Network day in the 80's. .. And of finding overnight trains.

[davews]

Looks like my Bracknell (no Martins Heron then) to Cambridge on the £1 day is pretty boring compared with what others did. I have vivid memories of arriving at Liverpool Street and finding everybody else seemed to be going for a jolly in Cambridge and trying to cram into the carriages. Great times.

 

[55002]

Always prized because it was very rarely a 73/1 or 73/2 of course but every time I took them they were 73/0. The Deal one left earlier 03.00 iirc but the train was in the platform usually at 1am so you could board and get some sleep in normal times. On these there were 1 or 2 maximum passenger carriages my 1 compartment stock.

However, my memory played tricks and on the question posed by the OP on the Network SE special day I cheated and got 73110 leaving Waterloo around 23.30 and it crossed over to the new day and the loco was changed at Eastleigh to 33111 which I took to Southampton and then 33110 back to Eastleigh. All ram jam full. The date I have recorded is 21/11 - 22/11 1986

I had 21st June 1986 in my mind..but could been Nov

edit just googled was indeed June 21st, funny what things you remember and what you forget. £3 travel anywhere within nse.

 

[30907]

The 1980-1981 formation was NJV for Southampton; NSX + NTX + NJV + 2 BSK for Weymouth; NJV for Bournemouth; NDV + NJV for Portsmouth & Southsea (detached at Eastleigh). At Southampton 2 NKV were attached at the rear: both came off at Bournemouth, with the front one going to Berth and the rear one going on to Weymouth on the front of the 02.15 Waterloo News.

Thanks, I'd misunderstood you to say 9 passenger vehicles including the BSKs. Glad I wasn't wildly out.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I had 21st June 1986 in my mind..but could been Nov

edit just googled was indeed June 21st, funny what things you remember and what you forget. £3 travel anywhere within nse.

I was not on that one.

 

[GarethW]

Hinton Admiral was my local station in those days.

I remember getting up early doors for a trip to Kings Lynn and getting there by about half ten or so!!!

Another year was spent shuffling between Salisbury and points west nabbing 50’s - that was good. Relatively short journeys to “new” little towns with enough time for a pint in most places.

 

[D6130]

The 03:27 Victoria to Hastings paper train always had a mk1 brake second closest to the loco (73) as far as Eastbourne where the loco ran round and took the back van to Hastings to unload, before going to Ore to run round then back to Eastbourne and finally Brighton Top Yard.

In my days as a guard at Brighton (1984-87) I often worked this train, but it departed from London Bridge, along with the Brighton and Worthing papers. When did the paper trains transfer from Victoria to London Bridge?

 

[30907]

In my days as a guard at Brighton (1984-87) I often worked this train, but it departed from London Bridge, along with the Brighton and Worthing papers. When did the paper trains transfer from Victoria to London Bridge?

Can't recall, but they went from LBG in the 60s and before too.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Can't recall, but they went from LBG in the 60s and before too.

Definitely went from Victoria in the early and mid 80s

 

[D6130]

Definitely went from Victoria in the early and mid 80s

Maybe that was a temporary measure during the Three Bridges resignalling and Gloucester Road Junction/Windmill Bridge Junction/Selhurst/Norwood Junction remodelling? It certainly made more sense to start the paper trains from London Bridge, as it is much nearer to both Fleet Street and Wapping than Victoria.

 

[Cowley]

Maybe that was a temporary measure during the Three Bridges resignalling and Gloucester Road Junction/Windmill Bridge Junction/Selhurst/Norwood Junction remodelling? It certainly made more sense to start the paper trains from London Bridge, as it is much nearer to both Fleet Street and Wapping than Victoria.

On these trains would the guard have ridden in a brake portion of the passenger vehicles do you remember? Or would they have been near the rear in a BG?

 

[Gloster]

On these trains would the guard have ridden in a brake portion of the passenger vehicles do you remember? Or would they have been near the rear in a BG?

As the train had a through brake, the guard could ride in any vehicle with a brake compartment. On night trains they would probably be in whichever vehicle was most convenient for handling the traffic that that was being carried, particularly parcels.

 

[D6130]

On these trains would the guard have ridden in a brake portion of the passenger vehicles do you remember? Or would they have been near the rear in a BG?

On the Brighton/Worthing papers, which didn't convey a passenger vehicle, I would ride in the rear cab of the loco....or sometimes, unofficially, in the front cab if I had the right driver! On the Eastbourne/Hastings train I would ride in the BSK, as it was usually the warmest vehicle in the train and I could keep an eye on the passengers if necessary.

