Back in the day...

[xotGD]

I am aware that it has been a while since I posted anything on this thread. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute something soon.

Meanwhile I can report that so far this year I have seen one locomotive. And that was a Duff.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Fantastic. I've seen a few 66s, an 88 and the line up at Carnforth. That's it.

 

[Techniquest]

Even I've done better than that

Can't remember its number now, not too long ago I saw a Europhoenix 37 and ATW liveried DVTs at Worcester Shrub Hill, today was a southbound 66 on a steel train through the same location. The other week was 67015 on a southbound MK4 training run through the local. I'm sure I saw some other locos this year too, but to be honest I can't remember them so it probably didn't happen

 

[Peter Sarf]

Even I've done better than that

Can't remember its number now, not too long ago I saw a Europhoenix 37 and ATW liveried DVTs at Worcester Shrub Hill, today was a southbound 66 on a steel train through the same location. The other week was 67015 on a southbound MK4 training run through the local. I'm sure I saw some other locos this year too, but to be honest I can't remember them so it probably didn't happen

66793, more than once !.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I am aware that it has been a while since I posted anything on this thread. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute something soon.

Meanwhile I can report that so far this year I have seen one locomotive. And that was a Duff.

I have been reunited with a good number of my moves books - 1978 to 1989. Are you happy, @xotGD, if I use this aptly named thread to post some of the highlights from time to time? A quick glance through them seems to show I did more than I had remembered.

 

[xotGD]

I have been reunited with a good number of my moves books - 1978 to 1989. Are you happy, @xotGD, if I use this aptly named thread to post some of the highlights from time to time? A quick glance through them seems to show I did more than I had remembered.

Go for it! I look forward to seeing what you got up to...

 

[NorthWestRover]

It looks like I'm missing 1984 which is a shame as that was the last proper year of the 40s of course. Still, I'll sort through them and do a sort of "On This Day..." starting tomorrow. Weird how much I've totally forgotten, like completely.

 

[NorthWestRover]

As well as my 1984 books being missing, my 1982 and 1983 seem to start in May. Weird. For the missing ones, I can piece some small pieces together with a book which I have got which lists moves by class (but not for 40s or 87s). Ah well.

25th April in years gone by... A low key start...

Friday 25th April 1986

86 256 Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
86 402 Birmingham NS to Coventry
86 419 Coventry to Sandwell & Dudley
86 230 Sandwell & Dudley to Birmingham International
86 224 Birmingham International to Wolverhampton
87 005 Wolverhampton to Coventry
86 249 Coventry to Birmingham NS
50 004 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

Not sure why I did all those Cans.

Friday 25th April 1980

I was spotting at Froghall Lane, Warrington where the West Coast Main Line Crosses the Cheshire Lines. Listed are lots of units and the following locos..

08340
25216 25215 25196
40115 40133 40015
47343
81015 81007
86244 86250 86019 86245
87005 87016 87022 87031 87013

 

[xotGD]

As well as my 1984 books being missing, my 1982 and 1983 seem to start in May. Weird. For the missing ones, I can piece some small pieces together with a book which I have got which lists moves by class (but not for 40s or 87s). Ah well.

25th April in years gone by... A low key start...

Friday 25th April 1986

86 256 Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
86 402 Birmingham NS to Coventry
86 419 Coventry to Sandwell & Dudley
86 230 Sandwell & Dudley to Birmingham International
86 224 Birmingham International to Wolverhampton
87 005 Wolverhampton to Coventry
86 249 Coventry to Birmingham NS
50 004 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

Not sure why I did all those Cans.

Friday 25th April 1980

I was spotting at Froghall Lane, Warrington where the West Coast Main Line Crosses the Cheshire Lines. Listed are lots of units and the following locos..

08340
25216 25215 25196
40115 40133 40015
47343
81015 81007
86244 86250 86019 86245
87005 87016 87022 87031 87013

A nice way to end the day with a Hoover to Wolves. But yes, quite a few Cans there!

Nothing in my moves book for 25/4/86. In fact, 1992 is the only year I have haulages recorded on this date. Just two 91s.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I think I must have been doing some red line work on the Cans.

 

[Cowley]

I think I must have been doing some red line work on the Cans.

Interesting stuff though. Thanks for posting it.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Nothing recorded for 26th April in any of the moves books I've got, so I'll rewind a few days to 21st April 1979 when I appeared to go on The Woldsman LCGB Tour with the following... I was still only into spotting then, but from my class listings (and confirmation of route from the Six Bells Junction website) , I know I did this railtour. I probably joined it in Manchester. As a North West spotter, passing Tinsley and Immingham (possibly Toton?) would have got me a lot of "cops". Bit more interesting haulage than the Cans...

