Locos / Units In Strange Places

[61653 HTAFC]

I remember as a kid one day seeing what I now know to be a very new Mk3 DVT stabled at the blocks blunt-end nearest the buffers... at the pre-rebuild Manchester Victoria!

 

[Strathclyder]

In the First Scotrail era, a Class 322 (322484) managed an appearance on the 17:45 Glasgow Central - Ayr service & (presumably) return; no doubt filling in for a 318/334 (the regular stock for the Ayrshire Coast Line at the time). Must be one of the few times they strayed from their normal North Berwick duties!

Photographed below at Irvine:
http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/5148/
http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/photo/scaled/5149/

 

[AJM580]

On the 21.5.89 a 'large logo' class 26 made it down the S & C on a short engineers train. Although I'm very happy to be corrected I doubt that many class 26's appeared south of Carlisle. For what its worth the loco sports a large looking Scottie dog and a "Railfreight" sticker on the cab side.

I don't think that many did. Mind you I did have 26011/26040 all the way to Leeds on New Years Eve 1991 on a additional service (paired with 47475).

Additionally there are photographs on the web that show class 17s at Trowse Lower Jn as they were scrapped at A King and sons yard (which no longer exists)

 

[pdeaves]

Additionally there are photographs on the web that show class 17s at Trowse Lower Jn as they were scrapped at A King and sons yard (which no longer exists)

Which reminds me that Eurostars now appear in odd places as they head to scrap.

 

[Trainfan344]

There's currently is or was recently a 321 at Leicester Depot... Which is interesting as there are no wires there yet!

 

[theageofthetra]

For me any UK or European loading gauge stock attached to something much bigger looks just weird. Like the Talgo units in the States or the ex Eurostar Night Star stock in Canada (how much did that cost the taxpayer!)

 

[EveningStar]

I think they used to work up from Paddington on the services via Oxford - I remember there used to be Paddington - Liverpool trains at one time and there would have been a changeover to an electric at New Street.

Also on SW/NE workings, changing over to electric at New Street. Spotting at Bromsgrove in the mid 1970s the best bet for a class 50 was the 1M85 and returning on the 1V90.

 

[gg1]

For me any UK or European loading gauge stock attached to something much bigger looks just weird. Like the Talgo units in the States or the ex Eurostar Night Star stock in Canada (how much did that cost the taxpayer!)

I agree, the Romanian 87 below looks very odd compared to the locos behind it:
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cZYEVsT3Uc/VsnSJVKTNCI/AAAAAAAADjw/TOpTq7ycvQk/s1600/photo%2B03%2BPirdop-class-87020-being-shunted.jpg

 

[83G/84D]

Summer Saturdays a few years back saw a rake of Mk3 stock & DVT do a Milton Keynes to Penzance working.

I recall class 33's & 4TC's at Exeter St David's and also class 31's & 33's at Barnstaple on passenger trains.

 

[Cowley]

Summer Saturdays a few years back saw a rake of Mk3 stock & DVT do a Milton Keynes to Penzance working.

I recall class 33's & 4TC's at Exeter St David's and also class 31's & 33's at Barnstaple on passenger trains.

33s and TC units were very occasional visitors to Exeter. I recall asking a driver for a look in the cab of one when I was about 13 and asking him how an electric unit had got to Exeter before he pointed out that 8 coaches behind was a 33/1 attached.

 

[30907]

33s and TC units were very occasional visitors to Exeter. I recall asking a driver for a look in the cab of one when I was about 13 and asking him how an electric unit had got to Exeter before he pointed out that 8 coaches behind was a 33/1 attached.

But 33s and 31s were regulars, though it did seem strange at first seeing 33s on WR duties.

 

[Cowley]

But 33s and 31s were regulars, though it did seem strange at first seeing 33s on WR duties.

Definitely, I've been behind a 33 from Barnstaple to Exeter. 33s made it to Plymouth on freight occasionally I think.
The first time one went to Holyhead must have been quite a sight though...

