Paddington to Birmingham services

[Chris Butler]

I was trying to get straight in my mind the modern (roughly diesel era) history of services between Birmingham and Paddington. The best I can do is below. Any amplifications, comments or corrections would be greatly appreciated.

Items in italics added as a result of replies below.

1960: Existing Paddington – Birmingham Snow Hill – Wolverhampton - Birkenhead via the Chiltern Main Line service was beefed up to take the traffic displaced when the Euston services were reduced during the WCML electrification. Service was ‘hourly’.

In addition, some secondary and overnight services continued running via Reading and Oxford, sometimes combining with Cotswold line trains.

1960: Birmingham Pullman commenced (one of the pair was a Wolverhampton service).

1963: Additional services stopped at High Wycombe for a road coach connection to Heathrow.

1967: WCML electrification complete. Paddington – Birmingham – Wolverhampton - Birkenhead ceased. A ‘two hourly ‘semi-fast service continued to run from Paddington via the Chiltern Main Line, but into New St.. Pullman ceased.

1968: Snow Hill tunnel closed.

1972/3: Two hourly semi-fasts routed via Reading instead of Chiltern Main Line. One peak hour service remained via the Chiltern Main Line.

1977: Two hourly semi-fasts route amended to be via Coventry and Reading, but some peak services remained via Solihull.

198?: Final peak hour service on the Chiltern route truncated at Banbury.

1997/8: Virgin Cross Country takes over the Paddington to Birmingham services and integrates it as part of its network. Trains continued past Birmingham to a range of destinations including Liverpool, Manchester, Scotland, Leeds and York.

(Note: Trains had continued north of Birmingham/Wolverhampton to Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Hull, Leeds and York, and probably to other destinations, in the years prior to Virgin, but the range of destinations seems to have changed quite frequently)

2003: Paddington service via Reading ceases (I am guessing, as a result of increased frequency of Cross Country services from Reading to Birmingham).

198?: Most of the route between Old Oak Common and Northolt Junction was singled. This is mentioned as an aside since no Birmingham trains we using it at that time.

 

[Taunton]

I think you pretty much have it. The route through Bicester was one of the last main lines opened in Britain, in 1910, and thus lasted only 57 years in such service. A number of secondary main line and semi-fast trains from Birmingham to Paddington always continued to run via Reading and Oxford, sometimes combining with Cotswold line trains at the latter, and overnight trains, as so often on the GWR and later Western Region, continued to run the old way as well.

It retained steam traction for the first couple of years after the 1960 enhanced service began, and the King locomotives were concentrated there for that service. Little known is it was dieselised at first in 1962 with Warship diesels from the Western Region general pool, which had just reached full numbers, these were changed after only a year for Westerns (Class 52), and a couple of years later again for some of the first Class 47 locos.

Not a lot of freight ran on the new line south of Banbury, most still running through Oxford, while local passenger service on this section was always principally (and in recent times exclusively of course) run from Marylebone, and the route was not seen as a significant part of the Western Region apart from the expresses. One change around 1963 by the WR was stopping additional services at High Wycombe, previously very few did, for a road coach connection to Heathrow airport.

Some prior discussion here https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/chiltern-timetables-1970s-80s.157297/

 

[satisnek]

Bingo! Paddington-Birmingham (and beyond) services withdrawn in Summer 2003:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_CrossCountry#Operation_Princess

 

[Pigeon]

There was a 1740 Paddington-Birmingham via Wycombe service still running in the 80s.

There was a circular Paddington-Worcester-Birmingham-Paddington service in the 70s/80s (1235 WOS) - not sure which way it went back. Traction seemed to be anything they could find on the shed.

 

[Chris Butler]

A number of secondary main line and semi-fast trains from Birmingham to Paddington always continued to run via Reading and Oxford, sometimes combining with Cotswold line trains at the latter, and overnight trains, as so often on the GWR and later Western Region, continued to run the old way as well.

Thanks very much.

In the quote above, I assumed those services went to Snow Hill, not New St ?.

I did have in my memory that Warships worked the service as well as Westerns. I also have some hazy memory that, at some time, 50s worked the service via Oxford/Reading. Is that right ?

