Back in the day...

[xotGD]

Monday 6th June 1988

Not sure what the purpose of this day was...track/shack bashing by the looks of it and maybe a bit of a day trip to Worcester and/or Great Malvern.

Yes, looks like you were keeping your yellow pen busy that day. As I never recorded unit/HST moves it sometimes leaves me scratching my head figuring out what happened between loco-hauled moves in my book. I have got one completely missing day from a rover ticket, but I now recall that I spent the whole day yellow penning branch lines on units.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 06/06/78
46014 0915 York – Leeds
40050 1004 Leeds – York
46037 1126 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Harrogate
31409 1620 Harrogate – Leeds
31201 + 31202 1700 Leeds – Wakefield Westgate
47491 1716 Wakefield Westgate – Leeds
40026 1809 Leeds – Huddersfield
DMU Huddersfield – York
Some surprises today – it was unusual to have one of Laira’s 46s on the Trans Pennines. I’ve a vague idea there was something unusual about 40050 – like it didn’t carry any BR logos, or something like that. Can anyone confirm (I don’t have any photos of it). After a trip to college in Harrogate, I turned out for the 1620 to Kings Cross, worked as usual by one of Holbeck’s 31/4s. What was really unusual was at Leeds when 31201 + 31202 dropped on the other end of the train of air-cons to work to Kings Cross. I needed them both, so took them to Wakefield for a minus onto 47491 straight back to Leeds, for a final fling with 40026, and DMU home.

Wednesday 06/06/79
47462 1047 York – Leeds
43077 + 43059 1141 Leeds – Harrogate
43110 + 43111 1710 Harrogate – Leeds
45133 1759 Leeds – York
47405 1847 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Bradford Exchange
31253 2120 Bradford Exchange – Leeds
40069 2234 Leeds – York
One year on and I’m finishing college in Harrogate. The through services from Kings Cross are now HSTs. A pretty average day until 40069 turned up right at the end. If I’d known it was working I’d have gone further for it.

Friday 06/06/80
40074 1630 Kings Cross – Peterborough
55008 1854 Peterborough – Kings Cross
85005 2050 Euston – Rugby
86259 2249 Rugby – Birmingham New Street
86038 2350 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
86xxx Crewe – Euston (following morning)
A nice evening leap to Peterborough and back, 40 out, Deltic return. Then across to Euston, where word reached me that 84003 was allocated to work the Fridays Only Bristol – Glasgow forward from Birmingham. A mega-rare long-distance 84 move. Options were limited. I did the Roarer on the 2050 Inverness as far as Rugby to drop back onto the 2140 Euston – Wolverhampton. Sadly that ran 15 minutes late, just enough so that I could enjoy the sight of the tail-lamp of 84003’s train disappearing into the tunnel at New Street. Bowled. I followed it north in the hope that we might catch up with it at Crewe. We didn’t. I gave up in utter disgust and caught the first available train south – and didn’t even note the loco or train details.

Saturday 06/06/81
55017 2215 Kings Cross – Edinburgh Waverley
This looks straightforward enough, until I remind you that this was a Saturday night, so all manner of diversions were in place. We ran main line to Doncaster, then via Askern to York, then via Stockton to Durham. From Newcastle we continued via Carlisle and over Beattock to Slateford, where we came to a halt at a red signal. The driver got out and spoke to the signaller, then watched as the signal cleared with a right hand feather. We were off on my first ever trip around the Edinburgh Suburban Line. This was the only train to run via the Sub that morning – all others ran via Haymarket as booked. A single line of entry in the moves book, but many hours of Deltic and track-bashing entertainment.


Monday 06/06/83
47200 1753 York – Huddersfield
47250 2030 Huddersfield – York
I assume the purpose of this move was to rake in 47250, with a beer break in between.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I think it might have been my first time on the reopened Nuneaton to Coventry line and also the reopened Snow Hill.

 

[NorthWestRover]

A quick google reveals 40050 did indeed not have BR logo on it. The photo at Blackburn includes a good friend of mine.

 

[xotGD]

6th June 1986 - The first of three consecutive days of entertainment:

85003 New St - Wolverhampton (via Bescot) 1P70
47538 Wolverhampton - New St 1O46

The Roarer was on a diagram that went Lancaster - New St - Preston (or possibly the other way around) that often produced. What was interesting about it was that it arrived and terminated into P1 at New St and then rather than run round it was booked to head back via Bescot.

 

[NorthWestRover]

6th June 1986 - The first of three consecutive days of entertainment:

I have a feeling you and I might have the same special day tomorrow in 1986.

 

[D6130]

This was the only train to run via the Sub that morning – all others ran via Haymarket as booked. A

I suspect that that might might have happened in order to keep the sleeper stock the right way round....otherwise it would have ended up at the Waverley in reverse order.

Wednesday 6th June 1973:

I was in the middle of doing my 'O' grade exams, so I must have had a day off that day and decided to go out for a short afternoon trip to Lenzie in order to see what was happening at Cadder Yard and watch the push-pulls flying through Lenzie at full throttle. This turned out to have been a momentous decision, as I was not only treated to extremely rare haulage on the homeward journey, but also we were diverted at short notice - due to a failed EMU at Westerton - via two freight-only spurs and routes not normally carrying loco-hauled passenger services.

5351 13 16 Helensburgh Upper-Queen Street (07 25 from Mallaig)
Unit Queen Street-Lenzie
Unit Lenzie-Queen Street
5019 Queen Street-Helensburgh Upper via Anniesland and Yoker.

