Railroving 1970s – 1990s

[Merthyr Imp]

East Midlands Rover Ticket 1994

Saturday 4th June 1994
A new development since my last bout of railroving had seen the opening of the Robin Hood Line to passenger services as far as Newstead the previous year, and towards the end of May 1994 Bulwell station had (re)-opened on it. This being just a few minutes walk from where I lived meant I was able to start and finish most of my journeyings from there.
So, for the first time in these notes I started with a service from Newstead (156414) 4 minutes late at 0711 to Nottingham, arrived 0720.
Then it was a service 4 minutes late at 0733 to Skegness (150015), arrived 3 minutes early at 0917.
I was due to return from Skegness at 1000, but as I remember, with a two-car Class 150 being a poor replacement for the ten or so coaches of the ‘Jolly Fishermen’ of yesteryear the 1000 was so overcrowded I couldn’t get on it.
The next service was little better, but I crammed onto the 1030 to Grantham (150120), arriving at 1150.
From there I got a service 15 minutes late at 1225 to Nottingham (158791), arriving 9 minutes late at 1252.Then it was a Crewe train (150202) at 1312 to Stoke, arrived 1432. I was back on schedule then with a Wolverhampton service (304017) at 1445 to Stone, arrived 1454. After my annual visit to my friends there I got a service from Coventry (323203) at 1640 back to Stoke, arrived 1649.
Then a Crewe to Skegness train (150015 again) 16 minutes late at 1801 to Nottingham, arrived 7 minutes late at 1915. Finishing with a Newstead service (156414 again) at 1932 to Bulwell, arrived 1941.

Not much to say about the Sunday, as for my usual visit to the Great Central at Loughborough there were not only no services on Sundays on the Robin Hood Line but a replacement bus service from Nottingham to Loughborough. So apart from my GCR trip my only rail journey was the return from Loughborough on board 158788.

Monday 6th June 1994
Started from Bulwell with a service from Newstead (156419) 4 minutes late at 0911 to Nottingham, arrived 0920.
Then a Liverpool to Norwich service (158852) at 0945 via Grantham to Peterborough, arrived 3 minutes early at 1048.
From Peterborough it was a King’s Cross to Leeds service (91009, Mk 4) at 1154 to Doncaster, arrived 4 minutes early at 1215.
Then a service from Manchester Piccadilly (158764) at 1341 to Cleethorpes, arrived 2 minutes late at 1459. I must have had fish & chips there before getting a Manchester Piccadilly service (158781) at 1607 to Meadowhall, arrived 1756. Got a tram into Sheffield and from there a service from Liverpool 38 minutes late at 1924 to Nottingham, arrived 49 minutes late at 2023. This was on a Metro-Cammell 2-car dmu so must have been substituting for a Class 158 or 156.
Then a Newstead service 5 minutes late at 2031 (156419 again) to Bulwell, arrived 4 minutes late at 2040.

Tuesday 7th June 1994
From some reason I started from Nottingham on this day, with the 0933 to St Pancras (HST, 43060 at front) to Leicester, arrived 0959.
Then a service 3 minutes late at 1134 to Stamford (158856), arrived 9 minutes late at 1222. Visited Robert Humm’s book shop then returned to Leicester at 1314 (158797), arrived 2 minutes late at 1357.
From Leicester I got a service from St Pancras 4 minutes late at 1445 (HST, 43085 at front) to Derby, arrived 1512.
Then the 1623 to Matlock (156404), arrived 2 minutes late at 1655. I returned to Derby at 1821 (156404 again), arriving at 1852.
Then back to Nottingham at 1920 (158840), arriving 2 minutes early at 1944.
Then a Newstead service (unusually, 158844) at 2026 to Bulwell, arriving at 2035.

Wednesday 8th June 1994
Started from Bulwell with a service from Newstead (156405) 5 minutes late at 0912 to Nottingham, arrived 2 minutes late at 0921.
Then a St Pancras service (HST, 43076 at front) at 0933 to Leicester, arrived 0959. Changed there to a Sheffield to St Pancras service (HST, 43085 at front) at 1030 to Bedford, arrived 7 minutes late at 1117. Bought a ticket to London, then got a Three Bridges service (319165) 4 minutes late at 1129 to King’s Cross Thameslink, arrived 2 minutes early at 1221.
Had my usual trip around the bookshops and returned on a service from Moorgate (319043) from King's Cross Thameslink at 1730 to Bedford, arrived 3 minutes late at 1831.
Then a St Pancras to Leeds train (HST, 43059 at front, 43074 at rear) at 1926 to Leicester, arrived 2 minutes early at 2012. Changed to a service from St Pancras (HST, 43061 at front) at 2046 to Nottingham, arrived 2 minutes early at 2110.
Then back home on a Newstead train (153335) 10 minutes late at 2140 to Bulwell, arrived 9 minutes late at 2149.

