This train is delayed due to...

[TRIAR]

As it's Friday, what are the more amusing delay announcements you've either made of heard over the years?

I'll start the ball rolling with two that stick in my mind from FGW days:

• This train has been delayed due to an owl
• This train is delayed because the train behind us has broken down

I'm sure you can do much better

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I was delayed 45 minutes at Preston once while en route on the 07.20 from Euston to Carlisle on a "Round Robin" for the S&C because the tea boiler in the buffet car had broken down and rather than take tea off the menu BR decided to summon a fitter... :roll:

 

[RichmondCommu]

I was delayed 45 minutes at Preston once while en route on the 07.20 from Euston to Carlisle on a "Round Robin" for the S&C because the tea boiler in the buffet car had broken down and rather than take tea off the menu BR decided to summon a fitter... :roll:

Sorry Peter but I've just laughed out loud! Hopefully you didn't miss your connection for the S&C.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Sorry Peter but I've just laughed out loud! Hopefully you didn't miss your connection for the S&C.

Fortunately the 07.20 was booked in to Carlisle at about 11.20 and the Leeds train was 12.42.

I remember the times so well because I made the trip so often! At one point someone suggested to me that I should go on Mastermind with my specialist subject as: "The whereabouts of the 07.20 from Euston to Glasgow on Saturdays!":roll:

 

[theageofthetra]

I suspect there have been a few caused by trampolines on the line recently.

 

[Quakkerillo]

Bookham had a llama on the line last week as an excuse.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Cow on the line. Not unusual per say but the Austrailian train manager described as a Coow, seeing as it was Scottish. I later joked with him that had this been a propper train with a sheff and not a 221 with a microwave we could all have had a nice bit of stake.

 

[Taunton]

22 minutes late. Escaped Puma, Chessington North

http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/Train.html

 

[eastwestdivide]

...due to a puncture. The guard couldn't get to the depot on time because his car had a puncture.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was delayed 45 minutes at Preston once while en route on the 07.20 from Euston to Carlisle on a "Round Robin" for the S&C because the tea boiler in the buffet car had broken down and rather than take tea off the menu BR decided to summon a fitter... :roll:

But but...everything stops for tea!

 

[gordonthemoron]

When I was commuting from Grantham to Kings Cross, there were severe delays one evening due to a Swan landing on the OHL at Stevenage, I think it exploded

 

[Mr Fizz]

Couple of years ago i was delayed at Coventry due to a pair of trousers on the wires.

 

[PHILIPE]

Couple of years ago i was delayed at Coventry due to a pair of trousers on the wires.

Hope there was nobody in them

 

[Iskra]

Cow on the line, twice. Once on the Bentham line, where the driver guard stopped to warn the oncoming train in the opposite train (long signal section), causing a 5 minute delay.

Once in Italy on the line from Locri to Reggio Calabria, this resulted in the Carabinieri (Paramilitary police) being called out. They turned up with their machine guns and threw stones at said cow until it mooved, the delay was a very comical 45 minutes and I learnt the Italian word for 'cow'.

 

[edwin_m]

I was visiting a signal box some years ago when delays were being cause by an item (unspecified) of ladies' underwear jammed in the points.

 

[Cowley]

I remember reading about a strange incident a few years ago of a chap turning up to supply water for a steam railtour in some loop somewhere with a water tender which had the ability to heat the water up, so the driver very helpfully heated the water ready to put in the loco and told the incredulous crew about it who then had to cancel the tour as the injectors wouldn't have worked with the hot water. Needless to say the helpful truck driver was absolutely distraught.

 

[northwichcat]

Due to the guard being at the wrong station (Manchester Piccadilly instead of Oxford Rd)

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Bedford - Bletchley disrupted as vandals had superglued the signal box locks at St Johns

 

[Waldgrun]

In the days of B.R. what was reported to the public varied due to the current thinking of the management at the time. At one time all you could only state Operating difficulty's, then one could state the truth, I had to report over the P.A. once that trains where unable to run, due to a Badger causing short circuit by being trapped under the third rail! Needless to say, I was soon given grief, by a passenger demanding to know which book of excuses, I was using, The truth it seems was not good enough!

