Back in the day...

[NorthWestRover]

Ah, 37s across Scotland. Happy Days. I'll get to mine eventually.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Monday 28th April 1986

85022 Wolverhampton to Coventry
86249 Coventry to Birmingham NS
87017 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

Er, that's it from my moves books.

Always good to get a roarer, but my class listings show I'd originally scored 85022 from Warrington BQ to Crewe on 16th April 1982. Those class listings show I had 38 out of the 40 in the class, just missing out on 001 and 033. The first one I had was 85021 from Warrington to Carstairs and back on 22nd April 1978 which was a day trip to Edinburgh if I remember correctly. The last one was 85023 from Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton on 6th June 1988.

 

[CW2]

Fri 28/04/78

31418 1652 Harrogate – Leeds
45031 1805 Leeds – Keighley
DMU Keighley – Leeds, Leeds – York

Sat 28/04/79

55003 1140 York – Doncaster
55013 1241 Doncaster – Selby
DMU Selby – Hull (Probably an “Inter Village 123” Trans Pennine unit)
47517 1645 Hull – Doncaster
55021 1836 Doncaster – York

Fri 27/04/84 – Sat 28/04/84

(A week of night shift in Leeds Control …)
43099 + 43077 0745 Leeds – York
SLEEP
47598 2023 York – Leeds
WORK
(28/04)
DMU 0629 Leeds – Manchester Victoria
40028 08xx Manchester Victoria – Carlisle via Preston, Shap. Macclesfield to Ayr ADEX.
Straight onto …
40015 1040 Carlisle – Leeds.
40s over Shap and Ais Gill in the same morning.
As we travelled south over the S&C, 60009 Union of South Africa was storming northward on a Cumbrian Mountain Express. It was a warm sunny day, and the steam loco was being severely thrashed, with a plume of smoke rising many feet into the air, raining cinders down upon us as we passed. Alas, this had consequences. It set fire to the trackside vegetation for miles around and burnt out loads of signalling and telecoms cables. We stood at Settle Junction for 70 minutes whilst emergency working was introduced. To cap it all, 40015 was not in the best of health, and reacted to the high temperature by shutting down. The driver managed to restart it each time, but at Shipley it shut down for good. Fortunately we were on a falling gradient, under clear signals, so we simply coasted all the way into Leeds with the engine completely silent. The last approaches to Leeds across the station throat were a bit dodgy, but we made it to the platform at a slow walking pace. After the Lord Mayor’s Show comes the dustcart…
47602 1500 Leeds – York.
MORE SLEEP
47602 (again) 2023 York – Leeds
… and back to another night shift.

Friday 28/04/89

I was living and working in Crewe at this time. I had to attend a meeting in London, but I was a bit distracted by the replacement for the Crewe – Derby DMU service …
20029 + 20097 0809 Crewe – Stoke
86251 0843 Stoke – Euston
86251 (again) 1250 Euston – Crewe.

 

[CW2]

Friday 29/04/77

55016 0112 York – Doncaster
47406 0324 Doncaster – York
An early taste of ECML overnight travel.

Saturday 29/04/78

47197 1735 York – Leeds
47422 1815 Leeds – Wakefield W
47406 1834 Wakefield W – Leeds
46037 1906 Leeds – York
Some days, it doesn’t matter how hard you try, you just get Sulzers everywhere.

Thursday 29/04/82

46009 0810 Finsbury Park – Kings Cross

This was the 0630 from Peterborough, which was making additional stops due to a derailment in Letchworth carriage sidings having wiped out much of the outer suburban services. I took it for the novelty value.

