Newspaper Trains

[sheff'd victoria]

Just had a look though some old pictures of Sheffield Victoria in the 1960's and there was a newspaper train to/from Cleethorpes.

What are people's memory of ( any ) newpaper trains and what routes did they do and when and why did they stop ?:roll:

 

[Mvann]

I think the last ones ran in the mid eighties. They started moving to road about the time the sun and the times moved from fleet street to wapping. When the newspaper trains finished on the London to Leicester line, the last of the peaks were withdrawn.

 

[deltic]

This is one of the most overlooked aspects of railway operations and worth a book or two.

A huge number of trains operated from Manchester and London termini each night - Manchester Exchange for example was still used by newspaper trains after it closed to passengers.

The concentration of printing presses in these cities made it economic for the publishers to work together to contract with BR to move papers by rail even over some very short distances. I travelled on the 02.10 Manchester Picc to Cleethorpes in the late 70s but remember best going round the London termini on a late Saturday night early Sunday morning. The Sunday papers going to press earlier than the weekdays.

Papers were loaded directly from lorries at stations like Paddington and St Pancras but at Kings Cross most were unloaded at a loading bay on to brutes and trolleys before being moved to the appropriate platform. Papers were also sorted on board trains - I remmber seeing this at Liverpool St on the emu service to Tilbury.

This labour intensive way of working was extremely costly.

The late 70s and early 80s were a time of great upheaval in the print industry with a year long strike keeping the Times of the streets. News International (owners of the Sun and the Times) wanted to bypass type setters and get journalists to enter text direct via computer. There was also a story that it cost the publishers more to move papers from printing presses to station than BR charged to move them across country.

So when News International moved to Wapping they bypassed all the unions (they did not want to risk secondary action by rail unions disrupting distribution) and signed a contract with TNT to move all papers by road.

With 10% of the business lost the economics of rail distribution soon unravelled. Papers started to move away from rail to cut costs and printing was decentralised futher undermining the economics. Although the short lived Today Paper was printed in Manchester and distributed by rail.

The last newspaper trains left Manchester Victoria in July 1988.

 

[Bill EWS]

There were various newspaper and parcel trains. In the week we used to work empty paper trains up to Old Oack Common but early Sunday mornings we worked the 03.25 Paddington to Didcot and Oxford train. Newspaper trains took a lot time to tro get ready as they would wait in the platform for vans from the various newspaper companies and on board staff would sort them out for the correct destinations. There was always people milling about, many looking for a free paper! A each stop more activity would continue as lines of newspaper trollies lined the platform and the correct load woud be plaved into each. Battery vehicles would then take the line of trollies to the outside of the station and the packages of papers transferred into vans that would then transport them to their desired destination. The same would be happening throughout the U.K.

During the week two newspaper trains, the 01.10 to Bristol and the 03.25 were convenient for train crew and others who worked at depots such as Old Oak Common, St. Pancreas, Kings Cross, or in my own case, at Marylebone getting home.

On the Up diection there were two such trains that got us up to Paddington for our early shifts. One from Bristol and the other from South Wales. Nailand, if I remember correctly.

 

[Rugd1022]

When I was at Old Oak we used to bring up the 02.15 Bristol vans into Padd to be loaded, it really was a hive of activity and we'd always get a large bundle of papers for free. When we worked the 03.55 High Wycombe we'd stop opposite Old Oak carriage sidings and drop off a big bundle for the depot too. Padd was a fantastic place at night, the period from about 23.00 - 06.00 was remarkably busy, and on top of the newspapers there were the departing and arriving Penzance Sleepers. Happy days, never to be repeated sadly.

Nidge

 

[Oracle]

Wasn't there a newspaper train from Waterloo in the early hours with a carriage on for pax or was that a mail train? Class 73 or 33 hauled.

 

[Wyvern]

Until the fifties there were services to village newsagents as well. In Duffield the Number 2 Belper Trent bus would drop off the papers for the village shop, while the stopping train would drop them for the W H Smith bookstall on the station. THe stall manager would sort them i ready for us lads to pick up a half past six to take out on our rounds.

 

[WatcherZero]

http://englishrail.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/a-little-help-from-my-friends-2/
Nice story

 

[deltic]

Wasn't there a newspaper train from Waterloo in the early hours with a carriage on for pax or was that a mail train? Class 73 or 33 hauled.

01.40 to Exeter and 02.45 Bournemouth both had pax facilities

 

[43167]

01.40 to Exeter and 02.45 Bournemouth both had pax facilities

Ideal trains for overnight moves on all-lines.

 

[Old Timer]

To be pedantic (sorry) trains that conveyed passengers were actually passenger trains carrying newspapers rather than newspaper trains, there being a clear difference in those days.

Examples of passenger trains running with paper vans were the Manchester - Cleethorpes and the Down Norwich Mail, which used to split at Haughley Jct with the front going to Norwich and the rear going to Ely via Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket if I recall correctly.

