Back in the day...

[Harvester]

Friday 11th December 1981

55016 17:12 Peterborough-Grantham (16:03 Kings Cross-York)

This turned out to be my penultimate Deltic hauled run, the third that month, and with 55016 on each occasion. It was a freezing cold clear evening at Grantham after alighting, and when 55016 pulled away and opened up it could be heard for some time as it headed north towards the Trent Valley and Newark. My last Deltic haulage was three weeks later (31/12/81) behind 55015 on an eventful journey from York to Grantham.

 

[Sultan1056]

Friday 11th December 1981

In retrospect I should have probably taken Deltic 19 all the way to KX but I was unaware at the time of the location of other Deltics. For the past few days the weather had turned bitterly cold and IIRC was the reason why I turned to the warmth of an HST to Leeds.

55013 York-Newcastle (1403 Kings Cross-Newcastle)
55019 Newcastle-Doncaster (2100 Newcastle-Kings Cross)
43086+43097 Doncaster-Leeds (2050 Kings Cross-Leeds)

Saturday 11th December 1982

It was the FA Cup Second Round and York City had drawn Hartlepool away. The result was 1-1, however City went on to win the replay 4-0. A substantial fester was had at Darlington, I believe this may have been spent in a local hostelry!

45105 York-Darlington (1005 Liverpool LS-Newcastle)
E50205 Darlington-Hartlepool (1400 Darlington-Hartlepool)
E50150/50265 Hartlepool-Darlington (1654 Hartlepool-Darlington)
31112+31174 Darlington-York (1920 Aberdeen-Kings Cross)

 

[D1537]

Wednesday 11 December 1985
47480 1E62 Nuneaton-Harwich PQ
47480 1H22 Harwich PQ-Peterborough
43098+43113 1E16 Peterborough-King's Cross
87022 1G44 Euston-Coventry

Friday 11 December 1987
47626 1M88 Coventry-Wolverhampton
47590 1V55 Wolverhampton-B'ham NS (vice HST)
47434 1O05 B'ham NS-Reading
47596 1M07 Reading-B'ham NS
47428 1M07 B'ham NS-Wolverhampton
47553 1O09 Wolverhampton-Oxford
47549 1M40 Oxford-Coventry

Sunday 11 December 1988
86250 1J32 Coventry-B'ham NS
47539 1H41 B'ham NS-Crewe (via Duddeston and Bescot)
47470 1V54 Crewe-Bristol TM
47454 1M04 Bristol TM-B'ham NS
317333 B'ham NS-Coventry

 

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 12th December 1981

Today and especially during the night the temperature was exceedingly cold. The steam heating on the overnight services didn’t seem to be very effective. Normally on an overnight train, if I was in a compartment, I would roll up my jacket for a pillow and layout. Tonight I had to keep my jacket on and cover myself in newspapers to retain some heat After arriving at Doncaster with 31270 I would have made a connection onto the 2025 Edinburgh-KX. This wasn’t a Deltic so I waited for the next service which turned out to be 40084. I decided that I would take this to London as it should arrive in time for me to cover the 0550 KX-Aberdeen. I remember it being an uncomfortably cold journey, made worse by its delayed arrival into Kings Cross. I missed the 0550 with Deltic 17 and so headed off to Waterloo in search of a warm train. If I had waited another twenty minutes at Doncaster I would’ve been rewarded with Deltic 13 which had re-engined the 1925 Aberdeen-KX at Newcastle. On the other hand it did turn out to be my last Class 40 into “The Cross”. After defrosting on my journey to Salisbury I returned to KX and my pursuit of some more Deltic haulage. I had No 16 to York and then back to Peterborough where I waited for the first northbound overnight service. A pair of 31s was unusual and an indication that Finsbury Park were struggling for motive power, so I took them to Doncaster. Some may argue that their performance could be judged as disappointingly underpowered but tonight I could not dispute that the performance of their steam heating capability was woeful! I have never been so cold on a train and rather than taking the train to York, I went in search of some warmth from the station buffet at Doncaster.

