Back in the day...

47403 · 16 Nov 2019

Some cracking reading there. Had a few of them. 81s and 85s for haulage, sadly not all, 81011 and 85036/110 being the 2, I certainly can't remember ever seeing an 85/1.
Some good 37's for haulage there too on the Cambrian lines. That sounded like good fun. The 73s on sleepers is certainly on the to do list. Whether it'll be done anytime soon, is open to debate.

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86247 · 16 Nov 2019

those images look absolutely hell fire the west coast main line was always good back in the day now theirs no variety any more bank quay was always my favourite place to go the amount of freight passing through was amazing

AJM580 · 16 Nov 2019

Great shots, brings back memories of trips I had with roarers. They could get a move on as I had one at 105 mph on the WCML on the Euston Holyhead boat train.

Cowley · 16 Nov 2019

Wonderful photos!

xotGD · 16 Nov 2019

Thanks for the positive feedback folks. Stay tuned for further themed photo sets...

Mag_seven · 16 Nov 2019

I can almost hear them!

The_Train · 16 Nov 2019

xotGD said:
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!

58s on passenger runs? I never knew that was a thing

Cowley · 16 Nov 2019

The_Train said:
58s on passenger runs? I never knew that was a thing

They did plenty of drags in the 80s around Crewe etc The_Train, but some of their most celebrated runs were between Birmingham New Street and Reading/Paddington in the early Virgin days substituting for unreliable 47/8s.
Our very own @Saltleyman drove a couple...
Here’s 58044 near Rowington in 1998 taken by Peter Tandy:

Apparently they could show quite a decent top speed...

47403 · 17 Nov 2019

Ah the Nuneaton Drags, I always missed out on them and anything after 92, I'd dropped out the hobby, seen many a video on youtube, a bloke I knew from my neck of the woods, used to travel down on a Saturday morning for them and sleep in his car to do the sunday too. He had 31s, 37s, 47s, 56s and 58s on them turns.

Cowley · 17 Nov 2019

47403 said:
Ah the Nuneaton Drags, I always missed out on them and anything after 92, I'd dropped out the hobby, seen many a video on youtube, a bloke I knew from my neck of the woods, used to travel down on a Saturday morning for them and sleep in his car to do the sunday too. He had 31s, 37s, 47s, 56s and 58s on them turns.

Argh.
Having ‘wishing I’d done them feelings’ that are hurting right now...

xotGD · 17 Nov 2019

Some of the Birmingham based cranks must have just about had all of the 58s on the Nuneaton drags. I had a handful of them, plus two 56s, two 37s and a pair of 31s.

I remember one Sunday morning sat in the stock waiting to leave New St behind a 58 when a 56 rolled in on the Glasgow - Bristol overnight, diverted via Walsall. Quite a few baled off that for a quick dash across to get the 58.

xotGD · 17 Nov 2019

OK, I've trawled through my records, and can report that I had the following Type 5s on the Nuneaton drags:

56027/113
58006/009/011/013/016/035/040/044

Thinking back, I don't think I really enjoyed doing them, it was just a case of getting some unusual haulage.

AJM580 · 17 Nov 2019

xotGD said:
OK, I've trawled through my records, and can report that I had the following Type 5s on the Nuneaton drags:

56027/113
58006/009/011/013/016/035/040/044

Thinking back, I don't think I really enjoyed doing them, it was just a case of getting some unusual haulage.

That's quite an impressive haul. I only ever had one 58 on the drags - 58028 in 1988, but had a few on railtours. They could get a shift on as I had 58045 do a sustained 80 mph on the GWML on the Shapeshifter charter in Sept 1998,.

xotGD · 18 Nov 2019

Half an Hour at York

OK, so this isn't a look back in time - this is today. A work trip to Teesside, should have had me on a 185 from Leeds, but a missed connection meant I was 'forced' to take 68028 as far as York on 1E25:

A couple of minutes after the Cat thrashed out of the station, a rather dirty Royal Scotsman liveried 66743 trundled through on 6H12 Tyne Coal Terminal to Drax:

Then I wandered over to Platform 11 to take a look at two more Cats (20 and 29) and an unknown 37, taking a rest:

Then it was time to catch the next 185 towards Middlesbrough.

Edit: As a Brucie Bonus, I coincided with 66529 pulling in to whatever the sidings are called in Middlesbrough with a working from Boulby:

D841 Roebuck · 8 Dec 2019

Some great photos and memories there.

Regarding 85002's Footex on 28/3/87 - Manchester City went to Leicester that day, so probably that (presumably 85 to Nuneaton for whatever was spare forward).

433N · 17 Dec 2019

I have a story to tell, which I though might interest someone.

Spotting in the 70s, it was a good rule of thumb that a Doncaster lad such as myself was going to struggle to see an 07 shunter as they always hung around Southampton docks (even on an SR ranger, I never saw one because they weren't accessible).

