"Double Headed" HST

[158801]

Not sure whether posting here or in History & Nostalgia would be more appropriate?

How common is it /was it for a failed HST to be rescued by another HST?

Many, many years ago (probably about 30) I was heading southbound on a HST from Newcastle. Near Durham I discovered that the HST in front had failed.

Now, this is where my memory gets fuzzy.

We definately drew forward, for probably a mile and coupled up to the HST in front that had failed. But I can't remember whether we pushed the failed HST to Darlington or dragged it back into Durham

In either case, somehow we managed to get it to a station, uncoupling then "overtake" it.

Does anyone else have knowledge of a service HST rescuing another service HST?

 

[hexagon789]

Not sure whether posting here or in History & Nostalgia would be more appropriate?

How common is it /was it for a failed HST to be rescued by another HST?

Many, many years ago (probably about 30) I was heading southbound on a HST from Newcastle. Near Durham I discovered that the HST in front had failed.

Now, this is where my memory gets fuzzy.

We definately drew forward, for probably a mile and coupled up to the HST in front that had failed. But I can't remember whether we pushed the failed HST to Darlington or dragged it back into Durham

In either case, somehow we managed to get it to a station, uncoupling then "overtake" it.

Does anyone else have knowledge of a service HST rescuing another service HST?

22nd May 1986, see these two photos on Flickr complete with detailed captions marking the "event".

This is exactly what it looks-a double HST

Yes, a double HST. On 22nd May 1986 the set working 1N12 Kings Cross to Newcastle was declared a total failure at Low Fell. As it was blocking the main at a busy time the decision was to propel the failed train with following 1N03. The ensemble is seen here as it sets away for Newcastle from Low...

flic.kr

The only time I ever saw this done

A closer in view of the failed 1N12 being propelled by 1N03 as seen in the adjacent picture.

flic.kr

(Photo credit to RobT653)

 

[Class800]

platform lengths could be an issue too

 

[Eskimo]

I was on holiday as a kid in Dawlish, and one mid-week evening a Paddington bound HST ground to a halt in the distance at parsons tunnel exit signal. It looked like a failed signal / danger ahead situation but about an hour later a second HST crawled through Dawlish on the wrong line, coupled up in the distance and dragged it, presumably, as far as Exeter. That would have been caught on video somewhere - lots of enthusiasts stayed up to see it pass by Dawlish!

 

[Royston Vasey]

There's a video on YouTube somewhere from probably ~10 years ago of a Grand Central HST hauling another through York, not in passenger service and with conventional drawgear of course.

Also a video I came across at Grantham in 1987, a bit dark and grainy

 

[edwin_m]

Sometime around 1990 I was waiting for a Nottingham train at Derby and it was pretty clear that nothing was arriving from the Birmingham direction. Eventually a HST arrived in platform 1 which turned out to be pushed by another one. Much wielding of large hammers ensued for half an hour or so before the emergency coupling could be removed, all the while the second HST sitting on the junction and blocking any arrival from the west. Eventually it was able to back out and continue northwards via another platform, followed in quick succession by the trains that were queueing up behind it.

 

[NormyFGW]

Around 2000/2001, I had worked a GW HST set from Paddington to Hereford one evening, and as we left ECS to return to Bristol, we ground to a halt at Abergavenny with a fault that would not allow the set to be driven by the leading power car. Plan A was to reverse direction of travel, head back to Hereford and return via Worcester and Cheltenham. We made it as far as Hereford where signals stopped us and we were informed that the boxes at Ledbury and Malvern Wells were now 'locked out' due to an engineering possession, so we were now trapped at Hereford, unable to return in either direction. Plan B was now initiated which was for two HST power cars, coupled back to back, to be sent from St Philips Marsh to couple to our stricken 2+8 set, and drag the whole lot via Maindee and the Severn Tunnel back to SPM depot. We were waiting ages for the SPM p/cars to arrive and by the time we'd coupled everything up etc, it was about 0430hrs before we arrived back at Bristol, which meant the wierd convoy was not witnessed by anyone en route, which is a shame, as it must have looked quite a sight snaking around Maindee curve and through the suburbs of Bristol.

 

[Ashley Hill]

There was a 2+4 (popularly known as Castles) failed at Bridgewater last year which was rescued by another. Bit of a farce apparently. I gather it's on YouTube.

 

[Strathclyder]

22nd May 1986, see these two photos on Flickr complete with detailed captions marking the "event".

This is exactly what it looks-a double HST

Yes, a double HST. On 22nd May 1986 the set working 1N12 Kings Cross to Newcastle was declared a total failure at Low Fell. As it was blocking the main at a busy time the decision was to propel the failed train with following 1N03. The ensemble is seen here as it sets away for Newcastle from Low...

flic.kr

The only time I ever saw this done

A closer in view of the failed 1N12 being propelled by 1N03 as seen in the adjacent picture.

flic.kr

(Photo credit to RobT653)

Cor blimey....

And here was me thinking a 31+25 combo, a pair of 20s 'nose-first' and a Deltic pushing a failed set with it's own train in tow were the most unusual HST rescues!

There's a video on YouTube somewhere from probably ~10 years ago of a Grand Central HST hauling another through York, not in passenger service and with conventional drawgear of course.

This the one you were thinking of? According to the video description, this occurred on 25th-26th July 2008 (so a bit of Valenta sound porn!) with the errant set having expired at Biggleswade. Took a bit of digging under the 'Grand Central HST rescue' search term:

Also found this under the same search term. A better fit for the thread linked above if it were still open, but worth sharing all the same: