WR Network Express

[CarltonA]

I commuted to Paddington from Slough in the late 80s. My usual train was the Network Express usually hauled by a 50 and sometimes a 47. The stock were Mk IIs if I remember correctly. I believe there were two trains running at about the same time though only one called at Slough. I believe one of them originated at Didcot. Hopefully someone can fill in a few blanks for me. I presume the coaching stock was previously attached to the Westerns that predated the HSTs? How long did this service operate for? I think it finished about the time the turbos were introduced maybe? I recal both trains coming into Paddington at the same time sometimes and we could see the sparks flying from the brakes on the mark twos on the other express. That was a great way to travel, much better than the bog units of the day or even the 165/6s.

 

[30907]

Loco hauled commuter trains were an integral part of the WR offering in the pre Turbo era. IIRC in the mid 70s 4 sets worked out of Oxford, varying from 9 to 12 coaches (mk1s then), and one set from Westbury. They came in handy for summer Saturday workings to Paignton too.
I don't think the pattern changed hugely after that, but obviously the stock changed, and 31s disappeared.

 

[nw1]

Loco hauled commuter trains were an integral part of the WR offering in the pre Turbo era. IIRC in the mid 70s 4 sets worked out of Oxford, varying from 9 to 12 coaches (mk1s then), and one set from Westbury. They came in handy for summer Saturday workings to Paignton too.
I don't think the pattern changed hugely after that, but obviously the stock changed, and 31s disappeared.

I definitely remember in the 80s (c. 1984-1986 inclusive - didn't visit the WR much after that) there was an (approximately - it wasn't a clockface service) hourly London to Oxford (calling at Reading only) which was typically a 50 with MkI coaches, occasionally MkII. ISTR some of the coaches getting NSE livery towards the end of 1986.

Even a small number of slow London to Oxfords appeared to be worked as such, I remember "Invincible" and "Howe" double-heading a slow Paddington to Oxford one wet January day in 1984. Whether this was a regular working I don't know but ISTR it was the 1359 off Reading. There was also a 17xx (off Reading) slow Oxford service which was regularly loco-hauled, though it went fast to Reading then all stations while the previous one followed the Ealing Broadway, Slough and all stations pattern of the daytime trains.

I also remember most of the summer Saturday specials to the West Country being MkIs (as opposed to the normal workings which were HSTs or MkIIs) - presumably some of the peak-only sets which were not otherwise needed. Summer Saturdays lasted a long time in those days... I distinctly remember going to Reading on the penultimate day of September 1984 and the summer Saturday service was still in full swing.

I remember getting hold of a Reading workings book and apparently even some peak extras originating at Twyford (calling Maidenhead, Slough and Paddington) were loco and coaches. (The Reading workings book indicated ECS to Twyford at the time which would fit a Twyford to Paddington service).

 

[davetheguard]

Local hauled Mk 1s were really two-a-penny in the Thames Valley part of the Western Region right up until the time they were replaced by the first Turbos.

As well as trains starting from Oxford (or even Banbury) there were rush hour workings that started at Twyford too. They connected out of the Henley branch train and called at Maidenhead en route to Paddington.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They also had a ( two hourly??? ) Network Express between Paddington and Newbury.

 

[davetheguard]

I know someone who used to refer to Network Express as Network Excess, because they had so many coaches!

 

[Hornet]

Going from memory here, but in '82/'83 I used to catch, on the odd occasion, an 18:07 (approx) Paddington to Twyford. Would leave from Platform 1 at Padd, hauled, mainly, by a Brush Type 4 with around 11 MK1 Corridor stock hanging off the back. Down Main to Dolphin Junction, before crossing over to the Down Relief, (over the, then experimental, swing nose crossings). First stop Slough on Platform 4, (once even on Platform 5). Arrival at Slough around 18:30. Would be jammed, with standing room only by the time I made it on board.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There was also a single evening peak Network Express working to Banbury from Marylebone ( with a corresponding inbound in the morning ).

 

[30907]

Which was the successor of the last Paddington - Birmingham via Greenford and High Wycombe.

 

[Taunton]

The West Ealing accident in 1973 was to one of these services in pre-NSE times. It was the 1718 Paddington to Oxford, about 12 coaches and 650 passengers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealing_rail_crash

It also destroyed Western D1007, which was the first of the class I ever rode behind, Taunton to Bristol, when it was brand new.

These NSE big commuter sets ran on several routes, and all seem to have been hired to InterCity at weekends for various reliefs. There were a number of Mk 1 sets from Euston to Milton Keynes and Northampton, one of which in the late 1980s used to do a Sunday evening service from Liverpool Lime Street to Euston. In the days when the weekend surcharge in first class accommodation was just £1/£2, it's Mk 1 side corridor firsts were a very pleasant way to make the journey, way better that Mk 3 standard accommodation.

I believe they also ran intermediate services from Liverpool Street to both Cambridge and Ipswich.

 

[CarltonA]

On the 6th of August 1989 there was another incident at West Ealing involving 50025 Invincible. The loco derailed at speed and ended up sideways with a coach on top. I saw the aftermath on my way to work the following morning. Fortunately there were no deaths. The cause was vandalism as a loose peice of rail had been placed on the line. As a result we were diverted via Greenford that evening as they were clearing up.

 

[PeterC]

These NSE big commuter sets ran on several routes, and all seem to have been hired to InterCity at weekends for various reliefs.

Not to mention a quite extensive excursion programme.
In the early years of my marriage we found the excursions Mystery Tours an excellent means to have a cut price day out.