Whats the rarest working you've ever had..MK II

[50047]

Have been looking through the nostalgia and found a thread started by DiscoStu called 'What is the rarest working you've ever had'. Thought I'd start another........

First though, with regards to the first post on that thread:
Disco Stu: 31271 and 31294 from New Street to Euston (Think it was a hugely delayed Glasgow - Euston (via [stn]BHM[/stn] service)). We arrived in London at well past midnight. Not often you see a pair of diesels arrive at Euston on an express like that. Think that was in about 1990.

I was on this train and can shed some light on the entire event........

16/06/90
I was at Warrington BQ having just got off 31412 after a trip to Llandudno and back,and was waiting for the last Glasgow-Euston south and heading for home. The last train to London was announced as cancelled as apparently it had hit a pway trolley near Wigan which nearly de-railed the train. The following train was 1M47, 17.12 Edinburgh-[stn]BHM[/stn] and all were advised to board this and change at Brum. My 'bible' indicated that this was tosh as even if 1M47 had been on time, it wouldn't have made the last train to Euston anyway :roll:. The train rolled in with 85008 so not all bad, and a MK1 buffet directly behind the loco. Running 20 late or so from Warrington, there was no hope for the last train to London. By [stn]BHM[/stn] we had lost more time, arriving at after mid-night, and the tiny 6 car rake was by now full and standing. At [stn]BHM[/stn] the train stood for a further half an hour awaiting a decision and then we set off south as an additional to Euston with the 85 providing power. The few cranks on board all knew that the juice was off from Bletchley so expected another fiasco to ensue. At what must have been near 3am I awoke dropping down Camden with a 31271+31294 on top of 85008. Very nice ! A taxi was laid on to a friends house in Woking. A bizarre ending to what had otherwise been a fairly ordinary summer Saturday

So here are a top 15, in date order, of some of the rarer workings I was there for from the 1980s.......
Not so many from the early 80s as often anything went, and I have excluded 50s also as they would need a separate thread. I have also avoided bizarre pairs as that also perhaps deserves a separate thread. To some, some of these may not be so large.

10/10/81 46005 Crewe to Coventry on a return adex from Edinburgh
17/08/84 40143 Coventry to [stn]BHM[/stn] on a 1Z21 Crewe relief that it had worked from RDG
21/08/84 40194 on 2C19, 10.10 from Hull into Sheffield
28/05/85 25211 1V21 14.25 [stn]YRK[/stn]-Plymouth relief which she worked to Bristol. I had her Sheffield-Bristol
22/06/85 45122 1O74, 09.48 [stn]MAN[/stn]-BI and 1M41 18.48 BI-Wolves. Had her [stn]BHM[/stn]-Brighton-East Croydon
21/08/85 25173 to Skegness on a very short relief from Derby
28/09/85 25285 1E05, 07.40 [stn]LEI[/stn]-Leeds which I boarded at [stn]LEI[/stn] and left at Rotherham
13/02/86 25035 2A80 16.19 Bedford-[stn]BLY[/stn], 17/04/86 and 25095 was out all day!
01/08/86 25254 1M01 07.40 GLC-Carlisle for G&SW. Nicely dropped into 40122 to Leeds
23/09/86 47500+47628 in tandem on 1C39, 11.45 [stn]PAD[/stn]-[stn]PNZ[/stn] to Plymouth
22/11/86 31434 1O33 08.00 CF-[stn]PMH[/stn] and 1V66 13.10 [stn]PMH[/stn]-[stn]BRI[/stn]. Had her Romsey-Pompy-Bristol
16/01/87 56001 Victoria-Dover Western Docks and back during the winter 86/87 fiasco
25/03/88 31242+31159 13.50 [stn]NOT[/stn]-[stn]STP[/stn] vice HST. Started at [stn]LEI[/stn]
17/09/88 37038+37019 1E94 15.30 [stn]GYM[/stn]-Newcastle to Norwich
11/11/88 31462 1A69 15.10 Plymouth-[stn]PAD[/stn] throughout

There must be plenty of other pearlers out there from the 80s...........

 

[DiscoStu]

Have been looking through the nostalgia and found a thread started by DiscoStu called 'What is the rarest working you've ever had'. Thought I'd start another........

First though, with regards to the first post on that thread:
Disco Stu: 31271 and 31294 from New Street to Euston (Think it was a hugely delayed Glasgow - Euston (via BNS service)). We arrived in London at well past midnight. Not often you see a pair of diesels arrive at Euston on an express like that. Think that was in about 1990.

I was on this train and can shed some light on the entire event........

