Back in the day...

[NorthWestRover]

Friday 7th February 1986

So, I'd got to London behind a roarer on the evening of the 6th armed with my £12 Fab Feb Saver....over to Paddington and...

50004 Paddington to Penzance (via Bath and Bristol), 1C02 23.59 (Thurs) Paddington to Penzance
50040 Penzance to Plymouth, 1A50 09.32 Penzance to Paddington
50025 Plymouth to Newton Abbott, 1M83 10.24 Penzance to Liverpool
50022 Newton Abbott to Exeter St Davids, 1A58 13.00 Plymouth to Paddington
50045 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo, 1O18 14.17 Exeter to Warerloo
Unit Paddington to Slough, 18.43 Paddington to Reading

The only time I did Exeter to Waterloo.

648 miles, all but 18.50 behind Hoovers. For £12. And that was not the end of the validity of the ticket.

 

[Cletus]

It was the 2150 from Glasgow Central via Dumfries. Being a Friday night / Saturday morning there were always more people travelling. There may have been a sporting event involved too?

Ok, thanks.

 

[xotGD]

Friday 7th February 1986

So, I'd got to London behind a roarer on the evening of the 6th armed with my £12 Fab Feb Saver....over to Paddington and...

50004 Paddington to Penzance (via Bath and Bristol), 1C02 23.59 (Thurs) Paddington to Penzance
50040 Penzance to Plymouth, 1A50 09.32 Penzance to Paddington
50025 Plymouth to Newton Abbott, 1M83 10.24 Penzance to Liverpool
50022 Newton Abbott to Exeter St Davids, 1A58 13.00 Plymouth to Paddington
50045 Exeter St Davids to Waterloo, 1O18 14.17 Exeter to Warerloo
Unit Paddington to Slough, 18.43 Paddington to Reading

The only time I did Exeter to Waterloo.

648 miles, all but 18.50 behind Hoovers. For £12. And that was not the end of the validity of the ticket.

Hoover-tastic!

I've never done Exeter - Waterloo. Apart from yellow pen, not much incentive to do it these days!

 

[Magdalia]

Wednesday 06/02/80

At Peterborough I saw the Royal Train whilst waiting for my return journey south:

Do you have any further details please?

HM the Queen rarely travels on 6 February because it is the anniversary of the day her father died.

 

[D6130]

SATURDAY 7th JANUARY 1981:

Unfortunately, I overslept (that's my excuse anyway!) at my girlfriend's flat in London and didn't make it to Waterloo in time to catch the 10 10 to Salisbury as far as Woking on my regular Saturday lunchtime visit to see friends in Pertersfield....so it turned out to be an 'all unit' day. However, more interesting stuff tomorrow on my return trip to Scotland.

 

[CW2]

Do you have any further details please?

HM the Queen rarely travels on 6 February because it is the anniversary of the day her father died.

Sorry, nothing more to add. I simply had a note to that effect in my book. No idea if the train was occupied at the time.

 

[Graeme.Hutchis]

7th January 1987 A fun spin to Brum

303001 Branchton-Glasgow 07.10 x Wemyss Bay

85022 Glasgow- Stafford, 09.50 Glasgow-Poole 1011

87006 Stafford-Nuneaton, 14.00 Crewe-London Euston 1A42

31322 Nuneaton-Melton Mowbray, 14.20 Birmingham-Ipswich 1E76

31454 Melton Mowbray-13.30 Norwich-Birmingham 1M68

Now this is where the fun begins,

85015 Birmingham-Crewe 18.00 Birmingham-Glasgow 1S87 but 85015 promptly burst at Crewe, but all is not lost as 85021 backed on and off we went as far as Tebay where the knitting fell down so 47015 was attached and we went forward to Clifton Lowther where 47015 was detached and 85021 then went forward to Glasgow only 50 Late as i made the 23.25 unit home .

 

[xotGD]

7th February 1987

One of those evenings visiting the watering holes of Cheltenham...

50020 New Street - Cheltenham 1V90
45126 Cheltenham New Street 1S19
37159 Lickey Banker 1S19

7th February 1992

Work trip to the Smoke...