Thursday 9th June 1994
Once again from Bulwell it was a service from Newstead (156416) 6 minutes late at 0913 to Nottingham, arrived 3 minutes late at 0922.
Then a Birmingham train (158785) at 1001 to Tamworth, arrived 1055 where I bought a ticket to Birmingham and departed on a Nottingham to Cardiff service (156409) at 1123, arriving New Street at 1145. Went around the bookshops, then returned on:
A service from Cardiff (156406) 4 minutes late at 1521 to Nottingham, arrived 4 minutes early at 1627.
Then a Newstead service (156416 again) at 1736 to Bulwell, arrived 1746.

Friday 10th June 1994
And once again the train from Newstead was late – by 5 minutes from Bulwell at 0912. 156407 got me to Nottingham 2 minutes late at 0921.
Then it was a service from Coventry (153321) 11 minutes late at 0949 to Lincoln, arrived 5 minutes late at 1039.
From Lincoln, after a bit of shopping and some lunch it was a service from Peterborough (153321 again!) at 1402 to Doncaster, arrived 9 minutes early at 1453.
Then the 1515 to Sheffield (Metro-Cammell 2-car dmu), arrived 4 minutes early at 1551.
Left Sheffield on a Liverpool to Norwich service (158796) 2 minutes late at 1640 to Nottingham, arrived 2 minutes late at 1734.
Then back to Bulwell on a Newstead service (156414) at 1735, arriving back home at 1745.

Photos are of 156414 Newstead-bound at Bulwell and a couple of other views of the newly re-opened station. The platform where the unit is standing has of course since been replaced by the tram stop where the NET goes from two tracks to one to continue northwards.
Also, Sheffield tram 08 on the day I was there.

Class 156s were initially used on the Newstead services but were fairly soon replaced - and by the time I began commuting to work in Nottingham on them - by assorted two-car Class 150s augmented by a Class 153 on the peak journeys. Unless one was unavailable which meant 9 minutes standing.

 

[Cowley]

Interesting to see the photos of The Robin Hood line. It was big news back then, I'm ashamed to say I still haven't been on it.
A 150 is no substitute for a pair of 20s and ten mk1s that's for sure.

 

[Techniquest]

150s are no substitutes for HSTs on the Skegness summer specials either! Mind you I had the luxury of First Class on that occasion too!

I rather enjoyed that read, it still seems unreal now to think that the Nottingham to Worksop line was once closed. It's always been there while I've been into railways, so just the prospect of re-opening it seems slightly odd. If that makes sense! It's been fairly popular on the journeys I've done on that line, and I really must make an effort to get up there and visit all the stations.

Sheffield trams look so odd without the blue, red and orange colours all over them. Appreciated the photos too, as you can imagine it's been a while since I last saw Regional Railways' livery so it's been substituted for more modern liveries in my imagination.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

The thing about the Nottingham - Worksop line is that even when it was closed north of Annesley, between there and Nottingham it was still very heavily used by coal trains until the run-down of the coal industry. I'm not too sure of the history of the restoration of passenger services, but it may not even have been considered until it was possible to make it almost a passenger-only railway

For most of the 1970s and 80s I worked in an office overlooking the line just south of the junction with the Babbington Colliery branch and it seemed as if there were coal trains empty and full passing by every few minutes. As well as Babbington, in those days it served collieries at Newstead, Linby, Annesley and Hucknall plus the branch to Calverton. By the time passenger services were restored as far as Newstead, if I remember right there were just two trains a day each way to Calverton and they only lasted a few more years.

 

[Techniquest]

That post alone goes to show how much the railway has changed over the years. Coal trains are more or less extinct now aren't they? It sure seems like forever since regular 66-hauled rakes of HTAs went to/from Didcot, and I think pretty much all the coal trains up and down the Marches with Freightliner have finished now too.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Last instalment!

