One Summer Saturday in 1986 I'd spent the day doing moves based on York. I'd had a filthy non-boiler 37 to Darlington and a 47/3 back, then a 31/1 out to Scarborough and a 45/0 back. So far so good. Large crowds were about for the Races and instead of the booked DMU on the teatime Sheffield via Pontefract working a pair of 20s came whistling off the shed and hooked up to some mk Is. Bashers everywhere and the DMU back from Church Fenton was wedged. Back into York to see the very surprising sight of 50047 burbling away on a relief to Plymouth. Rode with this to Sheffield before returning behind a nondescript 45/1.
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What's the rarest working you've ever had?
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I've no idea how the 50 got to York TBH. It wasn't ex-Donny Works like you would get on the 14:20 Plymouth relief, and I'd been around the York area all day, so how it managed to sneak in without me at least finding out about it from someone else I don't know.
12CSVT
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Probably no spare loco to replace it at Birmingham....or Derby.....or Sheffield....
I seem to remember a Western made it to Leeds on a passenger working in the 1970s due to no spare locos available to replace it en-route
Brent Sidings 1 & 2 I believe was where the reversal was done , I mind chatting to the driver and that I believe is where he quoted the location as.
[Pedant mode on] Wembley Yard - Camden Jn - Camden Road - Copenhagen Jn [/Pedant mode off]. The sleepers never go (or have gone) into Brent Yard (which is closed and has been for some time), they have occasionally reversed on the Willesden Relief Lines or Kilburn Loop but the booked place is Wembley Yard Reception & Departure Line 1.
Whistler40145
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If the Sleepers reverse in Wembley Yard, do they then go via Primrose Hill or Gospel Oak to Camden Road?
Whistler40145
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If the Sleepers go via the ECML, are there any occasions where it may get dragged via Upper Holloway with 67 haulage?
There was actually a test of 50s on the ECML. Probably an attempt for the fleet manager responsible for them to get rid of them when he heard they were following him from Crewe and NW to western region!!
Did any of the post 1980s refurb' 50 test trains include passenger runs near Donnie works ?
I never saw any. The usual was to Newcastle and back with the most appalling rake of mk Is you've ever seen. Standard move back to Laira was the 14:20 York > Plymouth relief.
Whistler40145
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1. How rare are 73s working over the North Downs line?
2. I know pairs of 73s worked the Gatwick Express on Diesel during the Battersea area electrical problems, did any 33/1s work or were they never considered?
2. I know pairs of 73s worked the Gatwick Express on Diesel during the Battersea area electrical problems, did any 33/1s work or were they never considered?
Just before the the Gatwick Express was introduced 33113 worked a tour of the network showing off a set of the stock. I saw it at York, but most of my friends didn't. I was branded a liar for claiming I'd seen a 33 at York for weeks until a report of it finally appeared in Rail Enthusiast magazine.
33056
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Brent Up and Down Goods 1 or 2, Brent Sidings is the sidings next to it but they are separate locations. IIRC the Brent Goods was used a long time ago on a couple of occasions before they sorted out a method of working for Wembley Yard; don't think they would let anything passenger near it now due to the state of the track!
31271 and 31294 from New Street to Euston (Think it was a hugely delayed Glasgow - Euston (via BNS service)). We arrived in London at well past midnight. Not often you see a pair of diesels arrive at Euston on an express like that. Think that was in about 1990.
Talking of two dirty sevens, this was the biggest miss I ever had: Gourock to Aviemore addex: top 'n tail which were VERY rare in the 80s, put on due to lack of pointage at Gourock terminal.
Two big syphons I needed: anyone do it ? (sods!
)--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I almost jumped out my skin on my last two tours by plane via aberdeen:
a 33 at Aberdeen station and a 73 at Dufftown.,
Sasenach (southerner) invasion! gave up on Jail Enthusiast subs about the same time it became just "jail", so I didn't have a scoobie that they were there!!!
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curly42
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The first one that comes to mind was having D0260 "Lion" from Gloucester to Paddington with the 08.30 (or whatever time it left in those days) express.
Must have been late 1962/early 1963. Very impressive.
Must have been late 1962/early 1963. Very impressive.
12CSVT
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Not sure if this is within the scope of this thread but I've been on a passenger working which had to be diverted through an engineering possession. This happened on 14th July 2001 when I was travelling to an East Lancs diesel gala on a Euston - Manchester service hauled by 90013 (booked to run via Styal due to the West Coast upgrade). The train was held at Crewe for ages due to overhead line damage between Wilmslow and Heald Green, and eventually dragged to Manchester platform 14 (via the engineering possession at Stockport) behind 47737, arriving about 2 1/2 hours late. The 47+90 immediately formed a service back to Euston via Ealestown and Warrington.
