Unusual multiple unit couplings

[nlogax]

...and here is one such instance; 2305 rescuing a failed 442 420 at Surbiton on 21st October 1989:

And I'll reiterate my gratitude to you for digging those pics out a couple of years back. Truly a rare thing to have photographed.

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The Class 221 and Class 390 are compatible for emergency working

Indeed they are. Someone shared footage of such an event seen at Crewe in 2009.

 

[Davester50]

Scotrail have 170/158 pairings diagramed. They can often be seen working together through Fife and on Inverness to Edinburgh services. There are no diagrammed 170/156 services. Only Glasgow Queen Street conductors and drivers would sign both 156 and 170s anyway so they could only be used in passenger services to Anniesland, which would be slight overkill for capacity.

As you say, nothing unusual about the 158/170 combo.
I've been on a 156/158 combination a long while ago, before the 170s arrived on the scene.

 

[Pokelet]

The issue is that the Scotrail 156 (and the Scotrail 153 too) and the Scotrail 170 have two different incompatible PIS systems. So they can easily couple and work together in passenger service but there will be no automated announcements or working screens. Because of that they try to avoid it. It used to be much more common to see a Scotrail 156 and Scotrail 170 coupled before they changed the PIS system. But the Scotrail 158 and Scotrail 170 still use the same PIS which makes coupling in passenger service work fine.

Central Trains used to couple their 170 units to all kinds of Sprinter stock. I have seen 150+170 and 153+170 and 156+170 and 158+170 workings in Central Trains days. They also very regularly coupled all different classes of Sprinter stock together.

I have heard a rumour that Northern occasionally had some 142+170 and 144+170 formations on ECS workings. I have also heard a rumour that Transport For Wales occasionally had some 142+170 and 143+170 formations on ECS workings. But i have yet to see any photographs or videos or any other evidence of it.

170+153 diagrams carried on into WMT tenure. First one up to New Street then the 153 came off mid morning and went back on mid afternoon.

In LM days 150+170 was also a common coupling in service with the 150 deputising for a failed 170 or moving around ready for service.

In used to make a beeline for the sprinter in the formation - better chance of getting a seat.

 

[stadler]

What i wonder is whether a Pacer + Sprinter + Turbostar formation could operate in passenger service? So for example would a 142 + 150 + 170 formation? It has been said that Pacer and Turbostar can not couple in passenger service but if the Sprinter was in the middle then maybe it could work. As that would mean that nothing incompatible was directly coupled.

 

[EYFanatic]

I have heard a rumour that Northern occasionally had some 142+170 and 144+170 formations on ECS workings.

I didn't take a picture of it due to being very late at night (as in past midnight), but I was on a 142 a few years ago that failed on a MAN-SHF service after it was struck in the roof going into a tunnel. After quite a while being stuck and several hours late, we managed to creep in Sheffield where a 170 was coupled and as soon as we were off onto a fleet of waiting taxis, the 142 was dispatched to Leeds for repairs being towed by the Turbostar

 

[stadler]

A few other rare ones that i can think of that have happened over the years.

Another rare one was a 171+377 formation about ten years ago. It happened when a 377 got stuck between Berwick and Glynde and a 171 was eventually sent to haul it to Eastbourne sidings. These two classes have been specifically designed to couple to each other in emergencies and i believe it has happened a couple other times as well.

Southern have run 171+171+171+171+171 ten coach formations before. This is five different two car units attached. Normally only three are coupled but there have been rare occasions with more.

Southern still occasionally run some services formed of 377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3 in passenger service. It is quite rare to see four EMUs coupled. For about three or four years around the 2014/2015/2016/2017 era there was actually a booked diagram with one of these on East Grinstead services all day. These days it is no longer booked but still happens every now and then. I saw one a couple months ago on a Brighton to London Victoria service. There was also one of these rare formations on a Brighton to Chichester service the other week. These are certainly the only formations of four EMUs coupled that i have seen or heard of in passenger service.

