Back in the day...

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 29th November 1980

The 2025 Edinburgh-KX was booked for a Deltic and with arrival into London around 0500 it enabled you to cover the first daytime service out of KX; the 0550 to Aberdeen. The 1925 Aberdeen-KX however was booked to miss this train by 10 minutes. In these situations I would regularly find myself at Waterloo heading out towards Basingstoke with a Hoover or in the case of today a Crompton. I still had plenty of time in the afternoon to catch up with a bit of Deltic haulage.

40061 Darlington-York (2025 Edinburgh-Kings Cross)
55022 York-Kings Cross (1925 Aberdeen-Kings Cross)
33106 Waterloo-Andover (0650 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
50025 Andover-Woking (0700 Salisbury-Waterloo)
50028 Woking-Basingstoke (0910 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
50026 Basingstoke-Waterloo (0737 Exeter St D-Waterloo)
55004 Kings Cross-York (1405 Kings Cross-York)
55004 York-Doncaster (1813 York-Kings Cross)
55008 Doncaster-Hull (1705 Kings Cross-Hull)
55008 Hull-Doncaster (2100 Hull-Doncaster)
47526 Doncaster-York (2000 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)

Sunday 29th November 1981

My good weekend of Deltics continued today. Although the Deltics had only a few weeks left in service and with their numbers diminishing, today felt like days of old.

55009 Kings Cross-York (1005 Kings Cross-York)
55010 York-Doncaster (1550 York-Kings Cross)
55019 Doncaster-York (1405 Kings Cross-York)

 

[Sultan1056]

Friday 30th November 1979

A late start today; a fill in move to Doncaster. Two Gateshead 46s doesn’t bode well for the rest of the weekend!

46031 York-Doncaster (2030 Newcastle-Kings Cross)
46052 Doncaster-York (2015 Kings Cross-Edinburgh)

Sunday 30th November 1980

55014 York-Grantham (1550 York-Kings Cross)
55004 Grantham-York (1605 Kings Cross-York)

 

[D1537]

Catching up again

Sunday 29 November - Monday 30 November 1987
47639 1S19 B'ham NS-Wigan NW (via Cannock and Middlewich)
47463 1V32 Wigan NW-Crewe (via Middlewich)
47543 1V32 Crewe-Stafford
56110+47543 1V32 Stafford-B'ham NS (via Cannock)
47490 1P06 B'ham NS-Crewe (via Cannock)
47401 1O06 Crewe-B'ham NS (via Cannock)
47278 1S61 B'ham NS-Crewe (via Cannock)
47463 1O08 Crewe-B'ham NS (via Cannock)
47465 1S86 B'ham NS-Newcastle
Monday
47657 1E43 Newcastle-King's Cross
47538 1M09 Paddington-B'ham NS
47626 1E33 B'ham NS-York
47413 1E99 York-Newcastle (via Tyne Yard Independent Lines)

 

[xotGD]

47413 1E99 York-Newcastle (via Tyne Yard Independent Lines)

Round the back of Tyne Yard? I have only been routed that way once

 

[D1537]

Round the back of Tyne Yard? I have only been routed that way once

Yep. Went that way a couple of times. Think this one was a failed freight train.

 

[Sultan1056]

Friday 1st December 1978

47523 York-Selby (1816 York-Kings Cross)
55021 Selby-York (1608 Kings Cross-York)

Saturday 1st December 1979

An exceptional Deltic day with over 1000 miles travelled in less than 24 hours.

55018 York-Kings Cross via Hertford N (2020 Edinburgh-Kings Cross)
55016 Kings Cross-Doncaster via Hertford N (0550 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)
55010 Doncaster-Kings Cross (0805 York-Kings Cross)
55022 Kings Cross-York (1220 Kings Cross-York)
55022 York-Grantham (1550 York-Kings Cross)
55005 Grantham-Doncaster (1605 Kings Cross-York)
55010 Doncaster-Peterborough (1811 York-Kings Cross)
55015 Peterborough-York (2000 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)

 

[lostwin(m)]

Friday 1st December 1978

47523 York-Selby (1816 York-Kings Cross)
55021 Selby-York (1608 Kings Cross-York)

Saturday 1st December 1979

An exceptional Deltic day with over 1000 miles travelled in less than 24 hours.

