Barrowjack’s Retro Trip Reports – The Golden Early Years

[barrowjack]

Having recently found most of my old haulage books / scraps of paper notes from the mid 80’s to early 90’s, the days when I could go down to the local station and take a loco hauled service out of town (oh hang on, I can still do that for about the next 18 months or so thanks to the 37’s, well as far as Preston anyway, but that’s it now. No 87’s, 47’s even 85’s and it was with their demise that I lost interest in spending all day on the trains.

Who would have thought that after making its first entry into my haulage book back in 1990, 37422 would make another appearance working a service train some27 years later in 2017 working on a scheduled service train?

Anyway, I thought I would try and put together a trip report using my old books so here is my first offering for Saturday 17th June 1989. Being a summer Saturday, this meant there would be various ‘Holidaymaker’ services to various holiday resorts (nothing like we have now!). So as was normal for me back then, I would head off to Birmingham New Street to see if I could pick up some rare traction (Nothing like the internet in those days so you just took your chance on what turned up!) and a destination notice or two.

Anyway my moves list for the day read (It was normal then for me not to record any unit numbers):

156425 Barrow In Furness to Preston
(A rarity in that I took a unit for this part of the journey!)
90003 Preston to Stafford
85014 Stafford to Wolverhampton
47714 Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street
43005 / 43138 Birmingham New Street to Cheltenham
43146 / 43136 Cheltenham to Birmingham New Street
43165 / 43023 Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
86212 Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street
47552 Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International
47407 Birmingham International to Birmingham New Street
47520 Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International
50034 Birmingham International to Birmingham New Street
86419 Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton
86415 Wolverhampton to Preston
142xxx Preston to Barrow in Furness

Anyway hope this is of interest, if it is I will post some more, (I have already spotted a North-West Loco Hauled special day in 1992 featuring 60095). I am currently entering all my old records into my haulage spreadsheet which given the volume (and I don’t think I have found everything yet!) so this may take some time!

 

[Cowley]

Totally my era Barrowjack. Please do share more if you can.
Interesting that you had an 85 that day as they were getting a bit thin on the ground by then. Also 47714, was that before the 47/7s were allocated to the Waterloo - Exeter route?
Generator 47407 was a nice catch too in its last full year.

 

[barrowjack]

Totally my era Barrowjack. Please do share more if you can.
Interesting that you had an 85 that day as they were getting a bit thin on the ground by then. Also 47714, was that before the 47/7s were allocated to the Waterloo - Exeter route?
Generator 47407 was a nice catch too in its last full year.

Will do! 47714 was working a Wolverhampton to London Paddington service that day so must have been London based by then. Not many 85's in my book around that time, but guessing that as it was a summer Saturday, at that time it was a case of anything goes for the 'Holidaymaker services'

Anyway, moving on a bit, the next one is from October 1990, unfortunately any of these reports won't be much more than a 'moves list' due to the time now elapsed!

Network North West Day 20th October 1990

In the early 90’s ‘Network North West’ as it was then referred too, occasionally staged some locomotive hauled running days, many trains hauled by freight locomotives. Everything by now being ‘sectorised’. Anyway, Saturday 20th October 1989 was one of these days,

37422 Barrow in Furness to Chorley
26025 / 31434 Chorley to Lancaster
56035 / 31413 Lancaster to Manchester Victoria
155xxx Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe
37691 / 37408 Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street
31132 Liverpool Lime Street to Preston
142xxx Preston to Barrow in Furness

Not a great deal of moves, obviously on that day I went for quality rather than quantity! Interestingly, as mentioned in my last post 37422 made its next appearance in my haulage book on 13th April 2017 on the Cumbrian Coast, 26 and a half years later, and still on a service train! Crazy!


Now just need to find my haulage log containing 47222.... (I think it's in one of my books that is still 'missing in action')

 

[Techniquest]

Wow the difference in the railway scene has become painfully clear now! One can imagine the thrash that could be enjoyed back then, and makes the idea of sitting on a DMU painful to think about. How any of us find the enthusiasm these days is a struggle sometimes!

