Back in the day...

[CW2]

Thursday 21/09/78 – Zone F Bullseye …
55015 1413 York – Selby
45048 1500 Selby – York
47227 1733 York – Huddersfield
45032 1834 Huddersfield – York
The 45 on the 1225 Kings Cross – York (1500 ex Selby) was a bit unusual, as 45s weren’t all that common on the southern end of the ECML.

Friday 21/09/84
The 2100 Euston – Stranraer was now booked to have a pilot loco from Newton on Ayr to Stranraer every morning. It was total pot luck as to what loco would be turned out off Ayr depot – basically anything between a 20 and a 37.
47529 0207 Carlisle – Stranraer
27063 04xx Newton on Ayr – Stranraer
I scored the 27. I already knew which loco would be waiting at Stranraer to work back to Glasgow Central, but then there was the added bonus of the 27 piloting back to Ayr:
37110 0735 Stranraer – Glasgow Central
27063 0735 Stranraer – Ayr (piloting)
After work, I came out for some more …
85040 2310 Glasgow Central – Carlisle …

(Friday 20/09/85)
47408 2330 Glasgow Queen Street – Stirling
Saturday 21/09/85
47467 0035 Stirling – Mossend
87017 0132 Mossend – Carlisle
The class 37 refurbishment programme was in full swing, and the first 37/4s had begun arriving in Scotland. Ex-works 37405 + 37409 had run light engine from Crewe to Carlisle, and were both allocated to the 0605 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via Dumfries, hence my desperate overnight. At this time, the standard of workmanship and quality control at Crewe Works was perhaps not the best. (I'm trying to be polite here). 37409 failed before it even got anywhere near the train, so was sent back light engine to Crewe Works for rectification. At least 37405 worked:
37405 0605 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via Dumfries
After being released at Glasgow Central, 37405 ran light to Eastfield, failed, and then it too was dragged all the way back to Crewe for rectification!

Monday 21/09/87
50033 1028 Plymouth – Birmingham New Street via Bristol, Gloucester Avoider, Lickey
86260 1458 Birmingham New Street – Crewe

Wednesday 21/09/88
The Manchester – Blackpool circuit was largely in the hands of class 31s, as the DMU fleet was on its last legs:
86103 1028 Crewe – Preston
31249 1137 Preston – Blackpool North
31289 1232 Blackpool North – Manchester Victoria
31446 1350 Manchester Victoria – Preston
31231 1459 Preston – Blackpool North
31424 1532 Blackpool North – Preston
85022 1630 Preston – Crewe
A couple of decent electric locos provided the bread and the peds were the filling.

Friday 21/09/90
Returning from Fort William, dossed in the sleepers with my family:
86xxx 00xx Glasgow Central – Carstairs
86426 01xx Carstairs – Euston
47472 0817 Paddington – Reading

Tuesday 21/09/99
91002 0910 Kings Cross – Doncaster
91019 1635 Doncaster – Kings Cross
I assume this was for some sort of meeting in Doncaster.

 

[Falcon1200]

Wednesday 21st September 1983

31123 0950 Newcastle-Poole (Oxford-Reading); 35" late after 47482 had failed at Banbury.

 

[xotGD]

Wednesday 21/09/88
The Manchester – Blackpool circuit was largely in the hands of class 31s, as the DMU fleet was on its last legs:
86103 1028 Crewe – Preston
31249 1137 Preston – Blackpool North
31289 1232 Blackpool North – Manchester Victoria
31446 1350 Manchester Victoria – Preston
31231 1459 Preston – Blackpool North
31424 1532 Blackpool North – Preston
85022 1630 Preston – Crewe
A couple of decent electric locos provided the bread and the peds were the filling.

Looks like you were transformed into @NorthWestRover for the day!

 

[CW2]

Looks like you were transformed into @NorthWestRover for the day!

My only excuse is that I was off sick from work, having fallen off a ladder whilst painting the upstairs windows, so perhaps the balance of my mind was disturbed!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Sounds like a heavenly day to me.

 

[xotGD]

21st September 1985

Still some Summer Saturday action to be had...