86236 New Street - Euston
87019 Euston - New Street

Tomorrow my bargain February trips get underway...

 

[NorthWestRover]

Tomorrow my bargain February trips get underway...

Tomorrow in 1986 after my Hooverfest, I spent the day in Slough. Maybe eating Mars Bars.

 

[CW2]

Wednesday 08/02/78
47026 1514 Skipton – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Huddersfield
40080 1636 Huddersfield – York
47421 2150 York – Stockport via OA&GB Jn, Denton
Another of those “Why did I do that?” moments. Why did I take a 47 all the way to Stockport?

Friday 08/02/80
A gentle evening spin on the “Master Cobbler”:
85032 1723 Euston – Bletchley
86248 1806 Bletchley – Euston
(Before Milton Keynes Central station was built, a number of WCML services served Bletchley).

Monday 08/02/82
50046 1505 Plymouth – Exeter St Davids
50013 1620 Exeter St Davids – Waterloo

Friday 08/02/85
86216 2350 Glasgow Central – Birmingham New Street
An overnight journey to Plymouth in thick snow. I was glad of a sleeper …

Wednesday 08/02/89
86410 1815 Crewe – Stafford
86210 2103 Stafford – Crewe

Tuesday 08/02/94
43034 + 43188 1803 Paddington – Reading
I’ve included this journey because it was the first time that Central Door Locking had been in use on an HST. We take it for granted now, but before this date there was a regular stream of fatalities each year across the rail network caused by people falling out of trains. IMHO it took way too long for CDL to be adopted in the UK.

Monday 08/02/99
I had come to work at Paddington in the usual manner …
43142 + 43127 0743 Reading – Paddington
… when it came to my attention that the 1418 Paddington – Glasgow wasn’t going to be the usual 47/8 today:
31308 + 31113 1418 Paddington – Birmingham New Street via Coventry
I required both 31s.
Then there was further entertainment on offer on the Holyhead service ex New Street:
37418 1721 Birmingham New Street – Wolverhampton via Aston, Bescot
47702 1739 Wolverhampton – Reading via Coventry

 

[Jamesrob637]

Today two years ago I took a train from Heaton Chapel into Manchester for a night out including the Peaky Blinders bar.

 

[Falcon1200]

Tuesday 8th February 1983 - A trip to get some 33s. HST and DMU travel sadly not recorded, although I doubled back sharply from Newport to Cardiff a couple of times !
50019 0955 Oxford-Paddington (to Didcot)
33007 1510 Cardiff C-Crewe (to Newport)
33032 1615 Cardiff C-Portsmouth (to Newport)
33058 1710 Cardiff C-Crewe (to Newport)
33015 1715 Cardiff C-Weymouth (Newport-Bristol Temple Meads)
50019 1827 Paddington-Oxford (from Didcot)

I’ve included this journey because it was the first time that Central Door Locking had been in use on an HST. We take it for granted now, but before this date there was a regular stream of fatalities each year across the rail network caused by people falling out of trains. IMHO it took way too long for CDL to be adopted in the UK.

Absolutely, and as well as the fatalities there were also the door swinging open and damaging passing trains incidents, and the line having to be examined in case someone had fallen out.

 

[D6130]

SUNDAY 8th FEBRUARY 1981:

On this occasion I returned from my weekend visit to my girlfriend in London via the ECML, instead of the WCML....mainly in order to 'yellow pen' the Askern branch on a Sunday diversion:

43 090+43 069 15 00 Kings Cross-Edinburgh via Knottingley (continuing to Aberdeen). Consist: E44048/42141/42140/42139/40025/
40508/41072/41071 (Load 8 AB/EH)
47 702 21 00 Edinburgh-Glasgow via Falkirk Grahamston (Consist: SC9701/11008/12021/12014/12006 Load 5 AB/EH)
303 046 Glasgow QS LL-Hyndland (22 07 High Street-Balloch Central)

 

[xotGD]

8th February 1986

£4 bargain circular trip...

50027 New St - Bristol TM 1V76
33035 Bristol TM - Southampton 1O79
47485 Southampton - Reading 1M23
47603 Reading - New St 1M23

The traction definitely deteriorated for the homeward leg.