 

[Cowley]

Wow the difference in the railway scene has become painfully clear now! One can imagine the thrash that could be enjoyed back then, and makes the idea of sitting on a DMU painful to think about. How any of us find the enthusiasm these days is a struggle sometimes!

It certainly has changed. That period (late 80s/early 90s) was excellent really, all kinds of trains were still loco hauled.

 

[Cowley]

Will do! 47714 was working a Wolverhampton to London Paddington service that day so must have been London based by then. Not many 85's in my book around that time, but guessing that as it was a summer Saturday, at that time it was a case of anything goes for the 'Holidaymaker services'

Anyway, moving on a bit, the next one is from October 1990, unfortunately any of these reports won't be much more than a 'moves list' due to the time now elapsed!

Network North West Day 20th October 1990

In the early 90’s ‘Network North West’ as it was then referred too, occasionally staged some locomotive hauled running days, many trains hauled by freight locomotives. Everything by now being ‘sectorised’. Anyway, Saturday 20th October 1989 was one of these days,

37422 Barrow in Furness to Chorley
26025 / 31434 Chorley to Lancaster
56035 / 31413 Lancaster to Manchester Victoria
155xxx Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe
37691 / 37408 Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street
31132 Liverpool Lime Street to Preston
142xxx Preston to Barrow in Furness

Not a great deal of moves, obviously on that day I went for quality rather than quantity! Interestingly, as mentioned in my last post 37422 made its next appearance in my haulage book on 13th April 2017 on the Cumbrian Coast, 26 and a half years later, and still on a service train! Crazy!


Now just need to find my haulage log containing 47222.... (I think it's in one of my books that is still 'missing in action')

That's still some haul though. Never had a 26 (although I tried to get one), or a 56 on the mainline. I did once have 31132 through Preston though strangely enough.
You're right about 47714. Here's a photo of it taken at Exeter in 1989 on the back of my 1990 platform 5 book! I actually remember it now as it was a winner for me when it came down (47705 was the other new arrival to NSE).
That old book is 27 years old now, I certainly got my £1.50s worth out of it.
Back then I used to doodle on the pictures when I was bored. I seem to have tried to turn 89001 into a diesel and 87006 has gained an all over biro blue colour scheme.
Keep em coming.

 

[47403]

Wow! Some good moves there Jack, a great insight, the likes of 26025, 56035 and 37691 jump right out the page there, not your average loco's playing out there, that day, especially 26025, Chorley to Lancaster. The compass on the McRat must've went cuckoo. Doesn't matter where you went in the country a GD loco would always turn up, normally covered in an inch thick coat of grey and brown muck. The gennies, used to send bashers scattering, I remember seeing 47405 Northumbria at Temple Meads, we were like jesus, what's this doing here? it was usually a staple on the trans penine turns but half the cranks on the platform, seemingly disappeared on it.

Oh summer Saturdays, were amazing, by he end of April, we'd be counting the days down for the summer timetable to kick in, as well as trying our damndest to get Cal the timetable suppliments at Central Station, to find out, if the Scarborough, Yarmouth, Paignton, Eastbourne and Newquay turns would be running again.

First ever big trip to Crewe overnight, we seemed stumble on 81's and 85's, as young kids, we were hoping to get the more illustrious namers, that resided within the 86's and 87's, the adults we were with, told us, these are rarer, get em while you can, very wise words, think I only ever had one more 81 after, getting 2 that night. As my mates got older, we'd do the leccy bashing between Carlisle and Lancaster, usually the one return done the whole day. We would jump on any going that way, bailing at Penrith and Oxlenholme. 85s were regarded then amongst us, as a must do.

Whatever happened to the 31/4s on the Manchester Vic-Barrow?

Look forward to the rest of this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fishquinn]

Hellfire. How I would've loved to be out on the railways back then...

 

[87electric]

Yes please post more move reports as my nostalgia days kick in reading them, especially remembering my Class 85 moves.

 

[55013]

Network North West Day 20th October 1990


37422 Barrow in Furness to Chorley
26025 / 31434 Chorley to Lancaster
56035 / 31413 Lancaster to Manchester Victoria
155xxx Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe
37691 / 37408 Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street
31132 Liverpool Lime Street to Preston
142xxx Preston to Barrow in Furness

Brilliant stuff.
My mates and I were also out on the above day.
It looks like we were on the same train once or twice.