47534 Newcastle - Durham 1M73
37013 Durham - Newcastle 1N13
47200 Newcastle - Durham 1M32
47101 Durham - Newcastle 1E99
45116 Newcastle - Durham 1M19
45102 Durham - Newcastle 1E63

21st September 1987

The week-long bus pass Dufffest starts here:

47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B05
47483 Newcastle - Sunderland 2E36
47402 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B10
47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11
47483 Heworth - Newcastle 2M41
47402 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M43
47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B09
47544 Sunderland - Newcastle 2J13

21st September 2001

A day on the Great Central with:

D8048 + D8098
25265 + D7629
37075
D4067
D5830

I finally got round to putting this day's journeys into my moves book yesterday. It's only taken me 20 years!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thursday 22nd September 1983

40160 St Helens Junc to Lime St, 1M22 Glasgow to Lime St
Unit home to Padgate

Other than falling by chance onto 122 on 7th June 1986 on the Cambrian Coast, this is the last 40 haulage I have recorded. Now, if my 1984 book turns up, I might be able to remedy that, but for now this is it....

 

[CW2]

Friday 22/09/78
Travelling from college in Harrogate to home in York. Naturally, with the Zone F Bullseye ticket based on Leeds, I could take a much nicer route home than the direct rattly DMU.
47543 1620 Harrogate – Leeds
46049 1707 Leeds – York
(The 1620 from Harrogate was a through train to Kings Cross).

Saturday 22/09/84
81005 0228 Carlisle – Mossend
37014 (+97251) 0410 Mossend – Corrour via Gartsherrie, Gartcosh, Springburn, Cowlairs, Queen Street
37184 0458 Cowlairs – Queen Street – Cowlairs (top and tail with 37014)
37051 0936 Corrour – Glasgow Queen Street

Thursday 22/09/88
Another trip to cover the Manchester – Blackpool loco-hauled vice DMU services, plus a bit more besides:
87011 0852 Crewe – Preston
31249 0953 Preston – Chorley
47458 1037 Chorley – Bolton
31171 + 31227 1104 Bolton – Blackpool North
31227 had started off from Manchester but was feeling rather poorly, so 31171 was attached as a pilot loco to assist from Bolton. The locos ran in tandem all the way to Blackpool. 40’ late arrival.
31423 1258 Blackpool North – Preston. 20’ late due to waiting stock off the above pair.
31296 1354 Preston – Bolton
DMU Bolton – Preston
DMU Preston – Ormskirk
EMU Ormskirk – Liverpool Central
37426 1714 Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe

Friday 22/09/89
86403 2200 Euston – Crewe
After working and dossing in Paddington for the week, it was time to come home for the weekend.

Thursday 22/09/94
47712 0725 Derby – Carlisle
via Toton, Sheffield, Moorthorpe, Normanton, Engine Shed Jn, S&C
46203 1304 Carlisle – Derby
via S&C, Engine Shed Jn, Normanton, Hare Park, Sheffield, Toton

Monday 22/09/97
With the line still closed at Southall in the aftermath of the crash, the Reading to Waterloo EMU services were full to overflowing with commuters, and a massive queue stretched all the way across Reading station concourse and out into the street. In addition to strengthening all EMU services to 8 coaches, a huge effort had taken place over the weekend to get the Reading – Waterloo line gauge cleared for HSTs. So I was able to stroll up to my usual platform at Reading at my usual time, and join one of the very first (possibly the very first?) HST services on the Reading – Waterloo line:
43176 + 43033 0802 Reading – Waterloo via Hounslow (0532 ex Swansea)
… and the same on the way home that evening …
43017 + 43170 1745 Waterloo – Reading via Hounslow
1900 Paddington – Swansea amended to start from Waterloo. I believe this was the first Mirrlees powered HST at Waterloo (43170).

 

[Peter Sarf]

@CW2 re 21/09/1985, you made me think about these nice new refurbished 37/4s. They were about 25 years old when they were created. Now it is 35 years later !. Time does fly.

 

[xotGD]

22nd September 1987

More Duffs on the locals...

47544 Heworth - Sunderland 2B05 (This device was out all week)
47418 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B06
47418 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J07
47544 Heworth - Newcastle 2B10
47544 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11
47418 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M39

22nd September 1989

86233 New St - Manchester Piccadilly
47443 Manchester Piccadilly - Newcastle

22nd September 1990

86233 New St - Wolverhampton (Same Can as the previous year!)
37429 Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury
47508 Shrewsbury - Wolverhampton
86236 Wolverhampton - New St

 

[CW2]

@CW2 re 21/09/1985, you made me think about these nice new refurbished 37/4s. They were about 25 years old when they were created. Now it is 35 years later !. Time does fly.

Yes, they seemed a fantastic development when they first arrived, although the 30 ETH index was always a pain. They have lasted well.

