Back in the day...

[xotGD]

56056 1333 Cambridge – Kings Lynn
37196 + 37218 1443 Kings Lynn – Cambridge, 1618 Cambridge – Kings Lynn
73103 + 73129 1720 Kings Lynn – Cambridge

Dreadful!

 

[xotGD]

29th September 1984

37191 Newcastle - Durham 1F91
45001 Durham - Newcastle 1E94
47521 Newcastle - Durham 1E36
47203 Durham - Newcastle 1N13

29th September 1989

87006 Carlisle - New St

29th September 1990

47851 New St - Bristol TM
47555 Bristol TM - New St

In between the two Duffs was Bristol City 1 Newcastle 0. So not the greatest day, all things considered!

 

[xotGD]

Time for some more photos...

Grids - Part 1: In the North East

I've never been that fussed about Class 56s. For one thing, they replaced pairs of 37s on MGRs in the North East, and we would get the same few Gateshead allocated locos coming through the Central every day. But that didn't stop me from pointing my camera in their direction, so here is a selection of Grids around my home patch.

First up, 56095 passes Heworth on the 'Jarrow Tanks", 22nd July 1986.




The same working on 5th August produced 56060, seen at Felling.



Six days later, and one of the regulars, 56130 at East Boldon on an MGR.



Across the river, and 56005 visited Newcastle on a Nedex on 22nd August 1987.



Gateshead's 56134 working something other than an MGR for a change. Seen here at the Metrocentre on 24th March 1988.



Slightly to the west of the previous shot, 56121 on an MGR, 20th July 1988.



With the Keep and Tyne Bridge in the background, 56126 approaches Newcastle on an MGR working, 14th July 1989.



Next, a couple of shots at Pelaw taken on 6th April 1994. First, 56135 comes off the Leamside Line (as was) with a loaded MGR.



With 56135's train visible on the left, 56102 heads the other way. I was then able to catch a Metro to Felling for another shot of 56135 (but I'll spare you that one).



Into the EWS era, and 56059 heads through Newcastle on yet another MGR on 6th August 1998.



That's all for now.

 

[Peter Sarf]

.........

Friday 29/09/95
43151 + 43147 0716 Reading – Bristol Parkway
47825 0826 Bristol Parkway – Taunton
Bus Taunton to Bishops Lydeard
1010 + 1041 1025 Bishops Lydeard – Williton
45108 (running as 120) 1100 Williton – Crowcombe
832 1120 Crowcombe – Minehead
40145 1305 Minehead – Bishops Lydeard
50049 1420 Bishops Lydeard – Minehead
7017 1535 Minehead – Crowcombe
1041 1641 Crowcombe – Blue Anchor
50149 1725 Blue Anchor – Bishops Lydeard
Bus Bishops Lydeard – Taunton
43150 + 43009 2004 Taunton – Reading

Is that the same class 50 (my bold) in two different guises ?. I did a double take but I seem to recall some loco did end up with two different liveries - one on each side.

 

[AJM580]

Prompted by CW2's post, here's my offering from Cambridge Gala Day 29/09/90

156407 Norwich - Ely (0651 Norwich - Liverpool LS)
53231 + 54050 Ely - Cambridge (0630 Oakham - Cambridge)
37354 Ely - Kings Lynn (0908 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)*
37354 top'n'tail 37196 Kings Lynn - Middleton Towers & return (1030 Kings Lynn - Kings Lynn via Middleton)*
56065 Kings Lynn - Ely (1148 Kings Lynn - Cambridge)*
37218 Ely - Kings Lynn (1215 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)*
73103 + 73129 Kings Lynn - Cambridge (1319 Kings Lynn - Cambridge)*
20004 + 20047 Cambridge - Fen Drayton (1530 Cambridge - Fen Drayton)*
20004 + 20047 Fen Drayton - Cambridge (1630 Fen Drayton - Cambridge)*
08631 + steam loco "Thomas" top'n'tail on a shuttle down the line to Cambridge South Yard & return *
56065 Cambridge - Ely (1740 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)
156421 Ely - Peterborough (1838 Cambridge - Liverpool LS)
31418 + 31450 Peterborough - Norwich via Ely West curve (1700 Liverpool LS - Norwich)

* Gala day specials formed of 310 units apart from the 08/kettle shuttle which was a 3 car 101 set

There were static exhibits at both Cambridge & Kings Lynn. At Cambridge were D306, 47462, 47975, D1013, 55015, 58032, 59003, 60024 plus some departmental units. At Kings Lynn were 31541, 37711, 45133, 47205 & 73133.

