Favourite Workings

[SteveM70]

Some of the summer Saturday workings in the early 80s, particularly the pairs of 25s on the Euston - Aberystwyth when they replaced the electric loco in New Street. A pair of rats from a standing start with load 12 into the tunnel. If I close my eyes I can still hear it now

Also the Kyle and far north lines around the same time. It was an ace journey up to Inverness on the Clansman, then when you got there it was like stepping into a different world. Little 26s chugging away, steam heat on in June, cars and vans on platforms coming to collect or drop off stuff. It was the railway as a community lifeline. And the scenery helped too.

 

[Oscar46016]

Some of the summer Saturday workings in the early 80s, particularly the pairs of 25s on the Euston - Aberystwyth when they replaced the electric loco in New Street. A pair of rats from a standing start with load 12 into the tunnel. If I close my eyes I can still hear it now

Also the Kyle and far north lines around the same time. It was an ace journey up to Inverness on the Clansman, then when you got there it was like stepping into a different world. Little 26s chugging away, steam heat on in June, cars and vans on platforms coming to collect or drop off stuff. It was the railway as a community lifeline. And the scenery helped too.

My first Scottish Rover in 1981 - Out to Mallaig, Ferry to Skye, Bus to Kylekin then over Kyle of Lochash and then onto Inverness - next day up to the far north - loads of 26's great days

 

[QJ]

My favourite was the Scottish internal overnight sleeper service provided the motive power was anything other than a class 47 (though if that occurred I was guaranteed some sleep).

Northbound sleepers and day coaches departed for Inverness from both Glasgow and Edinburgh and were coupled together at Perth. The Glasgow set arrived first and stopped at the southern end of the long platform. The loco would then disappear to the stabling point. The Edinburgh set would run past the Glasgow section on a loop line and then shunt back onto the Glasgow set.
Once all coupled up the loco from Edinburgh would be the train engine for the journey over the severe gradients of the Highland mainline. Steam heated mark 1s hauled by a class 40. What wasn’t to like. Not much sleep though! The interest wasn’t finished on reaching Inverness though as the train would take the avoiding line and reverse into the Far North platforms to ease transfer of passengers and mail onto the waiting Far North services.

Southbound the train would leave from the expected main line platforms at Inverness and continue onto Stirling before the Glasgow and Edinburgh sets would be split. The train engine would carry on to Glasgow whilst a type 2 would normally run to Edinburgh.

As an aside you could alight at Perth off the northbound service and catch the reverse working of the train to Motherwell mentioned in this thread. The 2050 Carlisle to Perth going forward as the 01:05 to Aberdeen and then onto Elgin as mail, newspapers and parcels only (sometimes you were allowed to stay onboard to Elgin where the train would shunt into the old station for ease of unloading otherwise it was half three in the morning trudging round the granite city or to a greasy joe’s open all nighter for breakfast). The joys of being a loco basher.

Both north and southbound sleeper trains passed each other at Pitlochry and the crew swapped trains. So, if you were so inclined you could swap trains without worrying about late running. Just needed to avoid “Loose Irons” (infamous TTI of the era) if your validity was questionable.

Sadly the train succumbed to the rationalisation of the sleeper network with the phasing out of the mark 1 stock. But not before it lost its interest for me as 47s replaced my belov-ed Whistlers. A last remnant of portion working at Perth that happened regularly thoughout the day in steam days and the first few years of diesel traction.

Then Continental Europe beckoned for my railway fix and favourite trains.

 

[CW2]

Just needed to avoid “Loose Irons” (infamous TTI of the era) if your validity was questionable.

Ah Yes, "Loose Irons" so named because his ticket nippers were so well used that they rattled as he gripped you.
"Dumbell 10" was his mark. It was rumoured at the time that a basher was in conversation with the traincrew supervisor at Perth, and happened to mention Loose Irons in passing. "Oh you mean J**** O**" said the supervisor, "Yes, he's pretty keen." And so the basher, now being in possession of Loose Irons real name, took himself off to a phone box, consulted the directory therein, and was astonished to find that his home phone number was in the 260xx series - how very appropriate. This piece of information was passed on to several other people, who felt it necessary to test the accurcy of the gen by calling him at home at all hours of the day and night from all over the UK!
Of course I couldn't condone such a course of action.

 

[86247]

My favourite was the 17.12 Lime st to Preston 80% of the time it was a 31/4 guaranteed but it threw up some real big surprises. some i remember are 31125, 31255, 31290 in red stripe railfreight , 47193, then their was 2 really big surprises,large logo 37128 and railfreight coal 37278. oh happy days.

 

[hexagon789]

Did The Clansman Southbound in the mid 70's , was a long and interesting journey. Remember in the Restaurant they had a special Grill onn the menu which was cheaper than the full meals.

I would have loved to have done that. An over ten hour trip from London to the Highlands right up Britain and a freshly cooked meal in the restaurant - utter bliss.

 

[hexagon789]

The sleepers often loaded heavier. I remember waking up one winter night to find the train down to walking pace and, sticking my head out of the window, finding 47429 making a ear-splitting moaning/clattering noise, slipping badly, and spraying sparks out of the exhaust. This continued for what seemed like hours but was probably about ten minutes until we - just - made Druimuachdar summit. I was expecting the same to happen up Slochd but we made that with no problems, I presume the adhesion up to Druimuachdar must have been particularly bad that night.

Probably around 600 tons MTL, the carriage books used to stipulate 35 tons per coach except sleepers which were to be taken as 40 tons for timing purposes.

I'm surprised they didn't use a 25 or something to pilot as often seemed to be done when the sleepers were longer.

 

[Southof1E]

The evening "Cobbler" commuter trains have many happy memories. A screaming roarer up front,a toasty Mk I of13 in the consist and much fast running. My favourite Cobbler must be 1B09 the 1815 ex Euston sampled class 25,31,81,82, 83, 85 and 86 on this top train...NR

more gen at http://www.leightonlogs.org/1B09remembered.htm

 

[CW2]

The evening "Cobbler" commuter trains have many happy memories. A screaming roarer up front,a toasty Mk I of13 in the consist and much fast running. My favourite Cobbler must be 1B09 the 1815 ex Euston sampled class 25,31,81,82, 83, 85 and 86 on this top train...NR

more gen at http://www.leightonlogs.org/1B09remembered.htm

My experience of the Cobblers was much more limited than your own. I used to take the 17:23 Northampton as far as Bletchley, returning from there with an Up Liverpool that was invariably an 86/2. (This was before Milton Keynes station opened, and Inter City services called at Bletchley). Traction I had was classes 81, 82 and 85. They were splended trains, and sorely missed.

 

[306024]

Many favourites back in the day, but East Anglia has always been the area I‘ve enjoyed most.

Early 80s and the mix of 31s and 37s on the Liverpool St - Cambridge route, steam heat vacuum brake stock, painfully slow but lots of character, especially in winter. Today’s class 379 EMU is a world away.

Summer Saturdays at Norwich were always good fun, the loco workings were fascinating, especially when trains came across from March in the wrong order, which could result in 2 x class 20s finding themselves in Great Yarmouth.

The North Country Continental was always a favourite, as were the Stratford 47s on the Norwich services but the best train of all was The Hook Continental between Liverpool St and Harwich Parkeston Quay in the days of a full restaurant. Class 37 on load 11 with 2 BGs climbing Brentwood bank was hard work. Parkeston crews were very proud of that service.