Back in the day...

[CW2]

Saturday 02/10/82
Returning from my honeymoon bash around Europe:
1523 +1539 + 1607 1450 Folkestone Harbour – Victoria
43083 + 43098 1730 Kings Cross – York

Wednesday 02/10/85
81014 2345 Glasgow Central – Carlisle
Once again 37405 and 37409 had been released from Crewe Works, and were sent as a pair light engine to Carlisle. Once more I headed south in the hope of a pair on the first Carlisle – Glasgow via Dumfries the next morning …

Thursday 02/10/86
Taking wife and 3-month old son to visit the in-laws:
86422 1050 Glasgow Central – Crewe
47443 1433 Crewe – Abergavenny

Sunday 02/10/94
After 60532’s failure at Durham the previous evening, I had been obliged to stay the night in York. The 0854 York – Kings Cross was cancelled for reasons unknown, and the next train at 0954 was 35’ late departing. Thanks to the slackness of the Sunday schedules, we were only 5’ late into Kings Cross.
43106 + 43115 0954 York – Kings Cross
47805 1340 Paddington – Reading
A fairly ignominious (and expensive) way to finish off the trip from Edinburgh.

Monday 02/10/95
An event known as the Shap Trials had been arranged, to run a comparison between 60007, 71000, and 46229. The first run – with 60007 – had taken place the previous Saturday when I was playing around with diesels on the WSR. However I was very much up for a fast trip over Shap (and back over the S&C) with the other two locos, with some 37 bashing thrown in for good measure.
37414 0750 Birmingham International – Crewe
71000 0926 Crewe – Carlisle
Much has been written about this particular trip by others more eloquent than myself. It is enough to say that on load 11, 71000 averaged 60 mph up the 1 in 75 approaching Shap Summit, with power outputs significantly higher than any Type 4 diesel, and the timings achieved are still a record for steam traction to this day. The sound of the loco being really worked hard was quite unlike any other. The chopped exhaust beat sounded more like a diesel loco than steam. Try this YouTube clip (not mine) and see what I mean:

We came back over the S&C at a slightly more sedate pace.
71000 1512 Carlisle – Blackburn
The Duke is now nearing the end of a lengthy overhaul – more info on this website:
https://www.theduke.uk.com/
I alighted at Blackburn for a spot more 37 bashing:
150 133 Blackburn – Preston
87016 1928 Preston – Crewe
37408 2017 Crewe – Birmingham International
This ran 20’ late, after 37408 replaced failed 37420 at Crewe.
37408 2312 Birmingham International – Crewe (where it in turn was replaced by 37417) …

 

[xotGD]

The chopped exhaust beat sounded more like a diesel loco than steam

Yes, a bit of a cross between a 26 and a 37. Not much of a 'chuff-chuff'.

 

[Far north 37]

Yes your probably right 90135 still going strong back as 90035.

 

[D6130]

The chopped exhaust beat sounded more like a diesel loco than steam.

That's three cylinders working hard for you!

 

[xotGD]

Catch up for yesterday and today...

2nd October 1982

46014 Sunderland - Newcastle 1N04

1st October 1983

47455 Newcastle - Darlington 1M75
45046 Darlington - Newcastle 1N13
46047 Newcastle - Durham 1M79
45109 Durham - Newcastle 1N31

The Class 37 gen site incorrectly states that 37115 worked 1N13 through to Newcastle. I think it got ripped at York, and we had to suffer the Wagon.

1st October 1988

This turned out to be a rather good day...

81002 New Street - Wolverhampton 1J19
47519 Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury 1J19
37198 + 37142 Shrewsbury - Welshpool 1J19
37680 + 37684 Welshpool - Wolverhampton 1A44
85005 Wolverhampton - Coventry 1V95
47565 Coventry - Leamington 1V95
47457 Leamington - New Street 1M56
47406 New Street - Coventry 1O20
85005 Coventry - Wolverhampton 1M81
85036 Wolverhampton - International 1G62
85022 International - Wolverhampton 1G39
85037 Wolverhampton - Stafford 1M20
86225 Stafford - Wolverhampton 1G56
81004 Wolverhampton - New Street 1G67

So two pairs of Syphons, two 81s and four 85s. Plus the obligatory Gateshead Generator.