The following Saturday would see D1013, D306, 45133 & 55015 in action at the Nene Valley Diesel gala.

 

[CW2]

Prompted by CW2's post, here's my offering from Cambridge Gala Day 29/09/90

156407 Norwich - Ely (0651 Norwich - Liverpool LS)
53231 + 54050 Ely - Cambridge (0630 Oakham - Cambridge)
37354 Ely - Kings Lynn (0908 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)*
37354 top'n'tail 37196 Kings Lynn - Middleton Towers & return (1030 Kings Lynn - Kings Lynn via Middleton)*
56065 Kings Lynn - Ely (1148 Kings Lynn - Cambridge)*
37218 Ely - Kings Lynn (1215 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)*
73103 + 73129 Kings Lynn - Cambridge (1319 Kings Lynn - Cambridge)*
20004 + 20047 Cambridge - Fen Drayton (1530 Cambridge - Fen Drayton)*
20004 + 20047 Fen Drayton - Cambridge (1630 Fen Drayton - Cambridge)*
08631 + steam loco "Thomas" top'n'tail on a shuttle down the line to Cambridge South Yard & return *
56065 Cambridge - Ely (1740 Cambridge - Kings Lynn)
156421 Ely - Peterborough (1838 Cambridge - Liverpool LS)
31418 + 31450 Peterborough - Norwich via Ely West curve (1700 Liverpool LS - Norwich)

* Gala day specials formed of 310 units apart from the 08/kettle shuttle which was a 3 car 101 set

There were static exhibits at both Cambridge & Kings Lynn. At Cambridge were D306, 47462, 47975, D1013, 55015, 58032, 59003, 60024 plus some departmental units. At Kings Lynn were 31541, 37711, 45133, 47205 & 73133.

The following Saturday would see D1013, D306, 45133 & 55015 in action at the Nene Valley Diesel gala.

Wow, that's a pretty awesome selection of moves. It reminds me just how much was going on that day. I never did Middleton Towers.

 

[Techniquest]

Wow, that's a pretty awesome selection of moves. It reminds me just how much was going on that day. I never did Middleton Towers.

You really aren't missing much. I don't know how far the trains would have gone in those days but when I went in October 2006 (good grief, almost 15 years since Pathfinder's The Sandblower tour!) you couldn't see much at all. That tour only got to the gate, unsurprisingly, but it's not an interesting line anyway. It can't be that interesting, as it doesn't seem to feature on tours very often!

 

[AJM580]

You really aren't missing much. I don't know how far the trains would have gone in those days but when I went in October 2006 (good grief, almost 15 years since Pathfinder's The Sandblower tour!) you couldn't see much at all. That tour only got to the gate, unsurprisingly, but it's not an interesting line anyway. It can't be that interesting, as it doesn't seem to feature on tours very often!

Don't remember much of the line, but doing a pair of rateable 37s wasn't to be sniffed at whatever the scenic merits of the journey. For me the traction out that day was the undoubted highlight. Far more interesting than the modern railway

 

[Techniquest]

Don't remember much of the line, but doing a pair of rateable 37s wasn't to be sniffed at whatever the scenic merits of the journey. For me the traction out that day was the undoubted highlight. Far more interesting than the modern railway

No doubt, it was a very different time. Mind you, a pair of 20s or a pair of 37s would be a tough call

 

[AJM580]

No doubt, it was a very different time. Mind you, a pair of 20s or a pair of 37s would be a tough call

That's why I did both!!

