Northampton-Market Harborough line

[D6130]

Moderator note - split from:

Settle–Carlisle Local Services, Pre–May 1970?

It was 1986 when the present number of local stations on the S & C were re–opened by Ron Cotton (initially as an extension to "Dalesrail") to provide the current local stopping service, but my query refers to the pre 1970 local services before they were withdrawn for the first time leaving just...

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Search the forum, there’s quite a lot about this.
The sleeper was diverted from Saint Pancras to Euston 1970-1972, but the sleepers were only available as far south as Northampton even though there were regular coaches in the formation for seated passengers as well.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/thames-clyde-express-in-the-1970s.264956/page-3#post-6735267 for example

Thames-Clyde Express in the 1970's

Could anyone here point me to timetables for the named Thames-Clyde Express, through service from St Pancras to Glasgow and v/v, in the period from 1974 to 1979? What happened to it after that? At what point did the through daytime service (named or otherwise) on that route finally end? Also...

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I believe that this was the last scheduled passenger service to use the Northampton-Market Harborough line.... although it was used for engineering works diversions until about 1980.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I believe that this was the last scheduled passenger service to use the Northampton-Market Harborough line.... although it was used for engineering works diversions until about 1980.

The line closed to passengers in 1960, before Beeching. The reason was that the freight traffic mainly coal from the GN&LNW line, had to be banked from Harborough to Kelmarsh (by Super-Ds) and the passenger service was regarded as an inconvenience to pathing the bankers back LE.
When the Sleeper service was withdrawn I (trying to disguise my voice & using a public phone box because I worked for BR) phoned the TUCC to ask why passenger service withdrawal proposals hadn't been posted as it was a passenger service, and being withdrawn. This did duly happen, but there seemed to be no objections received, so there was no delay. A bit odd anyway because the Sleeper ran over the Northampton - Harborough line but did not call at Harborough; next stop, Leicester, and you could still travel (very slowly) between those two points by rail.
After its first closure it was regularly used for diversions when the MML was blocked S of Harboro' and also by specials for, amongst other events, the Schoolgirls' Hockey Finals at Wembley, all of which of course were delayed by. traction change at Northampton (in the days when diesels under the wire was absolutely verboten).

 

[Lemmy282]

I only travelled on the Market Harborough to Northampton line once, on a special from Sheffield to London Olympia, probably for the Ideal Homes Exhibition. Once on the WCML our class 47 went flat out on the slow lines, as electric expresses breezed past!

 

[Merle Haggard]

I only travelled on the Market Harborough to Northampton line once, on a special from Sheffield to London Olympia, probably for the Ideal Homes Exhibition. Once on the WCML our class 47 went flat out on the slow lines, as electric expresses breezed past!

That was very unusual (to continue with diesel). There were loco. holding sidings (behind Northampton No 4 'box) with electric locos waiting to take over diesel hauled trains from Harboro' and vice versa. In those days the aim was 100% electric operation under the wires - to justify the massive costs. Perhaps, being to Kensington, it was to save another loco change at Willesden - though this would happen for routinely for coal trains to the SR and WR.

 

[Magdalia]

The line closed to passengers in 1960, before Beeching. The reason was that the freight traffic mainly coal from the GN&LNW line, had to be banked from Harborough to Kelmarsh (by Super-Ds) and the passenger service was regarded as an inconvenience to pathing the bankers back LE.

This route for coal traffic must have finished by June 1966 when the Rugby-Peterborough line was closed.

The line briefly reopened for passengers in 1965, when 3 summer holiday trains each way were diverted off the Great Central route to run from Leicester via Market Harborough, Northampton and Bletchley to Oxford.

 

[Merle Haggard]

This route for coal traffic must have finished by June 1966 when the Rugby-Peterborough line was closed.

The line briefly reopened for passengers in 1965, when 3 summer holiday trains each way were diverted off the Great Central route to run from Leicester via Market Harborough, Northampton and Bletchley to Oxford.

No, that's not the way it came.
The source was the East Midlands coalfield coming originally via the LNW/GN Joint Line, Nottingham - Melton - Welham - Harborough. When that closed (ca ?1962) its traffic was diverted via the Midland to Harborough, then as before.
Subsequently, Cricklewood Brent (Midland) yard (?date? - by ?1971) was closed and almost all coal trains routed up the Midland were then diverted via Northampton, distributed around London and beyond from Willesden Brent/Sudbury. The only coal traffic that remained on the Midland all the way to London was WR traffic, sorted at Wellingborough and run direct to Acton.
There was still heavy coal traffic on the Market Harboro' - Northampton line well into all-diesel days, though they no longer required banking. Brake tenders because of the inability of diesels to stop like steam locos did , though - class 8 trains and a few 9s from memory. On the Up diesel drivers were very cautious on the drop into Northampton. The SR had a monopoly on Minfits, they had to be sent empty to SR from up country (in loaded coal trains!)
Around 1971, coal traffic to SR was re-routed back to the Midland. About 10 trains a day in theory, though that was in the days of Conditional A, Conditional B Conditional C if anyone remembers that saga.

 

[Magdalia]

When that closed (ca ?1962) its traffic was diverted via the Midland to Harborough, then as before.

Thanks, I did wonder whether I had missed something like that.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Thanks, I did wonder whether I had missed something like that.

Yes, the history of the LNW/GN Joint one is very interesting - it's all railway politics.
The MS&L, MR, GN and LNW all wanted to get a share of the York/Derby/Notts coal to London. in simple terms, the LNW agreed not to object to the GN scheme if they were allowed to join in.
The GN didn't get much out of it - the Newark - Northampton passenger service was not a rip-roaring success (who would have thought?) - but in return the LNW got access to the Notts coalfields (big shed at Colwick) and could run all the way to York - running powers over the GN & NER.

 

[vic-rijrode]

...The line briefly reopened for passengers in 1965, when 3 summer holiday trains each way were diverted off the Great Central route to run from Leicester via Market Harborough, Northampton and Bletchley to Oxford.

I travelled along the Northampton to Market Harborough line in November 1969 on the "Hornet Express" special train for Watford fans to Hull. The routing was:

Watford Junction, Northampton, Market Harborough, Leicester, Erewash Valley, Chesterfield, the "Old Road" to Rotherham Masborough, Conisbrough, the avoiding line bypassing Doncaster, Thorne North to Paragon. We then took the football special to Boothferry Park Halt on the erstwhile Hull & Barnsley (high-level) line. The Halt was even more decrepit than the football ground...

Coming back we managed to stand on the middle (platformless) road at Northampton (Castle) station for almost 2 hours at midnight - I never found out the reason why.

 

[SargeNpton]

After the sleepers ceased to use the route there was a brief passenger service from Northampton to Leicester (not sure whether it was every weekday or Fridays only) that was basically a BSK attached to the rear of the Northampton-Leicester parcels train departing sometime in the small hours.

I believe that this was required to run as a prerequisite to the formal closure consultation, so that BR could claim that there was no demand for passenger traffic on the route. I was most annoyed that it ceased to run the week before I was going to buy an East Midlands Ranger ticket.