Three more 1986 February cheap trips to come and tomorrow is the first of two such outings from 1988...

 

[NorthWestRover]

All locos though.

 

[CW2]

Thursday 09/02/78
47421 0150 Stockport – York via Denton, OA&GB Jn
DMU York – Harrogate
31417 1652 Harrogate – Leeds
47428 1730 Leeds – Wakefield Westgate
DMU Wakefield Westgate – Leeds
45047 1906 Leeds – York
Tonight the 2150 to Shrewsbury has got a 40 on it. I couldn’t say “No”.
40056 2150 York – Stockport via OA&GB Jn, Denton
(Friday 10/02/78)
40056 0050 Stockport – Leeds via Denton, OA&GB Jn
Loco removed at Leeds, out of boiler water. What would replace it …?
40068 0236 Leeds – York
That’s certainly an improvement on 47421 all the way there and back!

Saturday 09/02/85
The long overnight trip from Glasgow to Bristol was made even longer by heavy snowfalls, causing points failures in the Cheltenham area:
45134 0700 Birmingham New Street – Bristol Temple Meads 190’ late
At Bristol Temple Meads, the only train heading towards the West Country was an HST which arrived from “The North” (the announcer clearly didn’t know where it originated). It was stated the train would terminate at Newton Abbot, as only one power car was running. However a fitter boarded the train at Exeter St Davids and managed to get the defective front power car running, so we carried on through to Plymouth:
43182 (rear) 1230 Bristol Temple Meads – Plymouth
43173 (front) 14xx Newton Abbot – Plymouth
I’m not sure if I was miffed at not getting a pilot loco over the South Devon Banks, or pleased that we weren’t having to be turfed out at Newton Abbot!

Sunday 09/02/86
37401 1650 Glasgow Queen Street – Crianlarich
37403 1942 Crianlarich – Glasgow Queen Street

Monday 09/02/87
With wife and 7-month old son, a journey home from Plymouth to Glasgow. Thankfully the locos were of a suitable calibre today:
50045 0945 Plymouth – Birmingham New Street
86103 1413 Birmingham New Street – Glasgow Central

Sunday 09/02/92
30506 1115 Alton – Alresford
30506 1210 Alresford – Alton

Wednesday 09/02/94
A rather troubled steam railtour …
47809 0725 Reading – Didcot
5029 0815 Didcot – Sheffield via Solihull, Saltley, Derby.
This was planned as a through service to Bradford Forster Square, but never got there. 5029 ran short of steam south of Derby, and eventually ground to a complete halt blocking the junctions and station throat at the south end of Derby station. Eventually we limped forward to Sheffield and terminated there, 135 minutes late. I left the train there, having no wish to enjoy the delights of a long-distance run back to Reading with a 47.
158 758 Sheffield – Doncaster
91010 1735 Doncaster – Kings Cross
43019 + 43143 2000 Paddington – Reading

 

[NorthWestRover]

Wednesday 9th February 1983

47211 WBQ to Earlestown

According to RailGen, the duff (required) was on one of the Man Vic to Bangor diagrams. Whether I got back from Earlestown an ETH duff, a unit or bike is long lost to the sands of time.

Sunday 9th February 1986

After the roarer down to London on 6th, my Hoover day on 7th and then a weekend in Slough, my £12 Fab Feb Saver was completed thus...

47567 Slough to Paddington, 1A68 18.00 Cardiff to Paddington
86216 Euston to Wolves, 1G?? 21.40 Euston to Wolves

I got a total of 919 miles for my £12...

 

[xotGD]

9th February 1988

I purchased a £4 (or was it £8?) ticket to Rye. I wanted the ticket to say "Outward via Ipswich return via Bristol" but the woman who worked at the student union travel desk was fed up with cranks asking for stupid tickets, so didn't include the 'via' stuff. That did not stop me following my plans...

31437 New St - Ipswich 1E62 (A long run behind a Goyle.)
86217 Ipswich - Liverpool St 1P25 (Gripper questioned the validity of my ticket, but let it go when I said I had asked for a ticket via Ipswich!)
EMU London - Ashford
Thumper Ashford - Hastings (Not getting off at Rye, surprisingly enough.)

