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    Pilot Engines

    The two Taunton west end pilots in latter steam days were one of each type, one Pannier Tank, which faced east, and was used to pull back across the layout the coaches from terminating services from Minehead, Barnstaple and Exeter locals, either propelling them into the departure bays or into...
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    Multiple Working

    The Raynes Park newspaper train accident, long ago in 1967, was down to this; speed-limited vans in the train, driver not told, opened up after Waterloo departure, train had a mass derailment. Newspapers blew all round the neighbourhood for days afterwards. Still scars at the station if you know...
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    Dangerous boarding procedures at Euston

    I described on the other thread the situation yesterday which seemed to have prevailed all day. It started around 0630 with some issue at Wembley depot, reported as signals, which prevented the early starters getting down to the station. Now these trains should be fully prepared and not in need...
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    Thames-Clyde Express in the 1970's

    The same way that the used bedding from the Down service from Paddington to Plymouth was dealt with, which was bagged up and sent back to London the next night in the van. Only an accountant then withdrew the van, so it was piled instead in the forward end vestibule. This was the laundry that...
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    Thames-Clyde Express in the 1970's

    Was there not an issue with the later withdrawal of the sleeper routed Northampton to Market Harborough, that some felt it required the full official closure procedure, although it served no stations anywhere near the line?
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    Thames-Clyde Express in the 1970's

    Certainly the C&W Examiner at the station there seemed to do every train from when the Electric Scots started in 1974. Doing both Down and Up services, which stopped on opposite sides of the platform, all would be tested in turn. Has anyone ever heard a cracked tyre "tapped", to know the...
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    Avanti West Coast Cancellations

    I did the same yesterday as well, round trip Euston to Manchester. At 7am all disorganised. Apparently a signal failure in Wembley sidings delaying the first trains getting down. So platforms ended up not being displayed until after scheduled departure time, whereupon the usual rush. I actually...
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    Pilot Engines

    I believe the components of the cable release device had been taken from the old North British N15 0-6-2T which used to do this work. By the 1970s the Class 21, and the cable coupling, were long gone, and Class 27 were used as pilots bringing the stock to and fro, and assisting trains out. I...
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    Operations of the Waterloo-Exeter 50s (and loco diagramming in general)

    Presumably only 0-8 were needed as long as 69 and 96 were not used ... :)
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    Operations of the Waterloo-Exeter 50s (and loco diagramming in general)

    Although the train headcodes were longstanding, it is surprising that the box-to-box signalling arrangements seemed unable to handle them, so the signalman were invariably setting the route before they could see it. The Lewisham accident in 1957 started off with misunderstanding which train was...
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    Operations of the Waterloo-Exeter 50s (and loco diagramming in general)

    A generation ago it was pointed out that there could be in theory four trains approaching London Bridge, in parallel, with the same code - although one was an EMU "naval special from Portsmouth to Chatham", going via London Bridge to reverse.
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    Class 50s to Fratton in 1988

    I believe certain Class 50 locos were out of service long term, as there were not as many diesel engines as locos, following a couple of catastrophic engine failures which were not replaced. The Portsmouth train was to serve the quite substantial demand in those times for connecting the two...
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    1970s book about branch lines containing cartoons

    I wonder how many of us here do :) . Apart from the cartoons it's full of railway puns and jokes as well. Mine was retained downstairs when most of my collection went up into the attic. The greatest running railway cartoon was by Fontaine Fox, "The Toonerville Trolley", which appeared each...
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    Bristol - Manchester service

    Is this like the approach to Victoria, which can go either via Herne Hill or via Catford, depending on what stopping train is ahead, and is determined by the minute on approach rather than sticking to the working timetable? Over many past years I never recall any mainstream service from the...
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    LMR Timetable 1961-62

    I would have commented that the original photo shows a deserted arrival platform, but the loco blowing off, which to me shows a recent arrival, given that the fireman would have typically run down the fire in the last 30 miles or so. But then the picture of it descending Camden Bank at the end...
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    Tube train automated announcements 2005

    As you lot seem so knowledgeable about all this :) can I ask how the DLR, around 15 years ago, used to have standard announcements at stations from someone with a notably Belfast accent. It seemed a decidedly unusual choice. I doubt an agency would have sent such an announcer round, so I guess...
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    Tube train automated announcements 2005

    There was also on the Jubilee then a booming male gravitas voice approaching the destination "This train terminates here. All change please. All change", quite different in pace and volume.
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    TRIVIA: Examples of train refurbishments (past or present) that were a step up from the same train's previous interior

    In the 1980s many Great Eastern outer suburban EMUs out of Liverpool Street were substantially redone, all the old style non-corridor compartments ripped out and completely rebuilt inside, fluorescent lights, new purple-upholstered seats, even substantial draughtproofing to the seating bay...
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    [Trivia] Unstaffed stations - busiest and largest?

    I think the last time this came up Canary Wharf DLR (18m in 2019) was far away the winner.
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    LMR Timetable 1961-62

    Coronations were not normally used into Euston on the Birmingham trains, the first of the day from further north, probably Liverpool, would be even later. By the end of 1961 the bulk of Class 40 diesels had been built and there were about 100 of them on the WCML, and they were assigned to many...

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