Locomotive Swaps At Mitre Bridge (Willesden)

[RichmondCommu]

Hello everyone,

I'm curious to know whether Mitre Bridge Junction was unique in hosting locomotive swaps for passenger services at a location away from a railway station. Incidentaly on our frequent visits to Willesden in the late 1970s / early 1980s we learnt that a class 08 would frequently be used to transport staff required to uncouple / couple up. Memories!

Your responses are eagerly anticipated!

Kind regards,

Essex Ram

 

[Ash Bridge]

Hello everyone,

I'm curious to know whether Mitre Bridge Junction was unique in hosting locomotive swaps for passenger services at a location away from a railway station. Incidentaly on our frequent visits to Willesden in the late 1970s / early 1980s we learnt that a class 08 would frequently be used to transport staff required to uncouple / couple up. Memories!

Your responses are eagerly anticipated!

Kind regards,

Essex Ram

Now this is just the type of thread that Andrew was legendary for coming up with...in other words right up my street! Welcome to the forum btw Essex Ram Unfortunately I can't answer the question about its uniqueness but lots of memories of being onboard mystery trip/seaview special type trains from the Manchester Division during the 70s with our 81, 82, 85 or 86 coming off in favour of one or a pair of 33s to take us forward to some exotic destination on the south coast of England for the day, happy times!

 

[theblackwatch]

Also applied to service trains if I remember rightly, such as the Manchester-Dover ICXC service (introduced around 1984/85?).

 

[RichmondCommu]

Also applied to service trains if I remember rightly, such as the Manchester-Dover ICXC service (introduced around 1984/85?).

Indeed it did and I know this because we travelled on it! I'm pretty certain that it was a class 47 that took over at Mitre Bridge as I doubt a class 33 would have been powerful enough.

 

[TukayAway]

I definitely know of Mossend, for trains to Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William maybe? I think there were a couple of Holyhead trains that changed over traction in the yard at Crewe and some Edinburgh trains on the South curve at Carstairs.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Now this is just the type of thread that Andrew was legendary for coming up with...in other words right up my street! Welcome to the forum btw Essex Ram Unfortunately I can't answer the question about its uniqueness but lots of memories of being onboard mystery trip/seaview special type trains from the Manchester Division during the 70s with our 81, 82, 85 or 86 coming off in favour of one or a pair of 33s to take us forward to some exotic destination on the south coast of England for the day, happy times!

Andrew and I and Mark C shared many adventures all over the network Andrew's children are planning to post on here extracts from the account of his life that he had written over many years. Lots off stuff surrounding the Woodhead route, Longsight, Birkenhead Mollington Street, Crewe, Barrow Hill, Shirebrook, Reddish, Saltley, Hope Valley, S & C and chatting to a Dent station retired signalman in his cottage one night. And lots more! Watch this space.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Andrew and I and Mark C shared many adventures all over the network Andrew's children are planning to post on here extracts from the account of his life that he had written over many years. Lots off stuff surrounding the Woodhead route, Longsight, Birkenhead Mollington Street, Crewe, Barrow Hill, Shirebrook, Reddish, Saltley, Hope Valley, S & C and chatting to a Dent station retired signalman in his cottage one night. And lots more! Watch this space.

That was such an excellent thing for him to do and it will be greatly appreciated to be able to read these interesting accounts by me and others like myself. Such a brave guy who never gave us an inkling of what he was suffering whilst continuing to post on here right up to the end!

 

[Bald Rick]

Also applied to service trains if I remember rightly, such as the Manchester-Dover ICXC service (introduced around 1984/85?).

And the Brighton - WCML services when they went straight up the WCML rather than via Reading. I remember catching one from Clapham Jn (plat 16) to Milton Keynes on a ‘Network Day’. 47 off, 86 on.

I agree about Carstairs curve also.

 

[Highlandspring]

I definitely know of Mossend, for trains to Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William maybe? I think there were a couple of Holyhead trains that changed over traction in the yard at Crewe and some Edinburgh trains on the South curve at Carstairs.

Passenger train loco swaps (from electric to diesel and vice versa) also took place in the Braidhurst loops between Motherwell and Mossend.

 

[Cowley]

Andrew and I and Mark C shared many adventures all over the network Andrew's children are planning to post on here extracts from the account of his life that he had written over many years. Lots off stuff surrounding the Woodhead route, Longsight, Birkenhead Mollington Street, Crewe, Barrow Hill, Shirebrook, Reddish, Saltley, Hope Valley, S & C and chatting to a Dent station retired signalman in his cottage one night. And lots more! Watch this space.