31270 Leeds-Doncaster (0050 Leeds-Doncaster)
40084 Doncaster-Kings Cross (2230 Edinburgh-Kings Cross)
50041 Waterloo-Salisbury (0910 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
50033 Salisbury-Waterloo (0940 Exeter St D-Waterloo)
55016 Kings Cross-York (1403 Kings Cross-York)
55016 York-Peterborough (1814 York-Kings Cross)
31113+31251 Peterborough-Doncaster (2000 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)

 

[LMS 4F]

They did plenty of drags in the 80s around Crewe etc The_Train, but some of their most celebrated runs were between Birmingham New Street and Reading/Paddington in the early Virgin days substituting for unreliable 47/8s.
Our very own @Saltleyman drove a couple...
Here’s 58044 near Rowington in 1998 taken by Peter Tandy:
View attachment 70505

Apparently they could show quite a decent top speed...

I saw 58009 in Leeds on a Cross Country one afternoon in 1990. No idea what is what was standing in for as I was going the other way to Bradford.

 

[AJM580]

12/12/1981

55002 Norwich - York (BR Special)
55002 York - Norwich (BR Special)

As per Sultan1056s post - saw 55016 while at York, together with 55007 which was on Transpennine duties I believe.

 

[D1537]

Saturday 12 December 1987
I'm pretty sure a Heart of England Rover was valid to Cardiff. Wasn't it?
47468 1M09 Coventry-Crewe
47598 1V05 Crewe-Cardiff
47441 1M86 Cardiff-Shrewsbury
47644 1A63 Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton
47473 1V87 Wolverhampton-Reading
47596 1M40 Reading-Coventry

 

[Donny Dave]

Saturday 12 December 1987
I'm pretty sure a Heart of England Rover was valid to Cardiff. Wasn't it?

I've heard rumours of the Coast and Peaks rover being valid there.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Coast and Peaks was valid everywhere!

 

[Harpo]

Coast and Peaks was valid everywhere!

Good old three week rovers.

 

[Sultan1056]

Sunday 13th December 1981

Having endured a freezing train on my previous journey I was very pleased and relieved to find Deltic 9’s boiler turning out some decent heat on my journey into London. It was then a pleasure to escape the bitter cold when I travelled north on a warm air conditioned train with Deltic 13. With less than three weeks of Deltic operations left I decided that I would return to Kings Cross with No 13. I could then return to York on the 2000 KX-Aberdeen. This would enable me to get home just after 2330, meaning I could have a decent nights sleep before going to work on Monday morning. All seemed to be going well on my journey south, however shortly after Grantham snow began to fall. I wasn’t too concerned about this because I had about a one hour connection at Kings Cross. Just before Hitchin the train came to a stand, the snow was now falling heavily and I presumed there must have been a points failure. After about an hour the train was able to move, although it seemed to crawl on its journey into London. On the way I noticed the 2000 Aberdeen and 2015 Edinburgh pass me, I was now going to be quite late home. My eventual arrival into KX was some two hours late! I hoped the next departure the 2240 Edinburgh would be a Deltic, but it wasn’t; that would have got me home around 0230. In for a penny in for a pound I decided I may as well wait for 0005, that should still get me home for about 0430.

55009 Doncaster-Kings Cross (2045 Edinburgh-Kings Cross)
55013 Kings Cross-York (1005 Kings Cross-York)
55013 York-Kings Cross (1550 York-Kings Cross)

 

[D1537]

Sunday 13 December 1981
I can't find much of my books from late 1981, but I know for a fact this was the day that I had my last Deltic in BR service. I persuaded my Dad to drive us to Doncaster and we had 55013 to York and back, along with Sultan1056. On the way home our car broke down and my Dad had to walk for a mile down the road to find a working phone box...

Friday 13 December 1985
47416 1O19 Coventry-Oxford
47492 1E22 Oxford-B'ham NS
47521 1O23 B'ham NS-Coventry

 

[Magdalia]

All seemed to be going well on my journey south, however shortly after Grantham snow began to fall. I wasn’t too concerned about this because I had about a one hour connection at Kings Cross. Just before Hitchin the train came to a stand, the snow was now falling heavily and I presumed there must have been a points failure. After about an hour the train was able to move, although it seemed to crawl on its journey into London.

