Back in the day...

[Graeme.Hutchis]

17th March 1990

87033 London - Crewe , 14.30 London - Glasgow 1S69

85026 Crewe - Stafford , 15.50 Liverpool - Poole 1O14

85018 Stafford - Manchester , 12.00 Plymouth - Manchester 1M56

47508 Manchester - Preston , 17.06 Birmingham Int - Glasgow 1S87

86431 Preston - Glasgow , as above 1S87

303027 Glasgow - Greenock West , 23.55 Glasgow - Gourock

 

[O8yityityit]

9th March 1985

An event to mark 150 years of the Tyne Valley line was being held at Hexham. A special train was therefore organised with something a bit different on the front:

92220 Newcastle - Hexham 1G40
31191 Stock shunt at Hexham 1G40

I didn't want to fester for the return, so took a unit back to Newcastle.

The only time I've had a kettle on the main line in England.

I've found a page with some phots of the event.

bevteccom.co.uk - Railways of the World - UK Rail

9th March 1991

86102 New St - Watford Junction

Watford 1 Newcastle 2

Unit back to Brum

I went out to photograph this. I think it did several round trips as I have photos of it at Wylam, Prudhoe and Hexham.
There was some locos on display in the yard at Hexham ( 56076 Blyth Power and one of the 47401- 47420 batch).

 

[xotGD]

I went out to photograph this. I think it did several round trips as I have photos of it at Wylam, Prudhoe and Hexham.
There was some locos on display in the yard at Hexham ( 56076 Blyth Power and one of the 47401- 47420 batch).

Maybe you've got my head poking out in one of your shots?

 

[CW2]

Thursday 18/03/82 – the continuing pursuit of 40069 (Day 3)
85024 00xx Mossend – Carlisle
85007 0337 Carlisle – Carstairs
47707 0452 Carstairs – Edinburgh
I knew that 40069 was allocated to the 0705 Edinburgh – Dundee circuit once again, so I decided to do a little fill-in move.
27106 0625 Edinburgh – Inverkeithing
My plan now was to do a DMU across the Forth Bridge to Dalmeny to pick up 40069 from there. The DMU duly rolled in, and I boarded it. It then did a sharp left, and took me down the branch to Rosyth Dockyard!
DMU 0657 Inverkeithing – Rosyth Dockyard
I got out at the Dockyard station, where (to be generous to myself) I stood out like a sore thumb. I was a sleep-bedraggled tall English basher, carrying a briefcase with a large "Nuclear Power No Thank You" smiley face sticker on it. Oops. I persuaded the crew to run the ECS back to Inverkeithing a few minutes early, to ensure I managed to catch 40069 up again:
DMU 0722 Rosyth Dockyard – Inverkeithing (ECS)
40069 0725 Inverkeithing – Dundee
40069 0920 Dundee – Edinburgh
This ran without heat, as the second man couldn't persuade the boiler to work. On arrival at Edinburgh the loco was shunt-released to form the next Dundee service, as Haymarket was on its knees for locos (again):
40069 1125 Edinburgh – Dundee
At Dundee there was another surprise. The 1044 from Glasgow Queen Street with 27035 had failed at Greenhill. 40177 rescued it, and hauled it through to Dundee. To my delight, it ran round and worked back, giving me my first new class 40 haulage in months:
40177 1339 Dundee – Glasgow Queen Street
Time to pick up 40069 again ...
47703 1600 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh via Falkirk High
Unfortunately instead of working the 1725 to Dundee, 40069 had been shunt-released and worked the departure an hour earlier, because of the ongoing shortage of serviceable steam-heat locos at Haymarket. I set off in pursuit
27038 1725 Edinburgh – Cupar
40069 1842 Cupar – Edinburgh
The boiler went off at Kirkcaldy, this time diagnosed as a hole in the boiler water tank. On arrival at Edinburgh 40069 was taken off the Dundee circuit and allocated to the 2140 Postal to Carstairs. I tried and failed to talk my way on board, so I decided enough was enough, and headed south once more:
47712 2340 Edinburgh – Carstairs

Wednesday 18/03/87
DMU Abergavenny – Cardiff
47561 0746 Cardiff – Birmingham New Street via Chepstow, Gloucester, Lickey
85013 0950 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
This was an 0615 Swansea – Edinburgh RUGGEX in connection with the 6 Nations.
The purpose of coming to Crewe was to cover the 1116 to Holyhead, which on a Wednesday was often used to test ex-works locos. My luck was in:
37685 1116 Crewe – Holyhead
Whilst 37685 was quite an exotic rarity when I had it; later it became one of four refurbished 37s dedicated to ScotRail sleeper services (37505/510/683/685) and thus became a relatively common passenger loco.
47488 1408 Holyhead – Crewe
47631 1953 Crewe – Stafford
86224 2019 Stafford – Nuneaton
31414 2106 Nuneaton – Leicester
43090 + 43045 2221 Leicester – Sheffield
45103 2355 Sheffield – St Pancras

 

[xotGD]

18th March 1987

Taking advantage of the cheap March tickets once again, this time combined with a permit to visit Stewarts Lane depot...