 

[CW2]

Is that the same class 50 (my bold) in two different guises ?. I did a double take but I seem to recall some loco did end up with two different liveries - one on each side.

My mistake, transcription error: it was the same loco running as 50149, but I recorded it is my database at 50049 to help keep it in sync with other runs I'd had with it previously as 50049.

 

[Techniquest]

That's why I did both!!

Fair enough, good call. I do miss the older stuff like 37s, they certainly made the mid-2000s (when I arrived at the hobby) railway scene more varied, but by cripes when I watch videos from that era I have to confess I'd forgot just how bad for the environment the older stuff was!

That includes HSTs pre-MTU days, wow they chucked some enormous amount of exhaust out! So as much as the scene 16 years ago (wow it's been that long!) was more entertaining, I don't miss the exhaust fumes! It is duller these days, there is no question of it, on the railway but it is what it is.

 

[CW2]

Tuesday 30/09/80
55005 2015 Kings Cross – York
(Wednesday 01/10/80)
55009 0105 York – Kings Cross
This looks like a very successful overnight – but it could have been even better. Whilst I waited at York, 40074 arrived on the Newcastle – Kings Cross sleepers only, which attached a Leeds seats + sleepers portion at Doncaster. I hoped to catch up with it on 55009, but unfortunately we were held for 5 minutes outside Doncaster until after 40074 had departed. The platform on the other side of the island was unoccupied, so we could have used that (and made the minus connection), but it wasn’t to be.

Sunday 30/09/84
A Sunday afternoon trip to Stranraer with one of Motherwell’s finest 37s:
37156 1520 Glasgow Central – Stranraer via Kilmarnock
37156 1835 Stranraer – Glasgow Central
Then an overnight:
47706 2200 Glasgow Queen Street – Haymarket via Grahamston
47541 2310 Haymarket – Perth via Stirling

Friday 30/09/88
Heading back south with my family and Polish friends:
47549 1010 Inverness – Glasgow Queen Street
86224 1620 Glasgow Central – Carlisle
… and so to a B&B in Carlisle.

Saturday 30/09/95 – Second day of WSR gala
7017 0920 Bishops Lydeard – Blue Anchor
1010 1014 Blue Anchor – Crowcombe
832 1100 Crowcombe – Minehead
50149 1210 Minehead – Norton Fitzwarren
40145 1350 Norton Fitzwarren – Blue Anchor (+50149 dead on rear)
1010 + 1041 1517 Blue Anchor – Bishops Lydeard
Bus to Taunton
43143 + 43135 1700 Taunton – Reading

 

[Peter Sarf]

My mistake, transcription error: it was the same loco running as 50149, but I recorded it is my database at 50049 to help keep it in sync with other runs I'd had with it previously as 50049.

Yes changing the identity of things does cause confusion when trying to keep tabs. Need another complexity added to the database - another many to one relationship with date and new id in its key !.

Fair enough, good call. I do miss the older stuff like 37s, they certainly made the mid-2000s (when I arrived at the hobby) railway scene more varied, but by cripes when I watch videos from that era I have to confess I'd forgot just how bad for the environment the older stuff was!

That includes HSTs pre-MTU days, wow they chucked some enormous amount of exhaust out! So as much as the scene 16 years ago (wow it's been that long!) was more entertaining, I don't miss the exhaust fumes! It is duller these days, there is no question of it, on the railway but it is what it is.

Have to bear in mind the smoke was visibly dirty in those days BUT the smaller invisible particles are the most harmful and may well still be emitted. So its not necessarily real progress. All those visits I made to Birmingham New Street - ah I can still smell it now !.

 

[Techniquest]

Have to bear in mind the smoke was visibly dirty in those days BUT the smaller invisible particles are the most harmful and may well still be emitted. So its not necessarily real progress. All those visits I made to Birmingham New Street - ah I can still smell it now !.

Yes you are of course correct, it's not as if it's all rosy these days. There is still progress to be made, but it's certainly better than it was!