16/06/90
I was at Warrington BQ having just got off 31412 after a trip to Llandudno and back,and was waiting for the last Glasgow-Euston south and heading for home. The last train to London was announced as cancelled as apparently it had hit a pway trolley near Wigan which nearly de-railed the train. The following train was 1M47, 17.12 Edinburgh-BNSt and all were advised to board this and change at Brum. My 'bible' indicated that this was tosh as even if 1M47 had been on time, it wouldn't have made the last train to Euston anyway :roll:. The train rolled in with 85008 so not all bad, and a MK1 buffet directly behind the loco. Running 20 late or so from Warrington, there was no hope for the last train to London. By BNSt we had lost more time, arriving at after mid-night, and the tiny 6 car rake was by now full and standing. At BNSt the train stood for a further half an hour awaiting a decision and then we set off south as an additional to Euston with the 85 providing power. The few cranks on board all knew that the juice was off from Bletchley so expected another fiasco to ensue. At what must have been near 3am I awoke dropping down Camden with a 31271+31294 on top of 85008. Very nice ! A taxi was laid on to a friends house in Woking. A bizarre ending to what had otherwise been a fairly ordinary summer Saturday

Haha! Awesome that you were on the train! It was absolutely rammed ... eight of us in a compartment if I recall. And they were giving out free food from the food trolley.

Thanks for clearing that up - I was thirteen at the time, and my memory told me it was New Street to Euston, but you've brought it all back, and you're right ... it was a drag from Bletchley! I'm sure 271 and 294 were Immingham petroleum loco's at the time too?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Looks like 271 is entering preservation too!

http://www.a1alocomotives.co.uk/31271/index.htm

 

[theblackwatch]

Two spring to mind, one of which was a unit!

04/01/88 - The 141 I was catching home from York to Starbeck that evening failed prior to departure, so was replaced by Cravens route learner 977123+977125 which was commandeered for the service. Even more amazing, the Cravens had previously done a 17.xx Cross Country service from York as far as Leeds vice cancelled HST! It came back empty to York where we boarded it. I recall bin bags had been hung up between the driver and front set of seats, and the middle section contained very few seats.

02/08/90 - I'd been to Bodmin to do the preserved railway on a kettle (needed the track). On getting back to Bodmin Parkway, I was planning to head south to do the Falmouth branch. However, plans changed suddenly when, after hearing an announcement that the next northbound train would be a severly delayed train to Plymouth, I looked up and saw a 37 come round the corner towing some DMUs. In rolled 37673 towing a bubble car plus a 101/108 hybrid (I think). I went north instead!

 

[LE Greys]

It's hard to think of anything recent, but I'll tell you about one I remember. FGW were short of an HST after Ladbroke Grove, then had a series of failures around summer 2000, so they scraped together enough MkIIs to form a single rake and put their 47s on day trains as well as the sleeper, usually semi-fast Plymouth services, although I did see the train at Bath Spa once. So when I was heading back to school one weekend, there was the rake sitting there in platform 1 at Paddington. I already knew enough to pick out the most comfortable coaches, so I headed back to Westbury in a MkIIe behind a 47.

 

[50047]

Haha! Awesome that you were on the train! It was absolutely rammed ... eight of us in a compartment if I recall. And they were giving out free food from the food trolley.

Thanks for clearing that up - I was thirteen at the time, and my memory told me it was New Street to Euston, but you've brought it all back, and you're right ... it was a drag from Bletchley! I'm sure 271 and 294 were Immingham petroleum loco's at the time too?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Looks like 271 is entering preservation too!

http://www.a1alocomotives.co.uk/31271/index.htm

271 has been preserved for a good few years now. At that time both locos were from a very rarely used SF allocated construction pool of locos, that is rarely on passenger! At that time I'd had nearly 200 31s and 271 was a new one for me. Great stuff!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Two spring to mind, one of which was a unit!

04/01/88 - The 141 I was catching home from York to Starbeck that evening failed prior to departure, so was replaced by Cravens route learner 977123+977125 which was commandeered for the service. Even more amazing, the Cravens had previously done a 17.xx Cross Country service from York as far as Leeds vice cancelled HST! It came back empty to York where we boarded it. I recall bin bags had been hung up between the driver and front set of seats, and the middle section contained very few seats.

02/08/90 - I'd been to Bodmin to do the preserved railway on a kettle (needed the track). On getting back to Bodmin Parkway, I was planning to head south to do the Falmouth branch. However, plans changed suddenly when, after hearing an announcement that the next northbound train would be a severly delayed train to Plymouth, I looked up and saw a 37 come round the corner towing some DMUs. In rolled 37673 towing a bubble car plus a 101/108 hybrid (I think). I went north instead!

That DMU working is truly dreadful and shows that at one time, running the train was more important than the colour of the stock. This must be the last BR passenger working for a 105 Cravens?

 

[theblackwatch]

That DMU working is truly dreadful and shows that at one time, running the train was more important than the colour of the stock. This must be the last BR passenger working for a 105 Cravens?

The 100/105 Hybrid lasted longer (I've found a photo of it from later in 1988), but it may well have been the final working for a 2-car Cravens set rather than a part Cravens hybrid.

