Specific trains/services you miss

[pompeyfan]

I’d love to see the return of the Portsmouth - Blackpool, Portsmouth - Plymouth/Penzance and Brighton - Paignton services.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

The Great British Breakfast on the 07.45 Euston to Glasgow. Freshly arrived in London after an overnight Channle crossing, as soon as boarding commenced I would make my way to the dining 'FO' in the knowledge, despite my second class free pass I could enjoy the comfort of a first class seat until at least Tanworth/Lichfield probably even Stafford on occasions, whilst enjoying a hearty meal which set me up for the full day with toast and drinks already being served as departure approached. No doubt breakfast was equally great on many other trains of the era but the 07.45 was my breakfast eatery of choice several times a year.

The breakfasts offered in the Franchising era (predominantly to First class ticket holders only) are mere snacks in comparison although I do have to say having sampled the offerings on both ECML and WCML in 2018 and 2019 the latter comes out well ahead both in terms of the food offering and service - on a Leeds to Kings X journey when no toast had appeared I requested some and was told it was only offered when available! Breakfast without toast, unthinkable, on the West Coast they offer seconds of toast (and happily top up orange juice and tea when requested). Mercifully toast did prove to be available but the crew on that journey seemed to view the service of the included meals as being an interruption to their being able to sit around chatting.

 

[AJM580]

Summer Saturday trains from the North & Midlands to Great Yarmouth. 2 x 25s, 31s, 37s, 40s, 47s even a pair of 20s produced once

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I think one for me has to be the 03:30 Swansea to London Paddington. I used that service more times than I care to count on various spotting trips, especially handy if I'd finished work at around 1am and I was getting a lift into town anyway. Nostalgia aplenty with that service!

That service still runs….

Realtime Trains - 0341 Swansea to London Paddington

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[AlbertBeale]

Yes used that a few times very useful especially if you got a compartment to yourself and could stretch out for a kip.

If non UK stuff is allowed then the recent demise of the Thello Paris-Venice sleeper seems a big loss. A useful time efficient and cost effective way for me to visit the folks in Italy.

Yes - the Paris-Venice sleeper was really useful (both pre- and post-Eurostar). And if internationals are allowed, I miss the useful through carriages to a wide range of destinations from European ports such as Hook of Holland.

And I miss the TPOs, which I often used so as to give myself some extra typing time before needing to send off documents in the post.

 

[Techniquest]

That service still runs….

Realtime Trains - 0341 Swansea to London Paddington

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Well blow me down, so it does. At one point it was the 0400, then it changed a bit and now I see it's almost back to its old time.

Technically still not the 0330 though

 

[NSE]

If only someone could find all our missed services in the schedule

 

[TXMISTA]

The short lived midday PAD-WSM services that ran fast to Bristol Parkway, then to Temple Meads. London to Bristol in under an hour and a half!

 

[D6130]

06.00 Glasgow Queen St to Malliag, load 9 with a single class 27 including parcels van on the front, two sleepers from Kings Cross to FW, and restaurant car throughout from Glasgow to Mallaig, a great way to see the West Highland line in all seasons and connecting with the Stornoway boat via Kyle (also the Portree boat on certain days) at Mallaig.

Referring back to your previous post about 1B01/2B01 being unable to restart from Craigendoran on one occasion, I can recall numerous instances of the Down sleeper grinding to a halt on the curving, tree-lined 1 in 58 gradient towards Helensburgh Upper and then having to reverse back down to sea level at Craigendoran to have a run at the bank. What was the official rule book take on such a manoeuvre? My friends and I used to enjoy boarding that train at Helensburgh Upper at 06 42 on a Saturday morning, then heading straight for the restaurant car for a slap-up breakfast alongside the Gare Loch, Loch Long and Loch Lomond.

The Great British Breakfast on the 07.45 Euston to Glasgow. Freshly arrived in London after an overnight Channle crossing, as soon as boarding commenced I would make my way to the dining 'FO' in the knowledge, despite my second class free pass I could enjoy the comfort of a first class seat until at least Tanworth/Lichfield probably even Stafford on occasions, whilst enjoying a hearty meal which set me up for the full day with toast and drinks already being served as departure approached. No doubt breakfast was equally great on many other trains of the era but the 07.45 was my breakfast eatery of choice several times a year.

