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xotGD

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The 'What's been your longest journey?' thread has prompted me to dip into history again. January 1985 - attending interview at Swansea Uni. I set off the evening before, travelling by such exotic services as the York - Shrewsbury and Crewe - Cardiff overnights, and it was an overnight on the way home too. I got home around 36 hours after setting off, and then spent the day in bed!

Full moves:

47435 Newcastle - York 1A40
47470 York - Crewe 1M41
47557 Crewe - Cardiff 1V01
33001 Cardiff - Newport 2C06
33009 Newport - Cardiff 2B81
33055 Cardiff - Bridgend 2B77
47557 Bridgend - Swansea 2B08

Wish I hadn't bailed at Bridgend! So after a few hours fester at Swansea I attended the interview, just about managing to stay awake during a presentation on the beauty of the Gower Peninsula. Then it was back to the station with my fellow 6th formers, most of whom seemed to be from London and could get an HST throughout and be home for bedtime. Not me! After bailing from the tram at Cardiff I had:

33037 Cardiff - Newport 1O93
DMU Newport - Crewe (I didn't realise this service was a unit rather than a 33 - bugger!)
47403 Crewe - York 1E24
47411 York - Newcastle 1N09

Not bad for a free trip - the ticket was reimbursed by the council, who paid for up to 3 uni interview trips.

As it turned out, it would be around 30 years before my next visit to Swansea.
 

Cowley

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Excellent. I did a bit of 33 bashing on the Portsmouth - Cardiff route occasionally.
Being right behind the loco as it opened up in the middle of the Severn Tunnel for the climb out was class.
 

47403

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Ah the 1A40, that was the one with 2 or 3 coaches tagged on the end of the mail vans wasnt it. If so, I was only talking about that the other day. Done them moves to Crewe a few times too, first few times, with a mate and some older guys, they needed us for the railcards.Then a few of us when a bit older doing overnighters on York or Donnie. Was always usually a 47 but I'd seen, 31s and wagons on it too. I still for the life of me wonder why passenger trains grind to a halt time wise after a certain time. More so now, when lifestyles are 24/7. I certainly believe there be a market for sleepers on the ECML too.

I'm a 47 nut and cant understand why you bailed the 33 either. I think you were secretly craving some big sulzer action but you csnt complain if you got your money back.
 
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Cowley

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Best thing about bashing 47s - You were rarely disappointed... ;)
 

47403

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Best thing about bashing 47s - You were rarely disappointed... ;)

You could if a wagon showed up. Mind you in the summer timetable, even if an NB 47 turned up, you generally groaned if you were expecting a 37, even if they were big ones. I was just the one, groaning a little bit less than the rest.
 

xotGD

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Ah the 1A40, that was the one with 2 or 3 coaches tagged on the end of the mail vans wasnt it. If so, I was only talking about that the other day. Done them moves to Crewe a few times too, first few times, with a mate and some older guys, they needed us for the railcards.Then a few of us when a bit older doing overnighters on York or Donnie. Was always usually a 47 but I'd seen, 31s and wagons on it too. I still for the life of me wonder why passenger trains grind to a halt time wise after a certain time. More so now, when lifestyles are 24/7. I certainly believe there be a market for sleepers on the ECML too.

I'm a 47 nut and cant understand why you bailed the 33 either. I think you were secretly craving some big sulzer action but you csnt complain if you got your money back.
I think A40 still had sleepers back then, not sure though. The other overnights were one or two coaches and a load of vans.

I was hoping for another 33 on the following train when I bailed at Bridgend - not the same 47 I'd just had down from Crewe!

And of course I had 'your machine' on the way back!
 

xotGD

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You could if a wagon showed up. Mind you in the summer timetable, even if an NB 47 turned up, you generally groaned if you were expecting a 37, even if they were big ones. I was just the one, groaning a little bit less than the rest.
When the Yarmouth - Newcastle dropped a 47 in place of a 37 that was always a huge bowl-out. Especially the time I did it home from Peterborough!
 

47403

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When the Yarmouth - Newcastle dropped a 47 in place of a 37 that was always a huge bowl-out. Especially the time I did it home from Peterborough!