2nd October 1988

After the previous day's fun I was out for the drags...

58011 (+86421) New Street - Nuneaton 1A09
58006 (+85006) Nuneaton - New Street 1J32
85006 New Street - Wolverhampton 1J32

The Roarer was a nice bonus after the two Bones.

2nd October 1994

Drags again, but slightly less interesting...

47565 (+86209) New Street - Nuneaton

 

[MDB1images]

Fri 02nd Oct 87
31230 18:35 Bolton-Preston(1M26 Nottingham-Blackpool)
45041 20:16 Preston-Blackpool N(2P62 Manchester Victoria-Blackpool)
45041 21:10 Blackpool N-Manchester Victoria(2J58 Blackpool N-Manchester Victoria)

Others noted…..
86410 London Euston-Barrow

Haulage wise this was a good night, in torrential rain(same as tonight, ironically)31230 set the ball rolling followed by 45041 on 2P62.

 

[D6130]

Having found a place with an internet connection close to our house in Italy, I have a bit of catching-up to do:

TUESDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 1978:

06 23 Portsmouth Harbour-Waterloo: 7817/7838/7818 Petersfield-Waterloo
08 08 Waterloo-Wimbledon: 7423/7396 Waterloo-Wimbledon
16 xx Waterloo-Waterloo via Richmond & Kingston: 5681/5788/5680 Wimbledon-Waterloo
18 10 Waterloo-Salisbury: 33 109/424/427 Waterloo-Woking
18 20 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour: 7394/7055/7353 Woking-Petersfield

SUNDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2007:

A two night flying visit to Italy to set up the bank account for the purchase of our house there:

EasyJet Manchester-Pisa
EN 1232, 19 47 Pisa Centrale-Firenze SMN: E444 070
R 2319, 21 09 Firenze SMN-Arezzo: E656 601

MONDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 2007:

R 1160, 07 11 Arezzo-Pratovecchio Stia: ETT 23

SATURDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 1976:

An Awayday Pleasure Seeker ADEX to Swansea, with some add-ons of our own:

7703 Petersfield-Fratton
47 201 Fratton-Swansea via Southampton, Salisbury, Bath Spa and Severn Tunnel
W50653/59268/50707 Swansea-Whitland via Carmarthen
47 540 Whitland-Swansea avoiding Carmarthen
47 267 Swansea-Cardiff Central - which was low on fuel and replaced by required:
47 538 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour via same route as outward journey
Unrecorded EMU Portsmouth Harbour-Petersfield

Consist of ADEX: S21266 (Mark 1 BCK), S4062/4059/4389 (Mark 1 TSO), S13398 (Mark 2 FK), S1873 (Mark 1 RMB), S3990/4072/3837 (Mark 1 TSO),
S21265 (Mark 1 BCK). Load 10 AB/EH

TUESDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2007:

R 1161, 08 47 Pratovecchio Stia-Arezzo: EBiz 8
R 2306, 10 09 Arezzo-Firenze SMN: E464 148
R 11721, 11 27 Firenze SMN-Pisa Centrale: E656 553
R xxxxx, 12 50 Pisa Centrale-Pisa Aeroporto: ALe642 047/Le 764 127/Le682 013
Thomson Fly Boeing 737: Pisa- Coventry


TUESDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1978:

06 23 Portsmouth Harbour-Waterloo: 7819/7708/7717 Petersfield-Waterloo
08 08 Waterloo-Woking: 7399/7343 Waterloo-Wimbledon
17 14 Effingham Junction-Waterloo: 5110/5125 Wimbledon-Waterloo
18 10 Waterloo-Salisbury: 33 104/426/405 Waterloo-Woking
18 20 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour:7393/7055/7353 Woking-Petersfield

WEDNESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 2009:

ES 9014, 09 26 London St Pancras International-Paris Nord: 373 019/020
RER Line D: Gare du Nord-Gare de Lyon
EC 9247, 13 50 Paris Lyon-Milano Centrale via Aix-les-Bains & Vercelli: TGV 4503

WEDNESDAY 1st OCTOBER 2009:

IC 591, 11 00 Milano Centrale-Arezzo: E444 013
R 1180, 15 38 Arezzo-Pratovecchio Stia: ALe056 143/Le056 143/ALe056 137/Le056 137 (second-hand Belgian units)

Phew! That's me back on track with the dates. Nothing for today....but something for tomorrow. Watch this space!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 3rd October 1981

45122 Sheffield to Chesterfield
45133 Chesterfield to Sheffield

This would have been a spotting day. The following day appears to have been Barrow Hill Open Day, so maybe I'd gone on this day knowing the visiting locos would be there. Would have perhaps gone to Tinsley, Shirebrook, Worksop, Barrow Hill. Rest of the moves would all have been DMUs.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 03/10/78
On my way from college in Harrogate to home in York, I’m distracted by the loco on hand to work the 1620 Harrogate – Kings Cross. For the only time in my experience of commuting to college, there’s a 40 on air-cons on the train. Of course I had to have it, even if it meant a longer journey home:
40152 1620 Harrogate – Leeds
As expected, it was replaced by a 47/4 at Leeds, so I alighted there for:
46047 1707 Leeds – York
Then a DMU to Selby for a Deltic back to York
DMU York – Selby
47458 1852 Selby – York
… or possibly not a Deltic at all.

Wednesday 03/10/79
(Mentioned previously in post #689)
31410 1215 York – Peterborough (failed)
47200 1414 Peterborough – Kings Cross, 73’ late.

Monday 03/10/83
Working late shift in Leeds Control. Thankfully my boss let me out a few minutes early, so I could catch the 1710 Bangor – York, which had some premium motive power:
40118 2102 Leeds – York

Wednesday 03/10/84
27045 0725 Glasgow Central – Dumfries
27020 0919 Dumfries – Glasgow Central
37175 1130 Glasgow Central – Ayr
27020 lost 15 minutes due to general tottering. On arrival at Ayr I went for a familiarisation visit to Ayr No 1 box, followed by a DMU back to Glasgow Central, and on to the late shift.

Thursday 03/10/85
Once again I’m at Carlisle awaiting ex-works 37405 + 37409. This time 37409 was put on trip working at Carlisle, then onto a Fidlers Ferry – Knockshinnoch coal empties as far as Ayr, leaving 37405 to work the 0605 Carlisle – Glasgow Central again.
37405 0605 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via Dumfries
This lost 25 minutes on the run to Glasgow, as the field diverts weren’t working. Yet again the output from Crewe Works was a substandard untested mess.
Then, after work:
47703 2330 Glasgow Queen Street – Perth

Wednesday 03/10/90 – work trip to RfD’s Harwich and Zeebrugge office
86207 1030 Liverpool Street – Colchester
309 622 1200 Colchester – Harwich Parkeston Quay
MV Petuja 2200 Harwich Parkeston Quay – Zeebrugge

Tuesday 03/10/95- Shap Trials Day 3
37417 0032 Crewe – Holyhead
37414 0314 Holyhead – Birmingham International
37414 0750 Birmingham International – Crewe
46229 0926 Crewe – Carlisle
46229 1512 Carlisle – Blackburn
158 812 Blackburn – Preston
90006 1928 Preston – Crewe
37408 2017 Crewe – Birmingham International

 

[D6130]

SATURDAY 3rd OCTOBER 1981:

While @NorthWestRover was shuttling between Sheffield and Chesterfield, I went for lunch and a couple of pints with an old schoolfriend in Helensburgh:

11 52 Helensburgh Central-Airdrie: 303 048 Hyndland-Glasgow QS LL
12 54 Glasgow QS-Oban: 37 027 Glasgow QS HL-helensburgh Upper. Consist: SC4198/4152/4144 (Mark 1 TSO), SC14059 (Mark 2 BFK) Load 4 VB/SH

 

[xotGD]

@D6130 - with your knowledge of Italian railways you might be able to fill me in on some gen. When I was in Firenze a couple of years ago I noticed that there were some diesel loco-hauled workings - I could see them from our hotel room window and hear them thrashing out of the station. Do you know where these services go to?