Our moves were:
47450 Leeds - Manchester Picc
26025/31434 Manchester Vic - Bolton
37422 Bolton - Manchester Vic
20140/20057/31461 Manchester Vic - Bolton
56035/31413 Bolton - Manchester Vic
56035 Manchester Vic - Liverpool
90012 Liverpool - Runcorn
37691/37408 Runcorn - Liverpool
31132 Liverpool - Preston
31132 Preston - Liverpool
Something plastic home

 

[barrowjack]

Wow the difference in the railway scene has become painfully clear now! One can imagine the thrash that could be enjoyed back then, and makes the idea of sitting on a DMU painful to think about. How any of us find the enthusiasm these days is a struggle sometimes!

It is so different now and ‘sprinterisation’ is the reason I just lost interest to be honest. I bought a Zone1-4 the other Saturday was out just after 7 but by half 9 had lost interest in red lining Units, the sun was out so I eventually got the tube up to Canons Park to watch Ladies football at the Hive. Didn’t even bother with a trip report for it in the end.

Hellfire. How I would've loved to be out on the railways back then...

It was so much better then FQ, make the most of your trams and cats whilst you can!

That's still some haul though. Never had a 26 (although I tried to get one), or a 56 on the mainline. I did once have 31132 through Preston though strangely enough.

Also had 26038 dragging a failed 108 unit from Barrow on the Cumbrian coast on 22nd June 1991, I only took it 6 miles to Askam but it just HAD to be done!

Anyway he is my next humble offering, 25th April 1992 another Network North-West day, obviously I went for quantity this time, though couldn’t refuse pair of choppers and a 60!

37418 Barrow in Furness to Preston
47816 Preston to Bolton
37706 Bolton to Lancaster
43068 / 43165 Lancaster to Preston
31134 Preston to Chorley
20059 / 20168 Chorley to Lancaster
37706 Lancaster to Chorley
60095 Chorley to Lancaster
87026 Lancaster to Preston
150245 Preston to Chorley
37298 / 37891 Chorley to Kirkham and Wesham
47520 Kirkham and Wesham to Preston
1420xx Preston to Barrow in Furness

 

[Techniquest]

Fair enough if you weren't enjoying the red penning on your recent London bash, I'm not sure I'd have found ladies football more interesting though To be fair I'm not a football or, in general, a sports enthusiast.

Some monster 37s involved there, and that ride on 150245 in the middle of those moves looks a little out of place!

As for the enthusiasm waning, sorry to go back to that topic, there is always a chance it'll happen to me or others in the future. Very unlikely for me, admittedly, but I know it happened to others that used to frequent here and were active on the railway.

 

[47403]

Another cracking haul there. Couldn't agree more tech, some MASSIVE 37s there, 37418s not a bad one for the book, nevermind following it up with 37298, 706 and 891. 20059 & 20168 must be been welded together. Seen a pic of them lately on a summer Saturday working in Newcastle from Scarborough in 1985, which unfortunately I missed.

Don't blame you for piling on 26038 neither, 6 miles or not, it's in the book. There was more than a few cranks who used to get the 1S15 17.18 loco hauled Newcastle-Edinburgh stopper and bail at Manors because their bus passes covered it.

 

[Cowley]

Another cracking haul there. Couldn't agree more tech, some MASSIVE 37s there, 37418s not a bad one for the book, nevermind following it up with 37298, 706 and 891. 20059 & 20168 must be been welded together. Seen a pic of them lately on a summer Saturday working in Newcastle from Scarborough in 1985, which unfortunately I missed.

Don't blame you for piling on 26038 neither, 6 miles or not, it's in the book. There was more than a few cranks who used to get the 1S15 17.18 loco hauled Newcastle-Edinburgh stopper and bail at Manors because their bus passes covered it.

Totally agree with the above comments. I must admit that since being on here my interest in the modern railway has risen a bit.
Those North West looked awesome, could you imagine something like that now?