 

[50047]

One of those days that went wrong.....and recovered spectacularly

25/01/90
This day started in the usual way, 50049 on 1V01 from Waterloo to Yeovil Jnc, and back to Woking. An uninspiring 50003 rolled in with 2V07 so I left that at Basingstoke to return to Waterloo for 50009 on 1V09. 50030 was 1L02 into Waterloo and there I joined 50009. At Basingstoke we were announced as being diverted via Southampton as high winds had brought a tree down somewhere near Andover. We arrived at Salisbury about 60 late and there we sat.....and sat........and sat. Not another train came or went as the storm got considerably worse. With downed trees blocking every route out of Salisbury, and by now platforms full of people, the decision was taken to bus people out of the area as Salisbury station had become an island. By about 18.00 I was on the platform at Basingstoke where a VEP provided conveyance to Waterloo. I decided to head home as the storm had reeked chaos all over the network. At St.Pancras I found a most bizarre scene.......
A couple of sets of MK3 coaches, obviously diverted from the WCML, and not a single HST in view. The departure board showed a 20.15 to Manchester on platform 7. At the head on 10 MK3s and a dead 86236, I found 37685+37688! Truly outrageous and to make things that much sillier, the train was then diverted via the Silksteam flyover. A fine end to a shambles of a day, even if the pair were once regular Cambrian machines
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The 100/105 Hybrid lasted longer (I've found a photo of it from later in 1988), but it may well have been the final working for a 2-car Cravens set rather than a part Cravens hybrid.

This was carrying passengers in 1988?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A big one for the 'mule' (Waterloo-Exeter route 37s...)

23/08/91
By this point in 1991 the Waterloo-Exeter route was something of a fiasco. A small handful of tired vacs still plied the route alongside some equally tired ex Scottish 47s. Cromptons would also regularly fill in. It wasn't just locos that were in a state, but the stock too, with TCs now back in use alongside borrowed IC aircons and former boat train MK2s.

The day started at Basingstoke and after a phone call for the days gen, it looked like a day out on 50030 was all that was on offer.
33101 2V07 07.45 Bas-EX / Bas-Whitchurch
50030 1O31 06.42 YJ-WL / Whitchurch-WL
50030 1L05 10.00 WL-Sal / WL-Sal
50030 1L10 12.13 Sal-WL / Sal-Woking
I dont recall what was allocated up from Exeter but I bailed 50030 at Woking to head towards Exeter for it with 33114 on 2V13. I bailed this at Templecombe. Whatever I was waiting for was then announced as cancelled, and now the Southampton service was announced as diverted to Waterloo. Now this train wasn't booked to stop at Templecombe so panic set in as the loco for the Southampton was also known to have failed at Exeter prior to departure and now no one had any idea what was coming up from Exeter. 33101 arrived with a 4TC running on 2O02, 15.30 YJ-WL and this was taken to Gillingham to ensure that I was in position for whatever was to appear. Others didn't think there was going to be a problem so stayed at Templecombe...and this was the wrong move. After a further fester a very dirty 37258 rolled in with the Plymouth-Southampton diverted to Waterloo which by all accounts had belted through Templecombe non-stop and left many jaws on the floor. At Waterloo 37258 was allocated back to Exeter on 1V19 which I took back to Exeter, knowing that I was now committed to doing the up midnight back to London (47835). To my knowledge, 37s on the 'mule' were pretty damn rare

Even so I managed to have a few others.......
21/04/92 37010 (+33102 DIT) 1V11 from Sal to Exeter. Efforts to multi the pair at Salisbury resulted in fire bells going off so eventually the 33 was shut down leaving the T to get on with it alone
08/12/92 37054 1L29 22.15 WL-Sal
17/02/93 37219 1V16 16.35 WL-YJ

 

[12CSVT]

The 100/105 Hybrid lasted longer (I've found a photo of it from later in 1988), but it may well have been the final working for a 2-car Cravens set rather than a part Cravens hybrid.

Is this 53355 + 53812 which was based in the North West ?
If so, this was running in 1983.

 

[47403]