Locos seen en route:

Cowlairs Carriage Sidings: 3728, 5019, 5401.
Glasgow Queen Street: 5352/55, 5400, 5394+5408.
Eastfield Depot: 5010, 5178, 5366/98, 6848, 7546, 8090, 8108.
Bishopbriggs Oil Terminal: 7594.
Cadder Yard: 3211, 5017, 5160.
Lenzie: 363, 5017, 5101, 5303, 5334+5345, 5352/55/95, 5404, 5392+5409, 5374+5401, 5396+5399, 5394+5408, 8319/22.
Cadder Yard: 3211, 5161, 8184, 8319/22/23.
Eastfield Depot: 2413, 1830, 3241, 5351/72/79/98, 7546, 8110.
Cowlairs CS: 5334+5345, 5404.
Glasgow Queen Street: 261, 5019, 5359/95, 5374+5401, 5386+5404, 5392+5409, 5396+5399.
Cowlairs CS: 3728, 5160, 5359/95, 8101.
Yoker Yard: 3392, 3889.

5404 was flying solo through Lenzie - about 15 down - with the 13 30 Edinburgh-Glasgow, her defective classmate having presumably been detached at the Waverley. She mated with 5386 after arrival at Queen Street.

Monday 6th June 1977

Spent a couple of nights with my father, who was then temporarily working in Bath and living on a boat in the marina in Bristol. Car transport from Hampshire to Bristol and back - unfortunately. In the morning, I did the Severn Beach branch for the first time and then headed under the river for some South Wales spotting - ending up at Chepstow for the races specials. Unfortunately my notes for this date are not complete, but the important bits are there.

W55033/34 Bristol TM-Seven Beach and return
W51083/59417/51055 Bristol TM-Severn Tunnel Junction
W51517/59547/51446 Severn Tunnel Junction-Chepstow
47 165 Chepstow-Newport (on a races special returning to Swansea)

Locos seen were:

Avonmouth: 08 218.
Bristol TM/Bath Road Depot: 45 012, 46 001, 47 008/484/496.
Severn Tunnel Junction: 08 118/639/654/940/948, 25 036, 37 274/293/297, 45 102, 46 008/048, 47 056/120/345.
Chepstow: 45 058, 47 165/508.
W50683/59294/50735 Newport-Bristol TM

 

[CW2]

I suspect that that might might have happened in order to keep the sleeper stock the right way round....otherwise it would have ended up at the Waverley in reverse order.

They didn't usually do that though - and this was definitely unscheduled. Usually the route taken into / out of Newcastle would get the stock the right way round. In this instance we arrived at Newcastle via the High Level Bridge and ran round at Newcastle before continuing via Scotswood to Carlisle, so the stock had already been turned to get it the right way round.
During the Penmanshield diversions the one train that was scheduled to run via the Sub was 1S79 2315 Kings Cross - Aberdeen, but I never waited around long enough to sample it, as there was usually something more tempting on the earlier services - hence this being my first run via the Sub.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Tuesday 7th June 1983

Just to show 1M22 didn't always turn out a 40. Still, not a bad evening...

87027 Warrington BQ to Lancaster
85020 Lancaster to Preston
81020 Preston to Wigan NW (nice)
47218 Wigan NW to Liverpool LS, 1M22 (not so nice, although it was required)
2 x 503 plus 1 x 507 round the Merseyrail Loop (Lime St to Central, Central to Moorfields, Moorfields to Lime St)
Unit back to Warrington

And then there was the madness of Saturday 7th June 1986

This is probably the silliest day in my moves books. I was still recording stuff by this point, but I didn't have much gen and had lost touch with some of my 40 bashing friends. It was the end of my second year at Wolves Poly and exams had either just finished or were nearing completion. So, why not go out for a day to Aberystwyth and Porthmadog with my girlfriend. I knew I'd get some 37 haulage as a bonus...

47157 Wolves to Shrewsbury - a reasonable start
37430 Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth
Spend a short while there...
37430 Aberystwyth to Machynlleth

Now, this is a bit hazy, but I think the sequence goes as follows.... Waiting in the sun at Machynlleth, I'm sure I hear a distinctive whistling sound... Oh look, this isn't our train but, what?!, it's 40122 and a rat on a rail tour. Lots of bellowing and flailing from the windows as numerous faces I recognise scream My Lords at me. For some reason I didn't board (!!), maybe the guard told us we couldn't.... And off the rail tour went...

The 07.30 from Euston trundles in and we enjoy double-headed Syphon haulage..

37426/37428 Machynlleth to Pwhelli (428 was required as it happens).

BANG. 428 fails at Pwllheli! Oh I know, let's run the rail tour as the service train!! My Lords! Dreadful! Hellfire!

25288/40122 Pwllheli to Porthmadog on the 15.30 Pwllheli to Porthmadog (required Rat).

Oh, and let's keep going....

25288/40122 Porthmadog to Shrewsbury on the 17.08 Porthmadog to Euston.

Madness. Fun ends at Shrewsbury when the Rat is taken off and 122 continues with the tour.

47157 back to Wolverhampton.

Last time I had a Rat. Last time I had a 40.

35 years ago today.

 

[CW2]

And then there was the madness of Saturday 7th June 1986

Now, this is a bit hazy, but I think the sequence goes as follows.... Waiting in the sun at Machynlleth, I'm sure I hear a distinctive whistling sound... Oh look, this isn't our train but, what?!, it's 40122 and a rat on a rail tour. Lots of bellowing and flailing from the windows as numerous faces I recognise scream My Lords at me. For some reason I didn't board (!!), maybe the guard told us we couldn't.... And off the rail tour went...

