Thursday 03/08/72
The start of my first All Line Rover, travelling around with my best friend from school, both of us age 13 (so the last year of child fares). The trip was all pre-planned and agreed with our parents, so no scope for last-minute variations.
1741 (47148) 0811 Tilehurst – Paddington
9008 (55008)1000 Kings Cross – Edinburgh “Flying Scotsman”
1108 (47525) 1600 Edinburgh – Newcastle
DMU Newcastle – Hexham, to stay overnight with my mate’s aunt and uncle.
Wednesday 03/08/77
A day off from my summer job at Butlin’s, Ayr:
DMU Ayr – Glasgow Central
26028 + 26036 1310 Glasgow Queen Street – Cowlairs / Perth
We set off OK from Glasgow Queen Street, but no sooner had we entered Queen Street Tunnel than the multi-working failed, and 26036 dropped to idling speed. This left 26028 to haul dead 26036 plus load 8 up the hill to Cowlairs, which it only just about managed. A fitter came across from Eastfield to try to sort out the problem, but after 20 minutes or so no solution could be found, so 26028 was detached from the front (doubtless for a well-earned rest) and 26036 carried on solo to Perth, where another 26 was waiting to multi up with it for the run to Inverness.
40048 1501 Perth – Edinburgh via Ladybank
40048 1740 Edinburgh – Kirkcaldy
47553 1851 Kirkcaldy – Edinburgh
DMU Edinburgh – Glasgow Central via Shotts
DMU Glasgow Central – Ayr
Friday 03/08/79
I had managed to arrange my shifts at Manchester Victoria station buffet to be early turn Friday, late turn Saturday, with the specific intention of covering the Fridays Only 1805 Blackpool – Stranraer and return working, which were diagrammed for a class 40 from Carlisle.
47429 1530 Manchester Victoria – Liverpool Lime Street
40134 1615 Liverpool Lime Street – Preston via Parkside, Golborne
86028 1846 Preston – Carlisle
40164 2010 Carlisle – Stranraer via Kilmarnock, Ayr
Sunday 03/08/80
Another day out with the trolley:
86236 0855 Euston – Stafford
47406 (+86236 dead) 1113 Stafford – Crewe
47475 1149 Crewe – Chester
I alighted at Chester to refill my urns (and entirely coincidentally to have a better chance of some class 40 mileage).
40143 1314 Chester – Llanfairfechan
40008 1518 Llanfairfechan – Chester
40042 1715 Chester – Prestatyn
40143 1807 Prestatyn – Chester
40183 1945 Chester – Crewe
81002 2026 Crewe – Euston
A very successful day on the 40 front, rounded off nicely by an 81 into Euston.
(Tuesday 02/08/83)
I was in a band that was performing in the Buxton Festival for two nights. Payment was negligible, barely enough to cover the travel costs from York. I decided to make a couple of days on the trains out of it:
45146 1354 York – Stalybridge
DMU Stalybridge – Stockport
DMU Stockport – Buxton and return
EMU Stockport – Crewe
Wednesday 03/08/83
81014 0041 Crewe – Carlisle
87024 0630 Carlisle – Oxenholme
DMU Oxenholme – Windermere and return
87017 0822 Oxenholme – Lancaster
87018 0905 Lancaster – Carlisle
40122 1040 Carlisle – Leeds
47448 1426 Leeds – Manchester Victoria
86210 1613 Manchester Piccadilly – Stockport
DMU Stockport – Buxton and return
EMU Stockport – Crewe
(Thursday 04/08/83)
47589 0011 Crewe – York via Stockport, Guide Bridge, Stalybridge
Saturday 03/08/85
85023 0317 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
… and straight into a shift at work, and then …
47708 1330 Glasgow Queen Street – Haymarket
47194 1418 Haymarket – Kirkcaldy
27001 1518 Kirkcaldy – Haymarket
47714 1603 Haymarket – Glasgow Queen Street
37401 1650 Glasgow Queen Street – Crianlarich
37027 1851 Crianlarich – Gourock via Cowlairs, High St Jn, City Union Line, Shields Jn
This was a return ADEX from Fort William, and was my only rail-borne means of travelling home to Gourock, as the EMU service was suspended because of strike action over the introduction of Driver Only Operation on the Glasgow are EMU lines (Strathclyde Manning Agreement).
Monday 03/08/87
After a weekend at home with the family, I have to commute back to work in Crewe:
87011 1050 Glasgow Central – Preston
I baled out of this at Preston, as it was becoming hideously overcrowded.
86410 1351 Preston – Crewe
(Tuesday 02/08/88)
155 328 2110 Crewe – Abergavenny, with 155 333 attached at Hereford, visiting relatives
Wednesday 03/08/88
37427 1201 Abergavenny – Cardiff Central
37427 1323 Cardiff Central – Crewe
Thursday 03/08/89
Off a night shift, struggling to keep my eyes open. It had to be done!
87027 0950 Euston – Watford Junction
85023 1050 Watford Junction – Southend Central via Camden, Camden Road, Stratford, Barking, Tilbury Town.
This was an ADEX from Carlisle, and was the first ever electric locomotive working on the LT&S route, the line only having been converted from 6.25kV AC a few months previously. There was a fine civic reception awaiting the arrival of the train at Southend, including the mayor, and the local BR Area Manager. The stock was going forward to Shoeburyness Carriage Sidings. Well, why not?
85023 1235 Southend Central – Shoeburyness Carriage Sidings.
There was a good degree of hilarity here as the shunter had never encountered an ETH cable before, and didn’t know how to uncouple it.
308 151 + 302 261 Shoeburyness – Fenchurch Street
… and home for a few hours sleep!
Friday 03/08/90
86204 0810 Euston – Birmingham International
90042 0945 Birmingham International – Crewe
90039 1137 Crewe – Euston
Picking up a couple of freight 90s on passenger work, when I should have been at home in bed (off night shift).