There were various "network days" in the 80s/90's which seemed to put funny locos on passenger services. We never had that in the north east mind!
Was there not a "Network Northwest" day? (OK its not the North East but you get my point )
There were various "network days" in the 80s/90's which seemed to put funny locos on passenger services. We never had that in the north east mind!
I remember owning this edition with what looks like a non heat 47 on the cover:
View attachment 80687
Do any of you clever types know where that photo was taken?
I like your thinking Peter...Well... four track main line with a 5th road in the background; the angle of the sunlight suggests the main line between Paddington and Reading and there are a few locations between Slough and Old Oak where you'd have a 5th road on the north side like that.
Maybe someone might recognise the building in the background, but i wonder about Hayes and Harlington or Langley as possibilities? What about Slough itself?
Well... four track main line with a 5th road in the background; the angle of the sunlight suggests the main line between Paddington and Reading and there are a few locations between Slough and Old Oak where you'd have a 5th road on the north side like that.
Maybe someone might recognise the building in the background, but I wonder about Hayes and Harlington or Langley as possibilities? What about Slough itself?
The trouble is that a rake of NSE coaches could get anywhere on a summer Saturday...The R/H line looks a tad rusty and the next line to the left is little cleaner. Therefore the 47 is either on an up or down main. The line in the background has a paraffin type Stop lamp on the bracket support. I doubt it's PAD-RDG but perhaps Oxford area.
Well... four track main line with a 5th road in the background; the angle of the sunlight suggests the main line between Paddington and Reading and there are a few locations between Slough and Old Oak where you'd have a 5th road on the north side like that.
Maybe someone might recognise the building in the background, but I wonder about Hayes and Harlington or Langley as possibilities? What about Slough itself?
Was there not a "Network Northwest" day? (OK its not the North East but you get my point )
It always disappointed me that this didn't perpetuate with a 165-166-159 combination working to Penzance as a relief once the NSE coaches went. I now know why that wasn't possible.The trouble is that a rake of NSE coaches could get anywhere on a summer Saturday...
Great bit of detective work there.In 1987 there was a diagram for an NSE rake of coaches on a Summer Saturday diagram that ended up at Liverpool, and formed 1V81 1405 Liverpool-Paddington on a Sunday, which wasn't booked for a no heat 47 but got one very regularly. Attached image 47306 on 28/6/87.
View attachment 80709.
EDIT: A bit of research says that the Loco-Hauled Travel book photo is 47312 approaching Swindon on the 1330 Paddington-Bristol vice-HST on 28 August 1987. It certainly fits 47312 in 1987 - slow speed, no heat, orange stripe.
EDIT 2: It is definitely 312 - see http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v3.php?img=0410020706000 and compare the pattern in the dirt above the cab windows.
When I was out and about from 1987 onwards there were all kinds of booked turns through summer (especially on Saturdays) that produced freight locos.
Down our way there were 3 jobs in 1988 that bought 47/0s and 47/3s to Paignton on out and back turns, plus booked pairs of 31/4s (I think borrowed from the parcels sector?) We also had the occasional Peak that made it through and I don’t think they had any booked passenger work by 1988.
Platform 5s Loco Hauled Travel was really useful if you didn’t have the ‘gen’. But also this was happening all over the country on a summer Saturday - pairs of 37/0s to the Cambrian Coast, 20s to Skegness, more no heat 47s and 31s to Yarmouth etc.
I remember owning this edition with what looks like a non heat 47 on the cover:
View attachment 80687
Do any of you clever types know where that photo was taken?
The front coaches of some of those trains felt every bit like a railtour...
Not sure about other regions but in Scotland the policy was no heating 1st April to 1st October iirc.
...
Really? It surely can get 'orribly cold in Scotland in April? Even in May.
I remember a trip over the Settle & Carlisle on the Glasgow sleeper in April 1966 with no heat 'cos Cl 45 the steam gen had packed up. It was bloody freezing.
That was a screenshot of one for sale Hexagon. I haven’t got my copy anymore.I have the 1986 edition, courtesy of the Bo'ness station bookshop!
Looks like the GWML to me and I'd guess an NSE Paddington-Oxford service?
Does the inside cover not say what the photo is of?
See post #73! 47312.I have the 1986 edition, courtesy of the Bo'ness station bookshop!
Looks like the GWML to me and I'd guess an NSE Paddington-Oxford service?
Does the inside cover not say what the photo is of?
A 26 came across from Carlisle dragging a failed dmu. It then did a return trip to Durham!there was - the nearest we got was when the pacers were introduced but didn't work well and had to be replaced by ancient units dragged off a scarp line somewhere and emergency 3 carriage trains thrown on at very short notice.
IRC correctly there was a rumour that I thought was false for many years that a 26 made it to Newcastle dragging one such service. Turns out it was true!
Ouch!Alas, I was at home.
See post #73! 47312.
That was a screenshot of one for sale Hexagon. I haven’t got my copy anymore.
20s were used on weekdays too in the mid 80s. An example was the summer dated Leicester to Skegness service.I would say that using 20s was just a case of making use of freight locos that were spare at the weekend. Same thing with 47/3s on the Birmingham - Yarmouth, 37s on the Yarmouth - Newcastle, etc. Also the use of 58s on Birmingham - Nuneaton drags on Sundays.
Was that during the miners' strike? Plenty of spare freight locos then. Gateshead were happily turning out 37s on DMU replacement turns.20s were used on weekdays too in the mid 80s. An example was the summer dated Leicester to Skegness service.
Back when these locos were still current (1970s-80s) they were notably common at the south end of the ECML, maybe not Laira ones that much but certainly those from Gateshead. I was surprised to get one on a Cambridge to Kings Cross fast one afternoon. There were a couple of others at Finsbury Park as we passed.Had 46008 (LA allocated) on a merrymaker Huntingdon to Waverley when I was a mere slip of a lad. Probably not put on for enthusiasts I reckon- maybe FP were struggling for a 47 and it happened to be around!
I meant location and service. My 1986 edition has captions for front and back cover photos inside it.
That's in post 73 as well!