I'm not sure if this one belongs in the "best day bashing" or the "worst train trip post".
In March 1993, the 158s on the Cardiff-Liverpool services were replaced for a short while by class 37/4's and four mark twos. On the day I travelled (the Saturday nearest to 25/03/1993) I took the 37 from Shrewsbury to Ludlow for a day out there.An on-board train timer confirmed to me that that we got up to 86mph at one point on that part of the journey, and I thought nothing more of it. That said the gaggle of the class 37 bashers I met at Shrewsbury were talking about 100mph being got out of the class 37s on these workings particularly on the WCML parts of the journey - which I took with a pinch of salt...
On the way back which would have been something like the early afternoon Cardiff Central Liverpool Lime Street, the train was non-stop Ludlow to Shrewsbury.This was a fast run of around thirty miles, over some steep gradients and sharp curves.The line speed in those day would have been around 75-80mph.
I leant out of the window behind 37429 and as soon we got the right of way all hell broke loose. As the driver pulled away, he was clearly driving it like a 158.That is to say, release brake and ram the power handle wide open.(and hang onto the sanding button for dear life) Despite a dry rail there was ferocious wheelslip and the racket was unbelieveable.
Unfortunately I had not brought my stopwatch to confirm the speeds we got up to against the mileposts as we passed. We had an uneventful run to Craven Arms, where we were signal checked for a minute. I have had thousands of train trips in all forms of traction since the late 1970s and with one exception, I have always found train drivers to have a very high standard of professionalism in their driving.
The driver of 37429 was an old guy with white hair and clearly old enough to know better, but for the next twenty or so miles followed the most terrifying experience I have undergone on a train trip. With 1750hp and just four coaches and it being downhill all the way to Shrewsbury and a raving nutter at the controls, the inevitable followed.
At St Leonards Church in Ludlow there was small notice on the wall wishing visitors a safe journey home.As we tore through Church Stretton at what I guestimated was at least 90mph (we were going a heck of a lot faster than on the way to Ludlow), I was reminded again of this! The power handle was just left wide open and speed continued to build up.
South of Church Strettton around Condover there are sharp curves in the track, and I believe the line speed limit for loco-hauled stock then would have been around 70-75mph. At this point we were seriously motoring and it felt like we were more on a class 86-87 hauled WCML train than on a more modest provincial train.If you had told me we were "doing the ton" I would have had no difficulty in believing you.
I have been on mark one charter trains at around the ton before, when they fish tail around, but this journey was the only time I have been in a mark two which was pitching, bucking, rolling and yawing like a fairground ride.
We went round the right hand curve at Condover and there were some loud clunks and bangs from the bogies -how on earth we stayed on the track Heaven alone knows.
Thankfully we were soon slowing down for the outskirts of Shrewsbury, and for the only time I have ever bashed a class 37, boy was I glad to get off that train!
If there is anyone out there who was on that train whio can confirm these speeds, or remembers the time class 37s replaced 158s on the Welsh Marches Line in early 1993, I would be interested to hear more.
The contender for worst train journey, other than the four times I have had to endure Voyagers, would be the 1812 Skegness to Leicester one summer in 1993.The two class 20's 20066 and 20138 conked out on the Grantham Avoiding Line. The driver got out and asked me if I had spanner or screwdriver or more importantly knew how to get a knackered class 20 going!Thankfully he managed to get 20138 going relatively quickly and we staggered back to Nottingham at not much more than walking pace, arriving 90 minutes late.
