Back in the day...

[MDB1images]

Fri 11th Sep 87
47289 15:15 Bolton-Manchester Victoria(2J54 Blackpool-Manchester Victoria)
31450 16:38 Manchester Piccadilly-Stockport
31144 17:46 Stockport-Preston(1M26 Nottingham-Blackpool)
45103 22:19 Manchester Piccadilly-Bolton(1M40 Glasgow-Manchester Victoria)

Others noted…
47411 1E19 Liverpool-Newcastle
47474 1J27 Edinburgh-Manchester Vic
47588 1M12 Harwich PQ-Blackpool

After going for 2J54 all week it finally dropped a winner with 47289, was the start of a good night as 31144 was also required, whilst not a winner I was pleased 1M40 dropped 45103 a winner for the year.
Sight wise it was a case of considering in making the scorers redundant as it was nother blank.

In my notes I have 87018 at Preston dragging 87013 so presume 013 had failed.

Sat 12th Sep 87
31417 & 31449 11:34 Oxford Rd-Chesterfield(1E85 Liverpool-Great Yarmouth)
45115 13:26 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E02 Skegness-Sheffield)
45107 15:05 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E61 Poole-Bradford Interchange)
47152 16:31 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E65 Newquay-Newcastle)
47201 17:29 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E32 Penzance-Leeds)
47543 18:22 Sheffield-Stockport(1M12 Harwich PQ-Blackpool)
47366 19:35 Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly(1M23 Poole-Manchester Piccadilly)
45106 21:18 Bolton-Manchester Victoria(1J27 Edinburgh-Manchester Victoria)

Others noted….
47497 Newcastle-Liverpool

Suspect I set off in hope that 1E85 would be producing a pair of Non ETH 31’s but it wasn’t to be, however the day was a very good one, as 47152 & 47201 was new for haulage and had a number of Peaks. I suspect the fill in Sheffield-Chesterfield gaps involved HST’s but I didn’t log them for haulage then!
Sight wise the klaxons blared as at last something troubled the scorers as 150113 was new for sight, seen at Sheffield.

 

[Cowley]

Fri 11th Sep 87
47289 15:15 Bolton-Manchester Victoria(2J54 Blackpool-Manchester Victoria)
31450 16:38 Manchester Piccadilly-Stockport
31144 17:46 Stockport-Preston(1M26 Nottingham-Blackpool)
45103 22:19 Manchester Piccadilly-Bolton(1M40 Glasgow-Manchester Victoria)

Others noted…
47411 1E19 Liverpool-Newcastle
47474 1J27 Edinburgh-Manchester Vic
47588 1M12 Harwich PQ-Blackpool

After going for 2J54 all week it finally dropped a winner with 47289, was the start of a good night as 31144 was also required, whilst not a winner I was pleased 1M40 dropped 45103 a winner for the year.
Sight wise it was a case of considering in making the scorers redundant as it was nother blank.

In my notes I have 87018 at Preston dragging 87013 so presume 013 had failed.

Sat 12th Sep 87
31417 & 31449 11:34 Oxford Rd-Chesterfield(1E85 Liverpool-Great Yarmouth)
45115 13:26 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E02 Skegness-Sheffield)
45107 15:05 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E61 Poole-Bradford Interchange)
47152 16:31 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E65 Newquay-Newcastle)
47201 17:29 Chesterfield-Sheffield(1E32 Penzance-Leeds)
47543 18:22 Sheffield-Stockport(1M12 Harwich PQ-Blackpool)
47366 19:35 Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly(1M23 Poole-Manchester Piccadilly)
45106 21:18 Bolton-Manchester Victoria(1J27 Edinburgh-Manchester Victoria)

Others noted….
47497 Newcastle-Liverpool

Suspect I set off in hope that 1E85 would be producing a pair of Non ETH 31’s but it wasn’t to be, however the day was a very good one, as 47152 & 47201 was new for haulage and had a number of Peaks. I suspect the fill in Sheffield-Chesterfield gaps involved HST’s but I didn’t log them for haulage then!
Sight wise the klaxons blared as at last something troubled the scorers as 150113 was new for sight, seen at Sheffield.