The 07.30 from Euston trundles in and we enjoy double-headed Syphon haulage..

37426/37428 Machynlleth to Pwhelli (428 was required as it happens).

BANG. 428 fails at Pwllheli! Oh I know, let's run the rail tour as the service train!! My Lords! Dreadful! Hellfire!

25288/40122 Pwllheli to Porthmadog on the 15.30 Pwllheli to Porthmadog (required Rat).

Oh, and let's keep going....

25288/40122 Porthmadog to Shrewsbury on the 17.08 Porthmadog to Euston.

Madness. Fun ends at Shrewsbury when the Rat is taken off and 122 continues with the tour.

47157 back to Wolverhampton.

Last time I had a Rat. Last time I had a 40.

35 years ago today.

Wow. That was quite a day. 37428 seemed to be a bit of a "black sheep" in the Canton allocation of 37/4s - or that's my experience of it anyway. 25 + 40 must have sounded odd.

Anyway, here's my contribution for the day:

Wednesday 07/06/78
An afternoon bash, in the ongoing hunt for class 40s…
DMU Leeds – Skipton
45076 1514 Skipton – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Huddersfield
46036 1635 Huddersfield – York
Oh well, some you lose.

Thursday 07/06/79
An evening bash , in the ongoing hunt for class 40s…
43108 + 43122 1710 Harrogate – Leeds
40180 1807 Leeds – Settle
40070 1956 Settle – Leeds
40069 2059 Leeds – York
40071 2150 York – Leeds
47044 2234 Leeds – York
40080 2317 York – Darlington
By contrast, sometimes it just all goes right. A round trip to Settle with 40s, starting off with required NB 40180. The 1610 Glasgow Central – Nottingham was in diagram for (required) 40120, but it had been swapped for 40070. Back at Leeds I fell straight onto my machine 40069 to York, where arrival was 5 minutes early. 40071 was waiting on the 2150 to Shrewsbury. I couldn’t turn it down, so I took it to Leeds for 47044 back to York. There I saw freshly fuelled and watered 40069 standing in the middle road, waiting to take over the 2000 from Kings Cross, as the incoming loco had been reported No Heat. It rolled in 45 minutes late with 40080 on load 14. Apparently the No Heat issue had been solved, so 40069 wasn’t needed. I’ll just have to have 40080 for a flat-out slog along the ECML to Darlington instead. Oh well, some you win.

Sunday 07/06/81
Having arrived at Edinburgh off 55017 from Kings Cross, I now had to head south at full speed, as I was due on duty in Oakleigh Park booking office for 3 hours on Sunday afternoon, to do season ticket renewals.
43086 + 43156 0920 Edinburgh – Kings Cross via Stockton.
There was some entertainment to be had at Oakleigh Park as the Liverpool Street – Cambridge services were being diverted via Finsbury Park and Hitchin all day. I resolved to have a little dabble later on:
37047 1927 Finsbury Park – Liverpool Street via Canonbury, Channelsea, Carpenters Road
37023 2038 Liverpool Street – Finsbury Park (reverse route as above).

Friday 07/06/85
47714 1500 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
37291 1610 Edinburgh – Carstairs
85022 1652 Carstairs – Glasgow Central
An ideal after-work bash – a huge required NB 37 making a minus connection at Carstairs into a Roarer back to Glasgow.

Friday 07/06/91
58009 1254 Reading – Paddington (0859 ex Liverpool)
I won’t bore you with the commuting moves before and after, but I was working at Paddington and word reached me of a class 58 working a passenger train. A slightly extended lunch time enabled me to reach Reading in time to pick it up.

Sunday 07/06/92 – Monday 08/06/92 “Ashford Rail Day”
EMU 1213 + 1870 Reading to Clapham Jn
EMU 3516 Clapham Jn – Waterloo
EMU 1570 + 1555 Waterloo East – Ashford
75069 1715 Ashford – Hastings
75069 1835 Hastings – Ashford
34027 2130 Ashford – London Bridge
At this time on BR the running of steam specials was prohibited in daylight over third-rail routes, for fear of trespass by photographers and others. 75069 was permitted to run on the unelectrified route to Hastings and back, then we had to wait for darkness before 34027 could work up from Ashford to London Bridge. Meanwhile locos 777 and 75069 ran light engine from Ashford to Hither Green depot.
(Monday 08/06/92)
34027 0015 London Bridge – Hither Green
A hardened bunch of steam cranks stood and shivered on Hither Green station platform to await a rather unusual working:
75069 + 34027 + 777 0305 Hither Green – Eastleigh via Lewisham, Nunhead, Denmark Hill, Factory Jn., Clapham Jn., Richmond, Chertsey, Basingstoke.
The actual departure time was 0428, so this “Depth of night hidden train” turned out to be a Sunrise Special. Certainly the commuters standing on the platform at Winchester were somewhat surprised by the unusual sight of three steam locos and 6 coaches pounding through their station.
EMU 3469 Eastleigh – Winchester
47849 0754 Winchester – Reading.
Following this trial run, steam was permitted on daylight in third rail areas once more.

 

[xotGD]

7th June 1986 - A remarkably similar day to NorthWestRover:

47157 New St - Shrewsbury 1J18
37430 Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth 1J18

Quick dash to the pub for 11:00 opening, swift pint, back in time for the 11:20 departure!

