Triple Headed Diesel tours

[Whistler40145]

Tours with triple headed diesels are quite rare.

Has anyone travelled on a tour with three locos all working together?

Some examples that I have travelled on are A1A Charters Jewel in the Crown hauled by 20128+37207+31439 all in multiple, Pathfinder Tours Twenty Twenty Vision hauled by 20313+20314+20315.

 

[D6975]

Remember
'Three to the Sea'?

 

[Whistler40145]

I remember 'three to the sea', but hadn't started doing tours then.

 

[theblackwatch]

The 'Multiple Maurauder' features 3x31 and 3x33 - one of the 31s expired at Reading (after a rather fast run on the GWML from Didcot) and one of the 33s also gave up. See http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/90s/96081033.htm for more details. I had joined the tour at Stockport, and as we were so late back (due to a diversion owing to an accident on the WCML the previous day), had to get a bus back from Warrington that was laid on for us. Happy days...

 

[sprinterguy]

I can’t recall having ever seen a triple headed tour where all the locos were providing traction power. I did however travel on the “Cumbrian Crusader IV” in February 2011 which provided the incongruous site of two DRS 66s and 57601 heading the train between Carlisle and Newcastle. The 57 was only included to provide train heat but it was unusual nonetheless.

And I saw a truly bizarre quadruple headed tour passing through Durham one day in around 2001, although once again with at least some of the locos dead in train: It was formed of 67003, at the time the only class 67 in operation in Britain, an Anglia 86, a RES 47 and 90128, which at the time still wore it’s full SNCB turquoise livery. It was certainly a colourful combination, but the cavalcade suggested multiple loco failures en route!

 

[Whistler40145]

I was on the Multiple Marauder, first of all, whoever coupled all 3 31s up @ Crewe got the multi cables wrong with 31514 wanting to work backwards! Also, the 31s didn't half shift between Didcot & Reading, exceptional for 60mph restricted locos, but was too much for 31514, which I think had done serious damage to the Main Generator & Traction Motors as smoke was seen coming from the engine room at Reading.

 

[87015]

0840 Padd-Paignton Additional and return, 20/06/93 was 3x37/0 - think it was in connecton with a diesel gala at Kingswear.

1994 Exeter Railday had 3x37/7 on an Exeter-Padd charter.

 

[Whistler40145]

Was that tour to Exeter booked for 3x37 in one direction & 3x20 on the return?

 

[theblackwatch]

I believe it was - only 2x20 appeared though!

 

[12CSVT]

Some of the D C Tours in 1992 had triple headers

37215 + 37107 + 33050 19/01/1992
20007 + 20032 + 33116 and 20007 + 20032 + 56020 23/02/1992
20117 + 20121 + 33116 and 20117 + 20121 + 73001 01/03/1992
37227 + 37902 + 33114 15/03/1992 (37227 failed at Hinton Admiral on return from Hamworthy Quay)
37901 + 37906 + 33114 08/11/1992 (33114 failed at Axminster on return from Exeter)
20092 + 20169 + 33114 and 33020 + 33052 + 33114 14/11/1992
37079 + 37110 + 73114 15/11/1992
31201 + 31319 + 33101 and 31201 + 31319 + 33012 29/11/1992

I also know of some quadruple headers
20130 + 20143 + 37101 + 37278 Ironbridge to Wolverhampton 06/05/1990
20059 + 20168 + 20057 + 20154 Worksop to Sheffield 28/06/1992

 

[Track Basher]

There was a Pathfinder tour that had three Cardiff heavyweight 37s over the S+C they were taken off at Carlisle and had some different ones to Maxwelltown and back.

It was early 90s.

 

[Whistler40145]

Nice one Track Basher. I expect that produced some loud Tractor thrash on the S&C.

 

[12CSVT]

Another unusual combination was 37142 + 50008 + 50015 between Newton Abbott and somewhere in Cornwall (possibly Newquay but not sure) in 1991 when the leading class 50 had a faulty speedo. The 50s were both due to be withdrawn the following Monday.

 

[Whistler40145]

I've seen that tour on a DVD with 37142 leading the 50s through Totnes.

 

[Track Basher]

I have checked it was 37897 + 37703 + 37701 out via S&C return via Shap. Not too much thrash a very over powered train.

I was on the tour with 37142 + 50015 + 50008 this was followed by 50008 + 50015 + 50033 on the same tour between Plymouth and Bristol TM. (23/11/91)

 

[43167]

The only tours I remember are;

Pathfinders Weaving Weasel in Feb 2000, which after the 1st loco change at Oxford, saw 73108+73129+60004 all powering, after Didcot, just the Ed's worked until Andover where 73108 had failed and it was 73129 in tandem with 60004.

And last year, I did a Spitfire tours positioning move from Euston to Preston via world with 2xDRS 37 (087/510) and 1xWCRC 37(706) which was d.i.t. From New St to Crewe it was all three.

 

[clagmonster]

There was an A1A charter, which had a BTC 20 (128?) a 37 and a 31 (439?) tripple headed Worcester SH to Wallsall. I think it was called the Jewel in the Crown.