Trains where they shouldn't have been / weren't route cleared

[IanXC]

If an existing line is being enhanced or some sort of alteration, if removing an existing type of rolling stock that is 99% certain never to use the line makes it cheaper then its attempted. Pretty sure Oxford to Bicester had that.

Ah I see, interesting, thanks!

 

[mr_moo]

Ooof, more DIY gauging! I take it freight is ok through that platform now?

Quite probably!!

 

[apinnard]

A 395 got into Slade Green depot (intentionally) for their open day in 2013. I believe that move required a bit of paperwork.

 

[GB]

WOW! I wonder what happened to the driver and the signaller?

Nothing. There were no restrictions on the type of wagon (KRA) going through the station untill after this incident.

 

[LAX54]

In what way was that where it shouldn't have been or wasn't route cleared?

It was the DVT, it was unmodified, and thus was route restricted on the G.E I am sure someone can explain what was needed, better than me !

 

[Sean Davidson]

I'm sure I heard something about a Deltic once being used on the Kings Cross to Hartford suburban back when it was loco hauled, that must have been great.

 

[Spartacus]

Woolston Grange (6858) got as far as Huddersfield in 1964 on a saturday special from Bournemouth. Took out several feet of platform at Sheffield Victoria with one of its cylinders, but 'ploughed' on. Does this count?

A few of the platforms coming up to Huddersfield from there got a shaving too, as well as the rivet heads on the cylinder cover! It caused more problems at Huddersfield when it was realised it had created 25 inches of vacuum rather than the 21 the loco they'd put on the train was able to release, so more delay while someone went down the train pulling the strings.

More up to date there was the 90 that made it's way Llandudno Junction before someone realised they were certainly not cleared, locos through Woolley Tunnel that weren't cleared (37s with cab horns being a particularly issue during RHTT seasons), and a number of TPE's 170s were booked via Stourton before it was realised they weren't cleared, but that was more a paperwork issue as there was nothing physically to prevent them.

 

[TB]

A few years ago, when one return journey between Leeds and Ilkley was diesel operated (booked a 158 which then headed off to Carlisle after returning to Leeds), it arrived in Ilkley with a 153 leading the 158, despite the 153 being banned from the branch due to (IIRC) something to do with the airbags/suspension?

 

[LowLevel]

A year or two back the driver of a freight train took the road into platform 3 or 4 at Sheffield and caused chaos.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Someone who works as a signalman on the Metropolitan Line told me that once a Met train was signalled down the Chiltern Mainline towards Mayrelebone at Harrow on the Hill and the driver took it. The train didn't make it very far obviously.

 

[MadMac]

One other one that just came to mind was an EMU being sent down the freight-only and non-electrified Birdsfield Branch between Hamilton and Blantyre. By some miracle, no damage to the wires, but a great deal of disruption. There was also a loco that ended up in the dirt at Braidhurst depot in Motherwell after the driver thought the ‘H’ route indicator meant Holytown: it actually meant Headshunt.....

 

[Andyjs247]

Was a bit surprised to see Heathrow Express Class 387s in the Oxford Up Carriage Sidings on Saturday. It was originally planned for Class 387s to stable there so it wouldn’t be that unusual - apart from the lack of wires! Probably not route cleared though.

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

Winter 1986/87, I'm sure we had a class 56 coupled at the London end of a couple of EMUs and another loco at the country end of platform 4 at Charing Cross, also known as the middle road.

 

[Clarence Yard]

A 153 got to Liverpool St when it shouldn’t but the prize when I was at the Cross was a 312 taking the road into the milk dock instead of platform 9/10. The confused punters got out and one person headed up to Cheney Road with the rest gingerly following, seriously lost! The pan broke it’s back and ended up on the milk dock roof. The 312 had to be hauled away to Hornsey by “1 Shunt”, the station cl.31 pilot.

Back when the Anglia 170 units did Hull, one day there was a sudden block on at Ferme Park (a factory fire, iirc) and they were ready to go with one at KX so it was right away Hull via Copenhagen Tunnel, reverse, up the Incline to Camden Road, reverse, North London to Stratford, onto the GE, blast down the main, turn left at Ipswich, across to Ely, Peterborough and then booked route to Hull! Anglia was a “can do” outfit.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I am told that a 317 in passenger service on the up slow , heading for Radlett , was signalled (somehow) into the Redland Stone terminal at the latter point. Not confirmed , may be hearsay or anecdotal. (as many good stories are)

I'm sure I heard something about a Deltic once being used on the Kings Cross to Hartford suburban back when it was loco hauled, that must have been great.

Probably route cleared as a diversionary route - so no harm done.

 

[CW2]

When there was an engineering block at Rugby one weekend (in 2005 I think?), all the SB1C (Continental swapbody gauge) Saturday export trains to Dollands Moor and beyond were retimed to run via the Chilterns. Unfortunately the signaller seeing a 4Oxx headcde thought it was for Southampton, so pulled off for Reading. The signalling error was soon realised, but the signallers decided to say nothing and keep it going up the GWML to Acton. By sheer luck, there was a path available on the Up Main, so away it went (at some speed). It got to Dollands Moor unscathed, but if it had been routed on the Up Relief it would have made a nasty mess of a couple of bridges in the Slough area. (I assume these were sorted out when electrification took place).

