Class 31 operations on GEML?

[StephenHunter]

What operations, if any, did this class do there? I know they were based at Stratford.

 

[delt1c]

They could turn up on almost any Loco Hauled service. Even though Norwich Expresses were booked for 47's i wasnt unknown to get a 31 on the front. Likewise on the Cambridge services. They were also to be found all over the region on freights.

 

[CW2]

In the late 70s / early 80s (pre-electrification) the 31s were well down the pecking order for passenger work. ETH 47s were top, then other 47s, then 37s, with 31s very much a last resort. The 31s would get used on the Cambridge or Kings Lynn services, but very seldom on the Norwich line. When there was heavy demand occasionally a relief boat train would run to / from Harwich, and that might produce a 31 on occasion. Otherwise the 31s would find use on the cross-country services from Norwich or Harwich to Peterborough and beyond.

The Stratford 31s also did a fair bit of pottering around on freights around the London area. They could often be seen as places like Acton. They sometimes made it onto the Southern as well.

 

[36270k]

In the early 80's , had a slow run home a couple of times on the 17:30 Liv St - Norwich with a 31/4 and 10 MK2 aircon when a 47 had failed.

 

[Bevan Price]

Back in the early 1960s, Class 30 (as they were originally before re-engined to 31s)) and 37 shared many of the express workings between Liverpool Street , Cambridge & Kings Lynn. They also shared workings on the Norwich line, although many were worked by Class 40s until replaced by Class 47s (from about 1966). 30/31s also worked almost any "cross-Anglia" passenger services that had not been converted to dmus, apart from the Harwich/Manchester (or Liverpool) boat train which was normally a Class 37. Liverpool Street / Harwich boat trains were mostly 30/31s at that time. Also, they probably worked much of the freight in East Anglia, especially after Class 15 was withdrawn. .

 

[306024]

For a couple of weeks back in 1979 or so during a particularly severe motive power shortage a pair of toffee apples were put together to replace a 47 (31005 & 31017 possibly) on the Norwich service. Cambridge services were either 7 coaches (which is all that would fit in platform 8 at Liverpool St) or 9 coaches usually off platform 7. 31s were matched to the 7 coach trains as far as practical, or used on ECS between Liverpool St and Thornton Field sidings.

 

[O L Leigh]

My overriding memory of these locos was on engineering trains, pottering about the region. This would have been late 1980s/early 1990s. But even at this point they could turn up on just about anything.

I do have a memory of a Cl47 going sick at the head of a Freightliner and being looped at Bury St Edmunds. The rescue loco was a single Cl31 which had to shift the entire formation from a standing start up the hill towards Thurston and over Elmswell bank.

Someone already mentioned cross-London workings, sometimes using the North Circular Road.

 

[30907]

Back in the early 1960s, Class 30 (as they were originally before re-engined to 31s)) and 37 shared many of the express workings between Liverpool Street , Cambridge & Kings Lynn.

Not on the GEML itself, but there were still some class 2 loco hauled services back then which would be a Brush Type 2 job. My distant memory of them on the North Woolwich line is confirmed by a photo on this page (scroll well down!):
http://disused-stations.org.uk/l/lea_bridge/index1.shtml

 

[Tio Terry]

I can remember one - think it was D5835 - which had been uprated to 2000HP being used on Liverpool St-Norwich services in the mid 60's.

 

[LAX54]

Off the ML, the weekday Yarmouth to London services tended to be 31 hauled, (Norwich to Yarmouth) recall talking to a driver in mid winter, (pilot working Acle to Yarmouth) who said they could arrive late and warm, or cold and on time

The Lowestoft - London and reverse was nearly always a 37

 

[Taunton]

The most famous Brush Type 2 run on the Great Eastern was with the nice new one assigned to the Royal Train, probably around 1960, when all were travelling to Sandringham. Immaculately polished, it got as far as Audley End, where the main lubricating oil pump failed and it shut down.

Cambridge station pilot, grimy old B1, thereupon driven down at Warp Factor speed, tender first (ouch) to assist. National newspapers made much of all this the following day.

