Back in the day...

[D6130]

TUESDAY 31st MARCH 1981:

Another overnight trip to my parents near Garelochhead....with some unexpected rolling stock at the head of the train:

303 048 Hyndland-Glasgow QS LL (08 01 Milngavie-Airdrie)
303 057/003 Glasgow QS LL-Hyndland (16 52 Airdrie-Helensburgh Central)
303 034 Hyndland Glasgow QS LL (17 22 Helensburgh Central-Airdrie)
37 108 18 21 Glasgow QS HL-Garelochhead (to Oban. Consist: Saloon GE No. 1/Saloon 45005/SC4099/3817/4132/14010 Load 6 VB/SH)

The late Sir William McAlpine and his retinue were making a tour of the Highlands in his own private carriages....the Jeremy Hosking of his day?

 

[NorthWestRover]

Thursday 31st March 1983

Another day on the AC electrics with some Can-shaped gaps....

87035 Wigan NW to Crewe
87009 Crewe to Preston
85018 Preston to Lancaster
85026 Lancaster to Preston
87020 Crewe to Preston

 

[xotGD]

31st March 1990

Derby day in Edinburgh...

87006 New Street - Carstairs
47467 Carstairs - Waverley

Hibs 1 Hearts 2

Tram to Newcastle

31st March 1995

Another diesel day at the GCR. Locos in action were...

D4
D7659
D8098
D9019

No prizes for guessing the highlight.

 

[Techniquest]

8098, clearly the highlight there

At least it would be for me! Gotta love a bit of Class 20 racket!

 

[xotGD]

8098, clearly the highlight there

At least it would be for me! Gotta love a bit of Class 20 racket!

For a couple of services the Bomb was double headed with Number 19. I would rather that they didn't do such silliness, but it makes it clear which is louder!

 

[Techniquest]

For a couple of services the Bomb was double headed with Number 19. I would rather that they didn't do such silliness, but it makes it clear which is louder!

That is silliness of a high order, I agree, but still remotely possible I guess in days gone by with a rescue mission? Obviously a re-enactment would need one loco shut down for that!

I'd be a bit miffed if I was on that and couldn't hear the 20, I must say! Deltics are great, but they're just not my cup of tea!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Deltics are great, but they're just not my cup of tea!

Oh my gosh

 

[NorthWestRover]

D4
D7659
D8098
D9019

I require all of those.

 

[xotGD]

I require all of those.

The 20 should be working at the GCR Diesel Gala in a month's time, along with two Syphons, Deltic 9, a Rat and a Wagon.

D4 is due to work at Swanage in May. A bit far for a day trip!

 

[NorthWestRover]

Alycidon was the last Deltic I had. 27/12/81.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I might possibly go to the KWVR Diesel Gala in June.

 

[CW2]

I require all of those.

D4 0 miles (never had any class 44 for haulage)
D7659 0 miles
D8098 0 miles
D9019 2725.25 miles

I think you can tell where my interests lay ...

 

[xotGD]

I might possibly go to the KWVR Diesel Gala in June.

I want to see what the guest loco is. I'm hoping for 37716. It got ripped from the Yarmouth and Lowestoft turns 2 days before I went for it.

I'm planning on going to the GCR. The fact that I require D6700 might have something to do with that.

 

[NorthWestRover]

I require the Syphon and the Chopper at KWVR. And I like Haworth.

 

[irish_rail]

Thank you for the responses on class 86s. Still I'm sure most would prefer a trip behind one today over a Pendolino or voyager!

 

[D6130]

Thank you for the responses on class 86s. Still I'm sure most would prefer a trip behind one today over a Pendolino or voyager!

