Blindtraveler
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Genuinely shocked you hadnt thought of it!
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Old and new bashing trips by Cowley
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The one I'd thought of was 'I second that emulsion' by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles...
Ash Bridge
Established Member
I've been meaning to write this out for a while just for prosperity.
It's about the last All Line I did in 1994, a time when I was drifting away from bashing trains. In fact I hadn't really done any bashing in the previous couple of years since the ALR that I did in early 1992, mainly due to the fact that I had a van by now and was more into going to gigs and generally being a bit more of a normal. That said I was still volunteering at the Mid Hants quite a bit when I could get up there.
Around 1993/94 there had been a bit of a resurgence in loco hauled trains around the country and I decided that it was too good an opportunity to miss, especially as some of them were featuring on lines that I still needed and I've always tried to cover as many routes as possible on loco hauled trains.
A plan was hatched, but you have to realise that I wasn't quite so committed in the recording of my moves this time. I was being cool, casual, relaxed. I just wanted to hear the noise, look at the scenery and take in the experience for what I knew would be one last hurrah.
So all I actually wrote down was what locos I had - from and to each destination and the dates. This has caused me a lot of work when recently I tried to piece it all together. I even had to start a couple of threads on the forum to fill in some of the gaps and just to add insult to injury a couple of pages of my book have got water damaged so there's going to be a couple of gaps. I have managed to work most of it out though so here goes...
Sunday 5/8/94
Unusual for me to start this on a Sunday but there I was on platform 5 at St David's with rucksack, Walkman and golden ticket as an Intercity Swallow liveried HST rolled in to take me to Paddington. I hopped off this and caught 47846 on a Cross Country service north. Unfortunately we only got as far as Banbury before the driver failed it due to the fire bells going off on the loco, so after an hours wait admiring the semaphores in the sunshine 47832 arrived on the following service to take me onto New Street (via Solihull according to my book).
It was an unrecorded (such is my way) HST up to Llandudno Junction then for a thrash to Manchester Victoria behind 37407 and a quick trip on a (fairly new) tram to Manchester Piccadilly where I caught up with 31410 on a service to Birmingham International (and all this was on a Sunday!). I don't think I had long at International before it was time to take 31455 on another Regional Railways service up to Liverpool Lime Street and my plan to take a unit under the Mersey. This was my first bit of new track for the week and I remember that I had a minus 5 at Chester onto another loco hauled train which amazingly I made and I sat behind 37421 growling through the dark on my way to Crewe in a haze of smug self satisfaction as really I should have been on the following Sprinter but for the creaking British Rail North Wales Coast services...
At Crewe now and pretty late at night I picked up 86101 up to Preston on some service that I can't remember and endured a long sit in the waiting room for the sleepers to Aberdeen and on into day two...
Monday 6/8/94
87017 was doing the honours this night and I assume it went to Edinburgh where it was replaced by two locos that were part of the reason I was doing all this. Gone had the small fleet of 47/6s that had been used the last time I was on these trains, replaced by pairs of ex freight 37s with generator vans. These trains also included Motorail vans and were impressively long at about 15 vehicles. The pair being watched by me as they were attached to the front were 37154 and 37188, absolutely bloody marvellous and both winners.
No sleep was then had to Arbroath as I savoured the noise and I disembarked, watched them storm off and hung around for an early morning Sprinter down to Glasgow Queen Street.
Time for the next new line...
I was getting the early train out to Oban and was surprised to see that it left from Glasgow Queen St Low Level. I thought that only units used that, I went down and sat there nervously hoping that a 156 didn't turn up (I'd have had a rethink if that happened). Soon enough though I heard the unmistakable sound of a class 37 in a confined space - it reminded me of the subterranean lines you see at the beginning of the first Superman film - and the winner 37294 (in 'Dutch' livery) appeared for an excellent run out to Oban and back. The Oban line was new for me and although not as spectacular as Fort William to Mallaig still very nice.
After this I sort of repeated my steps really, 37294 to Queen Street, Sprinter to Dundee, 37154 and 37188 on the Euston bound sleepers which were then replaced by the previous nights 87017, this time though it went via a slightly convoluted route. We were dragged between Crewe and Stafford by 47575 (the only 47/4 of the week) and then went south via the Northampton loop (more new track for me).