Friday 29/04/83

45076 1854 York – Stalybridge
DMU Stalybridge – Stockport
EMU Stockport – Crewe
40050 2320 Crewe – Holyhead relief. (More of this tomorrow …)

Sunday 29/04/90

47540 0935 Reading – Didcot
71000 1021 Didcot – Derby
71000 1710 Derby – Didcot
37167 2109 Didcot – Paddington
43138 + 43163 2310 Paddington – Reading

My first encounter with 71000 Duke of Gloucester (which incidentally is nearing completion at Tyseley, ready for a return to main line running). On arrival back at Didcot, the train crew were unable to persuade 47540 to start. Next in line was required 37213 – and that wouldn’t start either! Third choice was (dud) 37167. In the hurry to get on the move from Didcot, I suspect the brake test was rushed, as there were binding brakes on several vehicles, and we came to a shuddering halt at Scours Lane. Subsequently we overshot the Ealing Broadway stop and had to set back into the platform. We took 76 minutes from leaving Reading to arriving at Paddington. I never did catch up with 37213.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Tuesday 29th April 1986

85002 Wolverhampton to Birmingham Int
47527 Birmingham Int to New St
86426 New St to International
86419 Wolverhampton to New St
81007 New St to Wolverhampton
81008 Wolverhampton to New St
47627 New St to Wolverhampton

Scored 81007 and 47627 on what I can only assume was another day of getting a tick or two in the book. 3 out of 7 on the day were Roarers so not bad in retrospect.

I had 19 of the 22 class 81s that made it into the TOPS renumbering. I missed out on 001, 004, 017. It appears that this day in 1986 may have been the last day I had one for haulage. Or two in fact.

From my class listings, I have an unusual move which I cannot put into the context of a day.

On 29th April 1983, I had 85013 from Preston to Wigan Springs Branch where it failed and then 47280 from Wigan Springs Branch to Warrington BQ. Nothing else is in my class listings for that date so getting to Preston was behind an 86/2 or 87 and whether there were some 40 moves (or 47/4) moves also involved, who knows. Could also have been units.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 29th April 1986

I had 19 of the 22 class 81s that made it into the TOPS renumbering. I missed out on 001, 004, 017. It appears that this day in 1986 may have been the last day I had one for haulage. Or two in fact.

That would be a bit surprising, as the 81s lasted another three years until 1989. Good old Roarers.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I was out of the country September 86 to August 87. And then I wasn't doing much bashing after that.

 

[CW2]

I was out of the country September 86 to August 87. And then I wasn't doing much bashing after that.

Ah, that explains it.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Something might crop up if I hadn't kept my class listings up to date after 1986 which is possible. It's frustrating not to have the full details.

EDIT - just had a quick glance through later moves books and no more 81s. Couple of 85s. Most of my electric moves after this were between Warrington and either Euston or Wolverhampton. They were solid 86s (boo) or 87s (hooray).

 

[xotGD]

I'm a day late with this but:

28th April 1984

31126 + 31205 Newcastle - Darlington
47598 Darlington - Newcastle

IIRC, the pair of Peds were on a Newcastle Footex

29th April 1989

50034 Slough - Paddington

This was during my short stint living in Slough. I think I was on my way to a Newcastle away game in London (which we lost) and then got a DMU back in the evening.

29th April 1990

86424 New St - Wolverhampton
90022 Wolverhampton - New St

Footy again? Perhaps.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 30th April 1988

47536 Wolverhampton to Oxford

This was on the 06. 45 Wolverhampton to Poole and my ticket was a Blue Saver, cost £7.60. I don't remember that sort of ticket. Anyone? I returned on 4th May with better haulage. Was visiting then girlfriend/future wife.

The only other 30th April in the moves books I have was a Thursday in 1992 when I appear to have had a couple of nights in London when I returned from Paddington to Oxford on a double unit - 165033 and 165030. How exciting. My outward journey to London on Tuesday 28th April which I missed earlier in the thread was on a Tram, number not recorded.

On 30th April 1983 my class listings show 85028 from Liverpool Lime St to Crewe, so not sure what else was going on around that. Something 40 related, I guess.

 

[CW2]

Monday 30/04/79
47430 1816 York – Selby
55021 1852 Selby – York
40070 1939 York – Sheffield (vice DMU?)
45103 2211 Sheffield – Leeds

Monday 30/04/82
50050 1741 Paddington – Birmingham NS via High Wycombe
50031 2042 Birmingham NS – Paddington via Coventry, Reading.