 

[D6130]

@D6130 - with your knowledge of Italian railways you might be able to fill me in on some gen. When I was in Firenze a couple of years ago I noticed that there were some diesel loco-hauled workings - I could see them from our hotel room window and hear them thrashing out of the station. Do you know where these services go t

There are two groups of diesel-hauled workings out of Firenze SMN, both worked by Siena-allocated class D445 locos and 'Regionale' push-pull sets. The first service (in and out of platforms 1-5 on the West side of the station) are the two-hourly (sometimes hourly) Regionale Veloce trains to and from Siena, a few of which are extended to and from Grosseto via Monte Antico. The second group are the hourly Regionale services to Borgo San Lorenzo via Pontassieve, which mainly arrive and depart from platforms 17 & 18 at the far end of the East side of the station....allow ten minutes to walk from the barrier! Unfortunately the D445s are now in the twilight of their lives and maintenance is becoming increasingly difficult and patchy, with bogie fires and generator flashovers becoming increasingly common. On many days it's impossible to cover all the diagrams and DMU substitutions occur with increasing regularity. Electrification of the Empoli-Siena line has now been authorised and that will spell the end of Siena's D445s, although a couple will probably be retained for breakdown train work. Two of the class - D445 1054 and 1100 - have been 'preserved' by FFSI, the heritage division of Italian Railways, and are frequently used - especially in Spring and Autumn - on railtours and scheduled 'tourist' trains on the very scenic and steeply-graded 'Faentina' line over the mountains from Firenze to Faenza and Ravenna, via Borgo San Lorenzo and Marradi.

If you want a really long run behind a D445, the Reggio Calabria-based locos work the twice-daily two coach InterCity services between there and Taranto along the 473 km/294 mile Ionian coast line in the far South. It's mainly level, along the beaches, Dawlish-fashion, but very scenic in parts and can be covered in different sections over a few days. However, if you do the full trip of more than seven hours, make sure you take plenty of food and drink....there's nothing available on board! The locos are not taxed by two IC coaches, but may get into notch 4 on the short hilly inland section either side of the tunnel South of Crotone. @Iskra has a holiday home near this line at Locri and may be able to share more info about the route and its services.

 

[Crewe Exile]

What a thread!. I haven’t been on for while - certainly brings back some memories - congratulations on keeping such records!

 

[Iskra]

Thanks @D6130

I’m heading out to Italy tomorrow and travelling Catania, Sicily-Locri, Calabria on Tuesday on Trenitalia so I will post an update on LHCS services once I have seen the post-Covid timetables in person so that the information is up to date.

Pre-Covid there were 2TPD booked for diesel locomotive IC services in each direction. But I’m not sure that the recently added 2nd per train day on the Ionian line really ever got going due to locomotive availability issues so I believe the 2nd service was often cancelled or substituted with a DMU. I would however recommend a trip on this line, the locomotive services are very comfortable, but as already suggested; do bring your own provisions. The units are a mixture of old single carriage DMU’s and shiny new bi-modes so the travelling experience can vary greatly on the Regional services.

Electrification is progressing along this line so if you want to travel on the Diesel IC services, do so sooner rather than later. The wires had reached Sibari from Taranto on my last visit.

 

[xotGD]

Thanks for the Italian gen folks. Looks like we should have done a sight seeing trip to Siena - maybe next time.

Back to the past...

3rd October 1990

On my way to watch Hearts beat Dnipro 4-2 in the UEFA Cup...

