Pre tour Moves Friday April 6th 1984
The “Knotty Northern Circular” tour departed Stafford 0730 on Saturday April 7th but me and Tony Ewer opted to leave a day early armed with 2 for 1 Persil tickets to Brum and Bath. The usual traction variety with a good few 33’s, an 08 plus the bankers up the Lickey, before the usual “rancid Crewe” overnight. Once on the tour we all dossed out!
April 6th’s moves
86246 1F10 0635 Euston-Liverpool L.Buzzard – New St (via Northampton)
This train was booked loco hauled Mk IIe stock to placate BR office staff who had their jobs relocated from London to Birmingham in late 1982. 1F10 was essentially a unit turn’s stopping pattern so 86246 that morning made booked stops at Watford Jn, Hemel. Berko, Leighton, Bletchley, M.Keynes, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Bucky, Rugby, Coventry and Bir Int’l en route to New St and onwards to Liverpool. We were a bit unlucky getting a “can” on 1F10 as it was often a “seven”, it rarely roared though.
47594 1V72 0825 Manchester-Cardiff New St – Cheltenham
50005 1V76 0920 Liverpool-Penzance Cheltenham – T.Meads
33062 1O79 1205 Cardiff-Portsmouth T.Meads – Bath
Bristol at the time was very much “Crompton” city with 2 – 4 per hour producing.
Hither Green’s 33062 was a good “winning” start. 6 “Cromptons” were raked in on
the Bristol – bath circuit.
33005 1V26 1210 Portsmouth-Cardiff Bath – T.Meads
08398 2B46 1615 Bristol-Taunton (to release 45120) TM-BW (and back)
Rare! Train engine 45120 was trapped on the wrong end of the 1615 Bristol – Taunton on platform 3 as an HST had failed in front of it. With a good number of passengers aboard, 08398 was summoned from the West end parcels sidings complete with guards brake van. As the “gronk” was coupled a few more bashers including us piled on to enjoy 08398 hauling us out to Bristol West well beyond the road overbridge. This allowed 45120 to be released before the big 08 propelled us back into T.Meads where us and a few other bashers bailed off!
08398 on passenger at Bristol West, 060484
33110 1O85 1610 Bristol-Portsmouth T.Meads – Bath
A 33’1 “bag” were generally less common on the Bristol – Pompeys, 33110 had a quick turn round having just arrived on the 1310 ex Portsmouth.
33015 1V30 1510 Portsmouth-W.S.Mare Bath – T.Meads
33042 2O61 1710 Cardiff-Weymouth T.Meads – Bath
43128} 1725 Padd-W.S.Mare Bath – T.Meads
43007}
33054 1O93 1915 Bristol-Portsmouth T.Meads – Bath
33062 1V35 1810 Portsmouth-Bristol Bath – T.Meads
45120 1S19 2124 Bristol-Glas/Edin T.Meads – New St
1S19 was perhaps unique in that from Cheltenham most bashers were in the rear of this lengthy overnight train. Hard core “peak men” would remain up front though!
37291} 1S19 2124 Bristol-Glas/Edin (banking) Bromsgrove – Blackwell
37288}
In the darkness alongside Bromsgrove oil terminal South of the station the 2 class 37’s would come off the siding and gently buffer up to the rear coach. Once the “RA” was given the “peak” up front would groan and the 2 x 37’s would characteristically bark, then growl for the 5-6 minutes or so of sustained climbing up the Lickey. Much smoke and sparks from all 3 locos, plus bellowing from those aboard. At Blackwell with sparking wheels the 37’s would stop and drop off as we breasted the top. Great fun in the otherwise silent Worcestershre countryside close to midnight.
87030 1S19 2124 Bristol-Glas/Edin New St – Crewe
Other Gen from the Day
86315 1A06 0746 Northampton-Euston
86318 1A83 0813 Northampton-Euston
45142 1E10 0710 Bristol-Leeds
87017 1O03 0720 Liverpool-Poole
47452 1O03 0720 Liverpool-Poole
47589 1M49 0720 W.S.Mare-Birmingham
50009 1S61 0645 Padd-Edin/Glas
31433 1E64 1015 Birmingham-Norwich
86247 1V72 0825 Manchester-Cardiff
33033 1O79 1205 Cardiff-Portsmouth (to T.Meads)
45120 2B30 1310 T.Meads-W.S.Mare
50009 1M85 0740 Penzance-Liverpool
33010 1V25 1110 Portsmouth-Bristol
33035 1V26 1210 Portsmouth-Cardiff
50006 1V85 1133 Manchester-Plymouth
33042 2B38 1402 Cardiff-Bristol
47471 1M86 1245 FO Plymouth-Manchester
47597 2C38 1550 Bristol-Cardiff
33033 2C40 1648 Bristol-Cardiff
33110 1V27 1310 Portsmouth-Bristol
50009 1V90 1320 Liverpool-Plymouth
45120 2B46 1615 Bristol TM – Taunton
45131 Down Addit
47140 2O61 1710 Cardiff-Weymouth (to T,Meads) assume steaming.
47524 1V92 1428 York-Plymouth
47440 1805 Padd-Bristol HST replacement
50002 1B35 1821 Padd-Bristol
47534 1B42 1850 FO Padd-Bristol
47238 2110 Bristol-Plymouth Addit (no heat)
33020 1C74 1835 Paignton-Cardiff
50010 1V95 1935 Birmingham-Bristol
April 6th Phots
33062 at Bath Spa with 1O79 1205 Cardiff-Portsmouth
45019 with ballast “sea cow’s” in tow at Britol TM
Skinhead 31133 on Bath Road depot
Bath Road was in decline by 1984 but still a fascinating depot to watch the loco moves from adjoining Temple Meads platforms
April 7th’s early morning moves
47418 1M41 2234 York-Shrewsbury Crewe – Crewe South (and back)
a bit desperate this one. 47418 usually departed early from a through platform at Crewe to run down beyond the depot before reversing back into one of the South bay’s where more vans were attached to this classic overnight train. So my last “genny” was raked in for about a mile!
87017 1V61 2340 Edin/Glas-Euston Crewe – Stafford
Other Gen from the Day
47559 1V01 0204 Crewe-Cardiff
47530 1D02 0238 Crewe-Holyhead
86328 1S25 2240 Euston-Perth/Glasgow
87020 1S22 2335 Euston-Glasgow N/R
86226 1P54 0235 Crewe-Preston
86253 1F53 2350 Euston-Liverpool
47510 1F53 2350 Euston-Liverpool
47489 1A04 0115 Holyhead-Euston
85010} 1A04 0115 Holyhead-Euston..
85036}
as a good few will vouch it was often better to have a loco atop the notoriously unreliable 85036 although this train was diagrammed for 2 electrics. The only “roarers” we saw on passenger that night….
86238 1G00 0352 Crewe-Birmingham
87020 1M10 2210 Glasgow-Euston
7 April tour report, phots and memories here
end
Leighton Lists 