 

[Chris Butler]

Bingo! Paddington-Birmingham (and beyond) services withdrawn in Summer 2003:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_CrossCountry#Operation_Princess

Thanks. The Wikipedia article says that the Virgin Paddington-Birmingham services continued to Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport. That triggered some dim memory. Do you know if there were Paddington services to all three of Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport (my memory is only of Manchester) ? Do you know if there were any Birmingham terminators or were all longer distance services ?

 

[Ianno87]

Thanks. The Wikipedia article says that the Virgin Paddington-Birmingham services continued to Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport. That triggered some dim memory. Do you know if there were Paddington services to all three of Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport (my memory is only of Manchester) ? Do you know if there were any Birmingham terminators or were all longer distance services ?

Pretty sure none ever went to Manchester Airport.

Some did go to Scotland via Manchester Piccadilly though.

 

[Taunton]

This film on YouTube is of the Blue Pullman on the route at first dieselisatiion in 1962

The Blue Pullman drivers were issued with the special all-white uniforms, as seen here, and known to all their mates as "milkmen".

Very unfortunately the driver featured in the film was killed just after it was released in a major accident to the Pullman, on a day when the unit was under maintenance and was being substituted by a Western diesel-hydraulic pulling the WR substitute loco-hauled traditional Pullmans. The train hit a stationary loco on the main line due to a signalling error, and one end of the brand-new Western was completely demolished. It was eventually rebuilt but would have been a considerable job.

 

[edwin_m]

Very unfortunately the driver featured in the film was killed just after it was released in a major accident to the Pullman, on a day when the unit was under maintenance and was being substituted by a Western diesel-hydraulic pulling the WR substitute loco-hauled traditional Pullmans. The train hit a stationary loco on the main line due to a signalling error, and one end of the brand-new Western was completely demolished. It was eventually rebuilt but would have been a considerable job.

More details at http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=877

 

[Chris Butler]

This film on YouTube is of the Blue Pullman on the route at first dieselisatiion in 1962

It was exactly that video that stated me thinking about the route's history !

 

[70014IronDuke]

...

1960: Existing Paddington – Birmingham Snow Hill – Wolverhampton - Birkenhead via the Chiltern Main Line service was beefed up to take the traffic displaced when the Euston services were reduced during the WCML electrification. Service was ‘hourly’.
.. .

Just to point out that - as far as I'm aware - in those days there was no such thing as the "Chiltern Main Line". That was a term introduced in the 90s, or possibly 80s, once it was decided not to close Marylebone and to develop the route. (It's a bit like the "Varsity Line" - another modern term unheard of back in the day.)

 

[70014IronDuke]

..
It retained steam traction for the first couple of years after the 1960 enhanced service began, and the King locomotives were concentrated there for that service. Little known is it was dieselised at first in 1962 with Warship diesels from the Western Region general pool, which had just reached full numbers, these were changed after only a year for Westerns (Class 52), and a couple of years later again for some of the first Class 47 locos.

Some prior discussion here https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/chiltern-timetables-1970s-80s.157297/

I didn't know Warships were used on the Bicester route, but I don't think they lasted a year, surely? Kings were still being used in the first part of 62, but the powers at be were desperate to see them out of service. I went to Bicester on day in January 63 (the bloody cold winter) and all I saw was Westerns, exept for a Hall + one other (I missed it) on what was, presumably, a failed diesel turn. I think the Class 47s displaced them in the Autumn of 63.

 

[hexagon789]

Birmingham Pullman commenced (actually a Wolverhampton service).

There were two departures though, only one of which was to/from Wolverhampton the other started/terminated at Birmingham.

The train hit a stationary loco on the main line due to a signalling error

As I understand it the line couldn't support 90mph with existing braking distances at some signals and so if a box put it's outer home to danger and there was less than sufficient braking distance from 90, then the previous box also had to put it's distant to caution.

