Back in the day...

[CW2]

Ooh thanks! I especially liked the phot of 37708 - the three "Shark" plough brakes really mark it as unusual. I never did like that Loadhaul livery with the orange overlapping onto the yellow nose though.

As for 37212, let me take you back to 1983 ...
Saturday 01st October, the last Saturday of the "Summer", although officially the heating period had started. I finished a night shift at Leeds Control and was armed with the knowledge that (required) 37239 was allocated to the 09:00 Tenby - York via Leeds. I got some sleep behind 46044 on the 07:28 Leeds - Newquay, forward to Gloucester with 47414 on the 08:25 Manchester - Cardiff. At Gloucester 37239 appeared as booked, and I enjoyed the run up Lickey. A surprise waited at New Street. There sat big required 37212. I saw somebody I knew so yelled out of the window "What's that doing?" "Poole - Newcastle." "Don't be daft, that's air cons.""Well it arrived on air cons, so they're sending it back on air cons." A plot began to emerge ...
I stuck with 37239 right through to Sheffield, and alighted there to wait for 37212 just behind. Sure enough, it rolled in with the 09:40 Poole - Newcastle, which divided at Sheffield. The train loco and leading 4 vehicles continued to Leeds, whereas a separate ETH 47 took over for the run to Newcastle. I gleefully joined the Leeds portion, scoring my second NB 37 in succession, and off we set towards Leeds. At this time the main route into Leeds station was from Gelderd Rd Jn across the viaduct, which was taken out of use when the route was electrified. We came to a stop at Gelderd Rd Jn, then after the driver spoke to the signaller the route cleared for the (then rare) alternative route in via Copley Hill. Off we set, with me scoring new 37 track in the process, then we overtook 37239 which was held on the viaduct due to a signal failure. As we approached Leeds station 37239 ran in on the opposite side of the platform. So I was able to get off 37212 and back on 37239 - much to the surprise of the people I'd said goodbye to at Sheffield. Home to York for a few hours sleep, then back to Leeds for another night shift. (Yawn).

 

[xotGD]

Who owned the maroon stock behind 414 then?

Sorry, I can't help with that one. But it made for a colourful combination.

As for 37212, let me take you back to 1983 ...
Saturday 01st October

Just checked my records, and all I had that day was an ETH Duff and three Peaks in the north east.

I think that was the day a 37 on the Yarmouth - Newcastle was removed at York and we were bowled when a 45 rolled in to Darlo.

 

[CW2]

A little later in the month there was some more interesting 37 action to be had. Another Friday night shift in Control, and I was keeping a close eye on proceedings on the Leeds / Healey Mills power control desk. The chap on night shift was in no way a crank, but knew what was unusual, and appreciated the novelty. The morning of Saturday 22/10/83 there were booked to be two reliefs from Leeds, one to Kings Cross and one to Plymouth. Naturally they were both booked for steam heat type 4 traction - and just as usually, there wasn't spare engine to be had. Pleas to regional Control in York went unheeded, so he just had to hope that something usable worked in on freight. His prayers (and mine) were answered when 37180 and 37099 were allocated on freights into the area. Logically the Eastern loco 37099 should go to Kings Cross and the Western loco 37180 on the Plymouth, but unfortunately the order of their arrival and the timing of the ECS from Neville Hill meant it had to be the other way round, so 37180 was sent to Kings Cross. I needed that one for haulage - but decided to turn it down in favour of a longer distance run with 37099. I had several runs off 37099 over the years, but never caught up with 37180. The route taken by the 09:40 Leeds - Plymouth relief was via Cudworth, then main line to Birmingham and Bristol. There, to my dismay, the 37 was removed. Some species of 47 took over, so I alighted. I'd already promised to visit my parents in Plymouth, and was looking forward to arriving in style. I doubled back to Bristol Parkway with 50005 for 50047 on the Manchester - Plymouth, and so to my parents' house.
The following night I did the Up Midnight from Plymouth to Paddington with 50028 throughout, piloted by 50007 to Exeter. 50031 worked the 05:50 Paddington - New Street, so I took that and made my way back to York via Crewe and Warrington, and a number of unmentionable devices.
I've often wondered whether I would have done better by taking 37180, which did work right through to Kings Cross. You can't be everywhere ...

