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RailUK Forums

The exile

Established Member
Joined
31 Mar 2010
Messages
9,305
Location
Somerset
I have never had a drag of a failed HST.

Just failed DMUs of other classes.
Only ever had one - Gloucester to Birmingham in 1992. That of course entailed a diversion via Kidderminster which left me a bit jittery about the connection onto the loco-hauled Pwllheli (made it, though).
 

Falcon1200

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Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
6,496
Location
Neilston, East Renfrewshire
A couple of late runners:

Tuesday 16th October 1984
50033 0940 Poole-Newcastle (Oxford-Birmingham NS)
81008 0730 Penzance-Glasgow C (from Birmingham NS)

Tuesday 18th October 1983
50031 0918 Oxford-Paddington (to Reading)
31401 1610 Paddington-Oxford (from Reading)
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Friday 23rd October 1987
33208 2H62 2125 Portsmouth H - Salisbury (Fratton to Southampton)
33002 2O98 2015 Bristol TM - Portsmouth H (Southampton to Portchester)
207 Portchester to Eastleigh

Saturday 24th October 1987 'Ian Allan Network Day' £8 for Unlimited Travel in the Network South East Area
The aim was to get 24hrs worth of travel and cover the Oxford to Bletchley route on 1Z16 and 1Z18.
33059 1O50 2242 Waterloo - Southampton (Eastleigh to Southampton)
33117 1W50 2238 Weymouth - Waterloo (Southampton to Eastleigh)
50005 1W50 (Eastleigh to Basingstoke)
50010 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Junc (from Basingstoke)
50010 2O91 0510 Yeovil Junc - Salisbury
33208 2L06 0600 Salisbury - Basingstoke for a 205 to Reading
50007 1F13 0735 Oxford - Paddington (from Reading)
47582 1Z16 0920 Paddington - Northampton (to Milton Keynes via Oxford) 'The Brunel Cobbler'
85035 1A33 1030 Manchester Picc - Euston (from Milton Keynes)
HST St Pancras to Wellingborough for a DMU to Kettering
47626 1Z18 1630 Corby - Oxford (from Kettering)
50036 1F45 2012 Oxford - Paddington (to Reading) for a 205 to Basingstoke
50004 1V20 2038 Waterloo - Yeovil Junction (Basingstoke to Salisbury)
205 2226 Salisbury to Portsmouth. This had been booked a 33/1 up until the timetable change so I cannot have had the latest copy of Loco-Hauled Travel which was my guide back in the day.

Tuesday 24th October 1989
47606 1C60 1730 St Pancras - Derby (from Leicester) for a HST to Sheffield
37408 1M48 1828 Blackpool North - Nottingham (from Sheffield) for a 150 to Leicester
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Saturday 24th October 1992
'The Claymore'
37401 1Z41 0625 Edinburgh W - Fort William
5407 1Z43 1233 Fort William -Edinburgh W
During the return 5407 was declared a failure and from our seats this was approx MP 4¾ (near RHU)
37430+(5407) (to Cowlairs E Junc)
37202 (Cowlairs E Junc to Edinburgh W)
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Thursday 26th October 1989
37408 1M51 0815 Nottingham - Blackpool North
37408 1M48 1828 Blackpool North - Nottingham

Friday 27th October 1989
150 Nottingham to Grantham
91001 1D45 1750 Kings Cross - Harrogate (Grantham to Doncaster) 'The Yorkshire Pullman'
156 Doncaster to Sheffield

37408 1M48 1828 Blackpool North - Nottingham (Sheffield to Nottingham) via Woodhouse instead of the Sheffield reversal.
 

xotGD

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2017
Messages
7,803
Thursday 26th October 1989
37408 1M51 0815 Nottingham - Blackpool North
37408 1M48 1828 Blackpool North - Nottingham

Friday 27th October 1989
150 Nottingham to Grantham
91001 1D45 1750 Kings Cross - Harrogate (Grantham to Doncaster) 'The Yorkshire Pullman'
156 Doncaster to Sheffield

37408 1M48 1828 Blackpool North - Nottingham (Sheffield to Nottingham) via Woodhouse instead of the Sheffield reversal.
I had no idea that 37s were working out of Nottingham on these services.
 

gaillark

Member
Joined
27 Jan 2013
Messages
240
Saturday 24th October 1987 'Ian Allan Network Day' £8 for Unlimited Travel in the Network South East Area
The aim was to get 24hrs worth of travel and cover the Oxford to Bletchley route on 1Z16 and 1Z18.