Some good stuff in there. I think (without digging the books out) that I had 47497 sometime around then. Not long before it was converted to 47717. Great days indeed.

 

[D6130]

WEDNESDAY 13th SEPTEMBER 1978:

After an overnight at my grandparents' on Teesside and a day trip to see relatives in Great Ayton, it was time to set off on an overnight trip to Scotland, kicking-off with a short required Goyle trip on the Sunderland portion of the Newcastle-Kings Cross sleeper:

E50221/56219 Thornaby-Middlesbrough
E51219/50150 Middlesbrough-Great Ayton
E50179/50200 Great Ayton-Middlesbrough
E51441/56376 Middlesbrough-Stockton
31 418 Stockton-Darlington (21 45 Newcastle-Darlington via Sunderland)
47 408 Darlington-Edinburgh (20 00 Kings Cross-Aberdeen)

Consist of 21 45 Newcastle-Darlington: E21096 (Mark 1 BCK), M4848/W4749 (Mark 1 TSO), E2555 (Mark 1 SLS), E2072 (Mark 1 SLF), M80746 (Mark 1 BG) Load 6 VB/DH

Consist of 20 00 Kings Cross-Aberdeen: E2657 (Mark 1 SLS), E2122/2083 (Mark 1 SLF), E2605 (Mark 1 SLS), E4704/4725/4399/5056 (Mark 1 TSO), E15745 (Mark 1 CK), M80551 (Mark 1 BG), S399 (ex-Southern Railway GUV), M80606 (Mark 1 BG). Load 12 VB/SH

SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 1981:

Following my trip to Petersfield, I spent a second night and a day with my friend in London and then overnight back to Glasgow to be in the office by 09 00 Monday morning:

86 229 22 15 Euston-Carlisle (thence to Glasgow Central via Dumfries)

Consist of 22 15 Euston-Glasgow Central: M81174/80736 (Mark 1 BG), M2131 (Mark 1 SLF), M2625/2665 (Mark 1 SLS), M2032 (Mark 1 SLF), M2636
(Mark 1 SLS), M2452 (Mark 1 SLC), M3116 (Mark 1 FO), M25749 (Mark 1 SK), M4998 (Mark 1 TSO), W15930/M15926 (Mark 1 CK), W25580 (Mark 1 SK), M15656 (Mark 1 CK), M81164 (Mark 1 BG). Load 16 VB/DH.

 

[CW2]

Wednesday 13/09/79
47527 1613 York – Selby
47043 1659 Selby – York
This was an hour late, after a loco failure / change at Peterborough.
DMU York – Leeds
I’d got the gen that 40067 had worked into Liverpool from Newcastle, and was returning on the 1710 Liverpool – Newcastle. I got to Leeds and waited, and was delighted to see it come around the curves and into the platform.
I was less delighted when the driver shut it down in the platform, and disappeared into the engine room wielding a fire extinguisher!
Meanwhile, the Nottingham – Carlisle arrived on the adjacent platform, running an hour late, with 37053 in place of the usual Peak. So the 37 was commandeered to shunt off the smouldering 40, and re-engine the Liverpool – Newcastle. OK, it was only an Anglian boilered 37, but still quite a rarity on passenger in these parts:
37053 1906 Leeds – Darlington
47524 2125 Darlington – York

