Route / Traction Knowlage

A colleague of mine was telling me of a conversation that he had been party to at Stafford, between the driver of an E.M.U. on a Stafford - Wolverhampton stopper, and someone working in control.
Driver (Already in conversation with control) - So what is the problem?
Control - Failed train infront of you, just north of Penkridge, nothing is going down the main line to Wolverhmpton for a while.
D - No problem control, but I will need relieving soon.
C - Hold on, we have had an idea.
D - Go on, let's have it.
C - Do you sign the road over the Chase? (The live via Cannock to Walsall)
D - Yes, I sign the Chase.
C - Good, In that case, we will send you over the Chase to Walsall, then direct to Wolverhampton that way, and bus the passengers in from Penkridge.
D - Understood, you are sending me Via the Chase and Walsall to Wolverhampton.
C - That is correct.
D - One question control, where do I pick up the Diesel?
C - Not with you?
D - Well, there are no wires over the Chase.
C - And?
D - It is an electric unit.
Stunned silence
C - Are you sure?
D - Fairly sure, I can go and look again if you really want me to.
C - Well that has just kna****ed that plan then hasn't it?

 

A similar situation almost happened to a friend of mine when he was at Arpley, Warrington. One of their jobs was the overnight Glasgow - Wrexham steels, working it from Kingmoor to Bank Quay with double headed electrics. From there, two Class 20s took it through via Helsby and Chester.

One morning, as he headed somewhere south of Preston, he noticed two 20s heading north. He had a signal check through Wigan and Springs Branch Liverpool Jct, but this cleared as he approached and he carried on to Warrington. The 20s weren't there, and he was asked to carry the train on to Crewe, where a diesel attached to the back end and went over the Crewe - Chester line, he taking the electrics back to Warrington.

He heard the story later. The line through to Helsby was, for some reason, blocked, so the controller decided to route the train through to Edge Hill, there reverse and take it via Runcorn. Realising that there were no wires from Wigan to Edge Hill, he sent the 20s north to Preston to take it from there, but the steels were a bit earlier than anticipated and my mate had already gone through Preston; these were the two 20s he'd seen. The controller's relief at the shift change failed to realise that they had missed and he still had electric traction, and had actually set the road for the St Helens line when the 20s' driver reported in. Hence the signal check at Springs Branch.

Interesting to speculate on the results had the route still been set for the branch, and my mate had taken it!