Tuesday 7/8/94
This is where it gets a bit tricky, the bottom of the page where the numbers should be has got water damaged so this is what's visible:
Tube across to Paddington and then 47822 to Didcot on I assume a cross country service that would've gone towards Birmingham.
HST Didcot to Swindon and then another HST Swindon to Cardiff before getting a 37/4 from Cardiff to Crewe. Tantalisingly I can almost make out the number but not quite, I remember the journey but just not the loco. A good CSI type forensics expert might be able to restore it with some kind of powder and UV light. Unfortunately I can't though. Anyway this was more new track for me and upon arrival at Crewe I caught another cross country service down to Southampton (almost certainly a 47/8 but again I can't read it, argh).
I can make out the next one though as it was the (by then repaired) 47846 which was taken to Coventry, what I remember about this journey was that a very large and very loud lady was sat with some friends at a table of four in my coach and we had all spent hours listening to her boring stories as her friends talked more and more quietly in that way that people do when they're trying to encourage their companion to lower their volume without actually saying anything. When some guy on a table behind me eventually snapped and told her that nobody else in the carriage could give a damn about her ridiculous self obsessed life and would she kindly shut the hell up? At which point everyone else in the carriage broke into spontaneous applause. It was excellent.
I could still hear the lady saying "Well really!" (slightly more quietly now) to her friends for at least half an hour afterwards.
I jumped off at Coventry (still chuckling) and took 86216 down to Euston to get a good seat on the Aberdeen sleepers again to get myself in place for the next winning line of the week.
It probably goes without saying that I was absolutely knackered by now and I don't remember much of the journey behind 87032 north...
Wednesday 8/8/94
87032 gave way (I'm not sure if at Carstairs or Edinburgh) to the extremely awesome pairing of 37692 and 37693, again both winners and this time I stayed on until Aberdeen.
So far this week had produced pretty much everything I'd wished for and back then it was into the unknown with no mobile phone, internet etc. In fact I remember ringing my mum at one point frantically feeding change into the call box and telling her I was in Preston "Preston?"...
I took what I think was a 158 up to Inverness this morning and hoped that the highlight of my week would come through.
The Kyle line had two booked loco hauled diagrams on weekdays this summer, they had been almost solid 37/0s and this day I was not to be disappointed as I rolled in and looked across to see split box 37087 in 'Dutch' at the head of three coaches. Result.
I sat in the front coach and by Dingwall had the entire coach to myself for the rest of the journey. I even had beer! I opened every single window and sat there looking at the scenery and enjoying the thrash in the beautiful summer sunshine. It's fair to say that this journey remains in the top three of all the journeys that I've ever done in my entire life. It was pure pleasure.
It was to be the other diagramed loco hauled service back and when I got to Kyle I crossed platforms and took 37232 (another one in Dutch) on the green and cream set with the converted 101 driving car tucked behind the loco. This train was longer and much busier and after enjoying the scenery in reverse for a while I flaked out in a satisfied beery haze...
At Inverness I took another unrecorded Sprinter back to Aberdeen and did the unspeakable: I took a day off from my All Line.
Yep, my stepbrother Tom lived in The Granite City and was doing a forestry course at the university but also doing some tree maintenance work on the side. He met me off the train and we spent the evening getting smashed and talking about trains and life and more trains (after I'd turned his shower black) and the next day I went out with him while he climbed up trees and lopped bits off (thankfully not his bits).
Thursday 8/8/94
The next evening Tom deposited me back at Aberdeen station and watched me storm off into the night behind winners 37683 and 37685, I could see that a bit of him wanted to be on the train with me too really.
I'd spent all my money by now, most of it in the pubs of Aberdeen... I'd achieved what I wanted to achieve and was thinking about just doing the sleepers back to London and heading home but instead I decided to get off at Crewe and do a bit of 31/37 bashing around Manchester, 87008 was on the electric leg of the sleepers and I woke up at what I thought was the right station, jumped off and took stock whilst getting an uneasy feeling that I'd done something wrong. As the train pulled out I realised that I'd got off at Preston by mistake and that it was only about three in the morning! I think the first train anywhere (except going north again) was a 5ish am service to Manchester Airport which after many hours sitting in the waiting room I took, if nothing else just for a sleep. At least the Airport branch was new track.
The same Sprinter returned me to Manchester Piccadilly and from there I caught 47827 all the way down to Reading for a unit (I guess a 165?) to Basingstoke and then something else to Poole (can't read what it was though now). From Poole it was new track time and I sat in the bar area of a 442 telling an older lady all about my weeks exploits, she bought me a beer and when I said that I'd get her one but that I'd run out of money she gave me a fiver so that I could buy some fish and chips! How nice was that?