I agree 100%. Meanwhile:

SATURDAY 1st APRIL 1978:

A quick spin round the Pompey triangle to pick up a required Hither Green Crompton:

7057/7415 Petersfield-Havant (08 20 Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour)
33 044 Havant-Fareham (09 00 Brighton-Exeter SD. Consist: S4059/4076/3923/1807/13400/35011/3918/4035 Load 8 AB/EH)
1131 Fareham-Portsmouth & Southsea (09 55 Southampton-Portsmouth Harbour)
7358 Portsmouth & Southsea-Fratton (11 29 Portsmouth Harbour-Victoria)
7765 Fratton-Portsmouth & Southsea (10 45 Brighton-Portsmouth Harbour)
7379/7051/7350 Portsmouth & Southsea-Petersfield (11 50 Portsmouth Harbour-Waterloo)

FRIDAY 1st APRIL 1983:

An evening trip out to Helensburgh and back:

37 026 18 23 Glasgow QS-Helensburgh Upper (to Oban. Consist: E4833/SC3740/4427/4341/14005 Load 5 VB/SH)
37 043 Helensburgh Upper-Glasgow QS (18 22 Fort William-Glasgow QS/Euston. Consist: SC9360/24427/9005/M21241/M4918/M2524/2006 Load 7
VB/SH)

THURSDAY 1st APRIL 2010:

In Italy again:

EDz 12 + EDz 13 (1924-built TFT Bo-Bo electric locos topping & tailing) R6171, 12 57 Pratovecchio Stia-Bibbiena
EBz 7 + EBz 8 (1954-built TFT electric railcars topping & tailing) R 186, 19 11 Bibbiena-Pratovecchio Stia (18 23 from Arezzo)

 

[QJ]

31/03/1975
47082 Plymouth to Portsmouth Adex to Southsea and return for a hop to the Harbour in a class 120 dmu and the boat to the IofW for a spin on 485/6 emus.

31/03/1978
86244 2315 Euston to Manchester as far as Stafford as part of a journey to participate in the WRC Hundred of Wirral charter (top and tail 25s)

31/03/1979
London to Aintree Adex 86224 to Warrington BQ for 40019 forward to Aintree for a spin in some class 502 emus.

31/03/1988
Rail fanning in Austria.
1042 572 Salzburg to Linz
1141 028 Linz to Kleinreifling
EMU Kleinreifling to Waidhofen
2095 005 Waidhofen to Gstadt
2091 012 Gstadt to Ybbsitz and return to Waidhofen
1042 644 Waidhofen to Amstetten
1044 091 Amstetten to St Poelten
2143 028 St Poelten to Traisen
DMU to Kernhof and return
2143 011 Traisen to St Poelten
103 115 St Poelten to Neumarkt Kalham
2043 059 Neumarkt Kalham to Simbach am Inn and then to Steindorf
1042 570 Steindorf to Salzburg then to Wels
2043 026 Wels to Linz

 

[CW2]

31/03/1979
London to Aintree Adex 86224 to Warrington BQ for 40019 forward to Aintree for a spin in some class 502 emus.

There always seemed to be a Class 40 on the specials to Aintree - and for a variety of reasons I never managed to do the track with anything, let alone a 40. It annoys me to this day, so I'm rather jealous of this.

Meanwhile:
Sunday 01/04/79
47487 1721 York – Leeds
40069 1812 Leeds – Newcastle 13' -> 30' late.
47407 2115 Newcastle – York via Sunderland, Stockton
This was diverted via Sunderland and Stockton due to a landslip being discovered about 1 mile south of Durham station.

Tuesday 01/04/80
I was en route from York to visit my girlfriend's family at Abergavenny. So, naturally, I decided the best thing for it would be a rancid overnight and a long involved train journey to ensure I presented myself in the physical peak of condition …
86213 0041 Stockport – Crewe
47069 0147 Crewe – Cardiff
43136 + 43003 0715 Cardiff – Swansea
DMU Swansea – Craven Arms via Central Wales Line
So I waited patiently at Craven Arms for the inevitable class 25 to take me south to Abergavenny. Hello, what's this?
37268 1335 Craven Arms – Abergavenny
Required, that'll do very nicely.
After refurbishment, 37268 emerged as 37401.