The Manchester - Cleethorpes was popular in later years as it used to take a Class 40 throughout, with the vans running back ECS part way, time however fades the memory as to the details.

 

[deltic]

Was the SO Euston-Lairg Newspaper train the longest distance train run on BR in the 1980s? Although only 1(?) van made it all the way

 

[Ploughman]

In 76 I worked as a part time driver for a Wholesale Newsagent starting about 05.00 and driving onto Southport Chapel st station to meet the paper train from Manchester.
Frequently 40 hauled and with about 4 vans in tow.

Our handbrake turns in VW and Bedford CF delivery vans on the platform sometimes overshot and smacked into the vans.

 

[ungreat]

01.40 to Exeter and 02.45 Bournemouth both had pax facilities

01.40 from Waterloo went to Yeovil Jct..I worked it a few times and it was a pax train with newspapers on..happy days!

 

[Drsatan]

Wasn't there a newspaper train from Waterloo in the early hours with a carriage on for pax or was that a mail train? Class 73 or 33 hauled.

I read somewhere that there was a 33 hauled service at 01:45 from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour, although I've no idea whether it went via Eastleigh or the Portsmouth Direct

 

[bluebottle]

Was the SO Euston-Lairg Newspaper train the longest distance train run on BR in the 1980s? Although only 1(?) van made it all the way

I don't know the distances but would the Penzance Aberdeen service be as far or further? That's if it ran in the 80s. I remember our school railway society going from Poole to Dundee and back inside of 24 hrs but as I joined the school after that (1983) I don't know if there was a change involved. The northbound trip was an overnight but I doubt it carried news or mail.

 

[Chester025]

The Manchester - Cleethorpes was popular in later years as it used to take a Class 40 throughout, with the vans running back ECS part way, time however fades the memory as to the details.

Used to go back to Doncaster as passenger, went through to Sheffield sometimes on a Saturday. Then persumably ECS to Red Bank?

 

[deltic]

In the 1970s the following newspaper trains operated from Manchester as far as I'm aware - corrections welcome - some carried parcels and mails as well while a few also carried passengers - while the latter were obviously designated as passenger services their main purpose was to carry news

Weekday Papers

Manchester Victoria

23.25 Glasgow Central
00.17 Newcastle
00.30 York
01.25 Chester
01.50 Barrow in Furness
02.15 Leeds
03.00 Blackpool N
03.15 Bury (DPU)
03.15 Southport
03.23 Liverpool Lime St
03.35 St Helens Shaw St (DPU)
03.45 Blackburn



Sundays Papers

20.53 Heysham
21.35 Aberdeen (via WCML)
22.55 Glasgow Central
23.45 Newcastle
00.20 York
00.55 Leeds
01.30 Bradford Ex
02.05 Barrow in Furness
02.20 Chester
02.45 Liverpool Lime Street
03.30 Liverpool Lime Street

Manchester Piccadilly

Weekday Papers

01.12 Cleethorpes
01.50 Cleethorpes
02.50 Crewe


Sunday papers

23.25 Durham - from Manchester Mayfield
01.17 Grimsby
02.02 Gainsbrough Central
02.50 Alsager
03.00 Stoke

 

[4SRKT]

Was the SO Euston-Lairg Newspaper train the longest distance train run on BR in the 1980s? Although only 1(?) van made it all the way

For the duration of one timetable in the 1980s (I forget which year) the southbound Aberdeen > Penzance service started back at Elgin, which must make it the longest distance covered by a single train in this country not just in the 80s, but ever??

 

[adam123]

I don't know much about this but i really want to know about this.Please tell me more about this.

 

[4SRKT]

On a related subject, does anyone know anything about the numbers of parcels trains that operated from Bradford Forster Square before Grattan and Empire Stores started sending all their mail order parcels by road? I remember as a child lots of parcels vans all over the station, and BRUTEs everywhere. I used to work for Grattan, and the loading bays were ridiculously small for modern artics, but was told that they were designed in the days when BR used to trip everything down to Forster Square in 20" trailers. Would these have been hauled by those three wheeled tractors you see in old pictures?

 

[yorksrob]

On a related subject, does anyone know anything about the numbers of parcels trains that operated from Bradford Forster Square before Grattan and Empire Stores started sending all their mail order parcels by road? I remember as a child lots of parcels vans all over the station, and BRUTEs everywhere. I used to work for Grattan, and the loading bays were ridiculously small for modern artics, but was told that they were designed in the days when BR used to trip everything down to Forster Square in 20" trailers. Would these have been hauled by those three wheeled tractors you see in old pictures?

I bought a book called "Railway Memories No 4 Bradford" by alan Whitaker and Brian Myland a few years ago which has some good information about parcels and freight from Forster Square and pictures of parcels vans etc if you haven't read it already. Also lots of good pics of the Bradford terminals and surrounding lines.

 

[deltic]

For the duration of one timetable in the 1980s (I forget which year) the southbound Aberdeen > Penzance service started back at Elgin, which must make it the longest distance covered by a single train in this country not just in the 80s, but ever??

