Most demeaning cascade

[Poolie]

Interesting thread about Deltic cascading (or lack of). Back in steam days, I always found the sight of Britannias on the Marylebone to Nottingham 4 carriage semi fasts rather sad. On the other hand A4's on the Glasgow to Aberdeen expresses were a fine sight so hardly demeaning!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not as extreme as that one, but I remember being pleasantly surprised to get a recently cascaded TPE 158 on a short hop from Digby & Sowton to Exeter Central. Naturally, I sat in the declassified first class section and turned the table lamp on!

 

[Dr Hoo]

I suppose that the relegation of Trevithick's pioneering steam locomotive to being a stationary engine at Penydarren started the whole process off.

 

[Mag_seven]

How about 110mph capable locos and intercity quality stock being allocated to stopping services between Edinburgh and North Berwick!

 

[mmh]

Class 180 to Manchester - Blackpool?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A class 121 on the Marks Tey - Sudbury line vice a 156 ? (about 1997)

 

[Whistler40145]

33/1+4TC substituting for an unavailable DMU on the Gospel Oak to Barking service

 

[delt1c]

How about the 317/7's used by TFL on metro services

 

[xotGD]

HSTs being relegated to local stoppers in the West Country.

Class 185s on the Leeds - Huddersfield all shacks.

 

[Non Multi]

Recently watched archive footage of a filthy 7020 'Gloucester Castle' relegated to being a humble Paddington station pilot (a shunter) in 1964. This task was normally carried out by pannier tanks.

 

[30907]

455's on weekend services between Waterloo and Reading enraged me when I had a short spell down there.

Demeaning to the travellers, but a step up for the units, surely?

 

[superjohn]

The erstwhile Manchester Pullman mark 3 stock ending up on the glorified suburban line to Norwich was a bit a come down.

 

[DerekC]

I suppose that the relegation of Trevithick's pioneering steam locomotive to being a stationary engine at Penydarren started the whole process off.

Yes, and since it was replaced by a horse that's probably a good candidate for the "most demeaning" prize!

 

[yorksrob]

Demeaning to the travellers, but a step up for the units, surely?

Yes, absolutely. Demeaning to a key outer-suburban route as well.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

HSTs being relegated to local stoppers in the West Country.

The WR put HSTs on Oxford-Reading stoppers around 1980.
The Oxford announcer called them "Inter Village Express" to much sniggering.
The IC sector soon stopped all that by sending some to the MML and XC.

 

[Taunton]

Recently watched archive footage of a filthy 7020 'Gloucester Castle' relegated to being a humble Paddington station pilot (a shunter) in 1964. This task was normally carried out by pannier tanks.

May not have been too demeaning. It was WR practice at Paddington to save a light engine movement to/from Old oak Common, by using the loco tender first for an ecs if there was one to hand. This accounts for the various photos of trains against the Paddington buffers with a tender loco facing outwards and a train ahead of it. Once that had gone, it moved to its outward express. The same applied in reverse.

For me the most demeaning downgrade is the APT prototype to a weather-streaked sad museum exhibit alongside the WCML at Crewe.

 

[DerekC]

I hate to say it but there is always something sad about a West Country or similar trundling backwards and forwards at 25mph on a heritage line. Not a cascade in the normal sense, of course and that's the way that the rising generations can get to see them, but it's a bit like a lion in a zoo enclosure, however well made up to look like the plains of Africa!

 

[racyrich]

Class 309s relegated to local services in the NW.

Any diesel loco that ended its time as a carriage warmer!

 

[CarltonA]

I hate to say it but there is always something sad about a West Country or similar trundling backwards and forwards at 25mph on a heritage line.

True, the A4 I saw running backwards at the NYMR looked totally out of place. The office block rear of the tender does it no favours. It can't be helped obviously.

 

[30907]

May not have been too demeaning. It was WR practice at Paddington to save a light engine movement to/from Old oak Common, by using the loco tender first for an ecs if there was one to hand. This accounts for the various photos of trains against the Paddington buffers with a tender loco facing outwards and a train ahead of it. Once that had gone, it moved to its outward express. The same applied in reverse.

Routine at Waterloo too, Nine Elms via Clapham Yard.

 

[Revaulx]

I hate to say it but there is always something sad about a West Country or similar trundling backwards and forwards at 25mph on a heritage line. Not a cascade in the normal sense, of course and that's the way that the rising generations can get to see them, but it's a bit like a lion in a zoo enclosure, however well made up to look like the plains of Africa!

Not sure I agree: the Light Pacifics were deliberately designed as all-purpose go-anywhere workhorses. Much of their working life was spent pottering around North Cornwall with a couple of coaches or a few vans.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

33/1+4TC substituting for an unavailable DMU on the Gospel Oak to Barking service

That’s an upgrade in my book

 

[Whistler40145]

That’s an upgrade in my book

I meant what the passengers reaction would've been, not my personal view

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I meant what the passengers reaction would've been, not my personal view

I understand - I was just having a bit of fun !

Reminds me of the time an electric - cant remember if it was an 86 or 87 , could not go further at Carlisle as wires were down somewhere. I was travelling to Preston with the train going on to Euston. They put a class 31 pair on at Carlisle and towed the train down the Settle and Carlisle Clitheroe and Blackburn. At Preston there were loads of moans from the passengers. I then heard a rail enthusiast in a loud voice say to his buddies "The ungrateful ba------s - they are moaning when they have just had a ride behind a pair of non-boilered, non ETH Goyles down the Settle and Carlisle line -what more could they want? "

 

[gg1]

The handful of class 81s and 83s which spent the last few years of their lives trundling between Euston and Willesden.

 

[Bevan Price]

The replacement of loco hauled stock between Manchester & North Wales by 1st generation dmus designed for suburban / branch line services.
DMUs with 3+2 seating were a drastic reduction in quality for journeys lasting 2+ hours.

 

[43096]

Demeaning to the travellers, but a step up for the units, surely?

Debatable on the first part, as the booked traction on weekdays was the appalling VEPs. Downgrade from the CEPs we sometimes got, granted.

 

[bishdunster]

That’s an upgrade in my book

Well the seats in a TC set were a damn sight more comfy than anything you have to suffer these days !!!!!!!!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well the seats in a TC set were a damn sight more comfy than anything you have to suffer these days !!!!!!!!

Totally agree.

 

[Non Multi]

A different kind of cascade; the collection of superfluous railway infrastructure in the gigantic garden railway at Fawley Hill. Whilst they've all been saved from destruction, they are now reduced to being garden follies.