 

[big all]

Was there an example of an HST being diverted to Waterloo during engineering works at Paddington, and it was the wrong 'type' of HST? I recall that some HSTs have some under-carriage gubbins which could foul the third rail, and others don't, and it was one of those with the under-carriage gubbins which was being used. Or was it just that GWR had to be careful as to which HSTs were used on the diversion route, so no error was made?

from memory it was hst with long swing arm links on the bogies that where the problem ??

 

[big all]

In the sixties or seventies - not sure when exactly, a GWR railcar was taken by rail to Robertsbridge for onward delivery to the Kent and East Sussex Railway. At the time, of course, the Hastings Line was SR Restriction 0, and only the Hastings DEMUs and Class 33/2s, and restricted-dimension wagons and vans were allowed on the line at the time due to the narrow tunnels. The bodywork was ballasted for the vehicle to lean inwards, and it made it successfully through the trip (although it must have been quite hairy in places).

as you are only taking 6" a course or two off extra bricks added due to skimping on materials to save money by the contractor over specification
as you would normally have several inches clear a bit off weight to the side would be more belt and braces

 

[LordFlashheart]

Wasn't there an incident in steam days of a Marylebone express ending up at Watford Met?

I'm sure I remember reading about it on this site but I can't find it now - or via Google.

I remember reading that it was the Master Cutler, headed by an A3. must have been quite a sight

 

[6026KingJohn]

In the early days of the Cross City electrification in Birmingham a signaller, used to sending ECS DMUs to Redditch along the fast line from Kings Norton, tried to send a class 310 that way. Only the slow lines were electrified (still the same now). About a week later I saw the unit at Lichfield and the twisted remains of the pantograph were still in the luggage compartment next to the guard.

 

[john prytherch]

I think one of the books on the Woodhead route recalls an incident in the 1960s, when a DC loco-hauled train arriving at Manchester Piccadilly off the Woodhead route was mistakenly signalled into an AC platform on the western side of the station. The driver realised the error, lowered the pantographs just before the point where a big bang would have happened, and skilfully managed to coast in and bring the train to a stand as if it had arrived normally! I don't know whether he would have had only the loco handbrake, or some vacuum braking would still have been available. Then there would have followed the embarrassing business of arranging for a diesel shunter to shunt the EM1 or EM2 (don't know which it was) back to the DC side.

The two King class locomotives that were fortunately rescued from Dai Woodham's scrapyard at Barry, were apparently sent there because another scrapyard to which they would have gone (Newport?) was full. They were of course outside the normal gauging dimension allowed for the Barry line, but no-one noticed this until they had got to Barry.

John Prytherch.

 

[Peter C]

Was a bit surprised to see Heathrow Express Class 387s in the Oxford Up Carriage Sidings on Saturday. It was originally planned for Class 387s to stable there so it wouldn’t be that unusual - apart from the lack of wires! Probably not route cleared though.

Apologies as this is a bit off topic, but is that unit still there? I found these photos of it being dragged to Oxford by a 37 in June:

387131 Culham 5 June 2020

37608 Culham 5 June 2020

-Peter

 

[jonnyfan]

At Hyde North on the down platform towards Manchester there are seemingly random chunks of the platform edge coping flags missing as the 142s used to smack into the platform edges! So the chunks removed stop that happening... with literally millimetres between the platform edge and the step on the 142s

 

[tomsy47]

I seem to recall that there were line side signs for Platform 0 at Kings Cross prohibiting diesel traction, however I’ve certainly seen a HST use it before they disappeared from the ECML. Not sure if that was a mistake.

 

[6862]

Apologies as this is a bit off topic, but is that unit still there? I found these photos of it being dragged to Oxford by a 37 in June:

387131 Culham 5 June 2020

37608 Culham 5 June 2020

-Peter

I'm pretty sure they were still there when I passed last weekend.

 

[Julia]

USA, not UK, but still, a freight definitely going somewhere it wasn't supposed to be

 

[matt_world2004]

Didn't a district line going to Ealing Broadway once end up at North Ealing.

 

[geoffk]

Woolston Grange (6858) got as far as Huddersfield in 1964 on a saturday special from Bournemouth. Took out several feet of platform at Sheffield Victoria with one of its cylinders, but 'ploughed' on. Does this count?

Also Castle 5050 went through to Portsmouth on a school outing from Bristol in 1962, a replacement loco at Salisbury not being available. The authorities had it impounded at Fratton shed.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Didn't a district line going to Ealing Broadway once end up at North Ealing.

All the way to South Harrow, as I understand it. The late District Dave himself, as he recounted in his own website.

 

[swt_passenger]

I seem to recall that there were line side signs for Platform 0 at Kings Cross prohibiting diesel traction, however I’ve certainly seen a HST use it before they disappeared from the ECML. Not sure if that was a mistake.

I suspect that was all about emissions and lack of ventilation affecting the low roof, and not a route clearance issue as such; the sectional appendix basically just says that if an HST or diesel hauled train finds itself in there accidentally the engines must be switched off until just before departure.