I can't really say rare moves as such, I've already posted one elsewhere in how i miss thread, where I got 5 loco's between Berwick to Durham, these days that would've been terminated way before it even got to Newcastle.
25191 from Carlisle to Newcastle when the Class 101 DMU failed in Carlisle Station. Also on an overnighter at Carlise bound for Warrington and Crewe the next morning, the early Middlesboro-Carlisle arrived with a grey coal sector 31130, so I postponed my trip for an hour and took it to Hexham before returning to Carlisle.
A night after school, in the afternoon I was persuaded to wag school by 2 friends(it didn't take much persuading, let me tell you) and do me papers early, to catch the 1S15, 17.15 Newcastle-Edinburgh loco hauled turn because newly refurbished 47703 was on Gateshead Shed and a knocking bet to be used, on said turn, we took 47703 to Cramington and DMU'd back, as we past Heaton, 47423 was on the stock for the Newcastle-Liverpool, my mates asked if I fancied a move to Durham, come back on the 1st Liverpool-Newcastle back, my best mate said, he had some rail rider vouchers, if i was short of cash, which I was and after a bit of persuassion, I said, aye ok, go on then, I've had it before but if you want to do it, let's do it. It was one of the luckiest moves we ever made, on a wet and windy night. After getting all of 3 or 4 mins out of Newcastle, all was not well, at first we thought it was signals stopping us, then we got put onto the slow line, we litterally crawled along until we came to a halt on the slow, at the South end of Tyne Yard, after putting my head out the window, to see what the hold up was, it became clear to us that 47423 was in trouble, the driver got the 47going again but at Ouston Junction, it gave up the ghost, 20 mins we sat, taking turns to peer out the window, to see what would rescue us, suddenly my mate shouted theres a 56 coming, we said, bollocks off man, he went on I'm telling you there's a 56 coming, my other mate and I said, give us a look, fully expecting, ha ha had you there though lads, he didnt and 56115 came past (we'd seen it on an MGR train in Tyne Yard as we crawled past earlier, mind how it took 20mins to get it from Tyne Yard to Ouston Junction, is beyond me, however it did, we weren't complaining) and stopped at the points and reversed on, I'll never forget the roar as the 56 opened up to haul us away, it was head out the window stuff from that point, even though the rain felt like needles on me face, I stuck with it till Durham. However after an elongated fester in Durham in the freezing cold watching the odd frieght and HST go past, my mate got his last 45/1 for haulage 45139, I said, oh thats why you were so keen to come to Durham tonight, he said no, whilst laughing, before retorting, well if you hadn't of came you wouldn't have had 47703 and 56115 for haulage would you, true I said, I suppose I can suffer a bloody peak that I need for haulage with them 2 in the bank too.

 

[50047]

A night after school, in the afternoon I was persuaded to wag school by 2 friends(it didn't take much persuading, let me tell you) and do me papers early, to catch the 1S15, 17.15 Newcastle-Edinburgh loco hauled turn because newly refurbished 47703 was on Gateshead Shed and a knocking bet to be used, on said turn, we took 47703 to Cramington and DMU'd back, as we past Heaton, 47423 was on the stock for the Newcastle-Liverpool, my mates asked if I fancied a move to Durham, come back on the 1st Liverpool-Newcastle back, my best mate said, he had some rail rider vouchers, if i was short of cash, which I was and after a bit of persuassion, I said, aye ok, go on then, I've had it before but if you want to do it, let's do it. It was one of the luckiest moves we ever made, on a wet and windy night. After getting all of 3 or 4 mins out of Newcastle, all was not well, at first we thought it was signals stopping us, then we got put onto the slow line, we litterally crawled along until we came to a halt on the slow, at the South end of Tyne Yard, after putting my head out the window, to see what the hold up was, it became clear to us that 47423 was in trouble, the driver got the 47going again but at Ouston Junction, it gave up the ghost, 20 mins we sat, taking turns to peer out the window, to see what would rescue us, suddenly my mate shouted theres a 56 coming, we said, bollocks off man, he went on I'm telling you there's a 56 coming, my other mate and I said, give us a look, fully expecting, ha ha had you there though lads, he didnt and 56115 came past (we'd seen it on an MGR train in Tyne Yard as we crawled past earlier, mind how it took 20mins to get it from Tyne Yard to Ouston Junction, is beyond me, however it did, we weren't complaining) and stopped at the points and reversed on, I'll never forget the roar as the 56 opened up to haul us away, it was head out the window stuff from that point, even though the rain felt like needles on me face, I stuck with it till Durham. However after an elongated fester in Durham in the freezing cold watching the odd frieght and HST go past, my mate got his last 45/1 for haulage 45139, I said, oh thats why you were so keen to come to Durham tonight, he said no, whilst laughing, before retorting, well if you hadn't of came you wouldn't have had 47703 and 56115 for haulage would you, true I said, I suppose I can suffer a bloody peak that I need for haulage with them 2 in the bank too.

Hmmmmmmm.... The more bizarre 56 stuff
Here goes.........

01/06/88
Stood at Southampton waiting for 1O28, 09.40 Plymouth-Portsmouth Hbr, in rolls 56033. Did to Pompy then up the direct to Waterloo on 1P40, 15.30. Then over to Padd for the rush hour.

04/08/90
After a reasonable day out in Anglia......
31434+31423 1L80 BNSt-Norwich
31187 1L80 Norwich-Yarmouth
31442 1P31 Yarmouth-Norwich
86235 1P31 Norwich-Stowmarket
309xxx Stowmarket-Norwich
37797 1L93 Norwich-Yarmouth
31428 1P57 Yarmouth-Norwich
47558 1M18 Norwich-Leicester
The screens at Leicester show the 'Master Cutler' as running late and I am soon after presented 56060 and a dead HST which was taken to Sheffield. Wasn't sure if I should believe 'Pogo' when I met him at Leicester

14/09/91
i was off to Cambridge for the gala day and at St.Pancras....
56110 1D03 09.30 St.Pancras-Nottingham
Hasty change of plan.........

