Loco Hauled trains with Freight locos

[Whistler40145]

In the days of BR & pre-privatisation sectors, how rare was it to have haulage behind Freight locos, especially on CrossCountry trains?

e.g. how often did 20s work the FO Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly forwards from Gloucester & did it always get banked up the Lickey by 37s?

If any of you wish to tell any stories & memories, I would love to hear them.

 

[RichmondCommu]

In the days of BR & pre-privatisation sectors, how rare was it to have haulage behind Freight locos, especially on CrossCountry trains?

e.g. how often did 20s work the FO Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly forwards from Gloucester & did it always get banked up the Lickey by 37s?

If any of you wish to tell any stories & memories, I would love to hear them.

Off the top of my head there were Class 20 hauled trains to Skegness and for a short while in the early 90's they also ran up the Matlock branch.

 

[D6975]

In the summer of 87 there was an Exeter - Leeds/York? relief 1E67.

It was 12:46 off Temple Meads and was no heat as often as not.
During the summer I had all ther following for haulage on that service, I'd usually cover it once or twice a week.

47310, 47146, 47367, 31308, 31165, 47100, 47329, 47140, 47053, 31306, 47235, 31323

 

[Pen Mill]

In the days of BR & pre-privatisation sectors, how rare was it to have haulage behind Freight locos, especially on CrossCountry trains?

e.g. how often did 20s work the FO Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly forwards from Gloucester & did it always get banked up the Lickey by 37s?

If any of you wish to tell any stories & memories, I would love to hear them.

Not rare at all. 45/46s non-eth turned up regularly in Devon.
Arguable if they were freight but I think the general view at the time was that non-eth were freight rather than passenger locos

 

[DiscoStu]

I had 47096 on the Poole to Glasgow sleeper from Poole to BNS in 1986.

Dunno if it was rare for Sleepers to be NB back then?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Were the British Railways Class 9F Standard Class locomotives used much on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway during the very busy summer months period ?

 

[Monty]

Were the British Railways Class 9F Standard Class locomotives used much on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway during the very busy summer months period ?

Correct, infact they were regulars on the Pines Express in the later years. They also negated doubled heading on most of the heavy summer specials.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Railfreight used to "lease" up to 50 class 47 and 20 class 31 for High season summer extras - as late as 1988 - hence 47588 and a 10 car of NSE MK1 Paddingtom - Paignton , (and many others) - deal was to return em by 2200 Sunday night.

 

[Whistler40145]

Thanks ChiefPlanner. I expect the locos were available at weekends due to less freight turns?

 

[DarloRich]

there were, of course, at the time weekend use only pools of locomotives.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Thanks ChiefPlanner. I expect the locos were available at weekends due to less freight turns?

Correct - not that much moved after say 12 midday on a Saturday - bar a few Freightliners - and in those days there was less Summer engineering work (hence less departmental trains) - as most routes were kept open for the heavier passenger loadings of Summer Saturdays.

The "spare" freight locos , were used for the heavy engineering traffic on Winter weekends. Maintenace was planned accordingly over the fleet.

An integrated railway !!! (with flexible traction resources - as many smaller passenger depots retained traction knowledge on 47/31 etc for this reason)