Saturday 13/09/80
Another run with my trolley to IPEX80 at the NEC (and a bit beyond …)
85032 0958 Euston – Birmingham International via Northampton
I was booked on the 0920 Euston - Birmingham International additional, but that was an 86, so I took the Roarer on the 0958 instead. Ahead of us, an 83 working the Kensington – Perth (?) Motorail burst near Weedon. It was assisted in rear forward to Rugby by the 86 on the 0914 additional ex Euston, and re-engined there for an 81. I overtook the whole lot just south of Rugby. The 0920 ex Euston was caught up in the backlog too, so I arrived at Birmingham International ahead of my “booked” train.
I recall that on this train, a passenger who had come from Norway to go to IPEX80 asked me how fast the train was going. My response was to ask him to hang on to my trolley, walk back to the centre of the open coach, drop the window, then lean out and use my stopwatch on the mileposts. I returned, and told him: “87 miles per hour – that’s about 135 kilometres per hour. The speed limit here is 100 mph or 160 kph, but with so many trains on the line today the route is a bit congested.” He was suitably impressed.
87032 1053 Birmingham International – Birmingham New Street, 50’ late. The Clansman.
It being a Summer Saturday there were still a few trains running that didn’t have any buffet service, so I opted to provide one:
47304 1250 Birmingham New Street – Exeter St Davids
47418 1733 Exeter St Davids – Gloucester
45041 1947 Gloucester – Birmingham New Street
86229 2050 Birmingham New Street – Euston

Sunday 13/09/81
After my undignified back-road bail at Crewe, there wasn’t a lot of choice as to trains to cover at that time of the morning. I could only hope the dragging produced something worthwhile:
86313 0104 Crewe – Warrington Bank Quay
47326 (+86313 dead) 01xx Warrington Bank Quay – Preston
This was delayed 55 minutes at Warrington due to a brake pipe defect.
47402 (+86032 dead) 0414 Preston – Crewe via Bolton, Manchester Victoria, Denton Jn, Stockport. 50’ late.
86032 0612 Crewe – Euston via Northampton. 45’ late – no time regained due to 80 mph limited loco.

Tuesday 13/09/83
Once again there is a 40 on the 1710 York – Manchester Victoria, so another visit to the buffet bar at Stalybridge is required:
40033 1710 York – Stalybridge
47428 1904 Stalybridge – Leeds
Unscheduled loco change for:
47419 2001 Leeds – York

Friday 13/09/85
50047 1505 Plymouth – Liskeard
47083 1541 Liskeard – Plymouth
The 1610 Fridays Only Plymouth – Paddington was booked to be worked by a 33, but there was a rumour that this week it would be a Cornish class 37 to get it up to London for the Old Oak Common open day.
Well, the 37 didn’t materialise, but I was perfectly happy to have a decent long fast run with a 33 instead, even if it was only load 4:
33032 1610 Plymouth – Paddington via Westbury
87035 2240 Euston – Crewe

Wednesday 13/09/89
The Kensington Olympia – Clapham Junction shuttle was in the hands of top-and-tail 73s, so I had to give it a go:
73134 + 4TC 8010 + 73112 1703 Kensington Olympia – Clapham Junction
73112 + 4TC 8010 + 73134 1715 Clapham Junction – Kensington Olympia
73134 + 4TC 8010 + 73112 1727 Kensington Olympia – Clapham Junction
EMU 5905 + 5724 Clapham Jn – Waterloo

Friday 13/09/91
47526 0726 Reading – Paddington
EMU Charing Cross – Folkestone Central
The purpose of this visit was to witness (and photograph) the steam specials shuttling up and down the Folkestone Harbour branch, then eventually travel on them too:
34027 (as 34079) + 80080 banker 1830 Folkestone Harbour – Folkestone Junction
80080 + 34027 (as 34079) on rear 1845 Folkestone Junction – Folkestone Harbour
The last run of the day was a through special to Victoria:
34027 (as 34079) + 80080 banker 1945 Folkestone Harbour – Folkestone Junction
73126 2015 Folkestone Junction – Victoria via Ashford, Orpington, Brixton
47446 2220 Paddington – Reading
… and that was the last time I ever travelled on the Folkestone Harbour branch.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 13th September 1986

31282/31102 Warrington C to Man Picc, 1E85 10.45 Lime St to Yarmouth
31439/31326 Man Picc to Warrington C, 1M31 08.15 Yarmouth to Lime St

102 and 326 were required, 439 was required with that number.

This was, in effect, my last day bashing, although it wasn't a conscious decision as such. I carried on recording haulage until 1992 and did one or two line coverage days, but in terms of chasing locos, that was it.

Until summer 2018, but of course there aren't many locos in mainline service now.

