Back in the day...

[xotGD]

Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!

Part 1: This is Slough

In 1989 I had the 'privilege' of spending a few months in Slough. Every cloud has a silver lining, and in this case the lining took the form of Class 50s. Here are a few shots of Hoovers in and around the station.

First up, 50023 approaches from Paddington on the evening of 21st April. Howe was withdrawn the following year and survived until 2004 before it was scrapped.



The following day, and 50040 pauses in the station. While one basher is making full use of a droplight, you might wonder why others are still on the platform. Leviathan was also withdrawn in 1990, and lingered on until being cut up in 2008.



This is what they were waiting for - a few minutes later, and in rolled 50046. Ajax (not named after a Dutch football team) survived another 3 years in traffic, but didn't last long after that.



In this second view of 046, the father and son seen in the phot of 040 are at the front droplight, enjoying the thrash.



So being in Slough wasn't so bad after all!

 

[xotGD]

Part 2: Sunday Outings

I took advantage of the opportunity to do regular Sunday trips up to London, getting a 50 each way with a few hours faffing about or visiting a couple of drinking establishments before the train back. I took my camera with me a couple of times to capture the action at Paddington.

First up, after 50036 had brought me from Slough, 50039 makes a slightly claggy departure on 5th March 1989. Apologies for the Class 253 unit marring the shot! Implacable only had another 3 month in service, being scrapped a couple of years later.



On the same day, 50034 awaits departure. Furious had over a year left before withdrawal, being scrapped in 1991.



My haulage home that day was 50033. Two weeks later, and 50033 was out again, seen here nearing the end of its journey. Glorious was one of the final 3 Hoovers in service, lasting into 1994. It has had a bit of a mixed time in preservation, but is now operational at the Severn Valley.



I got to enjoy numbers 31 and 35 for haulage that day. I guess Ark Royal was my pet Hoover - I had it 7 times during my time in Slough, and it was the first of the class I ever saw - from my front window when it worked the Doncaster works test train to Newcastle and back!

That's all for now. Stay home, stay safe, and enjoy the good old days!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Hoovers!! Looked good, sounded good, but a bit too easy to get haulage behind to make them as interesting as some other traction. Perhaps took them for granted a bit too much.

"Class 253 unit..." - snigger...

 

[xotGD]

Hoovers!! Looked good, sounded good, but a bit too easy to get haulage behind to make them as interesting as some other traction. Perhaps took them for granted a bit too much.

"Class 253 unit..." - snigger...

They were rare and exotic beasts when I was growing up in the north east. Slightly easier to find when I was in Birmingham and then down south. I never really chased them though, and have only had 29 of them for haulage.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Well yes, I agree they weren't easy to get in the North West either, well not in the early 80s. However, a trip to the South West and they were everywhere.

 

[Far north 37]

Wow some great shots mate.

 

[xotGD]

Wow some great shots mate.

Cheers.

Here is something a bit different from my time in the south east - a 4EPB I took for a bit of yellow-penning to Hayes.

 

[Cowley]

Cheers.

Here is something a bit different from my time in the south east - a 4EPB I took for a bit of yellow-penning to Hayes.

View attachment 77148

Redlamppostland! Good to see the 50 photos, lots of great memories on here.

 

[xotGD]

Redlamppostland! Good to see the 50 photos, lots of great memories on here.

With hindsight I wish I'd spent a few more evenings at the lineside with my camera and had a few more trips to Padd or Reading. Ah well...

 

[47403]

I didn't have too many 50s for haulage, had a fair few of the ones I had out of Waterloo, out to Woking and back. Had a couple out of the Bat Cave to Coventry too.

 

[xotGD]

I didn't have too many 50s for haulage, had a fair few of the ones I had out of Waterloo, out to Woking and back. Had a couple out of the Bat Cave to Coventry too.

I never had one in or out of Waterloo. Only had a 33 and a 73 out of there.

Did you ever see any 50s at Newcastle? As well as 035 I saw 040 and 045 from the comfort of my living room as they passed Bensham.

