90211 Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I know that Hymeks were wired for multiple working and had a yellow triangle symbol for this but did anyone ever see two Hymeks working in multiple? Two warships or two NB Type 2 and sometimes warship and NB Type 2 combinations were not unusual but although I saw 94 of the 101 members of this class, they were always working alone. If anyone has any recollection of this, or even better, some photographic evidence I would be very grateful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 (edited) Evenin' 9, I've seen a pic of what I took to be 2 in multi whilst working as the Lickey banker somewhere. I'll look the link or mag pic out and let you have it. 'Westerns, Warships & Hymeks at work' by Geoff Endacott has a pic of them as the Lickey banker on page 64. Geoff states in the text that a 2nd driver was used if 3 were required for the job but 2 were routinely used in multiple. Dave Edited September 22, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
90211 Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 Thanks for that, I had forgotten that they were used as bankers on the Lickey incline! I was particularly interested in their use in multiple in everyday service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold stovepipe Posted September 22, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2013 Not very often it seems, but I have seen a couple of photos of pairs at Exeter, and there was the Hymek Swansong railtour of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted September 22, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 22, 2013 (edited) Not normally used in multiple other than as Lickey bankers but on that duty the regulars (the same six were nominally assigned to the duty IIRC with enhanced maintenance to cover for the extra work involved) were normally run in multiple with one crew. Hymeks working in tandem with other types required a crew in each due to the absence of multiple working or incompatibility with other classes. There were a few examples of Hymeks being rostered in tandem with another type (usually a Warship or Western) usually as assistance over the Devon banks or as positioning moves to save a pathway. Hymeks were occasionally paired as bankers at Exeter though timetabled passenger trains after steam ceased did not routinely require rear-end assistance. Edited September 22, 2013 by Gwiwer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 A couple of weeks back, in a report on funding for the Somerset mining museum, BBC West showed some black and white footage of coal mining operations in the 1960s. There was a brief glimpse of a North British D63XX (class 22) leading a Hymek out of a colliery with a coal train. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted September 23, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2013 Radstock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 It could have been Radstock but It was the very briefest of shots and I wouldn't have recognised the location anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 23, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 23, 2013 Although they did very little work in multiple (the notable example being the Lickey as already mentioned) all the Hymeks were factory tested in multiple prior to delivery (or if a second loco wasn't available the wiring was tested so at least they should have worked provided no jumpers had been damaged in traffic. And that would probably have rendered them most unusual on the Western as the EEType 3s were notoriously difficult to get working in multiple varying from completely dead connections to locos running in opposite directions when coupled - we used to keep a list of which ones worked and which way round they had to be in order to work in multiple, including a note of which ones didn't work with each other when multi'd Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Had they been wired up by Heljan? sounds a bit like their Co Bos! I wasn't sure whether to click 'informative' or 'humorous' for that one Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePipersSon Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 The book 'The Power of the Hymeks' has 4 photographs of Hymeks double-heading. These do not in include the special 'Hymek Swansong' and the Lickey Incline, which are shown as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Seen a shot in one of the photo album books of 2 Hymeks near Westbury on a ballast working Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted October 18, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 18, 2013 Not normally used in multiple other than as Lickey bankers but on that duty the regulars (the same six were nominally assigned to the duty IIRC with enhanced maintenance to cover for the extra work involved) were normally run in multiple with one crew. Not relevant to the MW part of this thread, but the Lickey bankers had first gear locked out to save unwanted gear changes and coupling recoils on the incline, another reason they were kept together as stated. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
On the block Allan Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 I know that Hymeks were wired for multiple working and had a yellow triangle symbol for this but did anyone ever see two Hymeks working in multiple? Two warships or two NB Type 2 and sometimes warship and NB Type 2 combinations were not unusual but although I saw 94 of the 101 members of this class, they were always working alone. If anyone has any recollection of this, or even better, some photographic evidence I would be very grateful. I only joined a month ago so a little overdue but here goes, In the late sixties I was trainspotting on Royal Oak station when a pair of working Hymeks were approaching with a train for Paddington, I'm not sure if they had been signal checked or not but the sound reminded me of a helicopter, afterwards I told friends what I had experienced and that is because of the sound they made that I remember seeing the two Hymeks. No camera at the time so no photographs. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 12, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 12, 2017 Here are the Lickey bankers having the easiest trip up the bank ever! http://www.shelbrooke.co.uk/Hymek/74.jpg Control probably said that's a Class 9 working - Ashchurch to to Tyseley - so get the bankers out. Diesel on the front too - 25 IIRC - but you can see who is doing all the work - 6201! And the banking MU pair did escape occasionally.... http://www.miac.org.uk/images/d7021d7025a.jpg Gwiwer mentioned 6 Hymek bankers but it was usually D7021-D7025 unless there were problems Phil 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEDDYBEAR D9521 Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 2 for you of Hymek bankers 7055 and 7031 at Bromsgrove. 7021 and 7023 banking Cheers GARETH 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted April 16, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 16, 2017 During the very last months of Hymek operation I saw several working out of Severn Tunnel Junction double headed, presumably to cover breakdowns on what were by then locos in very poor external and internal condition. A Hymek in good nick was a force to be reckoned with, but those days had gone by that time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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