London to Edinburgh Train: Well Radge Moment

[Deodato]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist. 

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way. 

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time. 

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

 

 

[Dunks]

#realworldproblems

 

[Cade]

Had that happen to me a few times in Newcastle between Embra and London.

[davemclaren]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist.

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way.

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time.

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

Must have been unsettling for a few minutes.

[Francis Albert]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist. 

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way. 

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time. 

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

Hugely impressed that your bairns read The Economist!

[William H. Bonney]

I work in the railway and that's by far the radgest(sp) story I've ever heard.

[Jamhammer]

When I got posted up here with the RAF I came up on the train. When it arrived at Haymarket I thought I was still in England cos that's where the orse racing is. I was only 17 mind and greener than Lennon's teeth.

[Deodato]

Professor Alvin Chipmunk won the Nobel Prize, ken. 

 

Hugely impressed that your bairns read The Economist!

[King Of The Cat Cafe]

First time ever I travelled by train from Glasgow to Edinburgh I got off at Haymarket because I thought that was the end of the line

[Angry Haggis]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist. 

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way. 

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time. 

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

 

Happened to me once - crazy. 

[Better call Saul]

Why does haymarket have a platform 5 (I think it's 5 ) and it's never used .

[IronJambo]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist.

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way.

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time.

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

Sounds mad. Were you actually in the station twice? Platformed twice? Only a couple of logical things I can think of:

 

Maybe you had an irregular dwell time so they sent you in a loop to get you out the way until your scheduled departure (letting other trains pass).

 

Possibly wrong routed into a platform that you can't leave for Edinburgh from?

[IronJambo]

Why does haymarket have a platform 5 (I think it's 5 ) and it's never used .

Platformed 0 maybe? http://www.describe-online.com/br/edinburghhaymarket/changeplatforms.htm

[FWJ]

Wasn't platform 0 built to provide some extra capacity when some trains terminated at Haymarket because there was work going on at Waverley. Or something....

 

If you travel from the south to Mallaig the train 'changes direction' in Ft William and you travel the last 40 miles backwards.

[graygo]

Got well oiled after work in Glasgow once and got the last train home, promptly fell asleep and had to jump off the train between Waverley and the cleaning depot at Abbeyhill to save the guard an arse kicking for not checking the train was empty. It's a surprisingly big drop when there isn't a platform.

 

Happened again a few weeks later so in my wisdom I decided to get the train a wee bit earlier, got myself a coffee and settled down with my rail pass on the table. Shut my eyes for a minute or two, opened them and looked outside - we were still in Queen Street.

 

Tried my coffee and it was stone cold, looked out at the station clock and it was nearly midnight - I had slept all the way to Edinburgh and back.

 

To make things worse my earlier train to Edinburgh had turned into the last train to Glasgow and there was no trains back to Edinburgh so it was back to a nightclub till 4am and the train back after 6am.

 

I don't get trains anymore. 

[Dunks]

Is platform 0 not for the football specials?

[IronJambo]

Is platform 0 not for the football specials?

Aye, 3 football specials everyday.

[John Findlay]

Platform 0 was built to deal with Fife circle trains when Waverley was upgraded about 6yrs ago now. It still gets used to stable sets when no room at the depot. Is used for quick turnarounds when trains are running late.

[hmfc_liam06]

Why does haymarket have a platform 5 (I think it's 5 ) and it's never used .

Decent boozer.

[A Boy Named Crow]

JKB

 

On the train up to Edinburgh, a journey I've done more times than Hibs have had hot dinners. Nothing unusual - table seat, bairns watching Alvin Chipmonks and reading The Economist.

 

Then we pull into Newcastle. Okay. And then, we pull away - in the opposite direction. Not okay. Imagine sitting in the direction of travel for three hours, and then finding yourself staring the opposite way.

 

Radge. You bet. What happens is the train now loops into Newcastle so you enter back to front. Had the whole train baffled as no one explained how it happened. Not to worry, scheduled to hit the town at 7pm tonight bang on time.

 

That's my radge experience on the train, what's yours?

 

Deodato

I trust the children were using earphones, aye?

[skinnybob72]

Assume you were travelling north? That being the case it sounds like your train went along towards Gateshead and then over the High Level Bridge thus entering from the north. Normally you would come in over the King Edward VII Bridge and into the station from the south. That being the case you would change direction of travel from forward facing to travelling backwards as the train left for Edinburgh.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

Got well oiled after work in Glasgow once and got the last train home, promptly fell asleep and had to jump off the train between Waverley and the cleaning depot at Abbeyhill to save the guard an arse kicking for not checking the train was empty. It's a surprisingly big drop when there isn't a platform.

