A bit of 80s Nostalgia
Summer Saturday’s and DMU Replacements
In the 80s, the summer timetable was eagerly anticipated by trainspotters and bashing fraternity alike. BR may have had their faults but when they implemented new timetables, I can never remember it causing a severe meltdown, where trains were cancelled or revert to bustitutions. In fact back then, failures were dealt with, a loco came to the rescue and took the train to one of the main stations, maybe the loco got replaced there but it went onwards to where it was meant to be going. Not just terminating it and everyone off and wait for the following train, causing even further delays and uncomfort for passengers, as they crowd onto an already busy train.
As the summer timetable approached, we’d, my friends and I, would pester the ticket office for the timetable supplements, in hope we’d get a sneak peak of what holiday trains had been added or removed to the roster of loco hauled turns.
At one point there was 3 turns to Scarborough, one from Glasgow Q.S, the other 2 went from Newcastle, 1 down the ECML, the other via the Durham Coast. There was also turns to and from Yarmouth, Newquay, Paignton, Eastbourne. The latter three we nicknamed, the Ole farts Expresses, as they were Saga trains.
Obviously these services added to what was our daily occurrence, the loco hauled Trans Pennine turns to Liverpool Lime St, the turn to and from Poole and the infamous, in Newcastle at least, the 1S15, evening Newcastle to Edinburgh stopper.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, the newly delivered and quite frankly horrendous 143s, developed a fault, that saw Heaton pull the lot with immediate effect. I was on Newcastle Central, the actual day, they were pulled, one of the regulars had been told by a member of the station staff and couldn’t wait to tell anyone, I was the first he told, I asked, when’s that happening, I’m shocked when he said, Tomorrow apparently there’ll be 2 locos turns with 3 coaches, these will supplement, the remaining 101s. So the 101s got a temporary stay of execution.
Now Heaton’s 101s, reliability was akin, to an asthmatic ant carrying heavy shopping. So it was obvious, they'd need a few more to help out, it proclaimed that the loco hauled turns would be a temporary measure, till Heaton tried to beg, borrow or steal units from other depots. However what Heaton probably didn’t bank on, was the chronic DMU shortage Nationwide. I think I only ever saw 1 loaned in DMU, sporting a Welsh dragon sticker on its nose. Needless to say, it became a bit of the furniture, as those red penners got it underlined. I'm still not sure what type of unit it was.
I dunno what worked the first DMU Replacements but I had a mega mix of locos on it, 37017(of which there’s another story to share of) being one of many of locos we had on these turns. Below Andy Armitage has captured 37017 brilliantly on the Middlesbrough to Newcastle up the Durham Coast.
I was sure Gateshead and Thornaby just threw out anything spare for the turns, whether it was boiling or freezing, it was very rarely one with ETH, not that us cranks were complaining, keep throwing the big ones out, we said.
You could walk onto Central Station and be greeted by a scene like the one below and the destination board saying Carlisle or Middlesbrough, 37272 was a bit of a rare Cardiff beast that rocked up on such a turn, only it was a dud, as I’d had 37272 on the Glasgow QS-Scarborough turn, which is what Vince Minto’s excellent pic is of. Note the 101 in the background too.
I remember walking onto Central one day, I wasn’t alone, there was a good crowd of us that day, as we walked onto platform 8, our gaze was taken by an incoming train, it was none other than 37515 on a Middlesbrough turn. We just all scarpered and jumped aboard, we’d pay the grip on board and we took it to Sunderland.
The Glasgow QS-Scarborough turn, had been throwing up some good locos, so during the following week, we’d made a conscious decision, that we’d get a weekend Northumbrian Ranger, with the intention of intercepting the Queen St-Scarborough at Berwick.
The following morning, I left the house at a bleary eyed 4.15 to do the milk round. Sunday was my gaffers day off, so George always wanted finished early on a Saturday, he’d be, come on lads get your arse in gear, I’ve got a bed to gan back to. By 6.15, I was home, I’d got my wages off the papers the night before, organised cover for them today too and George handed me my little brown envelope, as I climbed off the back of the milk van.
After dashing in and getting washed, I grabbed my bait and pop, met the rest and we jumped in a taxi to Central. We got our Northumbrian Rangers plus singles to Berwick, using a fistful of rail riders vouchers, to bring the cost down. The Ranger didn’t kick in till 8 maybe half 8, hence us getting on the tram around half 7.
