RTC - The Lindum Fayre - 3/12/16

With a degree of trepidation, was there a loco on both ends of the ECS?

 

I think there has to be as it reverses at Ferme Park so something on the back has to drag in to KGX.

 

I was on the 13.30 Aberdeen - Glasgow on 1st September 1965 when 'Kingfisher' ran off on her own near Laurencekirk as the train rapidly came to a halt! Ten minutes later she crept back, hitched up and off we went again.

After uncoupling from the train at Buchanan Street there was much prodding around and discussion about the buckeye on the coach!

 

Things were definitely done differently back then.

 

There was a case in the early days of the Britannias of the engine parting company with the tender at speed, I think on a Norwich express. That would have be rather alarming for the crew as the tender and train would have come to a stand when the vacuum pipe was severed but the loco was steam braked so th eonly metod of stopping was to wind it in reverse and open the regulator. The fireman probably had a lot to thank the full footplate for, a conventional fall plate could have easily seen him fall off the engine. I believe this incident resulted in some modification to the loco/tender coupling

 

Most unusually, this ECS movement was booked to reverse at Southall, then again at Mitre Bridge Jn (where the incident took place), then at Willesden no 7, again at Acton Main line and finally at Hornsey. I suspect it would have had diesel+steam at one end and a diesel at the other.

 

One Saturday in the 1960s (I've forgotten when) I was on the 0835 Waterloo which came to an abrupt halt near Wallers Ash, fortunately not in the tunnel. The fireman walked back along the track to see what had happened, came back and reported to the driver that we had lost the last coach! Within a very short time the passengers were transferred to the rest of the train using ladders from the brake coach and off we went! The coach was left to be collected by a loco which had been in the yard at Micheldever when we passed. As others have said, things were done differently in those days.

 

"Iron Duke" parted from its tender once. On "The Palatine" I think it was.

 

Locos at the time of the incident were 46233 on the Willesden end and 47237 on the Kensington end.

 

Yes,dropping down from Peak Forest to Manchester Central ,near Chinley.

 

My reply was to a 1960s incident.

 

So neither train to Lincoln on the 3rd ran in the end. Sad day for steam on the mainline, the passengers and Lincoln's market traders.

 

I've done a search of NIRs, I cannot post details because the access is for industry professionals only. But I can tell you that there is on average one train divided train caused by coupler/ drawbar failure per year.
The majority of them seem to be passenger trains formed of relatively modern stock where high stressed components fail, or fail to couple properly due to lack of lubrication.
The last incident concerning Mark 1s was in 2001, where the Buckeye had been smashed by collision!

 

Do you know......I have a vague memory of being on this train! Would it have been a Weymouth train? I'm almost certain I remember it, everyone looking out of the windows to see what was going on.......and people walking along the track and ladders stir a distant memory! Wish I could find out more about this incident........Don't think we knew exactly what had happened though......

 

There was a report about it plus pictures in one of the magazines at the time. I may have a copy, I'll have a look.

 

Does anyone think that the standards of passenger stock need improvement after Saturday's event?

 

Get the feeling Barry is rapidly losing interest. The coaches don't seem to be cared for as well as they used to be and Riveira Trains have been selling more coaches than they are refurbishing of late.

 

Thanks Alan, I'd love to see that!

 

Said for a while that travelling in a 1960's coach, should not mean 1960's conditions.....

Their are notable exceptions of course.