LNER A4s in service.

[Harvester]

This thread has brought to mind something I very much regret losing....or rather not finding! In 1960 my father kept a log of the locos he saw hauling the premier ER trains in 1960 whilst at work at different stations between Huntingdon and Biggleswade. The most complete log was for the Elizabethan, it was almost exclusively hauled by the regular A4s 60027 Merlin and 60032 Gannet with 60025 Falcon and 60029 Woodcock stepping in occasionally. (I'm sure your book will confirm this @Harvester) A4s also dominated the Talisman and The Flying Scotsman, although A3s and A1s were not uncommon.
They also had exclusive use on the '266 down' and were regular performers on the Anglo-Scottish car train...whereas they were never to be seen on the 'Yorkshire Pullman', almost entirlrly entrusted to the A1s.
When my father died, I collected all his railway books and notebooks going back to the early 1930s, although I searched high and low there was no sign at all of the logs that he kept from 1961 until the end of steam on the GN main line. He expanded his notes to include all steam hauled trains that he was able to see during working hours, during this period mostly at St. Neot's, this was of course of great interest to me as I was often somewhere nearby with one of my older brothers,by the time that I could get out on my own steam had almost disappeared. I can recall leafing through the lists and noticing the increasing use of ex-LMS locos on coal/freight/parcels trains during the last year.....but the evidence is gone!

Yes during the summer of 1960, the regular A4s (run totals bracketed) were Haymarket’s 60027(76) and Top Shed’s 60032(68). Top Shed also used 60025(21) and 60029(15) as you mentioned, while Haymarket also used 60012 and 60024, each doing one up run only. (60024 Kingfisher returned north on ”266”). Interestingly 34A covered both up and down workings, with it’s A4s 60025 and 60032, for nine days between August 11th-19th.

The run totals (in brackets) for each loco, includes the untitled weekend workings, which had a Newcastle stop inserted and extended timings.

 

[Albaman]

In various books and magazines I've looked at over the years, whilst there are numerous photos of King's Cross and Haymarket allocated A4s, I am struggling to recall seeing photos of the Gateshead allocated locos. Obviously, there will be photos of these locos, but I have always been curious as to which trains the Gateshead A4s were rostered and , possibly, why their photos are so rare.

 

[hexagon789]

In various books and magazines I've looked at over the years, whilst there are numerous photos of King's Cross and Haymarket allocated A4s, I am struggling to recall seeing photos of the Gateshead allocated locos. Obviously, there will be photos of these locos, but I have always been curious as to which trains the Gateshead A4s were rostered and , possibly, why their photos are so rare.

I'd imagine similar to which services Gateshead rostered Deltics for - mostly the Newcastle/King's Cross business and semi-fasts, which likely not being deemed as prestigious as the named expresses feature less perhaps?

Or the perceived poorer state of Gateshead-allocated locos?

Certainly with Deltics, photos of the Newcastle trains are less common than the named ones in my opinion.

Given film was more expensive in real terms as well I think you might expect people, to on having to choose, to select a cleaner loco on something like the Elizabethan or the Scotsman.

That's how I see it anyway, I'm probably completely wrong!

 

[70014IronDuke]

In various books and magazines I've looked at over the years, whilst there are numerous photos of King's Cross and Haymarket allocated A4s, I am struggling to recall seeing photos of the Gateshead allocated locos. Obviously, there will be photos of these locos, but I have always been curious as to which trains the Gateshead A4s were rostered and , possibly, why their photos are so rare.

That's actually a very good question, because for sure they were, IMX, almost as rare darn sarf as the Haymarket ones. Same for Gateshead A1s and A3s for that matter. If you went out to see the up Elizabethan, at least you could be fairly sure of seeing a Haymarket A4 - but Gateshead pacifics were pretty darned hard to find.

One of the few I remember - mainly because it was surely the last A4 I saw at the London end in normal service, and the last I copped - was 60001.