The reason I was going this way was to catch the daily loco hauled Bristol - Weymouth service on its return to Bristol, this I duly did and it was 37422 on yet more new track (even though it's near to me) all the way up to Bristol where I got my last train home (another unidentified HST) and headed back to Topsham on an Exmouth train.
Exhausted but satisfied, I have a feeling I went somewhere the day after, I think I may have gone to see friends at the Mid Hants but due to the Waterloo line being 159s I didn't record it. I'm just glad I recorded what I did really because I nearly didn't bother, perhaps I thought I was above such things. Idiot.
It was a great week and probably the last year that you could've done all those lines on loco hauled services.
It was officially the end of my bashing days on the mainline and I didn't record anything after this trip, although I've never lost my love of railways and rail travel.
I've nicked a couple of photos off the internet to illustrate those days. I can't work out who took them but thanks.
31455 At Chester on a North Wales coast train.
37232 At Kyle on the green and cream set.
Thanks for reading.
It's about the last All Line I did in 1994, a time when I was drifting away from bashing trains. In fact I hadn't really done any bashing in the previous couple of years since the ALR that I did in early 1992, mainly due to the fact that I had a van by now and was more into going to gigs and generally being a bit more of a normal. That said I was still volunteering at the Mid Hants quite a bit when I could get up there.
Around 1993/94 there had been a bit of a resurgence in loco hauled trains around the country and I decided that it was too good an opportunity to miss, especially as some of them were featuring on lines that I still needed and I've always tried to cover as many routes as possible on loco hauled trains.
A plan was hatched, but you have to realise that I wasn't quite so committed in the recording of my moves this time. I was being cool, casual, relaxed. I just wanted to hear the noise, look at the scenery and take in the experience for what I knew would be one last hurrah.
So all I actually wrote down was what locos I had - from and to each destination and the dates. This has caused me a lot of work when recently I tried to piece it all together. I even had to start a couple of threads on the forum to fill in some of the gaps and just to add insult to injury a couple of pages of my book have got water damaged so there's going to be a couple of gaps. I have managed to work most of it out though so here goes...
Sunday 5/8/94
Unusual for me to start this on a Sunday but there I was on platform 5 at St David's with rucksack, Walkman and golden ticket as an Intercity Swallow liveried HST rolled in to take me to Paddington. I hopped off this and caught 47846 on a Cross Country service north. Unfortunately we only got as far as Banbury before the driver failed it due to the fire bells going off on the loco, so after an hours wait admiring the semaphores in the sunshine 47832 arrived on the following service to take me onto New Street (via Solihull according to my book).
It was an unrecorded (such is my way) HST up to Llandudno Junction then for a thrash to Manchester Victoria behind 37407 and a quick trip on a (fairly new) tram to Manchester Piccadilly where I caught up with 31410 on a service to Birmingham International (and all this was on a Sunday!). I don't think I had long at International before it was time to take 31455 on another Regional Railways service up to Liverpool Lime Street and my plan to take a unit under the Mersey. This was my first bit of new track for the week and I remember that I had a minus 5 at Chester onto another loco hauled train which amazingly I made and I sat behind 37421 growling through the dark on my way to Crewe in a haze of smug self satisfaction as really I should have been on the following Sprinter but for the creaking British Rail North Wales Coast services...
At Crewe now and pretty late at night I picked up 86101 up to Preston on some service that I can't remember and endured a long sit in the waiting room for the sleepers to Aberdeen and on into day two...
Monday 6/8/94
87017 was doing the honours this night and I assume it went to Edinburgh where it was replaced by two locos that were part of the reason I was doing all this. Gone had the small fleet of 47/6s that had been used the last time I was on these trains, replaced by pairs of ex freight 37s with generator vans. These trains also included Motorail vans and were impressively long at about 15 vehicles. The pair being watched by me as they were attached to the front were 37154 and 37188, absolutely bloody marvellous and both winners.
No sleep was then had to Arbroath as I savoured the noise and I disembarked, watched them storm off and hung around for an early morning Sprinter down to Glasgow Queen Street.
Time for the next new line...