Locos	Route
25319 + 25297	Liverpool Lime Street - Earlestown - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Ashton Moss - Guide Bridge
76014 + 76030	Guide Bridge - Woodhead - Penistone - Sheffield Victoria - Woodburn Jn - Attercliffe Jn - Shepcote Lane - Tinsley Yard
31250 + 31270	Tinsley Yard - Treeton North Jn - Masborough South Jn - Rotherham Masborough - Aldwarke Jn - Mexborough - Hexthorpe Jn - Bentley Jn - Scunthorpe - Barnetby - Brocklesby - Immingham loop - Marsh Jn - Grimsby Town - Cleethorpes
20052 + 20107	Cleethorpes - Grimsby Town - Barnetby - Wrawby Jn - Market Rasen - Lincoln - Newark - Nottingham
20194 + 20189	Nottingham - Trowell Jn - Chesterfield - Chinley - Guide Bridge
25297 + 25319	Guide Bridge - Manchester Victoria - Earlestown - Liverpool Lime Street

 

[xotGD]

Nothing recorded for 26th April in any of the moves books I've got, so I'll rewind a few days to 21st April 1979 when I appeared to go on The Woldsman LCGB Tour with the following... I was still only into spotting then, but from my class listings (and confirmation of route from the Six Bells Junction website) , I know I did this railtour. I probably joined it in Manchester. As a North West spotter, passing Tinsley and Immingham (possibly Toton?) would have got me a lot of "cops". Bit more interesting haulage than the Cans...

Locos	Route
25319 + 25297	Liverpool Lime Street - Earlestown - Manchester Victoria - Miles Platting - Ashton Moss - Guide Bridge
76014 + 76030	Guide Bridge - Woodhead - Penistone - Sheffield Victoria - Woodburn Jn - Attercliffe Jn - Shepcote Lane - Tinsley Yard
31250 + 31270	Tinsley Yard - Treeton North Jn - Masborough South Jn - Rotherham Masborough - Aldwarke Jn - Mexborough - Hexthorpe Jn - Bentley Jn - Scunthorpe - Barnetby - Brocklesby - Immingham loop - Marsh Jn - Grimsby Town - Cleethorpes
20052 + 20107	Cleethorpes - Grimsby Town - Barnetby - Wrawby Jn - Market Rasen - Lincoln - Newark - Nottingham
20194 + 20189	Nottingham - Trowell Jn - Chesterfield - Chinley - Guide Bridge
25297 + 25319	Guide Bridge - Manchester Victoria - Earlestown - Liverpool Lime Street

A grand day out!

It's great that you can find out what you had for haulage from an online resource. If only I could do the same for our family holiday in Cornwall in 1976. Did I have any Westerns? I like to think so, but will never know.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I seem to have been on a few of these LCGB Tours, but can't really remember them at all.

 

[DarloRich]

20175 and 20010 rolling in off the King Edward Bridge. Clearly at least one person was in the right place at the right time to get them.

well well well! I remember being told about this at the time and even as a youngster thought it sounded like total BS. Turns out it was true and a pair of 20's did work a TP service!

 

[CW2]

I’m tempted to add a few of my own ramblings …

Wed 26/04/78

Living in York, before the introduction of an hourly Liverpool – Newcastle service, there were only about 4 train pairs per day. They stood a fair chance of producing a 40 …
47462 1555 York – Leeds (- Kings Cross)
40081 1706 Leeds – York (Always a desperately tight double back move onto …)
40058 1735 York – Leeds
45009 1906 Leeds – York


Mon 26/04/82

47531 0605 Plymouth – Newton Abbot
This got stopped on Hemerdon due to 50035 + 50041 on a Laira – Newton Abbot ECS in front deciding to fight one another then have a sulk. They were looped at Hemerdon. This ECS was due to form the 0652 Newton Abbot – Exeter (which I was going for), but once they had sorted out the locos it went sailing through Newton Abbot non-stop! Bowled. Thankfully an HST was on hand to deputise:

43133 + 43134 0652 Newton Abbot – Exeter St Davids
50041 0737 Exeter St Davids – Waterloo


Thu 26/04/90

There must have been something on at the NEC …

50024 0946 Reading – Coventry
90038 1116 Coventry – Birmingham International
(Visit NEC, then)
86236 1458 Birmingham International – Birmingham New Street
31454 1529 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
37431 1801 Crewe – Cardiff
43046 + 43144 2155 Cardiff – Reading

I scored both 90038 and 31454. The 90 remains my lowest mileage member of the class, as I only had one further run with it, Carstairs to Edinburgh. I wasn’t expecting the 31, it just dropped in my lap, so the journey home to Reading got slightly extended.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Great stuff. This could become an exciting thread once again...

