was sourced and departed from Platform 11 rammed full and standing - I know we left Kings Cross wrong line all the way to New Barnet or Potters Bar before reversing for a while to gain the correct line to Peterborough.

That was the strangest diversion I was on, full credit to the driver though - kept everyone informed at all times.

 

[The Planner]

It was still only a one-off! Never happens now.

They obviously think it will, a turnback signal was placed on the down relief at Severn Tunnel Jn purely for this movement !

 

[Blindtraveler]

remember another time, 2005 ish when a voyager developed a fault in the front cab at preston and we did a reversal, were turned and then continued north about 20 down. How would this have been done? the TM wasnt helpful in explaining

 

[Hydro]

remember another time, 2005 ish when a voyager developed a fault in the front cab at preston and we did a reversal, were turned and then continued north about 20 down. How would this have been done? the TM wasnt helpful in explaining

Preston - Farington Curve Jn - Lostock Hall Jn (RM) - Farington Jn (RM) - Preston possibly.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Preston - Farington Curve Jn - Lostock Hall Jn (RM) - Farington Jn (RM) - Preston possibly.

Lostock Hall wasn't used as a reversal point at that time - AFAIK there were no reversal points between Scotland and Crewe!

 

[Hydro]

It's the only possible way I can see it being done in the timescale described. I've done that route minus the last reversal at Farington Jn couple of times, but that was within the past year.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It's the only possible way I can see it being done in the timescale described. I've done that route minus the last reversal at Farington Jn couple of times, but that was within the past year.

I may be thinking of Pendolinos, so yes, you could be correct.

 

[Blindtraveler]

sounds plausable. We were certainly only 20 down at Lancaster and hadnt done any speed to speek of!

 

[Hydro]

I may be thinking of Pendolinos, so yes, you could be correct.

It'd be tricky getting a Pendo over the Lostock Connecting Lines

 

[ainsworth74]

It'd be tricky getting a Pendo over the Lostock Connecting Lines

Perhaps have the passengers get out and push?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

But in that case Lostock Hall wouldn't have been used - I'm sure there were no reversal points between Scotland and Crewe for one class of VT stock, and if it isn't 390s then it must be 221s...

 

[Blindtraveler]

the TM said (about 1 useful thing) that if it had been a pendo we would have been caped!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Thinking about it it may depend on the driver's link, so you could well be correct.

 

[ValleyLines142]

It happened all last weekend...

I never saw!