The semaphore equivalent of a double yellow in a way. A tragic accident but in some respects lucky that the Western and Wells-Fargo set were deputising.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Looking at the TTs for the period, Birmingham International was served from May 1977, but a few peak morning up and evening down services were still retained via Solihull. Routing via Oxford took place in two stages in May 1972 and May 1973, leaving just the one peak working in each direction via High Wycombe. The March 1967 timetable shows the new Paddington service running into New Street (coinciding with the start of the Euston electrics) - did this actually happen or were there delays to implementation?

 

[Taunton]

The 1967 timetable changes and electric working extensions did all happen overnight as planned. Modern day TOCs take note. That weekend two commemorative Last Service excursions were run, with well-polished Castles, from Paddington right through to Birkenhead and back (decidedly unpolished Birkenhead and Chester LMS 2-6-4Ts were used after reversal at Chester, and only half the coaches of each train were taken on the last leg).

If you look at the quite widely available photos of the homeward departure from Chester you will see a youthful Taunton in the crowd, as we had recently moved from Somerset to The Wirral.

Until then Class 47 had taken over all the Paddington trains south of Wolverhampton, but only a few services onward to Chester, the others being run with Black 5s which had displaced forwer WR locos for the last few years since the transfer of the line to the LMR north of Banbury.

 

[RT4038]

I didn't know Warships were used on the Bicester route, but I don't think they lasted a year, surely? Kings were still being used in the first part of 62, but the powers at be were desperate to see them out of service. I went to Bicester on day in January 63 (the bloody cold winter) and all I saw was Westerns, exept for a Hall + one other (I missed it) on what was, presumably, a failed diesel turn. I think the Class 47s displaced them in the Autumn of 63.

For a period in 1967 or 68 the attenuated Paddington-Birmingham New Street two-hourly service was diverted to Marylebone, due to reconstruction work at Paddington. I lived near Marylebone Station then, and remember Warship diesels being used.

 

[Chris Butler]

... in those days there was no such thing as the "Chiltern Main Line". That was a term introduced in the 90s, or possibly 80s, ...

Yes, I think it was introduced with the advent of Chiltern Railways. In a post about two different GWR main lines, I couldn't think of a better shorthand for the line.

 

[Bevan Price]

Thanks very much.

In the quote above, I assumed those services went to Snow Hill, not New St ?.

I did have in my memory that Warships worked the service as well as Westerns. I also have some hazy memory that, at some time, 50s worked the service via Oxford/Reading. Is that right ?

Yes. 50s did work into New St. from Paddington. Plus (until withdrawn) you could get an occasional Class 35 (Hymek), and Class 31.

 

[edwin_m]

There were two departures though, only one of which was to/from Wolverhampton the other started/terminated at Birmingham.

The report I linked above confirms this.

As I understand it the line couldn't support 90mph with existing braking distances at some signals and so if a box put it's outer home to danger and there was less than sufficient braking distance from 90, then the previous box also had to put it's distant to caution.

Again the report covers this. I'm frankly rather amazed that there was no interlocking to ensure that the first box couldn't clear its distant until the second one had - something the report noted would be introduced with planned alterations. The distant in question was even electrically worked so a lever lock would have been straightforward.

A tragic accident but in some respects lucky that the Western and Wells-Fargo set were deputising.

I can't agree with that. The report notes that the "proper" Blue Pullman set could stop in a shorter distance than the substitute set. So if it had been running that day, it might have been smashed up and the BP service perhaps ended a few years before it did. But the three railwaymen in the cab would most likely have survived.

 

[hexagon789]

Again the report covers this. I'm frankly rather amazed that there was no interlocking to ensure that the first box couldn't clear its distant until the second one had - something the report noted would be introduced with planned alterations. The distant in question was even electrically worked so a lever lock would have been straightforward.

Considering the potential implications of the first distant not being held at caution when the next box's Outer Home was still 'on'; of agree that the lack of interlocking is quite surprising.

I can't agree with that. The report notes that the "proper" Blue Pullman set could stop in a shorter distance than the substitute set. So if it had been running that day, it might have been smashed up and the BP service perhaps ended a few years before it did. But the three railwaymen in the cab would most likely have survived.