25/09/92
56057 Cambridge-BNSt vice a sprinter. At BNSt 56057 came off and 31166 backed up as an Aberystwyth vice another unit. If you insist, Aber it is then

20/06/98
Of the 1998ish Virgin stuff, top marks must go to........
56019 1O38, 09.10 Edin-Bomo, had from Basingstoke to Bomo then back again on M81. This was one sweaty train!

 

[47403]

To be totally honest I can't really remember any other 56 hauled trains into or out of Newcastle, well the North East as a whole, I'm sure there must've been some, be it rescuing stricken HST's but other than 56115, I never heard of any, although if anyone has tales I'd love to hear them.
I did get 56030 over the S&C from Leeds-Carlisle and back, even then, I only got to know about it, by a chance meeting with a friend in the local club, we were chewing the fat over old trips away, when I told him I had a fortnight off and seen as I'd finished with the girlfriend, I was going on a weeks North Eastern Ranger, starting Friday night with an overnighter at Carlisle, he said, thats lucky he said, Saturday there's a 56 booked to do passenger turns, over the S&C, I nearly swallowed my pint glass.

 

[50047]

I did get 56030 over the S&C from Leeds-Carlisle and back, even then, I only got to know about it, by a chance meeting with a friend in the local club, we were chewing the fat over old trips away, when I told him I had a fortnight off and seen as I'd finished with the girlfriend, I was going on a weeks North Eastern Ranger, starting Friday night with an overnighter at Carlisle, he said, thats lucky he said, Saturday there's a 56 booked to do passenger turns, over the S&C, I nearly swallowed my pint glass.

That was 11/11/89
56030+47475 1E11 12.42 Carlisle-Leeds
I was there too. That dropped nicely into 47407 on 1A24, 15.40 Leeds-KX which she dragged as far as Doncaster via Knottingley (91007 DIT). Being a Brush man, you must have had that too.

 

[12CSVT]

To be totally honest I can't really remember any other 56 hauled trains into or out of Newcastle, well the North East as a whole, I'm sure there must've been some, be it rescuing stricken HST's but other than 56115, I never heard of any, although if anyone has tales I'd love to hear them.
I did get 56030 over the S&C from Leeds-Carlisle and back, even then, I only got to know about it, by a chance meeting with a friend in the local club, we were chewing the fat over old trips away, when I told him I had a fortnight off and seen as I'd finished with the girlfriend, I was going on a weeks North Eastern Ranger, starting Friday night with an overnighter at Carlisle, he said, thats lucky he said, Saturday there's a 56 booked to do passenger turns, over the S&C, I nearly swallowed my pint glass.

56122 came to the rescue of 45141 near Durham with a Poole - Newcastle service in April 1988. As this was only weeks before the last remaining peaks were due to be withdrawn this may have possibly been 141s last working.

Various freight locos were rostered to work the 0825 Leeds - Carlisle and 1242 Carlisle - Leeds on four consecutive Saturdays in November 1989, piloting a 47 for train heating (ie 56104 4/11, 56030 11/11, 56099 18/11, 20061+20093 25/11 - the 20s had load 12 and completely wedged). This was repeated in Spring 1990 but using a wider variety of locos from classes 20, 25, 37, 56 and 58.

 

[Mvann]

Slightly off topic, but I vaguely remember that British rail did a day where all the Leicester to London trains had rare loco hauled trains all day. It was a Sunday in may either 1989 or 1990. I missed out as it was the same day as the abbey park vintage vehicle pageant and I was with the abbey pumping station vehicles that day. I did go back home via Leicester shed on the way home.

 

[12CSVT]

Slightly off topic, but I vaguely remember that British rail did a day where all the Leicester to London trains had rare loco hauled trains all day. It was a Sunday in may either 1989 or 1990. I missed out as it was the same day as the abbey park vintage vehicle pageant and I was with the abbey pumping station vehicles that day. I did go back home via Leicester shed on the way home.

That was 21st May 1989. Locos were 20145+20228 (although 20228 failed on the return to Leicester), 33021+33022, 37058+37066 (37058 had an extra solo run in the morning), 47347, 56017, 58050.

 

[Mvann]

I think 58050 was on shed when I came home. Don't remember seeing the class 33s. I think the last run was about 6.00 and I past the shed about 6.30

 

[47403]

That was 11/11/89
56030+47475 1E11 12.42 Carlisle-Leeds
I was there too. That dropped nicely into 47407 on 1A24, 15.40 Leeds-KX which she dragged as far as Doncaster via Knottingley (91007 DIT). Being a Brush man, you must have had that too.

Christ on a bike I'd forgotten how far back that was, I have to admit thinking back, I done an overnighter in Carlisle, I took the 1st loco hauled out of Carlisle to meet the Grid, so I probably got on at either Skipton or Keighley, I know I gave myself at least a plus 10 connectiion, so it'll have been one of the latter but thorughly enjoyed that bash up to Carlisle and back to Leeds.
Regrettably I didn't take 47407, dunno why, I must've seen it and thought I've had it countless times for haulage, not realising what it was doing, plus my brain was fried, I'd been out all day friday and overnight in Carlisle, however you have answered a question for me that had been nagging me for years, I hopped on a 31/4 on the Liverpool-Newcastle, it's number escapes me, sure it was 31425, hardly any bashers got on, now I know why, they were all on one of Gateshead's finest going to Donny. I know I was supposed to be taking that to York and moving back to Leeds for a few more Liverpool-Newcastle moves back to Newcastle but I fell asleep and woke up between Northallerton and Darlo, so called it a day.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

56122 came to the rescue of 45141 near Durham with a Poole - Newcastle service in April 1988. As this was only weeks before the last remaining peaks were due to be withdrawn this may have possibly been 141s last working.