We all hated them, however, like today, if it was a case of using a 142, to go and get something a bit out the ordinary, then I’d get on one. This day, was a case of, needs must. It gave us a chance to see what 03 was Berwick’s station pilot and me a chance to maybe rope in, some HST coaching stock(which I’d just started doing after I saw a guy taking the numbers of the coaches at Carlisle) whilst waiting for said turn.
Now if you’ve read my nostalgic posts from a while back, you may have read this before, whilst waiting for the turn, we noticed train delayed, then the announcements, this train is now running 10minutes late and kept increasing, we just thought its a holiday train, we’ve encountered many delays waiting for various summer Saturday turns. Up until very recently, I’ve been trying a multitude of searches not only to find the date of this but also sought confirmation of the locos, as my records were lost in an exs fit of female rage. On 8th June 1985, 4 young Geordie trainspotters or apprentice bashers(insects we mainly got called) collective jaws hit the floor in unison, as 26014 and 37017 pulled into the platform. We couldn't believe what we'd landed on.
This pic from Andrew Wylde captures the moment at Berwick, he kindly let me use his pic of 26014 and 37017 leaving Berwick, he apologised for the unfortunate processing fault on the picture, I was just delighted someone had proof and a date, it’s still not a bad pic.
Needless to say we barged on, I’d only seen a couple of 26s at Carlisle, we hadn’t embraced Waverley by this point in our lives. We were absolutely giddy, apparently 37017 had failed just outside Edinburgh and 26014 had been scrambled from Millerhill.
These took us back to Newcastle, where they were removed and replaced with a 47, I’m trying to find out which one it was. However we’re told the Scarborough was over an hour down, if we were sharpish, we’d make that at Durham. The chase was on. Only for the chase to seemingly hit the dust when our poor 47 failed at Ouston Jct, about 5mins later 31190 came into view, I thought it would go up beyond us and attach to the front, however it got fastened to the back and 31190 pushed us on, were gonna make this I said. I spoke too soon, instead of going straight onto Durham Station and running 31190 round to the front, we got pushed into the loop, just outside the Station. Another loco came to rescue us, removed the other loco and 47314 was attached, 3190 detached, 37100, arrived into Durham, before we got out the loop, 37100 left and we got unmerciless stick from those going North with 37100. What happened next, still baffles me, with a Northumbria Ranger we could’ve took 47314 to Darlo or York but we bailed at Durham. I can only think we got off to take a trans Pennine turn back to Newcastle, we were gutted to miss 37100 but when the story broke of 26014 and 37017, we got the you jammy insects. 26014 was stood as proof on Gateshead too. As Gary Smith’s photo kindly confirms.
It was then on a Liverpool turn to Darlo, where we bailed for the tight connection for the Yarmouth. 37062, took us back to Newcastle, where we took a zing to York and went to Darlo with the Newquay turn, back to York with a trans Pennine turn, jumping on the Eastbourne turn to Darlo finishing off the day with the pair of 31s, that would invariably running miles late on the Paignton.
Another summer move had us going to Durham, Cal went on the Trans Pennine turn on a 45, he must’ve had the 47 on the Queen St – Scarborough, it was a safer connection using the trans Pennine turn, it was normally a mad dash getting the QS-Scarborough, the one up the Durham Coast was the early one. We’d invariably do that one first and then dash onto either the trans Pennine turn or the Queen St Scarborough. Today Cal and maybe Glen and Mavis, went with him, whilst John said, he’d do the Queen St with me. When John and I got to Durham, the other lads were sitting waiting for us. We’re told its 20 down, then it got later, then we heard 37003 was on, it got later n later, rumour was abound 37003 had failed but had got started again, no Internet or RTT, how that gen had been passed on, I have no idea, despite asking, absolutely no one could say it wasn’t 37003.
As they announced, the next train at platform 2, is the delayed train to Newcastle from Scarborough, the Bell sounded, warning staff of a train approaching the platform, the large throng of Bashers assembled at the North end of Platform 2, all looked southwards, expecting a split box GD Syphon to come round the curve into the platform.
The audible gasps and excited swearing as 20013 and 20047 came round the corner, will never ever leave me, even Cal swore and he never swore, proclaiming, “fck me it’s bloody 20s”.