86253 International - New St
90044 New St - Carstairs
47706 Carstairs - Waverley

3rd October 1997

In between some Class 91 moves I had:

89001 Leeds - Retford

I forgot to note that back on 30th September I'd had it Bradford FS - Doncaster.

 

[SuspectUsual]

A D445 having a generator flashover? The ghost of the class 50 lives on!

And yes, this thread is fantastic.

 

[MDB1images]

Sat 03rd Oct 87
47442 08:20 Bolton-Chinley(1E86Blackpool-Harwich PQ)
37679(with 47442)Chinley-Sheffield(1E86 Blackpool-Harwich PQ)
31446 10:xx Sheffield-Chesterfield(1E86 Blackpool-Harwich PQ)
47456 11:22 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1M87 Harwich PQ-Manchester Piccadilly)
45140 12:35 Sheffield-Derby(1V67 Scarborough-Paignton)
47533 14:58 Derby-Chesterfield(1E61 Poole-Bradford Interchange)
47551 16:31 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E65 Newquay-Newcastle)
31158 17:22 Sheffield-Oxford Rd(1M38 Sheffield-Liverpool)
31442 18:34 Oxford Rd-Stockport(Liverpool-Sheffield)
47326 20:02 Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly(1M23 Poole-Manchester Piccadilly)
31125 20:56 Manchester Victoria-Stockport(1M54 Blackpool-Derby)
31171 22:09 Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly(1M56 Sheffield-Liverpool

Others…..
47440 1J27 Edinburgh-Manchester Victoria.

Haulage wise, it was an eventful day!
47442 decided it didn’t want to go past Chinley so it was sit and wait for what was going to be sent off the Buxton/Peak Forest traffic, 37679 arrived which was not required (suspect I'd scratched this previously on one of the rescues of a failed Class 31/4’ on the South Trans Pennines).
45140 was taken for a fast run to Derby. My expectations of the traffic on the SW-NE route being NB was small due to the late time of year ,for reasons unknown I take 47533 to Chesterfield and then get on a winning Eastfield ETH 47551 on 1E65.
The day then really kicks in no heat wise as it seems the Class Class 31/4’s aren't behaving on the South Pennines so 31158 is a winner on 1M38, Another NB Winner in 47326 appears on 1M26(that Poole train really did give me some winner Class 47’s)before I catch up with 31125 which was running some 40 late on 1M54 and fall onto 31171 covering for another poorly Class 31/4 on 1M56.
Sight wise new for renumbering are 37511 & 37520 which are noted at Derby.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 4th October 1980

Spotting trip to Reading using the BR Rail Rambler Railtour as far as Oxford. 40017 worked this from Morecambe to Lancaster (before I joined).

86007 Warrington BQ to Birmingham NS
47359 Birmingham NS to Oxford (via Worcester)
47081 Oxford to Reading
????? Reading to Oxford
47359 Oxford to Birmingham NS (via Worcester)
86010 Birmingham NS to Warrington BQ

 

[CW2]

Saturday 4th October 1980

Spotting trip to Reading using the BR Rail Rambler Railtour as far as Oxford. 40017 worked this from Morecambe to Lancaster (before I joined).

86007 Warrington BQ to Birmingham NS
47359 Birmingham NS to Oxford (via Worcester)
47081 Oxford to Reading
????? Reading to Oxford
47359 Oxford to Birmingham NS (via Worcester)
86010 Birmingham NS to Warrington BQ

I don't imagine 47359 was especially warm in early October. They must have been really struggling for power that day.

