Relief Trains

[D854_Tiger]

Whilst studying old timetables can be highly illuminating they never covered relief trains, many of which were as regular as the timetabled trains.

 

I know this is a how long is a piece of string kind of question but how common were relief trains, a concept hardly heard of nowadays, and in what kind of number would they appear on the various main lines out of London and cross country and over what period would operation be typical.

 

Not just summer Saturdays either, I know relief trains for the Flying Scotsman were a more or less permanent fixture, right up to the 1980s, yet rarely appeared in the timetable.

[anroar53]

Whilst studying old timetables can be highly illuminating they never covered relief trains, many of which were as regular as the timetabled trains.

 

I know this is a how long is a piece of string kind of question but how common were relief trains, a concept hardly heard of nowadays, and in what kind of number would they appear on the various main lines out of London and cross country and over what period would operation be typical.

 

Not just summer Saturdays either, I know relief trains for the Flying Scotsman were a more or less permanent fixture, right up to the 1980s, yet rarely appeared in the timetable.

While not in the Working Timetable most Relief Trains, along with the Footex, Chartex, Guarex specials appeared in the Weekly Special Traffic Notice. These could be quite bulky issues depending on the time of year. They not only covered Holidays but also other events where traffic demand was likely to exceed scheduled services. From my own time at Euston in the 1970s there could be numerous shuttle services to Wembley Central for football fixtures, along with the longer distance services for the same event. Holyhead used to provide numerous relief services throughout the year.

Then there was the famous Senior Citizen Railcard Free Travel Day on the 10th June 1978 when even the relief services were overwhelmed by the numbers travelling. 1L50, a relief service from Llandudno Junction to Crewe, was extended from Crewe to Euston because of the heavy loadings, and this ten coach relief was taken all the way to Euston by 24082. An unusual appearance for a 24 at this time.

The most Relief/Special workings I ever witnessed at Euston was about 20 in and 20 out on one Saturday in 1976.

 

Andy.

Edited July 4, 2017 by anroar53

[slilley]

A number of Southern Region trains appeared in the timetable as conditional ones with a Q above them in the timetable.

[Guest]

As Slilley says, the Southern working timetable had a number of Q (runs as required) pathways, mainly for boat train workings. Some ran on consistent days and times, others were irregular and all could be disrupted by bad weather and other factors.

 

The Southern also ran a lot of planned reliefs on summer Saturdays, for example the hourly Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour 'fast' had up to three reliefs at peak times.

 

So I guess the answer to the original question is that it would depand very much on the route and the type of traffic. Where demand could be foreseen, services were planned in the working timetable, even if they were not listed in the public timetable. Special events such as football matches could be covered by the weekly operating notice and ad-hoc demand could be met by running

Control Specials, cobbled together on the day.

 

Then there are freight services - there was a timetable but in steam days extras would often be run to clear build-ups of traffic and other services could be cancelled on the day for lack of demand.

[Oldddudders]

Q paths could be for all sorts of trains, especially departmental ones. I think in my time there was an 08.25 CCE train from Woking to New Cross Gate, or Three Bridges, or Tonbridge, carrying Meldon stone. The signalman at Redhill B would need to know where it was going that day.

 

Then there were ECS moves for the CM&EE. 10.12 Selhurst to Durnsford Road, which I think reversed at Streatham and Wimbledon, and 10.32 Selhurst to Lovers Walk. These ran most weekdays, and there were other similar pathways across the Region.

 

As for passenger traffic peaks, even in the early '70s, often in skool holidays a standby crew and stock would be available at Selhurst, and the station supervisor at East Croydon would contact Control if he felt loadings demanded an extra train, typically to Brighton.

 

Unlike today, where every capital asset is sweated, and spare stock and crews are rare, that was then still regarded as the way to run a railway. Trying to meet demand on the day.

[Talltim]

From what has been said, it sounds like relief trains were far more common than I thought.

I suspect tho, that the difference between then and now is that now the trains are in the public timetable, not just the working one and they run all the time. After all, many routes are at maximum path capacity, admittedly rationalisation has taken out a fair amount of track that could be used for passing trains but there are far fewer freights too

Edited July 4, 2017 by Talltim

[Rivercider]

I remember relief trains from the early part of my railway career which started in 1977, though it is too far back to remember much detail.

I worked at Bristol then, and seem to recall they ran to and from Paddington and on the NE-SW Cross Country route,

they were more likely on fridays and also just before or after bank holidays.

 

On days out by train I sometimes got to travel on a relief train that had turned up unexpectedly.

During my photographic outings I have recorded a few relief trains.

 

85001 stands at Nuneaton with a set of mk1 stock forming a Euston to Carlisle relief, 7/9/84

 

Mention has been made of schools relief trains, Sherborne School was one which regularly had relief trains arranged. 

1Z20 15.05 Waterloo to Sherborne Schools Relief stands at Salisbury behind 33011, this was a relief to the 15.00 Waterloo - Exeter St Davids, 23/4/80.

