I had a regular trip from York that I must have done half a dozen times in the years 1984 - 1988. York > Leeds on the 08:00 31-hauled York > Bradford working, then with the double-headed 31s on the 07:38 Hull > Carlisle (one of only 2 daily trains over the S&C). I'll *never* forget what it was like on a misty start to a glorious day storming up the grade through the deep cuttings north of Settle, a compo to ourselves with heads-out and the EE thrash amplified hugely by the cutting. Absolute heaven, and possibly my most abiding memory of that era, even though it's of Goyles!
From Carlisle the 12:08 Cumbrian Coast service used to go into the bay at Whitehaven and lay over for 28 minutes before forming the 13:47 to Preston. Just enough time to go and get fish and chips before returning and bagging the front seats of the 108 (always better the times it was the declassified first). Then a rattle to Ravenglass scoffing chips, enjoying the views and, the first couple of times, seeing split-box 40s everywhere.
Up to Dalegarth and back on the R&ER, then the 16:41 DMU to Barrow, on to Lancaster, and more 31-hauled action on the lonely growl across to Leeds on the 19:35 working (also through to Hull). Only bummer was a long wait at Leeds for the 22:00 DMU to York when all we wanted by that stage was to get home as quickly as possible, preferably behind a loco.
What I love about memories like these is the fact that so much loco-haulage was possible on such trips. What was anyone thinking of putting a loco-hauled train into Bradford Interchange? Only 2 a day did that, within half an hour of each other! Also the sheer randomness of the timetable made life full of little quirks, like the Bradford 31s and as witnessed by the DMU from Carlisle laying over at Whitehaven. No other workings did that.
