Missing Route Gen 1989

[03_179]

Afternoon one and all,

on 14th May 1989 I was on a train from Edinburgh Waverley to York.

I have listed it on my log as: Diverted from Newcastle to Darlington via Pewlaw Jn.

Now Here's the questions:

1. Would the route be Newcastle via Pewlw Jn, Sunderland, Hartlepool?

2. What would have been the route from that line along the coast to Darlington?

3. I am fairly sure the train had to reverse at Darlington, does that sound right?

4. I know the traction 43085 & 43154 but what would have been the headcode we would have left Edinburgh at about 1000?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me

p.s. I have the miles 208m 20ch (calculated on the day using those old A6 sized Miles and Chains books)

 

[jfollows]

Afternoon one and all,

on 14th May 1989 I was on a train from Edinburgh Waverley to York.

4. I know the traction 43085 & 43154 but what would have been the headcode we would have left Edinburgh at about 1000?

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me

p.s. I have the miles 208m 20ch (calculated on the day using those old A6 sized Miles and Chains books)

On Sunday 14 May 1989 (it kind of helps to know the day of the week!) there were HST departures from Edinburgh
1E04 09:15 to King's Cross
1E05 09:30 to King's Cross
1E06 10:10 to King's Cross

however, the timetable may have been amended because of your diversion, it's not a booked route in the WTT.


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2024 ==

You may well have used the Leamside Line (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leamside_line) from Pelaw Junction to rejoin the ECML at Tursdale Junction and continue without reversal to Darlington. But if you had to reverse at Darlington it's more likely then that you took the route you mention via Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton, Eaglescliffe.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2024 ==

York to Edinburgh excluding the Darlington to Newcastle segment is 168m 46ch I calculate ( could be wrong) so you need to find 39m 54ch for the segment distance. The current GBPTT shows 41.75 miles for Newcastle to Stockton via Hartlepool so this is too long a distance by the time you add on Stockton-Darlington distance as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2024 ==

The Leamside line (per Wikipedia) is 21 miles, so it might match your distance calculation better. But you'd better do your own sums rather than trust mine!
EDIT Main line mileages attached in WTT extract

 

[03_179]

On Sunday 14 May 1989 (it kind of helps to know the day of the week!) there were HST departures from Edinburgh
1E04 09:15 to King's Cross
1E05 09:30 to King's Cross
1E06 10:10 to King's Cross

however, the timetable may have been amended because of your diversion, it's not a booked route in the WTT.

Yes of course sorry.
I'd been up to Edinburgh for the night with the wife.

You may well have used the Leamside Line (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leamside_line) from Pelaw Junction to rejoin the ECML at Tursdale Junction and continue without reversal to Darlington. But if you had to reverse at Darlington it's more likely then that you took the route you mention via Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton, Eaglescliffe.

Yep, there was a reversal as had to have some upheaval as she can only face forward (Travel sickness)

York to Edinburgh excluding the Darlington to Newcastle segment is 168m 46ch I calculate ( could be wrong) so you need to find 39m 54ch for the segment distance. The current GBPTT shows 41.75 miles for Newcastle to Stockton via Hartlepool so this is too long a distance by the time you add on Stockton-Darlington distance as well.

The Leamside line (per Wikipedia) is 21 miles, so it might match your distance calculation better. But you'd better do your own sums rather than trust mine!
EDIT Main line mileages attached in WTT extract

I'll give the mileages a work out using Railmiles and my books again.
I'm fairly sure it was via the Hartlepool line but I wasn't 100%.

Thanks for your help gives me a lot to think about

 

[jfollows]

Yes of course sorry.
I'd been up to Edinburgh for the night with the wife.

Yep, there was a reversal as had to have some upheaval as she can only face forward (Travel sickness)

I'll give the mileages a work out using Railmiles and my books again.
I'm fairly sure it was via the Hartlepool line but I wasn't 100%.

Thanks for your help gives me a lot to think about

Great, glad to be able to help.
I also think I have
Newcastle-Pelaw Junction 3m 43ch
Pelaw Junction-Tursdale Junction 18m 26ch
Tursdale Junction-Darlington 14m 63ch
from an old Quail map so this seems too short for your mileage by a bit (205m 18ch?)
but, again, I wouldn't rely on these calculations.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2024 ==

Also note from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leamside_line

In the late-1980s the line was used at weekends for East Coast Main Line trains that were diverted due to electrification of the line between Newcastle and Darlington, especially in 1989 to avoid Durham when there was a major remodeling of the track through Durham station.

 

[DarloRich]

Now Here's the questions:

1. Would the route be Newcastle via Pewlw Jn, Sunderland, Hartlepool?

Yes ( as you mention the reversal you must have run via the coast - had you not mentioned the reversal I would have suggested you ran via the Leamside line )

This may well have been caused by ECML electrification works - there were all kinds of diversions at that time.

I did the coast, Leamside, Stillington ( maybe a false memory) and changed from a north bound IC onto an Eaglescliffe > Darlo shuttle to avoid the IC train having to do a double reverse at massive time loss. That train also ran over the branch to Northallerton that was rare in those days.

