Inter City train overtaken at Huntingdon

[Harlesden]

Apologies for the thread title but I was a bit stumped for a short snappy title.
Much older acquaintance tells me that there was a time when a King's Cross-Cleethorpes train calling at Huntingdon was scheduled to be overtaken at that pont by a faster service heading to Yorkshire and beyond.
Was there really ever a time when one main line train could overtake another on what is now the East Coast Main Line?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't know about the ECML, but it does occur at MKC at certain times of day, I believe - an IC train stops in platform 5 and another overtakes in platforms 4/6.

 

[ac6000cw]

The south end of the ECML is four tracks from London to Huntingdon (except for the short Welwyn tunnel and viaduct section), then three tracks to Peterborough, then four tracks to Stoke Tunnel (just south of Grantham).

So there is plenty of scope for overtaking if required. The likeliest place for 'express train' overtakes at the south end of the route is probably Peterborough, since a reasonable number of trains run non-stop through there on the fast lines e.g. all of the GC and HT services, plus some VTEC.

 

[Haywain]

Overtaking happens regularly at Doncaster, and can happen at Retford and Peterborough. It also happens at Darlington where the up Flying Scotsman passes the preceding (stopping) Newcastle departure.

 

[lordbusiness]

I spent many happy hours spotting at Huntingdon in the late 70's. Unfortunately my memory can't recall any overtaking but it would certainly have been possible with a Up and Down fast and slow.
I recall most of our Inter City stoppers were either Cleethorpes, York or possibly Leeds semi fasts, usually 47 hauled. I would have thought a Deltic or HST could have caught one up out of KGX.
I imagine dwell times must have been longer then, given that a lot of mail and parcels were routinely unloaded.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Crewe is another place where overtaking can occur.

On a side note, there's no sign yet on if new Cleethorpes to London trains will be approved. Alliance Rail said they haven't heard anything, the DfT redirected me to ORR who ignored my question.

 

[Ianno87]

I don't know about the ECML, but it does occur at MKC at certain times of day, I believe - an IC train stops in platform 5 and another overtakes in platforms 4/6.

The only *planned* such move is the Up London Midland via Weedon that calls at MKC around 0855, I believe, overtaken by an Up Pendo. Does happen much more regularly on an unplanned basis when things are running out of sequence, particularly in the Up direction, when an MK stopper is immediately preceding a non-stopper.

On the WCML, there are several instances of VT services overtaking each other in the peaks:
The xx33 from Euston calls at Rugby and Stafford, where it is overtaken by the xx40 (non-stop to Crewe)

The xx57 from Euston calls at Tamworth and Lichfield on the Slow Line, whilst being overtaken by the following xx00 (and, I think, xx07) on the Fast Line.

 

[1D53]

There are some oddities between Piccadilly and Stockport. There are occasions when Voyagers run on the Slow lines and can be overtaken by Pacers on the fasts!

 

[Bald Rick]

Used to happen routinely, northbound in the morning peak, in the mid 2000s. An Edinburgh train would overtake an HST on Stoke Bank; the latter on a Leeds I think.

 

[30907]

Apologies for the thread title but I was a bit stumped for a short snappy title.
Much older acquaintance tells me that there was a time when a King's Cross-Cleethorpes train calling at Huntingdon was scheduled to be overtaken at that pont by a faster service heading to Yorkshire and beyond.

In the pre-HST era, class 1 services were quite varied in their timing load, from class 31 plus 8 (perhaps on a Cleethorpes!) to class 55 plus 8. Those were the extremes, admittedly, but it shows how overtaking might have been routine.

 

[edwin_m]

The xx15 London-Nottingham usually overtakes the preceding Corby train between Wellingborough and Kettering, and over the years there have been various timetabled overtakes using the slow line at different places between Kettering and Sharnbrook.

 

[neilmc]

Yes. I recall going for a job interview in Southampton around 1979/80, and on returning to Leeds from Kings Cross I decided to catch a Deltic-hauled train bound for Hull or York or Cleethorpes which ran ten minutes before the last Leeds train - I figured this would be my last chance to ride behind a Deltic in BR service, and I could hop on to the Leeds train at Peterborough. Except the Deltic stood in Stevenage station whilst the Leeds HST passed by on the fast line. Whoops.

Fortunately there was a late stopper from Doncaster to Leeds and I rolled home after midnight.

 

[30907]

Just had a glance at the Feb 1980 Cook's, and there was a 1935 KGX-Hull hauled (Deltic plus 8?) which called at Huntingdon and was overtaken by the 1950 Leeds and later by the 1955FO Newcastle (both HSTs).
The Huntingdon stop was standard on the 2-hourly East Coast "slows" in those days.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

I spent many happy hours spotting at Huntingdon in the late 70's. Unfortunately my memory can't recall any overtaking but it would certainly have been possible with a Up and Down fast and slow.
I recall most of our Inter City stoppers were either Cleethorpes, York or possibly Leeds semi fasts, usually 47 hauled. I would have thought a Deltic or HST could have caught one up out of KGX.
I imagine dwell times must have been longer then, given that a lot of mail and parcels were routinely unloaded.

Between 1977 and 1981 I often travelled Inter-City to Huntingdon from West Yorkshire and from memory would sometimes change at Doncaster for a stopper to Huntingdon (Retford, Newark, Grantham, P'boro). I didn't pay a great deal of attention at the time but often these trains were Deltic hauled, having been displaced by the HST's. I would have thought that it was quite normal for them to be overtaken.

 

[lordbusiness]

Between 1977 and 1981 I often travelled Inter-City to Huntingdon from West Yorkshire and from memory would sometimes change at Doncaster for a stopper to Huntingdon (Retford, Newark, Grantham, P'boro). I didn't pay a great deal of attention at the time but often these trains were Deltic hauled, having been displaced by the HST's. I would have thought that it was quite normal for them to be overtaken.

We certainly picked more Deltic stoppers once the HST came on line. ISTR one early morning HST stopper as well (to KGX) although can't remember one in the other direction in the evening . Of course that ended once electrification arrived and the 312's appeared which was the end of Inter City at Huntingdon.

My favourite train for London spotting trips was (I think) an 0805 ex PBO that stopped at Huntingdon and St Neots only, getting to London about 0905. A CL 31 and Mk1's.....happy days.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

My favourite train for London spotting trips was (I think) an 0805 ex PBO that stopped at Huntingdon and St Neots only, getting to London about 0905. A CL 31 and Mk1's.....happy days.

Yes, I think I remember that one...I lived in St Neot's until 1973 and when visiting my parents over the next decade would sometimes go to London. I believe it was the first time there was a train non-stop from St Neot's to London.
Whilst my memory is working, I recall heading off to London with my father for some reason or another on the first train of the day from St Neot's (a P'boro Kings X) and was very surprised to find a Deltic with a suburban set. I wasn't interested in diesels at the time as they had displaced the steam that was far more interesting to me, but I knew enough to know that it was unusual! It has stuck in my memory because it seemed to have so much unleashed power on that very light train!