A quick pint in Hastings, then a succession of EMUs along the South Coast followed by...

33050 Portsmouth & Southsea - Bristol TM 1V87 (I think this was held for my train to arrive - just as well!)
50022 Bristol TM - New St 1S19
37029 + 37062 Lickey Bankers 1S19 (A split-box pair - not what I was expecting.)

A grand day out, plenty of yellow-pen action and with some EE superpower up the Lickey.

 

[Graeme.Hutchis]

9th February 1985

Emu Greenock to Glasgow,06.14 x Gourock

27054 Queen St - Crianlarich, 08.20 Queen St - Oban

37017 Crianlarich - Queen St, 08.00 Oban - Queen St

37192 Queen St - Crianlarich, 12.20 Queen St - Oban

37112 Crianlarich - Helensburgh Upper, 14.15 Fort William - Queen St

37085 Helensburgh Upper - Crianlarich, 16.50 Queen St - Fort William

37192 Crianlarich - Arrochar, 18.00 Oban - Queen St

37111 Arrochar - Ardlui, 18.20 Queen St - Oban

37039 +Ethel 2 Ardlui - Queen St, 15.50 Mallaig - Queen St

47526 Glasgow - Paisley, 22.30 Glasgow - Stranraer Harbour

303019 Paisley - Branchton, 22.45 Glasgow - Wemyss Bay.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 10/02/98
On my way home from Paddington:
43034 +43126 1703 Paddington – Reading
At Reading I chanced upon the 1647 Reading – Liverpool waiting to depart, with 37709 on the front! The 37 had rescued ex-works 47822 at Didcot on the southbound journey, and was just preparing to depart:
37709 1647 Reading – Oxford 55’ late
47849 1827 Oxford – Reading 20’ late
I was well impressed with having had 37709; I was slightly less impressed when I learned that before conversion it was an old Eastfield boilered favourite, 37014.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thursday 10th February 1983

45051 St Helens J to Lime St

 

[xotGD]

I was well impressed with having had 37709; I was slightly less impressed when I learned that before conversion it was an old Eastfield boilered favourite, 37014.

It also worked the other way when a big Cardiff beastie you'd had for haulage ended up as a 37/4.

 

[CW2]

It also worked the other way when a big Cardiff beastie you'd had for haulage ended up as a 37/4.

Ah yes, there was an influx of big Cardiff beasties which came to Eastfield prior to refurbishment. We didn't have a clue which ones would end up as 37/4s, and which would be 37/6s or 37/8s (and thus hardly ever work a passenger train again). The prime example of that was 37292 returning as 37425.

Happy days!

 

[D6130]

9th February 1985

Emu Greenock to Glasgow,06.14 x Gourock

27054 Queen St - Crianlarich, 08.20 Queen St - Oban

37017 Crianlarich - Queen St, 08.00 Oban - Queen St

37192 Queen St - Crianlarich, 12.20 Queen St - Oban

37112 Crianlarich - Helensburgh Upper, 14.15 Fort William - Queen St

37085 Helensburgh Upper - Crianlarich, 16.50 Queen St - Fort William

37192 Crianlarich - Arrochar, 18.00 Oban - Queen St

37111 Arrochar - Ardlui, 18.20 Queen St - Oban

37039 +Ethel 2 Ardlui - Queen St, 15.50 Mallaig - Queen St

47526 Glasgow - Paisley, 22.30 Glasgow - Stranraer Harbour

303019 Paisley - Branchton, 22.45 Glasgow - Wemyss Bay.

A great day of 'syphonage' on the WHL, starting - unexpectedly by that date - with a 27, which presumably returned to Glasgow on the 12 54 from Oban. Hopefully you had good weather for enjoying the scenery. Meanwhile, four years earlier, I had another after-work overnighter with my parents near Garelochhead:

TUESDAY 10th FEBRUARY 1981:

303 019 Hyndland-Argyle Street (08 05 Milngavie-Lanark)
37 021 18 21 Glasgow QS HL-Garelochhead (to Oban. Consist: SC3817/4256/4387/14021. Load 4 VB/SH)

Those overnight trips to Garelochhead came with a price if I had to be at work the following day. I would have to be up rather early in the morning to catch the bus to Helensburgh for the 07 47 EMU to Glasgow.