 

Happened again a few weeks later so in my wisdom I decided to get the train a wee bit earlier, got myself a coffee and settled down with my rail pass on the table. Shut my eyes for a minute or two, opened them and looked outside - we were still in Queen Street.

 

Tried my coffee and it was stone cold, looked out at the station clock and it was nearly midnight - I had slept all the way to Edinburgh and back.

 

To make things worse my earlier train to Edinburgh had turned into the last train to Glasgow and there was no trains back to Edinburgh so it was back to a nightclub till 4am and the train back after 6am.

 

I don't get trains anymore. 

 

Not quite in the same vein but it does involve sleeping on a train.

When I worked in West Germany in the late 80s I was on good enough money to be able to fly home once a month for a game normally with BA from Dusseldorf to Edinburgh via Heathrow or Birmingham but on this particular weekend I had to pay extra and fly to Glasgow from Cologne. Flight company were called DLT who were part of Lufthansa and as anyone who ever flew with Lufthansa in those days will know, all drinks were free on board.

There were 12 of us on the return flight (36 seater), we nearly had a stewardess each, totally bolloxed by the time we landed but managed to get on the bus to Cologne railway station then the problems started. Found the correct platform and spotted a train with Siegburg on the side of it (my train always went through Siegburg) but alas it didn't go as far as Siegan. Sound asleep on the train I was woke by the guard in a siding in some godforsaken place called Au, marched by the guard across the tracks where he put me into the station pub (like that was needed) to await my proper train.

[Deodato]

Bruv - this post needs to be read out on the tannoy of the 3pm London to Stirling train - you've solved what eight carriages couldn't work out. Everyone was scratching heads, but this makes sense.

 

Hat tip Skinnyboy72.

 

Thanks you.

 

Assume you were travelling north? That being the case it sounds like your train went along towards Gateshead and then over the High Level Bridge thus entering from the north. Normally you would come in over the King Edward VII Bridge and into the station from the south. That being the case you would change direction of travel from forward facing to travelling backwards as the train left for Edinburgh.

[North Berwick Jambo]

I once staggered into Haymarket on a Saturday morning still steaming from the night before hoping to catch the train to watch us play at Motherwell. I fell asleep not long after I got on & I woke up just as the train reached the last station & everyone started to get off. At this point I notice the platform is strangely packed with loads of Rangers fans & I start getting a few funny looks at my Hearts scarf, then I look up to discover I was in Dundee.

[Mister T]

Got on the first train to liverpool, which reversed into Carstairs to deliver the papers. On the way back the train stopped at currie hill station for an hour and a half due to a cracked rail at haymarket. Guard wouldn't let anyone off as the train wasn't scheduled to stop there even although it was right at the platform. I could have walked home from there.

[scott herbertson]

 

 

 

Some random radge Hibs fan telling us how many they would beat us by on the way up to a certain game in 2012 - too much to drink , clearly

[IronJambo]

Assume you were travelling north? That being the case it sounds like your train went along towards Gateshead and then over the High Level Bridge thus entering from the north. Normally you would come in over the King Edward VII Bridge and into the station from the south. That being the case you would change direction of travel from forward facing to travelling backwards as the train left for Edinburgh.

Very strange that guard didn't tell people they were on a diversionary route. I'm assuming the train sets down in Newcastle for a fair few minutes whilst the driver changes ends as well with everyone on board wondering why they're still in Newcastle!

[skinnybob72]

Very strange that guard didn't tell people they were on a diversionary route. I'm assuming the train sets down in Newcastle for a fair few minutes whilst the driver changes ends as well with everyone on board wondering why they're still in Newcastle!

They may have had problems with the lead power car (the KX - Stirling train will be an HST which has power cars at both ends) and doing this puts the one with the problems to the rear of the train. The move could only be done with a diesel train as the diversion it took has no overhead wires - most ECML express trains are electric.