Some big 47s landed on it though. I know your not a fan of them, even I used to sigh, if a 47 landed instead of a 37. Surprised you didn't bail at York, though on a Summer Saturday, that was normally the last chance of guaranteed 37 haulage into Toon.
Were you on the 20s, the day they landed on the Scarborough - Newcastle?
Although the Eastbourne could sometimes throw up one. The Paignton turn was always a pair of peds.

Some big 37s landed on our doorstep when the 143s were pulled. You like all of us in them days, must've made hay while the sun shined.
 
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xotGD

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Some big 47s landed on it though. I know your not a fan of them, even I used to sigh, if a 47 landed instead of a 37. Surprised you didn't bail at York, though on a Summer Saturday, that was normally the last chance of guaranteed 37 haulage into Toon.
Were you on the 20s, the day they landed on the Scarborough - Newcastle?
Although the Eastbourne could sometimes throw up one. The Paignton turn was always a pair of peds.

Some big 37s landed on our doorstep when the 143s were pulled. You like all of us in them days, must've made hay while the sun shined.
I missed the first pair of 20s on the Scarborough - Newcastle as I was up in Scotland that week, but I got the second pair up from Darlo.

Definitely had at least one 37 on the Paignton - time to leaf back through the records again...
 

47403

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I missed the first pair of 20s on the Scarborough - Newcastle as I was up in Scotland that week, but I got the second pair up from Darlo.

Definitely had at least one 37 on the Paignton - time to leaf back through the records again...

I must've missed the 37s on the Paignton, was always a pair of peds when we caught it.
 

eastwestdivide

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attending interview at Swansea Uni
which reminds me of two of my interviews:
1. Hull University 1980: 47 from KX-Doncaster, the "rattliest Cravens DMU in the world... ever" Doncaster to Hull, but a Deltic on the return train from Hull to London.
2. Girobank job interview somewhere in Liverpool 1984(?): took a Mk1 sleeper from London to Liverpool. Still didn't feel very refreshed for the interview.
 

D841 Roebuck

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Great thread, which I've just caught up with.

Your 1985 FOS was a couple of weeks after I did one. Was 37175 still spouting outrageous gouts of flame when you were there?

Uni/Poly interviews rang a bell, too. I did an overnight move down to Plymouth in Feb 1984. Electric Manchester to Birmingham, 45143 to Bristol Parkway, a Class 122 bubble on a special connection to Temple Meads, then 50010 to Plymouth. Can't remember the trip back, probably due to randomly running into a former school mate who'd moved to Monmouth 3 years earlier and catching up over a pint or several... :)
 

xotGD

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Great thread, which I've just caught up with.

Your 1985 FOS was a couple of weeks after I did one. Was 37175 still spouting outrageous gouts of flame when you were there?

Uni/Poly interviews rang a bell, too. I did an overnight move down to Plymouth in Feb 1984. Electric Manchester to Birmingham, 45143 to Bristol Parkway, a Class 122 bubble on a special connection to Temple Meads, then 50010 to Plymouth. Can't remember the trip back, probably due to randomly running into a former school mate who'd moved to Monmouth 3 years earlier and catching up over a pint or several... :)


I don't recall flames erupting from any of the 37s!

Plenty of noise though :D
 

xotGD

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OK, time for another jaunt back to the 1980s...

Freedom of Scotland 1986. By this time the 37/4s were out in force. I needed plenty of those, so no problem taking them out of Glasgow and Inverness. However, there was plenty of action elsewhere. For one thing, the Edinburgh - Kirkcaldy services were loco hauled and threw out a variety of 26s plus some 27s. There were several other interesting turns that were producing 27s and 37s. So plenty to chase. I won't list all of the Type 2s, but I had plenty!

Non-ETH 37s we had were 215 on the evening Dundee - Perth, 014 from Inverness to Glasgow and 050 back plus a couple more moves the next day, 087 out of Glasgow Central, 261 on a Thurso portion and 001 & 198 on locals around Edinburgh / Fife. Plus one more....