 

[xotGD]

10th February 1990

Once again I was traveling within the validity of my Travelcard. Highlights of the day were:

50035 New St - Cov (My favourite Hoover)
85015 Cov - Wolves

Other haulages provided by 47850, 47815, 47462, 87005, 47813, 47846, 86210, 47812, 86249 and 87027.

I obviously decided to focus on Duffs rather than Cans for a change.

 

[Falcon1200]

In February 1984 I attended an interview for a post in Glasgow Control..... A fateful day as I got the job and have lived up here since March 84 ! I took the long way round to Glasgow, so as not to get there too early:

Thursday 9th February 1984
47508 1320 Glasgow C-Paddington (from Oxford)
47413 2215 Kings X-Aberdeen

Friday 10th February 1984
47578 0855 Aberdeen-Glasgow Queen St
86253 1320 Glasgow C-Paddington (to Birmingham New St)
47473 ditto (Birmingham New St-Oxford)

And by coincidence travelled on the same train 24 hours apart, for different sections of its journey.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Just doing some random searching of my records and I do not have recorded a departure from Shrewsbury on anything other than a loco-hauled train! I have the following classes recorded...25, 33, 37, 46, 47, 50, 67. I have also passed through behind a 40. I must have left there on a unit at some point!!

 

[Harvester]

Saturday 11th February 1989

A trip to Leamington Spa

150109 12:38 Beeston-Birmingham NS
50046 14:41 Birmingham NS-Leamington

Our return working (Poole-Newcastle) was 90 minutes late, and turned up behind a pair of Duffs. The train engine 47619 was a total failure, not even supplying ETH. (It could have been switched off)!!

47295+(47619) 15:27 Leamington-Birmingham NS (late running)

At the New Street reversal another pair took over. This seemed to be a regular combination on this train on Saturdays back then, with the lead 47 being on a positional move to Sheffield.

47569+47608 Birmingham NS-Derby (Poole-Newcastle)
150??? 19:00 Derby-Beeston

 

[CW2]

Just doing some random searching of my records and I do not have recorded a departure from Shrewsbury on anything other than a loco-hauled train! I have the following classes recorded...25, 33, 37, 46, 47, 50, 67. I have also passed through behind a 40. I must have left there on a unit at some point!!

What was the 46 on? They weren't that common at Shrewsbury. I never had any sort of Peak to/from Shrewsbury. However I can add classes 31, 40 and 57 to the list, plus the odd kettle. (The 57 was only top and tail with 60163 "Tornado").

Meanwhile ...

Monday 11/02/80
40007 2000 Kings Cross – York via Selby
Only 5’ late, which was all down to station overtime.

Saturday 11/02/89
37428 1558 Crewe – Liverpool Lime Street
37428 1714 Liverpool Lime Street – Crewe

 

[43 302]

11/2/2020

800005 1A14 0930 BRI - PAD

The main reason for my trip into London was to see an old friend in West Kensington, and to meet my father for dinner after work in Camden. Something came up and I found myself with some time to spare for a spin behind some VP185s.

43064 + 43081 NL03 1D43 1434 STP - LEI

In-between moves, I made use of the unstaffed and empty First Class lounge. After a few minutes, a man in a suit appeared and asked me if I was supposed to be there. He didn't look like rail staff. I then noticed what looked to be a pistol holster, and he explained that Prince Charles was nearby and was about to be taking the train back to London. He then said I might be able to meet him as I was the only person in the lounge. A few minutes later he said "Sorry, he isn't coming anymore" and left! I'm still not sure what to think of that, although I'm not particularly fussed that I didn't get to meet Prince Charles!

Shortly after, 43052 roared into platform three. I had this set a week or so previous with 43050 on the rear. As it pulled up further, I was pleasantly surprised to see DY allocated, winner 43467 on the rear. This was very rare for NL 2+8 sets, if somewhat less entertaining!

43052 + 43467 NL07 1B58 1613 LEI - STP

800017 1C34 2102 PAD - BRI
Five car services both ways. Cheers then.