55018 York-Kings Cross via Hertford N (2020 Edinburgh-Kings Cross)
55016 Kings Cross-Doncaster via Hertford N (0550 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)
55010 Doncaster-Kings Cross (0805 York-Kings Cross)
55022 Kings Cross-York (1220 Kings Cross-York)
55022 York-Grantham (1550 York-Kings Cross)
55005 Grantham-Doncaster (1605 Kings Cross-York)
55010 Doncaster-Peterborough (1811 York-Kings Cross)
55015 Peterborough-York (2000 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)

I may have missed this somewhere along the way, but did you have a particular favourite Deltic? I've always had a little bias that the 'Racehorses" were more glamorous than the 'Regiments', but that's just looking from afar. If you had 'your machine' which one was it and why?

 

[xotGD]

I may have missed this somewhere along the way, but did you have a particular favourite Deltic? I've always had a little bias that the 'Racehorses" were more glamorous than the 'Regiments', but that's just looking from afar. If you had 'your machine' which one was it and why?

Everyone knows that the Gateshead Deltics were far superior to their Haymarket and Finsbury Park stable mates.

 

[D1537]

Sunday 1 December 1985
47521 1A87 Newcastle-York
47559 1E37 York-Newcastle

Everyone knows that the Gateshead Deltics were far superior to their Haymarket and Finsbury Park stable mates.

Just a little more ... work-stained

 

[Sultan1056]

I may have missed this somewhere along the way, but did you have a particular favourite Deltic? I've always had a little bias that the 'Racehorses" were more glamorous than the 'Regiments', but that's just looking from afar. If you had 'your machine' which one was it and why?

I am not sure if it is obvious but my favourite Deltic is the one that appears the most in my reports with it ending up being my highest mileage loco. I choose this one because of several reasons; it was my last one for spotting. I remember it being one of the last two to be seen in operation carrying its original number. It was one of two to retain its domino headcode panel; I much preferred that to the plated up panels. And finally it wasn’t named after a racehorse; it was Royal Scots Grey.

Everyone knows that the Gateshead Deltics were far superior to their Haymarket and Finsbury Park stable mates.

Cough!cough! I don’t think everyone would agree with you. Definitely win the top prize for the grime.

 

[xotGD]

Cough!cough! I don’t think everyone would agree with you. Definitely win the top prize for the grime.

I'm just being parochial over my home town allocation.

And that wasn't grime, it was a livery variation!

 

[Sultan1056]

I'm just being parochial over my home town allocation.

And that wasn't grime, it was a livery variation!

If we are being parochial then it has to be the York Deltics, only 18 to choose from!

 

[Sultan1056]

Saturday 2nd December 1978

The Harwich Boat Train was always a good bet for a class 37 to Sheffield where it would normally be replaced by a Peak. Today the train arrived into Sheffield with a class 47 and unusually instead of the expected Peak a Class 37 was waiting to take the train to Manchester. I took the 37 to Piccadilly and then filled in the afternoon with some disappointing class 86 traction.

45024 York-Chesterfield (0700 Newcastle-Poole)
31309 Chesterfield-Sheffield (0730 Worcester SH-Leeds)
47143 Sheffield-Derby (0800 Newcastle-Bristol TM)
45109 Derby-Sheffield (0906 St Pancras-Sheffield)
37091 Sheffield-Manchester Pic (0728 Harwich PQ-Manchester Pic)
86245 Manchester Pic-Stockport (1412 Manchester Pic-Euston)
86014 Stockport-Stafford (1423 Manchester Pic-Swansea)
86253 Stafford-Birmingham NS (1521 Liverpool LS-Poole)
47061 Birmingham NS-Derby (1608 Bristol TM-Newcastle)
45048 Derby-Rotherham (1436 Paignton-Leeds)
E50547/50567 Rotherham-York (2027 Sheffield-York)

Sunday 2nd December 1979

On a Sunday it would be unusual to get bowled out by a Duff on the 1605 KX-York. 47527 had other ideas, but lightning can’t strike twice in the same place; can it?