 

[eastwestdivide]

These are certainly the only formations of four EMUs coupled that i have seen or heard of in passenger service.

Back in slam-door days, you could have a 10-car formation of 5x2-HAP units or even 12-car (6 units). Mentioned down the page at Blood and Custard

https://www.bloodandcustard.com/br-2hap.html

Units worked in all combinations, from solo on branch line duties such as the Maidstone West to Paddock Wood line, up to six units together (12 HAP) on some heavily loaded rush-hour trains; the seating capacity of this formation being 114 first and 804 second

 

[norbitonflyer]

Ive mentiinned it before, but fir me one of the most unusual was a class 123/124 lashup - not unusual in itself, but all three cars were of side-corridor layout

 

[TheHovisKid]

That time someone tried to couple a 142 to an 87 didn't end well, so we can rule that one out...

 

[43096]

In Denmark, DSB routinely run formations of combined DMU and EMU vehicles, using the “rubber ring” IC3 (diesel) and IR (electric) sets.

 

[Efini92]

That time someone tried to couple a 142 to an 87 didn't end well, so we can rule that one out...

Also the time a 142 was attempted to be coupled to a 323.

 

[TheHovisKid]

In Denmark, DSB routinely run formations of combined DMU and EMU vehicles, using the “rubber ring” IC3 (diesel) and IR (electric) sets.

Oh, now stop talking sense...

 

[RichardAsh1981]

On one occasion after a third rail icing meltdown Merseyrail ran 6 units (18 coaches) of 507/508 stock ECS from Chester back to Birkenhead North depot.
Several YouTube videos at the time, e.g.

 

[MCR247]

What i wonder is whether a Pacer + Sprinter + Turbostar formation could operate in passenger service? So for example would a 142 + 150 + 170 formation? It has been said that Pacer and Turbostar can not couple in passenger service but if the Sprinter was in the middle then maybe it could work. As that would mean that nothing incompatible was directly coupled.

They wouldn’t have to be directly connected to cause a problem so I’d say no

 

[BorderCollie]

Don't forget the Central Trains one coach 156 and one coach 158 in the days when 158s weren't reliably triggering track circuits - hence the 'Scud' nickname as the signallers were never sure where they were like the Iraqi random missiles in the Gulf War.

 

[stadler]

Don't forget the Central Trains one coach 156 and one coach 158 in the days when 158s weren't reliably triggering track circuits - hence the 'Scud' nickname as the signallers were never sure where they were like the Iraqi random missiles in the Gulf War.

I forgot about those. Those looked so strange. Surprisingly there has actually been lots of 150/153/156/158 hybrid sets.

This is the 156/158 that Central Trains ran:



This is the 153/156 that Central Trains ran:



This is the 150/153 that First Great Western ran:





Not different classes but there has also been those weird 150 hybrids with the driving cab in the middle that CT / FGW / GWR / LM / NO have operated and those weird 158 hybrids with the driving cab in the middle that FGW / GWR have operated.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Well the 508s were not really meant for the Southern Region in the first place.

As someone who had some involvement in their introduction, yes they were intended for the S(SW) at the point of introduction, but subsequent changes to rolling stock matters within BR, resulted in a change of plan a few years later.

As for the OP's question - in past times and no doubt today, many units of differing class types were/are permitted to couple mechanically, for convenience of rescue etc, but not many can couple electrically, the latter being what is required for use as such in passenger service.

 

[EYFanatic]

This is the 153/156 that Central Trains ran:

View attachment 190768

Slightly off topic I suspect, but what was a Central Trains unit doing in what appears to be York - didn't think they ran there

 

[Big Jumby 74]

On one occasion after a third rail icing meltdown Merseyrail ran 6 units (18 coaches) of 507/508 stock ECS from Chester back to Birkenhead North depot.
Several YouTube videos at the time, e.g.