[Fitzroy Pointon]

We got the overnight train to London once, probably about 1992. One of they slow efforts, left at 10pm arrived into London about 7am. Me, my parents, my sister and her pal. We sat across the isle from my parents. So they ended up sat with two Rangers fans who were travelling to London to go to a Chelsea game. Now these guys were not the kind you would want to grapple with but they were sound enough and had brought a massive carry out (cans of mcewans lager and a litre of whisky). So they offered out the cans and whisky and got my old man pretty pissed up. Around that time there was a promotion in Ribena cartons where if your Ribena tasted of lime you won money. It said on the front "have you found Larry the Lime?". So one of the Rangers fans grabs my carton and shouts down the carriage "Has anyone found Larry the lime" to which someone with an apparent death wish shouts back "aye av fun 'im n heez doon here tryin tae huv a ****in kip". Of course that sets mental Rangers fan 1 off and it took a lot of effort from my old man to calm him down or I'm pretty sure it would have got messy.

 

Anyway this kind of behaviour carries on until we get to London where the mental Rangers fans depart leaving my old man well oiled and looking for a trolley for the bags. It's at that point sister's mate (16 at the time) breaks down and tells my mum that mental Rangers fan no1 cornered her in the wee bit between carriages and tried to kiss her. This sets my old man off who goes after them only to have to be calmed down as I genuinely believe they could have killed him. He tried to tell a guard but being pissed up they wouldn't listen.

 

That was pretty radge that night.

 

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

[Silvery_Moon]

I remember a similar thing would happen at Carstairs station in the 80's. We would arrive from Edinburgh in one direction then to head south would go back the way we had came from. No idea if it still happens.

[Pistol1874]

 

 

Some random radge Hibs fan telling us how many they would beat us by on the way up to a certain game in 2012 - too much to drink , clearly

You might've added an R to correct his t-shirt.

[Francis Albert]

Talking about radge moments, I decided to try to book a day trip for the Ross County game only to discover that British Airways does not offer any flights from Edinburgh to London after 6pm on the Saturday and Virgin no direct train from Edinburgh to London after 5pm.

 

I thought this was the 21st century not the 19th.

[IronJambo]

They may have had problems with the lead power car (the KX - Stirling train will be an HST which has power cars at both ends) and doing this puts the one with the problems to the rear of the train. The move could only be done with a diesel train as the diversion it took has no overhead wires - most ECML express trains are electric.

That would obviously make sense as well (I work HST's so know the deal). I'm sure there could be many scenarios for why it happened but not many that explain why there was no mention onboard about what was going on.

 

Still, your route knowledge has made it much more sensible than it sounded in the op.

[davemclaren]

Talking about radge moments, I decided to try to book a day trip for the Ross County game only to discover that British Airways does not offer any flights from Edinburgh to London after 6pm on the Saturday and Virgin no direct train from Edinburgh to London after 5pm.

 

I thought this was the 21st century not the 19th.

 

That does seem a bit ridiculous.

[IronJambo]

Talking about radge moments, I decided to try to book a day trip for the Ross County game only to discover that British Airways does not offer any flights from Edinburgh to London after 6pm on the Saturday and Virgin no direct train from Edinburgh to London after 5pm.

 

I thought this was the 21st century not the 19th.

BA do 19:30 to Heathrow and easyjet do a 20:35 to Gatwick

[The Internet]

I once had a free first class pass for Scotrail. Got on the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh only to be told there was no first class carriage. Ragin.

[pablo]

Talking about radge moments, I decided to try to book a day trip for the Ross County game only to discover that British Airways does not offer any flights from Edinburgh to London after 6pm on the Saturday and Virgin no direct train from Edinburgh to London after 5pm.

 

I thought this was the 21st century not the 19th.

There's 3 flights to London after 6pm on the day of the game Francis.

[Francis Albert]

That does seem a bit ridiculous.

I was about to book the 17.55 from Waverley but spotted in time that it's arrival time of 10.20 meant 10.20 the following morning after an overnight stop in York. Over 16 hours journey time. I take back what I said about the 19th century - I am sure it was quicker then!

[Francis Albert]

There's 3 flights to London after 6pm on the day of the game Francis.

BA do 19:30 to Heathrow and easyjet do a 20:35 to Gatwick

Aplogies, you are right. I was wrong about BA - there is a 19.30 but combining with the only available outbound flights from Heathrow costs about ?340 return! The demise of Virgin Red has made Heathrow to Edinburgh unaffordable.

 

In the end I opted for the "budget" Easyjet option for a mere ?220 odd return.

[Francis Albert]

There's 3 flights to London after 6pm on the day of the game Francis.

The only BA option I got was the 19.30, as above.