I was getting the early train out to Oban and was surprised to see that it left from Glasgow Queen St Low Level. I thought that only units used that, I went down and sat there nervously hoping that a 156 didn't turn up (I'd have had a rethink if that happened). Soon enough though I heard the unmistakable sound of a class 37 in a confined space - it reminded me of the subterranean lines you see at the beginning of the first Superman film - and the winner 37294 (in 'Dutch' livery) appeared for an excellent run out to Oban and back. The Oban line was new for me and although not as spectacular as Fort William to Mallaig still very nice.
After this I sort of repeated my steps really, 37294 to Queen Street, Sprinter to Dundee, 37154 and 37188 on the Euston bound sleepers which were then replaced by the previous nights 87017, this time though it went via a slightly convoluted route. We were dragged between Crewe and Stafford by 47575 (the only 47/4 of the week) and then went south via the Northampton loop (more new track for me).
Tuesday 7/8/94
This is where it gets a bit tricky, the bottom of the page where the numbers should be has got water damaged so this is what's visible:
Tube across to Paddington and then 47822 to Didcot on I assume a cross country service that would've gone towards Birmingham.
HST Didcot to Swindon and then another HST Swindon to Cardiff before getting a 37/4 from Cardiff to Crewe. Tantalisingly I can almost make out the number but not quite, I remember the journey but just not the loco. A good CSI type forensics expert might be able to restore it with some kind of powder and UV light. Unfortunately I can't though. Anyway this was more new track for me and upon arrival at Crewe I caught another cross country service down to Southampton (almost certainly a 47/8 but again I can't read it, argh).
I can make out the next one though as it was the (by then repaired) 47846 which was taken to Coventry, what I remember about this journey was that a very large and very loud lady was sat with some friends at a table of four in my coach and we had all spent hours listening to her boring stories as her friends talked more and more quietly in that way that people do when they're trying to encourage their companion to lower their volume without actually saying anything. When some guy on a table behind me eventually snapped and told her that nobody else in the carriage could give a damn about her ridiculous self obsessed life and would she kindly shut the hell up? At which point everyone else in the carriage broke into spontaneous applause. It was excellent.
I could still hear the lady saying "Well really!" (slightly more quietly now) to her friends for at least half an hour afterwards.
I jumped off at Coventry (still chuckling) and took 86216 down to Euston to get a good seat on the Aberdeen sleepers again to get myself in place for the next winning line of the week.
It probably goes without saying that I was absolutely knackered by now and I don't remember much of the journey behind 87032 north...
Wednesday 8/8/94
87032 gave way (I'm not sure if at Carstairs or Edinburgh) to the extremely awesome pairing of 37692 and 37693, again both winners and this time I stayed on until Aberdeen.
So far this week had produced pretty much everything I'd wished for and back then it was into the unknown with no mobile phone, internet etc. In fact I remember ringing my mum at one point frantically feeding change into the call box and telling her I was in Preston "Preston?"...
I took what I think was a 158 up to Inverness this morning and hoped that the highlight of my week would come through.
The Kyle line had two booked loco hauled diagrams on weekdays this summer, they had been almost solid 37/0s and this day I was not to be disappointed as I rolled in and looked across to see split box 37087 in 'Dutch' at the head of three coaches. Result.
I sat in the front coach and by Dingwall had the entire coach to myself for the rest of the journey. I even had beer! I opened every single window and sat there looking at the scenery and enjoying the thrash in the beautiful summer sunshine. It's fair to say that this journey remains in the top three of all the journeys that I've ever done in my entire life. It was pure pleasure.
It was to be the other diagramed loco hauled service back and when I got to Kyle I crossed platforms and took 37232 (another one in Dutch) on the green and cream set with the converted 101 driving car tucked behind the loco. This train was longer and much busier and after enjoying the scenery in reverse for a while I flaked out in a satisfied beery haze...
At Inverness I took another unrecorded Sprinter back to Aberdeen and did the unspeakable: I took a day off from my All Line.
Yep, my stepbrother Tom lived in The Granite City and was doing a forestry course at the university but also doing some tree maintenance work on the side. He met me off the train and we spent the evening getting smashed and talking about trains and life and more trains (after I'd turned his shower black) and the next day I went out with him while he climbed up trees and lopped bits off (thankfully not his bits).
Thursday 8/8/94
The next evening Tom deposited me back at Aberdeen station and watched me storm off into the night behind winners 37683 and 37685, I could see that a bit of him wanted to be on the train with me too really.