 

[theageofthetra]

I remember reading about a strange incident a few years ago of a chap turning up to supply water for a steam railtour in some loop somewhere with a water tender which had the ability to heat the water up, so the driver very helpfully heated the water ready to put in the loco and told the incredulous crew about it who then had to cancel the tour as the injectors wouldn't have worked with the hot water. Needless to say the helpful truck driver was absolutely distraught.

I remember that and wondered how hot the water had to be to stop the injectors working?- in hot countries the water in a metal watering tower must have got quite hot in the sun all day?

 

[Cowley]

I remember that and wondered how hot the water had to be to stop the injectors working?- in hot countries the water in a metal watering tower must have got quite hot in the sun all day?

I'm glad you remembered it too as it almost seems a bit far fetched. That's a good point about the water temperature. Maybe he'd helpfully got it up to near boiling point? That's some strong kettle element if so.
I assume "This charter has been cancelled due to the steam locomotives water being too hot" has to be quite an unusual reason for cancellation?

 

[321446]

In the days of B.R. what was reported to the public varied due to the current thinking of the management at the time. At one time all you could only state Operating difficulty's, then one could state the truth, I had to report over the P.A. once that trains where unable to run, due to a Badger causing short circuit by being trapped under the third rail! Needless to say, I was soon given grief, by a passenger demanding to know which book of excuses, I was using, The truth it seems was not good enough!

I often use "according to today's page in "The Big Book of Train-driving Excuses...." Seems to go down well.

"I'm sorry for our late running, but as we were late arriving at Liverpool Street, this made us late departing, we had to wait for a late running arrival to cross in front of us, which has made us late to Stratford and now we've had to wait for a late running freight which has made us later. I know. You couldn't make it up".

 

[Taunton]

I remember that and wondered how hot the water had to be to stop the injectors working?- in hot countries the water in a metal watering tower must have got quite hot in the sun all day?

It's quite reasonable, and where the water was likely to be hot steam locomotives were fitted with feed water pumps instead of injectors. Condensing locos, where the water recirculated and was used again, certainly needed these.

Drummond built a series of 0-6-0 goods for the GSWR with the idea of diverting some of the exhaust steam into the tender tank to warm it up, with an aim of making fuel economy. These thus had to be fitted with feed water pumps instead of injectors, and the class was known as "Pumpers". Otherwise feed water pumps were little used in Britain outside condensing engines, but were widespread in the USA and hot climate countries.

 

[NSEFAN]

Due to a defiant swan:
[Youtube]NUlfIh91Gk4[/Youtube]

 

[Calthrop]

In the days of B.R. what was reported to the public varied due to the current thinking of the management at the time. At one time all you could only state Operating difficulty's, then one could state the truth, I had to report over the P.A. once that trains where unable to run, due to a Badger causing short circuit by being trapped under the third rail! Needless to say, I was soon given grief, by a passenger demanding to know which book of excuses, I was using, The truth it seems was not good enough!

One imagines George Stephenson's reaction to that situation: "So much t'woss for t'Brock".

 

[DarloRich]

Bedford - Bletchley disrupted as vandals had superglued the signal box locks at St Johns

that would be a new one for the London Midland Marston Vale Line random excuse generator!

 

[EssexGonzo]

About 5 years ago I remember being stuck near Gidea Park "due to knobheads running around the track in the Romford area".

No-one on the train disagreed with the description!

 

[tsr]

"Due to passengers causing a nuisance and hiding under the tables"

"Amended due to late runing" (supposedly accidental spelling in an email from Control concerning a rural branch line one Hallowe'en)

"Due to two shopping trolleys on the line" (quite an achievement )

"Due to the wrong set of doors opening when passengers push the button"

"Due to the train having been out in the sun all afternoon" (the door mechanisms on one side overheated and jammed on a scorching summer's day)

 

[mp01]

I was travelling between Reading and Paddington a few years ago and we were delayed by "reports of a naked man on the tracks". There was much looking out of windows, but we saw nothing.

 

[deltic1989]

I remember hearing one about a Gentleman, dressed in ladies under garments........erm...........'performing' for passing trains.