 

[47403]

Test trains from Donnie back in the day. A few passed school and I saw a few passing Tyne Yard, was never at central for any. Been hearing stories a couple made it into Newcastle on a passenger turns. Never ever seen any myself Seen most classes in the North East, 1, 58 on MGR at Tyne Yard and 2 on Railtour. 33113 on Gat Ex Exhibition train and a 33 in West Coast livery on the back of the Xmas tour to Lincoln with 40145. Never ever thought I'd see a 73 this far North in my lifetime but I've saw every 1 of the Cally ones in the North East.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Back in the day the 33s and the 73s were exclusively Southern-based and they were hard to get as a spotter. Some 33s made it to the Western Region. Then the 33s started doing the Crewe-Cardiff. But, yes the thought of 73s in Scotland would have been bizarre.

 

[xotGD]

Test trains from Donnie back in the day. A few passed school and I saw a few passing Tyne Yard, was never at central for any. Been hearing stories a couple made it into Newcastle on a passenger turns. Never ever seen any myself Seen most classes in the North East, 1, 58 on MGR at Tyne Yard and 2 on Railtour. 33113 on Gat Ex Exhibition train and a 33 in West Coast livery on the back of the Xmas tour to Lincoln with 40145. Never ever thought I'd see a 73 this far North in my lifetime but I've saw every 1 of the Cally ones in the North East.

I remember hanging around at the Central to see 33113 arrive. Friday evening, wasn't it?

Mind, getting a 33 for haulage out of Windermere is way more outrageous..

 

[xotGD]

Back in the day the 33s and the 73s were exclusively Southern-based and they were hard to get as a spotter. Some 33s made it to the Western Region. Then the 33s started doing the Crewe-Cardiff. But, yes the thought of 73s in Scotland would have been bizarre.

When the three 33s went to Scotland that was bizarre enough. But yes, the choice of 73s for the sleepers was a 'you couldn't make it up' story.

 

[NorthWestRover]

When the three 33s went to Scotland that was bizarre enough.

What was this lunacy?

 

[47403]

I remember hanging around at the Central to see 33113 arrive. Friday evening, wasn't it?

Mind, getting a 33 for haulage out of Windermere is way more outrageous..

I think the Gat Ex was in the middle of the week because maybe the next day or a couple of days later, I was stood in the school yard at dinner time, when it went past, heading back South, unless it went back on the Monday but I vividly remember seeing it going past school on an afternoon.

Yeah getting a 33 for haulage on a passenger turn out of Windermere is quite a surreal moment. DRS used to have some 33's, seeing 33s on Kingmoor was more than strange, however I'm sure there was the odd few ended up in Carlisle on Tours before that.

I remember the stir when 26s and 27s turned up at Tyne Yard on the Millerhill freights or the Pipe Train from where I can't remember, that would see 26s turn up at Newcastle Central about 9pm, sometimes the loco was swapped there, then go and be stabled at Gateshead, the more imaginative ones, would hope it ran the next day's 1S15. Normally it buggered off to Tyne Yard and worked back with a freight back to Millerhill or returned via the Tyne Valley with Tyne to Carlisle freight.

Also in the mid 80's, what was it with 20's, they weren't uncommon in the North East but hardly frequent either, well until Thornaby got them for the Boulby turns but certainly North of Darlo, they were largely rare visitors. I recently saw a pic of a pair of 20s in the hole, at Newcastle, that certainly wasn't a normal event, I'd seen a few stabled on Gateshead, I'd assumed they too, like the ones in the hole, had been replaced on the pipe train and dumped there. Around that time, I think I saw more 25s around than 20s. 25s turning up on the Kingmoor To Tyne on an evening, was always anticipated, wasn't a gimme but I saw a few on it, as was the odd 25 dragging dead 101s from Carlisle to Newcastle, that was always a nice treat, to ride behind them on the Tyne Valley, The Central bashing, fraternity dotted at various stations platforms from Hexham to Newcastle to intercept them. How the gen got to be known was always a mystery to me.
SORRY Guy's I went a bit off topic there. My apologies.

 

[MDB1images]

Saw a Class 73 stabled at Carlisle earlier in the week, can only imagine the commotion that would have caused 35 years ago!

 

[xotGD]

What was this lunacy?

Three of them got sent up to work freights in the Aberdeen area - the ones that went to DRS and then on to WCRC. I've no idea why!