I'd spent all my money by now, most of it in the pubs of Aberdeen... I'd achieved what I wanted to achieve and was thinking about just doing the sleepers back to London and heading home but instead I decided to get off at Crewe and do a bit of 31/37 bashing around Manchester, 87008 was on the electric leg of the sleepers and I woke up at what I thought was the right station, jumped off and took stock whilst getting an uneasy feeling that I'd done something wrong. As the train pulled out I realised that I'd got off at Preston by mistake and that it was only about three in the morning! I think the first train anywhere (except going north again) was a 5ish am service to Manchester Airport which after many hours sitting in the waiting room I took, if nothing else just for a sleep. At least the Airport branch was new track.
The same Sprinter returned me to Manchester Piccadilly and from there I caught 47827 all the way down to Reading for a unit (I guess a 165?) to Basingstoke and then something else to Poole (can't read what it was though now). From Poole it was new track time and I sat in the bar area of a 442 telling an older lady all about my weeks exploits, she bought me a beer and when I said that I'd get her one but that I'd run out of money she gave me a fiver so that I could buy some fish and chips! How nice was that?
The reason I was going this way was to catch the daily loco hauled Bristol - Weymouth service on its return to Bristol, this I duly did and it was 37422 on yet more new track (even though it's near to me) all the way up to Bristol where I got my last train home (another unidentified HST) and headed back to Topsham on an Exmouth train.
Exhausted but satisfied, I have a feeling I went somewhere the day after, I think I may have gone to see friends at the Mid Hants but due to the Waterloo line being 159s I didn't record it. I'm just glad I recorded what I did really because I nearly didn't bother, perhaps I thought I was above such things. Idiot.
It was a great week and probably the last year that you could've done all those lines on loco hauled services.
It was officially the end of my bashing days on the mainline and I didn't record anything after this trip, although I've never lost my love of railways and rail travel.
I've nicked a couple of photos off the internet to illustrate those days. I can't work out who took them but thanks.
31455 At Chester on a North Wales coast train.
37232 At Kyle on the green and cream set.
Thanks for reading.
Attachments
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87electric
Member
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 1,023
Magic days. I enjoy reading your trips. Keep them coming.
Nice one, Cowley. That was the summer that I quit uni and got a McJob, so if you'd gone for a burger in said Aberdonian establishment, the chances are that I might have served you!
At that point I was fairly oblivious to what was going on with the railways - coach travel being the cheapest option at that point. I'd lost interest when they introduced 156s between Inverness and Aberdeen, and I wasn't overly impressed when they "upgraded" to 158s either.
At that point I was fairly oblivious to what was going on with the railways - coach travel being the cheapest option at that point. I'd lost interest when they introduced 156s between Inverness and Aberdeen, and I wasn't overly impressed when they "upgraded" to 158s either.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
*fails to understand why you would be unimpressed by a 158*
Mind if it replaced a loco then makes sense.
I love old bashing storys so this one was amazing. Thanks ever so much for going to the bother of sharing it, the veriety of what you could do back then behind a loco was just mindblowing.
I particularly like the thought of oban with 37s, my experience of it was a crouded 156 with low back seats!
Mind if it replaced a loco then makes sense.
I love old bashing storys so this one was amazing. Thanks ever so much for going to the bother of sharing it, the veriety of what you could do back then behind a loco was just mindblowing.
I particularly like the thought of oban with 37s, my experience of it was a crouded 156 with low back seats!
An excellent read - I was definitely born in the wrong era. At least I had 87s and 47s for a while before they were replaced and I've still got trams now. My god that sounded like a fun day although I won't go into detail about what I think of the skipping a day when it was loco hauled...
Ash Bridge
Established Member
Magic days. I enjoy reading your trips. Keep them coming.
As above. A brilliant read as usual.
Thanks for the above comments guys, much appreciated.
I must admit that I did enjoy writing it out finally and it bought back lots of memories.
I'm pretty certain that on the last two days of the rover I went up to the Mid Hants and stayed with a friend for the night on the Friday.
Although if I had that time again I'd have headed for the Cambrian Coast (not sure if there were still summer Saturday loco hauled trains then though). I still need that line and I know that it's going to take a bit time commitment to cover it.
Perhaps one to do on a railtour some day?
I must admit that I did enjoy writing it out finally and it bought back lots of memories.
I'm pretty certain that on the last two days of the rover I went up to the Mid Hants and stayed with a friend for the night on the Friday.
