Back in the day...

[xotGD]

37023/37066 Shrewsbury to Caersws

Surprised to see a pair of split box 37s working on the Cambrian. You had another Super Saturday by the looks of it.

Edit: Here's a phot of them:

Class37.co.uk

 

[CW2]

Thursday 25/05/78
47439 1809 Leeds – Huddersfield
DMU Huddersfield – Selby
47432 2047 Selby – York
55003 2130 York – Leeds

Friday 25/05/79
55010 0049 Grantham – Leeds, which then went straight onto
55010 0300 Leeds – Selby
40084 0340 Selby – York
55010 was 23 minutes late ex Grantham, recovered to only 5 minutes late approaching Leeds, then stopped by signals. The onward trip to Selby was 5 minutes late start, waiting loco, but with sustained 90+mph running (with four 70mph vans in the consist) arrival at Selby was on time!
47460 0710 York – Huddersfield
47528 0828 Huddersfield – York
DMU York – Harrogate, Harrogate – Leeds
After a brief visit to my college in Harrogate, I headed to Leeds, where I just caught the 1217 Newcastle – Liverpool running late, boarding as it departed Leeds with 47528 (again) on the front.
47528 1421 Leeds – 3 miles west of Huddersfield
47373 15xx 3 miles west of Huddersfield – Marsden
The unlovely 47528 suffered a total engine shutdown after leaving Huddersfield. I hoped for a big class 40 (or maybe a 37) off Healey Mills to rescue us, but instead the (rather rare) 47373 did the honours. It propelled us as far as Marsden, where I could see there was a famous class 40 waiting in the opposite platform.
40106 1610 Marsden – Leeds
This was the 1540 Manchester Victoria – Newcastle relief. It stopped at Marsden in place of the local DMU, which had been trapped behind the failed 47528 on the opposite road. So I achieved the unlikely task of changing trains at Marsden, with neither train booked to stop there. Incidentally Marsden was the limit of my ticket validity too, so that was handy!
47530 1721 Leeds – Huddersfield
40080 1822 Huddersfield – Leeds. Relief.
47543 1905 Leeds – Huddersfield
47438 1928 Huddersfield – York
47438 was on the return working of the failed 47528, running about 40 minutes late.

Sunday 25/05/80 “Rainhill Weekend – Day 2”
86217 0050 Euston – Stafford
47492 0350 Stafford – Manchester Piccadilly
47344 0911 Manchester Piccadilly – Stockport
DMU Stockport – Rainhill
Walk Rainhill – Lea Green
“Rocket” 1445 Lea Green – Rainhill
“Sans Pareil” 1620 Rainhill – Bold Colliery
This time “Rocket” managed to avoid derailing. We had a fine time performing in our period costume in front of the crowd of 40,000 people.
Minibus to St Helens Shaw St, bus to Warrington
40024 1930 Warrington Bank Quay – Manchester Victoria

Tuesday 25/05/82
87008 1500 Euston – Rugby
86218 1655 Rugby – Euston

Wednesday 25/05/83
33112 0008 Basingstoke – Eastleigh
33xxx 0049 Eastleigh – Southampton
33103 0120 Southampton – Eastleigh
33112 0138 Eastleigh – Waterloo
43096 + 43081 0545 Kings Cross – York
40118 1824 York – Manchester Victoria
45148 2125 Manchester Victoria – York
After my trip to Winchester the previous day, I had a little play on the Southern overnight services before returning home to York. 40118 was on a return charter to Westhoughton.

Saturday 25/05/85
86208 1515 Glasgow Central – Carstairs
86420 1529 Carstairs – Motherwell
EMU Motherwell – Kings Park
37042 1748 Kings Park – Edinburgh via Newton, Hamilton, Mossend, Cumbernauld, Falkirk Grahamston
37221 2003 Edinburgh – Glasgow QS
37042 was working a FOOTEX, and 37221 was a relief from Scarborough. Both 37s were required, and the FOOTEX did some rather good track too.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Sunday 25/05/80 “Rainhill Weekend – Day 2”

“Rocket” 1445 Lea Green – Rainhill
“Sans Pareil” 1620 Rainhill – Bold Colliery
This time “Rocket” managed to avoid derailing. We had a fine time performing in our period costume in front of the crowd of 40,000 people.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Wednesday 25/05/83

40118 1824 York – Manchester Victoria

40118 was on a return charter to Westhoughton.