37430 Aberystwyth - Machynlleth 1A50

Another pint? I can't quite remember.

37426 + 37428 Machynlleth - Pwllheli 1J20

Now it was my understanding that the 40+25 worked the return as there wasn't space to run round the stock. Whatever the reason, none of us were complaining!

25288 + 40122 Pwllheli - Porthmadog 2J26

This is where I believe the 37s were meant to take over, but as we were running late, they didn't...

25288 + 40122 Porthmadog - Shrewsbury 1A85
47157 Shrewsbury - Wolves 1A85

Now while some people adjourned at this point, some of us had to get back to Brum. I suppose we'll just get a Can or a Duff...

81010 Wolves - New St 1M47

A nice way to round off the day! A Rat also featured on the Cambrian the following Saturday - watch this space...

7th June 1988 - heading home for a couple of days...

86217 New St - Stockport 1M10 (Boo! Where's the Roarer?)
47448 Stalybridge - Newcastle 1E57

 

[D6130]

Wednesday 7th June 1978:

Inspired by my Cambridge trip a couple of days earlier, I decided to venture a little further into East Anglia for a combination of haulage and track bashing:

07 41 Petersfield-Waterloo: 7356/7055/7382 (07 10 ex-Portsmouth Harbour)
09 36 Liverpool Street-Cambridge: 37 092 (train continuing to KLN)
10 55 Cambridge-Ipswich: E51255/56439
12 48 Ipswich-Lowestoft: E56443/51294
14 26 Lowestoft-Norwich: E51294/56443
15 18 Norwich-March: 31 321 (train continuing to Birmingham NS)
17 ?? March-Bury St Edmunds: 37 051 (16 45 PBO-HPQ)
18 ?? Bury St Edmunds-Cambridge: E51291/56467 (17 53 ex-IPS)
19 25 Cambridge-Royston: E51212/56373
20 05 Royston-Kings Cross: 312 018
21 50 Waterloo-Petersfield: 7710/7833/7425 (Train continuing to Portsmouth Harbour)

Formations of the loco-hauled trains were as follows:

09 36 LST-KLN: TSO E4606/5060/4305, BSO E 9231, FK E13213, RMB E1820, CK E15838, TSO E4655/4497 (load 9)
15 18 NOR-BHM: BG M81327, SK E25690, TSO E4278, CK E16258, TSO E4642, SK E25620 (load 6)
16 45 PBO-HPQ: B M31018, SK E26045, BSO E9329, SK E26153, CK E15832, SK E25419, B M31213, GUV E86309, PMV S1316, B M31044 (load 10)

Sunday 7th June 1981:

A day I shall never forget! Diversions via Cumbernauld were in operation due to engineering works at Greenhill Upper, so a schoolfriend from Helensburgh and I decided to take a trip to Perth for a few pints and a meal:

10 20 Glasgow QS-Perth (reversing in Eastfield Loop, then via Cumbernauld): 25 247 with 47 488 banking to Eastfield, thence 47 488 solo. (for Inverness)
19 07 Perth-Glasgow Queen Street (via Cumbernauld): 40 012 to Eastfield Loop, piloted by 25 247 thence to Queen Street with 40 012 attached rear.

On the outward journey, my friend and I were seated in the leading coach (TSO SC4903) when, just after passing through Cumbernauld, we passed a diverted Glasgow-bound class 47/7 hauled push-pull and suddenly there was the most almighty cacophony of sound that I have ever heard - with breaking glass and twisted metal flying in all directions. As we dived under the table and into the gangway, we thought that the other train had derailed and we had collided with it. However, it turned out that a door had been opened on one of the mark 3s on the other train and it had bounced along the side of our train - taking out windows and door handles - before coming off its hinges and falling down into the 'six foot'. We were extremely lucky as we were sitting on the right hand side in the fourth bay along in the leading vehicle. The loose door had taken out the first two windows, then bounced back against its own carriage - thus missing our window and the one in front - before returning to smash the remaining four windows and cause considerable bodywork damage to the second coach (BFK SC14059). Luckily there were no other passengers in the front two coaches and - when I picked myself up off the floor - I tried to operate the emergency chain, but it was so stiff that I couldn't shift it. I then set off towards the rear of the train to find the guard and by the time he arrived on the scene, we were already through Larbert. The guard moved us to the third coach, which was undamaged, and locked up the front two. When we arrived at the first booked stop at Stirling the train was checked over by a C & W examiner and prounounced fit to go forward with the front two vehicles locked out of use but, on arrival at Perth, SC4903 was detached. We certainly needed those pints when we left the station - with a whisky chaser!

Train formations: 10 20 GLW-INV: TSO SC4903, BFK SC14059, TSO SC5226/5212/5215/5150, RMB SC1857, BFK SC14055 (load 8)
17 20 ABN-GWQ:TSO SC5110/5150/5125/5148, RMB SC1857, FK SC13410, BSO SC9390 (load 7)

A quick footnote: On the return journey, 40 012 was being driven by a certain (then young and very enthusiastic) Eastfield driver and - boy! - did he thrash the old girl both up Gleneagles bank and down the other side!

 

[NorthWestRover]

7th June 1986 - A remarkably similar day to NorthWestRover:

Remarkably similar considering I wasn't really out bashing!

37430 Aberystwyth - Machynlleth 1A50

Another pint? I can't quite remember.

We were obviously on the platform at Machynlleth. I don't remember that many people being there.

37426 + 37428 Machynlleth - Pwllheli 1J20

Now it was my understanding that the 40+25 worked the return as there wasn't space to run round the stock. Whatever the reason, none of us were complaining!