All-Line Railrover Ticket 1994

Saturday 3rd September 1994
A very long way round to attend a football match getting some black on the map on the way.
Too early for the Robin Hood Line so I started from Nottingham with a Liverpool service at 0635 (158855) to Warrington Central, arrived 2 minutes late at 0859.
Then it was a service from Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street at 0913 (150134) as far as Hunts Cross, arrived 0927. Changed there to a service to Southport (507027) at 0936 to Liverpool Central, arrived 2 minutes early at 0949.
Then a service from Moorfields (508103) at 0956 to West Kirby, arrived 1023.
Returned from there on a service to Liverpool Central (508122) at 1050 to Liverpool Lime Street, arrived 1119.
Then the 1137 via St Helens Central to Wigan North Western (150149), arrived 4 minutes early at 1215.
There was evidently some disruption as instead of my scheduled service at 1229 I instead got a service 25 minutes late at 1233 (86207, Mk 2f) to Preston. Don’t know what time I got there, but it would have been in plenty of time to unfortunately see Preston North End 4 Lincoln City 0.
I returned from Preston on a Euston service at 1721 (unidentified Class 86, Mk 2f), arriving at Crewe 2 minutes late at 1809. Then it was the 1834 to Nottingham (150102), arriving at 2018. Back home on a Newstead service (158853) 8 minutes late at 2034, arriving at Bulwell 6 minutes late at 2042.

Sunday 4th September 1994
As a change from a South Coast resort it was one on the Essex coast for my Sunday fish & chips this year – also to get some black on the map.
No Robin Hood Line services on a Sunday so I started from Nottingham with a service from Derby (HST, 43052) at 0820 to St Pancras, arrived 4 minutes early at 1055.
Round on the Circle Line to Liverpool Street for the 1132 (321342) to Colchester, arrived 1239. Changed there to the 1248 to Walton-on-the-Naze (321326), arriving 9 minutes late at 1347. I continued on the same unit which left 7 minutes late at 1350 on a Colchester service as far as Thorpe-le-Soken, arriving 7 minutes late at 1400.
Changed there to a service from Liverpool Street (321357) 5 minutes late at 1429 to Clacton, arrived 2 minutes late at 1435.
Left Clacton at 1549 (321319) to Liverpool Street, arrived 1725.
Then the Circle Line to King’s Cross for the 1800 to Edinburgh (91014, Mk 4) calling at Peterborough only, to Grantham, arrived 1 minute early at 1912.
Then a service from Skegness (156403) 3 minutes late at 1943, arrived Nottingham at 2020.

Monday 5th September 1994
Too early again for the Robin Hood Line, so it was a start from Nottingham again with the 0601 Coventry service (156407) as far as Nuneaton, arrived 3 minutes late at 0706.
Then what was practically a stopping service from Euston (87021, Mk 3) 6 minutes late at 0745 and which called at Tamworth, Lichfield, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle but still arrived at Glasgow Central 10 minutes early at 1202.
I then put some black on the map with the 1245 to Largs (318263), arrived 1346. Returned on the same unit on a Glasgow Central service at 1353 to Ardrossan South Beach, arriving at 1409.
I had my sandwiches there, then got a service from Glasgow Central (318267) at 1500 to Ardrossan Harbour, arrived 1507. Returned on the same unit from there at 1530 to Glasgow Central, arrived 5 minutes late at 1627.
Then it was a Euston service (87008, Mk 3) at 1700 to Crewe, this time calling only at Motherwell, Carlisle and Preston, arrived 7 minutes late at 2015.
Back to Nottingham on the 2030 (156414), arriving at 2217 – after Robin Hood Line services had finished, so bus home.

Tuesday 6th September 1994
I wasn’t too early to start with the first service of the day from Newstead – 156412 departing Bulwell 3 minutes late at 0710, arriving Nottingham on time at 0719.
Then it was the 0738 to St Pancras (HST, 43053 at rear), arriving at 0914.
Plenty of time to get to Waterloo for a Paignton service (159008) at 1035 as far as Basingstoke, arrived 1117. Changed there to a service from Reading to Portsmouth Harbour (159019) at 1127 to Fareham, arrived 1208.
Left Fareham on a Bournemouth to Victoria service (Class 421 emu no. 1867) at 1246 to Havant, arrived 1259.
I was due to return from there to Cosham on a service from Victoria and change there to a Bristol train, but owing to some late running I instead got a service which I assume had started from Brighton (158871) which left 22 minutes late at 1315 and got me to Bristol Temple Meads 10 minutes late at 1516. Although I was now 40 minutes ahead of schedule there was more late running with 150236 which left 11 minutes late at 1608 to Severn Beach, arriving there 8 minutes late at 1641. However, with plenty of turn-round time it left punctually at 1650 to get me back to Temple Meads 5 minutes late at 1733.
I left Bristol on a service from Plymouth (47810, Mk2f) 3 minutes late at 1807, calling only at Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham and Birmingham, to Derby, arrived 2038.
Then a service from Crewe (150124) at 2048, arrived Nottingham
6 minutes late at 2124. Still time to get the Newstead service at 2130 (153376) to Bulwell, arriving at 2140.