Watch this space!

 

[xotGD]

25th May 1985 - finally, some North East summer Saturday action:

47417 Newcastle - Durham 1M73
37221 Durham - Newcastle 1N35
45103 Durham - Darlington 1M32
37221 Darlington - Durham 1S51 (Same service as CW2 had from Edinburgh)
47497 Durham - Newcastle 1E88 (Bad move bailing at Durham!)

25th May 1989 - escape from Slough:
47591 Reading - New St
47520 New St - Newcastle

25th May 1990 - work trip:
47828 New St - Oxford
50024 Oxford - Reading

25th May 1991 - travelcard flap around the West Mids.
Too tedious to list all moves between New St, Wolves and Cov.
Locos were 86247, 86401, 87032, 87035, 47557, 86241, 87027, 86417, 86256, 87006

25th May 1992 - similar to the above, but got as far as Crewe and Rugby
Locos were 86207, 87018, 86231, 86258, 87033, 47811, 86205

 

[NorthWestRover]

Wednesday 26th May 1982

An oddity in the moves book. A unit from Widnes to Warrington Central at about 20.50. I was obviously homeward bound but no idea how I got to Widnes or why.

Thursday 26th May 1983

Came out around lunchtime and I imagine I was pottering about until 1M22 was due off Preston. However, things turned out better than that.

86235 Warrington BQ to Crewe
47093 Crewe to Runcorn
86320 Runcorn to Crewe
87032 Crewe to Lancaster
87011 Lancaster to Preston
40118 Preston to Barrow
40118 Barrow to Preston
86314 Preston to Warrington BQ

Well, that was a nice surprise. The outward leg was 1M12, 16.40 Nottingham to Barrow (118 took it forward from Preston, probably a Duff to there) and the return was 1K16, 21.50 Barrow to Crewe (taken forward by 86314 from Preston unfortunately).

Thursday 26th May 1988

87027 Wolverhampton to Birmingham NS
47439 Birmingham NS to Oxford

One of several trips from Wolves to Oxford to visit my girlfriend. Sometimes I managed to get a hoover, but not today.

 

[CW2]

Friday 26/05/78
Back in the day, the Friday before a Bank Holiday weekend would see all manner of additional services run, using the stock which otherwise mouldered in the back of the sidings waiting for summer Saturdays to arrive. This was one such Friday:
40154 1406 Leeds – York
(This was a Liverpool – York DMU turn made loco + stock, and extended to Newcastle).
40084 1515 York – Huddersfield
40029 1628 Huddersfield – Leeds (1545 Manchester Victoria – Newcastle relief).
40161 1746 Leeds – Huddersfield (1710 York – Manchester Victoria, starting back from Newcastle)
DMU Huddersfield – Leeds
40026 1959 Leeds – Huddersfield (1816 Durham – Manchester Victoria relief)
DMU Huddersfield – York
You can imagine I was a bit chuffed at getting five different class 40s in quick succession, of which three were new for haulage.