I couldn't remember, but pieced together my report from various stories on the Web.

 

[CW2]

Sunday 7th June 1981:

A day I shall never forget! Diversions via Cumbernauld were in action due to engineering works at Greenhill Upper, so a schoolfriend from Helensburgh and I decided to take a trip to Perth for a few pints and a meal:

10 20 Glasgow QS-Perth (reversing in Eastfield Loop, then via Cumbernauld): 25 247 with 47 488 banking to Eastfield, thence 47 488 solo. (for Inverness)
19 07 Perth-Glasgow Queen Street (via Cumbernauld): 40 012 to Eastfield Loop, piloted by 25 247 thence to Queen Street with 40 012 attached rear.
<snip>

The British design of coaches with outward opening doors fouling the loading gauge always seems primitive compared with the European style folding doors of the same era (which didn't foul the loading gauge, and didn't eject you from the train at speed if you happened to lean on them). There were far too many incidents of the type you describe before secondary door locking became mandatory.

 

[AJM580]

07/06/86 - A trip to Ashford for Chart Leacon open day

47569 Norwich - Ipswich 1C03 0637 NORWICH - LIVERPOOL ST
86250 Ipswich - Liverpool St 1C03 0637 NORWICH - LIVERPOOL ST
LT Circle line to High Street Kensington - walk to Kenny O
47612 Kensington Olympia - Ashford 1O28 0649 LIME ST - DOVER
73134 Ashford - Chart Leacon Depot
73134 Chart Leacon Depot - Ashford
1566 & 1572 Ashford - Charing Cross xxxx 1532 RAMSGATE - CHARING X
LT Circle Line Embankment - Liverpool St
309608 & 309621 Liverpool St - Colchester xxxx 1740 LIVERPOOL ST - CLACTON
86238 Colchester - Ipswich 1P60 1830 LIVERPOOL ST - NORWICH
47583 Ipswich - Norwich 1P60 1830 LIVERPOOL ST - NORWICH

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 8th June 1985

Penultimate run out for me on the Cambrian Syphons in summer 1985

47616 Wolves to Shrewsbury
37205/37165 Shrewsbury to Caersws
37186 Caersws to Welshpool
37189 Welshpool to Caersws
37165/37205 Caersws to Wolves (run round at Shrewsbury)

 

[CW2]

Friday 08/06/79
47428 0041 Darlington – York
Sleep – then DMU York – Harrogate to attend college, after which …
43112 + 43115 1710 Harrogate – Leeds
46035 1759 Leeds – York
45060 1840 York – Darlington
My evening trip to Darlington was to purchase some very important validity – a 3D ticket. This was designed to allow families to have three day trips out by train in the course of a week, to specified tourist destinations. They sold a similar ticket at York, but its emphasis was on Lincolnshire and East Anglia with a bit of Lancashire thrown in for good measure, whereas the Darlington version of the ticket allowed you to go as far north as Dundee. In effect – if used wisely – the 3D ticket was the equivalent of a 7 day North Britain railrover ticket. Most ticket examiners had never seen one, so they would mutter, shake their head and walk away. I exploited the grey area of ticket validity to the full – especially as the wide range of destinations made it almost impossible for anybody to know if you were on the outward or return journey!
55008 2120 Darlington – Doncaster
55010 2325 Doncaster – Edinburgh via Carlisle

Monday 08/06/81
I purchased a 1 week East Anglia Rover ticket.
37041 1636 Liverpool St – Audley End
37075 1757 Audley End – Cambridge
37115 1850 Cambridge – Liverpool Street

Wednesday 08/06/83
40141 1817 York – Leeds (return charter to Barrow)
47537 1903 Leeds – York

Friday 08/06/84 (night shifts in Leeds Control)
43044 + 43065 0730 Leeds – York
SLEEP!
37123 1420 York – Derby (relief to Plymouth, via Moorthorpe, Sheffield)
45126 1606 Derby – Sheffield
31405 1655 Sheffield – Mexborough
31434 1722 Mexborough – Rotherham Masborough
31256 1749 Rotherham Masborough – York
31222 1853 York – Malton
45120 1950 Malton – Leeds … and back to work.
I took 37123 as far as I could before doubling back towards home. After that it became a 31-fest, with three of the four being new.

Monday 08/06/87
87009 0720 Glasgow Central – Crewe

Friday 08/06/90
I don’t usually cover my commuting moves, but this day was a bit odd …
47576 0627 Reading – Paddington
47846 1420 Paddington – Slough (to Liverpool)
Train terminated due to seized brakes on coach M5519.
47530 1530 Slough – Reading
At Reading all the Cross Country passengers were then shoe-horned into the 1340 Poole – Liverpool, which was then announced as delayed awaiting a driver. Meanwhile – for reasons I can’t now remember – I carried on to Oxford.
47579 1553 Reading – Oxford
47579 1700 Oxford – Reading

Thursday 08/06/00
A meeting at Doncaster …
91025 0830 Kings Cross – Doncaster
… and afterwards on my way home I got a little diverted …
90039 1722 Doncaster – Bradford Forster Square
90039 1938 Bradford Forster Square – Kings Cross
My first – and so far only – run with a class 90 into Bradford. (My first electric loco into Bradford was the 89, this – my second – was a 90, my third was a 91. Numerically very neat, but I suspect getting a class 92 working into Bradford might prove a bit tricky!).