 

[sftfan1909]

I love reading stories like these, please do keep them coming

 

[xotGD]

South Wales 99 - Part 3: Other Stuff

So heading back over the two days, here's a selection of what else was out and about. Firstly, back to the car park at Newport, and here is 47737 not working a parcels train. This Duff used to be 47588 before they introduced daft numbers, and I traveled behind it in that guise.



After heading back across the Usk, a different view of the bridge offered itself as 59203 headed across on empty iron ore wagons. Not quite a triple-headed 37 lash-up, or even a pair of 56s, but I guess that was progress. I remember seeing these things trundling through Knottingley during their earlier years in National Power livery.



The next morning I popped back to Canton before heading for the station. 60041 leaves a black cloud as it pulls away from a signal check on the Murco tanks.



Onwards to Newport, and in addition to the pair of 37s posted in Part 2, there was quite a bit of Type 5 action. Firstly, not something I would associate with South Wales, 58017 heads west with ballast hoppers and what look to be a couple of portable generators on the leading wagon. I had eight Bones for haulage on the Nuneaton drags, but 017 wasn't one of them.



And to round things off, some Tug action. 60008, 60059 and 60082 with assorted loads in the early spring sunshine.







I have spared you from the photos of 66s, but needless to say there were plenty of EWS Sheds in between the more interesting stuff.

I then took a unit to Bristol TM before having 47806 to Brum on my journey home. Was that a valid route? Not sure!

 

[Inversnecky]

Scotland part 1...

View attachment 78739

We will start with an awFUL photograph of an aweSOME class of locomotive. This is 55 005 at Edinburgh Waverley in the late 1970s, I think. The nameplate for this loco was almost as long as the loco itself - The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.

View attachment 78740

View attachment 78741

Over at Glasgow Queen Street, we can here see 40 158 on passenger working, likely out to Dundee or Aberdeen, somewhere like that. I'm not sure when this was, possibly early 80s.

View attachment 78742

Before electrification reached Edinburgh, trains coming up the West Coast Main Line required a loco change at Carstairs. Here is 86 025 sitting in the stabling point between duties, although it could also have been waiting to pick up a freight train.

View attachment 78743

Back to Edinburgh in pre - electrification days, but this time on the ECML with a 254 unit alongside a shiny Duff.

View attachment 78744

Another shiny Duff at Edinburgh Waverley, this time in bright sunshine as it prepared to leave and a few minutes later pass Haymarket Depot, always full of exciting locos.

View attachment 78745

This is the sort of thing you'd have been looking out for at Haymarket, although this example was more likely to be at Eastfield as it is here preparing to leave Glasgow Central - steam heating obvious - in early 1986.

View attachment 78746

This was the McRat - class 26 - seen here not in Scotland, but at Crewe Works.

View attachment 78747

Here's a proper Rat at Glasgow Queen Street.

View attachment 78748

And finally in this varied batch of locos around Scotland is 47 637 at Inverness, probably preparing to take me south on the Highland Main Line after some Syphon bashing on the Far North Line, but more of that in the next batch of photos.

Hope you've enjoyed this selection, despite the preponderance of Brush and Sulzer types.

Some amazing photos on this thread!

I have a question - which type 2s were used around Inverness back in the 70s and early 80s? I recall 26s, less often a 27, IIRC, but were 24s and 25s used too? I think fewer 24s were made and they got withdrawn earlier, so maybe didn’t get as far as Inverness?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Some amazing photos on this thread!

I have a question - which type 2s were used around Inverness back in the 70s and early 80s? I recall 26s, less often a 27, IIRC, but were 24s and 25s used too? I think fewer 24s were made and they got withdrawn earlier, so maybe didn’t get as far as Inverness?

24s and 26s were the mainstay in Inverness and worked interchangeably on all routes, I think in the later years 27s and possibly 25s became more common, and then of course 37s came to the fore to the north and west with 47s predominant towards Perth and I think also Aberdeen. During the 24/26 era class 40s working in from Perth were not uncommon, and went as far north as Invergordon on freight.

 

[CW2]

24s and 26s were the mainstay in Inverness and worked interchangeably on all routes, I think in the later years 27s and possibly 25s became more common, and then of course 37s came to the fore to the north and west with 47s predominant towards Perth and I think also Aberdeen. During the 24/26 era class 40s working in from Perth were not uncommon, and went as far north as Invergordon on freight.