Can’t wait EssexRam, and welcome to the forum by the way.
I’m sure Andrew would be really pleased to see some of these things shared, and when I get some time over the next few days I’ll try and work out what engine swaps I’ve had at Mitre Bridge over the years.
Great stuff sir .

 

[randyrippley]

Severn Tunnel Junction?
I've been on diverted Birmingham-Bristol trains which changed diesels there. Did the same happen when trains were normally routed that way?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

When there were Motorail services to Stirling from Kensington Olympia - the pairs of local class 25's would have been swopped for an AC electric.

 

[Ash Bridge]

When there were Motorail services to Stirling from Kensington Olympia - the pairs of local class 25's would have been swopped for an AC electric.

That's certainly jogged my memory, forgot all about those despite having seen them on the occasions when passing through Kensington Olympia during the early seventies, how long after this did they survive on these short workings?

 

[Cowley]

That's certainly jogged my memory, forgot all about those despite having seen them on the occasions when passing through Kensington Olympia during the early seventies, how long after this did they survive on these short workings?

I think I remember reading somewhere that Willesden had a small allocation of class 25s for a while in the late 1970s maybe? For use on local work - ecs/trip working etc.
Can’t remember where I saw that now unfortunately.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Willesden had a small allocation of class 25s for a while in the late 1970s maybe? For use on local work - ecs/trip working etc.
Can’t remember where I saw that now unfortunately.

Interesting, thanks for that Mr C, my recollections date probably from 1972 on the first occasion with 1978 probably the last, then not until 1987 by which time they were probably well gone.

 

[xotGD]

I definitely know of Mossend, for trains to Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street and Fort William maybe? I think there were a couple of Holyhead trains that changed over traction in the yard at Crewe and some Edinburgh trains on the South curve at Carstairs.

The Euston - Fort William overnight had a swap from electric to diesel at Mossend then another swap at Cowlairs for the reversal into Queen Street.

 

[Mag_seven]

Now this is just the type of thread that Andrew was legendary for coming up with

Andrew who?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Andrew who?

Member RichmondCommu who sadly passed away earlier this year.

 

[Mag_seven]

Member RichmondCommu who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Ah right - thanks for the info.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Brent Jn (Cricklewood area) for excursions between the SR and the Midland line.
In the late 70s, I picked up a Kent-York Merrymaker at Lewisham with a 33, which was changed to a 45 at Brent for the run north via Leicester, Toton and the old Midland line through Normanton.
In the early 80s as a student at Leicester, I was on a mystery excursion that was a 45 (fairly sure that's what it was) as far as Brent and a definite 33 onwards to Ramsgate (non-stop via Lewisham and Dartford unusually - mostly they went via Sole St to get to the Faversham direction).

 

[Mag_seven]

Didn't some services from the south coast to the north/Scotland change from diesel to electric just before Coventry on the Kenilworth line? The OLE even today stretches round towards Kenilworth quite a bit.

 

[The_Engineer]

I can recall the locomotive changes at Mitre Bridge Junction very well. It was the early 70s and on ADEX or mystery tours from the Liverpool Division to Southern Region territory, including Brighton, Windsor, Brighton and Ramsgate. SR power was always Class 33, either one or two locomotives provided.

Brent Jn (Cricklewood area) for excursions between the SR and the Midland line.

Ye, I also recall this when taking an ADEX from Loughborough to Canterbury in the mid 70s. During my Brush apprenticeship days.....

 

[krus_aragon]

I think there were a couple of Holyhead trains that changed over traction in the yard at Crewe ...

When (and which yard) would this have been? By my reckoning Holyhead services switched over to HST not long after Crewe was rebuilt in the 80's, which suggests it was done with the old layout, but I was of the understanding that there were more tracks and platforms in Crewe then?

Ding! Unless it was loco-switches being done while Crewe was being remodelled, when the station itself was effectively closed?

 

[RichmondCommu]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Willesden had a small allocation of class 25s for a while in the late 1970s maybe? For use on local work - ecs/trip working etc.
Can’t remember where I saw that now unfortunately.

Just in case you're interested on the 7th April 1984 25067 hauled 86312 and its train between Willesden and Euston whilst the 'juice' was cut off. The week before that 31213 hauled 87034 between Euston and Willesden on what I think was the 11.50 Euston to Manchester. It's all now a long time a go but I'm pretty certain that 31213 didn't haul the train north of Willesden / Stonebridge Park.

