Cross-Country chat (1987-2000)

[nw1]

I assume that was 1S39 the 0905 Poole - Glasgow which was hauled by 47818 on Jan 2nd 2000 as far as New Street, arrival in Birmingham would have been around 1300.

Probably that would be the one, yes, the timings sound about right. Don't have a record of the specific locos - but thanks for confirming what my first loco haulage of the 2000s was!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Aug 2023 ==

Not at all, although it did seem to be a rather desperate attempt to distinguish the train from the 'Dorset Scot', bearing in mind a train called the 'Wessex Scot' could also conceivably start at Taunton, Bristol, Swindon or suchlike.

The Wessex Scot began a good number of years before the Dorset Scot, in May 1984. To be honest I always thought of it as a logical name: I've always thought of Wessex as primarily the central southern England chalk country of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, and distinctly separate from, and to the east of, the West Country.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Aug 2023 ==

Well clearly. But it wasn't called that because it was routed via the WCML is the point, although maybe I misconstrued this statement "was the 1306 still the Wessex Scot, i.e. WCML, as in 1989?"

What I was trying to do there was to clarify that the Wessex Scot ran via the WCML. So the info I was after was whether the 1206 ex-New St was the ECML service (aka Dorset Scot) and the 1306 was the WCML service (aka Wessex Scot) -thanks.

 

[Halwynd]

From 1999 to 2000 my job entailed a considerable amount of travel, primarily using Cross Country. If you worked during the journey the policy of my employer was that you could travel 1st Class and, because of the amount of travel I was undertaking, it was agreed that it made sense to buy 1st Class All Line Rovers when it worked out cheaper than buying individual tickets. At one point I - or rather my employer - had bought 16 consecutive weekly 1st Class All Live Rovers. So at weekends I became very fortunate indeed - although I was often too tired, or had other commitments, and many days went unused much to my regret.

Anyway, on one particular Saturday - 6th March 1999 - the line between Preston and Carlisle was closed for engineering work and the northbound Devon Scot was re-timed and diverted via the ECML. It was a fast run with no passenger calls between Birmingham and Edinburgh. We only stopped once, at York, for a crew change. Not one signal check either - can't imagine that happening today. My return from Edinburgh was booked for 55022 from Carlisle to Preston via the S&C. What really stood out though was a pretty spectacular performance from 47709 which, between Carstairs and Carlisle, exceeded 100mph several times.

47814 Totnes Castle
1O30 06:05 Preston - Brighton (from Preston to Manchester Piccadilly)

86242 James Kennedy GC
1G80 07:47 Manchester - Birmingham International (from Manchester Piccadilly to Stafford)

86236 Josiah Wedgwood
1G10 08:11 Liverpool - Birmingham International (from Stafford to Birmingham New Street)

43069 & 43157 HMS Penzance
1S85 07:20 Plymouth - Aberdeen: The Devon Scot (from Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh)

47709
1M35 17:26 Edinburgh - Birmingham (from Edinburgh to Carlisle)

55022 Royal Scots Grey
1M35 17:26 Edinburgh - Birmingham (from Carlisle to Preston via S&C)

 

[12LDA28C]

What I was trying to do there was to clarify that the Wessex Scot ran via the WCML. So the info I was after was whether the 1206 ex-New St was the ECML service (aka Dorset Scot) and the 1306 was the WCML service (aka Wessex Scot) -thanks.

1O11 was the 0620 Edinburgh - Bournemouth which ran via the ECML / Leeds / Sheffield, due off New St at 1206.
1O12 was the 0650 Edinburgh - Bournemouth which ran via Glasgow and the WCML, due off New St at 1306, this was in 2000/01.

On 29th March 2000 I had 47488 from Edinburgh to Birmingham on 1O11 where it was replaced by 47711 which worked to Bournemouth and back on 1E42 which was the 1620 Bournemouth - Leeds.
On 1st September 2001 I had 47822 from Glasgow to Bournemouth throughout on 1O12 which returned on 1M41 the 1720 Bournemouth - Manchester.

 

[irish_rail]

The Wessex Scot began a good number of years before the Dorset Scot, in May 1984. To be honest I always thought of it as a logical name: I've always thought of Wessex as primarily the central southern England chalk country of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset, and distinctly separate from, and to the east of, the West Country.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Aug 2023 ==

I agree. The whole "Wessex trains" franchise of the naughties really bugged me, lumping historically Celtic Devon and Cornwall, plus South Wales in with "wessex".