I was visiting my parents in Cambridge on 13 December 1981, and intending to get back to London on one of 1820 Cambridge-Liverpool Street or 1820 Kings Lynn-Liverpool Street. The snow started at about dusk, after a bitterly cold day, and accumulated very quickly. By about 1730 the local roads were too unsafe to go out and radio travel news (the only source of information in those days) was reporting both rail routes south from Cambridge, and the M11, all blocked by snow. It was one of the heaviest snowfalls in Cambridge in my living memory.

Next morning, 14 December 1981, there were no buses in Cambridge, so I walked about 3 miles in the snow to get to Cambridge station, arriving there a bit after 1000. The Liverpool Street line had reopened, but with late running, and I travelled up on 1044 Cambridge-Liverpool Street, having let a crowded 0935 Kings Lynn-Liverpool Street go. We departed 20 late and arrived Liverpool Street 35 late, having been diverted via Southbury. My notes say that we only passed one down Cambridge line train going the other way. The Royston line had only just been cleared, with the 1109 shuttle being the first train of the day. The snow clearing had been done with 31253, the only time I ever saw a class 31 with mini snow ploughs actually ploughing snow.

 

[Sultan1056]

Friday 14th December 1979

55016 York-Kings Cross (1956 York-Kings Cross)

Monday 14th December 1981

I was hoping to return to York with Deltic 13, but unfortunately it worked the 2355 KX-Edinburgh sleeper. I never had it for haulage again after it failed in service three days later. I was left with 31161 to tackle the snow. The journey towards Doncaster was slow and the train lost two hours. That would still get me home by 0630 and time to get to work. I was still fairly confident of achieving this as the train approached York. The train however ground to a halt at Chaloners Whin Junction where it waited nearly another two hours before it was able to restart. I knew that I would not be able to get into work and was beginning to wish that I hadn’t started out on my journey to London the previous afternoon. I thought to myself that I should’ve taken Deltic 10 on the 1540 to Liverpool and the 2115 return to York, getting me home before midnight. How wrong could I be? As my train waited for a platform at Holgate Junction, Deltic 10 pulled up alongside also waiting for a platform, a mere 9 hours late! My train finally pulled into York at 0837; just over four hours late! All services at York seemed to be in disarray, the 2315 KX-Aberdeen was still waiting to leave for the north with Deltic 7 having just re-engined the train. I dread to think what time it finally arrived into Aberdeen. Deltic 10 returned to Liverpool on the 0850 service. I went home to spend the next few hours in bed.

31161 Kings Cross-York (0005 Kings Cross-Newcastle)

 

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 15th December 1979

50013 stalled on Hemerdon Bank and required assistance from 47289. Fortunately 50024 was on hand at Newton Abbot to replace both locomotives. I then had five “desperate” new haulages each totalling less than one mile.

50018 Paddington-Exeter St D (0002 Paddington-Penzance)
50018+50034 Exeter St D-Plymouth (0002 Paddington-Penzance)
50013 Plymouth-Newton Abbot (0600 Plymouth-Paddington)
47289 Hemerdon Bank (Milepost 240.25)-Newton Abbot (0600 Plymouth-Paddington)
50024 Newton Abbot-Exeter St D (0600 Plymouth-Paddington)
46025 Exeter St D-Dawlish (0802 Bristol TM-Plymouth)
50028 Dawlish-Exeter St D (0920 Paignton-Paddington)
33008 Exeter St D-Exeter C (1010 Exeter St D-Waterloo)
33031 Exeter C-Exeter St D (0630 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
50004 Exeter St D-Newton Abbot (0830 Paddington-Plymouth)
50021 Newton Abbot-Exeter St D (1115 Plymouth-Manchester Pic)
33063 Exeter St D-Exeter C (1358 Exeter St D-Brighton)
50023 Exeter St D-Totnes (0920 Liverpool LS-Plymouth)
47475 Totnes-Exeter St D (1515 Plymouth-Manchester Pic)
33028 Exeter C-Exeter St D (1300 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
50029 Exeter St D-Exeter St T (1430 Paddington-Paignton)
47507 Exeter St T-Exeter St D (1630 Paignton-Exeter St D)
50022 Exeter St D-Truro (1530 Paddington-Penzance)
50026 Truro-Paddington via Yeovil Pen Mill (2045 Penzance-Paddington)

Tuesday 15th December 1981

Time was quickly running out for the Deltics and this transpired to be my final run with Deltic 8. I knew that it was unlikely that I could return from Grantham with another Deltic and was proved correct when required 47223 worked the service to Edinburgh.