 

[Techniquest]

Twas rather a good day wasnt it Mr xot. You werent the only one who needed the 26, heard more than a few folk say the 26 was needed, fair few said both McRats were. I think it's fair to say they drew a crowd. Most trains were chocker all day.
Also was good to meet you too fine Sir.

I was just down the road from you all on Friday, I was on a red pen spree mixed with a bit of cycling in the afternoon. There's a big trip report from last week due, I've still got to sort out the photos and finishing editing the text, but all 6 days will be posted before too long

Sounds like I would have had a decent bit of classic loco action, if I'd realised it was on I might have attended. Alas, another time!

 

[47403]

12th September 1987

47542 Newcastle - Sunderland 2B07
47551 Sunderland - Newcastle 2M41

Same moves as the previous Saturday, which was also a 47/4 for a 47/4.

That's all from me today.

I can almost hear the disappointment
Mr xot, may I ask a question? maybe you might have the answer. North East Summer timetables, Can you remember either the Morning Scarborough or the Yarmouth turn being routed through and round the back by the stabling point out of Tyne Yard?, then slow line to Low Fell and back on the main into Newcastle. I've had a couple do it but cant for the life of me remember what turns they were. I'm guessing they were running late and threw us off the mainline to let the zings through. I'm sure one had a 37 on because the train was chocker block with cranks.

 

[D6130]

Another run with my trolley to IPEX80 at the NEC (and a bit beyond …)

I can remember reading an article in - IIRC Railway World - many years ago about a crank trolley attendant (possibly based at Crewe) who spent a couple of weeks riding up and down in the non-corridor stock on the Wrexham-New Brighton service in the mid-1960s, just to have haulage by all of the remaining Birkenhead-based ex-LMS 2-6-4 tank locos. How he managed to serve any refreshments I do not know....maybe the guards were kept well-supplied with cups of tea! I believe that the same locos were also used on the Birkenhead Woodside-Chester leg of the remaining Birkenhead-Paddington through trains until about 1967, so maybe he had more luck selling food and drink on those?

 

[NorthWestRover]

The most memorable of trolley attendants I can recall was "Tea, coffee, light refreshments" in a sing song voice. Transpennine routes, if I remember correctly.

 

[MDB1images]

Some good stuff in there. I think (without digging the books out) that I had 47497 sometime around then. Not long before it was converted to 47717. Great days indeed.

Looking back it was a great time on the railway scene with lots of loco hauled still to be had and lots of surprises, more fun in the chase, as unless you had Gen(and even then it was far from 100%)most of the time it was going in hope!

 

[MDB1images]

Sun 13th Sep 87
47538 10:14 Bolton-Manchester Victoria(Carlisle-Manchester Victoria)
47489 11:18 Manchester Piccadilly-Stockport(Manchester Piccadilly-London Paddington)
45104 14:10 Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly(1M87 Harwich PQ-Manchester Piccadilly)
45104 15:25 Manchester Piccadilly-Sheffield(1E87 Manchester Piccadilly-Harwich PQ)
31450 17:43 Sheffield-Manchester Piccadilly.

Haulage wise it was a blank day for winners, with the Peaks beginning to thin out I’d decided if possible to get a few more miles behind them when finances allowed so took 45104 to Sheffield, as the No Heat loco winners would be drying up come the winter I’d spend my money riding around on the Class 45’s when finances allowed(Just can’t find the moves books at the moment though!).

 

[AJM580]

13/09/1986​
47605	Norwich	Ipswich	1C01	0534 NORWICH - LIVERPOOL ST
86205	Ipswich	Colchester	1C01	0534 NORWICH - LIVERPOOL ST
309604	Colchester	Liverpool Street		0700 CLACTON - LIVERPOOL ST
309606
309618
47549	Paddington	Reading	1F14	0917 PADDINGTON - OXFORD
47599	Reading	Portsmouth H	1O34	0615 LIVERPOOL LS - PORTSMOUTH
33021	Portsmouth H	Salisbury	1V62	1210 PORTSMOUTH - CARDIFF
50001	Salisbury	Basingstoke	1O14	1220 EXETER SD - WATERLOO
47454	Basingstoke	Reading	1M23	1357 POOLE - MANCHESTER PICC
47473	Reading	Oxford	1M23	1357 POOLE - MANCHESTER PICC
47556	Oxford	Reading	1O11	0715 DUNDEE - POOLE
7772	Reading	Waterloo		1800 READING - WATERLOO
86205	Liverpool Street	Ipswich	1P66	2030 LIVERPOOL ST - NORWICH
47582	Ipswich	Norwich	1P66	2030 LIVERPOOL ST - NORWICH