47503 New St - Oxford 1O03
50018 Oxford - Paddington 1F29

I've shared these images from the depot visit before, but no harm in doing so again...





We then did a nice fill-in move...

33058 Waterloo - Basingstoke 1L09
73130 Basingstoke - Waterloo 1B26

Back at Padd, we were spoilt for choice, with an abundance of Hoovers on the evening commuter turns. Impossible for us to do more than two...

50025 Paddington - Reading 1F34
50009 Reading - New St 1M42

18th March 1990

After spending the previous day making full use of my West Midlands travelcard, I was at it again. This time haulage came from...

90003, 47820, 90023, 47801, 87017, 87026, 87029, 86260

Tomorrow features a day where I sample seven different classes of loco for haulage, without having to change trains...

 

[CW2]

Sunday 19/03/78
40108 1724 York – Huddersfield
47273 1838 Huddersfield – York
I had hoped for 40s both ways as 47273 was on the 1800 Manchester Victoria – Newcastle, a booked Sundays Only 40 turn.
45019 2020 York – Leeds
DMU Leeds – Selby
55015 2135 Selby – York

Wednesday 19/03/80
40086 1630 Kings Cross – Peterborough
55007 1853 Peterborough – Kings Cross

Thursday 19/03/81
55008 2015 Kings Cross – Peterborough
55019 2149 Peterborough – Kings Cross
I should just mention that all my moves in March 1981 were the subject of a separate post back in January 2021, so for more details please see here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/forty-years-ago-part-2.212881/

Friday 19/03/82
My pursuits of 40069 in Scotland had come to an end, so I was returning south:
81018 0041 Carstairs – Birmingham New Street
50031 0700 Birmingham New Street – Cheltenham Spa
46037 0828 Cheltenham Spa – Gloucester
50022 0847 Gloucester – Paddington
The 46 was a bit of a surprise on the 0805 Worcester Shrub Hill – Paddington, but the 50 forward from Gloucester was more to my taste.

Saturday 19/03/83
47542 0020 York – Edinburgh
37108 0435 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk Grahamston
37051 0600 Glasgow Queen Street – Mallaig
37051 1235 Mallaig – Glenfinnan
37085 1333 Glenfinnan – Mallaig
37085 1610 Mallaig – Cowlairs
47109 2236 Cowlairs – Carstairs via Springburn, Gartcosh Jn, Gartsherrie South Jn, Holytown, Wishaw
A splendid wintery day on the West Highland Line.

Monday 19/03/84
This was the first day of the loco-hauled Leeds – Hull services, booked for 31/4s. So after work I sampled one on the way home:
31430 2115 Leeds – Selby
This loco was sounding distinctly unwell, and subsequently failed entirely at Eastrington. That rather set the tone for the coming months. (The new diagrams were high mileage, meaning the fuel tank needed to be full at the start of the day. As this was the first day, 31430 wasn’t fully fuelled, so by the time I joined it 31430 was drawing the last of the old diesel sludge at the bottom of the tank).
DMU Selby – York via Hambleton.

Tuesday 19/03/85
Big required 37281 was out on passenger! It took over from a failed 47 at Perth on the 1630 Inverness – Edinburgh, and remained on diagram to work the "Nightrider" portion from Edinburgh to Carstairs. It was allocated back from Carstairs to Edinburgh in the morning, so I had to intercept it. The best way to do that would be an overnight to Carlisle to pick up the northbound service there. So here we go:
86243 2350 Glasgow Central – Carlisle

Thursday 19/03/87
After the Sheffield – St Pancras overnight, I made my way across to Victoria to try my luck on the Gatwicks, as I still needed many 73s for haulage:
73129 0600 Victoria – Gatwick Airport
73106 0635 Gatwick Airport – Victoria
The outward journey was completed in under 25 minutes, which was only really possible at quiet times of day.
EMU Victoria – Clapham Jn
EMU Clapham Jn – Waterloo
50016 0910 Waterloo – Exeter St Davids
50040 1310 Exeter St Davids – Westbury
33063 1500 Westbury – Keynsham
I wanted to cover the 1618 Bristol Temple Meads – Weymouth. The connection at Temple Meads was quite tight, so I alighted at Keynsham. The Weymouth service ran a bit late … and it was exactly the same set of stock I'd just arrived on, which had done a mega-quick unscheduled reversal at Temple Meads. The traction wasn't quite what I expected either:
31406 1626 Keynsham – Weymouth
31406 1933 Weymouth – Westbury via Frome
The first – and only – time I had a 31 to Weymouth.
33062 2103 Westbury – Salisbury
33102 2223 Salisbury – Basingstoke

Wednesday 19/03/97
I don't usually put "work" moves in these posts, but here is an unusual one. After a full day in the office at Paddington, I travelled across to Wembley to join:
92003 1837 Wembley – Dollands Moor via Maidstone
This was an intermodal service, I think destined to Paris Noisy le Sec. It conveyed 12 Multifret twins.

