Back in the day...

[AJM580]

Some great memories of Craven's units. They weren't that comfortable, but enjoyed rattling around East Anglia in them

 

[xotGD]

I don’t recall ever seeing a black band below the windows like this before:

View attachment 79040

Does anyone know what that signifies?

Anti-glare, like American football players put on their faces?

 

[NorthWestRover]

As a spotter in the late 70s, a trip to London was bound to lead to hundreds of cops. Short stays at any of the Southern Region stations or those for Essex and East Anglia would produce literally hundreds of units to be marked off. In a way, somewhere like Victoria was a foretaste of what we've got now. Lots of units with little character. In fact, many of the Southern units did look mighty similar to each other. Here are a few photos from trips to London as either a spotter in the late 70s or line bashing in the mid 80s.





A couple of class 302 (?) EMUs at the now demolished Broad Street.







Some more units, this time on the Southern Region at Waterloo. Even back then, I never really knew what class all these things were.





Back out on the Eastern Region branches with a couple of class 305 EMUs.




Another class 302 out at Upminster on the Fenchurch Street line and then 313 021 on the Great Northern line towards Moorgate.



I don't know what or where this is. The number on the front appears to be 5917. It's 3rd rail. Any ideas?

 

[NorthWestRover]

And here's a few more Southern Region types which all look the same to me...





At unknown location, Woolwich Arsenal, unknown location, Slade Green, Bromley South...

 

[O8yityityit]

I don’t recall ever seeing a black band below the windows like this before:

View attachment 79040

Does anyone know what that signifies?

It marked the unit as non standard. It was a experiment to evaluate how the unit performed with each car having one of its two engines removed.
Unit numbers were M50521 and M50446( but I also see reference to M78851 and M78601 so not sure if there were two units involved or the same one remembered.)
It was converted an Doncaster around March 1982 .
More info available at the www.railcar site if your interested.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Great stuff. Thanks for that. I check things on railcar.co.uk when my memory is hazy.

 

[NorthWestRover]

And here are some very, very run of the mill units...




These units - Derby types - (seen here at Warrington Central) were everywhere in the late 70s and early 80s. When I first started spotting in 1976, I cleared the Class 115 subset allocated to Allerton very quickly with a few evening visits to Padgate station. The real reason for the visits to Padgate were to catch the double headed Rat working on the London Brick train, the only regular freight train through Padgate at the time.



And a few years later in the mid 80s, here's another boring unit at one of the Thames Valley Branch termini.



And some very unhealthy first generation DMUs at Sheffield with the future alongside them...



And here to give you nightmares is the future come true. Who would have thought when I took this photo at New Street back in 1985 that 35 years later, I'd be regularly travelling on its colleagues almost every time I leave Wigan Wallgate (or Padgate)? How depressing.

 

[Peter Sarf]

View attachment 79046

A couple of class 302 (?) EMUs at the now demolished Broad Street.
..........

If it is Broad street (seems likely) then these would be DC third rail units based at Croxley Green depot also used on Watford to Euston services. They are class 501 - link.

.........
View attachment 79054

I don't know what or where this is. The number on the front appears to be 5917. It's 3rd rail. Any ideas?

That would be 455917 - class 455/9. One of the SW division's suburban units so somewhere out of Waterloo.
Link (see the left unit in the first picture). The 455/9s did not have the blanked out headcode box above the cab seen on 455/7s and 455/8s (the right hand unit).

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thank you. My note on the back of the print says they were Broad Street and they look like the one on your link, including the headcode.

 

[Cowley]

It marked the unit as non standard. It was a experiment to evaluate how the unit performed with each car having one of its two engines removed.
Unit numbers were M50521 and M50446( but I also see reference to M78851 and M78601 so not sure if there were two units involved or the same one remembered.)
It was converted an Doncaster around March 1982 .
More info available at the www.railcar site if your interested.

That’s great thanks for that.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Last batch of units. This time of the electric variety from different places around the country...




Class 304 unit at Stockport. Famous for their bouncy ride and seats, these EMUs were seen all the time around Manchester in the late 70s/early 80s.