 

[xotGD]

30th September 1989

Faffing about in the West Midlands either side of a run on the Cambrian

90013, 86426, 90017, 47527, then

37427+37429 Shrewsbury - Welshpool
37431 Welshpool - Wolverhampton

Followed by 90028, 86204, 90005, 86247, 90009, 85004, 85038, 86434

Nice to get a couple of Roarers late in the day.

30th September 1990

West Midlands again with

86236, 90033, 90016, 47810, 85018, 87023, 87026, 90018

Just the one 85 today.

 

[Cowley]

30th September 1989

Faffing about in the West Midlands either side of a run on the Cambrian

90013, 86426, 90017, 47527, then

37427+37429 Shrewsbury - Welshpool
37431 Welshpool - Wolverhampton

Followed by 90028, 86204, 90005, 86247, 90009, 85004, 85038, 86434

Nice to get a couple of Roarers late in the day.

30th September 1990

West Midlands again with

86236, 90033, 90016, 47810, 85018, 87023, 87026, 90018

Just the one 85 today.

@xotGD - Would these have run to Aberystwyth or Pwllheli after you left the train? Is that quite late in the year to have loco hauled stuff on the Cambrian, I thought it was summer only and then DMUs the rest of the time?
Still kick myself that I didn’t do one of those turns back then.

 

[xotGD]

@xotGD - Would these have run to Aberystwyth or Pwllheli after you left the train? Is that quite late in the year to have loco hauled stuff on the Cambrian, I thought it was summer only and then DMUs the rest of the time?
Still kick myself that I didn’t do one of those turns back then.

Summer lasted until the timetable change back then. So it could be a bit chilly when no-heat locos were still being chucked out.

On that day, the pair of 37s went to Aberystwyth while 431 had come from Pwllheli. 37426 was also in action, doing a trip to Pwllheli and back. And 37298 worked from New St to Shrewsbury when I was still in bed!

All gen available from class37.co.uk

 

[Cowley]

Summer lasted until the timetable change back then. So it could be a bit chilly when no-heat locos were still being chucked out.

On that day, the pair of 37s went to Aberystwyth while 431 had come from Pwllheli. 37426 was also in action, doing a trip to Pwllheli and back. And 37298 worked from New St to Shrewsbury when I was still in bed!

All gen available from class37.co.uk

Amazing times.

 

[xotGD]

Amazing times.

And I was a bit miffed because I only had 37/4s !

 

[CW2]

And I was a bit miffed because I only had 37/4s !

I only ever went to Pwllheli once with a 37. It was nice to do once, but it seemed an awfully long day out.
I wasn't around much for the summer(s) when they had Buxton 37/6s on the trains. That was quite a bizarre time.
When I was at Crewe I persuaded the family on a day out on a couple of occasions, 37/4 to Shrewsbury for a 37/0 to Minfford for the Ffestiniog to Blaenau, DMU to the Junction, and Duff home. There was enough scenery and pauses for eating opportunities to keep the kids entertained, and a bit of 37 thrash for me (oh, and a kettle as well).

 

[Cowley]

And I was a bit miffed because I only had 37/4s !

You’d take a 37/4 or three now though wouldn’t you.

 

[D6130]

Apologies for once again being a wee bit wide of the mark with the exact dates, but I'm currently holed-up (in the nicest possible way!) in rural Tuscany, without a regular Wi-Fi connection. However, I've found a bar in a neighbouring village which has a good connection so - emboldened by a large bottle of German wheat beer - I've decided to regale you with my adventures in Ireland on a week in September 1981, when I had the privilege of being granted a CIE all-line footplate permit to accompany my BR staff passes. The week culminated in a friend's wedding in Wexford, from which I needed most of the following day to recover....as well as giving my ears and brain a break from the roar of General Motors-EMD engines! I based myself in Bray for the week, where I was able to stay with friends.

FRIDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 00 Stranraer Harbour-Larne Harbour "Ailsa Princess" (having arrived on the previous night's 22 00 ex-Glasgow Central for an overnight cabin in port!)
09 40 Larne Harbour-Belfast York Road: 75+726+701
Bus: Belfast York Road-Belfast Central
14 30 Belfast Central-Dublin Connolly: 112
16 55 Dublin Connolly-Bray: 208

SATURDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 1981:

RRB Bray-Dublin Connolly (DART electrification works in progress)
13 30 Dublin Connolly-Sligo: 174+133
18 00 Sligo-Dublin Connolly: 133+174
RRB Dublin Connolly-Bray

SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 1981:

10 15 Dublin Connolly-Rosslare Harbour (starting from Bray due to engineering works): 131+132 Bray-Wicklow
09 15 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly (terminating at Bray due to engineering works): 128+ 127 Wicklow-Bray
.....followed by my friend's stag night, about which the least said the better!

MONDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 1981:

I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed for:
08 23 Greystones-Howth: 226 Bray-Dublin Connolly
10 25 Dublin Heuston-Cork: 075
15 20 Cork-Cobh: 155
16 35 Cobh-Cork: 155
17 40 Cork-Dublin Heuston: 074
Bus: Dublin-Bray

TUESDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 22 Bray-Dundalk: 216 Bray-Dublin Connolly
08 50 Dublin Heuston-Tralee: 074
13 50 Tralee-Dublin Heuston: 074
18 42 Howth-Bray: 226 Dublin Connolly-Bray

WEDNESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 1981:

08 23 Greystones-Howth: 173 Bray-Tara Street
10 25 Dublin Heuston-Cork: 072 Dublin Heuston-Ballybrophy
12 50 Ballybrophy-Limerick: 144
15 10 Limerick-Limerick Junction: 028
14 50 Cork-Dublin Heuston: 072 Limerick Junction-Dublin Heuston
18 42 Howth-Bray: 209

THURSDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 1981:

09 16 Bray-Dublin Connolly: 230
10 55 Dublin Heuston-Galway: 072
15 10 Galway-Dublin Heuston: 072
18 12 Howth-Greystones: 007

FRIDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 35 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 083 Bray-Dublin Connolly
11 30 Dublin Heuston-Waterford: 074
16 45 Waterford-Rosslare Harbour: 150 Waterford-Rosslare Strand
17 45 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 134+135 Rosslare Strand-Bray

SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1981:

The day of the wedding....the happy couple and their children and grandchildren have just celebrated their Ruby Anniversary!

Car: Bray-Wexford

SUNDAY 27th SEPTEMBER 1981:

The wedding needed more time to recover from than the stag night nearly a week earlier! (If you've ever been to an Irish wedding, you'll know what I mean!)
17 45 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 174+133 Wexford-Bray

MONDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 1981:

09 16 Bray-Dublin Connolly: 225
10 30 Dublin Connolly-Belfast Central: 111
Bus: Belfast Central-Belfast York Road
14 20 Belfast York Road-Larne Harbour: 701+726+725
15 45 Larne Harbour-Stranraer Harbour: "Galloway Princess"
18 35 Stranraer Harbour-Glasgow Central: SC51038/59391/51023/51021/59411/51032
21 xx Glasgow Central LL-Hyndland: 303 022

TUESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER 1981:

Back to my normal work routine:

07 47 Helensburgh Central-Airdrie: 303 043+058 Hyndland-Glasgow Queen Street LL
18 23 Glasgow Queen Street HL-Oban: 37 043 Glasgow QS-Garelochhead (Consist: SC4763/4752/4053/4040 (Mark 1 TSO), SC14040 (Mark 2 BFK)

As you can see, certain locos haunted me in Ireland....particularly 072 and 074. I was fortunate enough to be granted two further footplate permits over the next couple of years, which enabled me to finish-off the rest of the CIE passenger network - and one or two freight lines - from the front end. In case you're wondering, I photographed the relevant pages from my notebooks prior to coming over to Italy, so I can see a few more visits to this bar in the near future. Watch this space!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Apologies for once again being a wee bit wide of the mark with the exact dates, but I'm currently holed-up (in the nicest possible way!) in rural Tuscany, without a regular Wi-Fi connection. However, I've found a bar in a neighbouring village which has a good connection so - emboldened by a large bottle of German wheat beer - I've decided to regale you with my adventures in Ireland on a week in September 1981, when I had the privilege of being granted a CIE all-line footplate permit to accompany my BR staff passes. The week culminated in a friend's wedding in Wexford, from which I needed most of the following day to recover....as well as giving my ears and brain a break from the roar of General Motors-EMD engines! I based myself in Bray for the week, where I was able to stay with friends.

FRIDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 00 Stranraer Harbour-Larne Harbour "Ailsa Princess" (having arrived on the previous night's 22 00 ex-Glasgow Central for an overnight cabin in port!)
09 40 Larne Harbour-Belfast York Road: 75+726+701
Bus: Belfast York Road-Belfast Central
14 30 Belfast Central-Dublin Connolly: 112
16 55 Dublin Connolly-Bray: 208

SATURDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 1981:

RRB Bray-Dublin Connolly (DART electrification works in progress)
13 30 Dublin Connolly-Sligo: 174+133
18 00 Sligo-Dublin Connolly: 133+174
RRB Dublin Connolly-Bray

SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 1981:

10 15 Dublin Connolly-Rosslare Harbour (starting from Bray due to engineering works): 131+132 Bray-Wicklow
09 15 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly (terminating at Bray due to engineering works): 128+ 127 Wicklow-Bray
.....followed by my friend's stag night, about which the least said the better!

MONDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 1981:

I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed for:
08 23 Greystones-Howth: 226 Bray-Dublin Connolly
10 25 Dublin Heuston-Cork: 075
15 20 Cork-Cobh: 155
16 35 Cobh-Cork: 155
17 40 Cork-Dublin Heuston: 074
Bus: Dublin-Bray

TUESDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 22 Bray-Dundalk: 216 Bray-Dublin Connolly
08 50 Dublin Heuston-Tralee: 074
13 50 Tralee-Dublin Heuston: 074
18 42 Howth-Bray: 226 Dublin Connolly-Bray

WEDNESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 1981:

08 23 Greystones-Howth: 173 Bray-Tara Street
10 25 Dublin Heuston-Cork: 072 Dublin Heuston-Ballybrophy
12 50 Ballybrophy-Limerick: 144
15 10 Limerick-Limerick Junction: 028
14 50 Cork-Dublin Heuston: 072 Limerick Junction-Dublin Heuston
18 42 Howth-Bray: 209

THURSDAY 24th SEPTEMBER 1981:

09 16 Bray-Dublin Connolly: 230
10 55 Dublin Heuston-Galway: 072
15 10 Galway-Dublin Heuston: 072
18 12 Howth-Greystones: 007

FRIDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 1981:

07 35 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 083 Bray-Dublin Connolly
11 30 Dublin Heuston-Waterford: 074
16 45 Waterford-Rosslare Harbour: 150 Waterford-Rosslare Strand
17 45 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 134+135 Rosslare Strand-Bray

SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1981:

The day of the wedding....the happy couple and their children and grandchildren have just celebrated their Ruby Anniversary!

Car: Bray-Wexford

SUNDAY 27th SEPTEMBER 1981:

The wedding needed more time to recover from than the stag night nearly a week earlier! (If you've ever been to an Irish wedding, you'll know what I mean!)
17 45 Rosslare Harbour-Dublin Connolly: 174+133 Wexford-Bray

MONDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 1981:

09 16 Bray-Dublin Connolly: 225
10 30 Dublin Connolly-Belfast Central: 111
Bus: Belfast Central-Belfast York Road
14 20 Belfast York Road-Larne Harbour: 701+726+725
15 45 Larne Harbour-Stranraer Harbour: "Galloway Princess"
18 35 Stranraer Harbour-Glasgow Central: SC51038/59391/51023/51021/59411/51032
21 xx Glasgow Central LL-Hyndland: 303 022

TUESDAY 29th SEPTEMBER 1981:

Back to my normal work routine:

07 47 Helensburgh Central-Airdrie: 303 043+058 Hyndland-Glasgow Queen Street LL
18 23 Glasgow Queen Street HL-Oban: 37 043 Glasgow QS-Garelochhead (Consist: SC4763/4752/4053/4040 (Mark 1 TSO), SC14040 (Mark 2 BFK)

As you can see, certain locos haunted me in Ireland....particularly 072 and 074. I was fortunate enough to be granted two further footplate permits over the next couple of years, which enabled me to finish-off the rest of the CIE passenger network - and one or two freight lines - from the front end. In case you're wondering, I photographed the relevant pages from my notebooks prior to coming over to Italy, so I can see a few more visits to this bar in the near future. Watch this space!