 

[NorthWestRover]

My first – and so far only – run with a class 90 into Bradford. (My first electric loco into Bradford was the 89, this – my second – was a 90, my third was a 91. Numerically very neat, but I suspect getting a class 92 working into Bradford might prove a bit tricky!).

It's only slightly crazier than 73s operating in Scotland.

 

[D6130]

Thursday 8th June 1978:

Setting off on my first ever trip to Ireland....the first of many:

06 57 Petersfield-Waterloo: 7425/7833/7710 (06 23 ex-Portsmouth Harbour)
Bakerloo Line: Waterloo-Paddington
09 00 Paddington-Fishguard Harbour (via Swansea District Line): 47 484 "Isambard Kingdom Brunel"
T.S. "Avalon": 15 00 Fishguard Harbour-Rosslare Harbour
19 05 Rosslare Harbour-Waterford: 183

Formation of 09 00 Paddington-Fishguard Harbour:

GUV W86751/86750, TSO W5356/5355, BFK W14104, TSO W5484, SO (ex-FO) W3072, RU(B) W1953, FK W13502, SO (ex-FO) W3088, BSO W9473 (load 10)

Unfortunately, the rest of my week's travels around Ireland were recorded in a different notebook, which has yet to come to light, so they may have to wait till next year.

 

[The exile]

Friday 8th June 1990

What better way to fill the “dead” time immediately after University finals than an All-Liner? In 1990, there’s still enough of interest about, and there are plenty of bits of the Baker Bible still to be inked in. A very attractive prospect…

Less so when cycling through the streets of Bristol at 4.30 on a chilly, damp June morning and even less so when it becomes apparent as we set off up Filton Bank that of the two people supposed to be on this mad jaunt together, only one of them (me) has actually passed “Elementary Bashing – Level One – Punctual arrival at station” (not for the first time!). In this pre-mobile age, there’s no option other than to press on and hope he’s remembered the plan.

05.20 Bristol TM – Newcastle
d. Bristol TM 05.20 T 43029 + ? (anyone know, by any chance?)
a. Doncaster 08.41 2L

Comfortable change on to my first 91

1D32 07.00 Kings Cross – Leeds
d. Doncaster 08.58 T 91 014*
a. Leeds 09.38 1E

followed by a run up the Settle and Carlisle in weather that fitted the surroundings but not the calendar. The surviving generator 47s were on borrowed time, which was a little consolation for the fact that this particular one was not required. I’m not sure whether this counts as a positive or a negative, but my service train experiences on the S&C are limited to 47s and 1st generation DMUs – anything interesting I encountered was always going the other way.


Summer on the backbone of England....

2M03 09.47 Leeds – Carlisle
d. Leeds 09.47 T 47 417
a. Carlisle 12.42 6L

The next move offered the first possibility of a rearranged rendezvous – but I wasn’t surprised not to see a familiar face window hanging as The Clansman pulled into Carlisle. Not particularly exciting haulage (then!) but at least both required.

1S59 08.35 Euston to Edinburgh/Inverness
d. Carlisle 13.10 14L 86 255*
a. Carstairs ?
d. Carstairs 14.14 13L 47 467*
a. Waverley 15.06 2L

Having been Edinburgh-based until 2 years previously, it seemed strange that the run across from Carstairs wasn’t the last leg of a homeward journey – but at least there was a familiar face waiting on Platform 10/11 – only 10 hours after I should have seen it! “Inking in the Bible” was now the order of the day – mostly for his benefit – though a little “nugget” awaited me.

15.26 Edinburgh W – Glasgow Central
d. Edinburgh Wav 15.26 2L 52023*
a. Glasgow Cent 17.02 4E

17.05 Cathcart Circle
d. Glasgow Central 17.05 T 303 004
a. Langside T
d. Langside T 303 016*
a. Glasgow Central 17.34 3E

18.00 Glasgow Central to Edinburgh W
d. Glasgow C 18.00 T 51989*
a. Holytown 18.26 T

I’m sure that even the most loyal citizen of Holytown would accept that there are more scintillating places to while away 20 minutes of a grey and chilly June evening, but for me those 20 minutes were the prelude to my goal for the day – the Mossend East curve (all 700 yards of it) would complete my coverage of Scottish passenger track. I’m guessing that the services that used it (one each way?) were “hangovers” from the days when the DMUs were based at Hamilton.

17.26 Edinburgh W to Hamilton West
d. Holytown 18.41 8L 52007*
a. Motherwell 18.56 2L

The rest of the evening appears to have been “accommodating someone else’s track requirements” – but from a 2021 perspective, over 60 miles in 303s is quite an evening!

19.24 Lanark to Milngavie
d. Motherwell 19.47 3L 303 079*
a. Milngavie 20.39 6L

20.52 Milngavie to Lanark (well, what else is there to do in Milngavie? At least it was better than my first visit 4 years before when the unit had had an argument with the bufferstops.)
d. Milngavie 20.52 T 303 079
a. Westerton 21.00 T

20.21 Motherwell to Dalmuir
d. Westerton 21.10 T 303 065*
a. Dalmuir 21.19 1E

20.28 Drumgelloch to Helensburgh Central
d. Dalmuir 21.20 T 303 037
a. Helensburgh C 21.46 1E

21.54 Helensburgh C to Drumgelloch
d. Helensburgh C 21.54 1L 303 037
a. Glasgow QS LL 22.41 T

Followed by a wander across to Central for the 23.50 to Euston – but that left late enough not to belong to this first day.