Exclusively used on the Manchester to Glossop and Hadfield line, this class 506 is seen here at Guide Bridge. I'd have been here spotting 76s which I'd also have found at Reddish. My day trip would also have taken in Longsight and Newton Heath depots as well as time on the platform at Piccadilly and Victoria.



A Class 503 at Birkenhead Central bound for Rock Ferry. This was before the Mersey rail network went to Chester. The 503s were on the Wirral Line and the 502s on the Northern. Not long after this they were replaced by 507s and 508s, of course soon to be replaced by 777s.



Over at Liverpool Lime Street was this Class 303 which had started out in Glasgow, but came down to the North West in the 1980s.




Another type of EMU - Class 309 - here at Colchester on a semi fast to Liverpool Street in 1980.

And that's it for units. Back to locos next...

 

[Peter Sarf]

..........
Class 304 unit at Stockport. Famous for their bouncy ride and seats, these EMUs were seen all the time around Manchester in the late 70s/early 80s.
..........

My experience of 304s was around Birmingham. Probably only used on the New Street to Walsall route. I think 310s and the four 312s did Wolverampton and Coventry/Northampton. And, I agree, those 304s were BOUNCY. Somewhere out towards Bescot the frequency of rail joints must have hit the resonant frequency of the suspension aided and abetted by very sprung seats - not like the ironing boards we have as "seats" nowadays.

 

[xotGD]

Some stuff there that I never saw in the flesh.

I used to get 304s around the West Midlands. 'Dinosaur Units' some people called them. And yes, an entertaining ride.

I once had one from New Street to Liverpool. Probably the only time I was disappointed not to get an 86!

 

[86247]

I regularly had 304s on the liverpool to crewe service you spent more time in the air then the seat.Once I smacked the seat and the amount of dust that came up from it was unbelievable, made my mate cough a lung up nearly.

 

[AJM580]

And here's a few more Southern Region types which all look the same to me...

View attachment 79055View attachment 79056View attachment 79057
View attachment 79058
View attachment 79059

At unknown location, Woolwich Arsenal, unknown location, Slade Green, Bromley South...

The 2-epb 6316 looks like it was taken at North Woolwich, as the EPBs worked the North London Line for a time (the window bars were for the restricted tunnels at Hampstead Heath). Great shots

 

[Cletus]

The station in NorthWestRover 's post 363 looks like Chessington South.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thanks everyone. I can recreate my life here lol. Just need my moves books to go with the photos now...

 

[Peter Sarf]

I regularly had 304s on the liverpool to crewe service you spent more time in the air then the seat.Once I smacked the seat and the amount of dust that came up from it was unbelievable, made my mate cough a lung up nearly.

I experienced exactly the same with the Southern EMUs - very absorbent and seldom/never vacuumed. A very nasty thing to do - thump the seats in the presence of others, usually in a non corridor compartment EPB . I would say the dust was probably dead skin etc.

 

[xotGD]

Exciting news! For the first time in 3 months I have seen some trains.

OK, I'm stretching the definition somewhat. I actually saw some of the 144s dumped at Keighley.

I have thought of a topic for my next dip into the photo albums. Maybe not today, but soon...

 

[xotGD]

Going back to the earlier discussion about Class 40s, I've checked my records and I had 38 in service plus 135 and 145 in preservation.

40 40s. Seems appropriate!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Blast from the past! Today!

I was out on my walk today and thought I'd try and get a photo or two. Most are not appropriate for this thread, but I think the light engine movement from Crewe to Preston that I came across almost by chance probably is. Here is something special between Wigan North Western and Boar's Head Junction.

 

[xotGD]

Diesel Day Dodgy Doubles! Part 1

Intro

Preserved railways like to provide a variety of traction for their diesel days (or "diesel galas" as they are now grandly titled). Very often, they decide to pair up the locomotives - sometimes in authentic combinations, sometimes in a totally ridiculous pairing. I've sampled a few over the years on my visits to heritage lines, so a few posts to illustrate what they get up to...

Peak Rail 16/10/93

OK, so the first entry is a bit of a fudge. A demonstration freight headed by a Peak and a Cobo at Darley Dale. D100 was doing the work and D5705 has just along for the ride:



Recreating the Sundays-only Derby - St Pancras, a pair of Peaks on a passenger train is a reasonable double-header. D100 and 45135 prepare to back on to their stock at Darley Dale for a run to Matlock:



In addition to the Peaks, 20048 and D2128 were in passenger action that day.