 

[47403]

Totally agree with the above comments. I must admit that since being on here my interest in the modern railway has risen a bit.
Those North West looked awesome, could you imagine something like that now?

I think if it wasn't for these Safety cases, it would be relatively easy to do. Theres various amounts of mainline ready classic traction and more than enough spare coaching stock to do it.

I know it'll never happen but why could't Northen(I picked them because it's in my patch but it could quite easily be GWR) have a multi traction day on different turns, once a year, best day probably a Sunday, where you have to buy the rover in advance, then move onto a different TOC..I think the TOCs would rake the money in.

Unfortunately health n safety have gone nuts these days.

Went off on a tangent there. Keep em coming Barrowjack. Great reads indeed.

 

[Cowley]

I think if it wasn't for these Safety cases, it would be relatively easy to do. Theres various amounts of mainline ready classic traction and more than enough spare coaching stock to do it.

I know it'll never happen but why could't Northen(I picked them because it's in my patch but it could quite easily be GWR) have a multi traction day on different turns, once a year, best day probably a Sunday, where you have to buy the rover in advance, then move onto a different TOC..I think the TOCs would rake the money in.

Unfortunately health n safety have gone nuts these days.

Went off on a tangent there. Keep em coming Barrowjack. Great reads indeed.

Yes definitely. What would be the diesel equivalent of the German Plandamf?
Planclag!?

 

[barrowjack]

Some monster 37s involved there, and that ride on 150245 in the middle of those moves looks a little out of place!
As for the enthusiasm waning, sorry to go back to that topic, there is always a chance it'll happen to me or others in the future. Very unlikely for me, admittedly, but I know it happened to others that used to frequent here and were active on the railway.

150245 does look out of place but was worth it as a fill in move especially to pick up some extra mileage with a pair of ‘tractors’. I no record all my moves and will continue to do so, though it is extremely unlikely i will ever just spend all day travelling on units. My main priorities are to clear the Northern 156’s (5 left) and the 390’s (6 left). When I am in London then can see a number of short moves being done either early morning or if its wet. Other than that will see – next planned trip is the East Lancs Diesel Gala for some proper action!

Anyway, for something different, I have found some photographs to accompany this trip report. Firstly I apologise for the quality, but they are photographs of photographs.

At this time, on a Summer Saturday there was a 37/4 hauled through train, from Blackpool North to Holyhead (d 10.15) and I used this service on several occasions. It was a great way to get between Wigan and Warrington on a Northwest Day Ranger as this ticket wasn’t valid on west coast mainline services but was on this service.

The emphasis today was on quality, though the only down side was having to do a 150 from Manchester back to Barrow! So in summary,

1564xx Barrow In Furness to Preston
37418 Preston to Prestatyn
37408 Prestatyn to Crewe
87021 Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay
31465 Warrington Bank Quay to Chester
37429 Chester to Manchester Oxford Road
150xxx Manchester Oxford Road to Preston
150xxx Preston to Barrow In Furness

So in the photographs are 2 of 37418 at Prestatyn, and 37408 arriving at the same location

 

[55013]

A nice move there, made all the nicer by a run behind 37429

 

[Techniquest]

37408 was a monster when I had it, I should imagine it was even better back in the day!

 

[barrowjack]

June 2000 – Belgium

After exchanging a few post with Techniquest about travel in Belgium, it reminded me of my first experience of the country back in June 2000. That year the European football championships were held there and in Holland. As the internet was still in its infancy, buying tickets back then was much easier, no ballots or luck of the draw back then just a straight buy now.

Anyway along with my brother and his mate, we decided that seeing they were close to home that we would go over to see a game. Having spent ages planning when and where we would stay, my brother was entrusted to buy the match tickets (we didn’t know who we would see at that time). However, one simple job - he somehow managed to get confused and bought tickets for the wrong city on the wrong date!!! So we were now going to see the game in Bruges on 21st June. Having sacked my brother as holiday planner, it fell to me to book the rest of the trip as his mate worked away.