Monday 26/05/80 “Rainhill Weekend – Day 3”
Having partaken of some suitable refreshment to celebrate our day out at Rainhill, I made my way back to London to take up the role of Train Trolley Caterer once more …
85003 0027 Manchester Piccadilly – Euston
I was fast asleep before we left Manchester, and woke up after we arrived at Euston! There I dossed in the stock of the 0728 Liverpool before reporting for work. I sauntered in at 0728 believing I was booking on duty in plenty of time to work the 0815 special to Liverpool again. Seemingly there had been a change in the roster, and I was due out on the 0730! There was a certain degree of panic to get all the stock loaded up before the 0730 departed (on time!).
86103 0730 Euston – Liverpool (I do like the 86/1s)
Throughout all of this I was still attired in my Edwardian get-up, with my off-pink Travellers Fare trolleyman jacket on the top whilst working. At Liverpool I commanded the TTIs to open the gates to allow me to pass unhindered onto my horseless carriage to Rainhill:
DMU Liverpool – Rainhill, walk to Lea Green.
“Sans Pareil” Lea Green – Rainhill
“Lion” Rainhill – Bold Colliery
Having done Rocket yesterday, today I chose to do Sans Pareil and Lion. Sans Pareil was struggling, so Lion had to give it some banking assistance. On the way back with Lion, we left Sans Pareil behind, so had to slow down to walking pace for it to catch up. I took the opportunity to join the crew on the footplate of Lion, and rode with them through to Bold Colliery. That brought proceedings to a close, so now I had to get back to Liverpool to work my trolley back to Euston.
47488 1825 St Helens Shaw Street – Liverpool
85036 1954 Liverpool – Euston
At Lime Street there was some confusion, with the mandatory reservation system having seemingly collapsed, so the staff were simply loading as many people as would fit on each train then despatching it. All that meant that we ended up with two trolleys on the same train, and only 73 passengers on board, with an 85 hauling air-cons. I installed myself in a first class compartment and snoozed my way south, exhausted. What a weekend!

Wednesday 26/05/82
47535 1400 Euston – Crewe via Northampton
40077 1831 Crewe – Nuneaton
31303 2027 Nuneaton – Birmingham New St
86254 2148 Birmingham New St – Coventry
86240 2251 Coventry – Birmingham New St
85009 2350 Birmingham New St – Preston
47535 had worked into Euston all the way from Holyhead that morning, and was replaced on the 1400 Euston – Carlisle at Crewe by 85034. We lost 20 minutes to Crewe, including the diversion via Northampton.
40077 was on an ADEX returning from Rhyl to Nuneaton.

Monday 26/05/86
27046 1603 Glasgow QS – Stirling
DMU Stirling – Glasgow QS
37247 1803 Glasgow QS – Perth
47703 2047 Perth – Glasgow QS
This time my efforts at fixing ex-Cornish 37247 to work were successful, and much appreciated.

Tuesday 26/05/87
Working night shift at Crewe, the sensible thing to do was to spend the day at home fast asleep. Alternatively …
40122 0800 Crewe – Cardiff
40122 1300 Cardiff – Crewe
37430 1719 Crewe – Hereford
37429 1943 Hereford – Crewe
…and back to work!

Saturday 26/05/90
Taking the wife and kids to visit the in-laws, I struck lucky:
43192 + 43188 1225 Reading – Newport
37162 1346 Newport – Abergavenny
37162 2007 Abergavenny – Cardiff
43182 + 43131 2125 Cardiff – Reading

 

[NorthWestRover]

Nice day 43 years ago...

 

[CW2]

Nice day 43 years ago...

Just wait for the Pope to arrive ...

 

[D6130]

Saturday 26th May 1973:

Mystex Glasgow Central to Morecambe and return - hauled throughout in both directions by Duff no. 1721 (later to become 47 130).

While the other passengers were enjoying a sunny day in the 'last resort' (Apologies to any Morecambians on here!), my friends and I did a triangular trip on local DMUs to spend the day spotting at Lancaster and Carnforth. E56376/E50202 Morecambe - Lancaster (NL set - presumably on a Leeds working); M56260/M50980 Lancaster - Carnforth (Destination: Barrow), M56247/M????? Carnforth - Lancaster (power car not recorded for some reason) and M50970/M56253 Lancaster - Morecambe. I won't bore you with the numbers of all the DMUs seen, but the locos were as follows:

Glasgow Queen Street: 5333, 7591, 1746.
Glasgow Central: 89, 1579, 1694, 1721, 1853.
Larkfield Carriage Sidings: 7579.
Polmadie Depot: 28, 42, 408/21/30/32, 1551, 1605, 1964/78, 3922, 7576, 8024/86.
Rutherglen P Way Yard: 8046.
Motherwell: 1830.
Carstairs: 375, 1986, 5314, 8121.
Beattock: 8085, 8101.
Lockerbie: 8112.
Carlisle: 12. 213/42/47/96, 332, 415, 1821/53, 3171, 3566/80/81, 4141/42, 5380, 6771, 6937, 7673, E3013/18/91, E3200, 84 002.
Penrith: 357.
Shap Quarry: 7559.
Carnforth: 44932.
Hest Bank: 401/16.
Morecambe: 3286.
Lancaster: 403/10/15/23/39/44, 1549/51/56. 1814/42/44, 5258.
Carnforth: 222, 412, 5258/90, 7543, 7604/71.
Steamtown: 6441, 44871, 44932, 231 K 22.
Lancaster: 279, 421/43, 1752, 1841.
Hest Bank: 212, 1579, 1921.
Tebay: 444.
Carlisle: 21, 242/79, 332/57/82/81/86/89. 443/47. 1579, 1809, 1909, 3170, 3319, 3565/66, 4141/42, 6771, 6905/37.
Beattock: 8085, 8101/09.
Carstairs: 253, 1579, 5153.
Polmadie Depot: 402/11/35, 1639, 1915, 6856, 7576/79.
Larkfield Carriage Sidings: 3922.
Glasgow Central: 432, 1694, 5410.
Glasgow Queen Street: 5384/96.

Unfortunately, my notes don't differentiate between Carlisle Yards, Depot and station, so you will have to use your imagination!

 

[D6130]

Just wait for the Pope to arrive ...

Yes indeed....I was involved in a small way in the organisation of the 1982 Scottish Popexes and on the big day I was positioned alongside Bellahouston Carriage Sidings with a clipboard and HV vest recording the locos, coaching stock and timekeeping of the large number of specials. I look forward to comparing notes.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I think my single day of Popexes to Blackpool is going to appear feeble.

 

[xotGD]

26th May 1984 - another summer Saturday in the north east:

37109 Newcastle - Darlo 1P14 (The Yarmouth)
47425 Darlo - Newcastle 1E52
45049 Sunderland - Newcastle 1N35 (Ex Scarborough via the Durham Coast - better traction in later weeks...)
47096 Darlo - Newcastle 1N13 (Ex-Yarmouth - another disappointment!)
45106 Newcastle - Darlo 1M32
31131 Darlo - Newcastle 1S51 (Scarborough - Glasgow; I don't know how far the Goyle went)

Here's a phot of 109 ready to set off from the Toon...

Class37.co.uk

Hopefully I'll get to sample it again at the ELR this summer.

 

[CW2]

My Popex days were Manchester 31/05/82 (with the half-hourly Blackpool loco-hauled services) and Cardiff 02/06/82. Unfortunately I was working on the other days. I hope somebody can fill in the gaps for the other locations.

I think my single day of Popexes to Blackpool is going to appear feeble.

If that is the only day you did, I think you chose the best one. Quite an epic day.

Saturday 26th May 1973:

Mystex Glasgow Central to Morecambe and return - hauled throughout in both directions by Duff no. 1721 (later to become 47 130).

While the other passengers were enjoying a sunny day in the 'last resort' (Apologies to any Morecambians on here!), my friends and I did a triangular trip on local DMUs to spend the day spotting at Lancaster and Carnforth.

Oh for a time machine to take me back to 1970s Lancaster and Carnforth, with pairs of 50s storming through on Anglo-Scottish expresses.

26th May 1984 - another summer Saturday in the north east:

37109 Newcastle - Darlo 1P14 (The Yarmouth)
Here's a phot of 109 ready to set off from the Toon...

Class37.co.uk

I think that was the longest diagrammed working for a 37 on a passenger service, Newcastle - Norwich.

 

[xotGD]

I think that was the longest diagrammed working for a 37 on a passenger service, Newcastle - Norwich.