Friday 19/03/99
There were some diversions over the S&C planned for this weekend, so I set out to cover them:
47807 2201 Reading – Paddington
90021 2355 Euston – Carstairs (sleeper)

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 19th March 1983

Goyles, goyles, goyles...and a nice double roarer trip home...

86??? WBQ to Nuneaton
31418 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E64 10.15 Birmingham to Norwich
31125 Leicester to Birmingham NS, 1M66 09.03 Cambridge to Birmingham
31416 Birmingham NS to Leicester, 1E66 13.15 Birmingham to Norwich
31420 Leicester to Nuneaton, 1M67 11.33 Norwich to Birmingham
31125 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E79 15.08 Birmingham to Cambridge
31423 Leicester to Nuneaton, 1M68 14.14 Norwich to Birmingham
31414 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E82 18.18 Birmingham to Norwich
31421 Leicester to Birmingham NS, 1M76 16.45 Norwich to Birmingham
81005 Birmingham NS to Crewe
85016 Crewe to WBQ

The 81 and the following Goyles were required - 125, 418, 421. Nice day.

Saturday 19th March 1988

47447 Wolves to Oxford, 08.08 Man Picc to Poole

 

[Falcon1200]

We changed shifts an hour earlier in Glasgow Control on a Saturday

IIRC the 1300 Saturday changeover was to enable the early shift to attend football matches, it could be handy for other purposes too !

A day late with this;
Sunday 18th March 1984
50034 1815 Hereford-Paddington (from Oxford)
85036 2240 Euston-Glasgow C (to Carlisle), which went forward with;

Monday 19th March 1984
47430 ditto (from Carlisle, via GSW route)

 

[CW2]

Saturday 19th March 1983

Goyles, goyles, goyles...and a nice double roarer trip home...

86??? WBQ to Nuneaton
31418 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E64 10.15 Birmingham to Norwich
31125 Leicester to Birmingham NS, 1M66 09.03 Cambridge to Birmingham
31416 Birmingham NS to Leicester, 1E66 13.15 Birmingham to Norwich
31420 Leicester to Nuneaton, 1M67 11.33 Norwich to Birmingham
31125 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E79 15.08 Birmingham to Cambridge
31423 Leicester to Nuneaton, 1M68 14.14 Norwich to Birmingham
31414 Nuneaton to Leicester, 1E82 18.18 Birmingham to Norwich
31421 Leicester to Birmingham NS, 1M76 16.45 Norwich to Birmingham
81005 Birmingham NS to Crewe
85016 Crewe to WBQ

The 81 and the following Goyles were required - 125, 418, 421. Nice day.

I know this is a broad hobby, each to his own and all that, but I struggle with the notion that Goyle yo-yoing around dismal bits of the Midlands constitutes a "nice day". Does not compute - syntax error!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Not many more days like that before we've done the year

 

[Techniquest]

I know this is a broad hobby, each to his own and all that, but I struggle with the notion that Goyle yo-yoing around dismal bits of the Midlands constitutes a "nice day". Does not compute - syntax error!

I have to agree, the Birmingham to Nuneaton line is incredibly boring. Back when you were all out leaping around the place, I suspect it would have had more interest with all the depots, yards, freights and so on to look at. I did that bit of line too many times last year chasing reformed and renumbered 170s. I had promised myself I wouldn't chase them, but I said that about the 153/9s as well. Let's not talk about how much I spent doing that, or the 170s!

Point being, Birmingham to Nuneaton sucks *insert term of your choice here* regardless of traction!

Also, I note your 92 to Dollands Moor is a rarity, in that it's a loco I've had too! Not many of those that we've both had! Where you left Wembley on it, I arrived there on 92003. This was way back in October 2006, on Pathfinder's The Sandblower. Ipswich Up Yard (or was it the Up & Down Through Siding? I genuinely can't remember) to Wembley EUFOC via the GEML and NLL.

Good gravy it's just occurred to me how long it's been since that spin 'n' win tour! More than 15 years, I feel a bit old just thinking about that!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Point being, Birmingham to Nuneaton sucks *insert term of your choice here* regardless of traction!

Alternative view...

Goyles rock, irrespective of route...

 

[CW2]

Alternative view...

Goyles rock, irrespective of route...

