What's the rarest working you've ever had?

[Whistler40145]

Does anyone know if any 85/1s dropped onto any WCML Expresses?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Class 117 DMU on the DC Watford to Euston and on one Xmas Eve , Camden road to Stratford due to no 313 stock available.

A good friend who was ASM at Crewe tried to run a relief Crewe - Euston with a single class 304 , but LM control terminated it at Rugby on human rights grounds !

 

[Whistler40145]

It might have been a completely wedged 304!

 

[33056]

Had a 304 out of Euston on the evening after "The Great Storm" in October 1987; have also seen them very occasionally on the southern section of the WCML, usually late at night after some disruption.

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

How does this move rate?
Loughborough - Shrewsbury 47514
then
Shrewsbury - Swansea 37192

LANCER was on Landore, only flippin Wizzo we saw all day ...

Swansea - Trent East Junction 1592 (where it collapsed)
then
Trent East Junction - Loughborough via Nottingham 44010 Tryfan

Ermmmm 1975 I think on an ADEX. The thing is....... the train did the shunt onto the up Slow line at Loughborough because the Mains were shut, so why didnt we go to Leicester with it on the Slow lines? Cause we were 15 and our lift home was waiting.

 

[749259]

Had a 304 out of Euston on the evening after "The Great Storm" in October 1987; have also seen them very occasionally on the southern section of the WCML, usually late at night after some disruption.

Yes quite rare beasts down our way ... only one I can recall having was in the summer of 1985 on the 1047 departure from Leighton Buzzard to Coventry.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anyone know if any 85/1s dropped onto any WCML Expresses?

One summer saturday in 1989, 85102 worked a Blackpool-Euston and came back out on the 1440 Euston-Wolves. It was, however, then swapped for 85015.

Another summer saturday from 1989 saw two Glasgow-Euston reliefs entrusted to 85/1s, however, the second one failed and was rescued by (you've guessed it!) another 85/1 through to Euston!

One September weekday, again from 1989, 85106 was sampled Crewe-Rugby on an afternoon Holyhead-Euston.

 

[12CSVT]

August 1978

Class 40 fails just east of Shipley. Result - class 25 plus load 10 over the S & C.

Unfortunately it was long before I started recording haulages so I'll probably never know which locos were involved.

 

[brad465]

When a Virgin voyager went to the Swanage railway I went on that one way, would that count?

 

[Johnny Lewis]

For a short while, in the dying days of Class 158s working 'Cross Country Express' services between Liverpool/Manchester Airport and Scotland, there was a period when a 2 coach HST deputised for a failed 158. I scored it from Liverpool Lime Street to St. Helens Central; I seem to remember that even 2 HST coaches provided enough seats!

 

[Whistler40145]

Does anyone know whether the 85/1s had their ETH cables removed or whether they were intact with a modification to isolate the ETH supply?

 

[142094]

Have now been around the Manors curve, into Pelaw sidings and around the coast on a battery loco on the Tyne and Wear Metro. AFAIK, there has only been one or two passenger services along the Manors ECS curve in 30 years.

 

[156450]

I've had a 156 vice a 90 set from Ipswich - Norwich in Summer 2010, took over from an 8-car 360 formation. That was the definition of a wedgex!

If you think that was bad , i mind being at norwich waiting for a morning london service to ipswich and owing to a freightliner coming a cropper at manningtree , the incoming service was caped. Return working was a 150 to replace an 86 and mk2 push pull set. It was packed. Had to laugh at someone asking where the buffet car was!

 

[Bunting14]

December 1979 went from Nottingham to Euston via Marston Vale line with a 45/1. I still have no idea why that happened.

 

[NIMBUS]

Lots of mad moves over the years - but the one that I still think was the 'rarest' was the two EPS class 73s (118 & 130) on the Brighton - Manchester in 2001.

 

[Madge Wildfire]

Had a 304 out of Euston on the evening after "The Great Storm" in October 1987; have also seen them very occasionally on the southern section of the WCML, usually late at night after some disruption.