I think this must have been a pleasant day in 1964, probably April or May. I was at Sandy, on the road bridge to the north of the station. It was around 17.00 and about to leave, when (I forget the order) the up main was pulled off, the down main was pulled off, and the Bedford branch too was pulled off (quite an unusual occurrence). Well, I couldn't leave then, of course. First past was the Bedford branch train - which comprised a train loco - I forget what it was, possibly a B1 or K3, and two GER 0-6-0s (J17s or J15s) going west, presumably all for scrap, though I've no idea where to.

This cavalcade had barely gone by when an A4 appeared on the down main - a mighty rare occurence by this time - and it was 60001 hurrying north - presumably deputising for a failed Deltic on the 16.00 ex KX Talisman (although I didn't realise this at the time). And as this train was still passing under the bridge, the up express hurtled past too. I missed that, of course, as I was still looking to the south. I think it was a Class 40, BICBW.

It was a very active 30 -60 seconds of action.

 

[hexagon789]

Did they not also do more loco swaps back then?

Grantham featured in the post-war Flying Scotsman for a few years and a loco-swap was performed there.

Is it not possible that a Gateshead A4 may have simply done something like Newcastle to Doncaster or Grantham and then been swapped for a fresh loco and itself returning north to Newcastle on the next service?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Did they not also do more loco swaps back then?

Grantham featured in the post-war Flying Scotsman for a few years and a loco-swap was performed there.

Is it not possible that a Gateshead A4 may have simply done something like Newcastle to Doncaster or Grantham and then been swapped for a fresh loco and itself returning north to Newcastle on the next service?

Yes, they did. I think most trains swapped locos at Grantham from 1958 or so. But still, you'd imagine some would 'get through' the 'net' as it were.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes, they did. I think most trains swapped locos at Grantham from 1958 or so.

Thank you for confirming my understanding was correct.

In that case:

But still, you'd imagine some would 'get through' the 'net' as it were.

While I agree you would still expect to see some Gateshead locos get 'through the net', it would at least partly explain why they were less common further south.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Thank you for confirming my understanding was correct.

I am not sure about Leeds - KX trains. Copley Hill A1s were quite common at the London end, so I assume they worked through. And we got York locos, including A2s sometimes. Even some Neville Hill A3s now and then, certainly they seemed no rarer than Gateshead A4s (or any pacific) - but Neville Hill (I presume) had no loco diagrams for ECML south, so you would not expect them.

Of course, there were super, super rare locos, like Carlisle Canal/St Margarets A3s, and the Scottish-shedded A2s. Might as well hope for a Merchant Navy as those!

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Slightly off topic in both era and geography, but relatively high speed running was a feature of the A4s swanson years working Glasgow to Aberdeen expresses with loads of typically 7 coaches. 'Memories of Steam from Glasgow to Aberdeen' by Michael S Welch includes two logs in which southbound 60004 is recorded as 83mph north of Stanley junction, and 60024 northbound with load 6 concluding a run of 11 miles continuously above 80mph with a max. of 85mph. Line speed was i believe 70mph at that time but it is not inconceivable that on occasion 90mph may have been achieved and indeed the author claims to have timed 60031 Golden Plover at over 90mph in 1967 although unfortunately no log of that run is published in the book. The book also references two instances where a speed of 88mph was achieved by a Jubilee and a Princess Royal on this route.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

That's actually a very good question, because for sure they were, IMX, almost as rare darn sarf as the Haymarket ones. Same for Gateshead A1s and A3s for that matter. If you went out to see the up Elizabethan, at least you could be fairly sure of seeing a Haymarket A4 - but Gateshead pacifics were pretty darned hard to find.

One of the few I remember - mainly because it was surely the last A4 I saw at the London end in normal service, and the last I copped - was 60001.