You are in a bar ?. Good to see you have still not needed to learn "that" lesson !.

 

[CW2]

Saturday 01/10/83
See post #481 much earlier in this thread.

Monday 01/10/84
27008 0125 Perth – Aberdeen
This train started from the south-facing bay in Perth station, for ease of transfer of newspapers off the Edinburgh + Glasgow to Inverness portions on the adjacent through platform. It propelled out to the south, then took the Dundee lines running non-stop through the platform road.
27032 0447 Aberdeen – Keith
47464 0612 Keith – Dundee
27056 0928 Dundee – Edinburgh
47702 1130 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street
… and back to work!

Saturday 01/10/88
After an overnight at Carlisle with family + Polish friends, it’s time to head home to Crewe, via the scenic route:
DMU 51526 + 51465 + 53955 + 54262 0941 Carlisle – Keighley
5820 (steam loco) 1315 Keighley – Oxenhope
5820 1355 Oxenhope – Haworth
5820 1526 Haworth – Keighley
DMU Keighley – Leeds, DMU Leeds – Warrington Bank Quay
90011 1845 Warrington Bank Quay – Crewe

Sunday 01/10/89
87001 1911 Crewe – Euston

Saturday 01/10/94
91002 0800 Kings Cross – Edinburgh
I clocked this at 132 mph going UP Stoke bank!
60532 “Blue Peter” 1408 Edinburgh – MP65.75 (Durham Viaduct)
47760 2059 MP65.75 – Durham
91010 2059 Durham – York, 40’ late.
An eventful – and rather sad – day out. 60532 was supposed to be working Edinburgh to York. By the time we reached Durham it was late evening, there was dew on the rails, and I felt nervous of our prospects of restarting from the stand at Durham, on the curving climb over the viaduct. I quote from https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/60532-blue-peter/

During an unscheduled stop at Durham station the inexperienced footplate crew overfilled the boiler. As the train departed south across Durham viaduct an initial slip was poorly controlled by the driver, who then reopened the regulator too early, probably worried about stalling on the bank up to Relly Mill. The force of the initial slip caused the boiler to prime, carrying water over into the regulator valve and jamming it open. This allowed passage of steam through to the cylinders, perpetuating the slip and accelerating the driving wheels. When the driver attempted to wind the reversing gear back into mid-position to halt the slip, the force of the motion spun it into full-forward position, and the driving wheels reached a rotational speed of 140 miles per hour before the cylinder heads blew off and the motion disintegrated.

The driver suffered major injury to his arms, as a result of the screw reversing lever whipping around when he released it. The accident brought to light the importance of train crews being trained on the specific locomotives they were driving, rather than simply a common general instruction on steam locomotives. Neither the driver or fireman had ever worked 60532 before, and were unaware of the locomotive’s sensitivity to priming, which led to the accident.

After some delay a 47 was summoned to haul us back into the platform, and the train was terminated. I made my way south to York, and booked a hotel for the night.

 

[barrowjack]

01/10/2003
On holiday in Prestatyn for the Autumn Snooker festival. By the Wednesday I had been knocked out of all the competitions so a little out and back to Bangor was called for.