One day, a group of us were walking (for some unknown reason) in the area of the small villages around RAF Finningley (maybe going to the airshow) which is now Doncaster Robin Hood airport and suddenly, out of nowhere we spotted an 07 shunter in BR blue in, what appeared to be, a group of outbuildings for a farm ; maybe an industrial unit. This event has seemed so unlikely in retrospect, that I have thought for the past few years that it was just a dream or I'd imagined it. Searching of the internet has produced nothing to confirm it actually happened.

UNTIL ... I was in the loft yesterday and happened upon some of my old photos. I didn't still have a photo of it, but there on the negatives was indeed the hard evidence ... 07003 from what I can read. Now wiki, says that it was withdrawn in 1976 and " sold to P Wood of Queenborough, Kent; ... and (07003) was sold to British Industrial Sand at Oakamoor, Staffordshire, being subsequently scrapped in 1985."

This incident probably happened around 1976 but I have no idea why it should have come north to a farm or similar industrial unit (maybe a backstreet paint job), miles from any railway connection.

I real must try and get another positive from the negative(s).

eastwestdivide · 23 Dec 2019

Sorry, no further info, other than a contemporary source for the two locations you found.
Midland Railfans 'A Decade After' (a listing of diesel locos from the late 70s - a decade after the end of steam I suppose) has 07003 at P Wood, Queenborough, with my written-in note 'BIS Oakamoor' - there's a supplement in the back listing the new location, so I think I'd have got the info from there.
The RCTS loco books from that period don't shed any new light either.
The Sandtoft trolleybus museum was already in existence then. Could that have been a connection between the Finningley area and old industrials? Sounds unlikely - clutching at straws there.

Edit: would this be better off in a dedicated thread with 07003 in the thread title?

xotGD · 27 Dec 2019

Depot Visits - Part One

Sorry I can't offer any gen on Class 07s in Yorkshire, but here is something that is hopefully of interest. In my student days, our Uni Railway Society used to organise visits to various depots and works - as a proper society we did pretty well in getting permits. The 29th of November 1986 saw us head off to the smoke (which actually turned out to be a bit of a mist) for a visit to Stratford. Here are some images of the trip...

37044 getting a bogie wash:

37168, a 31 and some of my fellow travellers:

A kettle too - 777 'Sir Lamiel':

Surrounded by rail blue, 47573 in Network South East 'toothpaste' livery:

Before leaving London, we popped in to Marylebone depot. I'm not sure why, exactly, but we were rewarded by seeing these two devices...

Class 15 train heating unit ADB968000 (the former D8243):

And on the theme of train heating units, 97252, aka "ETHEL 3" (the former 25314):

Not a bad day out!

xotGD · 27 Dec 2019

Depot Visits - Part Two

Three months after the Stratford trip we were off to Derby - 28th Feb 1987 to be precise. We had a permit for the works, but before we even got there we were treated to the sight of 97201 (the former 24061) and Laboratory 10:

Little did I suspect that 11 years later I would be bowled out by this loco on the North Yorkshire Moors when it failed before I could get it for haulage!

Anyway, back to the Derby trip - the works was full of 08s and 20s undergoing overhaul. Here is 20154:

And classmate 20113 with a hole in the roof:

The skeletal form of 08907 - a candidate for the Gronk of Theseus?:

Outside in the cold was prototype HST power car ADB975813 (the former 41002, then W43001):

There was also the remains of a decomposed rat. Well, a cab from 25006. The question is, would you count it for sight?:

After leaving the works, we took a trip up to Matlock for some liquid refreshment. This device, 151002, either took us there or brought us back (or both!):

Trying to hide from us was Class 44 D8 'Penyghent':

I've been to the top of the hill, but I require the loco for haulage! Class 28 D5705 was also there, but tucked away inside where it couldn't be photted. Needless to say, I've not had that for haulage either - yet!

That's all for now.

87electric · 27 Dec 2019

Great photos and history there.
You mean you don’t have a “cab only” spotting book? It comes into its own at scrapyards.

Cowley · 27 Dec 2019

xotGD said:
Depot Visits - Part Two

Three months after the Stratford trip we were off to Derby - 28th Feb 1987 to be precise. We had a permit for the works, but before we even got there we were treated to the sight of 97201 (the former 24061) and Laboratory 10:

View attachment 72042

Little did I suspect that 11 years later I would be bowled out by this loco on the North Yorkshire Moors when it failed before I could get it for haulage!

Anyway, back to the Derby trip - the works was full of 08s and 20s undergoing overhaul. Here is 20154:

View attachment 72043

And classmate 20113 with a hole in the roof:

View attachment 72044

The skeletal form of 08907 - a candidate for the Gronk of Theseus?:

View attachment 72045

Outside in the cold was prototype HST power car ADB975813 (the former 41002, then W43001):

View attachment 72046

There was also the remains of a decomposed rat. Well, a cab from 25006. The question is, would you count it for sight?:

View attachment 72047

After leaving the works, we took a trip up to Matlock for some liquid refreshment. This device, 151002, either took us there or brought us back (or both!):

View attachment 72048

Trying to hide from us was Class 44 D8 'Penyghent':

View attachment 72050

I've been to the top of the hill, but I require the loco for haulage! Class 28 D5705 was also there, but tucked away inside where it couldn't be photted. Needless to say, I've not had that for haulage either - yet!