 

[RichmondCommu]

A bit closer to Southern Region metals but nevertheless unexpected was the appearance of a class 33 and a 3-TC set running on the GOBLIN on the 24.8.99. I don't know how long it continued to operate on the route but with so many stations on a relatively short route timing keeping must have been horrendous.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Definitely, I've been behind a 33 from Barnstaple to Exeter. 33s made it to Plymouth on freight occasionally I think.
The first time one went to Holyhead must have been quite a sight though...

I remember seeing class 33s running on stoppers at Teignmouth. Just out of interest did the class 31s replace the class 25s and the class 33s replace the 31s?

 

[Cowley]

I remember seeing class 33s running on stoppers at Teignmouth. Just out of interest did the class 31s replace the class 25s and the class 33s replace the 31s?

Well the 31s did replace the 25s but in the last few years of loco hauled trains to Barnstaple 31s were probably the slightly more common traction. I certainly saw both on those trains in 1987 and that was near the end of Barnstaple loco hauled services.
31/4s and 33s both having electric heat and of similar power were very useful local engines.
33s seemed to do more of the Exeter to Paignton trains around then (especially the 1725 ex Exeter) but I remember 31s doing them too.
Photo below taken by my stepbrother in summer 1987 shows a typical Exeter scene with classes 08, 31, 33, 37, 47 and an unusual green machine down on a railtour.
(Apologies to those who've seen it before, I know I'm repeating myself).

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That "unusual green machine" would be the pioneer class 40, D200, would it not?

 

[Cowley]

That "unusual green machine" would be the pioneer class 40, D200, would it not?

It was indeed (I was desperately trying to get back on topic after wildly going off on a class 33 tangent ).

 

[delt1c]

A bit closer to Southern Region metals but nevertheless unexpected was the appearance of a class 33 and a 3-TC set running on the GOBLIN on the 24.8.99. I don't know how long it continued to operate on the route but with so many stations on a relatively short route timing keeping must have been horrendous.

to the best of my knowledge it never made it. Went to South Tottenham on the Sunday it was due to commence and it was still the standard DMU

 

[AJM580]

Definitely, I've been behind a 33 from Barnstaple to Exeter. 33s made it to Plymouth on freight occasionally I think.
The first time one went to Holyhead must have been quite a sight though...

Quite, 33s also made Plymouth on passenger services. There was an 0750 Bristol - Penzance which was 33 + Mk I to Plymouth with a 47 working forward to Penzance during 1983/84. My records show that I had 33032 there in 1983, then when on holiday the next year I had 33001 on the same train.

 

[Cowley]

Quite, 33s also made Plymouth on passenger services. There was an 0750 Bristol - Penzance which was 33 + Mk I to Plymouth with a 47 working forward to Penzance during 1983/84. My records show that I had 33032 there in 1983, then when on holiday the next year I had 33001 on the same train.

Hooray for not chucking records away. I lost some of mine over the years but thankfully still have some.
Never had a 33 to Plymouth, although had a few to Paignton. Would have loved one up Dainton though. That would've been noisy.

 

[AJM580]

Hooray for not chucking records away. I lost some of mine over the years but thankfully still have some.

Amen to that, I have compiled all my records into volumes of books and files with all the detail I can. I've attached a sample.

 

[ComUtoR]

Neither history or nostalgia but certainly a unit in a strange place.

376 Electrostar at Tonbridge Station in passenger service. I couldn't tell you if they have ever been down there since, but I doubt it.

 

[Cowley]

Amen to that, I have compiled all my records into volumes of books and files with all the detail I can. I've attached a sample.

I enjoyed reading that. My first trip to Reading was probably around then but because after a while I just logged what locos I'd been behind I didn't take care of what I'd seen which was unfortunate but there you go. At least I've still got some books though.

I thought of an unusual sighting: 37427 at Exeter in about 1985/86 looking absolutely immaculate and pulling the GER directors saloon after a trip to Cornwall. I found a photo of it on the Cornwall Railway Society site a few weeks ago and I can't find it now unfortunately. 37/4s were rare down our way back then, in fact I don't remember seeing any others down here until a couple got transferred after they'd finished in Scotland a few years later. The saloon was beautiful. All made of wood. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when that rolled into the station. The 37/4 must have only recently been converted too.