20s out of Bletchley, June 85

Bletchley  “20’s , Sunday June 23^rd 1985

         This was a classic Sunday where they were “dragging everywhere”. Bletchley – Rugby, Nuneaton, Cannock and Stafford area dragging. On an initially grey morning the Derby 3 car suburban DMU rattled us North to Bletchley. Here a huddle of bashers had the gen that a pair of 20’s had dragged the up “Splitter” in the early hours and should go back on the Holyhead.

       “Glad I didn’t stay on to Milton Keynes then” was my Northampton colleagues repost. (The Holyhead didn’t stop at MK) 86214 then arrived with a lot more bashers than you usually expect on a “can”! and then 20070 and 20026 backed on at Bletchley. A steady run followed from the 20’s until Kilsby tunnel from where we positively stormed the last few drag miles to Rugby. At Rugby we lost our 20’s but by Nuneaton there were claims of 45056/47313/58024 dragging. We opted for the big Eastern Sulzer machine with 47313 on the drag from Nuneaton to New St.

    To get us to Stafford for their drag action we joined a “tram” for the run to Stafford. As listed below a good bit of dragging at Stafford but all “EH”. 45108 was an unusual drag machine on the 1325 Liverpool – Euston to Stafford, an 86’4 working forward.

A few “roarers” were raked in heading South, finally 310083 stormed in style via Weedon, much better than the “Northampton totter!”

The moves –  23/6/85 Su

          53863}                                                                         

          59594}  0815 Euston-Rugby                L.Buzzard-Bletchley

          53916}

          20070}

          20026}  0845 Euston-Holyhead           Bletchley-Rugby (via Weedon)

          86214} d

          86231    1000 Euston-Wolverhampton Rugby – Nuneaton

          47313}  1100 Euston-Wolverhampton Nuneaton – New St

          86260} d

          43179}  0900 Plymouth-Manchester    New St – Stafford (via Cannock)

          43183}

          47612    1525 Manchester-Birmingham Stafford-Wolves

          85031    1545 Liverpool-Poole               Wolves-New St                   

          85026    1727 Wolverhampton-Euston    New St – Coventry

          083        1805 Birmingham-Euston         Coventry – L.Buzzard  (viaWeedon)

Known gen at the time

          20070}

          20026}  0845 Euston-Holyhead                                  

          86214} d

          47131    0945 Euston-Glasgow

          86231    1000 Euston-Wolverhampton            

          45056}  1000 Euston-Wolverhampton (ex NS)

          86231(d)}                    

          85008    1005 Euston-Glasgow Charter

          45056    1000 Euston-Wolverhampton

          47313}  1100 Euston-Wolverhampton            

          86260} d

          31435    1305 Manchester-Birmingham

          81020    1240 Euston-Glasgow Relief

          45108    1325 Liverpool-Euston

          47465    0805 Glasgow-Euston

          47412    1024 Brighton-Liverpool

          47402    1320 Holyhead-Euston

          47513    0905 Glasgow-Poole

          47612    1525 Manchester-Birmingham                       

          85031    1545 Liverpool-Poole                        

          47257    1545 Liverpool-Poole (ex Cov)                     

          85023    1655 Birmingham-Liverpool              

          85026    1727 Wolverhampton-Euston            

          083        1805 Birmingham-Euston                              

2 phots from the day

 20070 and 20026 at Rugby after dragging 86214 on the 0845 Euston – Holyhead from Bletchley on 230685

 Stafford “peak power”, 45108 on the 1325 Liverpool – Euston which the 45 worked as far as Stafford for a “can” forward.