I did it throughout on 14th July 1979, returning 2 weeks later. Several months before I got interested in railways

The diagram was different back then. On the 14th, 37209 is listed as working the Yarmouth - Newcastle forward from Grassmoor Jn. In some weeks, this is the same loco as works down from Newcastle, but it isn't listed. So, did I have 209? Who knows! On the return 37010 worked forward from Grassmoor Jn. I did have 010 'properly' in later years.

On the middle Saturday, when I was on the beach, 37061 worked both ways. Never had that one. If only we'd gone for a week instead of a fortnight I would have had it in the book.

 

[CW2]

I think it became the long through working once March - Spalding closed in November 1982. Prior to that date it ran via the Joint Lines to March and changed locos there - in both directions. After that date it ran ECML to Peterborough. I was always busy with musical stuff on a Saturday morning in the summer upto 1979, so never got to see the Newcastle - Yarmouth, but - as you may have noticed - I often turned up at Selby on a Saturday afternoon for the Yarmouth - Newcastle, in the hope of some massive class 40. I never had 37010.

 

[Techniquest]

For the benefit of those of us not familiar, where on Earth was Grassmoor Junction?

Seems nuts to me, being born in the mid-80s, that there was ever a railway between March and Spalding. Mind you, I was recently reminded of how the East London Line was once in the hands of LU, which seems absolutely crazy these days!

 

[xotGD]

For the benefit of those of us not familiar, where on Earth was Grassmoor Junction?

Seems nuts to me, being born in the mid-80s, that there was ever a railway between March and Spalding. Mind you, I was recently reminded of how the East London Line was once in the hands of LU, which seems absolutely crazy these days!

Whitemoor Yard / March.

I have vague memories of arriving there behind a loco with noses, and setting off behind a loco with a flat front. 37 or a 40, swapping to a 31?

 

[NorthWestRover]

All sort of excitement around that area. I just googled Spalding Flower Special Trains and that gives you some good ages. Not of Whitemoor Yard, mind.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Seems nuts to me, being born in the mid-80s, that there was ever a railway between March and Spalding. Mind you, I was recently reminded of how the East London Line was once in the hands of LU, which seems absolutely crazy these days!

The other way round... I was heavily into trains and railways from 1976 to 1986ish. Bits and pieces after that until 1992. When I got back into it in 2018, I was confused by 87002 doing a tour to Paddington. I didn't even know it was electrified!

 

[Techniquest]

Whitemoor Yard / March.

I have vague memories of arriving there behind a loco with noses, and setting off behind a loco with a flat front. 37 or a 40, swapping to a 31?

Thanks. I'd assume that with your query, can't imagine there would be many other locos that match. 47s aren't all that flat on their fronts from what I can recall, for example.

The other way round... I was heavily into trains and railways from 1976 to 1986ish. Bits and pieces after that until 1992. When I got back into it in 2018, I was confused by 87002 doing a tour to Paddington. I didn't even know it was electrified!

The changes in all that time, that would be incredible to keep up with, fair play. Yes Paddington is a far nicer place now than it was when I first fell in love with it, way back in late 2003 Good grief, I've just remembered that I was there for the start of the 360/2s, wow that makes me feel rather old all of a sudden! Even to this day, Paddington remains one of my most favourite places in the entire world. Bearing in mind I've been to New York, and its Grand Central Terminal, I've been to Sydney Central and sampled its architecture, as well as its XPTs, I've been to Tokyo and seen Bullet Trains (sadly not rode one but oh well)...No other station I've seen has beaten Paddington, and I doubt such a place ever will

Relevant to your post as I still remember the days when it was full of clagging, screaming, noisy HSTs, as well as plenty of 165s and 166s, even some 180s. As fun as those days were, I'm still very happy with IETs, 345s and 387s all over the place. Much calmer and cleaner now!

Indeed, in August this year it will be 10 years since my first ever All Line Rover. Now that's got me clambering for some nostalgia...

