GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Didn’t that Scottish train mentioned above also have an ETHEL on for a while too? Electric Train Heating Ex Locomotive - converted Class 25s iirc
My recollection of the Southern is they generally changed locos at Salisbury, due in part to not having any water troughs on the line so there would need to be an extended stop to rewater the tender anyway, as well as change crews. This accounted for the considerable number of Pacifics allocated to the shed there. Furthermore in the complex break-up of the train at Exeter Central one of the 0-6-0 tanks which did both station pilot and banking up from St Davids was needed to get the restaurant car out of the middle of the formation, as that was as far as it went. That's maybe marginal for being counted.
I never actually saw three locos on a Highland Main Line train but am aware it happened from time to time.
I saw and sometimes travelled behind 2 x 24/26 on the 15/16 coach loads of the overnights many times, and were quite capable of keeping the (admittedly very slow) booked timings. The Highlander had the added weights of a restaurant car and up to eight sleepers each circa 5 tons heavier than a standard coach.
The Sectional Appendix rule throughout Scotland was not more than two locomotives to be coupled together unless specially authorised so I suspect the occasions when three were used would have been the exception rather than the rule.
Even a Deltic has been seen in the Highland capital; in June 1973 D9004 Queen's Own Highlander assisted a Class 24 and a Class 26 with the up Royal Highlander.
https://www.railscot.co.uk/img/32/590/
Motive power to make your eyes water! A Class 55 + Class 24 + Class 26 combination at the head of a southbound passenger train coming off Culloden Viaduct in the summer of 1973. The Deltic was returning from a military naming ceremony in Inverness.
There are some photos in "Deltics: A Symposium" by C.J.Allen, including 9019 piloting 5338 at Aviemore on the morning mail train from Perth. The locos named after Scottish Highland regiments often attended ceremonies in the Highland homes of their namesake regiments.According to Anthony J. Lambert's chapter on "The Oil Years" in my 1985 edition of Vallance's The Highland Railway (page 168):
(I don't think I've seen any photos of this, unfortunately.)
Think there's a max number of light engines that can usually be coupled together; is it 6? You might see more, but I think that's when the train is classified slightly differently.
Saw it quite a few times in early 70's and it often had LMS 12 wheel sleepers which added to the weightI never actually saw three locos on a Highland Main Line train but am aware it happened from time to time.
I saw and sometimes travelled behind 2 x 24/26 on the 15/16 coach loads of the overnights many times, and were quite capable of keeping the (admittedly very slow) booked timings. The Highlander had the added weights of a restaurant car and up to eight sleepers each circa 5 tons heavier than a standard coach.
The Sectional Appendix rule throughout Scotland was not more than two locomotives to be coupled together unless specially authorised so I suspect the occasions when three were used would have been the exception rather than the rule.
Did this many times in mid 70's and always had a solo 27 ( banked out of Queen St) then the single 27's working hard on the WHL but always kept time and never failedFirst time I did it we had a 27 do the shunt and then this departed to be replaced by a pair of 37s. Also, the loco that came down from Cowlairs could not act as banker as it was no longer on the back - the loco that brought in the day coaches would have to be the banker (unless I'm misremembering which portion got shunted).
All good fun back then.
Certainly had a triple header on the southbound sleeper around 1975 including a 47 but I also recall seeing a triple header with a 40 at Perth on a northbound which surprised me (it wasn't a sleeper, so probably a balancing working). The other 2 locos in each case were 24/26/27.Saw it quite a few times in early 70's and it often had LMS 12 wheel sleepers which added to the weight
Wouldn't locos in the middle of the train be a bit of a nuisance when it reversed at Folkestone Junction?
From the Disused Stations site http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/f/folkestone_harbour/index.shtmlI imagine it might relate to the coaches being on two platforms at the docks, and the two loads being strung together for the climb? I often wondered what the manoeuvres were at the junction, but I've seen photos of several lots of carriages up there at a time.
But I assume only one was in steam?How about the final run to the scrapyard as steam came to an end. Often convoys of locomotives
I have childhood memories of visiting Blackwell (at the top of the bank) in the late 1950s or early 60s, at a time when pannier tanks were in use as bankers, and I'm sure I remember seeing three used on some trains. I think they dropped off separately, ran back through a crossover, then coupled up again before heading back down to Bromsgrove. My other memory of the time is the unfitted freights ("goods trains" then) stopping at the top to have the wagon brakes pinned down ready to descend.
It was exactly the sort of thing I remember pointing out to my parents, who were bored of my interest in it and just wanted to get us down to the beach.
Just been watching a film clip of Lickey. A 9F on a northbound oil train banked by four pannier tanks. No suggestion that it was exceptional.
I never actually saw three locos on a Highland Main Line train but am aware it happened from time to time.
I went on a "Grand Tour of Scotland" railtour on 25 March 1967. It ran from Edinburgh via the Waverley Route to Carlisle, then via Beattock, Motherwell, Perth and Forfar to Aberdeen, before using the Speyside line to Aviemore and returning to Edinburgh via Perth and Falkirk. It was so popular that it loaded to 18 coaches (including, interestingly, some Bullied TSOs that had been sent north to replace Mk 1s taken for conversion for the Bournemouth line electrification). Back to topic, the run south from Aviemore to Perth was hauled by 3 Derby/Sulzer Type 2s (Later Class 24). Six Bells Junction website shows them as D5122, D5070 and D5127. Othre motive power was D368 + D1973 as far as Perth and Union of South Africa + 44997 Perth to Aberdeen and Perth back to Edinburgh. D5122 was added to the other 2 Type 2s at Aviemore. I remember it as an excellent day, the fare was 600 old pence (£2.50) for 600 miles.
I presume you must have been watching this clip? 5 locos on one train.Just been watching a film clip of Lickey. A 9F on a northbound oil train banked by four pannier tanks. No suggestion that it was exceptional.
I'm not sure if you're referrring to a particular class but I've definitely seen more than 6 in a convoy, especially when DBC are moving 66s around!Think there's a max number of light engines that can usually be coupled together; is it 6? You might see more, but I think that's when the train is classified slightly differently.