Wasn't there a 2+2 formation on the cotswold line running a while back as shuttle during engineering works? i'm sure i've seen a photo somewhere, either that or i'm just imagining it.
No, you are not imagining it.There's a picture on page 29 of the Cotswold Line Promotion Groups' Summer/Autumn 2008 newsletter. It happened on 15 June 2008. The story goes like this....On Sunday 15th June ,
NR» was doing track work in the Oxford area which prevented trains running between Oxford and Hanborough. A bus service was planned, with trains from Hanborough to Worcester SH. The plan was to get 2 Fully fuelled turbos on the 2151 Padd to Shrub Hill on Saturday evening. However
FGW▸ was unable to get them fuelled, as it was short of drivers to make the move to the fuelling point.. The back up plan was to get them fuelled on Sunday morning at Worcester which was agreed with London Midland. However, the local electric supplier disconnected the power supplies to Worcester depot as part of planned work in the area. So altho the two sets were available, they hadn't enough fuel to do any work. The possibility of getting units to Tyseley for fuel was explored but nither
LM▸ or Chiltern (?) were able to provide a conductor. In the end, a shortened (2+2)
HST▸ set was sent from Bristol to Worcester to cover some services, but a number of other services were lost.