Merthyr Imp
Member
Following the example of Cowley on another thread I thought Id share some of my rail travel experiences from the days when I used to spend between two and three weeks a year with assorted railrover tickets.
I still have my records of trains travelled on, with motive power (although not always with numbers), and in later years the type of coaching stock. I made no records at the time of my experiences of the trips, so any brief additional information will be based on memory.
Losing interest in trainspotting with the ending of steam I took no more than a passing interest in railways, with any journeys mainly confined to travelling to football matches. What sparked my interest again, oddly, was the appearance of TOPS numbers on locomotives and I began to feel I was missing out on what was going on. That led in late 1973 to becoming a regular reader of the Railway Magazine and getting back into the railway scene again.
Then, in 1974, the publication of the first BR All-Line timetable (telephone directory-sized) prompted me to make some use of it, and I started off with an East Midlands Rover ticket. This was the result:
I should mention that I was living in Nottingham at this time.
Saturday 1st June 1974
Quite an early start, with the 0735 through service to Llandudno, hauled by 25207 with Mark 1 rolling stock. I alighted at Derby (0808), then after a short wait:
The 0815 to Sheffield (47083), which was a Birmingham to Scarborough service. Due in at 0858, then:
A Hull service some sort of dmu - at 0920 as far as Doncaster, due in at 0957. Time there for a welcome sausage roll (and not a pre-wrapped one in those days) and a cup of tea in the buffet before:
A York to Cambridge service dmu at 1032 as far as Spalding, due in at 1225. My first ever trip along that route. I cheated then and went by bus to Boston to get a dmu (probably a Derby 2-car set) at an unrecorded time to Grantham, arrived 1715.
At Grantham the buffet on platform 1 was still open in those days, and I remember having a snack and a lemonade served in a glass while watching trains on the main line go past. If memory serves, an occasional Class 46 could still be seen in those days.
Then it was:
A Kings Cross to York service (47521) at 1759 as far as Retford, due in at 1831, and from there a Cleethorpes to Sheffield dmu (again, probably a Derby 2-car) at 1843, due in Sheffield at 1924. The Woodhead line coal trains were still operating at that time, so all that infrastructure was still in place on the entry into Sheffield through Darnall, etc.
A quick change at Sheffield onto a St. Pancras service at 1930 (which is probably why I didnt get the number of the Class 47 hauling it). Back in Nottingham at 2028
Apart from Nottingham Derby Sheffield, and from there to Nottingham, all these lines were new to me.
Sunday 2nd June 1974
Not many trains from Nottingham on a Sunday morning so didnt set off until getting what was probably a Derby 2-car dmu at 1125, due at Grantham 1207.
Then a service from Kings Cross hauled by 47401 at 1212 through to Cleethorpes (calling at Lincoln St. Marks), due in at 1425.
After probably having fish & chips at Cleethorpes I left there at 1708 on a Sheffield service hauled by 31320 to Doncaster due at 1840. A quick change on to a dmu leaving at 1847 to Sheffield, arrival at 1923.
Then it was back to Nottingham on a St Pancras service (47235) leaving 2005, due into Nottingham at 2107.
Monday 3rd June 1974
Started with the 0850 Nottingham to St Pancras service (hauled by 46034) as far as Leicester, due in at 0917.
Then a Cambridge to Birmingham dmu at 0937 as far as Nuneaton, due in at 1010.
The electrified West Coast services were the latest thing in 1974, so I sampled as much as the East Midlands Rover ticket allowed me to a Manchester to Euston service (86204) at 1035 for the short hop to Rugby, due in at 1051. Then for some reason which Ive forgotten there was a replacement bus service to Northampton. But from there I was able to travel on a Euston to Birmingham emu at 1422 back to Rugby, due at 1446. After a break there it was another emu on the 1610 to Nuneaton only, due there at 1627.
After a bit of time at Nuneaton it was a dmu on a Birmingham to Norwich service at 1847 as far as Leicester, due there at 1919.
Finally, back to Nottingham on a Leicester to Birmingham dmu at 1939, arriving at 2016
Tuesday 4th June 1974
On this day it was off to Grantham again on a dmu at 0847, due in at 0930.
Then a quick change onto Kings Cross to Edinburgh service (55002) at 0935 to Doncaster, due in at 1020. After spending some time there, I then went on a Cleethorpes service (dmu) at 1325 to Barnetby, due in at 1412. From there it was a Cleethorpes to Sheffield service via Gainsborough Central at 1429 as far as Retford. Although shown in the timetable as conveying through carriages to Manchester Piccadilly it was only a dmu of some sort.
From Retford I got another dmu on a Sheffield to Lincoln service at 1619 to Gainsborough Lea Road, due in at 1634.
