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I remember this originating as a joke told by a comedian around the 1970s, but cannot recall which one. In the style of Chinese whispers this became a "real story".

In the 1980s there was a working FO, headcode 1M22, from somewhere in the Western, that brought a WR steam-heat class 47 through to Man Piccadilly. Not much gen in those days, so a fair few turned up at Stockport each Friday about 1730, to see what turned up.

Ticketing was not totally problem free in BR days. I remember buying a Manchester to Glasgow monthly return (cheaper than the standard return). I wanted to leave the train at Motherwell to look round the shed, and as we were approaching there the guard came round collecting all the Glasgow...

Not diesels, but worth mentioning that 92021/45/6 have never done any passenger AFIK.

A few months ago I saw a reprint of a magazine from the 1950s, detailing how the Southern Region dealt with severe floods (possibly 1953). Diversions were made via various inland routes (away from the coast), and these took drivers away from their areas of route knowledge. Pilots were provided...

The biggest problem in BR days was trying to run a railtour on Saturdays from May to September, as the standard reply was "no stock available".

Having had haulage by 43 of the class, I am reasonably sure that 92021, 92045 & 92046 never worked railtours. Are there any known instances of one or more of these three hauling passenger trains in emergency (rescues etc)?

I had many cab rides on the 37s banking the sleeper from Bromsgrove, and we were never coupled, simply dropping back at Blackwell.

The up train photo on 17/03/62 seems to show a fairly shiny smokebox door, unlike the photo at Euston platform 1.

I have looked through Chris Coates' book of 1962 main daytime sightings, but this is only for Saturdays , and I have not got the equivalent 1961 book. 46236 is shown as going back North on several dates, any of which could be relevant to the photo. 1305 Euston to Perth (as far as Carlisle) on...

How about the shot being in early summer, so still sunlit at 2129? This would offer the Miday Scot (1330 GLC) arr 2100, or the Red Rose (1725 LLS) arr 2130. My money would be on the former, for a 12B loco.

I have limited notes for the first half of 1961, and these show that the Sheffield Mid to Manchester Central trains were still steam. I noted the train from Sheff to Man arriving about 0915 a couple of times, behind 61152 (41A Darnall) on 13/03/61,and 45594 (41C Millhouses) on 21/04/61. At the...

As a slight deviation from original post, in 2004 I was returning from BHM to CRE via Nuneaton to ride the new layout there (platforms 6 and 7). I realised I would need to go to Hinckley to complete this, so on leaving Nuneaton I went to find the guard and offered to pay the excess. When he...

I was on that last FO working behind 70013, but it cannot have been via Hudd, as I got off at Rochdale.

I had the Scottish breakfast last year. Even though I turned up at my booked time, the breakfast was dried up and horrible. I was not offered any extras like juice or toast. I did request a second cup of tea, to the obvious amazement of the server, but he did bring one.

Thanks Magdalia, I did check the sources you mention before posting, but this level of detail would not usually be mentioned at the time. It was so common as to be not worth a mention (not just at Waterloo).

I know this is very mch a long shot, but has anybody got notes of the departure from Waterloo? The front-end power was 31791+31639, but was the train helped on departure by the ecs loco, and if so what was it? I know that such assistance was not unusual at the time. TIA for any help on this.

I have always found Prestatyn office very helpful, especially in buying obscure rover/ranger tickets they have never heard of. It only went wrong once, when I wanted a Cumbrian Day Ranger, and they gave me the Cambrian one. I can easily understand the confusion in this case, and it was promptly...

I had D5716 on a Man Vic to Barrow on 11/01/64, and I think that was normal at the time.

Did BR have insurance cover for collision damage? If so, repairing 45274 may have cost them nothing.