Great Central Railway 26/3/94

Several diesel double-headers in action this day - 20+27, Deltic+20, Deltic+27, Hymek+27. However, they decided to go one better with a Hymek plus kettle combo in the shape of D7018 and 45231:



I didn't travel on the above, but did enjoy D7018, D9019, D8098 and D5401 - on their own and in pairs!

Midland Railway 19/3/95

The only double-headers operating this day was a pair of duffs and this Class11/08 gronk combo - 12077+08590 pause at Swanwick Junction:



Also in action were 47401, 47972, 55015, 46045, 50007 and 31162. I just stayed at the same droplight on the set of stock all day, going up and down the line.

More to follow...

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Going back to the earlier discussion about Class 40s, I've checked my records and I had 38 in service plus 135 and 145 in preservation.

40 40s. Seems appropriate!

A lot better than me.

Curiously, a trawl through the rail-gen site earlier today has taken me from 21 to 22 40s! I went to Ramsgate on an Adex from Manchester in 1978. Had originally got 40137 recorded for this in August, but further research shows this was a Mystex (destination only revealed after boarding the train and so you couldn't escape). The only Mystex I ever did was to Herne Bay a year or so later. And the other motive power that day was 33056, which was not underlined for *sight* in my oldest surviving spotters book. So unscrarch 40137. However on 28/05/78 there was a proper Adex to Ramsgate from Manchester Victoria. This involved 47060, 86012, 33204 and 40107. Now the first two of these are "dud" due to later haulage under the guise of 57008 and 86412 respectively, but the other two are "winners" (and 33204 had been seen before August 1979).

A month earlier (14/04/78) my Adex went to Yarmouth. Someone with better records than me has recorded 47457 for this - also a winner.

Fast forward to 17/03/79. Adex destination Exeter, with dud 86242 and winners 47497/86255 involved.

Finally (fot the moment) 22/07/79 saw Weston-super-Mare visited. Full gen for this train is lacking, but a very nice 40093 apparently worked Manchester to Birmingham...

So 40+ years after the event, I went from 21 down to 20 40s scored: then up again to 22. And gained a 33, 2x47 and an 86.

Now trying to track down dates for two haulage I did record - 45010 from Birmingham to Cardiff and 46039 from Manchester V to York...

 

[xotGD]

A lot better than me.

Curiously, a trawl through the rail-gen site earlier today has taken me from 21 to 22 40s! I went to Ramsgate on an Adex from Manchester in 1978. Had originally got 40137 recorded for this in August, but further research shows this was a Mystex (destination only revealed after boarding the train and so you couldn't escape). The only Mystex I ever did was to Herne Bay a year or so later. And the other motive power that day was 33056, which was not underlined for *sight* in my oldest surviving spotters book. So unscrarch 40137. However on 28/05/78 there was a proper Adex to Ramsgate from Manchester Victoria. This involved 47060, 86012, 33204 and 40107. Now the first two of these are "dud" due to later haulage under the guise of 57008 and 86412 respectively, but the other two are "winners" (and 33204 had been seen before August 1979).

A month earlier (14/04/78) my Adex went to Yarmouth. Someone with better records than me has recorded 47457 for this - also a winner.

Fast forward to 17/03/79. Adex destination Exeter, with dud 86242 and winners 47497/86255 involved.

Finally (fot the moment) 22/07/79 saw Weston-super-Mare visited. Full gen for this train is lacking, but a very nice 40093 apparently worked Manchester to Birmingham...

So 40+ years after the event, I went from 21 down to 20 40s scored: then up again to 22. And gained a 33, 2x47 and an 86.

Now trying to track down dates for two haulage I did record - 45010 from Birmingham to Cardiff and 46039 from Manchester V to York...

Nice to get some slightly belated gen on what you have had for haulage. I was able to discover that I had 37010 on the way back from holiday in Great Yarmouth in 1979, but I don't know what else I had there and back. And whether or not I had any Westerns for haulage in Cornwall in 1976 will forever remain a mystery.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I went on a Merrymaker (or similar) from Padgate (!) to London in about 1975 (the year before I started spotting). I don't know what the loco was or even how we got to London (via WCML or MML). I remember it was compartments.