Anyway, the biggest move of the trip - we had heard that 26001 was working the early morning Berwick - Haymarket so decided to take unit down to Dunbar to intercept it. After a quick trip to the shop to get some grub for the day, we were heading back to the station and saw 37, 47, coaching stock pulling in heading north. Turned out to be 1S77 sleepers only, so not looking good. Four frustrated cranks standing on the platform. The guard saw us: "Where are you going lads?" "Edinburgh!" "You can travel in the van." So we jumped aboard the BG to get 37041 on top of a fagged 47632 up to Waverley. Sleepers only, and it wasn't even booked to call at Dunbar; I think that move can be described as somewhat dreadful! Oh, and we still had 26001 from Waverley to Haymarket.
 

xotGD

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Syphon, Roarers and Bones

I enjoyed numerous trips on the Cambrian Coast when I was a student, and after a summer of laziness and a final Freedom of Scotland enjoying 37/4s I started work back in the Midlands in time to catch the last two summer Saturdays of 1988 - and I now had wages to fund my bashing!

24th September saw me get 37174 + 37015 Shrewsbury to Welshpool for 37688 + 37676 back to Wolverhampton.

The following week saw 37198 + 37142 then 37680 + 37684 on the same moves. The same day also saw me get 81002, 81004, 85005, 85022, 85036 and 85037 buzzing about the West Midlands; a nice haul of Roarers for the day. 47406 also put in an appearance - just thought I'd mention that in case anyone has a thing for the Gateshead Generators.

The next day was Nuneaton drags. As many folk will remember, 58s were the regular traction on these turns, and sure enough 58011 took me to Nuneaton with 58006 returning me to New Street. As an added treat, after the bone was detached I was able to stay on the train to get 85006 to Wolverhampton.

Not a bad weekend!
 

Cowley

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Syphon, Roarers and Bones

I enjoyed numerous trips on the Cambrian Coast when I was a student, and after a summer of laziness and a final Freedom of Scotland enjoying 37/4s I started work back in the Midlands in time to catch the last two summer Saturdays of 1988 - and I now had wages to fund my bashing!

24th September saw me get 37174 + 37015 Shrewsbury to Welshpool for 37688 + 37676 back to Wolverhampton.

The following week saw 37198 + 37142 then 37680 + 37684 on the same moves. The same day also saw me get 81002, 81004, 85005, 85022, 85036 and 85037 buzzing about the West Midlands; a nice haul of Roarers for the day. 47406 also put in an appearance - just thought I'd mention that in case anyone has a thing for the Gateshead Generators.

The next day was Nuneaton drags. As many folk will remember, 58s were the regular traction on these turns, and sure enough 58011 took me to Nuneaton with 58006 returning me to New Street. As an added treat, after the bone was detached I was able to stay on the train to get 85006 to Wolverhampton.

Not a bad weekend!
Excellent. Those old Welshpool moves always looked great.
It always seemed to be one pair of refurbished ones and a pair of standard ones.
Great variety still in 1988
 

Mag_seven

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The same day also saw me get 81002, 81004, 85005, 85022, 85036 and 85037 buzzing about the West Midlands; a nice haul of Roarers for the day.

I do miss these old beasts - particularly when one dropped on a Glasgow-Euston service!
 

xotGD

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I do miss these old beasts - particularly when one dropped on a Glasgow-Euston service!
Best I had was 81007 on the Bristol - Glasgow overnight. In winter, with ice on the wires - sparking away to light up the darkness.

I saw 82s and 83s on passenger services through Carlisle but never had one. With hindsight, a return to Penrith might have been a good idea.
 

xotGD

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Family holidays 1979

We went to Great Yarmouth for 2 weeks in 1979. Newcastle - Yarmouth throughout (and return). My spotting days started a few months later - poor timing!

So, does anyone out there have a record of what worked the Newcastle - Yarmouth on 14th July 1979 or the Yarmouth - Newcastle on 28th July 1979??? I know the dates because I remember it was when David Gower scored 200 in the Test Match - and have checked the match dates on Cricinfo - a valuable resource for rail cranks!