Wednesday 7th September 1994
Another early start meant a bus into town to what it took me many years to stop thinking of as Nottingham Midland station. Got a Grantham to Cardiff train (158856) at 0645 to Derby, arrived 0709.
Then a Bristol to Newcastle service (HST, 43193 front, 43178 rear) at 0740 to Darlington, arrived 0939. Changed there to a service from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn (142016) at 0954 to Middlesbrough, arriving 3 minutes late at 1021.
Then for some black on the map it was the 1036 to Whitby (142071), arrived 4 minutes early at 1201. Had a little walk around, then returned on the same unit which left 4 minutes late at 1252 back to Middlesbrough, arrived 2 minutes early at 1414.
Departed Middlesbrough on a service to Manchester Airport (158813) at 1521, to York, arrived 1614. Changed to a Newcastle to Kings Cross train (91030, Mk 4) at 1656 to Doncaster, arriving 2 minutes early at 1717.
Then a Leeds to Kings Cross service (91025, Mk 4) at 1740 to Newark North Gate, arrived 2 minutes early at 1808.
The familiar walk to Newark Castle for a Sleaford to Coventry service (153321) 3 minutes late at 1844 to Nottingham, arrived still 3 minutes late at 1914.
Then home to Bulwell at 1931 on board 156406, arriving at 1941.

Thursday 8th September 1994
This was a short day, which for some reason I didn’t record full details for.
Another early start, so it was from Nottingham on a service (HST, 43059 at front, 43073 rear) which left 40 minutes late at 0718, arrived at St Pancras 31 minutes late at 0903.
Round on the Circle Line to Liverpool Street for the 1005 (321366) to Wickford, arrived 1052. Changed there to the 1056 to Southminster (321308), arriving at 1122. Returned on the same unit at 1156 to Wickford, arriving at 1226.
Then it was back to Liverpool Street on a service (321439) 2 minutes late at 1244, arriving at 1331.
Returned to Nottingham from St Pancras at 1500 (HST, 43050 at rear), arriving 14 minutes late at 1702.
Then a Newstead service at 1736 to Bulwell (156415), arrived 1745.

Friday 9th September 1994
And yet again I was too early for the Robin Hood Line so this meant a start from Nottingham, 3 minutes late at 0648 (158846) all the way to Cardiff, arrived at 1028.
Earlier in the year I had begun writing to a pen-friend from Merthyr Tydfil, and as I was due to add the line there to the list of those travelled on it turned out to be very convenient when we decided to meet each other. First though she met me in Cardiff and we spent some time there before I got my black on the map by accompanying her back to Merthyr from Cardiff Central on a service from Penarth (143608) 3 minutes late at 1543, arriving at the Pearl of the Valleys 2 minutes early at 1637. No doubt she considered me even more eccentric than before when I got off the train, said goodbye, and got back on it again to depart at 1651, arriving back at Cardiff Central 3 minutes late at 1752.
From there it was a service to Birmingham (158871) at 1803, arriving 11 minutes late at 2021.
Then a Plymouth to Leeds train (HST, 43195 at front) 9 minutes late at 2107 non-stop to Derby, arriving still 9 minutes late at 2146. Back to Nottingham on a service from Crewe (156414) 2 minutes late at 2150, arriving at 2216, too late for the Robin Hood Line.

And that was to be my last-ever day of railroving, as one thing led to another and she preferred more orthodox kinds of holiday.

I think I did pretty well over the years, reaching most of the extremities of the network in England and Wales, including Holyhead and Fishguard although not Pembroke Dock. In Cornwall, though, I never made it past Liskeard but have since got as far as Bodmin. There were still a few short-ish bits of line I never managed – but, again, have since been over a few of them. If I’d continued, I think the Glasgow area would have featured quite a bit. On the other side of Scotland up to that time I’d never made it beyond Dundee or Perth.

