Trivia: Most varied formation

[valentaman]

The Dats train is a oddity! couple of examples

5Q55 Kettering to Rectory Jn Colwick 43055 tnt 43066 with DATS Testtrain featuring 91122 + 91128 at Ashwell

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5Q55 DATS train video at Oakham by iain wright, on Flickr

5Q55 Kettering to Rectory Jn DATS 43054 tnt 43066 with 91122 91128 and 90035 at Oakham

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[Paul Jones 88]

I have see 317-321 on the ECML, admittedly many many years ago.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I always found the London Midland 170+153 combinations out of Birmingham New Street strange to look at!

 

[Doomotron]

I always found the London Midland 170+153 combinations out of Birmingham New Street strange to look at!

I feel sorry for the people who had to rush onto the 153 without being able to get on the vastly more comfortable Turbostar...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Certain Northern services in the Serco/Abellio days could produce almost anything. The old "Grand Tour" could be anything from 142 to 158 (156s excepted) in almost any combination.

 

[D6968]

One from the KWVR diesel gala about 20 years ago, EE Shunter D0226, 33202(?) and 56088. All Crewed up and running!

 

[scotrail170407]

There are still a mix of 3 classes fairly regularly with 150+153+158 formations. The 21:55 Cardiff to Crewe and 23:09 Shrewsbury to Cardiff regularly throw up all sorts of odd combinations.

1V99 is usually the one with the most bizarre combinations, for example this from last week

 

[M-Train]

1V99 is usually the one with the most bizarre combinations, for example this from last week

Today’s 1V99 is perfectly normal—just a single 150/2:

 

[Spartacus]

Going back a bit used to see odd lash ups of modernisation plan DMU's. Most were blue square coupling code. Even used to see units formed of different classes. I remember a 124 trans-pennine unit with another class of DMU driving vehicle replacing one of the driving vehicles on the 124

There were a few 123/124 hybrids knocking around, and it wasn't unknown for a 104 or later 101 vehicle to be subbed in as a short term measure. I guess now the closest there is are the Class 455/7s with a Class 508 vehicle thrown in.

Some of the blue square hybrids must have been a touch interesting to travel on, having different top speeds, gearing etc controlled by basic relays.

 

[bramling]

Some interesting combinations must have been possible with Southern Region slam door EMUs. 12 car formations consisting of 4CIG+4VEP+4CEP? Or (less likely) an 11 car formation consisting of 4CEP+4VEP+2HAP+MLV? Don’t know if either actually happened, and if they did happen if they were commonplace or not, just occurred to me that they would have been possible.

CEP+CIG+VEP was most certainly possible, on both the South Western and South Eastern sides. I’ve no idea how common on the SW, however it was comparatively rare on the SE simply because they only had a small CIG fleet, so law of averages meant it didn’t happen often.

At various points in the 1990s and early 2000s WAGN had a fairly varied fleet. Apart from the 365s, at times there was a certain amount of variety within their 317 fleet. The 24x 317/2s were refurbished to 317/6 with a 365-replica interior. On top of that the 317/1 fleet varied between NSE, LTS and WAGN purple livery (albeit the interiors were all essentially the same). Then around that era the Stansted units very occasionally made an appearance elsewhere, and the 322s had a very brief spell appearing on the GN side too. I remember in the 1990s there was a morning Letchworth to King’s Cross service which was booked for 2x313, but in practice could turn out 1x365, 2x365, 1x317 or 2x317, with scope for variety in what type(s) of 317 would appear.

The WAGN/One split generally put and end to all this, however the One franchise then managed to create four distinct versions of 317 interior, which in practice often strayed from their intended service groups.

 

[norbitonflyer]

CEP+CIG+VEP was most certainly possible, on both the South Western and South Eastern sides.

I've been on a 33/TC/BEP/VEP formation (A Waterloo- Salisbury/Eastleigh service, dividing at Basingstoke)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Dec 2021 ==

There were a few 123/124 hybrids knocking around,

Some of the blue square hybrids must have been a touch interesting to travel on, having different top speeds, gearing etc controlled by basic relays.

A bit too interesting in some cases, when a driver in a hydraulic unit's cab forgot there was a mechanical unit coupled behind, and forgot to use the gear changer. The hydraulic units (Classes 113 and 127) were later given their own coupling code to avoid such mistakes.

123/124 hybrids - I once travelled on a three car set on the South Transpennine route made up entirely of side corridor stock - two DMSKs from Class 123s, and a TBSK from a Class 124 (the former non-driving motor coaches). I don't know what first class ticket-holders did.

 

[Bikeman78]

Some interesting combinations must have been possible with Southern Region slam door EMUs. 12 car formations consisting of 4CIG+4VEP+4CEP? Or (less likely) an 11 car formation consisting of 4CEP+4VEP+2HAP+MLV? Don’t know if either actually happened, and if they did happen if they were commonplace or not, just occurred to me that they would have been possible.

CIG+VEP+CEP definitely occurred on SWT and no doubt on South Eastern too. CIG+BEP+VEP almost certainly happened on SWT but I don't want to trawl through hundreds of notes to prove it.

Another possible in the late 1990s is CEP+BIG+CIG/VEP on the Brighton line.

Thinking about it, some BIGs ran briefly on SWT before they were renumbered 1392 to 1399 with a CEP trailer replacing the buffet car. I wonder if any BEP+BIG combinations ever turned out?