Outbound, I have some fuzzy memory of a loco swap at what was probably Whitemoor Yard, after having come down the former Spalding - March line. A 40 that far for a 31 forward???

For the return, Class37.co.uk reports 37010 "Between Grassmoor - Newcastle".

I don't need to fudge this, as I definitely had 010 several years later, but it is a boost for my mileage, for sure!
 

xotGD

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Birmingham Merrymaker 22nd May 1982

Another trip back in time. BR organised a day out to Birmingham and Stratford on Avon for us folk in the north east. The neds baled at New St, the normals went to Stratford. (Actually, getting a loco-hauled train there was quite an astute move!)

Traction consisted of:

46029 Newcastle - York
45070 York - New St
45070 New St - York

I still have a record of everything I saw that day. Those in bold were required for sight:

03021

08062, 08064, 08067, 08096, 08159, 08170, 08210, 08249, 08339, 08501, 08597, 08605, 08625, 08647, 08657, 08671, 08678, 08774, 08805, 08878, 08879

20005, 20031, 20070, 20077, 20135, 20153, 20173, 20187, 20192

25044, 25151, 25221, 25287, 25304

31124, 31147, 31185, 31205, 31214, 31260, 31262, 31277, 31287, 31300, 31325, 31404, 31409, 31414

37052, 37078, 37079, 37094, 37151

40027, 40035

45020, 45033, 45041, 45051, 45065, 45070, 45102, 45106, 45113, 45116, 45149

46006, 46021, 46023, 46027, 46029, 46031, 46044, 46046, 46052

47055, 47140, 47145, 47160, 47166, 47288, 47319, 47322, 47335, 47339, 47352, 47357, 47376, 47406, 47410, 47462, 47466, 47478, 47490, 47502, 47509, 47512, 47515, 47525, 47560

50014, 50023, 50031, 50036, 50044

81012

85007, 85021, 85024, 85039

86102, 86103
, 86212, 86214, 86215, 86218, 86226, 86230, 86232, 86233, 86237, 86241, 86244, 86245, 86250, 86252, 86259, 86314, 86319

87007, 87008, 87010, 87015, 87018, 87022, 87023, 87028, 87030, 87101

So that was 141 locos sighted, 62 of which were 'cops'. Try doing that today (even at Stafford!).
 

47403

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Syphon, Roarers and Bones

I enjoyed numerous trips on the Cambrian Coast when I was a student, and after a summer of laziness and a final Freedom of Scotland enjoying 37/4s I started work back in the Midlands in time to catch the last two summer Saturdays of 1988 - and I now had wages to fund my bashing!

24th September saw me get 37174 + 37015 Shrewsbury to Welshpool for 37688 + 37676 back to Wolverhampton.

The following week saw 37198 + 37142 then 37680 + 37684 on the same moves. The same day also saw me get 81002, 81004, 85005, 85022, 85036 and 85037 buzzing about the West Midlands; a nice haul of Roarers for the day. 47406 also put in an appearance - just thought I'd mention that in case anyone has a thing for the Gateshead Generators.

The next day was Nuneaton drags. As many folk will remember, 58s were the regular traction on these turns, and sure enough 58011 took me to Nuneaton with 58006 returning me to New Street. As an added treat, after the bone was detached I was able to stay on the train to get 85006 to Wolverhampton.

Not a bad weekend!

Ah that sounded excellent, in fact, all them nostalgic posts were excellent reads.
Ah Rail Riders. Whilst I'd have been more than happy to ride behind a GD Gennie, I'd have sooner have racked up more miles behind an NB 47, a 56 or a 58. The pairs of 37s would've been a bit of a distraction too.
 

Crewe Exile

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What a fantastic read this thread is. Im not into the rail scene anywhere near what I was, but the pangs of nostalgia nearly knocked me down reading this!. The railways were just more interesting back then!. Mental Summer Sats with crazy workings - 40s on the Yarmouth’s or on the coast absolutely rammed full of bashers.
Even on a ‘routine’ day in the 80s the variety of traction was immense.
 

xotGD

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The Cold Light of Dawn

So my latest piece of nostalgia takes me as far back as.... last week!

