Back in the day...

[D1537]

Saturday 9 January 1988
Last day of a Freedom of Scotland. In the evening we would head back to the Midlands (and some Class 56 action as well!) 577 finally came out to play, far too late to get any decent mileage off it. There had been no sign of 562, another target for the week (though this would be explained the next day). I cleared 644, though.
47577+47617 1T04 Perth-Stirling
47577 1P02 Stirling-Edinburgh
47488 1S70 Edinburgh-Aberdeen
1S70 was running very late. As we approached Aberdeen, there seemed to be a lot of smoke about. Arriving into the station, it was coming from 47488's roof vents. The loco was quickly shut down and the fire brigade called.
47644 1H29 Aberdeen-Elgin
47550 1A50 Elgin-Aberdeen
47550 1H33 Aberdeen-Inverness
47469 1T42 Inverness-Glasgow QS
47483 1V32 Glasgow Central-Carlisle

 

[D1537]

Sunday 10 January 1988
Having left Glasgow on 1V32, it would of course be piloted over Cannock by another locomotive. If it was a 47 or 56, I would be staying on, anything else would require an early exit at Stafford. On this day, the allocation fixing gods were friendly, but not only that, there were 47s on the loco-hauled MML trains instead of the usual 16-wheeled devices (at this point in 1988 this was of course becoming more common), and they were being diverted via Corby; I needed Manton Junction to Corby for a 47, so let's go ... via another required 56! Excellent work, everyone.

86417 1V32 Carlisle-Preston
47520 1V32 Preston-Stafford
56022+47520 1V32 Stafford-B'ham NS (via Cannock)
56006 (86423) 1A08 B'ham NS-Nuneaton
bus (WM2306) Nuneaton-Leicester

Aha. That was where 47562 had been, instead of Scotland.

47562 1C22 Leicester-St.Pancras (via Corby)
47465 1D17 St.Pancras-Beeston
150113 Beeston-Derby
47457 1V94 Derby-B'ham NS
310084 B'ham NS-Coventry

 

[D1537]

Saturday 11 January 1986
Engineering work meant that the daytime Brighton train was being diverted to Eastbourne. This was new track for a 47 for me, so had to be done. However, BR still managed an unpleasant surprise for me.

47575 1O03 Coventry-Oxford
47611 1S39 Oxford-Banbury
47623 1O15 Banbury-Reading
47538 1O74 Reading-Eastbourne

So the plan, obviously, was to feed and water myself in Eastbourne, and then take the return train later on. However, talking to the driver of 47538, that wasn't the railway's plan. Instead, the loco and stock were to go ECS to Old Oak. The evening train was to start at Reading. Brilliant!
Now clearly, Eastbourne is not a position of strength when you do 47s. Plan B became ... go to London and check out the GE. Got me a new 73, mind.

emu Eastbourne-Lewes
emu Lewes-Gatwick Airport
73110 1D61 Gatwick Airport-Victoria
47544 1H36 Liverpool Street-Cambridge

What excellent Stratford 47 would I get for my return journey? Oh.
47489 1C91 Cambridge-Liverpool Street
85012 1S18 Euston-Rugby

Sunday 11 January 1987
Cross-country trains on Sundays were like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never knew what route you were going to get, sometimes even if you had the STN!
86213 1G34 Coventry-B'ham NS
47452 1E63 B'ham NS-Newcastle (via Whitacre Junction, and via Wakefield Westgate R/R, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton and Altofts)

 

[Falcon1200]

In 1983, and until March 1984, I lived in Oxford and worked in Reading, travelling (mostly) by train between the two. I shall list the more interesting commutes, eg non-ETH 47s and non-50s, as well as other trips, for those years and others, for which I still have records.

Tue 11 Jan 1983
47068 1301 Paddington-Oxford (from Reading)

 

[xotGD]

In 1983, and until March 1984, I lived in Oxford and worked in Reading, travelling (mostly) by train between the two. I shall list the more interesting commutes, eg non-ETH 47s and non-50s, as well as other trips, for those years and others, for which I still have records.