47582 1Z16 0920 Paddington - Northampton (to Milton Keynes via Oxford) 'The Brunel Cobbler'
47626 1Z18 1630 Corby - Oxford (from Kettering)
I remember Network Days - Pitty "the railway" can't manage to do something like this today. - Just interested ... how did you obtain the info on these unquie specials as there was no information about these in the Luton and Bedford Travel Centres?
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
I remember Network Days - Pitty "the railway" can't manage to do something like this today. - Just interested ... how did you obtain the info on these unquie specials as there was no information about these in the Luton and Bedford Travel Centres?

I got the ticket with a coupon from Motive Power Monthly magazine which had details of the planned specials and service replacements for the day. The 1630 Corby to Oxford was advertised in the magazine as 58 hauled. A 33/1 was working the St Albans Abbey branch which I missed.
 

Falcon1200

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Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
6,496
Location
Neilston, East Renfrewshire
Same shift at Reading Booking Office, same train home, same loco on two consecutive days;

Thursday 27th October 1983
45148 1307 Paddington-Liverpool LS (Reading-Oxford)

Friday 28th October 1983
45148 1307 Paddington-Liverpool LS (Reading-Oxford)
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Friday 30th October 1987
'Hants & Dorset Coast Rover'
33206 1O36 1010 Cardiff Cen - Portsmouth H (Portsmouth & Southsea to Portsmouth H)
47616 1V70 1410 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (to Cosham)
33006 1O40 0950 Swansea - Portsmouth H (from Cosham)
33206 1V77 1510 Portsmouth H - Bristol TM (to Southampton)
33035 1O42 1305 Cardiff Cen - Portsmouth H (from Southampton)
33059 1V96 2025 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (to Romsey)
33206 2O98 2015 Bristol TM - Portsmouth H (Romsey to Southampton)
47596 2H62 2125 Portsmouth H - Salisbury (from Southampton)
33049 1O50 2145 Bristol TM - Southampton (Salisbury to Southampton via Eastleigh)
33064 1W50 2238 Weymouth - Waterloo (Southampton to Eastleigh)
50038 1W50 (Eastleigh to Basingstoke)
 

Falcon1200

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Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
6,496
Location
Neilston, East Renfrewshire
Tuesday 30th October 1984
37102 1335 Stranraer-Glasgow C (from Paisley Gilmour St)

I still regularly travel from Paisley to Central and did so just on Tuesday, but the traction now is less interesting (380018, for the record)
 

D1511

Member
Joined
29 Jul 2023
Messages
1,199
Location
WCML N
Monday 31st October 1983

It was rather difficult to clear your ETH 47/4s back at this time, as they kept creating new ones!

However, I remember having just a handful left when I bumped into one of them in Waverley......so, in for a penny, in for a pound.......!

1S14 08.05 Newcastle - Aberdeen 47436 xe CD Edinburgh - Aberdeen
1G80 13.50 Aberdeen - Edinburgh 47436 xe CD Aberdeen - Edinburgh
1E21 17.16 Edinburgh - Newcastle 47436 xe CD Edinburgh - Berwick
1S15 15.53 Carlisle - Edinburgh 47156 xb SF Berwick - Edinburgh
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Saturday 31st October 1987
33118+33042 1Y01 0245 Waterloo - Portsmouth H (Basingstoke to Eastleigh)
33042 1Y01 (Eastleigh to Portsmouth H)
33006 2V56 0550 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (to Salisbury)
33035 1O98 0550 Exeter St Davids - Hove (Salisbury to Havant)
33048 1V46 0830 Brighton - Cardiff Cen (Havant to Cosham)
205 Cosham to Portsmouth H
33019 1V54 1010 Portsmouth H - Swansea (to Salisbury)
33047 1O36 1010 Cardiff Cen - Portsmouth H (Salisbury to Southampton)
33009 1V62 1210 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (Southampton to Salisbury)
50019 1O18 1218 Exeter St Davids - Waterloo (Salisbury to Basingstoke)
33108 1L09 1410 Waterloo - Salisbury (Basingstoke to Grateley)
33106 1L10 1532 Salisbury - Waterloo (Grateley to Basingstoke)
EMU Basingstoke to Eastleigh for a 207 to Fareham
33048 1V85 1710 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (Fareham to Warminster)
33006 1O46 1605 Swansea - Portsmouth H (Warminster to Southampton)
73107 1B35 1844 Waterloo - Bournemouth (Southampton to Bournemouth)
33102 1W45 1932 Waterloo - Weymouth (from Bournemouth)
33114 1W50 2253 Weymouth - Waterloo (to Eastleigh)
207 to Fratton
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Sunday 6th November 1988
58014+(86204) 1G26 1040 Euston - Wolverhampton (Nuneaton to Birmingham NS)
58003+(86253) 1A14 1248 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
47110+(86204) 1A21 1421 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
47110+(90004) 1G05 1400 Euston - Birmingham NS (Nuneaton to Birmingham NS)
58005+(87031) 1A25 1554 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
58014+(86249) 1G36 1610 Euston - Wolverhampton (Nuneaton to Birmingham NS)
58014+(86406) 1A33 1520 Aberystwyth - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Friday 11th November 1988
37428 1P23 1820 St Pancras - Derby (from Leicester +50)

This was the only time I had a 37 on 1P23. The Friday only service could produce various traction all trying to keep time.