I think this must have been a pleasant day in 1964, probably April or May. I was at Sandy, on the road bridge to the north of the station. It was around 17.00 and about to leave, when (I forget the order) the up main was pulled off, the down main was pulled off, and the Bedford branch too was pulled off (quite an unusual occurrence). Well, I couldn't leave then, of course. First past was the Bedford branch train - which comprised a train loco - I forget what it was, possibly a B1 or K3, and two GER 0-6-0s (J17s or J15s) going west, presumably all for scrap, though I've no idea where to.

This cavalcade had barely gone by when an A4 appeared on the down main - a mighty rare occurence by this time - and it was 60001 hurrying north - presumably deputising for a failed Deltic on the 16.00 ex KX Talisman (although I didn't realise this at the time). And as this train was still passing under the bridge, the up express hurtled past too. I missed that, of course, as I was still looking to the south. I think it was a Class 40, BICBW.

It was a very active 30 -60 seconds of action.

That really would have been rare for 1964...an A4, K3/B1, and J17/15 at Sandy! I wonder how the A4 got to Kings X.

 

[Magdalia]

In various books and magazines I've looked at over the years, whilst there are numerous photos of King's Cross and Haymarket allocated A4s, I am struggling to recall seeing photos of the Gateshead allocated locos. Obviously, there will be photos of these locos, but I have always been curious as to which trains the Gateshead A4s were rostered and , possibly, why their photos are so rare.

Steam is before my time, but I have a big interest in the period of transition from steam to diesel, so it is useful that I know a bit about steam operation.

Looking at BR Database, Gateshead (52A) appears to have 8 class A4s, so how many daily diagrams would they have?

And looking at the photo databases, I agree that there are not many of the 52A locos, but a working that crops up a few times is the up Flying Scotsman.

I also see from BR Database that Haymarket (64B) only had 7 locos, so presumably not many diagrams other than the Elizabethan?

Yes during the summer of 1960, the regular A4s (run totals bracketed) were Haymarket’s 60027(76) and Top Shed’s 60032(68). Top Shed also used 60025(21) and 60029(15) as you mentioned, while Haymarket also used 60012 and 60024, each doing one up run only. (60024 Kingfisher returned north on ”266”). Interestingly 34A covered both up and down workings, with it’s A4s 60025 and 60032, for nine days between August 11th-19th.

I know that the last years of steam haulage on the Elizabethan are well documented, but I've never looked at the details. Did 64B locos go up Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and south Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with Top Shed (34A) vice versa? Or was it more complicated?

And what is train 266 please?

 

[70014IronDuke]

That really would have been rare for 1964...an A4, K3/B1, and J17/15 at Sandy! I wonder how the A4 got to Kings X.

I know. Unfortunately, I've lost my logbooks for that time, so it's difficult to be sure of the date. But for sure, the appearance of an A4 on a scheduled main line train was almost unheared of by then - at least outside some peak holiday period. This is what makes me think it was 1964, because in 63, while it was already unusual, it was not so noteworthy.

OTOH, there is the appearance of the scrap train. I don't want to push the point about the train loco - it might also have been a GER 0-6-0, I really can't remember that. But in truth, even at the time I wondered where these had come from. Cambridge had long been cleared of its dumped locos, so I assumed March, but even in 63 (if I've got the date wrong), I doubt there were any GER locos still in store (apart from the one with the B12, set for preservation). And if it was from March, where were they going? You'd have thought anything going west would have taken the Peterboro - Leicester route.

So there were, within 60 seconds or less, two mysteries. I can only assume that the A4 had already worked to KX as a substitute for a diesel failure (possibliy on a parcels working) and while there, had been requisitioned for a second failure - because surely the ops department would have put on a Cl 40 or 46 if they had nothing better for the Talisman earlier in the afternoon.

I wrote to Mr Knox up in Gateshead some years ago about this 60001 sighting to see if he had it on his books - but at the time he said it was unknown to him.