A work trip to Aberdeen. Unlike a normal person, I decided to do the overnight from Preston. After booking, I discovered that I would be on the final northbound run before the Mark 5s took over. So a bit of history then.

A 158 took me to Preston. Turns out that the same unit that comes down from Carlisle to Leeds then heads out to Blackpool.

Then a chilly fester, with a couple of 66-hauled freights to add a quantum of interest. Plus a modicum of anti-social behaviour that the police appeared to have under control.

Now, I knew that 90048 was down south, so I was holding some hope of getting it in the book. No chance! 90042 rolled in, and on I got. Brrr! The seated coach was rather cold, and no upgrade to a bed (unlike some folk managed going south the next night!). I dozed a bit, but not a lot, and was awake as we rolled in to Waverley. Strangely, two people bailed off here. I can only guess that they were accommodated on the Highlander due to a lack of space on the Lowlander.

Here, I was in for a bit of a Brucie bonus. With no Fort William portion, the Aberdeen was longer than usual, so required not 1 but 2 of the locos formerly known as Class 73s to be lashed on to the front. 968 and 971, to be precise.

2 x 73.jpg


Nose to Nose.jpg

First of these devices I've had for haulage (I've not yet checked to see if I've had either of them in their past life). Can't say I find them especially entertaining - sound a bit like Warships, but quieter. However I did take the chance to stand by an open droplight as they powered out of a couple of the stations on the way north. No chance to do that again.

The train got no warmer, and I stayed awake, but I was rewarded with a view of the sun rising over the North Sea (soz - no phot).

Arrival into Aberdeen and time for a couple of shots before getting freshened up and having my porridge and coffee ahead of a day's work.

Arrival.jpg

After a 10-hour doss in a hotel bed (did I need it!), I was back at the station the next morning to head back south. Only an HST (I suppose best of a bad job, thinking of what else I could have had). Anyway, there to greet me was the same pair of 73s, but this time on the front of a set of Mark 5s. The new order, and all that.
 

xotGD

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Roarers!

Inspired by some reminiscences of how things used to be on the WCML, I have dug out some shots of 81s and 85s in the 1980s. I've digitised them by pointing my phone at the prints, so the quality is less than perfect. Hope they bring back some fond memories...

To kick things off, 81012 stabled at Nuneaton, 2/11/86. Making full use of that siding!

81012.jpg

81021 on a southbound freight through Stafford, 6/2/87. No sign of Mr Train in his pushchair on the platform!

81021.jpg

85020 heads through Rugby on a southbound passenger service, 13/2/87. A nice comfy ride for those on board in the Mark 1s!

85020.jpg

85002 at Manchester Pic, 28/3/87. It was waiting to head off on a Footex - someone with a knowledge of the 86/87 season fixture list might be able to advise where it was going!

85002.jpg

More to follow...
 

xotGD

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Compare and contrast - 85020 and 87020 at Wolverhampton, 16/5/87. The 85 worked 1A44, which I took to New St.

85020 87020.jpg

81013 on a southbound mixed freight through Carlisle, 5/1/88. I should have jumped in to one of the vans, as I never had 13 for haulage.

81013.jpg

Heading in the opposite direction that day, 85032. Also that day, 81005, 85031 and 85034 were stabled at Carlisle next to the wall.

85032.jpg

One more batch to come...
 

xotGD

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On summer Saturdays in 1988, after enjoying 2 pairs of 37s on the Cambrian, there was then a chance to get some Roarers in the afternoon. On 4th June 37008/197 and 37678/684 were out and so were 85036 and these 85s...

85028 at Wolverhampton on 1S87. I'd just had it from Coventry.

85028.jpg

85007 at New St on 1M65. Time for a run to Wolves.

85007.jpg

A couple of months later I was starting a Freedom of Scotland. Entertainment at Carlisle, in the shape of 81010 and 85028, 20/8/88. Another 81 I never had!

81010 85028.jpg

81011 at Euston, 19/3/89. It was withdrawn the following month

81011.jpg

And finally (!), here is 85110 (previously 85036) having a rest at Carlisle, 19/6/89.

85110.jpg

How things used to be!
 
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