At one stage there was a bulk trainload of pipes to Kyle of Lochalsh for a pipeline being laid in that area. Exceptionally that brought a class 40 to the route, with Inverness crews working through, and returning to Inverness piloting the type 2 on the next passenger service. Otherwise in the 70s it was mainly Inverness-allocated 24s on the Kyle line. 25s were less common at Inverness - possibly due to train crew traction knowledge? I think Perth crews drove them, so they could reach Inverness from the south, but usually returned south pretty quickly.
26s and 27s were common around Inverness and on the Highland Main Line until the influx of first 37s then 47s released from England.

 

[APT618S]

My 1963 Locoshed book shows D5114-D5132 (24114*-24132) allocated to 60A (Inverness).
*Note D5114/22/31 did not last long enough to get TOPS numbers

 

[Inversnecky]

My 1963 Locoshed book shows D5114-D5132 (24114*-24132) allocated to 60A (Inverness).
*Note D5114/22/31 did not last long enough to get TOPS numbers

I have some old loco shed number books in the loft somewhere, but I just crossed off numbers as a young boy: never thought at the time that where and when were as important!

 

[Cheshire Scot]

At one stage there was a bulk trainload of pipes to Kyle of Lochalsh for a pipeline being laid in that area. Exceptionally that brought a class 40 to the route, with Inverness crews working through, and returning to Inverness piloting the type 2 on the next passenger service. Otherwise in the 70s it was mainly Inverness-allocated 24s on the Kyle line. 25s were less common at Inverness - possibly due to train crew traction knowledge? I think Perth crews drove them, so they could reach Inverness from the south, but usually returned south pretty quickly.
26s and 27s were common around Inverness and on the Highland Main Line until the influx of first 37s then 47s released from England.

Class 40s also visited Muir of Ord regularly on Grain workings.

I don't recall 27s being common in the 70s although they certainly were later on - by 1980 they were regulars on the Aberdeen line replacing the Cross-Country DMUs - with probably a reducing requirement in the Central Belt (replaced by 47s on the E&G and by 37s on the West Highland).

Inverness of course had a large allocation of 26s along with the 24s.

I am aware of one instance of a class 50 working to Inverness, I saw it returning south light engine. My assumption was it arrived in Perth on a booked Motorail job and, with no suitable forward power available, it worked through and what I saw would be the Perth crew taking it back. I think this would be around 1973. This may of course have happened more than once but I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to see this one.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I am aware of one instance of a class 50 working to Inverness, I saw it returning south light engine.

My goodness.

 

[47421]

Current - Feb 21 - edition of Railways Illustrated has a feature "Diesels on the Highland Line" including this photo. Says 1S05 2015 Euston Inverness was booked a 50 summer 1973, returning light to Perth

 

[CW2]

Current - Feb 21 - edition of Railways Illustrated has a feature "Diesels on the Highland Line" including this photo. Says 1S05 2015 Euston Inverness was booked a 50 summer 1973, returning light to Perth

That's one of those bits of information which makes me wish I had a time machine!

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Current - Feb 21 - edition of Railways Illustrated has a feature "Diesels on the Highland Line" including this photo. Says 1S05 2015 Euston Inverness was booked a 50 summer 1973, returning light to Perth

Wow, I wasn't aware of that, so my sighting wasn't as rare as I thought!

 

[Inversnecky]

Current - Feb 21 - edition of Railways Illustrated has a feature "Diesels on the Highland Line" including this photo. Says 1S05 2015 Euston Inverness was booked a 50 summer 1973, returning light to Perth

The Inverness gantry was a thing of beauty, sadly now replaced by colour lights....

 

[MDB1images]

A you tube film has surfaced recently and is filmed around Birmingham New Street in 1988.
I presume links aren't allowed but anyone with an interest in this thread will likely have an interest in that film as its got plenty of footage and really catches the time.
It can be found by putting in "British Rail 1988 (Part 2) - Birmingham New Street, Bescot and Saltley"
Its filmed at New Street around 1988 so I'm sure if you (like many) was on the Bash back then or spotting this will bring back some good memories as the cameraman has seemed to get a good feel of what it was like.
Go to say its the best lockdown cure I've found!

 

[47421]

great find, does indeed capture the variety of loco haulage available in that era. Its from summer 1988, last year of peaks still in general usage.

you can see various of the workings on http://www.thebashingyears.co.uk/1988may.html including these. Anyone know story behind 58026 on that Derby Bristol?