Personal view: Goyles are (at best) a source of amusement and entertainment, but are not to be treated seriously.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I may well be doing my long-threatened WM Day Ranger very soon. It may even include a nostalgic trip from New St to Nuneaton, but alas no Goyles. Likely to include 68s from Moor St to Leamington Spa and back.

 

[xotGD]

19th March 1988

After all of the excitement of being offered a job, it was time to head home for Easter...

86401 New Street - Carlisle 1S59


19th March 1989

One of my Sunday outings to the Smoke...

50031 Slough - Paddington 1F35
50035 Paddington - Slough 1F42

One of numerous runs behind Hoover 35 around this time.

19th March 1995

My one and only visit to the Midland Railway Centre. I essentially spent the entire day at the same droplight...

47401 + 47972 Butterley - Riddings
55015 Riddings - Hammersmith
47401 + 47972 Hammersmith - Riddings
55015 Riddings - Hammersmith
46045 Hammersmith - Riddings
50007 Riddings - Hammersmith
46045 Hammersmith - Riddings
50007 Riddings - Hammersmith
31162 Hammersmith - Riddings
47972 + 47401 Riddings - Hammersmith
31162 Hammersmith - Riddings
47972 + 47401 Riddings - Hammersmith
55015 Hammersmith - Riddings
46045 Riddings - Hammersmith
55015 Hammersmith - Riddings
46045 Riddings - Hammersmith
50007 Hammersmith - Riddings
31162 Riddings - Hammersmith
50007 Hammersmith - Riddings
31162 Riddings - Hammersmith
12077 + 08590 Hammersmith - Riddings
12077 + 08590 Riddings - Swanwick Jn.

Something for everyone there!

 

[Techniquest]

Alternative view...

Goyles rock, irrespective of route...

You won't hear me disagree, I like 31s. I haven't much experience with them sadly, but I'd happily have one over a lot of trains out there.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I may well be doing my long-threatened WM Day Ranger very soon. It may even include a nostalgic trip from New St to Nuneaton, but alas no Goyles. Likely to include 68s from Moor St to Leamington Spa and back.

...and probably a nostalgia trip to The Posada in Wolves.

 

[CW2]

Monday 20/03/78
43060 + 43061 1017 York – Darlington
40058 1042 Darlington – Leeds

Friday 20/03/81
40085 0002 Kings Cross – Doncaster
46016 0419 Doncaster – Kings Cross
40085 was one of my lower-mileage Eastern boilered 40s, and this turned out to be my last run with it. Required 46016 was a surprise, as the Laira allocated 46s didn't often make it into Kings Cross. This was my only run with that particular loco.

Sunday 20/03/83.
After my spin on the West Highland Line the previous day, it was time to head home:
85011 0041 Carstairs – Crewe
47558 0456 Crewe – Birmingham New Street via Cannock
45064 attached as pilot loco Stafford – Birmingham New Street.
(On occasion the pilot loco over Cannock could be something outrageous, but not tonight).
45139 0810 Birmingham New Street – Leeds via Beighton, Darnall, Sheffield, Moorthorpe
43154 + 43065 1145 Leeds – Doncaster
43xxx + 43079 1237 Doncaster – York via Selby

Wednesday 20/03/85
I had done an overnight to Carlisle specifically so that I could pick up required 37281 at Carstairs on the return journey:
86228 0346 Carlisle – Carstairs
This was the point at which 37281 failed with defective brakes! Oh well, at least the alternative was another NB 37, albeit a dud one:
37134 0520 Carstairs – Edinburgh
47713 0830 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High
I never did get 37281 for haulage – at least not as 37281. It later went into Crewe Works for refurbishment and emerged as 37428, so I had a good few runs off it in that guise.

Friday 20/03/87
Continuing my meandering around the south of the country, I had targeted the 2252 Waterloo – Weymouth / 2238 Weymouth – Waterloo overnights as I had never had a "JA" class 73/0 for haulage, and they sometimes produced on those trains.
73120 0008 Basingstoke – Eastleigh
No JA for me tonight then. At least there's a 33 forward from Eastleigh to look forward to:
47532 0049 Eastleigh – Southampton
I was beginning to doubt my sanity by this stage …
33101 0120 Southampton – Eastleigh
73120 0138 Eastleigh – Waterloo
EMU Waterloo – Reading
47609 0726 Reading – Kensington Olympia via Old Oak Common, North Pole Jn
DMU Kensington Olympia – Clapham Jn, EMU Clapham Jn – Waterloo
50045 0910 Waterloo – Salisbury
33013 1129 Salisbury – Bristol Temple Meads
33006 1250 Bristol Temple Meads – Cardiff
47503 1405 Cardiff – Bristol Temple Meads
I was covering the 1618 Bristol – Weymouth again. Yesterday I'd had a 31/4 on it; what would it be today?
50001 1618 Bristol – Weymouth
Wow, that's even more surprising. I'd never had a 50 to Weymouth before (nor indeed since). Repeating yesterday's moves, I ended up back at Basingstoke to cover the Waterloo – Weymouth overnights again:
50001 1933 Weymouth – Westbury via Frome
33039 2103 Westbury – Salisbury
33107 2223 Salisbury – Basingstoke