Saturday 30/04/83
We (a group of about 8 or so class 40 bashers) had joined the 2320 Crewe – Holyhead relief with 40050 the previous evening (see above). On previous occasions when this train had run, it returned from Holyhead to Crewe as a Control Relief. However the guard confirmed it would be going back ECS. An unpleasant overnight at Holyhead beckoned. Then a plot began to emerge. Some time before Holyhead we split up and secreted ourselves in various toilets along the train, placing an “Out of Order” sticker on the door and locking it from the inside. At Holyhead the station staff gave a cursory walk through the train to ensure there were no passengers oversleeping, then the 40 ran round and we sat off back to Crewe, with all the lights out.

40050 0300 Holyhead – Crewe Carriage Sidings, actual departure 0205.

Once safely under way we emerged from the bogs and took our seats on the front coach (with the guard safely out of the way at the rear). We sat back and enjoyed the spectacle of 40050 spitting flames from the exhaust through the night. Arrival at Crewe was a bit problematical. We had the road straight through the station and into the carriage shed, so that’s where we ended up. The only way out was via the footbridge into the diesel depot, then walk past the security guard and up the ramp to the station approach. The security guard was bemused as to how this group of “trainspotters” had managed to get past him and into the depot.

EMU Crewe – Manchester Picc
40057 0945 Manchester Vic – Shotton
DMU Shotton – Bidston
EMU Bidston – Liverpool Lime Street LL
47540 1305 Liverpool Lime St – Manchester Vic
DMU Manchester Vic – Leeds via Hebden Bridge
40044 1602 Leeds – Carlisle
86103 2001 Carlisle – Preston
86103 2231 Preston – Crewe (I always had a soft spot for the 86/1s).
This was the beginning of a bank holiday weekend bash, so more to come in the next few days ...

Tuesday 30/04/85
87015 2350 Glasgow Central – Carlisle

Sunday 30/04/89
47594 0631 Crewe – Stafford
86256 0705 Stafford – Euston
43084 + 91008 1110 Kings Cross – Leeds via Hertford North
91008 + 43084 1600 Leeds – Doncaster
47551 1651 Doncaster – Birmingham NS via Rotherham Central, Woodburn Jn., Sheffield
85005 1901 Birmingham NS – Crewe
90003 2049 Crewe – Euston
90023 2325 Euston – Glasgow

Thursday 30/04/92
91026 1200 Glasgow Central – Kings Cross

 

[NorthWestRover]

We were both at Liverpool Lime St on this day in 1983. I wonder where I ended up.

And we were both in London in 1992.

 

[CW2]

We were both at Liverpool Lime St on this day in 1983. I wonder where I ended up.

And we were both in London in 1992.

You probably had a more interesting exit from Liverpool in 1983 than me. I spent the whole day getting between two Eastern boilered 40s, on booked diagrams, as an elaborate track bash. The following few days were an improvement ...

 

[NorthWestRover]

I wondered why you had bailed the Duff at Manchester. Bashing the Calder Valley?

 

[NorthWestRover]

I'm impatient to get to my more interesting things. We will soon be arriving at a day/move that has already featured in this thread and that both @xotGD and I did.

 

[Techniquest]

You guys have me kind of wondering what I was doing in my heyday of bashing, back in the mid 2000s. I chucked all my books in the recycling a long time ago (I can't remember if it was 2 or 3 years ago in June, I need to see if the honourable @Kite159 and his superior memory can confirm), a decision I still stand by, even if it would occasionally be nice to see what I was doing back in 2005. Good gravy, I've just realised it's a massive 16 years this September since the Crewe Works open day I did, and 16 years this December since the Rhymney loco hauled farewell! 17 years in October since my first ever 37 with 37203 That 37 was an absolute beast, even to my novice ears!

Anyway, even if I had some moves to share from my nostalgia, it would probably be a load of HSTs, DMUs and EMUs

Regardless, I did dive into my 2019 moves just to see what I've got to share. Very very different to what's come up in this thread, but here's what I did on 18th April 2019. Turns out my next nearest entry (no point looking at 2020, of course) in 2019 also featured the capital!