 

[O8yityityit]

I went on a Merrymaker (or similar) from Padgate (!) to London in about 1975 (the year before I started spotting). I don't know what the loco was or even how we got to London (via WCML or MML). I remember it was compartments.

I've just completed putting my sighting records from 1979 and 1980 ( so far) on the pc and I'll post some of it on here in due course.

The post above where the route was a bit of a mystery brought back memories of a trip I made on a troop train from Newcastle on the way to camp in Dorset.

I'll just say the first leg to York was a suprise as 55021 rolled in on the stock and after a loco change in the centre road at York a 47/0 took us round parts of the country I'd never visited. Occasionally we'd pass a station or depot and I'd get a feel for where we were.
To be fair I still don't know what route we took but hopefully the loco list, especially the 08's sighted will provide clues from which some of you may be able to I'd the possible route.

But more important it's a reminder of how varied the loco spotting was in the 80s.

One interesting thing is I never identified where the loco change took place on the return trip.

I'll get it together and post it soon.

 

[O8yityityit]

ARMY CAMP -WEYMOUTH	12th August 1979
H NE-YK	55021​
NEWCASTLE AREA	37006​
NEWCASTLE AREA	31122​
NEWCASTLE AREA	31141​
NEWCASTLE AREA	31283​
NEWCASTLE AREA	40113​
NEWCASTLE AREA	40181​
YORK	08062​
YORK	08707​
YORK	55014​
YORK	45066​
YORK	31264​
YORK	47319​
YORK	46029​
YORK	37013​
YORK	31327​
YORK	31243​
YORK	45033​
H- YORK-WEYMOUTH	47066​
YORK	31417​
YORK	31227​
YORK	45016​
HOLGATE JCN	56031​
YORK	08285​
YORK	43082/43085
ROTHERWOOD??	76001​
ROTHERWOOD??	56044​
ROTHERWOOD??	76039​
ROTHERWOOD??	45101​
ROTHERWOOD??	47486​
SHEFFIELD AREA	08878​
SHEFFIELD AREA	45075​
TOTON	20164​
TOTON	20192​
TOTON	20193​
TOTON	20002​
TOTON	20001​
TOTON	20003​
TOTON	56058​
TOTON	56059​
TOTON	44004​
LEICESTER	25277​
LEICESTER AREA	25152​
LEICESTER AREA	47072​
LEICESTER AREA	25126​
WELLINGBOROUGH	45110​
WELLINGBOROUGH AREA	08609​
WELLINGBOROUGH AREA	08697​
WELLINGBOROUGH AREA	25101​
WELLINGBOROUGH AREA	25131​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	47508​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	45077​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	08608​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25190​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25151​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25183​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25203​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25112​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25310​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	47437​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	47325​
MIDLAND MAINLINE AREA LEICESTER - CRICKLEWOOD	25179​
CRICKLEWOOD	45128/47426​
CRICKLEWOOD	45042​
CRICKLEWOOD	45126​
CRICKLEWOOD	45130​
ACTON MAIN LINE	50038​
ACTON MAIN LINE	47529​
READING	W55021
READING	W55030
READING	W55027
BASINGSTOKE AREA	7386 EMU
BASINGSTOKE AREA	7712 EMU
BASINGSTOKE AREA	47452​
BASINGSTOKE AREA	7745 EMU
BASINGSTOKE AREA	5111 EMU
EASTLEIGH	73106​
BOURNEMOUTH	73126​
BOURNEMOUTH	47196​
BOURNEMOUTH	08881​
BOURNEMOUTH	3005 EMU
BOURNEMOUTH	3010 EMU
BOURNEMOUTH	409 TC
BOURNEMOUTH	429TC