Saturday 20/03/93
205 029 Reading – Basingstoke
33101 1208 Basingstoke – Eastleigh
70000 1310 Eastleigh – Yeovil Junction via Romsey, Salisbury
70000 1627 Yeovil Junction – Clapham Junction via Salisbury, Basingstoke, East Putney
3002 Clapham Junction – Reading

Saturday 20/03/99
I had come north overnight to Edinburgh to cover the S&C daytime diversions:
90020 0603 Carstairs – Edinburgh
A fill-in move to Dunbar:
91014 0700 Edinburgh – Dunbar
91003 0747 Dunbar – Edinburgh
The train of the day was the 0910 Edinburgh – Brighton. The first alarm came at Edinburgh, where the booked 86/2 turned out to be 47826. We worried that this loco might work right through over the S&C …
47826 0910 Edinburgh – Carlisle
We needn't have worried – there was a much better loco waiting to take over …
55022 1113 Carlisle – Birmingham New Street, via S&C, Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe.
As might be expected, the train was wedged full of Deltic bashers, and there were plenty at the lineside too. The Deltic came off at Birmingham New Street, but I just sat tight to carry on home:
47844 1606 Birmingham New Street – Reading via Coventry

Monday 20/03/00
I had to go to Doncaster for a meeting, so I chose my train with care:
90037 0910 Kings Cross – Doncaster

 

[Harvester]

Saturday 20th March 1982

A Merrymaker excursion to Plymouth. Then a fleeting visit to Gunnislake, just to travel over the branch.

45062 07:27 Beeston-Plymouth (via Leicester-Saltley-King’s Norton)
DMU 13:15 Plymouth-Gunnislake
DMU 14:07 Gunnislake-Plymouth
45062 18:10 Plymouth-Beeston

 

[xotGD]

55022 1113 Carlisle – Birmingham New Street, via S&C, Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe.

Dreadful! Sounds more like the itinerary for a Railtour than a service train. There must have been a few bemused normals looking round at the swarm of cranks on board.

 

[Falcon1200]

45064 attached as pilot loco Stafford – Birmingham New Street.
(On occasion the pilot loco over Cannock could be something outrageous, but not tonight).

I was in the same area on the same day, albeit a bit later on;
Sunday 20th March 1983
47448 0850 Paddington-Manchester Piccadilly (Oxford-Birmingham New St)
40177 1500 Wolverhampton-Euston (Birmingham New St-Nuneaton)
86241 1500 Euston-Holyhead (Nuneaton-Tamworth)
45002 1640 Birmingham New St-Leeds (Tamworth-Burton)
45149 1511 Leeds-Portsmouth Harbour (Burton-Birmingham New St)
86205 2030 Wolverhampton-Euston (Birmingham New St-Rugby)
86005 2100 Euston-Fort William (Rugby-Mossend Yard)
TBC...

 

[CW2]

Dreadful! Sounds more like the itinerary for a Railtour than a service train. There must have been a few bemused normals looking round at the swarm of cranks on board.

Yes, an amazing train. Imagine Mr & Mrs Normal turning up with their suitcases at Carlisle to travel to Birmingham. Madness!

 

[CW2]

Saturday 21/03/81
50026 0002 Paddington – Plymouth via Bristol Parkway, Bristol TM
50021 04xx Newton Abbot – Plymouth (piloting 50026)
50006 0600 Plymouth – Birmingham New Street via Weston Super Mare, Cheltenham Spa
83009 1120 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
47439 1229 Crewe – Chester
40034 1314 Chester – Manchester Victoria
40034 1540 Manchester Victoria – Warrington Bank Quay
At this point I abandoned the Bangor for a Roarer to take me north …
85001 1627 Warrington Bank Quay – Preston
47546 1705 Preston – Lancaster
DMU Lancaster – Morecambe
There is some method in this madness: here it is …
40113 1758 Morecambe – Hull return ADEX, via Skipton, Engine Shed Jn., Normanton, Calder Bridge, Skellow, Stainforth, Goole.
DMU Hull – Doncaster
A coast-to-coast run with a 40 including some new track.