47732 Prestatyn - Bangor, unknown unit back

 

[Harvester]

Sunday 1st October 1989

Posts are a bit sparse today, so will add this:

43048+43109 16:36 Darlington-Doncaster
47819 18:07 Doncaster-Derby
150105 19:20 Derby-Beeston

 

[Far north 37]

Wednesday 27/09/78
45011 0915 Leeds – Carlisle – 20’ late ex Leeds due to burst vacuum pipe.
86234 1203 Carlisle – Carstairs
47525 1359 Carstairs – Haymarket
47018 1449 Haymarket – Dundee
47269 1700 Dundee – Glasgow Queen Street – 50’ late due to points failure
27203 + 27206 1930 Glasgow Queen Street – Edinburgh
55012 2020 Edinburgh – York
I think this must have been some sort of cheap promotional round trip day ticket, which (as usual) I stretched to the limits of its validity.

Thursday 27/09/79
I had to go to Manchester Victoria to pick up the last wages from my summer job, so once there I kept an eye open for any 40s working:
47427 1247 York – Manchester Victoria
40171 1745 Manchester Victoria – Kirkham & Wesham
47069 1858 Kirkham & Wesham – Preston
40163 1928 Preston – Manchester Victoria
46049 2125 Manchester Victoria – York

Sunday 27/09/81
Having arrived in Edinburgh behind a Deltic all the way from Kings Cross via every possible diversionary route, I stepped straight onto another Deltic:
55018 1125 Edinburgh – Dunbar
This was the through train to Plymouth, and the Deltic would work as far as York. I could have stuck with it, but instead hoped I might pick up a class 40 working or two in Scotland. It wasn’t to be my lucky day …
43084 + 43xxx 1236 Dunbar – Edinburgh
47705 1400 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street
Having discovered there were no 40s to be had, I headed across to Glasgow Central for the 1515 to Nottingham, knowing that was a good bet for a roarer:
85033 1515 Glasgow Central – Carlisle
This was delayed a full hour sitting in the middle of a field somewhere south of Lockerbie, awaiting an engineering possession being given up. Apparently the Person In Charge had gone home without giving up the possession correctly.
83012 1807 Carlisle – Crewe – at least I dropped straight onto another big required roarer.
86243 2053 Crewe – Euston

Thursday 27/09/84
Another little after-work leap on the G&SW:
25035 1545 Glasgow Central – Dumfries
26037 1819 Dumfries – Glasgow Central

Tuesday 27/09/88 – a day of perfect balance.
Together with my Polish guests, we travelled to York for a trip to the NRM and general sightseeing:
37431 0840 Crewe – Stockport
DMU 51424 + 54232 Stockport – Stalybridge
47434 1000 Stalybridge – York
… and then all the same in reverse order
47434 1545 York – Stalybridge
DMU 51424 + 54232 Stalybridge – Stockport
37431 1827 Stockport – Crewe
I don’t think I’ve had any other mirror-image days like this.

Wednesday 27/09/89
90025 1630 Euston – Crewe (See also next entry).

Friday 27/09/91
90025 1530 Liverpool Street – Norwich
90025 1805 Norwich – Liverpool Street
My return journey was delayed 85 minutes due to signal failures Colchester – Witham.
Also I noted the 1555 Liverpool Street – Norwich arriving 25’ late behind required 90135, with failed 86237 dead on the rear. Seemingly the 1305 ex Norwich had failed at Witham, and the return working (1555 ex Liverpool Street) had only run from there. I assume 90135 didn’t work back, as otherwise I would have had it in place of 90025.

Sunday 27/09/92
DMU Reading – Ealing Broadway
5029 1142 Ealing Broadway – Stratford upon Avon via Greenford, High Wycombe
5029 1830 Stratford upon Avon – Ealing Broadway via High Wycombe, Greenford
DMU Ealing Broadway – Paddington
43146 + 43129 2355 Paddington – Reading

Did class 90/1's not have there eth isolated?

 

[NorthWestRover]

Saturday 2nd October 1982

25245 Colwyn Bay to Chester.

Google tells me this was on 1J66 09.44 Llandudno to Manchester. I imagine I therefore took The Bangor from Warrington to pick it up. That was 40106. There were a couple more 40s out on the Coast on this day.

 

[CW2]

Did class 90/1's not have there eth isolated?

I think so - which would explain it (90135) not working back. It was only a "fuse removal" type of isolation, with all the jumpers etc still in place, IIRC.