Back at Newcastle we watched the 20s whistle away, not quite believing we’d just had them for haulage, 20s in our neck of the woods, whilst not wholly uncommon on freight but they were far from a regular occurrence either. They certainly never turned up on passenger trains, like they did at Leicester or Derby on the Skegness turns.
I’d nearly got my head taken off on the way back with them 20s, I was talking to Carl from my window to his, we were just coming up to the King Eddie Bridge, when Cal screamed at me and a driver of oncoming HST gave me a long blast on the horn, I nearly had to go to Woollies for new undies, I managed to get my head in, in time but it was a bit too close for comfort. Pic below is courtesy of Steve Curry.
One of the DMU Replacements I got caught out too. I was meant to be at school but decided to wag off, I was late home because the morning papers were late, I got in the house about 20 to 9, my Dad was at work and my step mother had taken my younger brothers to school and was then going shopping. With an empty house, I decided I ring school, pretending to be my dad saying I wouldn’t be in cos I was unwell. I went and got showered, raided my money jar and decided I’d go and see what was on the DMU replacement, with a coat covering my school uniform.
Off I went to Central Station and after a while in came, Rail freight grey, 31282 going off to the Boro. I only took it to Sunderland though. I decided I’d go over to Monkwearmouth Colliery, via Carricks for pasty n chips, walked over the Wear bridge, to a hole in the wall at Wearmouth Colliery, where you could see the 56s on MGR trains come in and fill the wagons and be off again.
After a while I got bored and went to the shop, got a can of pop and walked back to Sunderland Station to get the 31 back to Newcastle. I duly did too and had the front droplight window and not long after we started moving, I felt a hefty blow on the back of my head and what the hell do you think your doing?, the voice was more than familiar, I turned round and there large as life in front of me was my Dad. He’d went out early to my Great Grandads house to do his shopping and caught me red handed. Only thing going through my mind was, oh ****, how do I get out of this one.
I told him the papers were late, adding 20mins on, saying I didn’t get in till after 9. It didn’t cut with him, I’m told, its no excuse, you still should’ve went to school, what do I say when they ring up and ask where you were?. Without even thinking and probably a bit too blasé, oh they won’t, cos I’ve rang up and told them, I wasn’t going in, as it was you who said, I was bad. You’ve done what!, I’m gonna ring your neck lad. Fortunately for me, the grip came and asked for tickets, unless I think my Dad would’ve thrown me out the window of the train, there and then. I had to sit down, whilst my dad gave me the, you’ve really disappointed me speech.
By the time we got to Newcastle, my dad had calmed down a bit, he took me to a cafe, giving me another very stern lecture on the way. I got told, that’s your one and only chance mind, before adding, I never gave him any trouble, other than when he read my school reports, your grades are fine, the comments from teachers less so. For the record I did do it again, however I never rang the school pretending to be my dad. 3 times to be totally honest but i didn’t get caught, however I was always mindful of him turning up.
Fair do’s to my dad, if he’d been through to Sunderland on the train, he used to write the number on a piece of paper and say that’s one I got today or if he was at work he’d leave it on the table for me, to see, when I got home from school. Thanks to my Dad, I roped in 31319 this way. The pic below is of that very loco heading towards me from Billingham. Again I’d like to thank Alan Moore for letting me use his pic.
That evening I left home and after getting some unit to Sunderland. I had the wonderful experience of an hour fester at Sunderland Station, I should've checked a timetable and cursed myself for not doing so. My fault so I had to wait for it to come back. After filling 5mins, getting the rake of parcel vans, that were kept there. I was bored silly. I even contemplated the walk to Seaburn Station before walking up to Smiths and buying a magazine to read., enjoying the natural light too. A 56, probably bound for South Dock lifted the bordem slightly before 31319 eventually returned and I was off back to Newcastle and then home.
I wish I could regale more tales, there was some corkers on those DMU Replacements, 47207, 47348, 47350, 47363, 31282, 31130, 31405, 47291, 37s aplenty too, normally GD or TE NB variants but until I find a comprehensive list, I cannot confirm which ones without sheer certainty.
I sincerely hope I've jogged a few memories. They were just a few memories I'd lost from my notebooks, I'd love to pour over them now.