Tue 11 Jan 1983
47068 1301 Paddington-Oxford (from Reading)

I look forward to reading about 33s, 73s and assorted Type 5s turning up on your commute!

 

[D1537]

After all the gallivanting around from Scotland to Eastbourne in the last few day's memories, all I have for the 12th is an evening beer move on the Pennines.

Tuesday 12 January 1988
47402 1M19 Newcastle-York
47413 1E93 York-Newcastle

 

[Falcon1200]

I look forward to reading about 33s, 73s and assorted Type 5s turning up on your commute!

No 73s or type 5s unfortunately, but there were a few interesting variations on the norm!

 

[D1537]

Wednesday 13 January 1988
An interloper amongst the Gateshead PTPA fleet on the Pennines, and a chance to get some miles in with it.
47401 1M26 Newcastle-Leeds
47481 1E99 Leeds-Newcastle
47481 1M19 Newcastle-York
47401 1E93 York-Newcastle

 

[D1537]

Thursday 14 January 1988
The infamous Horton move, very entertaining waiting for the return in the dark/fog/snow/sleet/whatever and really hoping it turned up on time...
47402 1M76 Newcastle-Leeds
47491 1M72 Leeds - Horton-In-Ribblesdale
47482 1E33 Horton-In-Ribblesdale - Leeds
47451 1E93 Leeds-Newcastle

Saturday 14 January 1989
Football move. Google tells me that Leeds beat Birmingham 1-0 that day. I have little memory of it, but the football was pretty ... average ... at that time!
87017 1H06 Rugby-Manchester Piccadilly
47434 1E57 Manchester Victoria-Leeds
43136+43034 1V84 Leeds-Birmingham NS
317330 Birmingham NS-Coventry

 

[D1537]

Wednesday 15 January 1986
47593 1M73 Newcastle-Liverpool
47402 1E88 Liverpool-Newcastle

Friday 15 January 1988
Another trip on the S&C prompted by yet another vice-Pacer on the Tyne Valley.
47544 2M37 Newcastle-Carlisle
47439 1E33 Carlisle-Leeds
43094+43182 1A30 Leeds-Doncaster
47477 1N20 Doncaster-Newcastle

 

[D1537]

Saturday 16 January 1988
If you got up early enough for 1M58 (as opposed to getting up for 1M63 after a few beers, and staying in bed until 1M26 after a lot of beers) you could view whatever was on the S&C turn as an alternative to a purely Pennine move. On this day, a whopper in the form of 605 produced.
47425 1M58 Newcastle-Leeds
47605 1M43 Leeds-Carlisle
47449 1S37 Carlisle-Annan
47562 1M06 Annan-Carlisle
47605 1E33 Carlisle-Leeds
47418 1E93 Leeds-Newcastle

 

[xotGD]

Saturday 16 January 1988
If you got up early enough for 1M58 (as opposed to getting up for 1M63 after a few beers, and staying in bed until 1M26 after a lot of beers) you could view whatever was on the S&C turn as an alternative to a purely Pennine move. On this day, a whopper in the form of 605 produced.
47425 1M58 Newcastle-Leeds
47605 1M43 Leeds-Carlisle
47449 1S37 Carlisle-Annan
47562 1M06 Annan-Carlisle
47605 1E33 Carlisle-Leeds
47418 1E93 Leeds-Newcastle

I think you'll have to educate some as us as to what made 605 so desirable.

 

[Peterthegreat]

I think you'll have to educate some as us as to what made 605 so desirable.

ETH Duff desirable?????

 

[Sun Chariot]

I think you'll have to educate some as us as to what made 605 so desirable.

I think it was still a Haymarket loco at that point. It moved south to Crewe Diesel in May 1988

 

[Magdalia]

I think you'll have to educate some as us as to what made 605 so desirable.

No no no no no!

47605 was a Stratford loco for the first 3 years (1984-87) after conversion from 47160.