My much-missed and much-enjoyed WCML dining experience was at the other end of the day and in the other direction! For a couple of years in 1980-82 I was living and working in Glasgow and going out with a girl who lived in North-West London. Every other Friday evening - except when away travelling - I would leave the office about five minutes early and catch the 16 10 Glasgow Central-Euston, on which I would take the second sitting of dinner after Preston. The regular London crew on that service were also the Royal Train chefs and stewards when it was running so, needless to say, the food and service were excellent. They came to recognise me after a while and it was not unknown for a free dessert, small bottle of wine or can of beer to come my way. I also met a lot of very interesting people in the restaurant car including, on one occasion, the late Jimmy Reid - former Upper Clyde Shipbuilders shop steward and leader of the 1968-69 'work-in' at Clydebank - a very astute and well-read self-educated man. I found myself sharing a table for four with him and two very Tory and self-assured London businessmen. We had a very lively conversation on the socio-economic effects of Thatcherism and Jimmy knocked them into a cocked hat with his persuasive arguments which they could not counter. I knew who he was - and he knew that I knew - but we didn't let on, because the two suits obviously didn't know. I didn't contribute much to the conversation but, every now and then, I made a short comment to lead the discussion in a certain direction. After the two suits had paid and returned to their first class carriage, he and I had a good laugh - "Ye pulled a blinder there son!" - and he bought me a whisky!

 

[Wookiee]

I’d love to see the return of the Portsmouth - Blackpool, Portsmouth - Plymouth/Penzance and Brighton - Paignton services.

This, especially if they were all loco-hauled!

 

[leshuttle]

Eurostar with scheduled stops in Kent including Ashford international. None since the pandemic and maybe years to wait until they might return. Once did a day trip Ashford international-Brussels Midi when it was possible to arrive around 10am and have a reasonable time exploring before returning for the 19:50 departure back to Ashford.

 

[jfollows]

The short lived midday PAD-WSM services that ran fast to Bristol Parkway, then reversed to Temple Meads. London to Bristol in under an hour and a half!

Unless "WSM" stands for Gloucester or Cheltenham, "reversed" isn't correct, surely?

My services that I miss were from 1996 when I commuted from Wilmslow to Sale by train and tram. I had the choice of an AM9 calling at Cheadle Hulme and Stockport, or an 86+Mark 2 a/c stock on a non-stop train to Manchester over the Styal line. I usually used the 86. However if I went on the AM9 service I'd usually change at Stockport for a service to Navigation Road, changing again there for a tram to Sale.

I got a car after about a month, it really isn't a good route by train (except when, prior to Metrolink, there was a through train every 15 minutes).

 

[paddy1]

Through trains from Coventry to Leicester/Nottingham and stations through to Skegness, Lincoln and Grimsby. Nottingham/Lincoln/Grimsby now require travel on at least three different trains if using the shortest route (via Leicester) and Skegness at least four. Some of the Lincoln trains even ran through to Peterborough via Spalding or to Mansfield/Worksop. Some of them even served both Newark Castle and Newark Northgate via reversals en-route to Lincoln/Grimsby. All came to end in 2004.

Since then, you either have a longer travel time or have to pay a higher fare for fewer changes and shorter travel time but longer journey mileage wise by travelling via Birmingham. Interestingly, off peak day return fares are still available from Coventry to Skegness (and some intermediate stations) but you'd be hard pushed to find them useful bearing in mind the off peak start time restrictions and lengthy travel times there and back.

 

[Robert Ambler]

Yes - the Paris-Venice sleeper was really useful (both pre- and post-Eurostar). And if internationals are allowed, I miss the useful through carriages to a wide range of destinations from European ports such as Hook of Holland.

And I miss the TPOs, which I often used so as to give myself some extra typing time before needing to send off documents in the post.

Yes indeed. Pre Eurostar I used to use the through coaches that ran to/from Boulogne and were attached/detached to the Paris Rome sleeper. A very seamless way of getting to and from Italy with the only change being to board and alight from the ferry at Folkestone and Boulogne!

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Referring back to your previous post about 1B01/2B01 being unable to restart from Craigendoran on one occasion, I can recall numerous instances of the Down sleeper grinding to a halt on the curving, tree-lined 1 in 58 gradient towards Helensburgh Upper and then having to reverse back down to sea level at Craigendoran to have a run at the bank. What was the official rule book take on such a manoeuvre? My friends and I used to enjoy boarding that train at Helensburgh Upper at 06 42 on a Saturday morning, then heading straight for the restaurant car for a slap-up breakfast alongside the Gare Loch, Loch Long and Loch Lomond.