 

[CW2]

Saturday 23/09/78
Unusually, there was a 40 on Mk 1s on the 1613 York – Kings Cross stopper, normally a 47 + Air Cons:
40071 1613 York – Selby
47544 1659 Selby – York
46052 1733 York – Leeds
47433 1805 Leeds – Wakefield Westgate
47497 1908 Wakefield Westgate – Leeds
This was the 1030 Penzance – Bradford (Exchange), which re-engined at Leeds:
47429 1940 Leeds – Bradford Exchange
DMU Bradford – Leeds, Leeds – York

Friday 23/09/83
46044 2234 York – Peterborough
The start of a busy weekend. This was my last southbound run over the Chaloners Whin Junction to Barlby Junction section of the ECML, which was closed and replaced by the Selby Diversion. I had heard that 40057 was allocated to the 0005 Kings Cross – Newcastle, so I suffered the 46 to Peterborough to intercept it, intending to see out the old line in style …

Sunday 23/09/84
25059 1445 Glasgow Central – Carlisle via Dumfries
86033 1737 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
47701 1930 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
47013 2036 Edinburgh – Burntisland
27032 2126 Burntisland – Edinburgh
47704 2340 Edinburgh – Carstairs
I required the 25, but the rest of the day was a bit scrappy.

Monday 23/09/85
37090 1545 Glasgow Central – Annan
47552 1800 Annan – Dumfries
25190 1927 Dumfries – Carlisle
87024 2059 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
This was the 1800 ex Birmingham New Street, which divided at Carstairs for Glasgow Central and Edinburgh. I was near the front in the Glasgow portion, and at Carstairs I peered through the window to see what was taking the Edinburgh portion forward. I could only see a centre headcode panel, illuminated in the dark, and assumed it was a 47, so I sat tight and carried on to Glasgow. In fact it was 20189 + 20042! I required them both … and never had them.

Monday 23/09/91
After a meeting at Watford, I managed to score a new class 90 on a set-down stop:
90024 1725 Watford Junction – Euston

Thursday 23/09/99
Again, I assume this was a work-related visit to Doncaster:
91022 0830 Kings Cross – Doncaster
91024 1535 Doncaster – Kings Cross

 

[xotGD]

I could only see a centre headcode panel, illuminated in the dark, and assumed it was a 47, so I sat tight and carried on to Glasgow. In fact it was 20189 + 20042! I required them both … and never had them.

Withered!

 

[Peter Sarf]

....................

This was the 1800 ex Birmingham New Street, which divided at Carstairs for Glasgow Central and Edinburgh. I was near the front in the Glasgow portion, and at Carstairs I peered through the window to see what was taking the Edinburgh portion forward. I could only see a centre headcode panel, illuminated in the dark, and assumed it was a 47, so I sat tight and carried on to Glasgow. In fact it was 20189 + 20042! I required them both … and never had them.

.................

Are those 20s not both at the NYMR at the moment ?. My memory - cannot recall where did I read it and was it those two.

Pfft mistanking a pair of 20s for a Duff. Perhaps you needed the sleep (a lot).

 

[CW2]

Withered!

Guilty as charged. I only found out about it the following day, when the controller who had allocated them asked me if I'd had them.

Are those 20s not both at the NYMR at the moment ?. My memory - cannot recall where did I read it and was it those two.

Pfft mistaking a pair of 20s for a Duff. Perhaps you needed the sleep (a lot).

My only excuse was that it was dark, and I saw what I expected to see. I was a bit more careful in future.

 

[47403]

21st September 1985

Still some Summer Saturday action to be had...

47534 Newcastle - Durham 1M73
37013 Durham - Newcastle 1N13
47200 Newcastle - Durham 1M32
47101 Durham - Newcastle 1E99
45116 Newcastle - Durham 1M19
45102 Durham - Newcastle 1E63

21st September 1987

The week-long bus pass Dufffest starts here:

47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B05
47483 Newcastle - Sunderland 2E36
47402 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B10
47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11
47483 Heworth - Newcastle 2M41
47402 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M43
47402 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B09
47544 Sunderland - Newcastle 2J13

21st September 2001

A day on the Great Central with:

D8048 + D8098
25265 + D7629
37075
D4067
D5830

I finally got round to putting this day's journeys into my moves book yesterday. It's only taken me 20 years!

Sounds like a great week for you Mr Xot I think I was on 37013 and 47200 too. No doubt the wagons too, if my mate Cal was out with us.