[pablo]

Aplogies, you are right. I was wrong about BA - there is a 19.30 but combining with the only available outbound flights from Heathrow costs about ?340 return! The demise of Virgin Red has made Heathrow to Edinburgh unaffordable.

 

In the end I opted for the "budget" Easyjet option for a mere ?220 odd return.

You're not wrong about BA taking the piss with the Heathrow flights. I had heard a rumour that Flybe were getting the vacant Little Red slots which should at least encourage BA to think about their fares.

[davemclaren]

Aplogies, you are right. I was wrong about BA - there is a 19.30 but combining with the only available outbound flights from Heathrow costs about ?340 return! The demise of Virgin Red has made Heathrow to Edinburgh unaffordable.

 

In the end I opted for the "budget" Easyjet option for a mere ?220 odd return.

A pensioner special.

[SwindonJambo]

We got the overnight train to London once, probably about 1992. One of they slow efforts, left at 10pm arrived into London about 7am. Me, my parents, my sister and her pal. We sat across the isle from my parents. So they ended up sat with two Rangers fans who were travelling to London to go to a Chelsea game. Now these guys were not the kind you would want to grapple with but they were sound enough and had brought a massive carry out (cans of mcewans lager and a litre of whisky). So they offered out the cans and whisky and got my old man pretty pissed up. Around that time there was a promotion in Ribena cartons where if your Ribena tasted of lime you won money. It said on the front "have you found Larry the Lime?". So one of the Rangers fans grabs my carton and shouts down the carriage "Has anyone found Larry the lime" to which someone with an apparent death wish shouts back "aye av fun 'im n heez doon here tryin tae huv a ****** kip". Of course that sets mental Rangers fan 1 off and it took a lot of effort from my old man to calm him down or I'm pretty sure it would have got messy.

Anyway this kind of behaviour carries on until we get to London where the mental Rangers fans depart leaving my old man well oiled and looking for a trolley for the bags. It's at that point sister's mate (16 at the time) breaks down and tells my mum that mental Rangers fan no1 cornered her in the wee bit between carriages and tried to kiss her. This sets my old man off who goes after them only to have to be calmed down as I genuinely believe they could have killed him. He tried to tell a guard but being pissed up they wouldn't listen.

That was pretty radge that night.

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

Those overnight seated trains between Glasgow/Edinburgh and London were notorious for trouble - they frequently had to make unscheduled stops at intermediate stations to remove people. I think they were eventually discontinued sometime in the mid 90s for that very reason.

 

Here's my tale of woe. At the very end of the 80s, I was at the bar at Waverley and got talking to another young traveller about to catch the same overnight seated train to Euston, leaving at 11pm ish. He turned out to be a fellow Jambo and said he was a sailor, due on duty at Pompey at noon the next day so cutting it a bit fine.

 

We boarded our carriage and I just happened to be carrying a bottle of Drambuie, as you do . He nicked a glass from the pub and I poured a large measure each. Being silly young boys in our early 20s and pre Internet, we exchanged very rude jokes doing the rounds in the respective circles we moved in, whereupon about half the other passengers on the carriage got up and moved to a different carriage.

 

We were delayed a little while and I was drinking at a somewhat rapid rate. A short while into the journey, the Sailor said he was off to 'chat up some women'. I didn't and don't do accosting strangers, stayed put and soon lost consciousness.....

 

The next thing I knew, I was being shaken by the shoulders, and after a little while, I regained consciousness. I looked up to see that I was surrounded by cops! Out came the cuffs, the rest of my booze (not very much!) was confiscated and one of them carried my luggage. I was frogmarched out and marched along the platform past a whole 8 carriage train of disgusted passengers. I am guessing that I was removed because of whatever the sailor had been up to and when he took them to his seat to retrieve his luggage, they found me, slumped in my seat, unconscious with a nearly empty bottle of Drambuie on the table in front of me and decided they might want to take me too. But I was so pissed that I couldn't even remember if he'd been lifted too.

 

We were at Carlisle Station, an unscheduled stop. I was taken to the Police Station in the meat wagon, where my shoelaces, belt and pocket contents were also confiscated. I was then shown into a cell with a rock hard mattress and no linen and a bog pan with no paper, thankfully not required. So I was left to reflect that for the 1st and to date only time in my life, I'd been lifted and detained at her Majesty's Pleasure overnight. Hmmm.

