[Driver Bob]

Certainly Warships and possibly also Westerns used to work passenger services to Crewe via the Marches line, Newport, Hereford, Shrewsbury to Crewe in the 60's and 70's.

As a young Western Region gricer in the late 60's on my first visit to Crewe by train to see Midland engines, the first loco I saw there, in Basford Hall yard, was a Western! Hilarious!

Bob.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Somewhere recently I saw a photo of a Western at Chester, and was reminded that in the 60's, Westerns used to work from Paddington through to Birkenhead via Wolverhampton Low Level and Chester.

Bob.

[Madge Wildfire]

Originally Posted by Driver Bob

Certainly Warships and possibly also Westerns used to work passenger services to Crewe via the Marches line, Newport, Hereford, Shrewsbury to Crewe in the 60's and 70's.

As a young Western Region gricer in the late 60's on my first visit to Crewe by train to see Midland engines, the first loco I saw there, in Basford Hall yard, was a Western! Hilarious!

Bob.

I had the same experience to you in reverse. I went to Dawlish with my parents on holiday in 1968 and virtually the first loco I saw was D14 which I had seen in Nottingham the week before, and on a regular basis prior to that.

Not very far north I know, but I have read in a 1960s magazine of a Hymek turning up at Colwick on a freight from the Banbury area.

[Bevan Price]

Originally Posted by Driver Bob

Certainly Warships and possibly also Westerns used to work passenger services to Crewe via the Marches line, Newport, Hereford, Shrewsbury to Crewe in the 60's and 70's.

As a young Western Region gricer in the late 60's on my first visit to Crewe by train to see Midland engines, the first loco I saw there, in Basford Hall yard, was a Western! Hilarious!

Bob.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Somewhere recently I saw a photo of a Western at Chester, and was reminded that in the 60's, Westerns used to work from Paddington through to Birkenhead via Wolverhampton Low Level and Chester.

Bob.

The Westerns worked as far as Chester, but trains reversed and got a different loco between Chester & Birkenhead - usually steam, but Classes 40 & 24 were also used occasionally. I don't know of any hydraulic reaching Birkenhead on a normal passenger service. Until the mid-1960's, there used to be an overnight freight between Old Oak & Birkenhead, and that is the most likely working on which a hydraulic might possibly have been used.

Some Westerns were built at Crewe, so probably had running-in trips in the area - most likely on the Shrewsbury line, but a very reliable source told me he saw one near Edge Hill (Liverpool) once.

[Spam Can]

Dont still have the identities but there were definately 2 Hymeks on Blackpool Central shed (awaitng return journeys on summer specials) July/August 1964.

[lord rathmore]

I never saw a Western or a Warship in Manchester but I remember seeing several Westerns (including D1005 I think) brand new at Chester in 1962.
I also saw a couple of Warships at Crewe but I can't recall ever seeing a Western there.

[Moog_1984]

Blackpool is an interesting one: Brum drivers from Kiddieminster ?

York is North of there and also it was normal service trains that the odd western got through the net on.

But the warships produced at NBL in glasgow got at least to Perth, probably dundee too.

I'd like to hear a flight of fancy that one, like the mirrlees engined goil, got up into the highlands on a test/demonstrator train.

[Zerothebrake!]

Howdy,I can't recall the secondman's name but I think it was Reg Ireland of Gloucester depot who drove D1013 to Leeds on 20/01/77...he was a real gentleman and a pleasure to work with.BH.

[Stephen55a1960]

Originally Posted by neilmc

I went to Birmingham area in 1969 and saw three hydraulics, one Warship, one Western and a Hymek. These were the first three hydraulics I had even seen (if you discount the D9500 series which had a short life at Hull Dairycoates!). I understand hydraulics were not unknown at Crewe though I never saw one there.

So did main line hydraulic classes ever get further North on regular service - Leeds, York, Manchester or the WCML for example?