Meanwhile, here are my moves for 04 October:

Wednesday 04/10/78
45013 1126 York – Leeds
47539 1205 Leeds – York
47401 1413 York – Selby
47485 1500 Selby – York
DMU York – Harrogate (to visit college)
47524 1620 Harrogate – Wakefield Westgate
47458 1716 Wakefield Westgate – Leeds
So far, it had all been a bit “Meh”, but suddenly things looked up:
40188 1707 Leeds – York
This was the 1510 Liverpool – Newcastle running 75’ late after a loco failure, producing this big required NB 40.
On arrival at York, the 1139 Poole – Newcastle was in the platform, with required 40002. Sadly, it was just being removed… and replaced by even bigger 37002:
37002 1853 York – Darlington
At Darlington I hung around waiting for the 2030 Newcastle – Kings Cross, hoping for a Deltic. Well, I didn’t get a Deltic, but I did score another NB 40:
40079 2125 Darlington – York
The 40 came off at York, to be replaced by 55006.

Thursday 04/10/84
After working a late shift in Glasgow, I had a couple of days off, so went home to my wife in York (whilst taking the best traction and “scenic” route of course):
81021 2350 Glasgow Central – Carlisle
(Friday 05/10/84)
DMU 0250 Carlisle – Newcastle (Unadvertised newspaper train)
43071 + 43038 0530 Newcastle – York via Sunderland, Middlesbrough
This was the only time I ever did the HST round the coast.

Friday 04/10/85
A visit to Inverness and Dingwall, to see the RETB signalling system in action:
47407 0110 Perth – Inverness (yes, one of those again)
37021 0635 Inverness – Dingwall
37035 0725 Dingwall – Kyle of Lochalsh
37035 1110 Kyle of Lochalsh – Dingwall
I had an official footplate ride both ways, to see how the RETB system operated, then visited the signalling centre at Dingwall.
37021 1540 Dingwall – Inverness
47413 1630 Inverness – Perth (yes, another one of those again)
I watched 37192 arrive at Perth on the 1805 ex Queen Street, and expected to have that back on the 1934 ex Perth. It was not to be. On arrival it shut down and refused to restart. So this is what I got instead:
27063 1934 Perth – Glasgow Queen Street

Saturday 04/10/86
Returning home from a visit to the in-laws, with wife and 9-week old son (so there wasn’t a lot of scope for messing about). I didn’t do too badly, considering:
47439 1459 Abergavenny – Crewe
81010 1720 Crewe – Preston
86103 1849 Preston – Glasgow Central

Friday 05/10/90 – returning from a visit to RfD’s offices in Zeebrugge
MV Petuja 2200 (Thu 04/10/90) Zeebrugge – Harwich Parkeston Quay
86235 1040 Harwich Parkeston Quay – Liverpool Street

 

[D6130]

SATURDAY 4th OCTOBER 2008:

En route to Italy on the day after the second Channel Tunnel fire. We had booked on the afternoon TGV from Paris to Milano, but our Eurostar arrived in Paris three hours late due to single line working being in operation in the middle section of the tunnel and Eurotunnel shuttles apparently being given priority. We made our way to Gare de Bercy, the bleak concrete ex-motorail terminal about a kilometre South of the Gare de Lyon. in the hope of getting onto the overnight Paris-Rome sleeper. On arrival, the one and only member of staff in the booking office informed us that the train was officially fully-booked, but - seeing my FIP card - she suggested that we went onto the platform and had a word with the train staff. We found a kindly looking Italian sleeping car attendant and he confirmed that the train was fully-booked, but told us to get on board with our luggage and sit down in his little office at the end of the carriage. About half an hour after departure, he returned and showed us into an empty two berth sleeping compartment at the opposite end of the carriage, the booked passengers for which were no-shows. (Maybe they had been on a later delayed Eurostar?). In those pre-Thello days priv fares were still available and the attendant issued my wife and I travel and sleeper half-fare paper tickets to Florence for Euro 57.50 each. We dumped our bags in the compartment and headed straight for the restaurant car, where we consumed enough pasta and red wine to hopefully ensure a good night's sleep after returning to our compartment at Dijon. Unfortunately, it was my wife's first ever sleeping car experience - if you don't count couchettes - and she became quite excited. I had seemingly just drifted off to sleep when I was awoken by cries of "Dole! Dole!....we're at Dole!" - accompanied by bright light from the half-open window blind. Thereafter, I only slept fitfully, especially after a repeat performance at Lausanne.

