Locos (and stock) 'off the beaten track'

[Liam]

It's an interesting topic not frequently discussed, so I thought I would start a thread on here for people to share photos and memories of primarily locos (of any era) observed well away from their usual haunts.

 

So to start off, here's 'Western' D1013 'Western Ranger' on its Yorkshire sojourn in 1977.

 

https://www.rcts.org.uk/cache/photographs/branches/sheffield/D1013%20Sheffield%2020Jan77%20railonline.580.jpg

[scottishlocos]

Liam

 

The Far North Explorer Railtour took a Class 57 to Thurso and Wick don't think this has happend again the tour was meant to be with 55022 but it blew an engine a few weeks before the tour possibly have some pics on an old laptop

 

Dave

[phil_sutters]

I am not sure how far 'off' you want them to be. I recently asked the good folk of RMweb to help identify a loco a relative of a friend had fired on during the Festival of Britain. It turned out to be Buddicom 2-2-2 No 3 of the Ouest, brought over the Channel for the Festival, as it exemplified the 'Crewe' type. So that was well off!

 

There was a regular Saturdays only (Summer timetable I think) working from Weston-super-Mare to Sheffield. One of Dad's best photos is of B1 class 61050 arriving at Bristol from W-s-M.

 

If Dad thought something was noteworthy it usually was - He was surprised to see former LBSCR, North Foreland at Bournemouth

 

Visitors for open days or railway celebrations, or locos on special steam runs must see quite a few locos in unfamiliar locations, so this thread could be overwhelmed with Britannias up EMU only branches as for the Seaford 150 celebrations and similar occasions.

Edited June 22, 2017 by phil_sutters

[Wild Boar Fell]

Ok not observed by myself (too young), but hopefully this qualifies...

 

Must say I think this is a cracking photo!

https://flic.kr/p/q4reHo

 

Not forgetting this and an 86 were there too.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gwalkeriow/8459227086/in/album-72157632549225543/

 

Wild Boar Fell

[Bon Accord]

An AC electric made it to Inverness circa 1985 for an open day.

[anroar53]

It's an interesting topic not frequently discussed, so I thought I would start a thread on here for people to share photos and memories of primarily locos (of any era) observed well away from their usual haunts.

 

So to start off, here's 'Western' D1013 'Western Ranger' on its Yorkshire sojourn in 1977.

 

https://www.rcts.org.uk/cache/photographs/branches/sheffield/D1013%20Sheffield%2020Jan77%20railonline.580.jpg

03.05.87. 56033 first 56 to visit Hastings. Although they made odd appearances in the area over the years it was only in fairly recent times that Colas owned examples began to make regular sorties from Ashford to St. Leonards.

 

Not exactly locos, but fairly rare. While most people would equate the Hastings to Ashford route with DEMUs and then 170s, DMMUs also came to visit.

Saturday 13.02.88. Appledore, working Ashford to Rye shuttles in connection with an Engineering block between Hastings and Rye. Tonbridge Driver 'Taffy' Thomas at the controls. Tonbridge Crews worked these trips having both Traction and Route Knowledge at this time.

At Rye. This weekend I was doing RO/Pilotman duties between Appledore and Rye. As the train terminated and started from the Down Platform normal signalling was not in operation, so Pilot Working was necessary. The unit was a treasure trove of unusual destination blinds, and the cab had 'Not to work into Paddington Suburban' stencilled on the route indicator box door.

Rye again. Around this time there was a shortage of DEMUs, and for a while one of these units worked in a DEMU diagram during the week. It came down from Tonbridge ECS via Tunbridge Wells, leaving at 0500, to work the 0555 Hastings to Ashford, then did two and a half trips covering for the other two DEMUs while they visited Chart Leacon for fuel. Then on its own trip into Chart would fuel and return ECS direct to Tonbridge for an afternoon working to Reading.

 

Andy.

Edited June 22, 2017 by anroar53

[The Johnster]

Back in the summer of '74 I worked as guard on an excursion from Hastings to Barry Island which consisted of 2x 6 car Hastings DEMUs,  I travelled on the cushions to Swindon with a driver, who was to be route pilot to a Redhill man, and we worked from Swindon via Box straight through non stop.  We had about 3 hours, I think, at Barry Island, certainly not very much longer than that, and considered our duty both as Welshmen and Canton staff to entertain the Redhill driver, a racing man whose main concern was to locate the bookie's when we arrived.  We showed him that, went for a stroll around the island, had fish and chips, had a beer (only one!), and took the train back to Cardiff where my driver and I were relieved; Redhill must have worked at least as far as Swindon and probably Reading, a long day!  It was a Saturday.

 

The 12 coach Hastings train kept our best 47+10 eth mk2s timings on the run down to North Somerset Junction, though the ride quality was fairly 'interesting' and the noise very impressive.  I had an argument with the signalman at Barry who refused to let the train proceed without a tail lamp, despite Southern Region's red blinds being specified as permissible in the General Appendix (to Rules and Regulations); he had to be mollified with my Bardic to avoid further delay.  I'd had dealings with this particular person before and would again; he did not like new intake guards with long hair and bolshy attitudes, which pretty much summed me up, and disliked such people publicly proving him wrong on a repeated basis even more!  I, on the other hand, rather enjoyed it...

 

In all, a grand day out, and on Saturday overtime rates as well!  Shame to take the money, really, but not so much of a shame that I gave it back.