That really is testing my memory. I don't recall that happening in my time with a passenger train although it did with a freight, and in that case after coming back to and stopping at the home signal (no phones in those days) a member of crew walked to the box and I then signalled the train to reverse into the loop where they reduced the load (to be collected later in the day) and then soared up the bank under signalled moves.

To bring a passenger train back would be complicated, yes it could be signalled to reverse along the up line but that would then involve then resuming the down direction journey with an unsignalled move and, until the crossover was removed in the mid 70s, over a set of points not fitted with a facing point lock (FPL).
To bring it back onto the down line (to then resume the journey in the down direction) would involve a set of non FPL fitted catch points points (and the crossover until removed) to get behind the signal at sea level.
On resuming the journey the junction signal was approach controllled (clearing when the train was just a few coach lengths away) and the PSR over the junction was 25 mph. I suppose the approach control could be overcome by giving the driver an assurance the road was set and the signal would clear if he wanted to approach and hit the junction and immediate gradient change at a higher speed.

I do not recall any specific rules to cover such manouevres other than the obvious 'signaller and train crew to come to a clear understanding' and any unlocked points should be scotched and clamped. I do recall securing points on one occasion when I had to put the sleeper into the (goods) loop as although the 'main line to loop' points had FPLs the intermediate points in the loop did not.
In all cases the token would require to be returned and re-issued to enable the section signal to be cleared (although for the unsignalled re-departure from the up line it might not be).

Mention of the restaurant car does remind me when it was reduced to a buffet service circa 1977 and the catering crew reduced from three to one, the vehicle in the set was still the RB with full cooking facilities. The two regular Chief Stewards who worked alternate days (due to the length of the shift) continued to order eggs, bacon, sausages etc from the stores each day and would produce a cooked breakfast if anyone asked for it. This arrangement came to an end when some satisfied and well meaning passenger
wrote in to praise the continued provision of a breakfast service.

EDIT: Great Jimmy Reid story too!

 

[AlbertBeale]

The short lived midday PAD-WSM services that ran fast to Bristol Parkway, then reversed to Temple Meads. London to Bristol in under an hour and a half!

Paddington to Bristol Parkway trains don't need to reverse in order to continue to Temple Meads...

 

[HST274]

Very specific but the 1626 University to Hereford. (It started at new street but didn't know what time)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Very specific but the 1626 University to Hereford. (It started at new street but didn't know what time)

Aren't there still 15 or so direct services between those two stations?

 

[HST274]

Aren't there still 15 or so direct services between those two stations?

Yes but that particular one would help out.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes but that particular one would help out.

1556 not good enough?

 

[D9006]

The 08:05 Portsmouth to Manchester or Liverpool (depending on the year; was 11.05 in 1982/83 before becoming 08.05). On-the-hour departure from Guildford (09.00, or 12.00 in 1982/83). Ran until May 1987 in some shape or form though some years ran to Poole on days other than summer Saturdays, for operational reasons. (see other threads).

Living on the Portsmouth Direct at the time, it was my first experience of an InterCity service and has a particular place in my memory.

Although I don't live on the Direct anymore, the existence of this service is why I (perhaps irrationally) would like XC to reintroduce Portsmouth services. Particularly if one departs Portsmouth Harbour at 08.05, or 11.05.

EDIT: and more recently, the Southern timetable from a few years ago, around 2013/14. The timetable seemed to be less predictable than now, more quirky and more interesting (various Reigate/Tonbridge dividers in the peak, and through Tonbridge trains) and the Horsham locals went to London Bridge, which seemed 'cleaner' to me. To my mind Thameslink should have focused on the Brighton corridor, and short self-contained branches off it (East Grinstead, Caterham, Tattenham) rather than trying to go everywhere.