 

[xotGD]

8th June 1986:

So after yesterday's fun on the Cambrian, what comes next? Answer - Nuneaton drags! So it was an early breakfast and off to New St to see what was happening...

58013 (+81010) New St - Nuneaton 1A06
58040 (+87008) Nuneaton - New St 1G24

Buy one, get one free.

Then back in time for Sunday dinner.

8th June 1989:

A 'celebrity' Duff on a unit replacement turn:

47585 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B11

8th June 1991:

Another day in the West Midlands travelcard area. I had:

87026, 86231, 86245, 87033, 86101, 86417, 90003, 87024, 90010, 87031, 87012

 

[NorthWestRover]

A very quiet date for me...

Saturday 9th June 1979

45119 Derby to Sheffield

This was found in my class listings and was presumably part of a day out spotting with units or Duffs the rest of the day.

 

[CW2]

Friday 09/06/78
DMU Harrogate – Leeds, Leeds – Skipton
47193 1514 Skipton – Leeds
40196 1805 Leeds – Keighley
DMU Keighley – Leeds
31409 2012 Leeds – Harrogate
I went blind to Skipton for the “Scotch Express” hoping for a 40, but scored 47193 anyway. The next northbound working over the S&C produced required 40196, but I couldn’t afford to take it to Settle for the pub move there, so I baled at Keighley, unit to Leeds, and 31 to Harrogate.

Saturday 09/06/79
My Darlington 3D ticket saw me through to Edinburgh with 55010 via Carlisle, so I set about enjoying what Scotland had to offer (in terms of diesel locos).
27110 + 27210 0615 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street
40056 0740 Glasgow Queen Street – Dundee
27008 0938 Dundee – Perth
40101 1105 Perth – Haymarket via Ladybank
27110 + 27210 1234 Haymarket – Glasgow Queen Street
40083 1335 Glasgow Queen Street – Stirling
47211 1427 Stirling – Mossend
86017 15xx Mossend – Carlisle via Holytown, Wishaw.
40018 1744 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via Dumfries
EMU Glasgow Central – Motherwell
86031 2220 Motherwell – Mossend
27002 22xx Mossend – Stirling
40157 2314 Stirling – Mossend
A good start to the holiday. I needed both of the push-pull 27s, both the 86/0s, and 47211. The train operated by 47211 and 86017 was an 1105 Inverness – Carlisle summer dated service, retimed from 1427 to 1456 ex Stirling, and running 14 minutes late on the retimings. The train conveyed a grand total of 2 passengers, of whom I was one. The run with 40018 was the only time I ever had a class 40 into Glasgow Central. Not long afterwards they were banned from Glasgow Central station after some pointwork had been relaid in the station throat and was found to be incompatible with the 1Co-Co1 bogies, resulting in a derailment.
Carlisle was the perfect overnight location at this time, as the Penmanshiel block was still on, meaning all the ECML overnights ran via Carlisle – and stopped there for crewing purposes. Also information on the running of the trains – and any additionals – was freely available from the blackboard by the telegraph office. So I fell into a pattern of southbound Inverness or Perth to Euston overnight to Carlisle (for good doss en route), followed by a bleary-eyed fester at Carlisle and the hope of some decent northbound traction.

Tuesday 09/06/81
East Anglia Rover.
31278 1536 Liverpool Street – Bishops Stortford
37053 1618 Bishops Stortford – Liverpool Street
37052 1734 Liverpool Street – Cambridge
31251 1850 Cambridge – Tottenham Hale, thence Victoria Line home.

Wednesday 09/06/82
87025 1703 Euston – Crewe
47443 1920 Crewe – Chester
40046 2058 Chester – Manchester Victoria
40184 2240 Manchester Victoria – Bangor
(Thursday 10/06/82)
47xxx 0146 Bangor – Crewe
86034 0330 Crewe – Euston
A long way for some 40 mileage. I must have been very keen …

Thursday 09/06/83
Two items of information landed on my desk that morning, prompting me to take a half day’s leave. The first was that my machine 40069 was on the 1005 Liverpool – Newcastle, and the second was that (for the second day in succession) 40096 had worked a Womens Institute Charter from Peterborough to Grange over Sands. A plan emerged …
40069 1230 York – Newcastle
DMU Newcastle – Carlisle
86242 1653 Carlisle – Lancaster
DMU Lancaster – Carnforth
There, with a couple of mates, we awaited the arrival of the train from Grange over Sands, and discussed how we intended blending seamlessly into a trainload of middle-aged women. As the train drew to a halt for the crew change, we boarded the rear coach (which would be the front coach after the reversal in Carnforth Loop). Unfortunately, that was the end of the coach where the toilets were, and the steady “stream” of women soon began to wonder who these dubious blokes were lurking outside the toilet doors! The guard became involved, we showed our ID cards, and were allowed to remain on the train, provided we travelled in the “cage” of the guard’s half brake. This sight of us standing in the caged area amused some of the women, who took to throwing peanuts through the grilles at us, to feed the inmates! Meanwhile, we were making good progress with 40096:
40096 19xx Carnforth – Peterborough via Settle Jn., Engine Shed Jn., Hare Park Jn., Doncaster, ECML.
On arrival at Peterborough we bade farewell to the women, and negotiated passage on the ECS which was heading back to Nunnery Carriage Sidings, Sheffield.
40096 2355 Peterborough – Nunnery Carriage Sidings via Retford Whisker Hill Curve.
(Friday 10/06/83)
On arrival at Nunnery Carriage Sidings the supervisor was a bit surprised to see us alight from the “empty” train, but was kind enough to give us walking directions to Sheffield station. Once there, we struggled to find a way in, as the only train booked there at that time of the night wasn’t booked to convey passengers, namely the 0120 Manchester Piccadilly – Cleethorpes paper train. Thankfully we were allowed on board.
40024 0224 Sheffield – Doncaster
31184 0319 Doncaster – York
I even scored the Goyle to round off a memorable day.