 

Control specials, made up at short notice, have also been mentioned

31421 is working a 17.09 Bristol Temple Meads - Taunton Control Special in lieu of a late running Liverpool - Plymouth service,

it is seen at Weston-super-Mare with class 119 set C571 in the opposite platform, 24/8/81

 

cheers

Edited July 4, 2017 by Rivercider

[chrisf]

Over the years there have been several ways of describing what the layman might call a relief train.  The GWR was fond of running its principal expresses in several parts.   In the 1943 Paddington station working book we find a 1.55 pm to Neyland that runs in two parts.  The first is shown as leaving at 1.55 pm, the second at 1.57 but running to Cheltenham.  More recently [1955] the 10.30 am Cornish Riviera was duplicated by a 10.35 am departure which was shown to run each Saturday and seats could be reserved on it.  Had it been necessary to run it on other days the rather cryptic note "For stations served and formation, see Weekly or manuscript Notices" had to suffice.  More recently still [1960] there were additional trains on Friday nights which served to relieve other trains but were not specifically described as relief trains in the WTT.  A 5.50 pm to Swansea with a column note "Q other days" ran ahead of the 5.55 pm Red Dragon.  The 6.10 pm to Birkenhead left at 6.11 pm on Fridays only due to the presence of a 6.8 pm in advance of it, again shown as "Q other days".

 

Something more akin to what the layman would regard as a relief train may be found in the Notice of Passenger Train Arrangements for the Cardiff District for the last week in July 1954.  This was the second of two weeks in which NCB Area 5 was on holiday and the railways responded accordingly.  Some snippets:

 

"9.44 am Rhymney to Penarth - A Relief Train to run from Bargoed to Cardiff (Queen Street) in advance and, if necessary, extended to Barry Island. ... Station Master, Cardiff (Queen Street) to arrange a suitable train and provide a guard."  No timings were given in the Notice for this or the following:

 

"Stand-by train at Cardiff General  - If weather is fine, a train to be available at Cardiff (General) at 10.30 am for relief trips to and from Barry Island as required throughout the day".  Read this and weep, Arriva.

 

For younger readers: Cardiff General is now called Cardiff Central or Caerdydd Canolog.

 

Chris

[BR(S)]

Now you've done it!  Nothing quite stirs up the nostalgia for me than the mention of relief trains, especially a Summer Saturday relief 

 

In my chosen modelling era, relief services could bring up some interesting combinations: 

 

https://flic.kr/p/fkqNaK

 

https://flic.kr/p/e3Kmoc

[D854_Tiger]

Now you've done it!  Nothing quite stirs up the nostalgia for me than the mention of relief trains, especially a Summer Saturday relief 

 

In my chosen modelling era, relief services could bring up some interesting combinations: 

 

https://flic.kr/p/fkqNaK

 

https://flic.kr/p/e3Kmoc

 

 

On summer Saturdays in the early 1970s there could be a whole succession of relief services on cross country duties at New St.

 

My fondest memory was as a child vising relatives in London in 1968 just after the new West Midlands electric service had been introduced. We were boarding at Coventry on the 10:34 non-stop to Euston. A relief train for the 10:34 was announced and duly arrived ahead of the timetabled service, an all maroon rake of mk1s headed by E3004.

 

In the late 1970s I invested in a 7 day first class all line rover ticket, day one I headed for Newcastle intending to connect with the northbound Deltic hauled Flying Scotsman, a bad move, even in first class, most seats were reserved and an absolutely crowded platform suggested there would be few seats freeing up at Newcastle. Suddenly a relief train was announced for Edinburgh, a nice rake of mk1s headed by a class 40. i settled for that and enjoyed a first class coach to myself. We left ahead of the Flying Scotsman non-stop for Edinburgh but inevitably where looped somewhere (right next to the A1) where we waited for the Deltic to overtake.

 

I had never travelled the route before and it was a lovely sunny day on which to do it. My first choice would have been to be hauled by that Deltic but with the sound of a chopper at full chat up the ECML I pretty soon decided life wasn't so bad after all.

[Pobrien]

Steam hauled relief trains in the Bristol area 1964

 

Relief passenger trains (as opposed to timetabled Summer Saturday extras) tended to run when required.  The most common times of year would be just prior to and after Easter, the three Saturdays leading up to the first Summer Saturday (usually the third week in June) and before and after Christmas.  Most of these reliefs would run cross country from the Midlands and North East to the South West, although some would start and finish in Bristol.  Occasionally there would be reliefs on the old West to North route via Hereford.

 

The most common were extras to Sheffield, running at approx. 12.15, 16.30 and 19.20 before the timetabled 12.40, 16.40 and 19.30 departures to the North East.  Their codes were generally 1E62, 1E63 and 1E65/66.