55008 York-Grantham (1550 York-Kings Cross)
47527 Grantham-Doncaster (1605 Kings Cross-York)
E50599/50635 Doncaster-York (2055 Doncaster-York)

Sunday 2nd December 1984

43070+43073 York-Kings Cross (1020 Inverness-Kings Cross)
47584 Liverpool St-Chelmsford (2130 Liverpool St-Colchester)

 

[Kirkoswald]

.

 

[D1537]

Someone said to me once after the timetable change in 1987 "do you not get bored of all the Pennine trains being the same locos over and over again?". My answer was no (prior to that, nearly every Pennine diagram out of Newcastle had been booked a 45/1, although they were of course declining at that point). But also, you could start at 2pm and still get nearly 400 miles in for the day...

Wednesday 2 December 1987
47413 1M76 Newcastle-Leeds
47411 1E19 Leeds-Durham
47418 1M19 Durham-Leeds
47407 1E93 Leeds-Newcastle

 

[xotGD]

Someone said to me once after the timetable change in 1987 "do you not get bored of all the Pennine trains being the same locos over and over again?". My answer was no (prior to that, nearly every Pennine diagram out of Newcastle had been booked a 45/1, although they were of course declining at that point). But also, you could start at 2pm and still get nearly 400 miles in for the day...

Wednesday 2 December 1987
47413 1M76 Newcastle-Leeds
47411 1E19 Leeds-Durham
47418 1M19 Durham-Leeds
47407 1E93 Leeds-Newcastle

Just as the Gateshead Deltics were the best Deltics, it is fair to say that the Gateshead Generators were the best 47s. Especially 402, of course!

(The day 402 was named inside the shed at Gateshead turned into a bit of an unofficial depot open day, as after the ceremony we were able to just wander around the shed, encountering the ghostly figures of a couple of 46s resurrected from the Swindon scrap line. Plus I appeared on Look North that evening.)

 

[D6130]

Plus I appeared on Look North that evening.)

Were you trying to explain the finer points of bashing to an incredulous public through an equally-incredulous reporter?

 

[xotGD]

Were you trying to explain the finer points of bashing to an incredulous public through an equally-incredulous reporter?

Just a brief shot of a bunch of us gawping at the loco.

 

[QJ]

Saturday 02 December 1978
Back in the day when railtours were seldom cancelled a charter from London Paddington to Bargoed (that well trodden tourist destination north of Cardiff) produced 2 class 25s, a pair of 20s, a single class 37 and a pair of said class 37s at various stages of the journey to and from South Wales. We were spoiled.

Sunday 02 December 1979
After a day track bashing around the Wirral and down to the old station at Wrexham Central on the Saturday I found myself in prime position for a diversionary move or three starting back at Euston. (83005 and 85011 were the choice haulages before and after the Wirral moves respectively)

87020 WN 0045 London Euston - Derby (London Euston to Bletchley)
45136 TO 0045 London Euston - Derby (Bletchley to Derby)
31210 BR 0810 Birmingham New Street - Leeds (Derby to Sheffield)
via Toton and Erewash Valley and the goods line bypassing Chesterfield station
45113 TO 0750 London Saint Pancras - Manchester Piccadilly (Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly)
via Nunnery (RM) - Sheffield Victoria - Penistone - Woodhead - Hadfield- Guide Bridge
1*104 DMU 1450 Manchester to Buxton (Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton)
1*104 DMU 1554 Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly (Buxton to Stockport)
86016 WN 1627 Manchester Piccadilly - Birmingham New Street (Stockport to Wolverhampton)
86033 WN 1830 Wolverhampton - London Euston (Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street)
87011 WN 1900 Wolverhampton - London Euston (Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International)
47103 CF 1435 Newcastle - Poole (Birmingham International to Coventry)
87023 WN 1930 Wolverhampton - London Euston (Coventry to London Euston)

Another fun weekend over.