 

[xotGD]

For me Paddington is synonymous with 50s. Once they had gone it was devoid of interest.

On a weekday evening there would be a line up of commuter services each with a 50 on the front - take your pick!

 

[D6130]

Indeed, in August this year it will be 10 years since my first ever All Line Rover. Now that's got me clambering for some nostalgia...

I, for one, look forward to reading the description of your travels!

 

[AJM580]

26/05/84. A day of peds in Anglia

31149 Norwich - Great Yarmouth 1E71 0802 Manchester Picc - Great Yarmouth
31130 Great Yarmouth - Norwich 1C86 1356 Great Yarmouth - Liverpool Street
31291 Norwich - Peterborough 1M74 1412 Great Yarmouth - Manchester Picc (vice 47351)
31401 & 31417 Peterborough - Norwich 1E80 1618 Birmingham NS - Norwich

31s always seemed to run better in pairs, managed a 60 mph start to stop run from Thetford - Norwich with the pair. 78 mph through Wymondham (line speed at the time was 70 mph)!!

26/5/90

37140 Norwich - Great Yarmouth 1L93 0752 Birmingham NS - Great Yarmouth
31427 Great Yarmouth - Norwich 1P57 1304 Great Yarmouth - Norwich
37140 Norwich - Great Yarmouth 1L81 0937 Leeds - Great Yarmouth
47366 Great Yarmouth - Norwich 1M06 1607 Great Yarmouth - Liverpool LS
47123 Norwich - Peterborough 1M06 1607 Great Yarmouth - Liverpool LS
91011 Peterborough - Grantham 1D46 1810 Kings Cross - Leeds
91008 Grantham - Peterborough 1A29 1810 Leeds - Kings Cross
31418 & 31438 Peterborough - Norwich 1L85 1700 Liverpool LS - Norwich

 

[D6130]

For me Paddington is synonymous with 50s. Once they had gone it was devoid of interest.

For me the WCML North of Crewe was synonymous with 50s. Once they had gone to the Western Region to replace the sublime Westerns I lost interest in them although, to be be honest, I had a final flare-up of interest in their last days on the Waterloo-Salisbury-Exeter route.....culminating in 50 042 blowing-up on me at Milborne Port in 1990 and having to wait nearly 2 hours for a 47 to arrive from Westbury to tow us Westwards.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Just before 26th May disappears, here are some photos of some of the "modern" traction at the Rainhill Trials celebrations....

 

[NorthWestRover]

For me Paddington is synonymous with 50s. Once they had gone it was devoid of interest.

On a weekday evening there would be a line up of commuter services each with a 50 on the front - take your pick!

50s and HSTs is what I think of. No prizes for guessing what I preferred. Had too many duffs there too when I was working.

 

[CW2]

I spent many years commuting from Reading to Paddington, working at various offices in London. Class 50s were always my preference, with the Mk 1 Network South East coaches or early Mk 2s being my vehicles of choice. In later years it was all HSTs. I'd rather have an HST than a duff, unless late at night when the Mk 1 compos were good for dossing in. One of my colleagues was travelling from Swindon to work at Paddington on the train which had a SPAD at Southall and collided with a stone train. That made us all pause for thought. He was unhurt, but there were 7 deaths and 100+ injuries, some serious. (I've spared you from the lists of Reading - Paddington commuter moves in this thread, as they are just too boring). I agree Paddington is an excellent station - just a shame it's so far from central London (i.e. in Paddington). I did enjoy winding up the Western Region heirarchy when discussing the HS2 station at Old Oak Common, and the fact that all the fast trains would call there. The phrase "In effect Paddington will become a turn-back siding for Old Oak Common" didn't go down too well!

 

[NorthWestRover]

If I'd kept records, I could have outbored you as I commuted Ormskirk to Liverpool for a year and then Bache to Liverpool for a couple of years. Heavens knows how many times I cleared the 507s and 508s.

 

[NorthWestRover]

... And talking of stations, I really like the shed at Manchester Piccadilly, the light can be great. I like Lime St too.