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 27th April 1985

86226 Wolverhampton to Coventry
87014 Coventry to Wolverhampton
HST Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
86103 Birmingham NS to Coventry
50043 Coventry to Birmingham NS
45130 Birmingham NS to Derby
31446 Derby to Birmingham NS
47600 Birmingham NS to Birmingham International
47599 Birmingham Int to Birmingham NS
87011 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

Scored the hoover, the wagon, the goyle and the two duffs. The electrics were all dud, although by 1986 I'd either had them all for haulage or pretty much so. I never appeared record the HST power cars.

The hoover and wagon were on the 09.40 Poole to Newcastle, the goyle and the first Duff on the 13.22 Hull to Brighton (!), the second Duff on the 14.13 Portsmouth to York.

Sunday 27th April 1986

87012 Wolverhampton to Coventry (via Bescot, Perry Bar and Soho Junc)
47434 Coventry to Wolverhampton (same diversion)
50004 Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury
50004 Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton

The Duff was on the 10.52 Gatwick to Liverpool when Liverpool had a range of services to places in the South and South West. The hoover was on a Euston to Shrewsbury service; I do not remember those services having anything other than duffs, but hey ho, it obviously did on this day 35 years ago.

 

[CW2]

Friday 27/04/79

43078+43079 1620 Harrogate – Leeds
46029 1707 Leeds – York
DMU York - Selby
55014 1852 Selby – York
(Coming home from college the scenic route).

Sunday 27/04/80 – Monday 28/04/80

87017 2035 Euston – Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham. Delayed by derailment damage in the Watford area, so speeds up to 116 mph south of Rugby whilst attempting to regain lost time, at a time when the class 87 notional maximum speed was still 100 mph.
(28/4/80)
The purpose of this trip to Manchester was to do the 0055 (MO) Manchester Victoria – York, which was a newspaper train advertised to passengers only on a Monday. It was a solid bet for a class 40.
47090 0055 Manchester Victoria – Leeds - Bowled by a dud duff. Cheers.
31204 0218 Leeds – York
55012 0337 York – Kings Cross. At least the move ended in style.

Wednesday 27/04/83 – Thursday 28/04/83

Armed with some (wrong) gen, I took a half day off work and went on a 40 bash …
45140 1354 York – Manchester Victoria
40057 1545 Manchester Victoria – Bangor (This had been allocated 40034)
40057 1925 Bangor – Manchester Victoria
(28/4/83)
40024 0120 Manchester Piccadilly – Doncaster (This had been allocated 40035. The 0120 Manchester – Cleethorpes was a regular 40 diagram at the time, but was a mail /newspaper train conveying unadvertised passenger accommodation. Wearing a BR overcoat and smelling like a brewery were usually sufficient to get me on board).
47103 0324 Doncaster – York (This had been allocated 40028, which was replaced at Peterborough).

 

[NorthWestRover]

Gen might have been wrong but still some good 40 mileage there, including the classic afternoon/evening Bangor diagram. Had it been 034 on the morning run?

 

[CW2]

Gen might have been wrong but still some good 40 mileage there, including the classic afternoon/evening Bangor diagram. Had it been 034 on the morning run?

I'm not 100% sure, but I assume so. I would have taken the afternoon off work on the basis of the available gen (presumably that 40034 was on The Bangor), and been rather surprised by (very) high mileage 40057 replacing low mileage 40034. Still good 40 mileage though. (40057 was allocated to York, where I lived) and was a regular on the ECML, and - along with 40084 - one of the designated railtour locos).

 

[NorthWestRover]

It's entirely possible I was on The Bangor that day, but I'll probably never know now unless my missing books turn up. I loved that diagram which I would normally pick up at Bank Quay at twenty past eight in the morning. If I was late out or on an off peak ticket, the move would be the diagram two hours later and pick up the Bangor on its way back to Manchester. That second diagram was less reliably a 40.

 

[CW2]

It's entirely possible I was on The Bangor that day, but I'll probably never know now unless my missing books turn up. I loved that diagram which I would normally pick up at Bank Quay at twenty past eight in the morning. If I was late out or on an off peak ticket, the move would be the diagram two hours later and pick up the Bangor on its way back to Manchester. That second diagram was less reliably a 40.

The 0940 Manchester Victoria - Llandudno? Yes, that used to produce 40s, particularly in the no-heat season (aka "Summer"). It could be a good move if it produced: less mileage but more variety.

The Bangor diagram was great for accumulating mileage, but also tended to inflict brain damage if done too frequently. I never did the double round trip. Spending all day sitting in the same seat with the same loco on the front whilst other more desirable locos were ignored wasn't my idea of fun.