Stratford had some desirable class 47s but 47605 definitely wasn't one of them.

 

[D1537]

I think you'll have to educate some as us as to what made 605 so desirable.

Rare bugger for me (at this time) and I suspect quite a few others. Went to Stratford after EH conversion and then to Scotland, two places that didn't let their locos wander much. On sectorisation it then ended up in a Railfreight pool!

 

[D1537]

Sunday 17 January 1988
47411 1M65 Newcastle-York (via High Level Bridge and Leamside)
47485 1E06 York-Newcastle
47594 1O07 Newcastle-York (Via High Level Bridge)
47439 1O07 York-Derby (via Doncaster, and via Toton Centre)
47625 1S86 Derby-Newcastle (via Doncaster)

Tuesday 17 January 1989
90012 1G32 Coventry-B'ham Int
47595 1V98 B'ham Int-Banbury
47483 1M40 Banbury-Coventry

 

[Falcon1200]

Tuesday 18th January 1983
45124 0600 Derby-Poole (from Oxford to Reading)

 

[D1537]

Saturday 18 January 1986
47445 1M73 Newcastle-St.Helen's Junction
dmu St.Helen's Junction-Earlestown
47408 1E53 Earlestown-York
47417 1E91 York-Newcastle

Sunday 18 January 1987
47452 1O09 Newcastle-Derby (via Woodlesford, Cudworth Stn. Junc, Wath Road Junc)
47512 1E63 Derby-Newcastle (via Wakefield Westgate RR, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton, Altofts)

Monday 18 January 1988
47477 2B08 Newcastle-Middlesbrough
47477 2B18 Middlesbrough-Newcastle
43082 1E20 Newcastle-York (43038 dead on rear)
47407 1E93 York-Newcastle

Why I did the HST to York instead of 1M19 I have no idea. It would have been incredibly rare for it to have 16 wheels by this date (and there is no RailGen evidence to suggest it). Perhaps it was caped.

 

[D1537]

I had nothing for 19 January at all...

Monday 20 January 1986
47474 1M73 Newcastle-Manchester Victoria
47632 1E53 Manchester Victoria-York
47564 1E91 York-Newcastle

Wednesday 20 January 1988
47459 1M76 Newcastle-Leeds
47625 1E63 Leeds-Darlington
47413 1M19 Darlington-York
47411 1E93 York-Newcastle

 

[D1537]

Wednesday 21 January 1987
47417 1M73 Newcastle-St.Helen's Junction
dmu St.Helen's Junction-Earlestown
47629 1E53 Earlestown-York
47657 1E88 York-Newcastle

Thursday 21 January 1988
47417 1M26 Newcastle-Stalybridge
53500+53944 Stalybridge-Stockport
304019 Stockport-Crewe
47443 1O09 Crewe-Coventry

Saturday 21 January 1989
Why was I in London? I have no recollection. No move in the book going down there on previous days either. Suspect it might have been a social event and I got a lift down, but who knows?
Network South-East beastie 530 was a welcome bonus on the Brum though, this was regularly (and I believe was booked for) a 50.
47530 1M12 Paddington-Coventry

 

[Peter Sarf]

Wednesday 21 January 1987
47417 1M73 Newcastle-St.Helen's Junction
dmu St.Helen's Junction-Earlestown
47629 1E53 Earlestown-York
47657 1E88 York-Newcastle

Thursday 21 January 1988
47417 1M26 Newcastle-Stalybridge
53500+53944 Stalybridge-Stockport
304019 Stockport-Crewe
47443 1O09 Crewe-Coventry

Saturday 21 January 1989
Why was I in London? I have no recollection. No move in the book going down there on previous days either. Suspect it might have been a social event and I got a lift down, but who knows?
Network South-East beastie 530 was a welcome bonus on the Brum though, this was regularly (and I believe was booked for) a 50.
47530 1M12 Paddington-Coventry

Maybe you "fell asleep" the evening before on a New Street to Coventry bash intending to get off there ?.