Sunday 21/03/82
I turned up at Euston to do the 0855 to Holyhead, only to find the place was in uproar. Overnight a JCB had cut through some signalling cables, and nothing was running in or out of Euston until further notice.
Underground Euston – Wembley Central
86212 0920 Wembley Central – Stafford
47508 1219 Stafford – Birmingham New Street, 30' late due to signal failures at Crewe.
56100 1418 Birmingham New Street – Nuneaton
56100 was less than 6 months old, but was in a terrible state. It was 35' late ex New Street, having shut down several times en route from Wolverhampton. This performance continued all the way to Nuneaton, where we arrived 75' late.
47333 1530 Nuneaton – Birmingham New Street, 30' late waiting guard off delayed 56100's train.
81016 1755 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
This loco burst into flames at Willesden just 5 days later.
87010 1943 Crewe – Watford Junction
This train terminated at Watford Junction due to the ongoing signalling issues at Euston.
85014 2136 Watford Junction – Euston
40'->100' late. Stood for an hour at Primrose Hill, waiting for points to be clipped.

Thursday 21/03/85
47464 2230 Glasgow Central – Stranraer
Off for another quick Irish leap …

Saturday 21/03/87
I was still meandering around bits of the Southern network. For the very first time, my search for a 73/0 had paid off:
73001 0008 Basingstoke – Eastleigh
33111 0049 Eastleigh – Southampton
33116 0120 Southampton – Eastleigh
73001 0138 Eastleigh – Basingstoke
50025 0232 Basingstoke – Exeter St Davids
50026 0643 Exeter St Davids – Waterloo
73126 1044 Waterloo – Bournemouth
33117 1316 Bournemouth – Wool
33119 1358 Wool – Bournemouth
73141 1500 Bournemouth – Waterloo
From Basingstoke, this ran on the Up Slow, and the adjacent Up Fast was occupied by 50018 on the 1335 Exeter St Davids – Waterloo. We ran parallel for some distance, with my pet class 50 thrashing flat out just touching distance away from me. Eventually it pulled clear.
Time to head back north:
47404 1812 Paddington – Worcester Shrub Hill via Oxford
DMU Worcester Shrub Hill – Cheltenham Spa
47564 2222 Cheltenham Spa – Birmingham New Street
37690 23xx Bromsgrove – Blackwell (Lickey Banker). This was the same loco I'd had banking 6 nights previously, which was mildly disappointing.

Tuesday 21/03/00
Returning from a meeting in Doncaster:
91004 0935 Doncaster – Kings Cross

 

[D6130]

Three days to catch up with now, as I've been away in Scotland over the weekend - travelling on the SRPS "Imperial Speysider" railtour with 37 403 and 37 685 - and enjoying the Strathspey Railway diesel gala in brilliant warm sunshine.

SATURDAY 18th MARCH 1978:

A day out on a Southern Region "Pleasure Seeker" ADEX from Portsmouth Harbour to Newton Abbot and Plymouth didn't quite work out as planned. The empty stock from Clapham Yard - hauled by an unidentified class 73 - had an unscheduled stop at Woking to detach BCK no. S21265, which was found to have white hot tyres and mega-flats on one bogie due to the guard neglecting to release the handbrake before departure. In order to minimise the delay, the stock was diverted to Southampton and control hastily arranged a ten car EMU special over the then unelectrified Portsmouth-Southampton line hauled by the booked train loco, which then replaced the 73 on the excursion stock:

7820/7822 Petersfield-Portsmouth Harbour (05 22 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour)
33 110 + 5903/7740/7801 08 10 Portsmouth Harbour-Southampton (ADEX substitute)
33 110 Southampton-Newton Abbot via Honiton & Exeter SD (run round) (Consist: S21266/4059/4035/4376/1872/25906/12/17/10/09 Load 10 AB/EH)
W51584/59470/51575 Newton Abbot-Dawlish (12 35 Paignton-Exeter SD)
45 013 Dawlish-Newton Abbot (10 38 Leeds-Paignton. Consist: E9421/9433/13484/1663/1036/5309/5378/5385/5393 Load 9 AB/DH)
33 110 Newton Abbot-Fratton via Westbury and Southampton (run round) (17 35 Plymouth-Portsmouth Harbour return ADEX)
7822/7820 Fratton-Petersfield (23 05 Portsmouth Harbour-Woking)

It would have been nice to experience the Crompton going over the Devon banks unaided with load 10, but it was a nice warm, sunny spring day and the temptation of Dawlish sea wall photography proved to be irresistable!

FRIDAY 18th MARCH 1983:

Still in Ireland with my CIE footplate pass and today was a positioning move to get me from Bray, where I had been staying with friends for a few nights, to Enniscorthy, where I was attending a friend's wedding the following day. However, I didn't do it the obvious and direct way:

121+130 Bray-Dublin Connolly (07 45 from Rosslare Harbour) (Cab ride)
Bus: Dublin Connolly-Dublin Heuston
071 11 45 Dublin Heuston-Waterford via Kilkenny (run round) (Cab ride)
145 16 55 Waterford-Rosslare Strand (Cab ride)
126+186 Rosslare Strand-Enniscorthy (17 45 Rosslare Harbour-Enniscorthy) (Cab ride)

19th MARCH: No rail travel today recorded in my notebooks which I have found up to now.

