On Wednesday afternoon, travelling via WAGN to Moorgate, just before
Harringay I noticed an outward bound train, mainly stock but with a
mysterious Police labelled train at the back. I was unsure if this was
powering/pushing the coaches in front (I only got a quick glance) but it was
mainly white with an orange mid-section with huge words POLICE. Not very
conspicuous. Does anyone know what it would be? I was quite bemused that the
police should have their own locomotive.

M.

"Morton" wrote in message ...
On Wednesday afternoon, travelling via WAGN to Moorgate, just before
Harringay I noticed an outward bound train, mainly stock but with a
mysterious Police labelled train at the back. I was unsure if this was
powering/pushing the coaches in front (I only got a quick glance) but it was
mainly white with an orange mid-section with huge words POLICE. Not very
conspicuous. Does anyone know what it would be? I was quite bemused that the
police should have their own locomotive.

M.

As there seems to be no reply to this (I post via googlegroups, so
they may not be visible yet), I'll put in some words here.

The "Police" loco is just a run of the mill loco (class 47, if you're
interested), with no direct connection with any police force. It was
painted in that livery as part of a campaign against route crime
(vandalism and the like).

Nowadays, it is owned by one of the smaller rolling stock leasing
companies, who supply it at short notice and/or on short term lease to
anyone who needs a locomotive. Presumably in this case it was being
used to move spare coaches around.

Hope this is of interest.

PhilD

--

As there seems to be no reply to this (I post via googlegroups, so
they may not be visible yet), I'll put in some words here.

The "Police" loco is just a run of the mill loco (class 47, if you're
interested), with no direct connection with any police force. It was
painted in that livery as part of a campaign against route crime
(vandalism and the like).



So basically they thought driving a train around with the word POLICE on
it would stop crime on rail routes? Why wouldn't the criminals just run
away from the track? *waves fist*

Dan

On 10 Sep 2004 00:19:05 -0700, (PhilD) wrote:

"Morton" wrote in message ...
On Wednesday afternoon, travelling via WAGN to Moorgate, just before
Harringay I noticed an outward bound train, mainly stock but with a
mysterious Police labelled train at the back. I was unsure if this was
powering/pushing the coaches in front (I only got a quick glance) but it was
mainly white with an orange mid-section with huge words POLICE. Not very
conspicuous. Does anyone know what it would be? I was quite bemused that the
police should have their own locomotive.

M.

As there seems to be no reply to this (I post via googlegroups, so
they may not be visible yet), I'll put in some words here.

The "Police" loco is just a run of the mill loco (class 47, if you're
interested), with no direct connection with any police force. It was
painted in that livery as part of a campaign against route crime
(vandalism and the like).

I thought though that it was used by the British Transport Police as
part of such campaigns. I also thought that it was used specifically on
trips when the police and railway staff wished to travel along "hot
spot" routes and then leap out and grab offenders who were committing
criminal acts? Perhaps I am misrembering the feature on the
Trainspotting series that is shown on Discovery Home and Leisure every
so often. Lew Adams - ex gen sec of ASLEF - was involved in getting the
loco set up for its new role.

Nowadays, it is owned by one of the smaller rolling stock leasing
companies, who supply it at short notice and/or on short term lease to
anyone who needs a locomotive. Presumably in this case it was being
used to move spare coaches around.

Obviously it needs to earn its keep when it's not on patrol.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

"PhilD" wrote in message
om...
"Morton" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday afternoon, travelling via WAGN to Moorgate, just before
Harringay I noticed an outward bound train, mainly stock but with a
mysterious Police labelled train at the back. I was unsure if this was
powering/pushing the coaches in front (I only got a quick glance) but it
was
mainly white with an orange mid-section with huge words POLICE.

The "Police" loco is just a run of the mill loco (class 47, if you're
interested), with no direct connection with any police force. It was
painted in that livery as part of a campaign against route crime
(vandalism and the like).

Nowadays, it is owned by one of the smaller rolling stock leasing
companies, who supply it at short notice and/or on short term lease to
anyone who needs a locomotive. Presumably in this case it was being
used to move spare coaches around.

Ah. Interesting. It was pushing a load of rolling stock carriages in front.
The first one being pushed was slightly different than the rest (different
colour I think). A quick google and I've found it. It's 47829:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/markshipma...pe4/47829a.htm
http://www.trainspotting.tv/series/police.htm

The article is what Paul Corfield is referring to.

M.

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...

I thought though that it was used by the British Transport Police as
part of such campaigns. I also thought that it was used specifically on
trips when the police and railway staff wished to travel along "hot
spot" routes and then leap out and grab offenders who were committing
criminal acts? Perhaps I am misrembering the feature on the
Trainspotting series that is shown on Discovery Home and Leisure every
so often. Lew Adams - ex gen sec of ASLEF - was involved in getting the
loco set up for its new role.

47 829 was a general user locomotive when it was part of the Virgin
CrossCountry fleet and, as a previous poster remarked, was repainted for
publicity purposes. It has never had any designated role outside of general
traffic use. When it was made redundant from the Virgin CrossCountry pool it
was returned to the leasing company and was subsequently leased by
Freightliner, in order to alleviate their locomotive shortage.

Yesterday it was engaged in transferring two Class 317 electric units,
together with barrier wagons, from Hornsey WAGN depot to Bedford Thameslink
depot as train 4Z78. Locomotive 47 843 "Vulcan" was at the opposite end of
the formation, which was operating in "top-and-tail" mode (i.e. one
locomotive at each end of the formation, to avoid the need for run-rounds).
With the blockade of the the through Thameslink route from this weekend
(until 2005) Thameslink are borrowing twelve Class 317 units from WAGN to
operate on the northern half of their network between St. Pancras and
Bedford, to augment the normal Class 319 units. The 317s were the units that
were originally built for the BedPan electrification in the early 1980s,
prior to Thameslink, and they have grandfather operating rights over the
route.