55008 York-Grantham (2019 York-Kings Cross)
47223 Grantham-York (2015 Kings Cross-Edinburgh)

 

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 16th December 1978

At this stage I was still hunting for new Deltics; unbeknown to me at the time, required No 10 worked the 1020 Newcastle-KX! However, I would only have to wait a few more days before I caught up with it.

55011 York-Doncaster (0820 Newcastle-Kings Cross)
55014 Doncaster-Peterborough (0904 Harrogate-Kings Cross)
55017 Peterborough-York (1055 Kings Cross-Edinburgh)

Sunday 16th December 1979

55014 Kings Cross-York (1005 Kings Cross-York)

 

[D1537]

Tuesday 16 December 1986
Christmas shopping (and no doubt drinking).

47613 1V52 Coventry-Paddington
47428 1M63 Paddington-Coventry

Wednesday 16 December 1987
Scottish and Stratford 47s out on Table 116.

47517 1M88 Coventry-Wolverhampton
43193+43086 1V55 Wolverhampton-B'ham NS
47466 1O05 B'ham NS-Reading
47572 1M07 Reading-Wolverhampton
47517 1O09 Wolverhampton-Oxford
47590 1M40 Oxford-Coventry

 

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 17th December 1977

47417 York-Kings Cross (0700 York-Kings Cross)
EMU London Bridge-Hither Green
EMU Hither Green-Waterloo East
43008+43009 Paddington-Swansea (1200 Paddington-Swansea)
43008+43009 Swansea-Cardiff C (1600 Swansea-Paddington)
45002 Cardiff C-Sheffield (1745 Cardiff C-Leeds)
DMU Sheffield-York (2202 Sheffield-York)

Monday 17th December 1979

55015 York-Newark (1811 York-Kings Cross)
55017 Newark-York (1805 Kings Cross-York)

 

[D1537]

Thursday 17 December 1987

Shortage of AC electrics at the time meant that the occasional diesel ended up getting sent to Euston. On this occasion "Deltic 23" did the honours.

310074 Coventry-B'ham NS
47525 1A31 B'ham NS-London Euston
47525 1F33 London Euston-Stafford
47637 1V87 Stafford-Reading
47466 1M40 Reading-Coventry

 

[CW2]

Thursday 17 December 1987

On this occasion "Deltic 23" did the honours.

I had forgotten that nickname for 47525. You've just brought a smile to my face!

 

[Sultan1056]

Thursday 17 December 1987

On this occasion "Deltic 23" did the honours.

I think it earned its reputation after several very swift runs were recorded along the ECML.

 

[Sultan1056]

Tuesday 18th December 1979

55016 York-Newark (1811 York-Kings Cross)
55022 Newark-York (1805 Kings Cross-York)

Thursday 18th December 1980

55005 York-Newark (1810 York-Kings Cross)
55011 Newark-York (1805 Kings Cross-York)

 

[D1537]

I think it earned its reputation after several very swift runs were recorded along the ECML.

Yes, and I believe one was printed in one of the serious railway journals of the time. There was a rumour that York had meddled with it in some way but I am sure that was almost certainly just an urban myth. A lot of drivers were quite happy to push a 47 in good nick on the ECML especially if they were given one instead of a Deltic. Another run that was published in the 70s (with 47547 if I remember) featured sustained 105-110mph running.

