Timetable oddies from the 1970s/80s

[Shimbleshanks]

No. 1
Many years ago, in the 1970s I think and possibly later, there was a note in the public timetable to the effect that a certain late-night train on the Carlisle-Newcastle line stopped at one of the stations to set down passengers from Northern Ireland, provided you telephoned somewhere before a certain time.

Why was this and why did it only apply to passengers from NI? Wouldn't treating the station as a normal request stop have sufficed? Was it something to do with servicemen returning from Ulster to barracks in the vicinity?

No. 2
On the Mid-Wales line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth there are a number of closed stations, several of them where there were (possibly still are) passing loops where trains are booked to cross each other on the single line.

One year, I forget when but have a feeling it was round about 1980, a number these closed halts got listed in a footnote in the public timetable as calling points in the public timetable. Was it a computer glitch, or a mischief-maker in the timetable office perhaps?

 

[IanD]

I remember both of these. Can't find my timetables from the period but I think the Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth stops were Newtown and Caersws (which are both open now so I could be wrong!- can't find an opening date for either.) Always wondered how to pronounce Caersws (and the majority of stations West thereof!)

 

[pitdiver]

I remember both of these. Can't find my timetables from the period but I think the Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth stops were Newtown and Caersws (which are both open now so I could be wrong!- can't find an opening date for either.) Always wondered how to pronounce Caersws (and the majority of stations West thereof!)

Caersws is pronounced like this "care seuce. The second word pronounced like the word deuce in tennis.

 

[flymo]

No. 1
Many years ago, in the 1970s I think and possibly later, there was a note in the public timetable to the effect that a certain late-night train on the Carlisle-Newcastle line stopped at one of the stations to set down passengers from Northern Ireland, provided you telephoned somewhere before a certain time.

Why was this and why did it only apply to passengers from NI? Wouldn't treating the station as a normal request stop have sufficed? Was it something to do with servicemen returning from Ulster to barracks in the vicinity?

This was only for Hexham and Haltwhistle on the timetable shown below from May 74 to May 75. No idea as to the reasons why. Staffing???

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I remember both of these. Can't find my timetables from the period but I think the Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth stops were Newtown and Caersws (which are both open now so I could be wrong!- can't find an opening date for either.) Always wondered how to pronounce Caersws (and the majority of stations West thereof!)

I think Newtown and Caersws have always been open. The places in question included places like Westbury Buttington, Abermule, Cemmaes Road etc.

Kayer-sous would be fair approximation of the pronunciation. Just remember that the 'w' in Welsh is a 'oo' or 'ou' sound and a lot of baffling consonant combinations start to make sense. Caer is the Welsh word for fort, so it crops up a fair number of times in place names. Sws is possibly short for Swswen, an old queen (so to speak).
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This was only for Hexham and Haltwhistle on the timetable shown below from May 74 to May 75. No idea as to the reasons why. Staffing???

View attachment 10655 View attachment 10656

Ah, doesn't memory play tricks? It was in both directions and it was Haltwhistle AND Hexham. As these were the only intermediate stops on the service, could it have been anything to do with diversions for engineering work?

Was there some sort of obligation to provide a link to/from Northern Ireland and there was a need to provide a road link (taxi presumably) if the train was diverted - hence the need to make arrangements beforehand?

Though a rail diversion between Carlisle and Newcastle seems pretty mind-boggling - via Carstairs and Edinburgh I presume. Surely it would have been easier to lay on a substitute bus down the main road, which goes virtually through both towns.

 

[flymo]

Looking a little further into the 74/75 timetable, these trains connected into or from the Euston - Stranraer seated / sleeper service at Carlisle. The down Stranraer left Carlisle at around 02:00 arr Stranraer 05:59 and the up was at Carlisle around 02:25 - 02:40.