 

[MDB1images]

Sun 23rd Sep 84
45120 Manchester Victoria-Leeds
45128 Leeds-Manchester Victoria

A trip to Neville Hill Depot open day that had the following….

08226, 08497
43049, 43046, 43053, 43058, 43113, 43121, 43156, 43162, 43194
45013
47316
55002
56134
58008
141019
EMU 313060

 

[xotGD]

23rd September 1987

Today I went to Sunderland. Five times!

47417 Heworth - Newcastle 2M35
47421 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B05
47406 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B06
47406 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J07
47544 Heworth - Sunderland 2E36
47421 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B10
47421 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11
47406 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M39
47417 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B07
47544 Sunderland - Heworth 2M41

23rd September 1990

Three years later, and I've got a West Midlands travelcard rather than the Tyne and Wear version.

Haulage from 86257, 87008, 87023, 86224, 87013, 86428, 86214, 87006

 

[NorthWestRover]

Duff-tastic!

 

[xotGD]

Duff-tastic!

It was quite a monotonous week!

I would even have been happy if a 31 had turned up on one of the diagrams!

 

[CW2]

23rd September 1987

Today I went to Sunderland. Five times!

47417 Heworth - Newcastle 2M35
47421 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B05
47406 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B06
47406 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J07
47544 Heworth - Sunderland 2E36
47421 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B10
47421 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11
47406 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M39
47417 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B07
47544 Sunderland - Heworth 2M41

I hate to imagine what evil deeds you had committed to be punished so severely!

 

[Harvester]

Saturday 24th September 1977

Railtour from Nottingham to Carnforth, with Rats and Stanier haulage. The four steam locos were used in conjunction with another railtour running that day.

25135+25214 Nottingham-Sheffield
5690+5305 Sheffield-Guide Bridge
25148+25192 Guide Bridge-Carnforth
44871+45407 Carnforth-Leeds
25135+25214 Leeds-Nottingham

Tuesday 24th September 1996

158812 10:24 Thornaby-York
91009 11:38 York-Doncaster
156??? 12:15 Doncaster-Sheffield
47812 13:13 Sheffield-Derby
156412 14:32 Derby-Nottingham

 

[Peter Sarf]

Guilty as charged. I only found out about it the following day, when the controller who had allocated them asked me if I'd had them.

My only excuse was that it was dark, and I saw what I expected to see. I was a bit more careful in future.

Of course, back in the day, there were no mobile phones. How did we manage ?.

 

[CW2]

Sunday 24/09/78
40020 1721 York – Leeds
31180 1756 Leeds – Bradford Exchange
DMU Bradford Exchange – Leeds
46040 1907 Leeds – York
45014 1944 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – York
I required the first 3 locos. 46040 was on the 1800 Manchester Victoria – Newcastle which only ran on Sundays, and was booked for a 40, so I was disappointed by the arrival of a 46 on it.

Saturday 24/09/83
I had come south to Peterborough to pick up 40057 on the 0002 Kings Cross – Newcastle:
47527 0130 Peterborough – Newcastle
… or possibly not. This was my last northbound run over the Barlby Junction – Chaloners Whin section of the ECML. Not quite the splendid finale I had envisaged.
DMU Newcastle – Carlisle
26038 1840 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via Dumfries
37017 1204 Glasgow Queen Street – Dundee, Celtic Footex.
47428 1418 Dundee – Glasgow Queen Street
37184 1634 Glasgow Queen Street – Rannoch
37190 + 37188 1919 Rannoch – Dumbarton Central
At Dumbarton Central the through Fort William – Euston portion was detached, and re-engined:
37017 (again!) 2303 Dumbarton Central – Mossend via Clydebank, Queen Street Low Level, Sunnyside Jn, Whifflet South Jn.

Monday 24/09/84
86212 0041 Carstairs – Penrith
I was intending to alight at Carlisle to pick up one of the northbound workings from there, but woke up just as we departed. In my sleep-fuddled state, alighting at Penrith seemed like a sensible idea, until I realised none of the northbound services stopped there at that time of night. Fortunately there was some salvation, in the shape of 47369 working a parcels train from Crewe to Carlisle. I cadged a lift in the back cab with the guard to get me back to Carlisle:
47369 0321 Penrith – Carlisle
81007 0346 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
… and straight onto an 0700 – 1500 shift in Glasgow Control, then back out for …
26037 1545 Glasgow Central – Annan
Whatever we were due to cross at Annan obviously didn’t take my fancy, so I retired for refreshments there for 90 minutes or so, then continued:
25035 1943 Annan – Carlisle
87021 2036 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
… and back to my digs for a well-earned rest!