 

[Cowley]

On the Brighton/Worthing papers, which didn't convey a passenger vehicle, I would ride in the rear cab of the loco....or sometimes, unofficially, in the front cab if I had the right driver! On the Eastbourne/Hastings train I would ride in the BSK, as it was usually the warmest vehicle in the train and I could keep an eye on the passengers if necessary.

Brilliant thanks for that.

 

[Snow1964]

21st June 1986 and just a £1
I took early train from Coventry and had to pay to I think Northampton. I met my Dad who had travelled up from New Milton at Liverpool Street and we managed to get on a Kings Lynn train and each get a seat. It was completely stuffed. Think it was still class 47 hauled in 1986. Got same train back as I think next return was 2 hours wait and getting on was risky.

Can’t remember where we went later, but it was a more frequent service, but still busy.

I have always wondered how many tickets were actually sold at £1 from the crowds it seemed like hundreds of thousands.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

If anyone still has copies of Loco Hauled travel and/or 1H83, 1H84 etc they have all the rosters in there showing the departures from Victoria. Neil Webster Platform 5 etc. Available on eBay but at 25 quid it is exorbitant

 

[WesternLancer]

I have found one of the leaflets in my collection

occurs to me that if commuter travel has taken a nosedive and thus need to boost leisure travel now - a leaf could be taken out of this with a similar idea (maybe some weekdays only to spread demand).

Plus get rid of the Network Card minimum fare on weekdays as a matter of some urgency.

 

[Bletchleyite]

occurs to me that if commuter travel has taken a nosedive and thus need to boost leisure travel now - a leaf could be taken out of this with a similar idea (maybe some weekdays only to spread demand).

Plus get rid of the Network Card minimum fare on weekdays as a matter of some urgency.

Much as I have one, removing the Network Railcard entirely and reducing fares on a revenue-neutral basis would probably attract more users than that.

 

[WesternLancer]

Much as I have one, removing the Network Railcard entirely and reducing fares on a revenue-neutral basis would probably attract more users than that.

Drifting off topic but possibly - tho people seem to love a 'discount' / BOGOF type offers etc and railcards appeal to that desire so I'm not sure it would overcome the longstanding idea that has grown up since privatization in particular that rail fares 'are v expensive'

 

[Mike99]

Apologies for bending the thread a little, Network South East (or what ever they were called at the time ) had a cheap day out when the Hastings Line was fully electrified. We had a VEP from Orpington on the outbound and it wasn't too busy, but there was a 8 car EPB formation for the return which was rammed, I think this was during 1987, but it was a long time ago.

 

[WesternLancer]

Apologies for bending the thread a little, Network South East (or what ever they were called at the time ) had a cheap day out when the Hastings Line was fully electrified. We had a VEP from Orpington on the outbound and it wasn't too busy, but there was a 8 car EPB formation for the return which was rammed, I think this was during 1987, but it was a long time ago.

could have been in '86. They were good on promos like that - simple to organise, clear simple message for people to understand etc. Turn up and go.

 

[kentrailman]

Drifting off topic but possibly - tho people seem to love a 'discount' / BOGOF type offers etc and railcards appeal to that desire so I'm not sure it would overcome the longstanding idea that has grown up since privatization in particular that rail fares 'are v expensive'

Drifting slightly more .. You mention BOGOF so I can't resist reminding folks of the legendary persil BOGOF offer ! Maybe time to repeat that ! ( for those who are too young to remember, I have a video on YouTube telling all about it , just search persil train tickets on YouTube. ) !

Any discussion about repeating that would need to be another thread in the fares section though!

 

[Mike99]

could have been in '86. They were good on promos like that - simple to organise, clear simple message for people to understand etc. Turn up and go.

We did, turn up and go, any chance people from South/South East London to go to the coast we took it, our son was 2 in 86 so had a great day down the beach for just a few pounds.

 

[Alfonso]

Apologies for bending the thread a little, Network South East (or what ever they were called at the time ) had a cheap day out when the Hastings Line was fully electrified. We had a VEP from Orpington on the outbound and it wasn't too busy, but there was a 8 car EPB formation for the return which was rammed, I think this was during 1987, but it was a long time ago.

Yes, just before NSE...I remember most of the trains were Jaffa Caked 411s.

 

[davetheguard]

I remember going from Didcot to Sheerness via London. Not really sure why I went there; it was a bit gritty & run down if I remember correctly. I've never been back.