Part 2 21 May
1128, 47289 running through light engine before working 47289 1V51 0856 Bolton - Paignton
1848, 47203 backing onto 0917 Padd York
2312, 31283+31405 1V47 1010 Manchester P - Paignton, from Birmingham NS

then switches to 28 May
2610, 47367 running through light engine before working 1V45 0840 Liverpool - Paignton, from New St
2836, 47200 1O07 0808 Manchester P - Poole, from Birmingham NS
3421, 58026 1000? Derby - Bristol TM relief (and later 1726 Walsall - Bristol TM footex)

 

[xotGD]

great find, does indeed capture the variety of loco haulage available in that era. Its from summer 1988, last year of peaks still in general usage.

you can see various of the workings on http://www.thebashingyears.co.uk/1988may.html including these. Anyone know story behind 58026 on that Derby Bristol?

Part 2 21 May
1128, 47289 running through light engine before working 47289 1V51 0856 Bolton - Paignton
1848, 47203 backing onto 0917 Padd York
2312, 31283+31405 1V47 1010 Manchester P - Paignton, from Birmingham NS

then switches to 28 May
2610, 47367 running through light engine before working 1V45 0840 Liverpool - Paignton, from New St
2836, 47200 1O07 0808 Manchester P - Poole, from Birmingham NS
3421, 58026 1000? Derby - Bristol TM relief (and later 1726 Walsall - Bristol TM footex)

I was bashing around the West Midlands on the 28th, but it looks like I avoided appearing in the video!

My highlight that day was 37682+37683 from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton. I also had a run behind 85003 later in the day from Coventry to Wolverhampton.

 

[47421]

part 1 seems to be 16 and 23 April 1988, so no procession of NB stuff

includes 37426 at New Street on http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/880409pt.htm

and D200 at York on http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/880416ic.htm

 

[Peter Sarf]

A you tube film has surfaced recently and is filmed around Birmingham New Street in 1988.
I presume links aren't allowed but anyone with an interest in this thread will likely have an interest in that film as its got plenty of footage and really catches the time.
It can be found by putting in "British Rail 1988 (Part 2) - Birmingham New Street, Bescot and Saltley"
Its filmed at New Street around 1988 so I'm sure if you (like many) was on the Bash back then or spotting this will bring back some good memories as the cameraman has seemed to get a good feel of what it was like.
Go to say its the best lockdown cure I've found!

Well spotted and wonderful to see. New Street was my favourite spot outside third rail land (Strood) as I had relatives there. I used to have to remind myself to tear myself away and go to Bescot. Not too different from the times I spent there 1974-1979. So different now !.

 

[Cowley]

great find, does indeed capture the variety of loco haulage available in that era. Its from summer 1988, last year of peaks still in general usage.

you can see various of the workings on http://www.thebashingyears.co.uk/1988may.html including these. Anyone know story behind 58026 on that Derby Bristol?

Part 2 21 May
1128, 47289 running through light engine before working 47289 1V51 0856 Bolton - Paignton
1848, 47203 backing onto 0917 Padd York
2312, 31283+31405 1V47 1010 Manchester P - Paignton, from Birmingham NS

then switches to 28 May
2610, 47367 running through light engine before working 1V45 0840 Liverpool - Paignton, from New St
2836, 47200 1O07 0808 Manchester P - Poole, from Birmingham NS
3421, 58026 1000? Derby - Bristol TM relief (and later 1726 Walsall - Bristol TM footex

Those were the days. Nice to see 47367 in there because I had that from Exeter to Dawlish that day.

 

[Cletus]

The number of people on the New Street platforms

 

[86247]

reminds me of the first time I went to crewe, platform ends filled up with spotters quick question when did 50s finish on the Paddington- new street services. As I'm sure this was the year I made my first ever visit to Birmingham

 

[CW2]

reminds me of the first time I went to crewe, platform ends filled up with spotters quick question when did 50s finish on the Paddington- new street services. As I'm sure this was the year I made my first ever visit to Birmingham

I think 1990 was the last year of Paddington - Birmingham class 50s, but I could be wrong.
Friday 11/05/90 was also the final 50 on the 18:12 Paddington - Banbury via High Wycombe. I suspect the summer 90 timetable change may be the date in question.