Edited June 22, 2017 by The Johnster

[anroar53]

Back in the summer of '74 I worked as guard on an excursion from Hastings to Barry Island which consisted of 2x 6 car Hastings DEMUs,  I travelled on the cushions to Swindon with a driver, who was to be route pilot to a Redhill man, and we worked from Swindon via Box straight through non stop.  We had about 3 hours, I think, at Barry Island, certainly not very much longer than that, and considered our duty both as Welshmen and Canton staff to entertain the Redhill driver, a racing man whose main concern was to locate the bookie's when we arrived.  We showed him that, went for a stroll around the island, had fish and chips, had a beer (only one!), and took the train back to Cardiff where my driver and I were relieved; Redhill must have worked at least as far as Swindon and probably Reading, a long day!  It was a Saturday.

 

The 12 coach Hastings train kept our best 47+10 eth mk2s timings on the run down to North Somerset Junction, though the ride quality was fairly 'interesting' and the noise very impressive.  I had an argument with the signalman at Barry who refused to let the train proceed without a tail lamp, despite Southern Region's red blinds being specified as permissible in the General Appendix (to Rules and Regulations); he had to be mollified with my Bardic to avoid further delay.  I'd had dealings with this particular person before and would again; he did not like new intake guards with long hair and bolshy attitudes, which pretty much summed me up, and disliked such people publicly proving him wrong on a repeated basis even more!  I, on the other hand, rather enjoyed it...

 

In all, a grand day out, and on Saturday overtime rates as well!  Shame to take the money, really, but not so much of a shame that I gave it back.

First time I saw a Hastings DEMU 'in the flesh' was when one thumped past me on the Midland Main Line at Mill Hill. It was a Saturday morning in the early 1970s and it was working a Dartford to Kettering Footex. Apparently it had been worked from Clapham Junction by Victoria men with Midland Conductors. The Victoria men returned 'Pass' from Kettering, and another crew from Victoria travelled down 'Pass' later in the day to bring it back.

 

Andy.

[pH]

Previous thread on this topic, specifically for steam engines - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24028-steam-locos-where-they-shouldnt-be/?hl=shouldn%26%2339%3Bt

[Wild Boar Fell]

Thumper to the Settle & Carlisle?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/markjobling/30349652760/

[The Border Reiver]

I was amazed when I came across Grange 6858 on Huddersfield shed while on a railrover in 1964.

Nottingham Victoria was the farthest north that Great Western locomotives ventured down the Great Central, except on rare occasions. One of these occasions took place on 15 August 1964 when engine No. 6858 Woolston Grange working the Poole to Bradford/Leeds train, and which normally would have come off at Leicester or Nottingham, managed due to an oversight by control, to reach Huddersfield. However, en route, it had hit the platform edge at Berry Brow station between Penistone and Huddersfield. The loco was quickly removed to Huddersfield shed where it languished well inside until it was towed to Crewe as an out of gauge load two weeks later.

[Liam]

I was amazed when I came across Grange 6858 on Huddersfield shed while on a railrover in 1964.

 

Nottingham Victoria was the farthest north that Great Western locomotives ventured down the Great Central, except on rare occasions. One of these occasions took place on 15 August 1964 when engine No. 6858 Woolston Grange working the Poole to Bradford/Leeds train, and which normally would have come off at Leicester or Nottingham, managed due to an oversight by control, to reach Huddersfield. However, en route, it had hit the platform edge at Berry Brow station between Penistone and Huddersfield. The loco was quickly removed to Huddersfield shed where it languished well inside until it was towed to Crewe as an out of gauge load two weeks later.

 Ah yes, I remember seeing a photo in the Railway Magazine, and added to the caption was 'Seconds after taking this photo, the photographer was ejected from the shed by an angry foreman.' 

 

A GWR 'Modified Hall' no. 6979 'Helperby Hall' made it to York I think in 1959, ironic as the real hall was only about 10 miles away from York shed!

[jessy1692]

A Blue Pullman set once came up to Leeds, cant remember if it was a midland set or a WR set, Co Bo's were were also sent on test through Ripon & Weatherby oh and a Baby Deltic once made it to Harrogate

Im sure ill have a few more if i think about it

James

[ColinK]

I recall a Buxton based 104 dmu being used on a special from Buxton, IIRC to Scarborough.

[HillsideDepot]

There was not much of the BR network that was "off the beaten track" for a class 47, but the use of 47401 'North Eastern' as power on 1C11 for my first visit to the far south west back in August 1985 seemed rather inappropriate. I took a photo with the 'North Eastern' plate and a 'Penzance' station name board in the same shot, but I don't think the print has survived.

[Metr0Land]

A Blue Pullman set once came up to Leeds, cant remember if it was a midland set or a WR set, Co Bo's were were also sent on test through Ripon & Weatherby oh and a Baby Deltic once made it to Harrogate

Im sure ill have a few more if i think about it

James

Probably this run:

 

https://flic.kr/p/xzCEVx

 

It was testing the suitability for use on Hull Executive service so they sent it to Leeds (well it's north of Watford isn't it?)

[jessy1692]

Probably this run:

 

https://flic.kr/p/xzCEVx

 

It was testing the suitability for use on Hull Executive service so they sent it to Leeds (well it's north of Watford isn't it?)

Nice, always wondered why they didnt try it on the Harrogate pullmans

[darrel]

303048 visited a few open days in the early 1990s Cambridge for example where it worked shuttles to stanstead airport. Colchester shuttles to Walton on the naze. And Brighton

[phil_sutters]

Another visitor from across the Channel was this one at a Didcot event. Not on the mainline I grant you, but it must have travelled there from a port, doubtless hauled dead. (edit - thinking about it - a low-loader is a more likely means of transport.) These foreigners do like their plumbing to be on show.

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by phil_sutters