18/04/2019

51635+51636 Kings Cross St Pancras-Euston
51643+51642 Euston-Camden Town
51679+51680 Camden Town-Mornington Crescent
51572+51573 Mornington Crescent-Camden Town
51546+51708 Camden Town-Kentish Town
700053 Kentish Town-St Pancras
700134 St Pancras-Farringdon
700048 Farringdon-City Thameslink
700117 City Thameslink-Farringdon
700022 Farringdon-St Pancras
700137 St Pancras-Finsbury Park
191+892 Finsbury Park-Arsenal
136+880 Arsenal-Holloway Road
193+126 Holloway Road-Caledonian Road
189+160 Caledonian Road-Kings Cross St Pancras
117+214 Kings Cross St Pancras-Russell Square
181+248 Russell Square-Holborn
170+185 Holborn-Piccadilly Circus
3254+3447 Piccadilly Circus-Charing Cross
466015+465911+465902 Charing Cross-Waterloo East
375904+375926+375829 Waterloo East-London Bridge
465918+465006+466043 London Bridge-Waterloo East
707004+707007 Waterloo-Vauxhall
707030+707024 Vauxhall-Waterloo
51579+51580 Waterloo-Euston
350107 Euston-Birmingham New Street via Northampton
170514 Birmingham New Street-Hereford

That was one of my much-missed red pen fest in London, I did another one a couple of weeks later it appears. Oh and it is a huge 10 years this summer since my first ever All Line Rover! 9 years in June since the 14 day All Line Rover!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Good stuff. I've got one or two London days from the late 80s and early 90s to share when the date arrives. I intend to do a London "bash" later this year but it's all a lot different now. I don't recognise many of the units at all.

 

[Techniquest]

Good stuff. I've got one or two London days from the late 80s and early 90s to share when the date arrives. I intend to do a London "bash" later this year but it's all a lot different now. I don't recognise many of the units at all.

My next one will be on 8th May, I might share it just as a comparison to the trips shared from the 80s.

If it makes you feel any better about it, I wouldn't recognise everything around London now either. Which has reminded me I need to try and fit in a spin on a Class 321 next week, even if just between Liverpool Street and Stratford, while I still have the chance to say farewell to the class. All these new trains on the GEML...A Class 315 farewell would be nice if I get the chance too, but that is doubtful.

Depends how brave I feel about cycling from Victoria to Liverpool Street and over to Euston. Got to get across the city as it is, and that's a nerve-racking thought already...

 

[Kite159]

Probably around the 2nd half of 2018, although don't quote me as I've slept since then

 

[NorthWestRover]

Just gone back and added to my haulage logs the few Sprinters and 507/508s that I logged back in the late 80s and early 90s. Has filled a couple of gaps, not least in my Northern 150s.

 

[xotGD]

I'm impatient to get to my more interesting things. We will soon be arriving at a day/move that has already featured in this thread and that both @xotGD and I did.

I know exactly what you are talking about! Featuring a local beauty queen...

Nothing for me to report from this day in history. A few interesting moves coming up in May.

 

[NorthWestRover]

May 1st - nothing.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 01/05/79
45024 1927 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Bradford Exchange
31181 2120 Bradford Exchange – Leeds
47418 2320 Leeds – Doncaster
55005 2320 Doncaster – York

Saturday 01/05/82
50008 2325 Paddington – Plymouth, via Reading, Basingstoke, Salisbury, Exeter St Davids (run round).
31258+31163 piloting 50008 from Exeter to Plymouth, both required.

Sunday 01/05/83
The WCML was closed from Carnforth to Carlisle, so there were diversions over the S&C. At Crewe, the gen was that the Bristol – Glasgow / Edinburgh overnight was allocated 40057 forward from Farington Junction. (It would have been more convenient if it had been running via Preston, but apparently not, as that would involve reversing the portions). In rolled 86004 on load 15, so I found myself a compo near the front and settled in for the night.
86004 0127 Crewe – Farington Jn
40057 02xx Farington Jn – Carlisle via Blackburn, S&C

40057 was a good strong performer, but a 40 on load 13 over the S&C meant a flat out effort and inevitable loss of time. On arrival at Carlisle several bashers alighted in the hope of something decent back over the S&C on the daytime drags, but I kept my head down and headed for Scotland. (I wonder if 40057 worked back?).