After a look around Gainsborough it was back to Lea Road (where there was still a Travellers Fare station buffet) for yet another dmu at 1758 a service from Sleaford which took me to Sheffield, arrived 1901.
Then back to Nottingham at 1930 on the usual St Pancras train, this time Peak-hauled 45108 back in Nottingham at 2018.
Wednesday 5th June 1974
It was the 0850 St Pancras service again (loco number not recorded), this time to Kettering, due in at 0945. I returned from there on a St Pancras to Derby service (46004) to Leicester, due at 1224.
From Leicester it was a Birmingham to Norwich dmu at 1423 to visit Stamford, due there at 1514. Then I continued on a Birmingham to Cambridge dmu at 1734 to Peterborough, due in at 1753.
From there, it was a Kings Cross to Cleethorpes service (47103) at 1838 to Grantham, due at 1904.
Finally, back to Nottingham at 1910 on what was almost certainly a Derby 2-car dmu, due in at 1951.
Thursday 6th June 1974
A later start this morning, with the St Pancras to Glasgow Thames-Clyde Express (an unrecorded Class 46) at 1005 to Sheffield, due in at 1101.
From there I got a dmu on a Hull service at 1135 as far as Rotherham, due at 1144. After a look at the town it was a Manchester to Hull dmu at 1358 to Doncaster, due at 1425. A quick change to a Leeds to Kings Cross Class 47-hauled service at 1431 to Peterborough on the longest East Coast main line journey possible with this ticket. Due there at 1558. Back up to Grantham from Peterborough at 1838 behind another Class 47 on a Kings Cross to Cleethorpes service, due in at 1904. Then back to Nottingham as on the previous day on the 1910 dmu.
Friday 7th June 1974
The final day saw an 0939 departure from Nottingham on a Lincoln to Crewe dmu as far as Derby, due in at 1008.
Then it was a Cardiff to Leeds service (47246) at 1140 to Chesterfield, due at 1205. After some time there, I got a Fridays Only Derby to York train (47358) to Sheffield, due in at 1506. A change there to a Hull-bound dmu departing at 1522 to Doncaster, due in at 1558.
Then a Hull to Kings Cross service (47435) at 1835 to Newark North Gate, due at 1910. Walked to Newark Central to get a Lincoln to Derby dmu at 1957, due in at 2033.
One thing noticeable here is the fact that almost all the trains I was getting on the East Coast Main Line, being mainly Cleethorpes, Hull and Leeds services, were Class 47-hauled the Deltics being on the longer-distance trains.
I still have my records of trains travelled on, with motive power (although not always with numbers), and in later years the type of coaching stock. I made no records at the time of my experiences of the trips, so any brief additional information will be based on memory.
Losing interest in trainspotting with the ending of steam I took no more than a passing interest in railways, with any journeys mainly confined to travelling to football matches. What sparked my interest again, oddly, was the appearance of TOPS numbers on locomotives and I began to feel I was missing out on what was going on. That led in late 1973 to becoming a regular reader of the Railway Magazine and getting back into the railway scene again.
Then, in 1974, the publication of the first BR All-Line timetable (telephone directory-sized) prompted me to make some use of it, and I started off with an East Midlands Rover ticket. This was the result:
I should mention that I was living in Nottingham at this time.
Saturday 1st June 1974
Quite an early start, with the 0735 through service to Llandudno, hauled by 25207 with Mark 1 rolling stock. I alighted at Derby (0808), then after a short wait:
The 0815 to Sheffield (47083), which was a Birmingham to Scarborough service. Due in at 0858, then:
A Hull service some sort of dmu - at 0920 as far as Doncaster, due in at 0957. Time there for a welcome sausage roll (and not a pre-wrapped one in those days) and a cup of tea in the buffet before:
A York to Cambridge service dmu at 1032 as far as Spalding, due in at 1225. My first ever trip along that route. I cheated then and went by bus to Boston to get a dmu (probably a Derby 2-car set) at an unrecorded time to Grantham, arrived 1715.
At Grantham the buffet on platform 1 was still open in those days, and I remember having a snack and a lemonade served in a glass while watching trains on the main line go past. If memory serves, an occasional Class 46 could still be seen in those days.
Then it was:
A Kings Cross to York service (47521) at 1759 as far as Retford, due in at 1831, and from there a Cleethorpes to Sheffield dmu (again, probably a Derby 2-car) at 1843, due in Sheffield at 1924. The Woodhead line coal trains were still operating at that time, so all that infrastructure was still in place on the entry into Sheffield through Darnall, etc.
A quick change at Sheffield onto a St. Pancras service at 1930 (which is probably why I didnt get the number of the Class 47 hauling it). Back in Nottingham at 2028
Apart from Nottingham Derby Sheffield, and from there to Nottingham, all these lines were new to me.