The reason for todays trip was to take advantage of the Network day ticket which offered pretty much unlimited travel in the NSE area, apart from a few restrictions on travelling into London by Intercity trains, hence the change at Colchester in the morning to purchase said ticket and utilise an NSE train south. 47599 was routed via the connection between Reading mainline and the Southern lines toward Wokingham which was rare track for me. The undoubted highlight was saved for the last move of the day as 47582 was driven by an old pal of mine, who on ascertaining that I was on my own, invited me into the cab for the trip from Ipswich to Norwich. It was great fun seeing the GEML at 90+ from the cab in the dark and I learnt a fair bit about the life of a driver.

 

[xotGD]

Can you remember either the Morning Scarborough or the Yarmouth turn being routed through and round the back by the stabling point out of Tyne Yard?

I did that route once on a summer Saturday, but I can't remember which service it was on. Probably the Scarborough or the Yarmouth, as you suggest. Sorry I can't provide any more useful gen - if only I'd written "via the back of Tyne Yard" in my moves book, the information would be at my finger tips!

The most memorable of trolley attendants I can recall was "Tea, coffee, light refreshments" in a sing song voice. Transpennine routes, if I remember correctly.

I remember a chap in South Wales who kept asking people if they wanted anything from the "lucky trolley". Then if you asked for something you ended up with a "lucky coffee" or a "lucky Kitkat". It got a bit much after a while!

13th September draws a blank from me.

 

[D6130]

THURSDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 1978:

Having arrived in Edinburgh from Darlington overnight on the 20 00 from Kings Cross, 47 408 was changed for 47 270 (now with WCRC at Carnforth) for the continuation to Aberdeen:

47 270 Edinburgh-Aberdeen
SC51785/59680/51794 07 43 Aberdeen-Inverness
47 466 10 35 Inverness-Stirling (Clansman to Euston)
27 032 14 ?? Stirling-Glasgow QS HL (13 38 ex-Dundee)
40 112 16 10 Glasgow Central-Carlisle via Dumfries (continuing to Nottingham via Leeds)
E50564/59049/59380/50589 18 38 Carlisle-Newcastle
47 408 (again!) 20 30 Newcastle-Darlington (continuing to Kings Cross)

Consist of 10 35 Inverness-Euston: M81253, M6062, M6005, M6030, M6175, M5780, M6178, M5787, M1527, M3296, M13489, M14165. Load 12 AB/EH
Consist of 13 38 Dundee-Glasgow QS: SC14001, SC4158, SC4257, SC4196, SC4103. Load 5 VB/SH
Consist of 16 10 Glasgow C-Nottingham: M81094, M4934, M16189, M1864, M16125, M4880, M35308. Load 7 VB/DH
Consist of 20 30 Newcastle-Kings Cross: M80873, M80527, E80364, E80335, E80338, E80319, E80434, E80432, M80580, E4443, M16118, E26199, E4299
Load 13 VB/SH

A grand day out, with 47 466 and 40 112 being required for haulage.

MONDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 1981:

Having arrived overnight at Carlisle behind 86 229 on the previous day's 22 15 ex-Euston, the ill-fated 47 522 took over for the last leg over the G&SW main line:

47 522 Carlisle-Glasgow Central via Dumfries
303 019 Glasgow Central LL-Hyndland
303 025 Hyndland-Glasgow QS LL
303 068 + 039 Glasgow QS LL-Hyndland

 

[CW2]

Thursday 14/09/78
I had a Zone F Bullseye ticket, a zonal ticket centred on Leeds, for commuting between York and Harrogate for college. When I wasn’t needed in college, I could use it for cranking:
47105 1126 York – Leeds
40037 1205 Leeds – York
47422 1413 York – Selby
47404 1500 Selby – York
47404 1613 York – Selby
47209 1659 Selby – York
40037 1733 York – Leeds
46008 1906 Leeds – York

Friday 14/09/79
50009 1436 Plymouth – Exeter St Davids
50030 1604 Exeter St Davids – Penzance
At Penzance there were two class 50s parked separately on the stops. The driver of 50030 was told to multi up whichever two locos he could persuade to work together for the Up Midnight, as all three had faults, and were required back at Laira for repairs. He got 50030 and 50034 to work together, and I was offered a cab ride through to Plymouth, which I accepted from Camborne (after diving back into the train at Penzance for a quick wee!).
50030 + 50034 2135 Penzance – Newton Abbot

Saturday 14/09/85
47497 0204 Crewe – Newport
33021 0548 Newport – Crewe
I had intended alighting at Shrewsbury to cover the 37s on the Cambrian, but I overdossed!
47448 1003 Crewe – Shrewsbury
37181 + 37159 1055 Shrewsbury – Aberystwyth
37159 + 37181 1340 Aberystwyth – Machynlleth
37232 1410 Machynlleth – Aberystwyth
37232 1538 Aberystwyth – Shrewsbury
33030 + 33008 2018 Shrewsbury – Crewe
87030 2117 Crewe – Carlisle
I required 37181 + 37159 and also the pair of 33s in the evening. A fine day out, despite the early overdoss.

 

[xotGD]

I required 37181 + 37159 and also the pair of 33s in the evening. A fine day out, despite the early overdoss.

Anyone based around Shrewsbury in those days was definitely on to a good thing!

 

[xotGD]

14th September 1985

The north east was not as interesting as the Cambrian today:

45114 Newcastle - Durham 1M76
47312 Durham - Newcastle 1N13

14th September 1991

90012 New St - Wolves
87007 Wolves - New St

 

[barrowjack]

14th September 2000

This was the week of the fuel strike in Britain, I was on holiday at Haven Hafan Y Mor with (just about) enough petrol to get home again the following day using the car wasn't an option, so we took the train down the coast to the Talyllyn.

158xxx Penychain- Tywyn
No 6 Tywyn- Nant Gwernol
No 6 Nant Gwernol – Tywyn
158xxx – Tywyn - Penychain

 

[37166]

Monday 14 September 1987

47642 Kettering-Leicester 1P13 1730 London St Pancras-Derby
Then saw Gary Numan at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester
then 150112 back to Kettering - not sure what this would have been on.

Thursday 14 September 1989

08742 Crewe P2 - Crewe P5 5Z84 1142 Crewe - Derby
31162 Crewe - Derby 2P84 1142 Crewe - Derby
31162 Derby - Crewe 2K49 1305 Derby - Crewe
87003 Crewe - Wigan NW S71 0720 Penzance - Glasgow Central
90007 Wigan NW- Crewe 1A30 1436 Carlisle Citadel - London Euston
87023 Crewe - Nuneaton 1A75 1630 Blackpool North - London Euston
DMU Nuneaton - Hinckley # # # - #
20143 Hinckley - Nuneaton 1M22 1757 Skegness - Nuneaton
20130 Hinckley - Nuneaton 1M22 1757 Skegness - Nuneaton
90008 Nuneaton - Crewe 1P26 2050 London Euston - Blackpool

Not a bad day, scored 08742 on a shunt release for BR Blue 31162 to Derby and back, found out about a pair of winning 20's so leapt to Hinckley.

 

[CW2]

Friday 15/09/78
A short leap to Selby and back on the Kings Cross stoppers, hoping for a Deltic or two …
47405 1413 York – Selby
47439 1500 Selby – York
… and getting completely bowled.