Tuesday 24/09/85
47704 1500 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
25268 1610 Edinburgh – Carstairs
85040 1652 Carstairs – Glasgow Central
37090 1805 Glasgow Queen Street – Perth
37090 1934 Perth – Glasgow Queen Street

Wednesday 24/09/84
Some locos are just jinxed. With me it was the ever-elusive 26011, and 81006, so when I saw the latter on the front of my first loco-hauled train of the day, I wasn’t very hopeful.
81006 0720 Glasgow Central – Newton
Failed, broken air brake pipe. So what would they send out to rescue us …?
86427 0831 Newton – Warrington Bank Quay
This was the third different number I’d had this loco as - 86027, 86327, and now 86427. That knowledge didn’t make its replacement of 81006 any easier to bear.
60’ late after dragging off failed 81006 and dumping it in the sidings at Newton. My carefully-planned bash was now in shreds, so I had to improvise.
Walk Warrington Bank Quay – Warrington Central
31428 1210 Warrington Central – Manchester Piccadilly
33018 1345 Manchester Piccadilly – Crewe
33019 1452 Crewe – Chester
33044 1612 Chester – Crewe
81002 1720 Crewe – Preston
87024 1817 Preston – Glasgow Central

Saturday 24/09/88 – a trip to London for the arrival at Liverpool Street of my friends from Poland, and bring them to my house.
86434 1527 Crewe – Euston
86226 2030 Euston – Crewe

Sunday 24/09/89
90006 1733 Crewe – Euston
This was the 1605 ex Liverpool, calling additionally at Crewe due to general service disruption / late running. Class 90s were still a bit of a novelty back then, so I was happy to have it.

 

[xotGD]

24th September 1983

Summer Saturday trains were still running. Gateshead must have been short of traction, so look what they allocated to the Yarmouth:

31168 Newcastle - Darlington 1P14
47016 Darlington - Newcastle 1N13

And then an unexpected bonus:

40118 Newcastle - Darlington 1M79

Very nice!

24th September 1986

Off to start my second year at Uni:

47412 Newcastle - New St 1V65

24th September 1987

The Tyne and Wear Dufffest continues...

47544 Heworth - Newcastle 2M35
47417 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B05
47568 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B06
47406 Newcastle - Sunderland 2E36
47417 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B10
47417 Newcastle - Sunderland 2J11

568 replacing 421 was the only change from the previous day.

24th September 1988

Having started work in Brum I was in position to cover the last two weeks on the Cambrian of the summer season...

86248 New St - Wolverhampton 1J19
47517 Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury 1J19
37174 + 37015 Shrewsbury - Welshpool 1J19
37688 + 37676 Welshpool - Wolverhampton 1A44
87022 Wolverhampton - New St 1V95
86427 New St - International 1G12
47479 International - Coventry 1O20
86409 Coventry - New St 1J33

The following Saturday was better still, but you'll all have to wait for that installment.

Time to digitise some old photos...

 

[xotGD]

Back by popular demand... some photos!!!

Hydraulics - Part 1

I first saw Westerns on a family holiday to Cornwall in 1976. I might even have had some for haulage, but I'll never know. Alas, no photographic evidence to share, but I have made up for that out and about on heritage railways over the years.

First up, a lucky sighting passing the Didcot Railway Centre. D7018 and D1035 pictured in front of the cooling towers on 18th March 1987.



On my first visit to the SVR on 7th May 1988, a general view of Bridgenorth depot has D1062 front and centre, with D1013 lurking at the back.



I was back at the SVR the following year. On 14th October 1989 D1062 waits departure from Kidderminster.



On the same day, D1013 is seen arriving into Hampton Loade.



I obviously liked visiting the SVR, as I was back again on 19th May 1990. D7076 is seen running round at Kidderminster.



Moving north, a visit to the NYMR on 31st October 1993 and D7029 was present on Grosmont depot.



And last up for this selection, the Hymek from the first phot in action at the GCR. D7018 approaches Rothley on a demonstration freight on 25th March 1994.



I am aware that there are no Warships featured above. Part 2 will remedy that omission - stay tuned!

 

[NorthWestRover]

40106 on The Bangor

The moves that enabled these photos do not appear in my moves books. Looking at Motherlist, I believe it may have been February 1983.

The wonderful feeling of a whistling Bangor at Warrington Bank Quay on 1D34 07.45 Manchester Vic to Bangor.