It may be of interest to record a couple of holidays with my wife/wife-to-be. In September 1995 we went to Windermere, and with her travelling from Merthyr and me from Bulwell we rendezvoused at Manchester Piccadilly. From there we got a double Class 156 set which divided, I think at Preston with one unit going to Blackpool while ours continued to Windermere. On the return, we changed at Oxenholme from 156421 on the branch service to an HST as far as Crewe where we went our separate ways.

In March 1998 I made it beyond Perth when we went for our honeymoon split between Edinburgh and Inverness (see photo). It may be of interest to record our journeys:

Started with a Barry Island service (150269) from Merthyr Tydfil at 0744, arrived Cardiff Central at 0835.
With the option of changing at Bristol Parkway, Gloucester or Cheltenham to get to Edinburgh, I opted for the third of these to allow more time to make the connection. Something which seems strange these days is that we had no reserved seats for any of our journeys – I wouldn’t attempt such a thing nowadays!
From Cardiff we got a Nottingham train (158780) at 0900, arriving at Cheltenham 2 minutes early at 1006.
Then it was ‘The Devon Scot’, a Plymouth to Aberdeen service (HST, 43088 at front), which left 2 minutes late at 1036. I had planned on getting seats on the right hand side going up the West Coast main line in order to get the best view of the Lune Gorge, and we had no trouble in doing so (who needs reserved seats anyway!). I remember we had lunch from the buffet counter, including microwaved chips.
Calling points were Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Carlisle and Haymarket, and we arrived at Edinburgh 14 minutes early at 1551.
Our journey on to Inverness the following day was on board 158722, and while there we had a day trip to Kyle of Lochalsh (see photo) on 156474 both ways.
We returned to Edinburgh on ‘The Highland Chieftain’ (HST, 43106 at rear) – an 0940 departure, arriving at Edinburgh 2 minutes late at 1322.
The journey home from Edinburgh was on an Aberdeen to King’s Cross service (HST, 43117 at front) at 1030. Arrived at York 15 minutes late at 1321 we changed there to an HST (43162 at rear) which was waiting in a bay platform and was practically deserted when we boarded it well before departure time at 1407. With (if I remember right) a cheeseburger and microwaved chips again from the buffet for lunch this got us to Bristol Parkway 5 minutes late at 1753, then it was a Paddington to Swansea service (HST, 43036 at front) 23 minutes late at 1821 to Cardiff, arrived 17 minutes late at 1857.
Departure from there was on board 143606 4 minutes late at 1929 as far as Pontypridd, changing there to a Class 150/2, arriving at Merthyr 2026.

 

[Cowley]

That looked like a great last All-Line. 1994 was the last year I did one too, (thinking about it probably for similar reasons), I also went to Kyle of Lochalsh for the first time in 1998 and sat drinking beer on the quayside as the sun went down watching a sea otter swimming around.
I've enjoyed reading these Merthyr Imp and I thank you for sharing them.

 

[Techniquest]

Thank you so much for sharing all these adventures with us, it's been an excellent read all the way through. A lot of nostalgia for many of us, and a nice look into the past for the rest of us, myself included.

Stupid question no doubt, but I'm assuming your wife was the same girl from Merthyr? If so you must have made quite the impression on her!

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Stupid question no doubt, but I'm assuming your wife was the same girl from Merthyr?

Well, yes! Hence the phrase: '...one thing led to another...'!

Thanks, both, for the comments, and to anyone else who has stuck with the reports. Probably 1994 was a good time to finish them in terms of rolling stock interest and changes to services, as it was getting to be nothing but assorted Sprinters and HSTs.

 

[Techniquest]

I might have missed that 'one thing led to another' comment as I was very tired reading it last night

I'd say now is one of the more exciting times to be an enthusiast with so many big changes coming up around the country. Whether most of the big changes will prove to be at all interesting remains to be seen. I'm not expecting to get excited about the 800s for example. However things like CrossRail are certainly exciting! Even on the Tube, in the coming years there will be fleets of brand new trains arriving on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines, so the time to appreciate the in-a-way heritage lines is here and now.

Anyway, thank you again for your trip reports. I'm going to start re-reading the whole series again in the coming days!

 

[Cowley]

I've found it interesting noting the changes through the years, some I remember and some that were before my time.
Good stuff.

 

[nickleics]

I echo all of the earlier comments; I've very much enjoyed reading this thread, and indeed I've been subscribed to it daily in order not to miss an update. Sad that it has come to an end! Thank you for sharing.

Nick

 

[fowler9]

Great read Merthyr. I miss those days.