81006 0408 Carlisle – Carstairs
I was in the Glasgow portion at the front of the train. At Carstairs the train split as usual, then we set off – and immediately the 81 failed. The Edinburgh portion was propelled out of the platform to recouple to us, and dragged us back in, to await a rescue loco. When I saw 26002 + 20184 in multi fire up on the stabling point, I thought my luck was in. Alas, they were just off to work a ballast. Never mind, here comes a loco light from Motherwell instead…
37028 (+81006 dead) 0525 Carstairs – Glasgow Central. Result! I didn’t record how late we were running by then, but some clue is given by the fact my next move was from Queen Street at 1030.
47708 1030 Glasgow QS – Edinburgh
27018+27017 1205 Edinburgh – Markinch
27042 1337 Markinch – Edinburgh
47706 1500 Edinburgh – Glasgow QS
37144 1633 Glasgow Central – Edinburgh via Shotts
This was a portion off a Cross Country arrival, presumably having run via Dumfries. The Shotts route was pretty difficult to get for loco haulage – I think this was the one dated train per week in one direction only. Of course it was booked a 47/4, and of course it didn’t get one. My second NB 37 score of the day. Back at Edinburgh the pair of 27s was still out, so I went to intercept them, scoring another 27 in the process. (Was 27036 NB by then?).
27036 1805 Edinburgh – Dundee
27017+27018 2000 Dundee – Edinburgh
47702 2340 Edinburgh – Carstairs (to be continued) …

Wednesday 01/05/85
47587 0206 Carlisle – Stranraer
20216 04xx Ayr – Stranraer (piloting 47587)
47417 0730 Stranraer – Glasgow Central

At this time the Euston – Stranraer sleepers was booked to get a pilot loco from Ayr to Stranraer, to prevent it slithering to a halt on the desolate hills south of Girvan. It was pot luck as to what you would get, so I went anyway and scored a class 20. Often the pilot loco would return from Stranraer piloting the 0730 to Glasgow, dependent on whether the traincrew preferred to have a full break at Stranraer, or get home early. My luck was out, so I had 47417 unpiloted through to Glasgow.

Monday 01/05/89
Having arrived at Glasgow Central on the sleeper from Euston with 90023, I was delighted to see an 85 on the 0700 to Ayr.
85014 0700 Glasgow Central – Ayr
85014 0845 Ayr – Glasgow Central
90006 1150 Glasgow Central – Crewe
This was my only trip with a Roarer to Ayr. I never managed to have an 81 on the train, despite several attempts.

Sunday 01/05/94
Plandampf in the former East Germany. Edited highlights:
03 2001 0600 Dresden – Decin
03 2001 0938 Decin – Dresden
62 1015 1050 Dresden – Arnsdorf
03 2001 1137 Arnsdorf – Zittau
099 729 1320 Zittau – Bertsdord
099 733 1357 Bertsdorf – Zittau
219 150 1518 Zittau – Gorlitz via Krzewina Zgorzelecka (Polish Corridor Route)
01 2137 1657 Gorlitz - Dresden

 

[NorthWestRover]

Oh, I might have some German moves in 1986/87 and 1989/90 if we're doing them.

I'm adding 1st May 2021 to future threads in 20 years time. I'm at Stockport having already scored a 195 and a 150. Not quite a 40 over the S&C, a roarer to Ayr or NB 27s and 37s around Scotland.

 

[xotGD]

1st May 1982

47211 Newcastle - Manors 1S15

The ultimate line in the book move!

1st May 1989

50039 Slough - Paddington 1F15

I think I then spent the day yellow penning some branch lines around London.

 

[NorthWestRover]

1st May 1982

47211 Newcastle - Manors 1S15

The ultimate line in the book move!

... And I thought some of my West Midlands moves were short...