During the late 1970s / early to mid 1980s Andrew, myself and Mark C would stay for a few days with Andrew's cousin Beverley at her house in Surbiton. We would hang around the various London termini until well into the evening and would see class 25s bringing in TPO stock into Euston before a class 86 attached itself to the front. Beverley thought the world of Andrew but on returning to leafy Surbiton we would be greeted with "where the bloody hell have you been"? before being treated to a home cooked meal and in later years a can of lager. One picture taken in 1975 shows 25072 attached to a GWR Siphon G at Euston. This was taken on a family day trip to London and I must have begged my parents to visit Euston for a few minutes.

I also wonder if Willesden class 25s were responsible for hauling trains carrying bricks northwards from Stewartby. That said I can't recall whether either Cricklewood or Bletchley had an allocation of Rats so they may have supplied the locomotives.

 

[Cowley]

Just in case you're interested on the 7th April 1984 25067 hauled 86312 and its train between Willesden and Euston whilst the 'juice' was cut off. The week before that 31213 hauled 87034 between Euston and Willesden on what I think was the 11.50 Euston to Manchester. It's all now a long time a go but I'm pretty certain that 31213 didn't haul the train north of Willesden / Stonebridge Park.

During the late 1970s / early to mid 1980s Andrew, myself and Mark C would stay for a few days with Andrew's cousin Beverley at her house in Surbiton. We would hang around the various London termini until well into the evening and would see class 25s bringing in TPO stock into Euston before a class 86 attached itself to the front. Beverley thought the world of Andrew but on returning to leafy Surbiton we would be greeted with "where the bloody hell have you been"? before being treated to a home cooked meal and in later years a can of lager. One picture taken in 1975 shows 25072 attached to a GWR Siphon G at Euston. This was taken on a family day trip to London and I must have begged my parents to visit Euston for a few minutes.

I also wonder if Willesden class 25s were responsible for hauling trains carrying bricks northwards from Stewartby. That said I can't recall whether either Cricklewood or Bletchley had an allocation of Rats so they may have supplied the locomotives.

Very interested EssexRam .
25067 was the very first class 25 preserved (at the Mid Hants). I’ve had many a cab ride on the old girl.
Great to see that it’s still going even now (at Shackerstone I believe?).

 

[47513 Severn]

Back in the days of the 'Joint' line from Spalding to March, summer Saturday trains from the north to Great Yarmouth would sometimes change locomotives in Whitemoor yard. For example, a class 40 would bring a train from Manchester and swap for a locally based class 31/37 from the adjacent March depot. The 40 would then be refuelled at the depot and get home by taking over the corresponding northbound working.

 

[xotGD]

Back in the days of the 'Joint' line from Spalding to March, summer Saturday trains from the north to Great Yarmouth would sometimes change locomotives in Whitemoor yard. For example, a class 40 would bring a train from Manchester and swap for a locally based class 31/37 from the adjacent March depot. The 40 would then be refuelled at the depot and get home by taking over the corresponding northbound working.

I believe I had such a swap in 1979 on the Newcastle - Yarmouth. Before I took a proper interest in railways, however.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Current examples include steam specials swapping locos at Willesden South West sidings or Hanwell loop.

Sleeper services to / from Euston swap locos in Wembley Yard when diverted via ECML

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Willesden had a small allocation of class 25s for a while in the late 1970s maybe? For use on local work - ecs/trip working etc.
Can’t remember where I saw that now unfortunately.

There was a handful of LM class 25's - often used for "Target" working for ballast etc from as far away as Northampton to Wembley Yards , main line shunting of vans at Euston - and the "Fletliner" workings from Stewartby to Kings Cross Goods and Garston. They were slowly replaced by class 31 locomotives. The Tring cement was another stalwart job for them......

 

[Cowley]

There was a handful of LM class 25's - often used for "Target" working for ballast etc from as far away as Northampton to Wembley Yards , main line shunting of vans at Euston - and the "Fletliner" workings from Stewartby to Kings Cross Goods and Garston. They were slowly replaced by class 31 locomotives. The Tring cement was another stalwart job for them......

Thanks for that ChiefPlanner. Do you remember if they were actually allocated to WN? Or were they outbased and perhaps allocated to Cricklewood or somewhere else?