Saturday 03/09/77
After completing my summer season (in the kitchens) at Butlins, Ayr, I had to come home to sort out a college place:
47530 1241 Ayr – Carlisle via Kilmarnock
87015 1509 Carlisle – Preston
DMU Preston – Manchester Victoria
46056 “The Ultimate Wagon” 1756 Manchester Victoria – York
Monday 03/09/79
I had alighted at Bangor off 40034 on the 2234 Manchester Victoria – Holyhead intending to do the Up Irish Mail to get me to Crewe, and from there back to Manchester. Things took a different turn when required 40121 arrived on the Down Irish Mail (booked a 47/4), so I had to do that to Holyhead.
40121 0148 Bangor – Holyhead
There then followed a lengthy fester (hard orange plastic seats, bright lights) in the waiting room at Holyhead before the first train out:
47456 0627 Holyhead – Crewe
EMU Crewe – Manchester Piccadilly
Wednesday 03/09/80
I had just started work as a booking office clerk at Oakleigh Park, from where I could see the various comings and goings on the ECML. One train that was a regular class 40 diagram was the 1630 Kings Cross – Peterborough, which you could do all the way to Peterborough for a Deltic back on the 1630 Hull – Kings Cross, like this:
40165 1630 Kings Cross – Peterborough
55018 1854 Peterborough – Kings Cross
Saturday 03/09/83
It’s the last day of my All Line Rover, and I’ve ended up at Stranraer, looking forward to a good dossy overnight in the Mk 1 compartment stock on the 0135 Stranraer – Blackpool North. I knew I’d get a good doss as there would be nothing worth staying awake for, as the train was booked a 47/4:
37102 0135 Stranraer – Carlisle
That’s a very unexpected bonus!
At Carlisle the 37 came off, as booked, to be replaced by 81018:
81018 0528 Carlisle – Preston
After breakfast at Preston, I heard an announcement for a relief to Edinburgh… another Roarer
85032 0840 Preston – Carlisle
I really did need to think about getting home to York now, so I decided to cover the 1359 Blackpool North – Sheffield, which ran via Copy Pit, and was usually a Tinsley 37:
87014 1031 Carlisle – Preston
47529 1142 Preston – Blackpool North
37246 1359 Blackpool North – Sheffield
The 37 was required, and ran via Copy Pit, Greetland, Healey Mills, Crofton West Jn, and Moorthorpe.
At Sheffield I expected to go straight home to York, and finish, but required 47100 arrived on the 1053 Weymouth – Bradford, so it would be rude to turn it down …
47100 1731 Sheffield – Leeds via Moorthorpe
At Leeds I connected straight into the 1512 Llandudno – Scarborough, with a very dud 47:
47434 1903 Leeds – York
So there we are, rover completed. Shame to end it with a dud 47. 47434 hooked off to go for fuel – as diagrammed – and I just hung around to see which 45/1 or 47/4 would take over…
37106 1950 York – Scarborough
37106 2115 Scarborough – York
Well, that’s a rather better way to end a rover, with a required 37. A rather good day for 37 mileage, track, and requirements.
Monday 03/09/84
47614 2345 Glasgow Queen Street – Perth
47513 banker to Cowlairs
After finishing late shift, I was en route to Perth to cover a required 37 to Aberdeen …
Sunday 03/09/89
At this stage I have a house (and family) in Crewe, and a job in London (Paddington), where I had temporary digs. After a weekend at home, it was time to head south (via North and East, of course) …
47432 1327 Crewe – Manchester Piccadilly via Styal
47434 1445 Manchester Piccadilly – Leeds via Guide Bridge, Stalybridge
43084 + 91006 1600 Leeds – Doncaster
Now you might have thought that doing the 43 + 91 combination through to Kings Cross was the purpose of this exercise, but if so, why did I alight at Doncaster? Because there’s something even better / rarer on the train behind:
89001 1640 Doncaster – Kings Cross
This was the 1530 Hull – Kings Cross, and was formed of normal Mk 2 loco-hauled stock.
Thursday 03/09/92
Attending an exhibition at the NEC:
47832 0749 Reading – Coventry
86401 0918 Coventry – Birmingham International
47813 1816 Birmingham International – Reading
Sunday 03/09/95
Returning home after the family holiday in Morar:
37409 1900 Fort William – Edinburgh via Cowlairs N-E curve, Falkirk High