 

[Western Lord]

The most famous Brush Type 2 run on the Great Eastern was with the nice new one assigned to the Royal Train, probably around 1960, when all were travelling to Sandringham. Immaculately polished, it got as far as Audley End, where the main lubricating oil pump failed and it shut down.

Cambridge station pilot, grimy old B1, thereupon driven down at Warp Factor speed, tender first (ouch) to assist. National newspapers made much of all this the following day.

I seem to recall that Stratford Brush type 2s were always booked for the Royal Train to Tattenham Corner on Derby Day.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Someone already mentioned cross-London workings, sometimes using the North Circular Road.

Would that be a local term for the Tottenham and Forest Gate, the North London Railway or a lovely bit of predictive text?

 

[Bald Rick]

Would that be a local term for the Tottenham and Forest Gate, the North London Railway or a lovely bit of predictive text?

I believe @O L Leigh was referring to this (not my picture, obviously!)

 

[O L Leigh]

@Bald Rick has it. I was indeed referring to the evening when a pair of Stratford's finest decided to take a short-cut back from Cricklewood.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Back in the early 1960s, Class 30 (as they were originally before re-engined to 31s)) and 37 shared many of the express workings between Liverpool Street , Cambridge & Kings Lynn. They also shared workings on the Norwich line, although many were worked by Class 40s until replaced by Class 47s (from about 1966). 30/31s also worked almost any "cross-Anglia" passenger services that had not been converted to dmus, apart from the Harwich/Manchester (or Liverpool) boat train which was normally a Class 37. Liverpool Street / Harwich boat trains were mostly 30/31s at that time. Also, they probably worked much of the freight in East Anglia, especially after Class 15 was withdrawn. .

And before the arrival of the 37s, the Brush 2s just did the Kings Lynns alone!

In a full day at Cambridge in either January or Feb 61, all trains were Brush 2s, except for Baby Deltics on the Cambridge Buffet Express workings (maybe some Brush 2s as well, can't remember), one Cl 37 (D6704, seemingly ex-works) and one B1 on freight. Oh, of course, there were DMUs and a few diesel shunters.
Edit - I don't thinkk we saw any D82xx or D84xx.

 

[ac6000cw]

In the early/mid 1970s, I travelled on a BR 'MerryMaker' excursion from Birmingham to Clacton, with a pair of 31's down the WCML, round the NLL to Stratford, then GEML etc. to Clacton (I think they did the return journey as well) - this was the most interesting motive power I ever had on an excursion back then, beat the usual 45 or 47 hands-down

Having moved to Cambridge in 1980 and become familiar with the local 'scene', as others have said 31's could turn up on almost anything and everything in East Anglia.

March depot had an allocation of them as well as Stratford (I think the 31/4s used on the loco-hauled Birmingham - Norwich trains were March-allocated locos, for example).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

They could turn up on almost any Loco Hauled service. Even though Norwich Expresses were booked for 47's i wasnt unknown to get a 31 on the front. Likewise on the Cambridge services. They were also to be found all over the region on freights.

And my favourite in the early 1970s was to do a rush hour on Kings Cross. Huge numbers of class 31 hauled coaching stock on commuter trains. Also out of Liverpool Street.

 

[ac6000cw]

Effectively, the 31's did the jobs in East Anglia that on other regions might be handled by 24/25/26/27s or (on the Western) Hymeks.

 

[eastwestdivide]

...
March depot had an allocation of them as well as Stratford (I think the 31/4s used on the loco-hauled Birmingham - Norwich trains were March-allocated locos, for example).

And March (mostly) supplied steam-heat 31s for the Birmingham/Norwich services prior to the 31/4s taking over in about 1981/2 ish

 

[CW2]

@Bald Rick has it. I was indeed referring to the evening when a pair of Stratford's finest decided to take a short-cut back from Cricklewood.

Cricklewood? I thought it was Stonebridge Park.

 

[O L Leigh]

Cricklewood? I thought it was Stonebridge Park.

It was at Staples Corner, just at the end of Cricklewood depot.


A406 Staples Corner 1988, London NW2, (1) by RTM Boy, on Flickr

 

[75A]

Looks more like Vic Berry's in Leicester!

