31101 Glasgow Central

[Efini92]

I was not even aware of 31101's infiltration, and was also a Controller in Glasgow, from 1984. The only 31 I ever had on the WCML, unaccountably I did not record the details, was when a Down freight damaged the overheads somewhere between Carlisle and Lockerbie. The only loco available at Carlisle for an Edinburgh-bound train was a 31, which worked the train (slowly!) via a reversal at Carstairs, from where I took a bus to Lanark for a train home towards Glasgow. I'm not even sure what year this was, possibly 1986-87.

Is that the loco that they cut the pantograph off and left in the cess about halfway up beatock? In the winter months you can still see it.

 

[BeijingDave]

The former, in the days before splitting at Carstairs ended on most cross-country trains up the northern WCML, it also had a Glasgow portion.

It started in 1983 IIRC, combining a Paddington-Oxford-Birmimgham with a Birmingam-Scotland.

Paddington to Edinburgh (and IIRC Manchester and Liverpool), workings survived into the early 2000s.

If the Paddington services never called at Warrington, then that's why I am probably unaware of them.

Thanks

 

[Falcon1200]

Is that the loco that they cut the pantograph off and left in the cess about halfway up beatock?

IIRC it was a loose wagon sheet flapping about which had damaged the overheads - We saw the culprit freight arrive, slowly, while standing, detrained, at Lockerbie. Whatever the damage was, it was not serious enough to prevent the Down line being opened later for diesel traction, hence the Class 31 haulage!

 

[hexagon789]

If the Paddington services never called at Warrington, then that's why I am probably unaware of them.

Thanks

I'm afraid I'm not sure on that, I'd need to check a timetable.

 

[Helvellyn]

That was a later development. In the mid 1980s Glasgow to Euston was every 2 hours and roughly on the opposite hour there was a Glasgow & Edinburgh to Preston service which then went to such diverse places as Harwich, Penzance and Paddington with the last departure of the day being to Manchester &Liverpool.

Electrics (generally class 86) between Glasgow/Carstairs and either Preston (for services to Harwich or Manchester/Liverpool) or Birmingham (the rest).

Slightly later development was addition of the Sussex and Wessex Scots to/from the south coast? Followed by something of a dogs dinner in the early Virgin era.

From memory I think the Glasgow-Paddington was the circa 1620 departure? Southbound it was something like 1020 Penzance, 1220 Harwich, 1420 Birmingham, 1620 Paddington and 1820 Manchester/Liverpool?

The various 'Scot' services were running by the mid-1980s:

• Wessex Scot: Glasgow/Edinburgh - Poole
• Sussex Scot: Glasgow/Edinburgh - Brighton (Eastbourne on Summer Saturdays)
• Devon Scot: Glasgow/Aberdeen - Plymouth
• Cornish Scot: Glasgow/Edinburgh- Penzance
• Unnamed: Glasgow/Edinburgh - Paignton (why they didn't go for Torbay Scot I don't know)

There was also a shortlived Glasgow/Edinburgh - Cardiff, which was The Principality Southbound and The Caledonian Northbound.

The ending of portion working at the Scottish end also saw the Sussex Scot sent via Manchester and an existing Manchester-Poole extended back to Scotland to give a second Poole service.

Regarding Paddington there was also for a few years a Saturday only Paddington-Carlisle that used NSE coaches from the Thames Valley services, which returned South on a Sunday as the first train of the day (Carlisle Paddington).

 

[Harpo]

Regarding Paddington there was also for a few years a Saturday only Paddington-Carlisle that used NSE coaches from the Thames Valley services, which returned South on a Sunday as the first train of the day (Carlisle Paddington).

Hull was probably the most obscure destination for a regular train from Paddington. It was obviously several services rolled into one.