 

[47421]

just to flag part 3 in this series has popped up on youtube, further selection of New Street / Wolves action, seems to be 6 Aug 1988

 

[Peter Sarf]

just to flag part 3 in this series has popped up on youtube, further selection of New Street / Wolves action, seems to be 6 Aug 1988

Thanks for posting that video(s !).

I found myself comparing it to my days at Birmingham New Street during 1974-1978.

There were a lot more Peaks (45 & 46) - always iirc on inter regional services so probably all replaced by the 47s in that video. Pleasant surprise to see 45107 and 45110 still in action.

The class 50s in the video I assume are services to/from Paddington so would have been in the care of 47s back then and, if I was lucky, a class 52 Western diesel hydraulic. And, to answer someone up thread, yes Solihull was visited briefly by myself behind a Western and then returning back 47 hauled (damn it). I remember at Solihull seeing coal trains whizzing by - presumably on Mantle Lane to Didcot power station services.

The 31s might have been single headers back in my day. They popped up on trains to Norwich iirc.

The electrics are more or less unchanged as 86s and 87s with the occasional 85 getting in on the act.

Liveries changed a lot in the intervening years with a lot less blue+yellow or blue+grey coaches.

What was still familiar was the number of loco changes at New Street - all generated by inter-regional workings. A train from the South West would come in behind a diesel loco and then reverse departing North East up the WCML (towards Manchester ?) behind an electric loco. There were others going straight through towards the North East of course. Then there were inter-regional workings coming up from the Reading direction. All that loco activity has gone since, now replaced by Voyagers. Mind you the removal of loco movements must have freed up a lot of track capacity for other services.

Generally, as we all know, there are almost no locos nowadays. Pendolinos replacing the electric services Euston to/from Wolverhampton and HSTs then IETs on the Paddington service.

Could have a whole thread just for Birmingham New Street. Well I did spend a lot of time there.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Would some of those coming from the South West, reversing and changing from diesel to electric, have also been bound for Liverpool or Glasgow? Or were the Liverpools only from the Banbury line and therefore no reversal, although likely to change loco?

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Would some of those coming from the South West, reversing and changing from diesel to electric, have also been bound for Liverpool or Glasgow? Or were the Liverpools only from the Banbury line and therefore no reversal, although likely to change loco?

May 74 WCML electrification brought the first daytime South West to Scotland workings via Birmingham as part of an uplift of the Birmingham to Scotland frequency to four daytime trains! One of these came from Bristol with portions for Glasgow & Edinburgh, although the overnight had been extended beyond Birmingham to/from Bristol a little earlier.

At that time there were just three through trains per day (more on Summer Saturdays) on the Banbury route, two Liverpools and plus the Poole to Newcastle and Leeds (split at Sheffield). Most trains from Banbury were Paddington to Birmingham.

Liverpool also got trains from the south west. In addition to the hourly train from Bristol and beyond to the NE/NW there were regular trains from Cardiff via Lydney but these mainly went to the North East and a couple to Manchester.

In the early sixties there was a Glasgow to Plymouth portion via Hereford detached from the 10.05 Glasgow to Birmingham WCML working at Crewe and arriving Plymouth at 00.23 (or as it was shown in the TT in those days 12.23a (a for a.m.))

 

[Peter Sarf]

May 74 WCML electrification brought the first daytime South West to Scotland workings via Birmingham as part of an uplift of the Birmingham to Scotland frequency to four daytime trains! One of these came from Bristol with portions for Glasgow & Edinburgh, although the overnight had been extended beyond Birmingham to/from Bristol a little earlier.

At that time there were just three through trains per day (more on Summer Saturdays) on the Banbury route, two Liverpools and plus the Poole to Newcastle and Leeds (split at Sheffield). Most trains from Banbury were Paddington to Birmingham.

Liverpool also got trains from the south west. In addition to the hourly train from Bristol and beyond to the NE/NW there were regular trains from Cardiff via Lydney but these mainly went to the North East and a couple to Manchester.

In the early sixties there was a Glasgow to Plymouth portion via Hereford detached from the 10.05 Glasgow to Birmingham WCML working at Crewe and arriving Plymouth at 00.23 (or as it was shown in the TT in those days 12.23a (a for a.m.))

That explains what I used to see. I started spotting late summer 1974. Just AFTER a holiday near Oban where i saw lots of UNRECORDED 26s and/or 27s . And yes the 50s displaced from the North end of the WCML by said electrification started replacing my beloved Westerns.....