MONDAY 20th MARCH 1978:

Another after-work Crompton bash:

7812/7719/7837 Petersfield-Waterloo (06 23 from Portsmouth Harbour)
5117/5133 08 12 Waterloo-Wimbledon (to Effingham Junction)
5126/5114 Wimbledon-Waterloo (16 14 from Effingham Junction)
33 019 19 00 Waterloo-Woking (to Exeter SD. Consist: W5363/3087/1651/14069/14080/5246/5492/5466 Load 8 AB/EH)
7802/5124 Woking-Guildford (18 52 from Waterloo via Woking)
7734/7836 Guildford-Pertersfield (19 20 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour)

SUNDAY 20th MARCH 1983:

Following the wedding - after which I had a lift back to Dublin from one of the very few teetotal guests - I decided to head for the South West of Ireland on the Sunday, in search of Metrovick traction:

084 10 10 Dublin Heuston-Cork (cab ride)
021 13 45 Cork-Cobh (cab ride)
021 14 20 Cobh-Cork (cab ride)
078 15 05 Cork-Mallow (cab ride)
083 Mallow-Dublin Heuston (14 30 from Tralee) (cab ride)

 

[xotGD]

21st March 1987

I'm Canning Home for Easter...

86256 New St - Carlisle 1S59

Same train as almost a year later, different 86.

21st March 1992

A day in the West Midlands, just for a change.

87018, 87008, 86257, 87033, 47804, 87017 and 87028 providing haulage.

21st March 1993

After a weekend up north, I was expecting the usual 91 to take me to Donny. Not today...

90023 Newcastle - Doncaster

 

[NorthWestRover]

Sunday 21st March 1982

87016 Crewe to Preston

Monday 21st March 1983

87017 Crewe to Preston

These two consecutively numbered 87 trips a year apart were presumably part of a day of Cans, Duffs and units.

Monday 21st March 1988

50046 Oxford to Birmingham NS, 11.17 Paddington to Birmingham
86239 Birmingham NS to Wolves, 12.40 Euston to Wolves

 

[Falcon1200]

Monday 21st March 1983
? 2100 Euston-Fort William (Mossend Yard-Cowlairs)
37039 ditto Cowlairs-Glasgow Queen St
37111 & 20045 ditto Glasgow Queen St-Dumbarton C
47705 0838 Glasgow Queen St-Perth (to Larbert)
27023 0750 Dundee-Glasgow Queen St (from Larbert)
27022 1038 Glasgow Queen St-Dundee (to Larbert)
47705 1028 Perth-Glasgow Queen St (from Larbert)
47704 1230 Glasgow Queen St-Edinburgh
47704 1530 Edinburgh-Glasgow Queen St
27022 1838 Glasgow Queen St-Perth (to Larbert)
86243 2050 Carlisle-Perth (Motherwell-Mossend Yard)
47207 ditto (Mossend Yard-Larbert)
47521 1930 Inverness-Euston (Larbert-Mossend Yard)

 

[CW2]

Saturday 22/03/80
55014 2230 Kings Cross – Edinburgh via Lincoln Central, Selby, Leamside, Scotswood, Carlisle.
This was an epic Deltic journey, with diversions via Joint Lines, Leamside, and Beattock. But that's not all. This train wasn't booked to convey sleepers, but the front coach was a sleeping car, which was unlocked and unoccupied. Well, that seemed a waste, so I closed the end carriage door, selected a berth, closed the compartment door and enjoyed sole (and free) occupancy of the sleeper right behind the Deltic all the way to Edinburgh!

Sunday 22/03/81
After the Morecambe – Hull ADEX with 40113 the previous evening, I had ended up at Doncaster, awaiting a suitable exit.
55011 0218 Doncaster – Kings Cross via Joint Lines. Ages late.
I was heading for Plymouth to visit my parents, so I tried Waterloo, intending to do the 0910 to Exeter with a class 50. Alas the 50 expired before departure, and was replaced by a 33. I required it, so took it to Woking as a fill-in before doing the 1110 to Exeter:
33005 0910 Waterloo – Woking
50003 0943 Woking – Waterloo
50032 1110 Waterloo – Exeter St Davids.
This was delayed en route for various reasons, but the driver really went for it after Yeovil. I recorded speeds of 95 mph which was considerably above the prevailing limit on that route. We regained 15 minutes of lost time, arriving punctually into Exeter St Davids.
50009 1437 Exeter St Davids – Plymouth
I found that my parents were visiting my sister in Liskeard, so I set off to meet them there:
43141 + 43142 1609 Plymouth – Liskeard

Friday 22/03/85
Another visit to Ireland, using a different entrance and exit route this time:
Galloway Princess 0300 Stranraer - Larne
NIR
DEMU 87 + 778 + 752 0630 Larne – Belfast Central
111 0800 Belfast Central – Dublin Connolly
CIE
079 1245 Dublin Heuston – Limerick Junction
018 1455 Limerick Junction – Limerick
018 1550 Limerick – Rosslare Harbour Pier
The procedure at Limerick Junction with this train was to run straight past on the avoiding line towards Dublin then stop and propel back into the east-facing bay platform. After having made all the necessary connections the train pulled out towards Dublin, then propelled back around the avoiding line to Keane's Points, before heading south past the station and on towards Rosslare.
At Rosslare I was met with the news that the ferry was running many hours late, so I settled down for a 5-hour fester, through to the wee small hours of the morning...