Leaving Chester...



Leaving Llandudno Junction with an unidentified split box 40 in the yard. Conwy Castle in the background



Various shots at Bangor...



And finally at Manchester Victoria...

 

[Falcon1200]

Sunday 25th September 1983

31102 & 31134 1548 Paddington-Manchester Picc (Reading-Oxford)

 

[CW2]

Sunday 25th September 1983

31102 & 31134 1548 Paddington-Manchester Picc (Reading-Oxford)

You got off just before the rare bit!

Sunday 25/09/83
86245 00xx Mossend – Euston via Bushbury, Stechford, Northampton, dragged by …
47417 (+86245 dead) 0339 Preston – Crewe via Bolton, Manchester Victoria, Denton, Stockport
47064 1050 Paddington – Reading
50031 1141 Reading – Didcot
47231 1335 Didcot – Paddington
Now for the main business of the day, (and my reason for travelling overnight all the way from the West Highland Line): the 1548 Paddington to Birmingham New Street, diverted from Oxford via Bletchley and Northampton (required track Oxford to Bletchley). Some kind soul had even rustled up some novelty traction too:
31134 + 31102 1548 Paddington – Birmingham New Street via Oxford, Bletchley, Northampton
86243 1855 Birmingham New Street – Stockport via Stoke
DMU Stockport – Stalybridge
45055 2217 Stalybridge – York

Tuesday 25/09/84
An afternoon rat trip on the G&SW:
25236 1545 Glasgow Central – Annan
25035 1800 Annan – Glasgow Central

Wednesday 25/09/85
More G&SW shenanigans:
25191 1545 Glasgow Central – Kilmarnock
DMU Kilmarnock – Barrkead
I doubled back from Kilmarnock and alighted at Barrhead to pick up required 26011 which was allocated to the 1730 Glasgow Central – Carlisle. As was normal whenever I got anywhere near that specific loco, it failed on me – this time before departure from Glasgow Central. It was eventually replaced by (very dud) 27008. I gave up.
DMU Barrhead – Glasgow Central

Sunday 25/09/88 - I took my Polish guests to visit a model railway exhibition.
86434 1535 Crewe – Warrington Bank Quay
86241 1814 Warrington Bank Quay – Crewe

Monday 25/09/89 – a visit to the Harwich office:
86216 1430 Liverpool Street – Colchester
EMU Colchester – Harwich Parkeston Quay
EMU Harwich Parkeston Quay – Manningtree
86237 1753 Manningtree – Liverpool Street

Saturday 25/09/93 – SVR night time services
43193 + 43196 1847 Reading – Worcester Shrub Hill
150 008 Worcester Shrub Hill – Kidderminster
48773 2135 Kidderminster Town – Hampton Loade
7819 2226 Hampton Loade – Kidderminster Town

Sunday 25/09/94 – Last day of services to Dover Western Docks
43176 + 43164 0748 Reading – Paddington
70000 (running as 70014) 0932 Victoria – Dover Western Docks via Crystal Palace, Beckenham, Orpington, Ashford
71001 (running as E5001) 1302 Dover Western Docks – Sandling via Deal, Ashford
This was the only time I ever had a (the) class 71 for haulage. There was no booked stop at Sandling, but (along with some friends) I alighted there during a signal stop, and legged it down the road to the RH&DR:
10 1530 Hythe – Dungeness
10 1705 Dungeness – Hythe
Taxi to Folkestone, for a quick meal, then:
1591 + 1813 Folkestone – Dover Priory
70000 (as 70014) 1945 Dover Western Docks – Victoria via Ashford, Orpington
43027 + 43152 2240 Paddington – Reading
Further info and some rather fine photos of the event can be found here:
http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/d/dover_western_docks/index4.shtml

 

[Falcon1200]

You got off just before the rare bit!

Now for the main business of the day, (and my reason for travelling overnight all the way from the West Highland Line): the 1548 Paddington to Birmingham New Street, diverted from Oxford via Bletchley and Northampton (required track Oxford to Bletchley). Some kind soul had even rustled up some novelty traction too:
31134 + 31102 1548 Paddington – Birmingham New Street via Oxford, Bletchley, Northampton

I did actually travel over the Oxford-Bletchley route on a similar diversion after a Sunday shift, but it must have been pre-1983, for which I no longer have my records. I do recall that it was autumn/winter as the trip was mostly in darkness, and I alighted at and returned from Coventry.