The only other clue I can proffer is this probably occured on a Wednesday, as that was when I was most likely to be at Sandy spotting. But even that can't be certain.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

And what is train 266 please?

it was a fast fitted freight hauled by an A4..there is some discussion in this old thread prompted by an old photo I posted:

Scotch Goods

An occasional habit of mine is to peruse an old photograph taken by my father,in this case not so old (well, around 1960/61, I think). I had always assumed it was taken at St. Neot's showing an A4 at the head of the afternoon 'Scotch Goods', a name unofficially given to a fully fitted freight...

www.railforums.co.uk

I know. Unfortunately, I've lost my logbooks for that time, so it's difficult to be sure of the date. But for sure, the appearance of an A4 on a scheduled main line train was almost unheared of by then - at least outside some peak holiday period. This is what makes me think it was 1964, because in 63, while it was already unusual, it was not so noteworthy.

OTOH, there is the appearance of the scrap train. I don't want to push the point about the train loco - it might also have been a GER 0-6-0, I really can't remember that. But in truth, even at the time I wondered where these had come from. Cambridge had long been cleared of its dumped locos, so I assumed March, but even in 63 (if I've got the date wrong), I doubt there were any GER locos still in store (apart from the one with the B12, set for preservation). And if it was from March, where were they going? You'd have thought anything going west would have taken the Peterboro - Leicester route.

So there were, within 60 seconds or less, two mysteries. I can only assume that the A4 had already worked to KX as a substitute for a diesel failure (possibliy on a parcels working) and while there, had been requisitioned for a second failure - because surely the ops department would have put on a Cl 40 or 46 if they had nothing better for the Talisman earlier in the afternoon.

I wrote to Mr Knox up in Gateshead some years ago about this 60001 sighting to see if he had it on his books - but at the time he said it was unknown to him.

The only other clue I can proffer is this probably occured on a Wednesday, as that was when I was most likely to be at Sandy spotting. But even that can't be certain.

isn't it wonderful trying to recall incidents from well over 50 years ago!
Now if only I had recovered my father's old notebooks......

 

[Spamcan81]

That really would have been rare for 1964...an A4, K3/B1, and J17/15 at Sandy! I wonder how the A4 got to Kings X.

Would have been something of a miracle to see a K3 at Sandy in 1964. They were withdrawn from regular service at the end of ‘62 but three were kept as stationary boilers until ‘65. The OP almost certainly saw a B1. The A4 could have been 60009 on rail tour duty as she worked the SLS Jubilee Requiem tour in the autumn of ‘64.

The special had been given approval to run at 110mph down Stoke Bank, but with two inspectors on the footplate Bill had no option but to to ease off when told, after 112mph was reached.

If there had been no inspectors on board, well anything could have happened. He had the speed and boiler pressure to keep on accelerating after reaching 112 mph, and seven or eight more miles before a required brake application for the Essendine curve. We shall never know.

We’ll have to disagree about the maximum permissible speed that day. Just been reading the 1959 Railway World article of the run and it said there that 100 was the max agreed for the run. Either way, Bill blew it right out of the water.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Would have been something of a miracle to see a K3 at Sandy in 1964. They were withdrawn from regular service at the end of ‘62 but three were kept as stationary boilers until ‘65. The OP almost certainly saw a B1. The A4 could have been 60009 on rail tour duty as she worked the SLS Jubilee Requiem tour in the autumn of ‘64.

No. The A4 that day was 60001. I didn't mistake or misremember that! I saw the SLS special too, in the evening on the up return. At Sandy.

I wonder if the GER 0-6-0s had come from Ipswich or maybe Lowestoft? Not only was the Leicester line open in 63-4, but they could also have gone west via Wellingborough. It's possible they were going to Cransley (Kettering) I suppose, which might, just, have been easier to diagram via Bedford St Johns and then across to the Midland.

 

[Spamcan81]

Mention of the Scotch Goods reminds of when Bill Hoole was in charge of it. He was running behind the down Talisman and such was the vigour of his driving, he caught up with the express he was following. IIRC some wagons had to be removed from the train with smoking axle bearings. I don’t thing management was best please.

