1980 East Coast working.

[Mugby]

Looking at the 1980 timetable, I noticed an interesting M-F working.

A train left Kings Cross at 2300 stopping at most stations until Doncaster where it divided.
One portion then went to Halifax calling at Wakefield Kirkgate. Presumably it turned off at Hare Park Junction and went via Kirkgate so that it was pointing the right way for Horbury and beyond.

The other portion was for Leeds and Bradford. It ran non-stop to Leeds and this part interests me, why not call at Wakefield Westgate as normal?
Presumably Wakefield passengers were told to use the other portion and I'm guessing that this portion didn't run via Wakefield. Was it routed to enter Leeds fom the east so that no run round was necessary before continuing to Bradford?

This was before the Selby diversion so there was no Hambleton Jcn. The only route I can see it could have taken was via Selby and the west curve.

Does anyone know if this was the case?

 

[ainsworth74]

It ran non-stop to Leeds and this part interests me, why not call at Wakefield Westgate as normal?

I would imagine that it didn't for much the same reasons that the present day 2330 doesn't. It enables the portion to take any route it can to get to Leeds which is useful if there's late night engineering or to enable it to take weird and wonderful routes to aid in route knowledge retention.

 

[IanD]

Although in the timetable I recall it appeared as if it went via Leeds to Bradford, I thought this service split into a Leeds portion and a Halifax/Bradford portion. I always planned to use it on London trip but could never convince my dad or any of my mate's dad's to come and collect us at 3am from Bradford Interchange (or stump up for a taxi which was beyond our budget).

At the time I think it was the only regular service train via Brighouse.

 

[Mugby]

Although in the timetable I recall it appeared as if it went via Leeds to Bradford, I thought this service split into a Leeds portion and a Halifax/Bradford portion.

It did appear to go via Leeds to Bradford but what you say makes sense because if one portion had terminated at Halifax it surely must have gone somewhere for disposal, Bradford perhaps?

 

[30907]

It was definitely Bradford Exchange via the Calder Valley plus Leeds via I know not where (but I doubt the Selby West curve in the time allowed).

I've only got instant access to a Thomas Cook but the slow timings (slower than the very heavy Aberdeen sleeper!) point to it doing a lot of parcels business. I seem to recall that W Kirkgate handled a lot of parcels back then which may partly account for it.

Someone on here will know the full story....

 

[D6975]

This service used to convey sleeping coaches to Leeds too. An early morning visit to Leeds station would find them parked in the middle bay at the east end to allow passengers to sleep to a reasonable hour. I'm not sure when that stopped, sometime in the mid 70's I think.

 

[30907]

I thought they went on the 0110(ish) which followed the 0100 Newcastle sleeper. I'd forgotten just how many night trains there were then....

 

[Mugby]

I thought they went on the 0110(ish) which followed the 0100 Newcastle sleeper. I'd forgotten just how many night trains there were then....

You are correct, there was no mention of sleeping cars on the 2300, they were on the 0110 to Leeds.

The 2300 was given 40 minutes for the Doncaster - Leeds leg (after 10 mins for dividing)
The equivalent train today, the 2330 ex KX does the entire journey 30 mins quicker although it doesn't have to divide and is shown as having an hour for Don - Leeds.