 

[NorthWestRover]

The 09.45 Man Vic to Bangor, at least it was in 1982 if I look at my moves for 28th May of that year. I won't spoilt the excitement of that day by giving it in advance but I did exactly what I suggested above on that date!

The 09.50 Man Vic to Llandudno appeared to be a Sunday service.

 

[CW2]

The 09.45 Man Vic to Bangor, at least it was in 1982 if I look at my moves for 28th May of that year. I won't spoilt the excitement of that day by giving it in advance but I did exactly what I suggested above on that date!

The 09.50 Man Vic to Llandudno appeared to be a Sunday service.

Going back to 1979 it was a Llandudno. I think there was a big timetable change in May 1982, which shuffled the pack quite a bit. One diagram which did produce a 40 on a fairly regular basis (from May 1982) was:
ECS Holyhead CS - Bangor
0709 Bangor - Manchester Vic
1045 Manchester Vic - Holyhead
1517 Holyhead - Manchester Vic
2240 Manchester Vic - Holyhead
That was quite tempting, with long mileage runs, omitting some of the lesser stations en route, and with meal breaks at sociable times. Less attractive was the prospect of an overnight at Holyhead followed by a duff to Bangor to pick up the first leg of the diagram.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Yeah, I've done that diagram a few times. That 22.40 off Man Vic back home to Warrington was dismal enough never mind being stuck at Holyhead overnight.

 

[CW2]

Yeah, I've done that diagram a few times. That 22.40 off Man Vic back home to Warrington was dismal enough never mind being stuck at Holyhead overnight.

There was always the temptation to go for a beer or three in Manchester before departure, in the hope of sleeping most of the way to Holyhead. The 01:xx turf-out into the fluorescently-lit Sealink terminal at Holyhead was made much worse by a hangover! I did the move a few times, but tried to find alternative overnights.The lure of a big rare NB 40 was just too much, on occasion.

 

[xotGD]

27th April 1985:

47472 Newcastle - Durham
Beer
45114 Durham - Newcastle

27th April 1986:

47472 Newcastle - New St via Eaglescliffe, Barrow Hill and Lichfield

There's a coincidence! Sorry I haven't got anything more interesting to offer.

I'll therefore slip back a couple of weeks to 10th April 1982. A Merrymaker to Llandudno. Guaranteed to be a 40. Gateshead didn’t have one so we had:

45023 Newcastle - Leeds.

Holbeck came up trumps, however, resulting in:

40044 Leeds - Llandudno
40044 Llandudno - Newcastle

I believe that at least one 40 basher rejected the train at Newcastle when the Wagon rolled in. Whoops.

 

[CW2]

If I might be permitted to bend the controls of the time machine a little ...
Thu 10/04/86
37421 2330 Glasgow QS - Perth
37402 banking to Cowlairs

Fri 11/04/86
47630 0110 Perth - Inverness
47546 0502 Inverness - Elgin
There had been some 37s working Aberdeen - Inverness vice 47 for the previous few days. I have always rated this line, so I hoped my luck was in ...
37260 0647 Elgin - Inverness
37260 0832 Inverness - Aberdeen
37260 1140 Aberdeen - Inverness
I hoped the 1432 Inverness - Aberdeen would produce, but it was a 47. By way of a fill-in move, I spotted a required 47 piloting the 1430 Inverness - Edinburgh
47222 + 47634 1430 Inverness - Aviemore
47593 1630 Aviemore - Inverness
My luck was in, another 37 to Aberdeen, this time a 37/4:
37421 1732 Inverness - Aberdeen
37421 2055 Aberdeen - Inverness
47630 2330 Inverness - Stirling

Sat 12/04/86
37409 0437 Stirling - Glasgow QS
Rather than hang around at Queen Street for several hours, I did a fill-in move to Edinburgh and back:
47704 0700 Glasgow QS - Edinburgh
47704 0800 Edinburgh - Glasgow QS
37178 0905 Glasgow QS - Fort William
37405 1405 Fort William - Mallaig
374051550 Mallaig - Fort William
37178 1825 Fort William - Glasgow QS
The round trip with 37178 was an ADEX. It was providing copious amounts of steam heat throughout the trip, which I think was the last time I had steam heat on a "normal" train on BR. A few weeks later the No Heat summer season started, when there were all manner of NB locos to be had, but at the end of the season there was no return for steam heat.

 

[NorthWestRover]

That double Duff is a great coincidence.

In my bashing dotage (1992), I have a few notes from a Coasts & Peaks I did with my wife and daughter as a touristy thing. I have just discovered I did record my moves - the last ones I did until 2018. On that rover I had a 150 from Piccadilly to Buxton. I had the same 150 last year - from Piccadilly to Buxton.