My apologies, that was poorly phrased. I had meant to acknowledge that it was lucky that a Blue Pullmans set wasn't uses on the sense that it might've been written off and there being so few of them.

Of course it's quite likely the EP/Auto Air and high-speed two-stage brake would've resulted in the train travelling at a slower speed on impact. It definitely wasn't so lucky for those involved, my apologies again for not being clearer.

 

[Bevan Price]

Might be of interest.
June 1958 departures from Paddington travelling to Banbury or beyond (SX)
Via High Wycombe unless shown otherwise:

00:05 Birkenhead via Reading; conveyed sleepers.
07:05 Wolverhampton L.L. via Reading.
09:00 Wolverhampton L.L. ("The Inter City")
09:10 Birkenhead (Stratford upon Avon portion detached at Leamington Spa)
10:10 Aberystwyth & Pwllheli ("Cambrian Coast Express")
11:10 Birkenhead
14:10 Birkenhead
15:18 Wolverhampton via Reading
16:10 Birkenhead
16:34 Banbury
17:10 Wolverhampton (with slip carriage, stations from Bicester North to Banbury)
18:08 (FO) Wolverhampton
18:10 Birkenhead
19:30 Leamington via Reading
20:10 Shrewsbury

Added / changes in June 1960 timetable
08:30 Wolverhampton
13:10 Birkenhead
15:10 Wolverhampton
16:18 Banbury via Reading
16:34 Bicester (26 minute wait, then continued to Wolverhampton)
18:23 Wolverhampton
19:10 Wolverhampton
19:30 now terminated at Banbury
20:18 Leamington via Reading.

Motive power would be mostly Kings or Castles, but Halls or Counties might have also been used on some trains.

There was also a sparse local service between High Wycombe or Princes Risborough and Bicester or Banbury; most of the intermediate stations are now closed.

 

[Taunton]

Considering the potential implications of the first distant not being held at caution when the next box's Outer Home was still 'on'; of agree that the lack of interlocking is quite surprising.

A number of WR locations had very close signalboxes on high speed lines, and were worked in this way with special bell codes etc. At Taunton the three main line boxes at West Junction, West Station (in sight of the former) and East Junction were sufficiently close that the same applied, with the same arrangement of mechanical home and starter arms and battery-electric slotted distants on the same post. At 80mph the distant at the first had to be on if you were to be stopped by the third.

 

[hexagon789]

At 80mph the distant at the first had to be on if you were to be stopped by the third.

Almost like a 'triple' yellow in colour light terms then?

I must say I often find it somewhat unnerving that there were trains doing 80-90mph on some lines with nothing but the crews' wits to prevent an accident. A different world really.

 

[satisnek]

Thanks. The Wikipedia article says that the Virgin Paddington-Birmingham services continued to Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport. That triggered some dim memory. Do you know if there were Paddington services to all three of Manchester, Liverpool and Manchester Airport (my memory is only of Manchester) ? Do you know if there were any Birmingham terminators or were all longer distance services ?

I believe that the Paddington-Birmingham trains were incorporated into the Intercity Cross-Country network in the 1980s. There were already services via Birmingham and Reading to various destinations on the South Coast, so Paddington simply became another terminating point. As for services terminating at New Street, I have recently been watching a couple of the Globe Video 'Diesel and Electric Diaries' DVDs featuring scenes from Oxford, Didcot and Reading during the late 1980s, on which some trains are captioned as 'Paddington-Birmingham'. I've got an all-line timetable from that period somewhere - I'll have to dig it out...

 

[edwin_m]

Almost like a 'triple' yellow in colour light terms then?

More like a single yellow where the red might be in one of three places.

 

[BanburyBlue]

My reminisces from the late 70's....

When I first started going to Banbury Station (1976/77 I think - if you wanted to date it, it was after the HSTs were on the South Wales services, but before they were introduced into Cornwall and the West Country and the East Coast), the main pattern by then was Paddington, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street.

IIRC there were roughly 1 tph in each direction. I believe there was an early morning service that went via High Wycombe, and not sure about Northbound services, but assume the same? There was one service from Paddington that terminated at Banbury around 7 p.m. which I think was via High Wycombe. This was exciting because it was Class 50 hauled, and made a change from 47s. Again I think an occasional service went via Dorridge and Solihull, but perhaps only one a day?