Thanks for that, I seriously didnt know that, were you on it by any chance?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Also remember taking 40122/D200 over the S&C and to say the driver played to his audience would be a major understatement, he thrashed the life out of it, still one of my all time favourite loco hauled trips of all time. Plus, one summer Saturday when 40's were gettin very thin on the ground, 40013 materialised on Newcastle-Liverpool, I've never seen so many bashers on a single train, it was heaving.
Its not my pic but this stirred some memories


http://www.flickr.com/photos/72996689@N02/6905048381?reg=1

 

[50047]

That was 21st May 1989. Locos were 20145+20228 (although 20228 failed on the return to Leicester), 33021+33022, 37058+37066 (37058 had an extra solo run in the morning), 47347, 56017, 58050.

Also available that day for the desperados was 08573 which was doing shunt releases at St.Pancras into Church Yard. If you asked, it was no problem
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Various freight locos were rostered to work the 0825 Leeds - Carlisle and 1242 Carlisle - Leeds on four consecutive Saturdays in November 1989, piloting a 47 for train heating (ie 56104 4/11, 56030 11/11, 56099 18/11, 20061+20093 25/11 - the 20s had load 12 and completely wedged). This was repeated in Spring 1990 but using a wider variety of locos from classes 20, 25, 37, 56 and 58.

The S&C charity trains did lead to some other cracking days out……….

On 18/11/89 it wasn’t long after departure from Carlisle with 56099+47477 that we found out that the 47 on 1M43, 10.45 from Leeds had failed. All that we could imagine was in the area was the pair of 31s off of the ‘Tilcon’. I left the grid at Lazonby and was rewarded with 31233+31302, not a small pair at all!

17/03/90 I was presented with a choice of 56075+47453 to Leeds or 31200 dragging a 108 DMU on the 11.35 Newcastle. The goyle won hands down so I was off to Newcastle. At Carlisle I had found out about 37175 working a ‘footex’ in Scotland so on the dead DMU worked out that I could have that also. From Newcastle a HST was conveyance north for 37175 on 1Z74, 16.45 Haymarket-Glasgow QSt. That in turn plonked me next to 37417 with 1H15, 18.03 IS, and so it went on………

They were repeated again December 1991, but I’m not sure this time if they were service trains or purely charity specials as hadn’t the S&C gone over to sprinters?
27/12: 37071+37083+47479 LDS-Carlisle / 37049+37095+47479 Carlisle-LDS
30/12: 56134+31418 LDS-Carlisle / 56117+31418 Carlisle-LDS
31/12: 56109+47475 LDS-Carlisle / 26040+26011+47475 Carlisle-LDS

 

[12CSVT]

I think 58050 was on shed when I came home. Don't remember seeing the class 33s. I think the last run was about 6.00 and I past the shed about 6.30

The 33s did the first train out of St Pancras (0850 to Leicester) and returned straight away. 58050 did a return trip late afternoon starting with the 1520 ex-Leiceser.

Thanks for that, I seriously didnt know that, were you on it by any chance?

Wasn't on it, the reason 56122 + 45141 sticks in the memory is because I photted 45141 at Leeds with a cross-country service the previous Saturday and knew at the time that any peak that failed was almost certain to be withdrawn.

Also available that day for the desperados was 08573 which was doing shunt releases at St.Pancras into Church Yard. If you asked, it was no problem
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The S&C charity trains did lead to some other cracking days out……….

They were repeated again December 1991, but I’m not sure this time if they were service trains or purely charity specials as hadn’t the S&C gone over to sprinters?
27/12: 37071+37083+47479 LDS-Carlisle / 37049+37095+47479 Carlisle-LDS
30/12: 56134+31418 LDS-Carlisle / 56117+31418 Carlisle-LDS
31/12: 56109+47475 LDS-Carlisle / 26040+26011+47475 Carlisle-LDS

Damn ! - another 08 I have misssed out on for haulage, as I spent most of the day shuttling between Leicester and Kettering.

The S&C trains in December 1991 were additionals (not sure if special tickets were required as I wan't on any of them). Another one ran that week with class 60 haulage but turned round at Appleby due to late running.

 

[50047]

A few more........

06/12/86
Heading from Brum to Padd with 50021 on 1V52 and on arrival at Reading 45104 is on hand and crewed up. I bailed and made a quick inquiry. Turns out its for 1E63, 10.40 Poole-Newcastle. Took it to BNSt where it was replaced with 45122 for the next leg to Newcastle. That makes sense :roll:
Peaks over this route were damn rare then.