Also the FO 1246 Portsmouth to Leeds booked a 33 to Birmingham, but few times 2x73 tried make trip to new street before boiling over, return was Sunday 1511 Leeds to Portsmouth booked 33 from new st

 

[cambsy]

I miss the Scottish Pullmans on the East coast main line, as they would often give some very fast running, sometimes a bit over the line speed, as especially northbound, the Kings Cross-York timing of 101 mins was very tight, as there were no performance or engineering allowance added on, also although not one particular service, i miss the 37’s on the north Wales coast in Regional Railways days, especially the 23.30pm approx, Bham International to Holyhead, with a mk1 compo behind the 37, was bliss. Also 37’s when they did the Cambrian mainline and the Birmingham to Pwllheli service with 2x37 and 12 or 13 mk 1 load, came from euston.

other service or services I miss, were the Birmingham to Scotland sleeper, overnight,90 hauled, 37’s in Scotland, on Inverness-Wick/Thurso, Inverness to Kyle with the DMU scenic lounge car, behind the 37, with great view of the 37 thrashing away, and Inverness-Aberdeen and double headed 37’s on the sleeper on load 16, and 37’s Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig etc, 47/7’s or shove duffs as they were known on the Glasgow to Edinburgh line and Aberdeen services too, even had cab ride in rear /DBSO once, 50’s on the Waterloo-Exeter line, and then if remember correctly the Plymouth-Brighton run with a 50 to Portsmouth then a 73 to Brighton. Also a few runs on Paddington to Oxford with 50’s.

I liked doing the Jaffa Cake liveried units on fast runs out of London to Kent etc ,I’m not sure the exact units they were, I managed to do a couple of times, pairs of 20’s to Skegness which was a good thrash,, the 73 operated Gatwick Expresses, the Wessex Electrics when first came out, on the Waterloo-Southampton airport non stop runs, various slam door southern units for their atmosphere and speed, Birmingham to Newmarket and Cambridge etc with 31’s and mk 2’s which were first train journeys on my own to see my gran, also 31’s Birmingham to Norwich with Ely avoiding line thrown in for good measure, and even did the Lifford lane curve when Proof house Jct was being remodelled, with 31’s on the Cambridge etc services.

 

[HST274]

1556 not good enough?

Too early . I don't take the train regularly but when I do it would help.

 

[nw1]

Also the FO 1246 Portsmouth to Leeds booked a 33 to Birmingham, but few times 2x73 tried make trip to new street before boiling over, return was Sunday 1511 Leeds to Portsmouth booked 33 from new st

Yes, I remember the existence of that one too, may have seen it once or twice - 1346 from Guildford. Think it was Mk-I stock.

The existence of the southbound did mean there was a Birmingham-Portsmouth seven days a week, but not v.v; regular Sunday northbounds from Portsmouth did briefly run for one year in 1986 (I think there may have been two; I do recall there was one which passed the Haslemere area around 1600-1700, with air-conditioned Mk-II stock, but can't recall if it was northbound or southbound!).

Presumably the 33 hung around Birmingham all weekend, or did it go south on anything (before Sunday evening) I wonder, to be replaced by another 33 coming north on something else?

Also wonder what happened to the coaching stock during the week? Did it sit around in Fratton for five days, or did it go empty somewhere to do something else? A potential operating difficulty would have been it would have only been available Monday-Thursday, but it's conceivable that it could have done an unbalanced morning peak working for 5 days a week.

 

[xotGD]

Presumably the 33 hung around Birmingham all weekend, or did it go south on anything (before Sunday evening) I wonder, to be replaced by another 33 coming north on something else?

IIRC the 33 ran to Banbury and stabled there over the weekend. I don't know why.

 

[DorkingMain]

Used to love having Virgin CrossCountry services into East Croydon.

 

[MP393]

That service still runs….

Realtime Trains - 0341 Swansea to London Paddington

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I used that service a few years back on an All Line Rover all nighter to avoid a hotel, with the connection from the overnight Fishguard train! I can see that part doesn’t run now, however

 

[DorkingMain]

The Gatwick stoppers at New Cross Gate are also sorely missed, from a personal perspective.

 

[D6130]

IIRC the 33 ran to Banbury and stabled there over the weekend. I don't know why.

Maybe the train was worked by a Banbury crew between there and Birmingham and vice-versa? If so, the light engine would be a crew-balancing move.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I used that service a few years back on an All Line Rover all nighter to avoid a hotel, with the connection from the overnight Fishguard train! I can see that part doesn’t run now, however

That part from Fishguard no longer runs because the overnight boat no longer runs in the way it used to so there’s no point running the old 01.50 from Fishguard as there’s no boat arrival.

Departures from Rosslare are now at 07.30 and 18.15 arriving into Fishguard at 11.00 and 21.45 respectively. Both these boat arrivals have onward connections by rail from Fishguard.