 

[CW2]

It was at Staples Corner, just at the end of Cricklewood depot.


A406 Staples Corner 1988, London NW2, (1) by RTM Boy, on Flickr

Ta. I stand corrected. I must be getting old ...

I seem to recall it was deliberate, rather than accidental. A disgruntled member of yard staff, or something of that nature?

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Thanks all. I now understand the rather subtle joke.

 

[Taunton]

I always wondered (from the day that incident made me late for a client meeting in Kingsbury) how the bottom Class 31 managed to break its back by breaking the very substantial underframe, without the body being seemingly crushed much by the second loco on top. Even in the aftermath of violent collisions I've not seen a loco's underframe get broken like that.

 

[O L Leigh]

Looks more like Vic Berry's in Leicester!

Ding ding!! Next stop.

Vic Berry did come and cut 202 in half on site and removed it to his premises for disposal. No doubt it did remind his boys of home and I'm sure they were thanking BR for leaving their locos neatly stacked.

226 was recovered back to Stratford were it was withdrawn a few months later. Not sure where it was scrapped, but there is a photo of it online showing it in an advanced state of undress still at Stratford depot, so maybe it was cut there.

Ta. I stand corrected. I must be getting old ...

I seem to recall it was deliberate, rather than accidental. A disgruntled member of yard staff, or something of that nature?

Don't worry. We're all in the same boat.

I think the official line was that they hadn't been correctly screwed down and had run away under the influence of gravity, but I suppose it could have been a deliberate act. Were Cl31s known to have been especially disliked by the men of the Midland?

Thanks all. I now understand the rather subtle joke.

It was a reference that those who knew about the incident would have cottoned-on to. Apologies if it was a bit oblique.

I always wondered (from the day that incident made me late for a client meeting in Kingsbury) how the bottom Class 31 managed to break its back by breaking the very substantial underframe, without the body being seemingly crushed much by the second loco on top. Even in the aftermath of violent collisions I've not seen a loco's underframe get broken like that.

I can't speak with any great knowledge on such matters, but I don't imagine that a loco's frame would have been designed to have been strong enough to withstand impacts from those directions. From end-on yes, but not from above or below. I suppose that the size of the impact would have had some bearing on the frame breaking, as 202 fell rather a long way and, supposing that it hadn't already broken it's back before 226 fell on top of it, would have been unsupported under the centre of the loco, rather as you might if you were trying to break a stick with your foot.

I guess the break must have been at a weak point, perhaps where there was no large piece of equipment attached to lend additional strength to the frame. By cross-referencing the crash site photo with this photo on WNXX showing 202 at Vic Berry's premises during disposal, you can see that the break occurred ahead of the generator. I've no knowledge of the internal layout of a Cl31, but with the cooler group, prime mover and generator all behind the break I can only assume that it would have been electrical equipment cubicles and other ancillaries forward of this point. This scrapyard photo also helps to explain why there was so little bodywork damage from 226 landing on it's roof by showing that the weight of 226 was being supported by 202's engine block.

 

[Bald Rick]

Ta. I stand corrected. I must be getting old ...

I seem to recall it was deliberate, rather than accidental. A disgruntled member of yard staff, or something of that nature?

Yes I seem to remember that it was rather more than an ‘accident’. Racking my brains, and in the dim mists of my memory I think it was a cleaner or similar who fancied having a go at train driving.

 

[CW2]

Slightly closer to the topic, I once had a class 31 on load 13 on the Yarmouth - Newcastle Summer Saturdays train.It worked from Norwich to Whitemoor, where a class 40 took over for the run north. To this day it remains the lowest power:weight ratio I've ever encountered in the UK. East Anglia is not noted for its hills, but even so progress was distinctly pedestrian.

 

[Bald Rick]

Slightly closer to the topic, I once had a class 31 on load 13 on the Yarmouth - Newcastle Summer Saturdays train.It worked from Norwich to Whitemoor, where a class 40 took over for the run north. To this day it remains the lowest power:weight ratio I've ever encountered in the UK. East Anglia is not noted for its hills, but even so progress was distinctly pedestrian.

I imagine getting it round Ely W curve would have used all its horsepower - being converted to flange squeal!