More successful, on another Network Day, was a trip out to Kings Lynn. Massive crowds were a feature of these occasions, with loads of goodwill gained by the railway. Later, to reduce the overcrowding, "Personal Network Days" became the thing, where you could pick your own date for unlimited travel.

 

[Ken H]

I remember going from Didcot to Sheerness via London. Not really sure why I went there; it was a bit gritty & run down if I remember correctly. I've never been back.

More successful, on another Network Day, was a trip out to Kings Lynn. Massive crowds were a feature of these occasions, with loads of goodwill gained by the railway. Later, to reduce the overcrowding, "Personal Network Days" became the thing, where you could pick your own date for unlimited travel.

So they weren't just for train nuts to ride trains for 24 hrs continually then. (Which is what I did, basically)

 

[davetheguard]

had a cheap day out when the Hastings Line was fully electrified. We had a VEP from Orpington on the outbound and it wasn't too busy, but there was a 8 car EPB formation for the return which was rammed, I think this was during 1987, but it was a long time ago.

Yes, just before NSE...I remember most of the trains were Jaffa Caked 411s.

I travelled to Hastings on that day too, the first day of electric trains on the line. I think it was amazingly cheap for travel between Tonbridge & Hastings for £1 or some such price? There were things going on at most intermediate stations, but inevitably most headed for Hastings, and the trains were packed. Staff in shops in Hastings were overheard saying it was busier than a bank holiday.

I remember massive queues on the return, with long waits just to get from the station approach to the platform. As well as the line's Jaffa Cake 411s, suburban EPBs were pressed in to service to help shift the huge crowds, as mentioned by Mike99 above. There was the odd moan, but generally people were out to enjoy themselves and good-natured.

All in all, a very visible demonstration of the "sparks' effect" on day one of the electrification.

So they weren't just for train nuts to ride trains for 24 hrs continually then. (Which is what I did, basically)

I'll have you know, I'm pretty nutty too!

 

[paul1609]

occurs to me that if commuter travel has taken a nosedive and thus need to boost leisure travel now - a leaf could be taken out of this with a similar idea (maybe some weekdays only to spread demand).

Plus get rid of the Network Card minimum fare on weekdays as a matter of some urgency.

The problem is in Kent and Sussex anyway is that Leisure traffic has increased due to stay cation so that many of the rural services are now already over capacity but the London services especially the longer distance ones are practically empty. Pragmatically what you need to do is increase the leisure fares and remove stuff like railcards and reduce the comutting fares.

 

[WesternLancer]

The problem is in Kent and Sussex anyway is that Leisure traffic has increased due to stay cation so that many of the rural services are now already over capacity but the London services especially the longer distance ones are practically empty. Pragmatically what you need to do is increase the leisure fares and remove stuff like railcards and reduce the comutting fares.

I see your point but I don't think people will re start commuting just because it is cheaper (it's the daily tediousness and time consuming nature of it that keeps most of my colleagues still working from home, as well as the money saved) - getting rid of the peak time fares might of course be the simplest thing as it would at least spread more demand about.

 

[Mike99]

I travelled to Hastings on that day too, the first day of electric trains on the line. I think it was amazingly cheap for travel between Tonbridge & Hastings for £1 or some such price? There were things going on at most intermediate stations, but inevitably most headed for Hastings, and the trains were packed. Staff in shops in Hastings were overheard saying it was busier than a bank holiday.

I remember massive queues on the return, with long waits just to get from the station approach to the platform. As well as the line's Jaffa Cake 411s, suburban EPBs were pressed in to service to help shift the huge crowds, as mentioned by Mike99 above. There was the odd moan, but generally people were out to enjoy themselves and good-natured.

All in all, a very visible demonstration of the "sparks' effect" on day one of the electrification.



I'll have you know, I'm pretty nutty too!

Exactly how I remember it, you explained it much better than I did. I went for the train journeys and the electric stock, especially lucky enough with the EPB going back. I just made out to Mrs Mike that it was for her benefit and the baby to have a day at the beach. Its was a great day out for just a few pounds, we managed a ride on the cliff railway, a paddle, chips and doughnuts for lunch and an ice cream.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Apologies for bending the thread a little, Network South East (or what ever they were called at the time ) had a cheap day out when the Hastings Line was fully electrified. We had a VEP from Orpington on the outbound and it wasn't too busy, but there was a 8 car EPB formation for the return which was rammed, I think this was during 1987, but it was a long time ago.

I recall this, it was immediately the electric service was introduced, and was the only time I ever remember a fare that did not end in the standard 5 or 0 sum; it was £10.66.