Wednesday 01/04/81
This repeats a tale first told here:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/forty-years-ago-part-2.212881/
I had a Liverpool Street – March monthly season, which was valid out of both Kings Cross and Liverpool Street, enabling many combinations of bashing decent traction. My plan was an overnight circuit involving Liverpool Street – Cambridge, Cambridge – March, March – Peterborough, Peterborough – Kings Cross. I had arrived at Cambridge behind 31126 on the 2314 from Liverpool Street, and set about continuing the bash:
37044 0155 Cambridge – Kings Lynn
This was load 1, a solitary BSK, and ran mainly to deliver newspapers to Kings Lynn and surrounding area. The plan to alight at March failed somewhat, as I only woke up after we departed there, next stop Kings Lynn! (Incidentally a class 37 on a single BSK is the highest power-to-weight ration I've experienced in the UK, and was a lot livelier than the 31 on load 8 I'd had out of Liverpool Street).
At Kings Lynn I explained my (unplanned) presence to the station chargeman, who – bless him - sat me down in his messroom in front of a coal fire and gave me a cup of tea whilst he helped unloading the newspapers. A bit later he returned and told me he had arranged (unofficially) for me to travel back to Cambridge in the back cab of 37044:
37044 04+10 Kings Lynn – Cambridge
47160 0653 Cambridge – Liverpool Street

Thursday 01/04/82
47005 2000 Liverpool Street – Harwich Parkeston Quay
The beginning of a 2-week trip to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. My main aim was to pick up steam on service trains in Hungary, but there was a fair bit of diesel and track bashing thrown in.

Friday 01/04/83
This repeats a story first told here, please check out this thread for the full tale:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/easter-1983.208625/

86260 0238 Carlisle – Crewe
87009 0752 Crewe – Euston
40084 1008 Kings Cross – Edinburgh via Selby
47412 1806 Edinburgh – Carstairs
86328 1858 Carstairs – Preston
86216 2211 Preston – Carlisle

 

[NorthWestRover]

Friday 1st April 1983

87025 Crewe to Oxenholme, 1S53 08.10 Birmingham to Glasgow
87005 Oxenholme to Lancaster, 1M70 08.23 Glasgow to Nottingham
40035 Wigan NW to Manchester Vic (via Golborne Jct), 1Z84 09.53 Glasgow to Man Vic additional
45051 Man Vic to WBQ, possibly on 1D57 13.45 Man Vic to Bangor
87101 Crewe to Preston, 1P70 14.40 Euston to Blackpool
87101 Preston to Oxenholme, 1S85 15.40 Nottingham to Glasgow

I like that day, although there was obviously a fair bit of (missing) Can haulage in there too.

 

[Harvester]

Tuesday 1st April 1986

A run out to Birmingham. It was Easter Tuesday, with a few holiday reliefs running.

45142 10:20 Derby-Birmingham NS
31453 12:13 Birmingham NS-Derby (Bristol-Leeds relief)

 

[Falcon1200]

Sunday 1st April 1990; En route to Amsterdam
47707 0800 Glasgow Queen St-Edinburgh
HST (details not recorded) 0930 Edinburgh-Kings X (to Doncaster)
150106 1337 Sheffield-Hull (from Doncaster)

I have added this trip, not for the haulage but because the HST was diverted via both the Blyth & Tyne and the Leamside lines, the only time I ever did either route !

 

[Peter Sarf]

That is silliness of a high order, I agree, but still remotely possible I guess in days gone by with a rescue mission? Obviously a re-enactment would need one loco shut down for that!

I'd be a bit miffed if I was on that and couldn't hear the 20, I must say! Deltics are great, but they're just not my cup of tea!

Of course a Western would be even better surely .

 

[Techniquest]

Of course a Western would be even better surely .

Ooh yes, I do like a good bit of Western racket!

 

[Cowley]

Ooh yes, I do like a good bit of Western racket!

Isn’t that you driving one in your avatar Tech?

 

[Techniquest]

Isn’t that you driving one in your avatar Tech?

Correct! Taken on a driver experience course on the SVR, at Bewdley, way back in May 2006. D1013 will always have a very special place in my heart as a result!