 

When I awoke the next day, feeling like utter shit, I was released and went to reception, where Cumbria Police were actually quite civil and helpful, I got a caution for 'Drunk and Incapable', had to sign some stuff and they said I was arrested for my own safety. They said, thankfully, there would be no paperwork(I still lived with my parents at the time and they STILL don't know to this day ) By 9am I was on my way and I dug out my train ticket. By an immense stroke of luck, the guard hadn't date stamped my ticket until after midnight (and shortly before I lost consciousness) so I was able to continue to London at no extra cost!

 

I'm not a big drinker at all nowadays but I knew I'd been recklessly foolish and getting lifted for my own safety was probably a good bit of judgment by the Polis there.

[1874robbo]

That would obviously make sense as well (I work HST's so know the deal). I'm sure there could be many scenarios for why it happened but not many that explain why there was no mention onboard about what was going on.

 

Still, your route knowledge has made it much more sensible than it sounded in the op.

Why would they announce it? It's about a 3 minute diversion if signalled all the way in and not held on the high level.

[IronJambo]

Why would they announce it? It's about a 3 minute diversion if signalled all the way in and not held on the high level.

It clearly caused confusion on board with passengers thinking they may be going the wrong direction. Folk do silly things and pull passcoms to stop the train so they can get off.

 

It also has to be more then a 3 minute diversion in total since it takes a driver an average of 7 minutes to change ends of the train. Ten minute diversion then, that includes sitting stationary for no apparent reason and going the wrong direction for no apparent reason. No reason to to tell the passengers at all then.

[1874robbo]

It clearly caused confusion on board with passengers thinking they may be going the wrong direction. Folk do silly things and pull passcoms to stop the train so they can get off.

 

It also has to be more then a 3 minute diversion in total since it takes a driver an average of 7 minutes to change ends of the train. Ten minute diversion then, that includes sitting stationary for no apparent reason and going the wrong direction for no apparent reason. No reason to to tell the passengers at all then.

I'm sure the announcements of "welcome on board the east coast train to Edinburgh calling at alnmouth etc" would suffice no?

And I'm sure this would have been announced

Also who said it caused confusion on board?

It caused Deodato confusion possibly not anyone else.

[GlasgoJambo]

Well Radge Moment - train takes alternative route.

[heartgarfunkel]

Some great tales of train woe and time/space/bevvy continuum mystery here.  In fifth or sixth year at school I went up to Aberdeen University on my tod on the train as they didn't do open days back then.  I phoned my old dear from the station and she said she'd pick me up from Waverley and I could drive home with the L plates on.  She wan't too impressed when I was carried off the train by the friendly oil rig geezers who had befriended me on the journey.  They were heading back to England on leave and 'felt sorry' for me because I was 'at school'.  Top, top, guys - their sympathy consisted of allowing me to knock back cans of McEwan's Export, slug Glenfiddich liberally from the bottle, and they even had a whip round, sending me off the train with over ?50 in cash stuffed into my coat (I'd refused it) and all of the jazz mags they'd bought at Aberdeen station.  I'm sure I could only have been on the train two hours tops?

[IronJambo]

I'm sure the announcements of "welcome on board the east coast train to Edinburgh calling at alnmouth etc" would suffice no?

And I'm sure this would have been announced

Also who said it caused confusion on board?

It caused Deodato confusion possibly not anyone else.

Not sufficient at all. The general public are morons.

[scott herbertson]

Some great tales of train woe and time/space/bevvy continuum mystery here.  In fifth or sixth year at school I went up to Aberdeen University on my tod on the train as they didn't do open days back then.  I phoned my old dear from the station and she said she'd pick me up from Waverley and I could drive home with the L plates on.  She wan't too impressed when I was carried off the train by the friendly oil rig geezers who had befriended me on the journey.  They were heading back to England on leave and 'felt sorry' for me because I was 'at school'.  Top, top, guys - their sympathy consisted of allowing me to knock back cans of McEwan's Export, slug Glenfiddich liberally from the bottle, and they even had a whip round, sending me off the train with over ?50 in cash stuffed into my coat (I'd refused it) and all of the jazz mags they'd bought at Aberdeen station.  I'm sure I could only have been on the train two hours tops?

 

 

Did my post grad for a year at Robert Gordons in Aberdeen in 1980/1 and had quite a few trips down on Fridays for Saturday games. Rarely fell off the train at Waverley sober and once woke up in Newcastle. It was impossible to avoid Geordie oilmen with stacks of money and mental carry out syndrome