Edit: Google says not 47547 but 47529 - Modern Railways 1976

 

[D1537]

Saturday 19 December 1987
47553 1M88 Coventry-Manchester Picc
47440 1V07 Manchester Picc-Crewe
47599 1O08 Crewe-Banbury
47549 1M23 Banbury-Stafford
47483 1V99 Stafford-Coventry

 

[Sultan1056]

Friday 19th December 1980

I turned up at York at the beginning of my weekend travels finding Deltic 12 at the head of the 1955 to KX. However rather than travel south I was distracted by Deltic 17 on an Edinburgh relief train. I must have known that there were four Deltics in Scotland waiting to travel south but I didn’t know which trains they were allocated to. It was a risky strategy travelling to Edinburgh because I would miss the 2045 and 2225 departures. This would leave me with four more departures, two of which were no good to me because they were sleepers only. Around Berwick the 2045 service to KX passed me, with a Deltic (No 16). On the approach to Edinburgh the 2225 service to KX passed me, with a Deltic (No 4). I was quickly running out of Deltics! As my train emerged from the tunnels at Edinburgh I saw a third Deltic (No 8) on the 1925 Aberdeen-KX. There were only a few minutes before its departure but I just managed to catch it. The fourth Deltic (No 21) left on the final train of the night with the 2115 Aberdeen-KX, sleeper only service.

55017 York-Edinburgh (1642 Kings Cross-Edinburgh) Relief
55008 Edinburgh-Doncaster (1925 Aberdeen-Kings Cross)

Saturday 19th December 1981

I had originally come out on the Friday evening but there were no Deltics out so I had to wait until Saturday morning before I got my first Deltic haulage of the weekend. In fact there wasn’t a great deal of Deltic action today other than two railtours operated by No 2 and 9. The only other Deltics out were No 8 which worked an Edinburgh-Aberdeen-Edinburgh service and Deltic 10 which worked a Newcastle-Liverpool service to York. I decided to spend my overnight with a return trip to Crewe.

55016 York-Kings Cross (0807 York-Kings Cross)
55016 Kings Cross-Peterborough (1603 Kings Cross-York)
55017 Peterborough-Kings Cross (0900 Aberdeen-Kings Cross) Relief
86252 Euston-Crewe (2015 Euston-Manchester Pic) Relief

 

[Kirkoswald]

I recall that 1Fxx headcodes on the ECML were used for inter-regional additionals, so I guess it would have been a relief train, e.g. 18xx Edinburgh - Kings Cross (or maybe terminating somewhere short).47 701 20 00 Edinburgh-Glasgow QS HL via Falkirk High (Consist: SC9710/11009/12051/12023/12018/12026 Load 6 AB/EH)
303 009/038 Glasgow QS LL-Hyndland (20 22 Airdrie-Helensburgh Central)

My notes tell me that we passed 37 036 at Berwick at about 19 10 hauling 1F52. Has anyone any idea what that may have been?Better late than never.37036 was noted as a Hull - Edinburgh adex and presumably you passed the return at Berwick. You mention 1F52 as the headode but it was also recorded as 1F32 and I don't know which of the two is correct.

 

[D6130]

Better late than never. 37036 was nored as a Hull - Edinburgh.


Better late than never.

37036 was noted as a Hull - Edinburgh adex and presumably you passed the return at Berwick. You mention 1F52 as the headode but it was also recorded as 1F32 and I don't know which of the two is correct.

Many thanks. That's very interesting.

 

[Kirkoswald]

Saturday 28 July 1973
126 TO 1M88 0625 Plymouth - Liverpool Lime Street (Plymouth to Bristol TM)
1732 BR 1A40 Bristol Temple Meads - London Paddington (Bristol TM to London Paddington)
1*487 EMU London Waterloo to Bank and return
D1048 1B19 1735 London Paddington - Penzance (London Paddington to Plymouth)