Aictos
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How about a pair of 313s working a footex from Royston to Finsbury Park and return - that has to be quite rare to have a 313 operated service at Royston.
Which brings me to my second question - were 313s a common sight at Royston in BR days.
As to the topic, managed to get a Stevenage to Moorgate via Hertford North service last week via Welwyn and the fast lines, which isn't common is it?
Which brings me to my second question - were 313s a common sight at Royston in BR days.
As to the topic, managed to get a Stevenage to Moorgate via Hertford North service last week via Welwyn and the fast lines, which isn't common is it?
Not that I bagged it, or wanted too, but I did sit in the "stranded " ECS when it sat in Ayr station.
1005 Royal scot Aug 30 1985: class 318 the whole way to deliver it to Ayr Rail Open Day, prior to the wires being up in 86.
Poor Ada and Bert: all the way from Euston in a unit with seats that fell off!
1005 Royal scot Aug 30 1985: class 318 the whole way to deliver it to Ayr Rail Open Day, prior to the wires being up in 86.
Poor Ada and Bert: all the way from Euston in a unit with seats that fell off!
YorkshireBear
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It wasnt rare but when i was younger got very surprised and delighted when a 90 + mark 3s with DVT turned up at north berwick when i expected an EMU
causton
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That is very rare! Apart from one time when a freight train broke down at Welham Green slow lines and ECS workings I've never seen a 313 on the fast lines! Was this to recover lost time?
Back in the early 1990s a loco hauled train with Mark 2 corridor coaches on a Paddington to Penzance service as far as Redruth. The coaches were declassified First Class. It was also quite unusual that the first stop was Taunton and not Reading.
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50023 on a paddington penzance relief back in 1980s whole train of mk1 compartments.first stop taunton.and very empty,think every body was on the hst on the cornish riveria,which the relief followed!! good old days of the control releifs,went all the way to penzance with it,train went ecs back to old oak,what a waste!!!
DiscoStu
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That reminds me of a relief I stumbled on at Euston in about 1990.
It was a Euston - Glasgow relief formed formed of Network SouthEast MK1's, pulled by an 81/85, and was completely empty. It left Euston at about 20:00 and was RA Preston. I took it all the way to Glasgow .... probably the best run I've ever had up thw WCML. I even got the guard to turn the lights off in my carriage cos nobody else was there. Fantastic.
The rarest working I've dropped onto was back in 2004 when the Pendolino's were replacing the good old 86/87/90's, and I was at Crewe with my Grandfather. If I remember correctly, our service was booked to be non-stop to Euston but the train had failed, and in one of the platforms was 47810 + DVT + 10 Mark 3's, and 2 dead 87's on the rear. Anyway, they started up the 47 and it was announced that this would be the train back to Euston, so I managed to get 47810 non-stop to Euston with a last-minute diversion via Bescot for good measure too! 
Another unusual working I've had recently was leaving Fenchurch Street our train was stopped for about 2 minutes by the junction for the spur to the GEML, and the driver announced as there was a bomb alert at West Ham that we were to be diverted via Stratford and Woodgrange Park which was unusual.
Another unusual working I've had recently was leaving Fenchurch Street our train was stopped for about 2 minutes by the junction for the spur to the GEML, and the driver announced as there was a bomb alert at West Ham that we were to be diverted via Stratford and Woodgrange Park which was unusual.
12CSVT
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The rarest working I've dropped onto was back in 2004 when the Pendolino's were replacing the good old 86/87/90's, and I was at Crewe with my Grandfather. If I remember correctly, our service was booked to be non-stop to Euston but the train had failed, and in one of the platforms was 47810 + DVT + 10 Mark 3's, and 2 dead 87's on the rear. Anyway, they started up the 47 and it was announced that this would be the train back to Euston, so I managed to get 47810 non-stop to Euston with a last-minute diversion via Bescot for good measure too!
I've been via Gas Factory Jct - Bow Jct - Woodgrange Park a few times in the early 1990s
mappman1000
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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!
Also I wasn't on it, but I remember the time a freightliner 66 dragged a 90 set between Ipswich and Stowmarket when the wires came down, wish I didn't go back to Trimley just before it pulled in!
Also I wasn't on it, but I remember the time a freightliner 66 dragged a 90 set between Ipswich and Stowmarket when the wires came down, wish I didn't go back to Trimley just before it pulled in!
Schnellzug
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Oh yes, one time about '98 ish kind of period, the SO Manchester Picc-Weymouth turned up at Southampton with a solo 31/4 on the front, about an hour late. Went through to Weymouth at 60 mph max, since it was a Civil Engineers engine, and then, so far as I know, went all the way back to manchester with the ECS.
Minilad
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Not rare as such in the earlier years but always tried to get on 87101 when she worked trains in the last few years
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