ES 9020, 11 05 London St Pancras-Paris Nord: 373 019/020
RER Line D: Gare du Nord-Gare de Lyon
Metro Line ? Gare de Lyon-Bercy
EN 227, 18 59 Paris Bercy-Roma Termini: BB26014 Paris-Vallorbe
Unidentified SBB loco: Vallorbe-Domodossola

SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER 2009:

TFT R 179, 15 41 Pratovecchio Stia-Arezzo: ETT 22
TFT R 190, 19 23 Arezzo-Pratovecchio Stia: ETT 23

 

[Falcon1200]

Tuesday 4th October 1983 - Another 50 double-header !

50013 and 50040 0918 Didcot-Paddington (to Reading)
Only 1 on the way home though;
50007 1902 Paddington-Oxford (from Reading)

Thursday 4th October 1990 - On the way home from holiday in Pesaro, Italy (with the British Transport Travel Club)

BB16036 2245 Milano-Calais, Basle-Charleville
BB22323 ditto, Charleville-Lille
67600 ditto, Lille-Calais
47839 1716 Folkestone-Manchester Piccadilly (Dover Priory-Oxford)

 

[xotGD]

4th October 1990

After the footy and a couple of pints, time for an overnight back to Brum...

47635 Waverley - Carstairs
86212 Carstairs - Crewe
47844 Crewe - New St

...and straight to work!

 

[CW2]

Sunday 05/10/80
47134 1030 Paddington – Reading

Tuesday 05/10/99
My regular commuting train from Reading to Paddington was the 0603 ex Cheltenham, 0744 from Reading. I had caught it on 14 out of the previous 15 working days, usually sitting in the front FO. On this particular day I had a job interview at the Strategic Rail Authority, so just to be sure of arriving punctually I caught a slightly earlier train to Paddington.
43179 + 43125 0730 Reading – Paddington
When I reached the SRA offices there was some delay before I could be interviewed, as news was coming in of the Ladbroke Grove crash.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladbroke_Grove_rail_crash
I quickly learned to my horror that the train involved was my regular 0603 ex Cheltenham, and that a number of the dead or injured were those people I sat alongside day after day.
I didn’t have a very good interview, and didn’t get the job with the SRA, but I was forever thankful that they had inadvertently saved me from death, incineration, or serious injury on my normal daily commute.

Getting home that evening was an overcrowded mess:
3409 + 3468 Waterloo – Reading via Richmond
From the following day all GW services started / terminated at Ealing Broadway, for onward connections by Underground, so that set my pattern of commuting for the next couple of weeks. It took some time before my mind was in the right place though, and it also left a lasting impact on my attitude towards rail safety.

Thursday 05/10/00
A minor exception to the “No Commuting Moves” rule, as it is a bit unusual:
After a visit to the Willesden area I came home to Reading like this:
170 207 West Hampstead – Basingstoke
47807 1726 Basingstoke – Reading
I can’t remember what service the 170 was on. Was it something like a Colchester – Southampton? Any offers?

 

[Techniquest]

Wasn't that short lived 170 service an Ipswich to Basingstoke thing Anglia Railways tried? I'm not too genned up on it myself, it was nearly 4 years before my arrival on the scene.

What a lucky escape you had too on that day!

 

[Bald Rick]

I can’t remember what service the 170 was on. Was it something like a Colchester – Southampton? Any offers?

Yep, as Tech says, Basingstoke to Ipswich, via Feltham, Kew East and the North London Line.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Hard to follow that with anything as anodyne as a bashing report.

Saturday 5th October 1985

Back for second year at Poly and a rare late 1985 trip out.