 

[QJ]

Tuesday 20 January 1981
Whilst at work I learnt that there had been a freight train derailment near Fleet bocking both up lines.
How would the Up Mail (1W50) from Weymouth reach London?
Only one way to find out; catch the Down Mail (1W55) from Waterloo hauled by 73124.
At silly hour of the morning I found myself at Eastleigh watching the loco change on 1W55 then:

33118 EH 1W55 2252 (PD) London Waterloo - Weymouth Mail (Eastleigh to Southampton Central)
33102 EH 1W50 2238 (PD) Weymouth - London Waterloo Mail (Southampton Central to Eastleigh)
73124 SL 1W50 2238 (PD) Weymouth - London Waterloo Mail (Eastleigh to London Waterloo)
via Winchester - Basingstoke - Reading - Ascot - Richmond - Clapham Junction [nice]

Followed by another late shift then repeat

73113 EH 1W55 2252 (PD) London Waterloo - Weymouth Mail (London Waterloo to Eastleigh)

Wednesday 21 January 1981
33116 EH 1W55 2252 (PD) London Waterloo - Weymouth Mail (Eastleigh to Southampton Central)
33109 EH 1W50 2238 (PD) Weymouth - London Waterloo Mail (Southampton Central to Eastleigh)
73113 SL 1W50 2238 (PD) Weymouth - London Waterloo Mail (Eastleigh to London Waterloo)
via Winchester - Basingstoke - Reading - Ascot - Richmond - Clapham Junction [nice]

Two days running was enough so I went track bashing on the North London DC Lines

2*501 EMU 0507 London Euston - Watford Junction (London Euston to Watford Junction)
2*501 EMU 0612 Watford Junction - London Euston (Watford Junction to Willesden Junction Low Level)
1*501 EMU 0626 Watford Junction - London Broad Street (Willesden Junction Low Level to London Broad Street)
via Primrose Hill
1*501 EMU 0734 London Broad Street - Richmond (London Broad Street to Willesden Junction High Level)
1*501 EMU 0738 Watford Junction - London Broad Street (Willesden Junction Low Level to London Broad Street)
via Gospel Oak

 

[QJ]

Sunday 20 January 1985
86253 WN 1F19 1050 London Euston - Allerton (London Euston to Crewe)
47420 GD 1F19 1050 London Euston - Allerton (Crewe to Allerton)
1*119 DMU 1345 Manchester Piccadilly - Liverpool Lime Street (Allerton to Liverpool Lime Street)
(train was supposed to run via through line at Edge Hill Depot but went main line instead)
45114 TO 1E16 1605 Liverpool Lime Street - Newcastle (Liverpool Lime Street to Leeds)
40044 LO 1E08 1616 Birmingham New Street - York (Leeds to York)
47526 GD 1M73 1915 Scarborough - Liverpool Lime Street (York to Manchester Victoria)
1*120 DMU 2230 Manchester Victoria - Blackpool North (Manchester Victoria to Preston)

Monday 21 January 1985 (for some rare track)
86212 WN 1S06 2110 (PD) London Euston - Stranraer Harbour (Preston to Carlisle)
47497 WN 1S06 2110 (PD) London Euston - Stranraer Harbour (Carlisle to Ayr)

27056 ED Ayr - Falkland Junction Up Yard Empty Vans (Ayr to Falkland Junction Up Yard)
27056 ED Falkland Junction Up Yard to Hillhouse Quarry Freight Empty Ballast brake van ride
20022 ED Shewalton Moss Ground Frame to Shewalton Tip cab ride
27056 ED Hillhouse Quarry to Barassie Reversing Sidings Freight Ballast brake van ride

2*101(3) DMU 1215 Ayr - Glasgow Central (Barassie to Glasgow Central)

Visit to Glasgow Subway Broomloan Depot then rides starting from Broomloan Depot to cover
the Inner and Outer circle on GGPTE 2nd Generation (Metro Cammell) units

1*311 EMU 1900 Glasgow Central - Gourock (Glasgow Central to Gourock)
1*303+1*311 EMU 2005 Gourock - Glasgow Central (Gourock to Glasgow Central)
47527 GD 1M15 1740 Fort William - London Euston (Glasgow Queen Street to Mossend)
via Cowlairs West Junction - Cowlairs East Junction (RM) - North Junction (RM) - Cowlairs West Junction - Springburn and Coatbridge Central
ETHEL 3 (97252) and 37111 ED detached from 1M15 at Cowlairs North Junction

 

[D1537]

Maybe you "fell asleep" the evening before on a New Street to Coventry bash intending to get off there ?.