Although if I had that time again I'd have headed for the Cambrian Coast (not sure if there were still summer Saturday loco hauled trains then though). I still need that line and I know that it's going to take a bit time commitment to cover it.
Perhaps one to do on a railtour some day?
Blindtraveler
Established Member
I need it too, perhaps we should take you camper up there and get all the preserved lines both on the coast and North Wales.
Hmm, an interesting thought.
1) How good are you at cooking?
2) Do you snore?
3) Will you share the spare bed with the dog?
4) Can we send five teenagers and a 21 year old to 'look after' your place while we're away?
1st two not essential requirements.
2nd two are...
1) How good are you at cooking?
2) Do you snore?
3) Will you share the spare bed with the dog?
4) Can we send five teenagers and a 21 year old to 'look after' your place while we're away?
1st two not essential requirements.
2nd two are...
Techniquest
Veteran Member
That's not something I've heard of in forever, and no it wouldn't work by text!
An amazing read good sir, I would have loved to sample those days. 31s on the mainline are good fun, based on my experience of them in Wessex Trains days. It's hard to believe it's just short of 13 years since a load of us from this forum (we were on a different one back then) did the trip from Bristol to Brighton with whichever 31 it was. We then did a Southern 'slammer' on a stopping service to Portsmouth Harbour, then after a break another 'slammer' with SWT which I alighted from at Fratton, joining a 158 all the way to Cardiff for an HST back to Swansea. Good times they were!
Those no-heat 37s must have been insanely hellfire! Not had many of them at all, 37203 being my first ever 37 (what a beast to start with!) and will always be my favourite. It may be long gone but so many good memories!
An amazing read good sir, I would have loved to sample those days. 31s on the mainline are good fun, based on my experience of them in Wessex Trains days. It's hard to believe it's just short of 13 years since a load of us from this forum (we were on a different one back then) did the trip from Bristol to Brighton with whichever 31 it was. We then did a Southern 'slammer' on a stopping service to Portsmouth Harbour, then after a break another 'slammer' with SWT which I alighted from at Fratton, joining a 158 all the way to Cardiff for an HST back to Swansea. Good times they were!
Those no-heat 37s must have been insanely hellfire! Not had many of them at all, 37203 being my first ever 37 (what a beast to start with!) and will always be my favourite. It may be long gone but so many good memories!
Thanks Tech and thanks for confirming my thoughts too. I shall show your post to Mrs C when she gets back from Birmingham later, I think the long journey up there on a Voyager may have effected her thinking...
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Yes the voyagerisation may well not have been fun.
To your questions:
1. I can cook, ask Tech if you want proof of this.
2. A bit.
3. Yes doggy welcome.
4. Will my place be trashed? I cant think they will want to come here anyway.
Serious proposal if interested. I spent many happy years caravaning with my parents and would be great to get on the road again!
To your questions:
1. I can cook, ask Tech if you want proof of this.
2. A bit.
3. Yes doggy welcome.
4. Will my place be trashed? I cant think they will want to come here anyway.
Serious proposal if interested. I spent many happy years caravaning with my parents and would be great to get on the road again!
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I'll pm you later BT. Been out all day.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
It will have affected her by the time she got to Cowley Bridge Junction I suspect!
More than 30 minutes of Voyager action is enough to drive any of us to insanity after all! I'd certainly rather a coach journey to a long Voyager run...
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Or 90 minutes incarseration on a 170!
47403
Established Member
Top read again Cowley, some massive 37's in that mix of cracking traction too, made me slightly jealous indeed. 31s, 37s, 47s and 87s, oh god how I hanker for them ole days. I did a couple of trips, with my mates and a solo mission, throwing an overnighter in at Crewe too, hunting out the 37/4s turns, back n forth to Lime St and Man Picc. Good nights out them. We need to build a time machine pronto.
Was killing myself laughing at you bailing at Preston by mistake, what is it with you and Preston, sure something happened in a previous trip report there too.
Certainly good of that woman to buy you a coffee and give you a fiver, maybe she thought you looked like you needed it.
Love reading your nostalgic musings
Was killing myself laughing at you bailing at Preston by mistake, what is it with you and Preston, sure something happened in a previous trip report there too.
Certainly good of that woman to buy you a coffee and give you a fiver, maybe she thought you looked like you needed it.
