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Stockport - Dover, late 80s/early 90s

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jtuk

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Hi,

Recall one summer holidays heading down from Stockport to stay with friends of the parents for a week or so in Dover, I can't recall exactly what year this would have been, but it was at the very earliest 1989, and probably 1991 at the latest. What I'm trying to work out is what route the train would have taken - the folks didn't want to change through London with a bunch of luggage and the younger sister in tow, so I think they found something direct. How it would have avoided London is what's confusing me, all I remember is that it was an early start, I do recall going through Wolverhampton but that's about it. Anyone with any ideas of what route might have been used?
 
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From Reading, continue along the main line towards Paddington until reaching Acton Main Line, then veer off left towards Willesden, run parallel with the line into Euston then veer off right towards Kensington Olympia. Once on the Southern Region various routes were possible, but Nunhead, Hither Green, Sidcup, Dartford, Canterbury East seems likely.
 
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jtuk

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JonathanH said:
http://www.1s76.com/ is going to help. There was a direct train from Manchester to Dover and Folkestone for a period.

http://www.1s76.com/1S76 1989.htm was the 1989-1990 timetable - there is a 0627 service from Stockport to Dover via Wolverhampton, Coventry, Reading, Kensington Olympia, Bromley and Canterbury.
Click to expand...

That sounds exactly like what I was looking for in terms of remembering the timings, cheers
 
30907

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CW2 said:
From Reading, continue along the main line towards Paddington until reaching Acton Main Line, then veer off left towards Willesden, run parallel with the line into Euston then veer off right towards Kensington Olympia.
Click to expand...
From the timings shown, it must have taken the direct route from the GWML at Old Oak Common to North Pole - this hadn't then been severed to build the Eurostar depot.
Between Factory Jn and Shortlands Jn (ie Kensington and Bromley on IS76) it might well have been routed via the Atlantic Lines and Catford Loop southbound to avoid conflicts, but I don't have a relevant timetable to check.
 
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30907 said:
From the timings shown, it must have taken the direct route from the GWML at Old Oak Common to North Pole - this hadn't then been severed to build the Eurostar depot.
Between Factory Jn and Shortlands Jn (ie Kensington and Bromley on IS76) it might well have been routed via the Atlantic Lines and Catford Loop southbound to avoid conflicts, but I don't have a relevant timetable to check.
Click to expand...
Agreed - so it must have been 1989 then, not later.
 
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Alfonso

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jtuk said:
Hi,

Recall one summer holidays heading down from Stockport to stay with friends of the parents for a week or so in Dover, I can't recall exactly what year this would have been, but it was at the very earliest 1989, and probably 1991 at the latest. What I'm trying to work out is what route the train would have taken - the folks didn't want to change through London with a bunch of luggage and the younger sister in tow, so I think they found something direct. How it would have avoided London is what's confusing me, all I remember is that it was an early start, I do recall going through Wolverhampton but that's about it. Anyone with any ideas of what route might have been used?
Click to expand...
There was a time it run down the wcml, the Kensington Olympia, Bromley south, Chatham, faversham, Canterbury east, and dover priory/ western docks. There was a very circuitous return working that started at Canterbury east, then Dover priory, Folkestone central, Ashford, Tonbridge?, Bromley south, Kensington Olympia then up the wcml. Direct but very slow.
 
Cowley

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I think I did most versions of these routes around then behind various different class 47s.
From someone not used to the area it seemed to be different every time I went on it! I’ll have a look at my remaining books tomorrow and see what I’ve listed.
 
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Cowley said:
From someone not used to the area it seemed to be different every time I went on it! I’ll have a look at my remaining books tomorrow and see what I’ve listed.
Click to expand...
Victoria/Stewarts Lane etc to Bromley South has long been a toss-up for any fast service whether via Penge or the Catford Loop. Both routes double track only, with local stopping services, depending on which one has just left, the next fast goes the other way. Even Eurostar from Waterloo did the same.
 
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