I think the Eastern Region, more than others, tried to offer their necessary overnight staff trains as public services. They did likewise on the Chingford and GEML lines, and even early on Sunday mornings advertised their diesel substitute services up the Epping branch of the Central Line (an old LNER hangover) which ran on Sunday mornings before the Tube services started. Far fewer staff travelling late night/early morning had their own cars then - and there were far more staff.
If overnight electrification maintenance was required I believe they ran dmus instead on all these.
One of my recollections of the Night service on the GN dated 4th October 1980 at Finsbury Park Saturday night/Sunday morning, and DMU substitutions.
There was Engineering Works between Wood Green and Welwyn Garden City overnight, and the Overhead Power was off. (Back then the Main Line trains were not affected, as Electrification was still limited to the Suburban services out as far as Hitchin and Royston).
As a result the local Night services had been revised. The Hertford services were running in and out of Kings Cross formed by 313 EMUs, with a DMU operating a shuttle between Wood Green and Welwyn Garden City. I had prepared some chalk board notices earlier in the week, and put these out next. Then it was on with my usual patrol round the station, turning off the non essential lighting as I went, and I was back to the Office around 0110. Tea and sandwich time, and listening to the radio to help pass the long hours of the night. I had wisely put the Office heaters on before I went over to the Downside earlier on. It was nice and warm in there by now, and I could hang up my overcoat for a while. At least the Fog had deadened the noise that usually carried up to the station from outside as the last of the Saturday Night revellers made their way home.
2R41 0116 Hertford to Kings Cross (our 0150) was cancelled, no Driver.
The DMU on the shuttle from Welwyn Garden City to Wood Green was extended to Kings Cross in its place, calling here at about 0155. It was a refurbished Met-Camm class 101 in revised white/blue stripe livery. I think these were Cambridge based units, which were normally used during the day on the Royston to Cambridge shuttles ?
The DMU returned on the 0225 from Kings Cross going to Welwyn Garden City, and the Hertford connection came out of Hornsey Depot to start from Wood Green, as was normal practice during the week. I had gone over to the Downside to advise any potential passengers, but it turned out we had no one waiting tonight. It was strange to have a DMU departure these days, and I stayed over there to watch it go. In common with most DMUs of the period it ‘farted’ its way out of the station leaving a thick exhaust which mixed in with the overnight fog. The twin tail lights on the DMU had soon quickly disappeared into the fog. (The customary Oil Tail Lamp had finally been done away with on most DMUs as they were refurbished, leaving the dual head/tail lights to be used instead).
2H53 0325 Kings Cross to Hertford (our 0331) was cancelled, no Driver. On this occasion the DMU hadn’t come up to Kings Cross to cover for it. Unusually three people had appeared for this train this morning at about 0315. I went over and told them there wouldn’t now be a train until 0431. They just accepted it, and turned round and went out again. I wondered where they were going ? I didn’t ask, and I suspected they hadn’t got tickets anyway.
2R44 0416 Hertford to Kings Cross (our 0450) was cancelled. (2H53 cancelled going down earlier). Once again the DMU hadn’t been extended forward to Kings Cross. Fortunately being the early hours of Sunday morning by now there was no one here waiting for it. The Engineering Work had been ‘given up’ early this morning at about 0500 instead of 0600, but the train service didn’t exactly get back to normal.
At about 0515 I went round and turned the Platform end Pole lights on, as it looked as if the Fog would be slow to clear again this morning. Visibility was still no further than the end of the platform buildings. I took in the blackboard notices as I went.
2V45 0525 Kings Cross to Welwyn G.C. (our 0531) was 44 minutes late, waiting Train crew at Kings Cross. My luck continued as there was no one here waiting to catch it. The return working of this only ran as far as Wood Green, and wouldn’t affect the service here.
2H55 0538 Wood Green to Hertford started back from Kings Cross with the unit having been utilised off of 2H53 which had been cancelled earlier. It was about 18 minutes late, running in 2V45’s timings from Kings Cross.