Monday 15/09/80
IPEX80 is still in full swing at the NEC, so “Have Trolley, Will Travel”…
85014 0930 Euston – Birmingham International
86228 1134 Birmingham International – Birmingham New Street
86213 1314 Birmingham New Street – Crewe
86222 1606 Crewe – Stafford
86249 1730 Stafford – Birmingham New Street
50034 1821 Birmingham New Street – Coventry
86257 1840 Coventry – Euston
I scored the 85 to start the day well, but after that I got “cannibalized”!

Saturday 15/09/84
Having worked early shift in Glasgow Control, I knew my target …
Mixed DMU (vice 47/7 push pull set) 1430 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
37156 1610 Edinburgh – Carstairs
86318 1633 Carstairs – Glasgow Central

Sunday 15/09/85
After a prolonged overnight fester at Carlisle – in the vain hope that something interesting might produce on the diesel front, as all overnight northbound services were diesel hauled via Beattock on a Sunday morning – I eventually had to settle for an ETH 47 on the 2124 Bristol – Glasgow / Edinburgh, load 15:
47562 0513 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
It was to turn out to be a day of comparatively slim pickings …
47411 0805 Glasgow Central – Carlisle via Dumfries
87018 1041 Carlisle – Penrith
86436 1229 Penrith – Carlisle
47433 1303 Carlisle – Kilmarnock
37075 1516 Kilmarnock – Carlisle
87013 1735 Carlisle – Glasgow Central
37401 2225 Glasgow Queen Street – Stirling

Saturday 15/09/90
47573 0815 Reading – Didcot
4472 0901 Didcot – Derby via Solihull, Saltley
46203 1241 Derby – Sheffield via Toton, Beighton
46203 1520 Sheffield – Derby via Chesterfield
4472 1646 Derby – Didcot via Saltley, Solihull
47573 2030 Didcot – Reading
A rather fine day out. Including the support coach, the load on the steam sections was 13, which was quite enough to cause the locos to work hard on the hillier parts of the route. Scotsman was feeling a bit jaded on the return journey, and struggled a bit.

Monday 15/09/97
43173 + 43177 1715 Paddington – Reading
Just my normal journey home, except there were two distinct differences:
1) This was the first trip I made where both the power cars were re-engined VP185s. Until then on the GW it had been usual practice to have a VP185 on one end and a standard Paxman on the other end.
2) This turned out to be my last ever trip with 43173, as it got destroyed in the Southall collision just 4 days later, on 19th September 1997. (I’d cleared it for 2k+ by then).
One of my colleagues was travelling from Swindon to work at Paddington on the HST that struck the stone train at Southall. Thankfully he was uninjured.

Friday 15/09/00
166 210 21xx Reading – Banbury
The 1915 Manchester Piccadilly – Paddington had been allocated 56032 forward from New Street, so I went to intercept it, eagerly anticipating a fast long run with a 56 …
47814 2203 Banbury – Reading
Not all gen is good gen …

 

[xotGD]

15th September 1984

Gateshead still coming up trumps on the DMU replacement turns:

37219 Sunderland - Newcastle 2B12

15th September 1990

90041 New St - Stoke
86226 Stoke - New St

Must have been a footy trip - Port Vale away.

 

[AJM580]

Sunday 15 Sept 1985

47580 Norwich - Ipswich
86258 Ipswich - Liverpool Street
B120/L430 Paddington - Old Oak Common
210001 Old Oak Common - Paddington
86221 Liverpool Street - Ipswich
47579 Ipswich - Norwich

Trip out for the OOC open day, part of the GW150 celebrations. All the GW green locos were there, arranged around the turntable.

 

[Falcon1200]

Thursday 15th September 1983

50004 and 50025 0918 Didcot-Paddington (to Reading) - Another double-header on this train tomorrow (minus 38 years) !
47243 1610 Paddington-Oxford (from Reading)

 

[NorthWestRover]

Monday 15th September 1986

87033 WBQ to Euston, 1M?? 13.10 Glasgow to Euston
EMU Victoria to Dover Western Docks, Boat Train

Start of my year abroad as part of my degree.