 

[Magdalia]

I think this must have been a pleasant day in 1964, probably April or May. I was at Sandy, on the road bridge to the north of the station. It was around 17.00 and about to leave, when (I forget the order) the up main was pulled off, the down main was pulled off, and the Bedford branch too was pulled off (quite an unusual occurrence). Well, I couldn't leave then, of course. First past was the Bedford branch train - which comprised a train loco - I forget what it was, possibly a B1 or K3, and two GER 0-6-0s (J17s or J15s) going west, presumably all for scrap, though I've no idea where to.

Steam was almost completely eliminated from East Anglia in September 1962, and that's when the last J15s and J17s (and J20s) were withdrawn. Cambridge shed had closed a bit earlier, in June 1962.

March retained a steam allocation until November 1963, but only B1s, O1s and Britannias, mainly used on trains going north and west from March, and steam between March and Cambridge was rare after September 1962. But, according to Shedbash, J17s 65541/82 and J20s 64691/99 were still at March in July 1963, and I've not been able to trace when they departed or where they went.

Steam continued to reach Cambridge from the Bletchley direction until the turntable was removed in July 1964, so steam at Sandy, and J17s or J20s going for scrap on a steam hauled freight, in spring 1964 is plausible. But the train loco would be based at Bletchley, probably a Black 5 or a Standard 5.

 

[Harvester]

We’ll have to disagree about the maximum permissible speed that day. Just been reading the 1959 Railway World article of the run and it said there that 100 was the max agreed for the run. Either way, Bill blew it right out of the water.

My source was “Bill Hoole Engineman Extraordinary“ - (P.W.B Semmens). The Civil Engineer had agreed to allow 110mph (max) down Stoke Bank, and two Inspectors (Alan Pegler and Bert Dixon) were on the footplate with Bill, his fireman Alf Hancox and Cyril Palmer (Motive Power Officer). The Inspectors intervened when speed was about 110mph. If the max limit had been set at just 100mph, they would have intervened at that point, and 112mph would have not been reached.

One of the few I remember - mainly because it was surely the last A4 I saw at the London end in normal service, and the last I copped - was 60001.

I think this must have been a pleasant day in 1964, probably April or May. I was at Sandy, on the road bridge to the north of the station. It was around 17.00

60001 was not used much in 1964. It failed on Easter Monday (30 March) on an up sleeper near Morpeth, and then spent four months out of use at Gateshead, emerging on 14 July for test runs. Withdrawal was on 12/10/64.

Source: Railway Observer and Modern Railways.

I know that the last years of steam haulage on the Elizabethan are well documented, but I've never looked at the details. Did 64B locos go up Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and south Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with Top Shed (34A) vice versa? Or was it more complicated?

The non-stop Elizabethan ran Mondays to Fridays only. The Elizabethan sets and locos were also used on Saturdays, with a Newcastle stop inserted and with slower timings. On Sundays the Elizabethan sets were not used, but the locos were, on morning departures from Kings Cross to Edinburgh and vice versa. Hence an A4 could, and often did, run daily for weeks on end between the two Capitals. (Haymarket’s A4 60027 Merlin hauled the train on 46 consecutive days in 1960).

 

[70014IronDuke]

60001 was not used much in 1964. It failed on Easter Monday (30 March) on an up sleeper near Morpeth, and then spent four months out of use at Gateshead, emerging on 14 July for test runs. Withdrawal was on 12/10/64.

Source: Railway Observer and Modern Railways.

Hmmmm. Well, if those dates are correct, I could not have seen it in April or May 64 at Sandy. I really don't believe it was after July 14th. So this must have happened before 30 March 64 (but March is usually a cold month, I can't remember feeling cold) or even 1963. Very frustrating!

Steam was almost completely eliminated from East Anglia in September 1962, and that's when the last J15s and J17s (and J20s) were withdrawn. Cambridge shed had closed a bit earlier, in June 1962.