81022 Wolves to Brmingham Int, 1G?? 08.20 Liverpool to Birmingham Int
86325 Birmingham Int to Coventry, 1A?? 09.57 Wolves to Euston
47483 Coventry to Birmingham NS, 1S39 07.34 Poole to Glasgow/Edinburgh
85026 Birmingham NS to Sandwell & Dudley, 1S39
86227 Sandwell & Dudley to Coventry, 1A41 11.37 Shrewsbury to Euston
47488 Coventry to Birmingham NS, 1E63 09.40 Poole to Newcastle
Unit to Lichfield City and back
85034 Birmingham NS to Wolves, 1P 16.20 Birmingham to Preston

The 81 was required as was the Lichfield City branch. Nice to get a couple more Roarers too.

 

[xotGD]

just to be sure of arriving punctually I caught a slightly earlier train to Paddington.

What seemed like a trivial decision with huge consequences.

It really does put our activities playing on trains into perspective.

 

[D6130]

An ex-pat neighbour of ours here in Tuscany was seriously injured in the Ladbroke Grove collision, while commuting from Didcot to London. He was travelling in the buffet car, which overturned and suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries, resulting in many months in hospital and several years of therapy and rehabilitation - both physical and psychological. Following a lengthy court case, he was awarded considerable damages, which enabled him and his wife to purchase an old farmhouse in Tuscany and spend the rest of their lives gardening....which he finds very therapeutic. He absolutely hates railways and trains and has never travelled by train since the accident - and never will again. We tend to avoid the subject when in his and his wife's company, for obvious reasons. Almost exactly a year after the accident, while still a driver at Skipton, I spent a week driving Heathrow Express 332s - under supervision - up and down between Paddington and the airport, as part of my practical handling experience prior to the introduction of the almost identical 333s on the Leeds North West routes. I was able to see at first hand the signed-out-of-use signal SN 109 and the rusty reversible road beneath it.

FRIDAY 5th OCTOBER 2007:

The start of a protracted and roundabout trip to our place in Italy, which we had just bought, involving a visit to French friends in the Dordogne en route:

ES 9132, 11 xx London Waterloo-Lille Europe: 373 108/107 - our last Eurostar journey from Waterloo.
TGV 5222, 15 42 Lille Europe-Angouleme: TGV101+94
TGV 8451, 20 10 Angouleme-Libourne: TGV328
TER xxxxx, 21 08 Libourne-Sainte Foy la Grande: X72573/74

SUNDAY 5th OCTOBER 2008:

Arriving in Tuscany to an unseasonably cold and frosty early autumn morning following our impromptu overnight sleeper journey from Paris:

EN 227, xx xx Domodossola-Milano Centrale: Unidentified FS electric loco
EN 227, xx xx Milano Centrale-Firenze Campo di Marte: Another unidentified FS electric loco
RV 3153, 08 15 Firenze Campo di Marte-Arezzo: E464 044
TFT R 168, 09 28 Arezzo-Pratovecchio Stia

SATURDAY 5th OCTOBER 2013:

Now early-retired, it's time for another stay at our place in Italy....with an overnight with friends in Paris en route:

ES 9030, 14 01 London St Pancras-Paris Nord: 373 220/219....yet again!

I'm afraid, at this stage, I had got out of the habit of recording what hauled/propelled us from Yorkshire to London, as I no longer required any 91s for haulage.

 

[CW2]

Yep, as Tech says, Basingstoke to Ipswich, via Feltham, Kew East and the North London Line.

Thanks both, that rings a bell.

 

[Cowley]

Thanks both, that rings a bell.

That was a sobering thing to read @CW2 thanks for sharing that.

Edit - Not much to add to this thread apart from looking through my remaining books I had a cab ride in 25067 from Ropley to Alresford on the Mid Hants on an ecs thirty years ago yesterday.
I’d been there for a few months by then volunteering and living in at first a tent and then as it got colder a portakabin called the Tea Junction at Ropley, doing various jobs around the place.
Most of the rest of the week was spent in an SR brake van next a lowmac with a tractor and flail on it as we pottered up and down the line flailing hedgerows whilst being pulled very slowly by 08288.
I’ve some (very slow) mileage off that 08 over the years!



I know we keep saying things like this, but how can this be thirty years ago?