Steam to the Rescue?

In 1986, 35028 Clan Line worked some specials between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction on three Saturdays in October and on one occasion, took a few "normal" passengers as well. (Forum members may not think I'm normal, but that''s another story!) Anyway, this is my account of October 11th:-

I didn't think I stood a chance of getting a ticket for these specials and they did sell out very quickly. However, I wanted at least to photograph the train. After all, who would have thought back in the 1980s when the former SR lines were pretty well no-go to steam that I would ever record a Bulleid pacific with the "West of England" headcode discs on that very line? Not being able to drive a car at the time, I travelled by train to Gillingham, along with my bike and cycled to the overbridge east of Buckhorn Weston Tunnel. Clan Line passed by a few minutes later - a respectable exhaust and in bright autumn sunshine. If that had been the end of the excitement for day I would still have gone home very happy, but the best was yet to come. On my return to Gillingham, there were a few other enthusiasts on the platform and the subject naturally turned to Clan Line and the steam special. So engrossed was I in conversation that I didn't notice that my train back to Salisbury hadn't turned up. Suddenly, there was an announcement: "Due to the failure of a westbound service at Axminister, Eastbound trains are delayed. Passengers for Tisbury and Salisbury are advised to join the steam-hauled train that will be arriving shortly." Wow!

Gillingham has a short platform and when Clan Line turned up, the only accessible brake vehicle was the support coach. I did ask, but no chance of putting my bike in that. Sudden panic, but I wasn't missing this, not for anything! In the end, I just hopped into the vestibule of a TSO, bike and all. No one seemed to mind. Most of the enthusiasts on board this coach were shall we say, a bit well-oiled! It was only just over 20 miles to Salisbury and I don't think we touched more than 63mph on the downhill from Semley. In terms of performance, hardly the most exciting main line run I have been on, but because of the unexpected nature of the journey, one of the most memorable.

By contrast, I have a friend who was on a run in 2003 behind 60009 (also on the way back form Yeovil, but this time an SD trip back to Waterloo) when it picked up some passengers due to a failure of the service train ( I can't remember where, probably Salisbury or Andover). My friend and his wife found themselves near two teenage girls who had hopped on. They had no idea the train they had joined had a steam loco on front until someone told them! They seemed pretty excited about this when they were told, but I bet they didn't enjoy themselves half as much as I did back in 1986.

 

I remember in a copy of RM from the late 90's, that Taw Valley was in Carlisle awaiting the arrival of it's railtour train to take it south. While awaiting it's train, it was urgently requested to rescue a class 86 which had failed with it's freight train somewhere south of Carlisle on the WCML. Sadly, as the crew were quickly readying the loco for departure, the class 86 spluttered back into life and managed to made it Carlisle. Ah well.

 

I am surprised nobody has mentioned this yet!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8428097.stm

I remember it well. Thanks to the A1 Trust - I do chuckle still at Mark Allatt's closing remarks:

 

Never known an 86 splutter, whirr defo! but never splutter!

 

Just to turn this one on its head I've a copy of a Steam Railway with a pic of 5593 at Keighley (KWVR) and the caption underneath states that the KWVR's class 25 ventured onto the mainline to rescue it so where did this rescue occur? Struggling to find anything on Sixbells Jcn so just thought Id throw it out there. Maybe someone Like @BenVintageTrains might know?

 

Internet playing up I'll leave it to the morbing

 

In the 1990's on the MHR 92203 had to rescue 73096 which had slipped to a stand on Medstead Bank coming up from Alton. The crew of 73096 could not get her moving again so the 9F was summoned from her train at Medstead to pull 73096 up over the summit. Most of us on the train thought 92203 would do it easily but the damp conditions proved tricky for the 9F too. It provided one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard on the MHR as both loco's fought against the bank.

 

Had an almost identical situation on the MHR myself. Can't remember when but the "victim" loco was 76017 & the "rescuer" was (30)506 I believe.
Not sure if 76017 actually slipped to a halt or was just low on steam pressure.

 

Thanks Martin, I wonder what would be the case were it to happen today?! Then Tyseleys Engines dont break down do they?!

 

I seem to remember 850 was uncoupled from 925 at M&4M and sent towards Alton to assist 34007 on a wet day at a gala a couple of years ago. Bit of a theme developing...

 

Again slightly off topic but I remember having D821 at the SVR and on the 1st train of the day and it struggled up Highley Bank. So the driver was asked did he want a pilot sent from Bridgo? 'No thanks I can do this' so set back to the Engine House and rushed the bank! Rather a surreal experiance to go charging non stop through Highley station at a rather rapid rate of knots!

 

Well you would put a depot in Oxley...

 

On the Torbay Express 2015 thread

Edited to correct the wrong thread title that I pasted in by mistake.

 

Does the TOC whose train was cancelled now have to pay a fee to either the TOC who operated the railtour or the railtour promoter?

 

As John Petley recalls Clan Line did indeed double up as a service train. It was 11th October 1986. The 16.18 Exeter to Waterloo had failed somewhere between Exeter and Yeovil Jnc. It was decided that Clan Line's train would then become that train which was due off Yeovil Jnc at 17.23. Clan Line was not due to leave until 17.43. The first I knew about it was Clan Line whistling furiously. I along with others were the other side of the line and it was only my wife who had hold of my two year old lad yelling across from the carriage droplight that we were going! Running back under the subway I just got on in time as we left at 17.32 eleven minutes early. The train needed the early departure so as not to delay the Exeter bound train it was due to pass at Wilton. We had speeds in the late 70's and cut forty minutes off our schedule. I do remember some passengers having to be persuaded that this really was the Waterloo train....change at Salisbury, as we called at Templecombe, Gillingham and Tisbury.

 

Dutch example of last saturday:





Catenary was pulled down by a lorry and 4-car EMU lost one of its pantographs.
Kind regards
Jos Koopmans

 

Photo of this event here (not my photo) :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128839707@N03/20201732701/

 

Some nice S&C photos of 25s in there too, brings back memories of the early-mid '80s. My God, 35 years ago... Where's it all gone?

Richard.