Love reading your nostalgic musings
Thanks LSG, that was a good week looking back at it now, and you're right I have had some strange experiences at Preston, including watching an oil rig worker throwing his bags out of the door but not following them as the train was going too fast (he'd just woken up as we were leaving, the bags went cartwheeling down the platform ramp), getting a lift there for the sleepers after abandoning the van and the cat in a cattery (after the van gave up) by a very strange and upset man in the middle of the night (a long and sad story not for here) and getting on a train to Blackpool where I realised just after leaving the station that the only other people in the carriage (a business type and his business lady friend) were doing the bad thing a few seats away.
I must go back sometime and see what happens next...
47403
Established Member
That's the one I was trying to recall. As for the business types, well if the mood takes I suppose.
Far north 37
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2011
- Messages
- 1,951
very good read there and very familiar with the 37s you had up in the highlands back then brought back a lot of memories
Thanks Far North, you and Sprinter Guy helped me with putting it altogether with your help in the thread about Scottish 37s earlier in the year. Much appreciated.
I thoroughly enjoyed that.
1994 was a year when I wasn't doing much, I did four tours that year, a couple of shunter bashing moves at the Worth Valley and the princely sum of two days out on the big railway.
Boy, do I regret those down times now.
Your bailing at Preston anecdote reminded me of a similar event.
My mate and I were on a Freedom of Scotland in 1990, we did the up Fort William sleeper (37401 Crianlarich - Glasgow Central, 86255 from there), intending to bail at the rover's limit of Carlisle.
We both woke up when the train stopped, looked out of the window, grabbed our bags and leapt off, only to find we were at Carstairs.
Luckily, we had time to get back on and proceed to Carlisle.
Such were the joys of doing several consecutive overnight moves
1994 was a year when I wasn't doing much, I did four tours that year, a couple of shunter bashing moves at the Worth Valley and the princely sum of two days out on the big railway.
Boy, do I regret those down times now.
Your bailing at Preston anecdote reminded me of a similar event.
My mate and I were on a Freedom of Scotland in 1990, we did the up Fort William sleeper (37401 Crianlarich - Glasgow Central, 86255 from there), intending to bail at the rover's limit of Carlisle.
We both woke up when the train stopped, looked out of the window, grabbed our bags and leapt off, only to find we were at Carstairs.
Luckily, we had time to get back on and proceed to Carlisle.
Such were the joys of doing several consecutive overnight moves
I thoroughly enjoyed that.
1994 was a year when I wasn't doing much, I did four tours that year, a couple of shunter bashing moves at the Worth Valley and the princely sum of two days out on the big railway.
Boy, do I regret those down times now.
Your bailing at Preston anecdote reminded me of a similar event.
My mate and I were on a Freedom of Scotland in 1990, we did the up Fort William sleeper (37401 Crianlarich - Glasgow Central, 86255 from there), intending to bail at the rover's limit of Carlisle.
We both woke up when the train stopped, looked out of the window, grabbed our bags and leapt off, only to find we were at Carstairs.
Luckily, we had time to get back on and proceed to Carlisle.
Such were the joys of doing several consecutive overnight moves
Carstairs is not a place to spend a whole night at.Thanks for your comments, it was a good week looking back at it, still possible to get quite a few different classes around the country. Thinking back now all of the trains were in their sectors liveries and looking pretty smart actually. I especially liked the Regional Railways painted 31s, they looked good with matching coaches.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
Mr Cowley, sir, as a 21st century born I would like to thank you for providing me with such interesting trip reports from the 80s/90s. Very interested about the XC 47s!
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
It is my pleasure 
Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway diesel gala 7/10/2017
Had a very pleasant day out at the GWR diesel gala on Saturday with my good friend Paul and his son George who is also a very good friend. The GWR autumn diesel day has become a replacement for the Severn Valley autumn gala in the last couple of years since that moved to May. We've found the railway very friendly with excellent locos that are well driven and well looked after.
After hot footing it up in Pauls hot hatch ST Fiesta (almost as fast as my van) we bought our tickets and watched the 20 come in for our first run, this was taken to Winchcombe and very noisy it was too. At Winchcombe we took 37215 back up to Cheltenham (excellent noise through Greet Tunnel) and back all the way to Toddington to pick up the 26 on its only run of the day, while it was being coupled up I had a brief interaction with our own Mr Dhassell. Next time we'll chat to each other for more than 2.5 seconds though eh Dhass? Haha!