March retained a steam allocation until November 1963, but only B1s, O1s and Britannias, mainly used on trains going north and west from March, and steam between March and Cambridge was rare after September 1962. But, according to Shedbash, J17s 65541/82 and J20s 64691/99 were still at March in July 1963, and I've not been able to trace when they departed or where they went.

Steam continued to reach Cambridge from the Bletchley direction until the turntable was removed in July 1964, so steam at Sandy, and J17s or J20s going for scrap on a steam hauled freight, in spring 1964 is plausible. But the train loco would be based at Bletchley, probably a Black 5 or a Standard 5.

It might have been a Bletchley loco at the head. I can't remember that bit. And it could easily have been 3 x GER 0-6-0s. I can't find my 1962 Combined volume now. But even if some of those locos are underlined, it might be because I saw them at March or possibly Cambridge earlier in their working lives. I'd forgotten about J20s. Yes, they could have been some of the locos involved.

 

[Harvester]

Looking at BR Database, Gateshead (52A) appears to have 8 class A4s, so how many daily diagrams would they have?

And looking at the photo databases, I agree that there are not many of the 52A locos, but a working that crops up a few times is the up Flying Scotsman.

A Gateshead A4 was diagramed for the up ‘Flying Scotsman’ between Newcastle and Grantham, for a few years in the fifties, when most through engine workings between London and Newcastle had been abandoned. When the ‘Scotsman’ regained it’s non-stop status to and from Newcastle in 1956, Kings Cross A4s took over the workings.

Some Gateshead A4 diagrams (mid-fifties):

12:30pm Newcastle-Grantham (Flying Scotsman)
7:44pm Grantham-Newcastle (5:35pm ex-Kings Cross)

4:35pm Newcastle-Grantham (Heart of Midlothian)
1:14am Grantham-Newcastle (10:45pm ex-Kings Cross)

2:34am Newcastle-Peterborough (9:35pm ex-Glasgow)
11:40am Peterborough-Newcastle (10:05am ex-Kings Cross)

Around this time there was serious consideration about swapping five Gateshead A4s, for Haymarket’s five A1s but nothing came of it.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

A Gateshead A4 was diagramed for the up ‘Flying Scotsman’ between Newcastle and Grantham, for a few years in the fifties, when most through engine workings between London and Newcastle had been abandoned. When the ‘Scotsman’ regained it’s non-stop status to and from Newcastle in 1956, Kings Cross A4s took over the workings.

From Dad's 1960 recordings of the 'Flying Scotsman' as previously mentioned,only 5 out of 209 sightings were Gateshead A4s (south of Grantham/Peterborough)...they were 60001 (twice) 60002,20/23 (once).

 

[Albaman]

Thanks to Harvester and Arglwydd Golau for the replies re the Gateshead A4s- very interesting.

 

[randyrippley]

What was the logic in restricting specific locos to specific sheds / areas?
To me it would have seemed more logical to have kept the A4 fleet as common-user, or at least rotating them around the sheds to even out wear and mileage, and to keep them all on the same centrally co-ordinated maintenance schedule.
Same applies to the other long distance passenger fleets as well

 

[Spamcan81]

What was the logic in restricting specific locos to specific sheds / areas?
To me it would have seemed more logical to have kept the A4 fleet as common-user, or at least rotating them around the sheds to even out wear and mileage, and to keep them all on the same centrally co-ordinated maintenance schedule.
Same applies to the other long distance passenger fleets as well

ECML Management found that allocating an A4 to a dedicated crew/pair of crews resulted in better work out of the locos as the crews took care of them. Not sure if this applied to all top link sheds but certainly Kings Cross and Haymarket were involved.

 

[beardedbrit]

A Gateshead A4 was diagramed for the up ‘Flying Scotsman’ between Newcastle and Grantham, for a few years in the fifties, when most through engine workings between London and Newcastle had been abandoned. When the ‘Scotsman’ regained it’s non-stop status to and from Newcastle in 1956, Kings Cross A4s took over the workings.