Where I'm a bit more hazy is when Cross-Country services started. There was always a Newcastle train that went South around 10 a.m., but I can't remember its destination (Poole possibly?). Again I assume there must have been a corresponding Northbound service.

I do vaguely remember particularly Manchester and Liverpool to the South Coast, as we used to catch one to Crewe and back. Used to be electric to New Street, with a engine change there. I believe the North-West to South Coast services took over the Paddington to Birmingham paths, which I think ties in to some of the posts above?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Might be of interest.
June 1958 departures from Paddington travelling to Banbury or beyond (SX)
Via High Wycombe unless shown otherwise:

00:05 Birkenhead via Reading; conveyed sleepers.
07:05 Wolverhampton L.L. via Reading.
09:00 Wolverhampton L.L. ("The Inter City")
09:10 Birkenhead (Stratford upon Avon portion detached at Leamington Spa)
10:10 Aberystwyth & Pwllheli ("Cambrian Coast Express")
11:10 Birkenhead
14:10 Birkenhead
15:18 Wolverhampton via Reading
16:10 Birkenhead
16:34 Banbury
17:10 Wolverhampton (with slip carriage, stations from Bicester North to Banbury)
18:08 (FO) Wolverhampton
18:10 Birkenhead
19:30 Leamington via Reading
20:10 Shrewsbury ...

Fascinating.
Huge gap between 11.10 and 14.10 in departures. (I assume it meant the 14.10 was full, and the restaurant car did good trade!)
Were the three daytime trains via Reading Class 1 expresses, or some form of semi-fast?
I suspect the Bicester cut off was closed during the night, perhaps? Hence the sleeper sent via Reading - where it no doubt picked up more mail than it would have done at High Wycombe.

 

[70014IronDuke]

For a period in 1967 or 68 the attenuated Paddington-Birmingham New Street two-hourly service was diverted to Marylebone, due to reconstruction work at Paddington. I lived near Marylebone Station then, and remember Warship diesels being used.

Well, you are talking about a different era here altogether.
I know that Warships worked into Marylebone due to diversions from Paddington at times. I would only question whether you are certain these were Birmingham trains? I am not arguing, it's possible, only I have just never noticed any piccies of Warships on the former WR trains to Brum, neither in the early years (as first attested by Taunton) or later. And obviously, training up and equipping the men (both on the footplate and in depots) for new traction costs time-money. Not something you'd normally choose to do for a couple of months.

 

[MichaelAMW]

My reminisces from the late 70's....

IIRC there were roughly 1 tph in each direction. I believe there was an early morning service that went via High Wycombe, and not sure about Northbound services, but assume the same? There was one service from Paddington that terminated at Banbury around 7 p.m. which I think was via High Wycombe. This was exciting because it was Class 50 hauled, and made a change from 47s. Again I think an occasional service went via Dorridge and Solihull, but perhaps only one a day?

The via High Wycombe train ran via Solihull and called at Dorridge in both directions - according to my timetable archive. The train you saw terminate was (in 1979) the 1726 Paddington to Banbury via Reading, calling also at Didcot and Oxford, which I imagine was looped, to be followed 10 minutes later by the 1742 Paddington to Birmingham via Wycombe. In 1982 the via Wycombe was going to Manchester via Crewe, in 1984 the Banbury had gained stops at Tackley and Heyford, and by 1987 the via Wycombe was 1753 and terminated at Banbury, with a 1752 to Wolverhampton via Reading going beyond.

 

[big all]

about 1981-3 when i was route learning from reading to oxford to work the evening manchester to brighton from oxford to east croydon and afternoon back one day it was a peak [only time i ever cabbed a peak]on the pad to brum possibly around mid day the driver s duty was work brum to euston pass to padd then up to brum with another driver working the reverse
as an aside years ago there used to be a birkinhead that went reading via redhill and split for i think dover brighton and possibly eastbourn but that was long before i joined the railway in 1970