I would have hoped that several of those would have had their traction equipment isolated for such a move, otherwise a further meltdown would have taken place!

 

[stadler]

Slightly off topic I suspect, but what was a Central Trains unit doing in what appears to be York - didn't think they ran there

Actually i think it was an Arriva Trains Northern formation. Not sure why i thought that was Central Trains too. Pretty sure it was actually Arriva Trains Northern running it.

 

[EYFanatic]

Actually i think it was an Arriva Trains Northern formation. Not sure why i thought that was Central Trains too. Pretty sure it was actually Arriva Trains Northern running it.

Thought it looked odd for a CT lashup to be there - you are right though because you can see one half in Northern Spirit colours

Think I might have had it once on a Hull-York train come to think about it

 

[Royston Vasey]

Class 507 Preservation Group on Facebook reported last week and posted a video of 313201 and 323221 bring coupled at Alstom for movement around the works, purportedly for the first time!

 

[NSEWonderer]

701 and 458s via the Dellners, ecs.

 

[stadler]

View attachment 190786

701 and 458s via the Dellners, ecs.

Wow that is very rare to see! I never thought i would see an Aventra and Juniper coupled together!

Now that i have seen that i wonder whether 458/0+458/5 formations and 458/4+458/5 formations have ever happened? At least on ECS moves it must have happened before?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Wow that is very rare to see! I never thought i would see an Aventra and Juniper coupled together!

Now that i have seen that i wonder whether 458/0+458/5 formations and 458/4+458/5 formations have ever happened? At least on ECS moves it must have happened before?

Probably has happened but I've never witnessed that.

 

[stadler]

Probably has happened but I've never witnessed that.

I have only just remembered that the 458/0 had tightlock couplings and the 458/4 and 458/5 have dellner couplings. So actually i think a 458/0+458/5 has never happened. But a formation of 458/4+458/5 must have happened on an ECS working at some point recently. I would not be surprised if a 458/4+458/5 was capable of doing passenger workings too especially as the software still seems to think that the 458/4 units are 458/5 units.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I seemed to remember an 18car Class 345 tow by an ex driver of the company i used to work for.

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I have only just remembered that the 458/0 had tightlock couplings and the 458/4 and 458/5 have dellner couplings. So actually i think a 458/0+458/5 has never happened. But a formation of 458/4+458/5 must have happened on an ECS working at some point recently. I would not be surprised if a 458/4+458/5 was capable of doing passenger workings too especially as the software still seems to think that the 458/4 units are 458/5 units.

That being said there was a 442 + 455 ecs combo some time ago.

 

[stadler]

Another very rare formation that i have just remembered that has happened on one occasion only was an 8x 377/3 formation. This is a 24 coach 377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3+377/3 formation. This was back in the late 2000s when for about two years there was two booked peak hour 4x 377/3 workings thirty minutes behind each other on London Victoria to Brighton services. The first one broke down at Balcombe and the second one got sent to rescue it and haul it at low speed to the sidings. It was only an ECS working as the passengers were detrained at Balcombe station. I remember it was when we had lots of snow. I have a video of it somewhere that i was sent years ago. I will try and find it. It was only a low speed emergency ECS move to get it off the line but i wonder if 24 coaches and 8 units is a record.

 

[MrJeeves]

But a formation of 458/4+458/5 must have happened on an ECS working at some point recently. I would not be surprised if a 458/4+458/5 was capable of doing passenger workings too especially as the software still seems to think that the 458/4 units are 458/5 units.

None recorded in the last month or so.

 

[stadler]

There is a video on youtube of an extra long 23 coach 6x 375 formation:

There is also a video of a slightly shorter 16 coach 4x 375 formation:

Not quite as long as the 24 coach 8x 377/3 formation that Southern once had but almost. I wonder what caused this Southeastern one. I reckon it must have been another case of a train breaking down and being rescued by another one.