Colne to London Euston

halfwell · 20 Feb 2020

Even in my advanced years I am sure my memory is not playing tricks when I recall a direct service from Colne to London Euston in the 1950's. Living in Blackburn at the time I am sure I used to see this train, which even had carriage boards stating "Colne - London(Euston). There may have only been a couple of coaches to be attached to a train at Manchester. This is driving me to distraction as I can find no mention of it anywhere. Any info gratefully received.
I am also looking for a printed departures poster for Preston in 1959. I recall standing on the ramp down to platforms 5 and 6 (as they were then) and gazing at the huge roller departure board. Those place names, Wigan, Warrington, Crewe, Stafford, Lichfield, Nuneaton, Rugby, Northampton, Bletchley, Watford, London Euston, filled my young, not very travelled, mind with wonder.

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Andy R. A. · 20 Feb 2020

I have a book 'Passenger train formations - LMS LM Region' by Clive S Carter. In it there is indeed a formation included showing through coaches to/from Colne to London Euston. Formations for 1949 and 1954 shown the Down working leaving Euston at 1800 for Manchester (The Lancastrian) the 1949 version shows three coaches on the rear for Colne being two Corridor Composites and a Corridor Brake third. The 1954 version shows the portion formed of two Corridor Thirds, and a Corridor Brake First. The reverse working doesn't show the departure time from Colne, but were attached to the 0945 Manchester to Euston.

Hope that this may be of help ?

WesternLancer · 20 Feb 2020

Andy R. A. said:
I have a book 'Passenger train formations - LMS LM Region' by Clive S Carter. In it there is indeed a formation included showing through coaches to/from Colne to London Euston. Formations for 1949 and 1954 shown the Down working leaving Euston at 1800 for Manchester (The Lancastrian) the 1949 version shows three coaches on the rear for Colne being two Corridor Composites and a Corridor Brake third. The 1954 version shows the portion formed of two Corridor Thirds, and a Corridor Brake First. The reverse working doesn't show the departure time from Colne, but were attached to the 0945 Manchester to Euston.

Hope that this may be of help ?

would this help
https://timetableworld.com/book_viewer.php?id=7&section_id=1705

Looking at 1947 LMS timetable here (Table 166 Manchester, Bury, Ramsbottom, Accrington, Burnley and Colne)

Col headed Z deps Man Vic at 8.44pm says 'Through Carriages from Euston Dep 3.55pm' (cross ref'd to table 140 where the 3.55 is noted as having Through Carriages to Colne)

Presume further looking at those tables would see workings southbound too.

Sir Felix Pole · 20 Feb 2020

The Colne coaches were attached / detached at Stockport working to and from Manchester Victoria via Ashton Moss.

Table 118 (Crewe -Manchester) in the above 1947 LMS book shows a good summary.

The workings continued until the start of the electrification program in the late '50s when Manchester to London services were trimmed to accommodate the works.

LNW-GW Joint · 20 Feb 2020

In Winter 1958/9 I can see an 0800 Colne-Euston (arr 1403), and an 1123 Skipton-Colne 1150-Euston 1802.
Returns were at 0935 from Euston, Colne arr 1522, and a 1435 from Euston-Colne arr 2117, and Euston 1820-Colne 0032 (no through train to Skipton).
All running via Blackburn, Manchester Victoria and Stockport to attach to/from Manchester-London trains (usually via Stoke).
Evidently a lack of balance here, so must be linked with other routes.

S&CLER · 20 Feb 2020

Stuart Taylor's Foxline book The Railways of Colne says that the three daily London connections via Stockport ended in September 1962, after which connecting at Preston was encouraged. In 1955 there were through carriages for London at 08:00 and 10:55. He doesn't say exactly when they ended.

billh · 20 Feb 2020

Sir Felix Pole said:
The Colne coaches were attached / detached at Stockport working to and from Manchester Victoria via Ashton Moss.

Table 118 (Crewe -Manchester) in the above 1947 LMS book shows a good summary.

The workings continued until the start of the electrification program in the late '50s when Manchester to London services were trimmed to accommodate the works.

To clarify this somewhat-the trains didn't run via Ashton Moss ( as in Ashton Moss North & South Junctions) . They used the direct line between Droylsden and Denton, closed 1968. Just to confuse matters, they did go through Ashton Moss Junction ( in Audenshaw). The Colne-Euston was the only regular passenger service on this line. I have a picture of this train crossing the canal bridge at Audenshaw, hauled by a Jubilee 4-6-0. The line was used extensively in 1959/60 whilst London Road Station was being re-built. Standard class7 Brits , Pats,Scots, new Peak and EE type 4 diesels, plenty of "cops" to be had in those two years.

halfwell · 21 Feb 2020

Andy R. A. said:
I have a book 'Passenger train formations - LMS LM Region' by Clive S Carter. In it there is indeed a formation included showing through coaches to/from Colne to London Euston. Formations for 1949 and 1954 shown the Down working leaving Euston at 1800 for Manchester (The Lancastrian) the 1949 version shows three coaches on the rear for Colne being two Corridor Composites and a Corridor Brake third. The 1954 version shows the portion formed of two Corridor Thirds, and a Corridor Brake First. The reverse working doesn't show the departure time from Colne, but were attached to the 0945 Manchester to Euston.

Hope that this may be of help ?

So it did exist. Thanks for that. No need for the expensive therapy after all.

WesternLancer · 21 Feb 2020

halfwell said:
So it did exist. Thanks for that. No need for the expensive therapy after all.

welcome to the forum by the way!
Just got to find that 1959 Preston Departure poster now!
Don't suppose they have one in a local museum or archive do they?

halfwell · 21 Feb 2020

Thanks very much for all the replies. I have a London Midland region timetable for summer 1959 but could find no mention of the Colne through service to London. I will have to give it a closer look. I was looking at table 145 but on a second look at the index shows another working on table 50. Table 143 shows through coaches on an 0800 departure from Colne to Manchester Victoria via Blackburn and Bolton. Return service arrives Colne 2116. It must have been the return service I saw as I sat on the wall at Islington, Blackburn.

halfwell · 21 Feb 2020

WesternLancer said:
welcome to the forum by the way!
Just got to find that 1959 Preston Departure poster now!
Don't suppose they have one in a local museum or archive do they?

Maybe but as I now live in deepest Somerset I doubt the local museum would be of help! I missed one a while ago in an auction which came to my attention too late. I have a guy on ebay I buy stuff from and he is looking out for one for me. I wonder what happened to the original roller device? It was rather large.

halfwell · 21 Feb 2020

By the way I was a member some years ago and have now seen the error of my ways and returned to the fold. There are some fascinating threads on here so looking forward to being immersed in some.

Momo and diggy · 21 Feb 2020

On my spotting trips to Bolton in the 1960s there was a train in the afternoon about 2 30 heading towards Blackburn pulled by a class 5 with London colne headboard on the coaches

Colne to London Euston

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