Saturday 09/06/84
Off a night shift in Leeds Control, for a convoluted trip home to York …
43059 + 43066 0620 Leeds – Durham
40181 0743 Durham – Blackpool North via Leeds, Manchester Victoria, Bolton
46026 1215 Blackpool North – York via Bolton, Manchester Victoria, Leeds
This was my first run in 1984 with a class 46, and also my last ever run with a class 46.

Tuesday 09/06/87
I was working for Speedlink in Crewe, and had to attend a meeting at Stonebridge Park / Wembley.
86206 0752 Crewe – Watford Jn
EMU Watford Jn – Stonebridge Park
After the meeting, we arranged a lift on the loco going across to Mitre Bridge to re-engine the 1322 Brighton – Liverpool. As a bonus it was a Roarer:
85014 1450 Mitre Bridge – Crewe
Then I had to make a trip to Abergavenny to pick up wife and son from the in-laws. My choice of northbound service was entirely accidental, as I’m sure you will understand …
47584 1719 Crewe – Hereford
DMU Hereford – Abergavenny
50036 2050 Abergavenny – Crewe

 

[NorthWestRover]

Some astounding moves there.

 

[D6130]

Saturday 9th June 1973:

A quick afternoon shed bash at Polmadie. Must have had something else on in the morning to have missed out on Eastfield.

5398 13 16 Helensburgh Upper-Queen Street (07 25 ex-Mallaig)
5367 18 35 Queen Street-Helensburgh Upper (to Oban)

Locos seen:
Cardross: 5357.
Bowling Oil Terminal: 5377.
Cowlairs: 3728, 5400, 5374+5409.
Queen Street: 263.
Polmadie Depot: 405/06/11/15/17/20/38, 1700, 1886, 3733, 3901, 5001/15, 5363/75/80/88, 7576, 8024/46/79/86/89/97, 8107/12/13/26.
Central: 316, 441/47, 7579.
Queen Street: 1677 "Thor", 1974, 5096, 5327+5343, 5367, 5400, 5374+5409, 5386+7590, 5401+5408, 5393+7591, 5396+5403.
Cowlairs: 5317.

Friday 9th June 1978:

My first full day in Ireland. As mentioned yesterday, I have yet to find my notebook from that trip, but I have found my photo album....although, sadly, a lot of the colour prints are of insufficient quality to be able to read the loco numbers. From the photographic evidence, it would appear that I did the following on this date:

Waterford-Kilkenny (reverse)-Kildare: Unidentified class 071 (An excellent breakfast was enjoyed in the restaurant car!).
Kildare-Limerick Junction: Unidentified class 071
Limerick Junction-Limerick: Unidentified class 001
Limerick-Ballybrophy: Unidentified class 141
Ballybrophy-Dublin Heuston: Unidentified class 071

The rest of the tour consisted of day trips from Dublin, staying in the same B&B in Cabra on the North side of the city. The back garden bordered onto the cutting containing the Islandbridge Junction-Glasnevin Junction loop line, close to the Northern portal of the Phoenix Park Tunnel and there were some very loud General Motors two-stroke sound effects during the night from heavy freight trains powering up the bank heading for Dublin Docks. Those were the days!

Should I come across my Irish notebook in the next couple of weeks, I shall make an edit on here. If not, we'll just have to wait. Sorry about that!

 

[xotGD]

We just can't compete with CW2's adventures!

Anyway, 9th June 1984 - a summer Saturday that started well, then, oh well:

37075 Newcastle - Darlo 1P98
47599 Darlo - Newcastle 1E52
45023 Sunderland - Newcastle 1N35
45064 Darlo - Newcastle 1E33
47599 Newcastle - Darlo 1M19
47191 Darlo - Newcastle 1E12

Little did I know that it would still be possible to enjoy 075 over 35 years later...

9th June 1988 - returning from my trip home:

47424 Newcastle - Stalybridge 1M26
85008 Stockport - New St 1G20

Nice to drop on to the Roarer.

9th June 1990:

I might have gone to Wolverhampton for footy on an EMU, but coming back:

90044 Wolves - New St

9th June 1995 - a work trip to London, and only one service worth catching:

47849 Loughborough - St Pancras

 

[CW2]

Some astounding moves there.

Cheers. The run with 40096 from Carnforth to Peterborough then ECS to Nunnery was a particular favourite of mine. I believe the same loco and stock worked a similar Spalding to Grange over Sands the previous day too, so it certainly earned its keep that week. D6130's trips are pretty wonderful too. Imagine seven class 50s on Polmadie depot and another pair in Glasgow Central.

 

[NorthWestRover]

40096 features in mine very soon on what I thought was quite an unusual move. Ha ha.

 

[xotGD]

40096 features in mine very soon on what I thought was quite an unusual move. Ha ha.

Did you hide in a mail bag to do it on the 3S35 Kings Cross - Edinburgh Parcels?

This photo appears to show a crank on the train:

Class 40 locomotive on 3S35 14:11 London Kings Cross - Edinburgh Stock Photo - Alamy

 

[NorthWestRover]

In my dreams. It's unusual for me, not for you lol.