Curious as to why there were few through engine workings between London and Newcastle. Crew scheduling (you could presumably do a Newcastle-Grantham round trip in a single shift) or something else ?

 

[Harvester]

Curious as to why there were few through engine workings between London and Newcastle. Crew scheduling (you could presumably do a Newcastle-Grantham round trip in a single shift) or something else ?

Failures in service was a continuing problem in the early fifties with increased maintenance and repair costs. Thus the engines were re-diagrammed for shorter journeys, enabling a loco to return to it’s home shed at the end of the diagrams. Only four through workings survived during that period, the up and down Tees Tyne Pullman worked by Kings Cross engines and men, and the up and down Night Scotsman worked by Gateshead engines and men.

 

[D6968]

ECML Management found that allocating an A4 to a dedicated crew/pair of crews resulted in better work out of the locos as the crews took care of them. Not sure if this applied to all top link sheds but certainly Kings Cross and Haymarket were involved.

Didn’t Richard Hardy find something similar with his crews on the Great Eastern?
Regular Crew + Regular Loco = A crew that knows it’s machines particular foilbles and can take a bit of pride in the job.
Also means if your name is one William Hoole nobody else can drive it like you’ve stole it!

 

[Spamcan81]

Slightly off topic in both era and geography, but relatively high speed running was a feature of the A4s swanson years working Glasgow to Aberdeen expresses with loads of typically 7 coaches. 'Memories of Steam from Glasgow to Aberdeen' by Michael S Welch includes two logs in which southbound 60004 is recorded as 83mph north of Stanley junction, and 60024 northbound with load 6 concluding a run of 11 miles continuously above 80mph with a max. of 85mph. Line speed was i believe 70mph at that time but it is not inconceivable that on occasion 90mph may have been achieved and indeed the author claims to have timed 60031 Golden Plover at over 90mph in 1967 although unfortunately no log of that run is published in the book. The book also references two instances where a speed of 88mph was achieved by a Jubilee and a Princess Royal on this route.

He'd have a job as she was withdrawn in 1965. Pretty sure steam on the Glasgow - Aberdeen runs ended at the end of the '65 summer timetable.

Didn’t Richard Hardy find something similar with his crews on the Great Eastern?
Regular Crew + Regular Loco = A crew that knows it’s machines particular foilbles and can take a bit of pride in the job.
Also means if your name is one William Hoole nobody else can drive it like you’ve stole it!

You could well be right.

 

[Harvester]

He'd have a job as she was withdrawn in 1965. Pretty sure steam on the Glasgow - Aberdeen runs ended at the end of the '65 summer timetable.

Last day was officially Saturday 3rd September 1966, when only 60019 and 60024 were still in service. However Kingfisher did a couple more runs later that month, according to the Railway Observer.

 

[Taunton]

In older times on the ECML the loco segments were Kings Cross-Grantham-York-Newcastle-Edinburgh. Each was (very roughly) 100 miles, and a 200 mile round trip for a steam loco crew, especially an express fireman, was a substantial day's work. Likewise Kings Cross-Grantham-Leeds. Mallard itself was long a Grantham loco.

I believe the union agreement was something like 120 miles was a good day's work, and beyond this was paid a bonus of something like an hour's extra pay for every 15 miles beyond the 120. Someone will have the numbers. So not only was it hard work, but could cause rivalry at the shed with others, whether in the top link or not, who didn't get such jobs. Most crews, especially on freight, were lucky to even get 120 miles in a shift.

Newcastle to Grantham and back is 165 miles each way, 330 miles round trip in a single day, way beyond what the Flying Scotsman nonstop crews used to do, which was about 200 miles each in a day. On those figures above you can see how the crew would be not only exceptionally paid, but also exceptionally fatigued at the end.