That's all for now.

Really interesting. @xotGD - would you mind if I sent the photo of 97201 to a friend of mine? He’s got an N gauge model of it and is always interested in the RTC stuff.

xotGD · 27 Dec 2019

Cowley said:
Really interesting. @xotGD - would you mind if I sent the photo of 97201 to a friend of mine? He’s got an N gauge model of it and is always interested in the RTC stuff.

No problem with you sharing the photo. It is a picture taken with my phone of the original print, so some of the definition has been lost.

Cowley · 27 Dec 2019

xotGD said:
No problem with you sharing the photo. It is a picture taken with my phone of the original print, so some of the definition has been lost.

Thank you. It’s still great.

47403 · 2 Jan 2020

Ah Mr xot, the old depot visits, I've mentioned a fair few of them in my own threads. Some great memories there too. Last time I was at Derby works, it was a handful of gronks, the rest was all new units being built. Mind you after visiting, Knottingley, Tinsley, Toton and the rest of the Notts Depots, it wouldve been greedy to expect more gaps to be filled in the platform 5. That pic of 97201, sets the ole brain cells going, I remember seeing it passing Tyne Yard on a test train and as it came towards me, I was wondering what the hell it was approaching.

xotGD · 2 Jan 2020

47403 said:
Ah Mr xot, the old depot visits, I've mentioned a fair few of them in my own threads. Some great memories there too. Last time I was at Derby works, it was a handful of gronks, the rest was all new units being built. Mind you after visiting, Knottingley, Tinsley, Toton and the rest of the Notts Depots, it wouldve been greedy to expect more gaps to be filled in the platform 5. That pic of 97201, sets the ole brain cells going, I remember seeing it passing Tyne Yard on a test train and as it came towards me, I was wondering what the hell it was approaching.

The thing with the gronks at Derby is that they came from depots all over the country, so a few exotic sightings to be had. I've just discovered that 08907 is now preserved on the GCR carrying the number D4137 - so I got to see it again last year in a slightly more complete condition.

Class 24 in the north east - of course way, way back Gateshead had an allocation, that used to work in pairs on the iron ore trains to Consett. Definitely before my time!

47403 · 2 Jan 2020

Yeah but I'm not old enough to see any run on the mainline bar 97201. I think I copped the gronks regardless. Talking of Gronks and depot visits, one that I needed for donkeys years, was one of GD's that transferred to Doncaster, countless attempts to get round Donnie got refused. 08762 was eventually seen going past on the train to Peterborough.

433N · 2 Jan 2020

47403 said:
... countless attempts to get round Donnie got refused. 08762 was eventually seen going past on the train to Peterborough.

I was a local and when I first started spotting, my dad took me and my bruv down to Donnie shed on a Sunday afternoon. One of the guys there was washing his car but offered to take us round, letting us climb into the cabs of copious numbers of locos. The only one that I remember from the visit was Baby Deltic D5901 which was being stripped (of asbestos ?) prior to being cut at Donny works ; I must be one of the few people still alive who have stood in the cab of a Baby Deltic.

That was the only time I ever got to go round (formally). They probably had a sign saying 'Please Don't Ask to Go Around the Shed as Being Told to EffOff Can Cause Offense"

I do remember the time when about 15 class 24s appeared in a line at Donny shed almost overnight when they were being withdrawn ; stuff that dreams are made of, that was. Crewe diesel also had conga lines of them.

Cowley · 2 Jan 2020

433N said:
I was a local and when I first started spotting, my dad took me and my bruv down to Donnie shed on a Sunday afternoon. One of the guys there was washing his car but offered to take us round, letting us climb into the cabs of copious numbers of locos. The only one that I remember from the visit was Baby Deltic D5901 which was being stripped (of asbestos ?) prior to being cut at Donny works ; I must be one of the few people still alive who have stood in the cab of a Baby Deltic.

That was the only time I ever got to go round (formally). They probably had a sign saying 'Please Don't Ask to Go Around the Shed as Being Told to EffOff Can Cause Offense"

I do remember the time when about 15 class 24s appeared in a line at Donny shed almost overnight when they were being withdrawn ; stuff that dreams are made of, that was. Crewe diesel also had conga lines of them.

Love it. Especially the Baby Deltic story.

xotGD · 2 Jan 2020

I'll have to wait until they finish building a 'new' Baby Deltic before I get to see one!

433N · 2 Jan 2020

Looking up the photos and history of D5901 reminds me that every Sunday afternoon, a crowd would form at Doncaster works entrance and for a nominal fee (50p or £1), they used to do unofficial tours (loco and DMU shops). It always used to turn into a bit of a scrum because they did limit the numbers allowed in. Of course, due to low turnover, it was only worth doing every couple of months. These tours were never advertised and I don't know if the guys just used to pocket the money.

It was fascinating seeing the 56s emerge from raw metal. Having stopped spotting late 70s (probably around 56-0- mid forties) , it was particularly bizarre to see 56031 and similar a couple of years back at Leicester LIP in a state of disrepair decaying back to raw metal (pre-GBRF resurrection).

Back in the day...

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