Sunday 2nd June 1974
Not many trains from Nottingham on a Sunday morning so didnt set off until getting what was probably a Derby 2-car dmu at 1125, due at Grantham 1207.
Then a service from Kings Cross hauled by 47401 at 1212 through to Cleethorpes (calling at Lincoln St. Marks), due in at 1425.
After probably having fish & chips at Cleethorpes I left there at 1708 on a Sheffield service hauled by 31320 to Doncaster due at 1840. A quick change on to a dmu leaving at 1847 to Sheffield, arrival at 1923.
Then it was back to Nottingham on a St Pancras service (47235) leaving 2005, due into Nottingham at 2107.
Monday 3rd June 1974
Started with the 0850 Nottingham to St Pancras service (hauled by 46034) as far as Leicester, due in at 0917.
Then a Cambridge to Birmingham dmu at 0937 as far as Nuneaton, due in at 1010.
The electrified West Coast services were the latest thing in 1974, so I sampled as much as the East Midlands Rover ticket allowed me to a Manchester to Euston service (86204) at 1035 for the short hop to Rugby, due in at 1051. Then for some reason which Ive forgotten there was a replacement bus service to Northampton. But from there I was able to travel on a Euston to Birmingham emu at 1422 back to Rugby, due at 1446. After a break there it was another emu on the 1610 to Nuneaton only, due there at 1627.
After a bit of time at Nuneaton it was a dmu on a Birmingham to Norwich service at 1847 as far as Leicester, due there at 1919.
Finally, back to Nottingham on a Leicester to Birmingham dmu at 1939, arriving at 2016
Tuesday 4th June 1974
On this day it was off to Grantham again on a dmu at 0847, due in at 0930.
Then a quick change onto Kings Cross to Edinburgh service (55002) at 0935 to Doncaster, due in at 1020. After spending some time there, I then went on a Cleethorpes service (dmu) at 1325 to Barnetby, due in at 1412. From there it was a Cleethorpes to Sheffield service via Gainsborough Central at 1429 as far as Retford. Although shown in the timetable as conveying through carriages to Manchester Piccadilly it was only a dmu of some sort.
From Retford I got another dmu on a Sheffield to Lincoln service at 1619 to Gainsborough Lea Road, due in at 1634.
After a look around Gainsborough it was back to Lea Road (where there was still a Travellers Fare station buffet) for yet another dmu at 1758 a service from Sleaford which took me to Sheffield, arrived 1901.
Then back to Nottingham at 1930 on the usual St Pancras train, this time Peak-hauled 45108 back in Nottingham at 2018.
Wednesday 5th June 1974
It was the 0850 St Pancras service again (loco number not recorded), this time to Kettering, due in at 0945. I returned from there on a St Pancras to Derby service (46004) to Leicester, due at 1224.
From Leicester it was a Birmingham to Norwich dmu at 1423 to visit Stamford, due there at 1514. Then I continued on a Birmingham to Cambridge dmu at 1734 to Peterborough, due in at 1753.
From there, it was a Kings Cross to Cleethorpes service (47103) at 1838 to Grantham, due at 1904.
Finally, back to Nottingham at 1910 on what was almost certainly a Derby 2-car dmu, due in at 1951.
Thursday 6th June 1974
A later start this morning, with the St Pancras to Glasgow Thames-Clyde Express (an unrecorded Class 46) at 1005 to Sheffield, due in at 1101.
From there I got a dmu on a Hull service at 1135 as far as Rotherham, due at 1144. After a look at the town it was a Manchester to Hull dmu at 1358 to Doncaster, due at 1425. A quick change to a Leeds to Kings Cross Class 47-hauled service at 1431 to Peterborough on the longest East Coast main line journey possible with this ticket. Due there at 1558. Back up to Grantham from Peterborough at 1838 behind another Class 47 on a Kings Cross to Cleethorpes service, due in at 1904. Then back to Nottingham as on the previous day on the 1910 dmu.
Friday 7th June 1974
The final day saw an 0939 departure from Nottingham on a Lincoln to Crewe dmu as far as Derby, due in at 1008.
Then it was a Cardiff to Leeds service (47246) at 1140 to Chesterfield, due at 1205. After some time there, I got a Fridays Only Derby to York train (47358) to Sheffield, due in at 1506. A change there to a Hull-bound dmu departing at 1522 to Doncaster, due in at 1558.
Then a Hull to Kings Cross service (47435) at 1835 to Newark North Gate, due at 1910. Walked to Newark Central to get a Lincoln to Derby dmu at 1957, due in at 2033.
One thing noticeable here is the fact that almost all the trains I was getting on the East Coast Main Line, being mainly Cleethorpes, Hull and Leeds services, were Class 47-hauled the Deltics being on the longer-distance trains.