A “ped” on the “Cobblers”, May 87

A “ped” on the “Cobblers”, May 28th 1987

Our small band of evening Cobbler men had been covering the “Cobblers” (Euston – Northampton peak hour trains) most days since their multi train service start in May 82.

We were after “roarer” action which on tightly timed 13 coach Mk I rakes on your doorstep took some beating.

As from the Evening Cobbler extract below, May 87 saw you having a pretty good chance of several “roarers” most evenings with “rancid cans” on the others. Thursday May 28th 1987 started well as the last up hauled service 1A53 1555 Northampton – Euston around 1630 off Leighton roared with 85003, this was unusual an 86’4 being the likely booked power. 1A53 was the booked stock for 1B08 Cobbler so was a full load 12/13 rake so there was plenty of roarer “noise” from 85003 as she hurtled South. It must have been a good run as we made the

plus 7 onto 1B06 at Euston. On many occasions you could be held outside to watch both B06 and B07 roar past whilst B08 your stock’s return working got a “rancid can”.     

So 85018 was joined up front for a good run to Northampton with just the booked stops at M.Keynes and Wolverton. A 10 minute wait at Northampton, then with the box ringing the bell, our 310 approached and the two of us piled on 310046. Obviously we sat in the power car which were famous for all sorts of noises!  

The up unit was a plus 8 onto 1B09 Cobbler but as the unit was nearly always 10 down, it could be very tight making B09 at the Keynes. This evening there was no sign of B09 and we were puzzled until seeing the screens was at least 30 late, a “loco failure at Stoke Hammond” being the gen from one of the few “soche” MK station staff. Stoke Hammond was 4 miles South of Bletchley.

Bets it’s 85036 claimed Mr Evans, i claimed it would be 86257, both these fine? WCML machines were regular rogues blowing up here and there. We were also worried B09 would be caped at Bletchley. As often happened back in the day, we were joined by Northampton Mick off some up “Seven”, on getting the gen, he too opted to sit it out.

Then came the announcement a now 54 late B09 was on approach and we could make out a class 31 profile, was it a pair, a biggie? A very respectable 31280 soon arrived dragging, yes we’d seen her arriving at Euston earlier, a very dead 85036. 31280 soon went into thrash mode as we enjoyed good views of the passing countryside as we slowly hit the summit near Hanslope before storming down the bank into Northampton.

From memory it was a bit tight onto 310082 home passing 81002 on the last Cobbler (the legendary 1B10) in the Wolverton area, an interesting evening on the Cobblers was over. From memory class 31’s on the Evening Cobblers were very rare, as other AC electrics usually worked forward, one night in May 88 it was a pair of 31’s on 1B09 throughout but thats another Cobbler story…   

Thanks to Neil Evans for this memorable phot of 31280 dragging a failed 85036 into Milton Keynes with the heavily delayed 1B09 1814 Euston – Northampton on May 28th 1987. Thats Northampton Mick and your editor admiring the dead “roarer”!

Evening Cobbler extract for May 87

 1B03s1B06  1B071B081B06s1B091B10  
11/5/87 8503581009   85019
12/5/87 81020     
14/5/87 8502081005  85017 
15/5/87 850138500385009  81014
16/5/87 –––85006– 
18/5/87 85018   8502885002
21/5/87 85011   85022 
22/5/87 85018    81002
25/5/87      85022
26/5/87   85025   
27/5/87 8101285025  81007 
28/5/87 85018 85035 31280/85036 ex St H81002
30/5/8785024––– 85021– 

1B03s and 1B06s are Saturday cobblers..

The Moves

                                                                           28/5/87 Th

85003    1A53 1555 Northampton-Euston                                                                               LB-EU

85036    1A52 1315 Holyhead-Euston

85018    1B06 1714 Euston-Northampton                                                                                EU-NO

86255    1B07 1720 Euston-Bletchley

046        1737 Birmingham-Euston                                                                                           NO-MK

85003    1H27 1810 Euston-Manchester

31280}  1B09 1814 Euston-Northampton (54L)                                                                     MK-NO

85036(d)}

082        2036 Northampton-Euston                                                                                          NO-LB

85035    1B08 1745 Euston-Northampton

81002    1B10 1945 Euston-Northampton

end