They certainly were rare on the southern WCML; the only one that I saw was 304012 on 29/2/76 passing through Cheddington.

I also saw 310053 at Preston on 15/11/76, which was a long way north of their usual haunts, but was not riding on either units at the time.

 

[12CSVT]

Although I wasn't on either of them (not sure if they were carrying passengers at the time) I saw two unusual EMU movements on the northern section of the WCML during Easter 1981 - a northbound class 310 just north of Carlisle, and about 3 or 4 days later a northbound class 303 or 311 near Shap.

 

[156450]

An old one that popped into my head earlier on. 37421 & 37427 double heading the caledonian sleeper in early 2004 on the fort william to edinburgh portion of the sleeper to london. Was only a 2 stop gallop from helensburgh upper to westerton but it went like **** off a shovel from each stop. Better thing was it was load 4. Plenty of smoke and fury with superb acceleration!

 

[Moog_1984]

It was quite rare that they bothered to connect the multiple working ! Usually pairs (after the introduction of 37/4s in paired trial working) were either due to one being failed or a loco being moved with only one engine on.

 

[156450]

One of the 37's had been up to assist a failed 66 on a freight. Obviously when it was to be sent to millerhill or the likes , it was tacked on to the train and the driver at fort william obviously fancied 2 under power so connected the multi working. None the less it was a lively run. However 37406 on that same train when the lounge car developed a fault resulting in removal by road to inverness , 406 did that turn with load 3! Wheelslip out helensburgh upper , downhill , dry rail!!

 

[Moog_1984]

37 133 with an ETHEL on the up 1650 ft bill one saturday was pretty rare: while we are on strangeties on the whl.

 

[sprinterguy]

An old one that popped into my head earlier on. 37421 & 37427 double heading the caledonian sleeper in early 2004 on the fort william to edinburgh portion of the sleeper to london. Was only a 2 stop gallop from helensburgh upper to westerton but it went like **** off a shovel from each stop. Better thing was it was load 4. Plenty of smoke and fury with superb acceleration!

Very much like this then (Not a great photo, but I thought I'd share it anyway) in June 2001 of 37411 & 37421 at the head of the sleeper:

Not the only 37/4 pairing to be seen on the West Highland at that time either, as the previous day 37426 and 37427 had worked EWS' "Pride of the Nation" rake of mark 1s up to Mallaig and back. Judging by the way the cacophony of sound they were producing was bouncing off the mountains as I watched them passing over Glenfinnan Viaduct (They were on load 10 according to Six Bells Junction), they were both taking power!

 

[Chester025]

An old one that popped into my head earlier on. 37421 & 37427 double heading the caledonian sleeper in early 2004 on the fort william to edinburgh portion of the sleeper to london. Was only a 2 stop gallop from helensburgh upper to westerton but it went like **** off a shovel from each stop. Better thing was it was load 4. Plenty of smoke and fury with superb acceleration!

Happened a few times -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chester025/4727841709/

EDIT: Beaten too it with a phot plug!

 

[Whistler40145]

During the final year of 37s down the North Wales Coast a Sunday afternoon Holyhead to Crewe was booked a pair of 37/4s in Multiple, quite quick & loud!

 

[Chester025]

During the final year of 37s down the North Wales Coast a Sunday afternoon Holyhead to Crewe was booked a pair of 37/4s in Multiple, quite quick & loud!

I believe that would be the 1541 Crewe - Holyhead & 1816 Holyhead - Birmingham International booked for 2X37s aswell as load 10.

 

[Whistler40145]

On the day I covered the two diagrams, only the Holyhead to Brum produced a pair.

 

[Moog_1984]

I believe that would be the 1541 Crewe - Holyhead & 1816 Holyhead - Birmingham International booked for 2X37s aswell as load 10.

Hades Pyros!!


It would have been more hell fire with 37/0s getting up to the ton!'

If I hadn't become a "bert" I would have turned up for those workings though!