It would not have been the first time that happened! However I think this was a friend's birthday party in London.

 

[D1537]

Wednesday 22 January 1986
47418 1M76 Newcastle-Manchester Victoria
Before leaving Newcastle I had checked what 1M73 had been - it was 47417, which would do 1E59 back from Manchester. Excellent move! Now, waiting for 1E59, to my horror the familiar dreaded nose appeared from the west. Argh. Still, no major problem - 418 should do 1E89 and I'm safe, if somewhat late.
On checking with some local spotters, though, it turns out the thing that had just left with E59 had come down on 1M75 - that means it's been shunt-released at Liverpool. Worse, 417 had done 1E88 - that means it had been shunt released as well, so Liverpool are obviously short a loco, and that means 418 will do the 19.03 Liverpool-Manchester! Half an hour later, M77 appears with another 16-wheeler, and that means E89 is out as well. 1E20 is the last hope, but I know what that's going to be as well, so ...
dmu Manchester Victoria-Leeds (via Calder Valley)
dmu Leeds-York
47466 1S70 (P/N) York-Newcastle

Thursday 22 January 1987
47438 1O09 Newcastle-B'ham NS (via Leeds)
47594 1O09 B'ham NS-Coventry

Sunday 22 January 1989
86210 1J32 Coventry-B'ham NS
47555 1S71 B'ham NS-Stafford (via Aston and Bescot)
47605 1H38 Stafford-Manchester Picc
47648 1G35 Manchester Picc-B'ham NS
47574 1V62 B'ham NS-Cheltenham
47450 1M04 Cheltenham-B'ham NS
317330 B'ham NS-Coventry

 

[D1537]

Thursday 23 January 1986
47564 1V85 Newcastle-Birmingham NS
47434 1E91 Birmingham NS-Newcastle

Friday 23 January 1987
47565 1M14 Coventry-Crewe
47628 1O12 Crewe-Banbury
47509 1M40 Banbury-Coventry

Saturday 23 January 1988
47426 1M09 Coventry-Crewe
47427 1V05 Crewe-Cardiff
47565 1M86 Cardiff-Shrewsbury
47476 1A63 Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton
47637 1V87 Wolverhampton-Reading
47641 1M40 Reading-Birmingham NS

 

[D1537]

Sunday 24 January 1988
47619 1S19 Birmingham NS-Crewe (via Cannock)
47481 1V32 Crewe-Stafford
56026+47481 1V32 Stafford-Birmingham NS (via Cannock)
47582 1O03 Birmingham NS-Reading (via Solihull)
47629 1S39 Reading-Birmingham NS (via Solihull)
56026 (87018) 1A25 Birmingham NS-Birmingham Int
47535 1V81 Birmingham Int-Oxford
47436 1M18 Oxford-Coventry

I have no idea why the 56 did a Euston to Birmingham International, I presume it was overrunning engineering work between New St and International and we just did it for the riot value.