As we had to go via London to meet up, we took the Sunday afternoon service from Barrow, changing at Lancaster for an early evening arrival into Euston. (Apologies for this period my record keeping was erratic, and if I have recorded them this is one of the two volumes I haven’t found again as yet so there is no detail)

Now one of the constraints for the trip was to keep it cheap. So after meeting up at Victoria Coach Station on the Monday morning, we took the National Express to Dover Seaport before catching the 14:00 catamaran over to Ostend which was to be base camp for the trip in a hotel that was being renovated so we got a cheap deal.

Tuesday brought my first SNCB action as we decided to go to Bruges sightseeing, so Class 27, 2721 took us on the short trip from Ostend to Bruges, before returning later in the day with 1603.

Wednesday saw a repeat of the previous day, this time we had Class 13 no 1328 doing the honours. Today was match day and the game we saw was Spain v Yugoslavia. After a brilliant match, that saw Spain win 4-3, scoring twice in added time at the end. Back at the station we decided to take the first train back to base, this being AM96 EMU (These have interesting front ends!) No 442.

We sat with 2 Spanish fans, crying as they had gone out of the tournament. It turned out they hadn’t stayed until the end so after we managed to convince them Spain had won they were crying because they had missed the end! A valuable lesson was learnt here. Never leave a game until the final whistle!!

It was soon time to head home again, so Thursday morning saw us boarding themed morning catamaran back to Dover. This turned out to be one of my worst travel experiences EVER! Winds of Force 8 were sending waves over the top of the boat, the sea was extremely rough and the boat going all over. So much so that when we docked in Dover, feeling more than a little green, the return sailing had been cancelled due to the bad weather conditions!

From Dover it was back to London courtesy of National Express for the train back north and home.

Observations, Belgian Railways were cheap certainly back them, think a Bruges to Ostend return was about 6 Euros and clean.

Overall the cost of the trip was cheap. From London it was about 50 Euros each from London for travel plus B & B plus for me and my bro, a return to London. The same as a ticket for the match cost!!!

Sorry not much railway activity on this one, though now I do want to go back again!

 

[Techniquest]

Oh I did enjoy that read, it must be said. I'm trying to think what they even look like, but SNCB's 1603 doesn't sound even remotely familiar. The 21 I am jealous of as they are rather beasty. Quite, here's my video of 2102 leaving Midi in March 2013. Be warned, it does get a bit loud so if you're using earphones be careful. The wind distorts the sound for the first couple of seconds too, but be prepared to flail :

https://youtu.be/P2pRf1u_4gw

(Sorry but I can't figure out the embedding option)

All of a sudden I really, REALLY, want to go to Belgium again!

I don't know if you've had the chance to pop into Luxembourg, but the CFL 3000s are rather rateable. Mind you, I do like the SNCB 18s as well, I've just played one of my own videos of 1893 and I forgot how thrashy they are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juhh-Yfn3qU

Must. Resist. Temptation. To. Book. Eurostar...

 

[barrowjack]

Having now read rg177's Belgium report I REALLY want to go back!

I think there are some pics of a Class 16 on wiki, unfortunately I cant find my pics that far back at the moment.

Unfortunately I haven't been into Luxembourg, all my Belgium stuff has been on the western side of the country but thinking one of those BENELUX interrail tickets might be an idea.....

 

[Techniquest]

Having now read rg177's Belgium report I REALLY want to go back!

I think there are some pics of a Class 16 on wiki, unfortunately I cant find my pics that far back at the moment.

Unfortunately I haven't been into Luxembourg, all my Belgium stuff has been on the western side of the country but thinking one of those BENELUX interrail tickets might be an idea.....

I nearly went for one of those, but couldn't quite make the numbers work, instead of the forthcoming Spa Valley diesel gala next month. If the flights had been more reasonable (would have been if I hadn't had to take a case with me) it would have happened!

Due to go back to Benelux next year on a bit of a touristy holiday next year, but I'm certainly thinking about using my week off to go there...

 

[barrowjack]

The Cumbrian Coastliner – 31st July 1993.