Saturday 28 July 1979 ALR continued from previous post
40069 YK 1M17 0120 Stranraer Harbour - Blackpool North (Stranraer Harbour to Carlisle)
25068 ED 0840 Carlisle - Glasgow Central (Carlisle to Annan)
47535 BS 0705 Glasgow Central - London Euston (Annan to Carlisle)
40196 TE 0753 Manchester Victoria - Glasgow Central (Carlisle to Glasgow Central via Kilmarnock)
26019 IS top + 47221 IM tail 1310 Glasgow Queen Street - Inverness (Glasgow QS to Cowlairs North Junction) <Eastfield running out of locos>
47221 1310 Glasgow Queen Street - Inverness (Cowlairs North Junction to Stirling)
26032 IS 1338 Dundee - Glasgow Queen Street (Stirling to Larbert)
27024 ED 1244 1310 Glasgow Queen Street - Dundee (Larbert to Stirling)
40016 KD 1335 Glasgow Queen Street - Aberdeen (Stirling to Perth)
37129 ML 1444 Glasgow Queen Street - Dundee (Perth to Dundee)
40159 HA 1749 Aberdeen - Glasgow Queen Street (Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street)
27204 HA top + 27211 HA tail 2200 Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh (Glasgow Queen Street - Edinburgh)
26010 HA + 26034 IS 1C97 2345 Edinburgh - Carstairs (Edinburgh to Carstairs)

Tuesday 28 July 1981 Cumbrian Coast Express (timetabled steam service)
1*4EPB 0556 Strawberry Hill - London Waterloo (Twickenham to London Waterloo)
86215 WN 0735 London Euston - Glasgow Central (London Euston to Preston)
85017 CE 0940 Crewe - Sellafield CCE (Preston to Carnforth)
LMS 5407 (98507) 0940 Crewe - Sellafield CCE (Carnforth to Ravenglass via the Barrow avoider)
return trip on 15" gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway outward with 10 Northern Rock returning with 3 River Irt
LMS 5407 (98507) 1540 Sellafield - Crewe CCE (Ravenglass to Carnforth via the Barrow avoider) the Black 5 ran tender first deputising for a failed 30850 Lord Nelson
85017 CE 1540 Sellafield - Crewe CCE (Carnforth to Preston)
81012 GW 1315 Stranraer Harbour - London Euston (Preston to London Euston)
1*2EPB + 1*4EPB EMU 2242 London Waterloo - Windsor and Eton Riverside (London Waterloo to Twickenham)

On 28/07/79 there appears to be an afternoon timewarp after 26032.

Assuming your moves are correctly sequenced I think 27024 was 14.44 ex Queen Street, 40016 15.35 ex Queen Street and 37129 16.54 ex Queen Street.

Apologies if I'm wrong but I think that makes sense?

 

[whitrope]

Day 7:

47475 Carstairs - Carlisle 1V62
47475 Carlisle - Carstairs 1S25
47531 Carstairs - Glasgow C. 1S39
47531 Glasgow C. - Dumfries 1M35
47546 Dumfries - Carlisle 1O21

A bit of an anticlimax, but it was now time to head home - via a replacement bus service to Brampton. Knackered, rather unfresh and in need of a decent meal, but an excellent week.

I hope people enjoy reading this journey into the past. If so, a few more may follow....

Some great moves there Sir. Happy days.

 

[QJ]

Friday 19 December 1980
After a late shift this day in 1980 found me heading for some track bashing in Northern Ireland
(but a slight detour first)
55018 FP 1N12 0002 London Kings Cross - Newcastle (London Kings Cross to Newcastle)
55005 YK 1S08 0705 Newcastle - Edinburgh (Newcastle to Edinburgh)
47273 HA 1N21 0945 Edinburgh - Inverness (Edinburgh - Perth)
27012 ED 2T25 1139 Dundee - Glasgow Queen Street (Perth to Larbert)
1*101(3) DMU 1219 Edinburgh - Dunblane (Larbert to Stirling)
27038 ED + 26032 IS 2T31 1339 Dundee - Glasgow Queen Street (Stirling to Glasgow Queen Street)
40070 GD 2L53 1654 Glasgow Queen Street - Dundee (Glasgow Queen Street to Dundee)
40086 HM 1T50 1750 Aberdeen - Glasgow Queen Street (Dundee to Glasgow Queen Street)
1*126 DMU 2200 Glasgow Central - Stranraer Harbour (Glasgow Central - Stranraer Harbour)

for the 0300 Sealink ferry sailing from Stranraer to Larne