 

[Harvester]

Saturday 16th September 1989

A trip from Nottingham to Doncaster, out via Lincoln.

154 002 (150 002?) Nottingham-Lincoln
31405 12:00 Lincoln-Doncaster (Skegness-Newcastle)
43068+91004 13:43 Doncaster-Newark NG (Leeds-Kings Cross)

The latter was a rake of Mk3 coaches with 43068 being used as a surrogate DVT. These formations were in use for about a year IIRC to utilise the first batch of class 91s (001-010), prior to Mk4 stock entering service.

I can’t remember whether the power car was being used in idling mode, as they did when initially used in these formations, or being used on full power which eventually became the norm. I must have been sitting in the rear (91 end) that day.

Walked Newark NG to Newark Castle
150108 Newark Castle-Nottingham

 

[CW2]

Saturday 16/09/78
55009 1413 York – Selby
The plan now was to pick up the usual massive 37 or coal-stained 40 on the Yarmouth – Newcastle:
47274 1441 Selby – York
Well that was a pretty intense let-down, a common boilered 47. Then it all turned upside down as a Yarmouth – Newcastle relief was announced:
37033 15xx York – Darlington
47410 1632 Darlington – York
This activated the hot box detector at Tollerton, just north of York, so came forward at reduced speed to York station where it was replaced by 47069.
55013 1816 York – Selby
55022 1852 Selby – York

Tuesday 16/09/80
Another trip to IPEX80 – and for once I stick pretty much to diagram. I chose my northbound train with care:
83013 0939 Euston – Birmingham International
86217 1134 Birmingham International – Birmingham New Street
47492 1438 Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International
83013 1555 Birmingham International – Euston
I required 83013, and was happy to do a round trip with it. I never had it again after this day.

Monday 16/09/85
After staying at a mate’s flat in Stirling, I had to head back to work …
47708 0803 Stirling – Glasgow Queen Street

Saturday 16/09/89
After working a night shift at Paddington, I was up and about early:
31462 0600 Paddington – Stafford via Coventry, Birmingham New Street
I required the 31.
87002 0952 Stafford – Euston
Then after some doss in my digs, time to head for Crewe:
86410 1705 Euston – Crewe

Sunday 16/09/90
A family trip to Scotland:
43161 + 43148 2026 Reading – Paddington
87034 2155 Euston – Carstairs via Birmingham New Street

 

[Falcon1200]

Friday 16th September 1983

47478 and 50042 0918 Didcot-Paddington (to Reading)
50008 1707 Paddington-Hereford (Reading-Oxford)

 

[Peter Sarf]

Saturday 16th September 1989

A trip from Nottingham to Doncaster, out via Lincoln.

154 002 (150 002?) Nottingham-Lincoln
31405 12:00 Lincoln-Doncaster (Skegness-Newcastle)
43068+91004 13:43 Doncaster-Newark NG (Leeds-Kings Cross)

The latter was a rake of Mk3 coaches with 43068 being used as a surrogate DVT. These formations were in use for about a year IIRC to utilise the first batch of class 91s (001-010), prior to Mk4 stock entering service.

I can’t remember whether the power car was being used in idling mode, as they did when initially used in these formations, or being used on full power which eventually became the norm. I must have been sitting in the rear (91 end) that day.

Walked Newark NG to Newark Castle
150108 Newark Castle-Nottingham

I found out the 154s were prototype sprinters and must have got re-numbered to 150s. Think they were re-numbered when their transmission was changed. I seem to recall the 151s were the prototype Metrocammel version of the 150s ?. Two of each of them (151 & 154) were built iirc around the same time and ran as three car and sometimes formed as 2-car.

Found this (NOT SECURE btw)which fits in with what I recall except I really did not think they were 154 for so long.

 

[xotGD]

87002 0952 Stafford – Euston
Then after some doss in my digs, time to head for Crewe:
86410 1705 Euston – Crewe

You're in Stafford. You want to end up in Crewe. Obviously you go to Euston first!

 

[CW2]

You're in Stafford. You want to end up in Crewe. Obviously you go to Euston first!

My life in a single quote