​

The day started with a 156 (I didn’t record unit numbers back then) taking me round the bay to Preston, my boarding point for Hertfordshire Railtour’s “The Cumbrian Coastliner” rail tour. The line has very restricted clearances on the Northern section, but following works to allow 156’’s to traverse the line it also become possible for hauled stock to be allowed along the full coast route, with the rate of Inter-City liveried Mark 1’s all fitted with window bars, and so this was the first rail tour to pass over these metals.

At Preston, 37358 and 37381 (Disappointingly not required as 12 months previously I had spent a day riding behind it on the Liverpool to Blackpool circuit) were awaiting 86258’s arrival with the Charter (It having originated at Euston), before backing onto a rake of Inter-City Mark 1’s. Leaving Preston, we were soon heading up the West Coast Main Line, before taking the Furness line at Carnforth and straight back to where I had come from! That is until we approached Dalton unction, where instead of heading via Barrow, we took the avoiding line to Park South junction (about ¾ mile) and onto the Cumbrian Coast and eventually a short break at Aspatria.


From Aspatria rather than reverse at Carlisle, we took the avoider, Currock Junction – Bog Junction – Perteril Bridge Junction and down the S&C. Due to problems with a bridge between Hellifield and Blackburn, the tour was diverted, so instead of returning to Preston, it was off to Stockport for an extended onward journey home continuing from Hellified towards Leeds, via Skipton, Leeds Engine Shed Junction, Normanton, Healey Mills, Diggle, Stockport.
On arrival at Stockport

From Stockport s a 158 to Manchester to change onto another through to Preston for the obligatory 156 back to Barrow after a good but long day out covering some rare local lines, and almost 300 miles of tractor thrash! Twenty five years on and who would have thought I would be able to go down to the local station and take a 37 on a service trains on the coast as I did last Friday, with Mary doing the honours




To finish a massive long shot (no make that virtually impossible shot!) I know but having now put all my old information (except for the one annoying haulage book that is still AWOL) onto a spreadsheet, I wondered if anyone of my era could possibly help me fill a couple of annoying blanks? I am looking for numbers of the loco / units that worked the following services:

13/12/1988, the number of the 47 that worked the approx 17:00 Leeds to Lancaster

05/02/1989 the numbers of the units that worked the approx 14:00 Folkestone Harbour to London Victoria Boat Train

Any help gratefully appreciated

Many Thanks

 

[AJM580]

Some great memories there; 47222 was out in Anglia during 1992, seem to remember having it down to Yarmouth once or twice.

 

[Techniquest]

Another enjoyable read, sadly I have no idea on the gen you require.

 

[Cowley]

Just caught up with this.
Can’t help with the numbers but enjoyed the nostalgia very much.

 

[55013]

I have only one word to say.
That word is Hellfire

 

[barrowjack]

Massive long shot I know, but having spent some time entering my old haulage logs onto an excel workbook (well those that I have managed to locate!) I have found a few really annoying gaps, mainly due to poor recording on my part at the time. Therefore I wondered if anyone of my era could possibly help me fill any of these? I am looking for numbers of the loco / units that worked the following services:

28/07/1981 Barrow to Euston sleeper. Looking for both the diesel from Barrow in Furness and the electric into Euston

15/06/1985 09:26 Stafford to Taunton Both the electric to Birmingham and the Diesel to Taunton

22/06/1985 10:55 Taunton to Paddington – Both HST power cars

30/10/1987 47xxx on the 19:45? Preston to Barrow in Furness

13/12/1988 47xxx on the approx. 17:00 Leeds to Lancaster

05/02/1989 Any unit on the afternoon Folkestone Harbour to Victoria boat train.

Any help on these is greatly appreciated. Many Thanks

 

[barrowjack]

Been a long time since I have had anything to post in this thread, but having received a photo scanner for Christmas that may well soon change.

To start with here is a couple, the first from October 1986 with a GWR tank approaching Kingswear (I can't quite make out the number and have lost my haulage book for this period so if anyone can ID this I would be most grateful)



The second one is from Sunday 5th February 1989 and shows Class 411/5 1511 tailing the afternoon boat train to London Victoria which apart from reversing just outside Folkestone ran non-stop to the capital.