 

Here is 45219 departing with 1E62 on May 30, 1964.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5251019685/in/photolist-911Rda-bsoRTK

 

On the North to West route 70015 Apollo has arrived at Temple Meads on June 13, showing headcode 1Z21

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5458471177/in/photolist-9zdKh4-9SnKup-9jm6j2

 

These were reliefs, as opposed to additional specials, such as 6947 Helmingham Hall on a Birmingham to Weston-Super-Mare and return train.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/7368217396/in/photolist-bvug3R-ce73jY

 

 

There would also be football specials.  Here Jubilee 45685 pulls into Temple Meads on 1X36 to Blackpool - it worked throughout on the day - and unusually has Western Region reporting numbers.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/10361571063/in/photolist-tQtoHc-tQtoGk-tQtoD4-tQtoEM-tQtoHH-tQtoFt-rUMvL7-rUMvQf-rUMvFN-rtsPbY-gMBL5X-9Mu3e1-9Mu3c5-9rbpo9-9rbpoJ-9edS8x-8PA4iY

 

Special freights would run from Avonmouth on Banana trains, but these were timetabled to run as required (Q).  On Sunday August 30, 1964 they were :

 

4M37  16.30 Crewe   45059

4M38  17.30 Water Orton  45602 British Honduras

4C09   18.20 Exeter  6990 Witherslack Hall

5A61    19.30 Reading  48474

 

In the three weeks up to Christmas many additional parcels also ran daily timetabled.  On Wednesday December 16, 1964

 

3X08  15.12 TM to Sheffield  73015

3Z49  18.22 TM to Swindon 6849  Walton Grange

3X16             Newcastle to Bristol 44966.

[The Stationmaster]

From what has been said, it sounds like relief trains were far more common than I thought.

I suspect tho, that the difference between then and now is that now the trains are in the public timetable, not just the working one and they run all the time. After all, many routes are at maximum path capacity, admittedly rationalisation has taken out a fair amount of track that could be used for passing trains but there are far fewer freights too

 

Several differences between now and 'then' -

 

1. On many long distance routes trains are more frequent than they were in the past and often run to a clockface timetable (but in fixed formations so they can't be strengthened.

 

2. There just isn't the surplus stock there once was sitting around ready to be used on specials and relief trains.

 

3. Communication to intending passengers is far easier today thus odd reliefs arranged for such things as, say major rugby tournaments are known about well in advance.

 

In the past some reliefs were included in the full public timetable but wouldn't necessarily be regarded as reliefs because they simply appeared to be 'just another train' and many other arranged under advanced planning were known about well in advance but weren't included in the printed public TT but were on reservation systems etc.

 

Reliefs arranged under shorter term special traffic arrangements and published in weekly notices (and even in some cases in daily notices) weren't generally known about in advance by passengers unless they happened to enquire at a  station where the staff were on the ball and kept an eye on the notices and possibly even advertised details on blackboards etc at their station.  What used to get up my nose about some reliefs was the fact that they'd run much of their journey ahead of the main train but tend to arrive at their destination after that train - a trick the LMR seemed to be very good and even as a teenager I soon learnt that it was sensible to avoid relief trains on the LM.

[Fat Controller]

We (Eurotunnel) often run what are effectively 'relief' tourist trains during periods of high demand; these cannot be booked to in advance, and serve to reduce build-ups of traffic after things like the (all-too-frequent) blockages on the UK motorway network. Though they aren't evident to the public, they are pathed on the timetable graph, and have stocks and crew rostered to them. A second tier exists, with no booked resources, and uses stock planned to be stabled, and crews who might otherwise return 'on the cushions'; finding these resources is part of my job-description.

[corneliuslundie]

Read "Summer Saturdays in the West" to get a flavour of what it was like. Dozens of relief trains with every sort of motive power, often struggling to keep time.

Reliefs still exist. i believe there were about 27 specials for the soccer international in Cardiff on 3 June. Not sure where the stock was found or where they went.

My train from Port Talbot to Newport that morning was full of Italians.

Jonathan

[Tim R-T-C]

Fascinating memories.

 

It leads to the endless argument of whether all stock should be in use at all times to maximise available seats on timetabled trains, or some should always be kept aside for relief like this.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

For every Bank Holiday, plus the Easter and Christmas/New Year holidays, a timetable supplement would be produced for the passenger timetable. These could be quite voluminous at times. One day I must sort through them all I've got in the garage     They tended to be printed on quite cheap paper so often  "foxed" over time.

 

The NE/SW route, in particular, had a regular batch of reliefs running from the Friday before a holiday to the Tuesday after.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Peter Kazmierczak

[caradoc]

Relief trains and Control specials are still a feature of today's railway. For example, Virgin have a Fridays only 0952 Preston-Euston service which runs directly in front of the busy 0737 Glasgow Central-Euston (0958 ex Preston). In Scotland, some of the Glasgow and Edinburgh/Aberdeen services run through to and from Dyce and Inverurie. If a northbound service is delayed south of Aberdeen it is regular practice, if a set and crew is available, to run a special on the booked path north of Aberdeen, the incoming service then terminating at Aberdeen. This minimises further delay while still providing the best possible service for passengers.