Winter 86/87
This was a good time for bizarre workings and other then the always rare 56s, this one springs to mind......
17/01/87
47330 with a 10 car EPB, 11.27 Victoria-Maidstone East and return. I had the Brush all the way out and back to Bromley South. Off here for 33211 to Ramsgate and back to Faversham. Off there for 56062 to Ramsgate and back to Victoria. A couple of days before 47131 had been working in and out of Charing Cross! I missed out on that one.

 

[12CSVT]

13th January 1986, and the wires were down south of Carlisle. 56042 and a 31 (possibly 31200) spent the afternoon shuttling between Carlisle and Penrith dragging electrics.

 

[50047]

13th January 1986, and the wires were down south of Carlisle. 56042 and a 31 (possibly 31200) spent the afternoon shuttling between Carlisle and Penrith dragging electrics.

Yes, theres something to be said for some unexpected dragging.....
I had a raft of good stuff over the years on planned drags but few times I just happened to be there when the wires fell down. This one wasn't exactly planned!

21/07/89
I am just finishing my night shift and on my return to sign off, I am told that theres been an incident on the WCML and there will be trains diverted into St.Pancras. I think it was a derailment that brought all the wires down with it? Everyone in the office was on the phone calling in staff to work restdays etc. As I had finished there wasn't much I could do. I hung around a while and was soon after watching a pair of 20s, a 56 and a couple of other locos arrived on diverted services. With 20215+20108 allocated to a 10.00 Manchester I joined the MK3s and had them down the MML. At South Wigston I bailed with the London guard and waited there for the next up working. This rolled in with 20170+20214 , on a train from Manchester. I did these back to St.Pancras and decided to take a look at the WCML West Mids services which were being diverted into Paddington. 31424+31405 were my reward with a 1Z35 additional to Wolverhampton. I left these at BNSt as 47307 was waiting to head back to Padd with a 17.55 x Wolves. I did this to Banbury and ended the day with 50036 on 1F83, 19.35 Padd, this being the only timetabled train I rode on all day.

There was a similar incident on 16/10/87 but after a days work, all I ended up with was 47439 on a string of tired MK1s forming a 20.00 Derby service. All the HSTs had vanished on jobs elsewhere vice WCML services.

Was there ever much on the East Coast before 67s? Apart from planned engineering and locos rescuing failures, can't recall much ever happening?

Nowadays they just call out the local bus company, and chances are the TOC operator owns that anyway :roll:

 

[harz99]

Too long ago to remember numbers and accurate times; in the days when Deltics were in charge of the ECML sleepers I used to commute PBO - KGX for various shifts, often leaving PBO around 0515-0615 on one or other of the sleepers.

This particular morning a loco had derailed on the points at the north end of PBO's platform 2, also blocking access to platform 3, so I was told to go to platform 4, from which myself and the few others were told our train would depart - interesting as there was no way of accessing the up lines from p4.

On arrival the haulage was TWO Deltics, both under power and more or less on time. Boarded, sat and waited. The upshot was the train was propelled northbound by the two Deltics, across the various points until a position was reached from which we could proceed south.

And boy did we proceed, I shouldn't think those in the sleepers knew much about it, but seated you really felt the acceleration, shame about the 70mph limit though.

Rumour had it that the reason for two loco's was train heating boiler failure on the original, who knows?

 

[50047]

Too long ago to remember numbers and accurate times; in the days when Deltics were in charge of the ECML sleepers I used to commute PBO - KGX for various shifts, often leaving PBO around 0515-0615 on one or other of the sleepers.

This particular morning a loco had derailed on the points at the north end of PBO's platform 2, also blocking access to platform 3, so I was told to go to platform 4, from which myself and the few others were told our train would depart - interesting as there was no way of accessing the up lines from p4.

On arrival the haulage was TWO Deltics, both under power and more or less on time. Boarded, sat and waited. The upshot was the train was propelled northbound by the two Deltics, across the various points until a position was reached from which we could proceed south.

And boy did we proceed, I shouldn't think those in the sleepers knew much about it, but seated you really felt the acceleration, shame about the 70mph limit though.

Rumour had it that the reason for two loco's was train heating boiler failure on the original, who knows?

A pair of Deltics is pretty hard to trump! I had a look through my moves files and found endless pairs of 31s, 45s and 50s, as well as 20s, 25s,26s,27s etc, many of these on jobs booked for pairs. There are a raft of mixed pairs as well, once again on jobs booked for pairs of other types. I didn't include railtours at all. Did find a few more abstract ones though and on service trains that you wouldn't expect....

08/04/85 31125+47148 in tandem 1V49 14.25 YK-Plymouth relief from Sheffield / Sheff-DY

16/01/89 37425+37411 1T04 23.40 IS-GlQSt / IS-GlQSt

12/07/91 47819+47200 1V96 12.18 ManP-Padd / OX-RG
By all accounts 47819 failed at Banbury amd 47200 went to assist. With 47819 removed 47200 then failed. The crew on 819 had resolved the problem so it went back on top of 200. This then was rectified also so rather than delay further, the pair set off in tandem with the original loco leading. At Reading the train was terminated and 819 ran round to work back north.

