Continuing gaps in my memory - Class 20s and Class 56s, circa 1979

[Raspberry_Horn]

Hi all, yet again struggling to fill the gaps... I have distinct recollections of seeing around this time a) twinned up Class 20s on coal or freight duties and b) Class 56s, presumably on freight... but can't really recall the locations. I'd have done a bit of travelling on Western Region (Totnes, Reading, up to Worcester), and also Eastern, Kings Cross to York (hauled by a Deltic, oooeee!). Any feedback welcomed!

 

[edwin_m]

You'd have seen 56s by the dozen on MGR coal workings in Yorkshire around that time, but I don't think they hauled much else. On the Western maybe working to Didcot power station, which I think was fed from the Midlands via Oxford at the time.

 

[Cowley]

You'd have seen 56s by the dozen on MGR coal workings in Yorkshire around that time, but I don't think they hauled much else. On the Western maybe working to Didcot power station, which I think was fed from the Midlands via Oxford at the time.

Also on the western around Westbury on stone trains by then maybe?
Not 20s around there though, although they did go to Gloucester and Severn Tunnel Junction at times I believe.

 

[Ash Bridge]

You mention Toton so I would have thought that would have been a definate for sighting a pair of 20s on Merry-go-Round coal workings, perhaps occasionally but much less common at Didcot power station.

Oops, I see you didn't mention Toton and it was actually Totnes, my apologies.....an appointment with Specsavers will be duly made this morning.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

1979 is rather a long time ago now... so my recollections may not be 100% accurate.

Class 20s, apart from a small batch in Scotland, worked mostly around the coalfields of both the East and West Midlands. Appearances on the Western Region were decidedly uncommon though as mentioned upthread they did get to Gloucester and Severn Tunnel Junction every now and again. I do not recall them getting to Didcot though it's by no means impossible. On the ECML the most likely sightings would have been on steel workings from Scunthorpe at both Doncaster and York.

Class 56 at this time was still a new type and construction was ongoing. Indeed Doncaster works would have been filled with them in various states of construction/remediation so passing through Doncaster you could certainly have expected to see one or more parked in the sidings next to the station. Again it has been mentioned that they eventually became very common on merry-go-round services around Yorkshire though whether this was true in 1979 I'm not so sure. East Midlands coal workings were their earliest stronghold. Workings to Didcot power station were possible but I think these came later. They would eventually also become common on Westbury area aggregates workings as well as various steel-related trains in South Wales but I think 1979 would have been too early for either of these. In short 1979 was early in their career so they were not all that widespread as yet especially when you consider that the first 30 that were built in Romania took many months of rectification work to bring them up to a reasonable standard of reliability.

 

[Taunton]

The 56 were indeed applied early to the Westbury stone trains to London, where in the 1970s the quarries, which had always been there, mushroomed from small places which tripped a few wagons at a time through Westbury yard to the mega businesses.

Initial power for these bulk trains was Westerns, some of their last duties, but as they were withdrawn it was realised (though not at BR HQ) that a Class 47 was distinctly inferior in capability, and there were continuing delays to WofE expresses, and also on the relief lines beyond Reading. The Class 56 had significant performance improvements.

 

[Jack2015]

A number of 56's were allocated to Cardiff around 1979 to pick up the Steel trains between Swansea Port Talbot and Llanwern. Saw a few of them venture to Bristol Bath Road on weekends.