BOURNEMOUTH	1111 EMU
BOURNEMOUTH	08592​
WEYMOUTH AREA	31326​
WEYMOUTH AREA	47236​
WEYMOUTH AREA	33117​
WEYMOUTH AREA	33112​
WEYMOUTH AREA	33102​
WEYMOUTH AREA	33113​
WEYMOUTH	33103​
WEYMOUTH	33107​
WEYMOUTH	33109​
WEYMOUTH	33112​
WEYMOUTH	33116​
WEYMOUTH	33117​
WEYMOUTH	31419​
WEYMOUTH 17TH -19TH AUG	401 TC
WEYMOUTH	402 TC
WEYMOUTH	403 TC
WEYMOUTH	406 TC
WEYMOUTH	407 TC
WEYMOUTH	408 TC
WEYMOUTH	421 TC
WEYMOUTH	422 TC
WEYMOUTH	433 TC
WEYMOUTH	20TH AUGUST 1979 409 TC
WEYMOUTH	408 TC
WEYMOUTH	33117​
WEYMOUTH	33116​
EASTLEIGH	73142​
EASTLEIGH	74003​
EASTLEIGH	08300​
EASTLEIGH	33029​
EASTLEIGH	08831​
EASTLEIGH	33021​
EASTLEIGH	33001​
EASTLEIGH	33009​
EASTLEIGH	33112​
EASTLEIGH	73112​
EASTLEIGH	09001​
H WEYMOUTH-???	47489​
EASTLEIGH	73111​
CLAPHAM JCN	09015​
CLAPHAM JCN	08685​
WILLESDEN	85015​
WILLESDEN	85016​
WILLESDEN	73122​
WILLESDEN	08511​
WCML LONDON AREA	40137​
WCML LONDON AREA	25222​
WCML LONDON AREA	25218​
H ????- NEWCASTLE	47523​
FINSBURY PARK	55010​
FINSBURY PARK	31220​
FINSBURY PARK	55018​
FINSBURY PARK	31122​
FINSBURY PARK	47269​
FINSBURY PARK	08413​
FINSBURY PARK	55014​
FINSBURY PARK	31134​
FINSBURY PARK	55003​
FINSBURY PARK	08178​
BOUNDS GREEN	31252​
BOUNDS GREEN	31407​
BOUNDS GREEN	254017​
BOUNDS GREEN	31279​
BOUNDS GREEN	31191​
BOUNDS GREEN	47404​
BOUNDS GREEN	08406​
BOUNDS GREEN	313063​
BOUNDS GREEN	313024​
BOUNDS GREEN	313009​
BOUNDS GREEN	313015​
BOUNDS GREEN	303040​
BOUNDS GREEN	313042​
BOUNDS GREEN	313059​
BOUNDS GREEN	313025​
BOUNDS GREEN	313033​
BOUNDS GREEN	313032​
BOUNDS GREEN	313035​
NEWARK AREA	37016​
NEWARK AREA	08101​
NEWARK AREA	37131​
NEWARK AREA	31117​
NEWARK AREA	47378​
NEWARK AREA	08412​
NEWARK AREA	08713​
NEWARK AREA	31424​
DONCASTER AREA	47219​
DONCASTER AREA	56009​
DONCASTER AREA	31233​
DONCASTER AREA	03086​
DONCASTER AREA	56021​
DONCASTER AREA	56063​
DONCASTER AREA	31316​
DONCASTER AREA	37221​
DONCASTER AREA	45048​
DONCASTER AREA	46056​
DONCASTER AREA	50024​
DONCASTER AREA	50028​
DONCASTER AREA	31187​
DONCASTER AREA	37140​
DONCASTER AREA	08745​
DONCASTER AREA	45069​
DONCASTER AREA	24061 DEPARTMENTAL
DONCASTER- YORK AREA	56004​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	47526​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31179​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31274​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31146​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31403​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31405​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	08169​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	47332​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	46030​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	47401​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	31195​
YORK-NEWCASTLE AREA	47075​

 

[CW2]

I'd guess your return route was via either Gospel Oak or Primrose Hill to Camden, then via Kings Cross Incline to Finsbury Park. Loco change might have been either in the Willesden area or at Bounds Green. I'd suspect the latter is more likely.

 

[xotGD]

That is quite a list of sightings!

Several classes I never saw in service - 44, 74, 76.

I especially like how 55021 and W55021 both appear.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I liked all the rats on the Midland Main Line