 

[QJ]

Saturday 26 January 1980
86205 WN 1O52 2330 (25/01) Manchester Piccadilly - Brighton (Crewe to Stafford)
85026 CE 1F02 0123 Stafford - Liverpool LS (Stafford to Crewe)
83011 LG 1A04 0107 Holyhead - London Euston (Crewe to Rugby)
1*310 EMU 0600 Bletchley - Birmingham New Street (Rugby to Birmingham New Street)
86206 WN 1H03 0755 Birmingham New Street - Manchester Piccadilly (Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton)
86234 WN 1A17 0740 Shrewsbury - London Euston (Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street)
86257 WN 1M10 0620 London Paddington - Manchester Piccadilly (Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton)
83009 LG 1V28 0822 Liverpool LS - London Paddington (Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street)
31162 MR 1E64 1015 Birmingham New Street - Norwich (Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton)
86256 WN 1D43 1005 London Euston - Holyhead (Nuneaton to Crewe)
86222 WN 1F19 1050 London Euston - Liverpool LS (Crewe to Liverpool LS)
2*503 EMU BN 1341 Moorfields - West Kirby (Liverpool Lime Street LL to Liverpool Central)
1*507 EMU HR 1358 Liverpool Central - Ormskirk (Liverpool Central to Kirkdale)

for my first visit to Goodison Park to watch Everton v Wigan Athletic FA Cup 4th Round.
3-0 to the Toffees (McBride, Latchford and Kidd). Everton reached the semi-final of the FA Cup
that season eventually losing to West Ham (who went on to lift the trophy) in a replay.

2*507 EMU HR 1711 Ormskirk - Liverpool Central (Kirkdale to Moorfields)
2*503 EMU BN 1753 Moorfields - New Brighton (Moorfields to Liverpool Lime Street LL)
86257 WN 1805 Liverpool Lime Street - London Euston (Liverpool LS - London Euston)

Thursday 26 January 1984
1*117 DMU RG 2V23 0520 Basingstoke - Reading (Basingstoke to Reading West)
then got an invitation to enjoy a cab ride on a Reading area local trip working
47283 BR 6A89 Reading West Yard - Aldermaston Sidings freight trip (Reading West Yard to Aldermaston)
47283 BR 9A89 Aldermaston Sidings - Reading West Yard freight Trip (Aldermaston to Reading West DGL)
47594 CF 1O19 0950 Newcastle - Poole (Reading to Basingstoke)

Saturday 26 January 1991
On this day I enjoyed a ride in the NS20 Executive diesel unit known as die Kameel (Built by Allan of Rotterdam in 1954).
Locations visited on the Dutch Railways system included Oosterhout Weststad, Shell Moerdijk, Kifhoek Yard,
Zwijndrecht Haven branch and Feyenoord area (Steinweg Handelsveem and Hanno Stevedoring Co. siding).
Much to the chagrin of the other passengers my wife won the onboard raffle (a miniature coach side destination board
commemorating the occasion which I still have in my possession).

Wednesday 26 January 2000 (Iberian border bashing)
252.055 TALGO Trenhotel 409 Francisco de Goya 1937 (25/01) Paris Austerlitz - Madrid Chamartin (Irún TALGO gauge changer to Madrid Chamartin)
unfortunately I was asleep so have no recollection of how the change from the SNCF (BB9323) to RENFE (252055) locomotive took place
269.417 TALGO 22 1005 Madrid Chamartin - Alicante Terminal (Madrid Chamartin to Madrid Atocha Cercanias)
1*446 EMU Aranjuez - El Escorial (Madrid Atocha Cercanias to Madrid Chamartin)
269.412 TALGO 24 1205 Madrid Chamartin - Alicante Terminal (Madrid Chamartin to Alcázar de San Juan)
269.407 TALGO 77 1210 Alicante Terminal to Madrid Chamartin (Alcázar de San Juan to Madrid Chamartin)
354.008 TALGO 224 1615 Madrid Chamartin - Cartagena (Madrid Chamartin to Madrid Atocha Cercanias)
1*446 EMU Móstoles El Soto - Fuenlabrada (Madrid Atocha Cercanias to Villaverde Alto)
1*446 EMU Fuenlabrada - Móstoles El Soto (Villaverde Alto to Madrid Chamartin)
333.102 TALGO Trenhotel 332 Lusitania 2245 Madrid Chamartin - Lisboa Santa Apolónia (Madrid Chamartin to Abrantes)

 

[xotGD]

Two 83s in the same day ain't half bad.