Friday 19th August 1988
31458 1P23 (from Leicester +60)

Friday 14th October 1988
31438 1P23 (from Leicester +40)

Friday 18th November 1988
97545 1P23 (from Leicester)
 

CW2

Established Member
Joined
7 May 2020
Messages
2,216
Location
Crewe
Friday 11th November 1988
37428 1P23 1820 St Pancras - Derby (from Leicester +50)

This was the only time I had a 37 on 1P23. The Friday only service could produce various traction all trying to keep time.

Friday 19th August 1988
31458 1P23 (from Leicester +60)

Friday 14th October 1988
31438 1P23 (from Leicester +40)

Friday 18th November 1988
97545 1P23 (from Leicester)
I seem to recall it was booked a 37/4, which was an unusual and unlikely piece of diagramming.
I covered it several times and never managed to have a 37 on it.
 

Falcon1200

Established Member
Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
6,496
Location
Neilston, East Renfrewshire
Yesterday and today's memories, from when I still thought overnight train bashes were a Good Thing;

Monday 10th November 1997
90011 1141 Glasgow C-Euston (to Preston)
90015 1730 Manchester Picc-Euston (Stockport-Macclesfield)
90002 1630 Euston-Manchester Picc (from Stockport)
47725 1910 Manchester Picc-Birmingham NS (to Stafford)
37426 1814 Holyhead-Birmingham NS (Stafford-Wolverhampton)
87004 2130 Wolverhampton-Euston (Birmingham NS-Birmingham Int)
87021 2045 Euston-Wolverhampton (Birmingham Int-Birmingham NS)
37426 2312 Birmingham Int-Holyhead (Birmingham NS-Llandudno Jc)

Tuesday 11th November 1997
37415
0143 Holyhead-Birmingham NS (from Llandudno Jc)
37415 0515 Birmingham NS-Holyhead (to Wolverhampton)
86240 0549 Wolverhampton-Euston (to Birmingham NS)
86212 0655 Birmingham NS-Glasgow C (Wolverhampton-Stafford)
86205 0658 Birmingham NS-Manchester Picc (Stafford-Crewe)
37421 0817 Crewe-Holyhead (to Chester)
37420 0805 Bangor-Crewe (from Chester)
37418 1017 Crewe-Holyhead (to Chester)
86229 1105 Birmingham NS-Glasgow C (from Crewe)

Various less interesting DMUs and EMUs were also used......
 

Harpo

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21 Aug 2024
Messages
3,733
Location
Newport
I seem to recall it was booked a 37/4, which was an unusual and unlikely piece of diagramming.
I covered it several times and never managed to have a 37 on it.
Briefly booked a Canton 37/4 job that had some spare time on the LM so it picked up the FO Derby to Derby job as a fill-in. (ECS from Oxley??). Closest I got was on 2/12/88 when at St Albans for a Rory Gallagher gig and 37428 roared past on the 18.20.
 
Last edited:

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Sunday 13th November 1988
Only managed a single 58 this week on the drags.
47280+(87030) 1G26 1040 Euston - Wolverhampton (Nuneaton to Birmingham NS)
47364+(86223) 1A14 1248 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
47356+(87030) 1A21 1421 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
47356+(90003) 1G05 1400 Euston - Birmingham NS (from Nuneaton)
58001+(85031) 1A60 1854 Wolverhampton - Euston (Birmingham NS to Nuneaton)
47280+(86430) 1G43 1840 Euston - Wolverhampton (Nuneaton to Birmingham NS)

Today only 47356 (rebuilt as 57001) and 90003 survive.
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Saturday 15th November 1986
Weekend back in Swindon for a FA Cup game with the bonus of a required 'Slim Jim'.
33039 2V56 0550 Portsmouth H - Bristol TM (to Southampton)
33209 2V58 0658 Portsmouth H - Cardiff Cen (Southampton to Bath Spa)
HST to Swindon
Swindon Town 4 v Farnborough Town 0

Sunday 16th November 1986
Return loco hauled to Reading for a Crompton on Route [80]
50013 1A67 1755 Weston SM - Paddington (Swindon to Reading)
33108 2O17 2000 Reading - Portsmouth H (to Eastleigh)
EMU to Southampton
33025 1O49 1745 Cardiff Cen - Portsmouth H (from Southampton)
 