I once saw an unidentified Warship at Chesterfield. It must have been 1971/2? Memory is a little hazy on this point. I knew it was a Warship because of the distinctive shape. May well have been an enthusaiasts special?

[caliwag]

Interesting...I spotted regularly in Perth from 1960-1963/4 and I recall no mention of such movements. We did get 'foreigners' on the express freights from Glasgow and Dumfries...notably Metrovicks, LM 24s, Patriots, Jublilees, class 5s and Scots from sheds well South of Upperby...I guess on lay-overs from Anglo-Scottish expresses to Glasgow. The one we always hung about for into the late evening was the Heilan Piper (the Polmadie) and Galloway Piper (I guess the Corkerhill!). I would have thought that these would have been the obvious choice for trialling hydraulics.

The guys at Bonybridge (just South of larbert on the main line) reported regularly all the oddities North of Glasgow (in Trains Illustrated of the period) and there's no mention there either (could all have happened at the dead of night of course).

The other excellent source of unusual movements is the Railway Observer (loads of back issues at the Vintage carriage Trust at Ingrow).

Interestingly, just checked a September TI...quote...'while ex-LNW 0-8-0 49104 (Preston) was a remarkable guest of Polmadie on July 29 (61)! Remarkable indeed, now imagine if that had worked to Perth on the Heilan Piper!

[theblackwatch]

Originally Posted by Madge Wildfire

Not very far north I know, but I have read in a 1960s magazine of a Hymek turning up at Colwick on a freight from the Banbury area.

A friend of mine (who has now passed away) had a Hymek for haulage late one night from Leicester Central to Swindon - presumably via the GC to Banbury - in the 1960s. Oh for a tardis...

[Rugd1022]

Originally Posted by theblackwatch

A friend of mine (who has now passed away) had a Hymek for haulage late one night from Leicester Central to Swindon - presumably via the GC to Banbury - in the 1960s. Oh for a tardis...

That would have been the return working of a regular Hymek job onto the Great Central.... apparently they used to wake up the residents of nearby Abbey Street in Rugby when they crossed the WCML on the birdcage bridge and accelerated into the cutting just south of there!

[caliwag]

Originally Posted by Spam Can

Dont still have the identities but there were definately 2 Hymeks on Blackpool Central shed (awaitng return journeys on summer specials) July/August 1964.

No mention in 'Motive Power Miscellany', Modern railways. Try Railway Observer which covered odd movements more thoroughly! I was there for a week in August and have a log, but no Hymeks!

[12CSVT]

Originally Posted by theblackwatch

A friend of mine (who has now passed away) had a Hymek for haulage late one night from Leicester Central to Swindon - presumably via the GC to Banbury - in the 1960s. Oh for a tardis...

Possibly the overnight York - Swindon, which was booked for a Hymek as far as Leicester. The Hymek would have worked up to Leicester on a Swindon - York service.

[onein37]

Class 22s were tested between NBL works and Dumfries.

[Johnuk123]

Originally Posted by Bevan Price

The Westerns worked as far as Chester, but trains reversed and got a different loco between Chester & Birkenhead - usually steam, but Classes 40 & 24 were also used occasionally. I don't know of any hydraulic reaching Birkenhead on a normal passenger service. Until the mid-1960's, there used to be an overnight freight between Old Oak & Birkenhead, and that is the most likely working on which a hydraulic might possibly have been used.

Some Westerns were built at Crewe, so probably had running-in trips in the area - most likely on the Shrewsbury line, but a very reliable source told me he saw one near Edge Hill (Liverpool) once.

I used to see Westerns at Wolves Low Level on the Birkenhead trains, I assumed they went straight through to Birkenhead.

I can remember seeing Western Enterprise in it's desert sand livery and telling everybody at school it was unique.

Then a few days later I saw Western Champion which although slightly darker was a similar colour.

In fact with the maroon ones, the green and the later blue they went through a few colour changes.