17/08/91 33201+33208 2O83, 11.50 EX-WL / Bas-WL
I cant imagine pairs of slims were common, but in 1991 I felt they were particularly rare

05/06/92 33103+33110 1L29 22.15 WL-Sal / WL-Woking
A pair of bagpipes by now must have been very rare also!

04/12/93 47194+31465 in tandem 1M89 16.40 CF-ManOxRd. The 47 was added at Newport as the 31 was reported by the driver as having failed. The truth of the matter was the control air cock was open on the 31. Once this was rectified, by one of the cranks on the train, it was fit to go but by then the 47 was already on the train. We went forward with the pair in tandem. As one of our number was a Crewe driver on rest day, he called in, booked on and drove the 31 to Crewe where we got off. Im sure the pair came off here for something else forward, can't remember what.

11/08/95 37888+31468 1D72 13.24 Crewe-HHD.
The 37 was added at llandudno Junction. There was nothing wrong with the 31 so I have no idea what that was all about.

17/08/97 47314+47540 in tandem 1E27, 13.03 Poole-York from RG, where I boarded

Anyone have a pair of ACs on a service train both powering?

 

[yorkie]

Sorry but I am struggling to understand these 2 letter codes (and some 3 letter codes that are not the usual codes), any chance that the 3 letter codes from this list can be used please? http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/codes/

Full station names are preferable but at least we can look up codes if those are used.

Thanks

(A station code related tip: If you put a 3-letter code in [stn][/stn] tags, a hyperlink to the station page on the National Rail Enquiries is automatically generated by the forum software. e.g. [stn]BHM[/stn])

 

[Polarbear]

For me, Saturday 08/12/1990 was one to remember.

I went for a tootle from Chester to Manchester via Crewe that day & to begin with, all went well. However, by 17:00, the weather had closed in & it was snowing quite heavily when I headed back from Piccadilly towards Crewe (on 155302 for my sins).

Arriving at Crewe, very little was happening. Nothing was going towards Stafford due to the conditions as Birmingham had been closed by this point & most southbound trains were being turned back at Crewe - with one exception. A Bristol bound Cross Country HST (43006/43158) was sat in P6 whilst control decided what to do with it.

After about 30 minutes, the decision was taken to route the HST via the Marches, first stop Shrewsbury! hock: So despite the weather (and a doubt as to whether I'd get home that evening), I jumped on for what I suspect is one of the very few HST workings on the Crewe-Shrewsbury run.

It took a while, but we got to Shrewsbury just in time to see the Cardiff - Holyhead (another 155 but given the weather, I wasn't being too picky) roll in rather late. Routed via Wrexham instead of the usual route through Crewe (ironically as Crewe - Shrewsbury by this point was deemed impassable), we staggered up to Chester & I made it home - eventually.

 

[50047]

HSTs aren't something I personally have ever bothered with but one via the Marches is something new. Once in 1989 I left St.Pancras heading north with one and at Kentish Town the windscreen cracked from corner to corner. Took a train load of passengers via the triangle at Dudding Hill to turn the train. On arrival at Nottingham the guard told me he'd had his handful with people getting on during the journey to find their reservations were reversed. Happy days!

 

[12CSVT]

17/08/91 33201+33208 2O83, 11.50 EX-WL / Bas-WL
I cant imagine pairs of slims were common, but in 1991 I felt they were particularly rare

Anyone have a pair of ACs on a service train both powering?

The 33s worked from Exeter - I know because I photted them at Exeter St. Davids and then had them as far as Honiton where I changed to 50017 on 1V09.

I've had top & tail AC electrics before (albeit for just over a mile), and scored some 'red' track afterwards.
On 13/07/1989 86255 departed Glasgow Central with 1M40 Glasgow - Manchester, but headed to Shields Junction with 87016 on the rear. At Shields Junction the 86 came off and the 87 headed towards Larkfield Junction via Terminus Junction before regaining its normal route on the WCML.

 

[50047]

The 33s worked from Exeter - I know because I photted them at Exeter St. Davids and then had them as far as Honiton where I changed to 50017 on 1V09.

I've had top & tail AC electrics before (albeit for just over a mile), and scored some 'red' track afterwards.
On 13/07/1989 86255 departed Glasgow Central with 1M40 Glasgow - Manchester, but headed to Shields Junction with 87016 on the rear. At Shields Junction the 86 came off and the 87 headed towards Larkfield Junction via Terminus Junction before regaining its normal route on the WCML.

I knew the 33s had worked all the way up but was working so could only get to Basingstoke for them. Would have been nice to have done V09 with 17 for them back up.

As for AC, I've had several like that myself, and in the same place as you, but how about a pair in tandem? Had a pair of 86/6 on a tour once but that hardly counts.