London Thurso direct trains that ran during the first and second world war must run it close

 

[9K43]

We had a diagram at HM as follows.
Sat only. Sign on at 20:01 LE/Gd to Manchester Vic via Huddersfield, dump the Cl 31 infront of the box.
Accross to Piccadilly via area managers van.
Up into Picc messroom, have a brew.
Then into the BRSA Club to watch match of the day.
23:00hrs pick up traps from the mess room and into 1 of the bay platforms to find 4 newspaper vans with another 31 ticking over.
Go round the train, brake test and check all is well.
23:15 Set of for York, via Guide Bridge, Huddersfield, Healey Mills (Throw some papers out)
Then through Castleford to York.
Reld. by Tyne Men, Light Engine back to the Mill, via any road that was open.Sign off when we got back.

Now at Manchester the signal box has gone, so as Red Bank Sidings and all the paper traffic, all the locos bad news all round. Guide Bridge Mess Room/Shed is a pile of rubble, and to top it all Healey Mills Yard is shut.
Happy Days all gone.
They can't take off you what you have had.

I have found my 1984 Diary; Turn 122 sign on 20:20hrs - 05:15hrs. . Last Worked this job on my Rest day 5th May 1984. Drew £154 for that week, includes a Sunday.

 

[caliwag]

Worked in an office overlooking the South approaches to Perth in the mid 60s.
Every weekday the ECS Perth to Red Bank (8-10 bogies) would leave around mid-day behind, generally, a filthy Kingmoor, de-named Brit.
Not sure when the loaded train worked North though.

Perth shed by early 67 had little activity...a few class fives I guess.

Sometimes the Brit was used to shunt the wagon works to the East of the Southern approaches.

As an aside, as the 50s were released, about the same time, they were regular performers on Anglo-Scottish passenger trains (coming on at Crewe?)...think I progressively copped them all then. With the long layover at
Perth, they were often used on the truncated, freight only, line to Forfar (coal and potato traffic)...must have been quite a sight shunting the rural coalyard at Forfar which was down a small branch away from the "main" station.

 

[D841]

In the 1970s the following newspaper trains operated from Manchester as far as I'm aware - corrections welcome - some carried parcels and mails as well while a few also carried passengers - while the latter were obviously designated as passenger services their main purpose was to carry news


Manchester Piccadilly

Weekday Papers

01.12 Cleethorpes
01.50 Cleethorpes

This is correct. In 1971/1972 at least, one of those was a passenger train which ran via the Hope Valley route and Sheffield to Doncaster, and which took some news vans. The other was a class 1 newspaper train which ran via Woodhead, Barnsley, Mexborough and Doncaster, and had no passenger accommodation, as I found out when I turned up there on spec once, to see whether it had - I needed the track from Barnsley to Doncaster, and never got it before the route closed.

 

[9K43]

In the 1970s the following newspaper trains operated from Manchester as far as I'm aware - corrections welcome - some carried parcels and mails as well while a few also carried passengers - while the latter were obviously designated as passenger services their main purpose was to carry news


Manchester Piccadilly

Weekday Papers

01.12 Cleethorpes
01.50 Cleethorpes

This is correct. In 1971/1972 at least, one of those was a passenger train which ran via the Hope Valley route and Sheffield to Doncaster, and which took some news vans. The other was a class 1 newspaper train which ran via Woodhead, Barnsley, Mexborough and Doncaster, and had no passenger accommodation, as I found out when I turned up there on spec once, to see whether it had - I needed the track from Barnsley to Doncaster, and never got it before the route closed.

We had a job at HM Turn 208 to Beatson Clarkes Glass works at Stairfoot, to Wath, Mexboro /Conisboro round the angle at Donny to Belmont Yard. LE/GD back to the Mill.
Some time later we lifted all the track from Aldams Jct right upto Quarry Junction.
Such is life, now the track bed is a foot path/ nature reserve

Have a look at this link, and cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX09...0CE38FA3&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=29

 

[D841]

We had a job at HM Turn 208 to Beatson Clarkes Glass works at Stairfoot, to Wath, Mexboro /Conisboro round the angle at Donny to Belmont Yard. LE/GD back to the Mill.
Some time later we lifted all the track from Aldams Jct right upto Quarry Junction.
Such is life, now the track bed is a foot path/ nature reserve

Have a look at this link, and cry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX09...0CE38FA3&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=29

Thanks for the link, but as it happens, I have the DVD that clip was taken from. I have quite a lot of Woodhead material, including a second hand copy of the 1954 working instructions for the line. I have lots of memories of it too. I did the passenger route between Sheffield Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly lots of times in the 60's behind both EM1's and EM2's (and twice in the cab, in the dark), and once after passenger services had been withdrawn behind a Peak on a diverted St. Pancras - Manchester service (Broomhouse Tunnel opening out comes to mind there). I never managed the Wath branch though, any of it

Happy days.........