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 02/05/78
I was on my way from York to college in Harrogate, when I got diverted.
40033 1123 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Harrogate
31418 1652 Harrogate – Leeds
47403 1730 Leeds – Wakefield Westgate
DMU Wakefield Westgate – Leeds
46009 1906 Leeds – York

Friday 02/05/80
81005 2050 Euston – Rugby
85005 2208 Rugby – Crewe (continued tomorrow)

Saturday 02/05/81
50043 1710 Waterloo – Exeter St Davids
43041 + 43042 2057 Exeter St Davids – Plymouth

Monday 02/05/83 (continuing the weekend bash)
86213 0041 Carstairs – Carlisle
85017 02xx Carlisle – Mossend
37190 04xx Mossend – Cowlairs
37051 05xx Cowlairs – Glasgow QS
37178 + 20045 0600 Glasgow QS – Spean Bridge
37184 0934 Spean Bridge – Glasgow QS
26008 1345 Glasgow Central – Carlisle (via Dumfries)
81012 1640 Carlisle – Oxenholme
86318 1747 Oxenholme – Carlisle
DMU Carlisle – Newcastle
40057 2100 Newcastle – Grantham
The Euston – Fort William was booked to have an assisting loco from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William on Monday mornings, after several instances of trains slipping to a standstill and ruining the entire timekeeping on the route for hours to come. (This was before regular Sunday services started running on the route, so there were no Sunday services to clean the rails. Monday mornings were often a mess). Two class 20s, 20045 and 20085, were equipped with through steam pipes specially to work this train. The run round the G&SW with a required 26 was a bonus. I don’t know how I got the gen that 40057 was working south from Newcastle, but I had to go and have it.

Thursday 02/05/85
85004 1520 Glasgow Central – Carstairs
85012 1633 Carstairs – Glasgow Central
A nice little Roarer bash after work – both locos required, and I never had either of them again.

Saturday 02/05/87
47557 0941 Abergavenny – Crewe
86217 1621 Crewe – Preston
47545 1724 Preston – Carlisle via S&C
86409 2119 Carlisle – Glasgow Central

Wednesday 02/05/90
47816 0936 Reading – Paddington
90030 1230 Euston – Preston via Stechford, Aston, Bushbury
90032 1545 Preston – Warrington BQ
87033 1616 Warrington BQ – Preston
90005 1708 Preston – Oxenholme
86212 1802 Oxenholme – Preston
90010 1845 Preston – Euston
50031 2215 Paddington – Reading
A day on the WCML picking up some new class 90s.

Monday 02/05/94
Plandampf in the former East Germany. Edited highlights:
01 2137, 03 2204, 03 2001 and 62 1015 all active around Dresden. The day finished with:
03 2001 1457 Gorlitz – Dresden
03 1010 1725 Dresden – Leipzig
232 125 1913 Leipzig – Probstzella
103 167 2141 Probstzella – Nurnberg

There’s a top selection of power for you.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thursday 2nd May 1985

I appear to have come out to play around lunchtime (11.37 Shrewsbury to Euston) and stayed out late (18.05 Harwich to Wolverhampton). Lots of short leaps.

86315 Wolverhampton to Coventry
50014 Coventry to Birmingham NS
87034 Birmingham NS to Coventry
47453 Coventry to Birmingham NS
85017 Birmingham NS to Coventry
86235 Coventry to Birmingham NS
85014 Birmingham NS to Coventry
47329 Coventry to Birmingham Int
I then appear to have caught a bus to Solihull
50021 Solihull to Wolverhampton
86237 Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
50014 Birmingham NS to Coventry
47456 Coventry to Birmingham NS
31401 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

The 47/3 was unusual. Couple more Roarers, Hoovers, a goyle to finish the day.

2nd May 1983

One of my isolated moves which was probably tied in with 40 bashing somewhere...

81013 Preston to Warrington BQ

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 3rd May 1986

87003 Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
31460 Birmingham NS to Norwich
31460 Norwich to Birmingham NS
86218 Birmingham NS to Wolverhampton

Goyle mileage move!! 175.75 miles in each direction. Ticket was £4.50 Special Day Return.

3rd May 1983 I had 81006 from Preston to Crewe.