2. What would have been the route from that line along the coast to Darlington?

Sunderland > Stockton > Eaglescliffe > Darlo

3. I am fairly sure the train had to reverse at Darlington, does that sound right?

yes - if you ran via the route suggested

 

[Royston Vasey]

Could the reversal you remember possibly have been at Newcastle, to take the High Level Bridge towards Pelaw? There was and remains a route out of the west end of the station, south over the King Edward Bridge and then heading east alongside what was then Gateshead TMD. However Pelaw is usually accessed via the east end and would require a reversal if so.

This has jogged memories of childhood weekends spotting the HST diversions on the Leamside line during ECML electrification!

 

[Harvester]

York to Edinburgh excluding the Darlington to Newcastle segment is 168m 46ch I calculate ( could be wrong) so you need to find 39m 54ch for the segment distance. The current GBPTT shows 41.75 miles for Newcastle to Stockton via Hartlepool so this is too long a distance by the time you add on Stockton-Darlington distance as well.

The Leamside line (per Wikipedia) is 21 miles, so it might match your distance calculation better.

Edinburgh-Newcastle is 124.5 miles, Newcastle-Eaglescliffe (via the Durham coast) is 44.75 miles, Eaglescliffe-Darlington is 8.75 miles and Darlington-York is 44 miles. The total of 222 miles is much too long! However many Sunday diversions went via Leamside to Ferryhill, then Sedgefield-Norton W-S junctions-Stockton, which corresponds to the logged milage.

 

[jfollows]

Edinburgh-Newcastle is 124.5 miles, Newcastle-Eaglescliffe (via the Durham coast) is 44.75 miles, Eaglescliffe-Darlington is 8.75 miles and Darlington-York is 44 miles. The total of 222 miles is much too long! However many Sunday diversions went via Leamside to Ferryhill, then Sedgefield-Norton W-S junctions-Stockton, which corresponds to the logged milage.

Well done! Also requires the reversal in Darlington previously mentioned.
Area map from around the time attached.
(S K Baker Rail Atlas of Britain second edition 1978 with my annotations)
EDIT I make it 206m 52ch but that seems close enough, and I probably used the wrong route out of Newcastle (High Level Bridge) whereas the one used is more likely to have been the King Edward VII Bridge.

 

[03_179]

Thank you everyone.

 

[30907]

EDIT I make it 206m 52ch but that seems close enough, and I probably used the wrong route out of Newcastle (High Level Bridge) whereas the one used is more likely to have been the King Edward VII Bridge.

Yes, otherwise 5here would have been another reversal!

 

[DarloRich]

Well done! Also requires the reversal in Darlington previously mentioned.
Area map from around the time attached.
(S K Baker Rail Atlas of Britain second edition 1978 with my annotations)
EDIT I make it 206m 52ch but that seems close enough, and I probably used the wrong route out of Newcastle (High Level Bridge) whereas the one used is more likely to have been the King Edward VII Bridge.

That is a blast from the past - some names shown in that extract that are LONG gone

 

[jfollows]

That is a blast from the past - some names shown in that extract that are LONG gone

Yes, it’s the one I’ve always scribbled in and highlighted lines I’ve travelled over since I bought it ….

 

[03_179]

I have all the Bakers Books ... ebay etc. a lovely source.
I even managed a decent copy of the 1977 version!

Yes, it’s the one I’ve always scribbled in and highlighted lines I’ve travelled over since I bought it ….

How do you highlight new lines (Tweedbank etc.) ?

 

[jfollows]

I have all the Bakers Books ... ebay etc. a lovely source.
I even managed a decent copy of the 1977 version!


How do you highlight new lines (Tweedbank etc.) ?

Badly drawn by me, although this particular line isn’t one I’ve been over yet!

 

[DarloRich]

Yes, it’s the one I’ve always scribbled in and highlighted lines I’ve travelled over since I bought it ….

You need to get your finger out! LOTS of lines missing: Weardale, Wensleydale, Bishop Auckland, Saltburn & I assume Boulby! Call yourself an enthusiast

I will give you Cornforth mind! Assume that was a tour.

 

[jfollows]

You need to get your finger out! LOTS of lines missing: Weardale, Wensleydale, Bishop Auckland, Saltburn & I assume Boulby! Call yourself an enthusiast

I will give you Cornforth mind! Assume that was a tour.

Must have been .... I sort of remember a DMU tour which covered a few of them, probably late 1970s or very early 1980s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jan 2024 ==

Most of my "interesting track bashing" ended in the early 1980s but at least I've kept the books I had at the time ....

 

[DarloRich]

Must have been .... I sort of remember a DMU tour which covered a few of them, probably late 1970s or very early 1980s.

I never managed it - the last excursion trains ran in the early 90's (?) but they didn't seem to pick up in the NE.

There was also a line towards Trimdon Grange/Colliery but that doesn't appear on your extract and i swear it lasted longer than the others! Perhaps that was the East Hetton/Kelloe line shown on the map.