Sunday 22/03/87
Having arrived at New Street on the Bristol – Glasgow sleeper, I had a lot of time to fill in before covering the Nuneaton drags:
EMU 0015 New Street – Rugby
87016 0108 Rugby – Nuneaton
47471 0133 Nuneaton – Birmingham New Street
Then a long and uncomfortable doss in the waiting rooms on the platforms until:
37426 0923 Birmingham New Street – Nuneaton
I needed the 86/4 which was being dragged, so stuck with it through to Euston:
86409 1021 Nuneaton – Euston via Northampton
Then time to head home:
87025 1245 Euston – Glasgow Central

Sunday 22/03/92
The plan for the day was to do the first DMU from Reading to Paddington to pick up 6024 on a tour to Stratford upon Avon and return. At Reading I was waiting patiently on Platform 8 for the DMU to Paddington, as it departed unannounced from platform 6! Another couple of passengers missed it too, and the first eastbound HST had sunk without trace, so we were provided with a taxi from Reading to Paddington at BR's expense.
6024 Paddington – Stratford upon Avon via Old Oak Common East Jn., High Wycombe
The journey home was going well until the very approaches to Paddington:
6024 1550 Stratford upon Avon – MP 1.5 via High Wycombe, Old Oak Common East Jn.
Some trackwork had taken place during the day at Royal Oak on the approach to Paddington, including some tamping. The result was that the track had been raised slightly, so when the King tried to go under the bridge in question, the underside of the bridge ripped the King's safety valve cover off, and the entire contents of the boiler erupted out of the hole where the safety valve should have been, and showered down upon the train. I was standing by an open window, so "benefitted" from an unexpected free hot shower. It sounded like a bomb going off – so some of the locals in the flats overlooking the railway called the police and fire brigade, which came in handy as they were able to pump some water back into the boiler to prevent permanent damage. After considerable delay – during which the entire railway was at a standstill – eventually 47847 came to the rescue:
47847 (+ 6024 dead) 21xx MP 1.5 – Paddington, 2 hours late.
43023 + 43018 2200 Paddington – Reading

 

[D6130]

Still slightly out of sequence:

SATURDAY 21st MARCH 1981:

A friend and I had booked on a MYSTEX (Mystery Excursion) from Glasgow Central.....which roared up the WCML to Warrington and then - after a change of loco - burbled across to Chester:

314 210 Hyndland-Glasgow Central LL (07 48 Dalmuir-Motherwell)
85 007 08 55 MYSTEX Glasgow Central-Warrington BQ (Consist: M34671/25763/24825/25813/16155/25977/25764/25733/25379/25432/35181 Load 11 VB/DH)
47 503 Warrington BQ-Chester

On arrival at Chester, we decided to go for a spin around the West Midlands:

M50679/59263/50655 13 30 Chester-Wolverhampton via Shrewsbury
86 227 Wolverhampton-Crewe (16 xx Birmingham Int-Liverpool LS. Consist: W5862/5850/5849/5848/3406/13566/81216 Load 7 AB/EH)
M51177/56269/56152/50409 17 25 Crewe-Chester (to Llandudno)
47 503 18 37 MYSTEX Chester-Warrington BQ
85 007 19 xx MYSTEX Warrington BQ-Glasgow Central
303 005 Glasgow QS LL-Hyndland (22 47 High Street-Dalmuir)

MONDAY 21st MARCH 1983:

Returning to Scotland after my (just over a) week in Ireland with a footplate pass....plus a friend's wedding:

220 09 10 Bray-Dublin Connolly (cab ride)
111 11 00 Dublin Connolly-Belfast Central (cab ride as far as Dundalk)
DEMU 75/723/703 14 20 Belfast York Road-Larne Harbour
M.V. "Galloway Princess": 15 30 Larne Harbour-Stranraer Harbour
47 268 18 35 Stranraer Harbour-Glasgow Central (Consist: SC26130/E26032/SC26120/26089/26125/35067 Load 6 VB/SH)

 

[NorthWestRover]

Tuesday 22nd March 1983

87002 Crewe to Preston
87010 Preston to Wigan NW