 

[Cowley]

Correct! Taken on a driver experience course on the SVR, at Bewdley, way back in May 2006. D1013 will always have a very special place in my heart as a result!

I just love the things. I’ve been driving my N gauge one tonight, but it’s probably not quite the same experience.

 

[Techniquest]

I just love the things. I’ve been driving my N gauge one tonight, but it’s probably not quite the same experience.

Small level of difference I remember at the time of my driving D1013 that I would have to do another one some time, but nearly 16 years later it hasn't happened. I guess other priorities these days will put a stop to it ever happening too!

It has been way too long since I got to sample a Western, something tells me this will have to happen this year. I haven't a clue how or whatever, don't the SVR have an event on soon?

 

[Cowley]

Small level of difference I remember at the time of my driving D1013 that I would have to do another one some time, but nearly 16 years later it hasn't happened. I guess other priorities these days will put a stop to it ever happening too!

It has been way too long since I got to sample a Western, something tells me this will have to happen this year. I haven't a clue how or whatever, don't the SVR have an event on soon?

Yes there’s a home fleet one in May that should have D1062 and D1015 (hopefully on two engines) working.
I might go along, depends on a few things though.

 

[CW2]

Saturday 02/04/77
46045 0110 York – Leeds
55017 0215 Leeds – Doncaster via Viaduct
47412 0430 Doncaster – Leeds via Viaduct
46029 0550 Leeds – York
The trains concerned were the 2220 Newcastle – Kings Cross via Leeds and the 0115 Kings Cross – Newcastle via Leeds. Both trains were scheduled to change locos at Leeds, so for the price of a student day return from York to Doncaster you could rake in four different locos. Obviously, my idea of a good Friday night out differed from that of most of my contemporaries …

Monday 02/04/79
40069 1733 York – Leeds
46032 1906 Leeds – York
55019 2217 York – Doncaster via Selby
(Tuesday 03/04/79)
47423 0121 Doncaster – York via Selby

Thursday 02/04/81
37110 1656 Liverpool Street – Cambridge
DMU Cambridge – March
31229 1952 March – Peterborough
55014 2149 Peterborough – Kings Cross
The full story of this day was originally told here:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/forty-years-ago-part-2.212881/

Saturday 02/04/83
This repeats a story first told here, please check out this thread for the full tale, including a photo (not mine) of 40152 on the Royal Scot:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/easter-1983.208625/
47199 0238 0238 Carlisle – Preston via S&C, Blackburn
86237 0539 Preston – Crewe
86248 0740 Crewe – Preston
47464 0855 Preston – Carlisle via Blackburn, S&C
40152 1140 Carlisle – Preston via S&C, Blackburn, "The Royal Scot"
40152 1540 Preston – Carlisle via Blackburn, S&C
26031 1720 Carlisle – Glasgow Central via G&SW
EMU Glasgow Central LL – Dumbarton Central
371922145 Dumbarton Central – Cowlairs
47562 2236 Cowlairs – Mossend via Springburn, Gartcosh Jn., Gartsherrie South Jn.
86250 23xx Mossend – Carlisle via Holytown, Wishaw

Saturday 02/04/94
A visit to the Bala Lake Railway with the family:
3 "Holy War" 1425 Llanuwchllyn – Bala, 1500 return.

Sunday 02/04/95
A trip on the Inverness Sleeper, at a time when it was producing "real" 37s:
47830 1800 Reading – Paddington
90011 1950 Euston – Edinburgh via Carstairs avoider
(More tomorrow …)

 

[Techniquest]

Yes there’s a home fleet one in May that should have D1062 and D1015 (hopefully on two engines) working.
I might go along, depends on a few things though.

I'd have to go on the Thursday, as I'm on late shift Friday and Saturday (2pm-10pm) with Sunday being allocated to other important matters Good line up so, no question of it, although I will say that the eyes opened a fair bit at seeing the price of the day ticket. £32-something, although of course it was always expensive back when I last did galas, many years ago! I'll have to have a serious think about it, I see locos in the line-up I do want so it would be a good day out, but if I fancy just a good run with a Western a normal running day would probably be better!