The 26 was pretty storming and very fumey like the last couple of times I've had it and at Gotherington we jumped off for 37248 back down all the way this time to Toddington. At Winchcombe I got off to take a photo and chat to the driver who it turned out had a quarter share in the beast. He was clearly enjoying driving it and knew exactly how to provide maximum entertainment within the 25mph line speed. The loco also had its boiler steaming away nicely and he was keen to impart what a job it is to keep something so temperamental providing heat.
Unfortunately when I got back on I noticed Paul had one of those guilty looks on his face that I recognised from our childhood days, he nodded to my seat where lay one of the sliding window ventilators that he'd pulled straight off the window. This was duly repaired by me and a screwdriver while other passengers sniggered at us.
We had an interesting walk around the sheds at Toddington and a chap who was rebuilding a spare bogie from the class 24 took the time to explain to us and a few others the amount of work to do just refurbishing the one bogie. It's incredible what these guys put in to ensure that we all have our fun, I'm completely full of admiration.
Earlier in the day a couple that were volunteers at the railway had been going through the trains just chatting to people about the railway and again I'd like to emphasise what a friendly well run line it is.
The rest of the day was taken with having a run on the 20 as well as a run behind the 37s paired up. They were just toying with their six coaches but it was fun. I found an unattended broom in one of the vestibules and tried to sweep Paul out of the droplight but then the man came back and took it away from me which ended my fun.
The last train of the day was the Peak 45149 back to Cheltenham, I know that they've done an amazing job on its restoration but it's ever so quiet. Perhaps next time it needs some work they could remove some of the baffles from the silencer? Only joking of course but it is very quiet. I've heard 66s that are louder.
All in all a great day with great company.
I've put some photos on of various scenes, I particularly like the one of the 37s with the 20 in the background.
Thanks for reading.
Had a very pleasant day out at the GWR diesel gala on Saturday with my good friend Paul and his son George who is also a very good friend. The GWR autumn diesel day has become a replacement for the Severn Valley autumn gala in the last couple of years since that moved to May. We've found the railway very friendly with excellent locos that are well driven and well looked after.
After hot footing it up in Pauls hot hatch ST Fiesta (almost as fast as my van) we bought our tickets and watched the 20 come in for our first run, this was taken to Winchcombe and very noisy it was too. At Winchcombe we took 37215 back up to Cheltenham (excellent noise through Greet Tunnel) and back all the way to Toddington to pick up the 26 on its only run of the day, while it was being coupled up I had a brief interaction with our own Mr Dhassell. Next time we'll chat to each other for more than 2.5 seconds though eh Dhass? Haha!
The 26 was pretty storming and very fumey like the last couple of times I've had it and at Gotherington we jumped off for 37248 back down all the way this time to Toddington. At Winchcombe I got off to take a photo and chat to the driver who it turned out had a quarter share in the beast. He was clearly enjoying driving it and knew exactly how to provide maximum entertainment within the 25mph line speed. The loco also had its boiler steaming away nicely and he was keen to impart what a job it is to keep something so temperamental providing heat.
Unfortunately when I got back on I noticed Paul had one of those guilty looks on his face that I recognised from our childhood days, he nodded to my seat where lay one of the sliding window ventilators that he'd pulled straight off the window. This was duly repaired by me and a screwdriver while other passengers sniggered at us.
We had an interesting walk around the sheds at Toddington and a chap who was rebuilding a spare bogie from the class 24 took the time to explain to us and a few others the amount of work to do just refurbishing the one bogie. It's incredible what these guys put in to ensure that we all have our fun, I'm completely full of admiration.
Earlier in the day a couple that were volunteers at the railway had been going through the trains just chatting to people about the railway and again I'd like to emphasise what a friendly well run line it is.
The rest of the day was taken with having a run on the 20 as well as a run behind the 37s paired up. They were just toying with their six coaches but it was fun. I found an unattended broom in one of the vestibules and tried to sweep Paul out of the droplight but then the man came back and took it away from me which ended my fun.
The last train of the day was the Peak 45149 back to Cheltenham, I know that they've done an amazing job on its restoration but it's ever so quiet. Perhaps next time it needs some work they could remove some of the baffles from the silencer? Only joking of course but it is very quiet. I've heard 66s that are louder.
All in all a great day with great company.
I've put some photos on of various scenes, I particularly like the one of the 37s with the 20 in the background.
Thanks for reading.
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