SW Rover

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2025
Messages
104
Location
E Mids
Saturday 22nd November 1986
'Network SouthEast Day' £4 unlimited travel. A chance to go to Dover Western Docks before returning to Crompton routes.
EMU Portsmouth to Gatwick Airport via Hove
73132 1D69 0635 Gatwick Airport - Victoria
EMU to Clapham Junc
47549 1M34 0625 Newhaven H - Manchester Picc (Clapham Junc to Kensington Olympia)
47610 1O27 0726 Reading - Dover Western Docks (from Kensington Olympia)
47610 1M02 1045 Dover Western Docks - Liverpool LS (to Ashford)
EMU non stop to Waterloo East
33057 1V13 1310 Waterloo - Exeter St Davids (to Basingstoke)
33103+33101 1410 1L09 Waterloo - Salisbury (from Basingstoke) (Pushing)
33022 1O86 1417 Exeter St Davids - Brighton (from Salisbury)
EMU to Gatwick Airport
73112 1D83 2020 Gatwick Airport - Victoria
33208 1L15 2210 Waterloo - Salisbury (to Woking)
EMU to Portsmouth
 

Chutters 73

Member
Joined
22 Jul 2025
Messages
18
Location
Salford
Only ever had one - Gloucester to Birmingham in 1992. That of course entailed a diversion via Kidderminster which left me a bit jittery about the connection onto the loco-hauled Pwllheli (made it, though).
Take one very poorly Tyseley inner suburban stopping at Bromsgrov. Add 2x37s to help shove the underpowered theee-car wreck up the Lickey.

The extra power and NIISE was fantastic.
 

Sun Chariot

Established Member
Joined
16 Mar 2009
Messages
6,519
Location
2 miles and 50 years away from the Longmoor Milita
Take one very poorly Tyseley inner suburban stopping at Bromsgrov. Add 2x37s to help shove the underpowered theee-car wreck up the Lickey.

The extra power and NIISE was fantastic.
The fastest accelerate-from-standing-start class 116, I'll bet :D
I've seen a pair of Civil Engineer 37s take a sickly class 108 set out of Cardiff Central, Maesteg-bound, at a qiicker "off" than usual.
 

CD

Member
Joined
22 Jun 2014
Messages
1,051
Location
34004
Fri 25th to Sun 27th November 1983

My annual visit to East Anglia

33119 Sherborne-Salisbury (2100 Exeter-Basingstoke)
33059 Salisbury-Southampton via Chandlers Ford (2145 Bristol-Southampton)
33108 Southampton-Eastleigh (2238 Weymouth-Waterloo)
73118 Eastleigh-Waterloo (2238 Weymouth-Waterloo)
47583 Liverpool St-Ipswich (0430 Liverpool St-Norwich)
DMU Ipswich-Halesworth
37086 Halesworth-Ipswich 0727 Lowestoft-Liverpool St)
47581 Ipswich-Stowmarket (0712 Liverpool St-Norwich)
DMU Stowmarket-Cambridge
37086 Cambridge-Ipswich (1232 Cambridge-Ipswich)
47587 Ipswich-Norwich (1330 Liverpool St-Norwich)
47587 Norwich-Manningtree (1625 Norwich-Liverpool St)
37099 Manningtree-Lowestoft (1700 Liverpool St-Lowestoft)
DMU Lowestoft-Ipswich
31428 Ipswich-Liverpool St (2145 Ipswich-Liverpool St)
33025 Waterloo-Yeovil Jn (0130 Waterloo-Yeovil Jn)
33025 Yeovil Jn-Sherborne (0729 Yeovil Jn-Salisbury)
 

xotGD

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2017
Messages
7,803
37099 Manningtree-Lowestoft (1700 Liverpool St-Lowestoft)
I'm still hopeful of getting this one in the book at some point.

KWVR diesel gala next year would be nice!
 

Falcon1200

Established Member
Joined
14 Jun 2021
Messages
6,496
Location
Neilston, East Renfrewshire
Running slightly late;

Monday 25th November 1985
47456 0734 Poole-Glasgow C (Oxford-Birmingham NS)
85002 0734 ditto (from Birmingham NS)

Tuesday 25th November 1986
37412 2100 Mon Euston-Fort William (from Glasgow QS)
37402 1005 Fort William-Mallaig
37402 1220 Mallaig-Fort William
37402 1742 Fort William-Euston (to Glasgow QS)

A day trip to Mallaig with a Control colleague, we just about had time for a pint and a game of pool there!
 

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