 

[xotGD]

25s turning up on the Kingmoor To Tyne on an evening

I used to keep an eye out for that - when it was still light enough to see it! Sometimes it would produce a 26 too.

Mentioning 20s at Newcastle has given me an idea. Watch this space...

 

[xotGD]

Exciting Lunchtime at the Central!

The date is 19th July 1988. After a successful mission to photograph a Class 11 in the morning(!) I popped in to Newcastle to see what might be going on.

The visit proved to be worthwhile, as the lunchtime vans to ???Bristol??? was allocated superior motive power in the shape of 37430:



Things would become dull after that. There was only the Duff on the next Trans-Pennine arrival to see. But hang on a minute - that's not a 47...



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.

Just goes to show - always expect the unexpected!

 

[NorthWestRover]

That's unusual

 

[47403]

Exciting Lunchtime at the Central!

The date is 19th July 1988. After a successful mission to photograph a Class 11 in the morning(!) I popped in to Newcastle to see what might be going on.

The visit proved to be worthwhile, as the lunchtime vans to ???Bristol??? was allocated superior motive power in the shape of 37430:

View attachment 77641

Things would become dull after that. There was only the Duff on the next Trans-Pennine arrival to see. But hang on a minute - that's not a 47...

View attachment 77642

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.

Just goes to show - always expect the unexpected!

Jeez, now that's rare. The 37/4 is rare enough, even more so, one of the Welsh one but Choppers on the Trans Pennine turn, was there any of the locals on board.Never ever heard this story mentioned in the Railway circles either. I love hearing owt like this.
Cheers for sharing.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Back in the day the 33s and the 73s were exclusively Southern-based and they were hard to get as a spotter. Some 33s made it to the Western Region. Then the 33s started doing the Crewe-Cardiff. But, yes the thought of 73s in Scotland would have been bizarre.

73s went to GatEx 1984 and I took advantage. Then in 1987 when the traction motors were being recovered from EMUs double headed 73s on Waterloo to Bournemouth- again I took advantage. 73001-73006 tended to work overnight newspaper trains out of Victoria and even though I took advantage I still needed railtour assistance to get all 73s for haulage. Sight and photograph clearance I found easy. I am ashamed to say I did do some trespass at Stewart’s lane and also on some NCTS trips with permission.

 

[xotGD]

Jeez, now that's rare. The 37/4 is rare enough, even more so, one of the Welsh one but Choppers on the Trans Pennine turn, was there any of the locals on board.Never ever heard this story mentioned in the Railway circles either. I love hearing owt like this.
Cheers for sharing.

I guess some Durham or Darlo cranks might have had the 20s but a few of us at the Central had no gen whatsoever.

 

[xotGD]

73s went to GatEx 1984 and I took advantage. Then in 1987 when the traction motors were being recovered from EMUs double headed 73s on Waterloo to Bournemouth- again I took advantage. 73001-73006 tended to work overnight newspaper trains out of Victoria and even though I took advantage I still needed railtour assistance to get all 73s for haulage. Sight and photograph clearance I found easy. I am ashamed to say I did do some trespass at Stewart’s lane and also on some NCTS trips with permission.

Impressive getting them all in the book. Mentioning Stewart's Lane has given me my next idea for a dip into the albums...

 

[47403]

I guess some Durham or Darlo cranks might have had the 20s but a few of us at the Central had no gen whatsoever.

Any idea if it came all the way from Liverpool or replaced a 47 en route.

 

[47403]

73s went to GatEx 1984 and I took advantage. Then in 1987 when the traction motors were being recovered from EMUs double headed 73s on Waterloo.

My mates n I fell on a pair of 73s at Clapham, we'd barely been there when a pair of ED's pulled in on the platform we were stood at(nowadays the Southern platforms), we quickly jumped aboard n took them to Vic. Always wondered where they came from, they may well have been filling in for an EMU that day too.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I can't actually remember if I've had any 73s for haulage. I have a vague recollection of doing the Gatwicks, but I'm not sure. I certainly haven't had them anywhere else!

Had quite a few 33s on the Crewe to Cardiff, mainly as far as Shrewsbury.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Any idea if it came all the way from Liverpool or replaced a 47 en route.

Surely not from Liverpool. Where were 20s working around that time?