Southern Region diesel shunters

Class 09 (some or all) were fitted with high level brake pipes , presumably to rescue/shunt emu stock. Some 08s had these too. I recall that at least one 08 based in Reading had these (probably either o8803 0r 850). I assume this was in case they were called on to rescue a SR emu...anyone ever see thee connections used?

 

I don't know about 08/09s, but several 03s were also fitted with high level pipes in order to work 4TC units along the Weymouth Harbour branch. These locos retained the h/l pipes when transferred elsewhere and preserved examples (03197 and 399 for instance) still have them.

 

I might have answered my own question, 08850 was allocated to Eastleigh for a year or so in it's otherwise WR career

 

High level brake connections are not essential to rescue a SR EMU. rescues can be done by any diesel loco using brake hose extenders. I have seen these used with a VEP unit and a normal 33. The extenders are pairs of lengths of air brake hose with couplings at both ends, one red for train pipe and one yellow for resevoir pipe. They bridge the gap between buffer beam pipes and EMU high level pipes