 

[Sultan1056]

Monday 3rd December 1979

After being bowled out at Grantham the previous day, lightning strikes twice when I am bowled out again by 47527!

55011 York-Grantham (1811 York-Kings Cross)
47527 Grantham-Doncaster (1935 Kings Cross-Hull)
E50610 Doncaster-York (2217 Doncaster-York)

 

[Sultan1056]

Tuesday 4th December 1979

Today I avoid a hatrick of being bowled by 47527, Deltic 22 saves the day for me.

55002 York-Retford (1811 York-Kings Cross)
55022 Retford-York (1805 Kings Cross-York)

Friday 4th December 1981

It is the last month of Deltic operation and after having a disappointing November I was concerned that things were only to get worse. However with only twelve Deltics left in traffic availability seemed to have improved. My Friday evening move couldn’t have been better.

55007 York-Peterborough (1814 York-Kings Cross)
55010 Peterborough-Grantham (1940 Kings Cross-Hull)
55021 Grantham-Kings Cross (2019 York-Kings Cross)

Saturday 4th December 1982

Today was the start of a three day beer bash; destination Exeter. I have no recollections of the pubs visited.

43073+43121 York-Kings Cross (0654 Middlesbrough-Kings Cross)
5158 Charing Cross-Lewisham (1024 Charing Cross-Sevenoaks)
5144 Ladywell-Waterloo East (1224 Hayes-Charing Cross)
33006 Waterloo-Woking (1310 Waterloo-Exeter St D)
33003 Woking-Salisbury (1410 Waterloo-Salisbury)
50041 Salisbury-Exeter C (1510 Waterloo-Exeter St D)

 

[D6130]

I have no recollections of the pubs visited.

Must have been good then!

 

[Sultan1056]

Must have been good then!

I was always better at keeping notes about locos rather than pubs and beers

 

[D1537]

Just as the Gateshead Deltics were the best Deltics, it is fair to say that the Gateshead Generators were the best 47s. Especially 402, of course!

Well actually the best one was 407 but we'll agree to differ on that one

Friday 4 December 1987
This was an alternative afternoon move. I can safely say that Horton in the midwinter is ... bleak.
47413 1M76 Newcastle - Leeds
47476 1M72 Leeds - Horton-In-Ribblesdale
47547 1E33 Horton-In-Ribblesdale - Leeds
43071+43044 1A24 Leeds - Doncaster
47657 1N20 Doncaster - Newcastle

 

[D6130]

I can safely say that Horton in the midwinter is ... bleak.

I take it that you didn't have time to pop down to the Crown for a pint then?

 

[CW2]

Well actually the best one was 407 but we'll agree to differ on that one

IMHO, arguing over which ETH 47 is "best" is like debating whether it's better to catch syphilis or gonorrhoea.

 

[Donny Dave]

*Looks frantically for the like button*

 

[Falcon1200]

IMHO, arguing over which ETH 47 is "best" is like debating whether it's better to catch syphilis or gonorrhoea.

I agree, a 47/4 etc was the last thing we wanted to see Back in the Day, but if one rolled in now, with a lovely set of Mark 1 or 2 coaches in tow, I would not hesitate to board! Crikey, I've even been to preserved railways for DMU galas.....

 

[Harpo]

I’m torn. As a railwayman duffs were/are brilliant universal bits of kit even after the largest ever down rating programme to keep them going and their leaky way of self-draining coolant water.

As an enthusiast, its a duff.

 

[xotGD]

I agree, a 47/4 etc was the last thing we wanted to see Back in the Day, but if one rolled in now, with a lovely set of Mark 1 or 2 coaches in tow, I would not hesitate to board! Crikey, I've even been to preserved railways for DMU galas.....

Never mind dmu galas, I've even started attending steam galas!

I'm clueless as to what the kettle neds are wibbling about, however.