any info on this highly unusual working

[westernpunk]

iv just come across a record of 1056 western sultan . running light on the 23rd nov 1972 from oxford to stafford via bletchley and wcml. to work the southbound clay empties 6v53. not only would this be most unusual in itself, it makes you wonder.wasnt there anything . in the stafford area available, whats more how would it have been crewed, would oxford men have route knowledge, any thoughts.
im a westernholic but i never knew this until now

 

[150219]

It's entirely possible that there would've been traincrew at Oxford that signed Bletchley. I do know that Bletchley traincrew (some if not all anyway) signed Oxford, Didcot, Reading and Swindon.

 

[The exile]

It's entirely possible that there would've been traincrew at Oxford that signed Bletchley. I do know that Bletchley traincrew (some if not all anyway) signed Oxford, Didcot, Reading and Swindon.

Or an WR driver who had transferred from somewhere in the midlands so had both traction and route knowledge and was “in the right place at the right time”.

 

[Gloster]

In that year’s timetable the clay normally ran via Oxford to Bletchley and there was a motive power swap at Bletchley Flyover. The two obvious options would be Oxford men all the way with a pilot, but this would be lots of overtime, so they might be relieved somewhere, or (possibly more likely) LM men from one of the depots that signed Class 52: Saltley men would go anywhere on anything.

 

[Magdalia]

Westerns also worked Oxford-Bletchley on the Westbury-Leagrave stone train, though I don't know where the drivers came from.

 

[Clarence Yard]

Could also be Didcot men - at one time they were the “Saltley” men of the WR. Their record was Inverness!

 

[Mile Post 13]

Westerns also worked Oxford-Bletchley on the Westbury-Leagrave stone train, though I don't know where the drivers came from.

Oxford men who worked through. Return empties ran via Brent