A big 37 out of Rugby, July 1st 1984
A spare “Mid” had been aquired for a Sunday leap, the girlfriend demanding i’d be home for two as we had visitors coming, yawn! Was it worth going out on such a short day i thought waiting for the unit at Leighton around 7am on a bright Sunday morning.
“Smudger” (aka “the Buzzard”) of Cornish fame was already aboard having done some desperate overnight!
.
We bailed at the Keynes to awit the “Flower power” this was 1F90 0700 Euston – Liverpool put on for day trippers to the Liverpool garden festival. This train rarely got any day trippers just bashers all wedged in the front coach!
.
Huge disappointment on seeing an 86’2 (86217) arriving with 10 Mk i vacs, this train occasionally got a sunday morning “roarer”. We knew the train would be dragged from Rugby to New St via Nuneaton but had no idea of the power until we arrived at Rugby to see a 37 waiting at the far end of the platform waiting to back on. 37278 soon backed on with the front 2 coaches filled with bashers as we awaited the tip.
.
“Smudger” was in a dilemma as he had to be in Basingstoke for a family event by 1300 and it was close to nine when 37278 slowly departed. “Smudger” stayed aboard but on the train stopping at the far end of Rugby’s platform to pick up a pilotman, “Smudger” got off!!!
37278 backing onto the “can” at Rugby with 1F90 0700 Euston – Liverpool Relief on July 1st 1984
37278 growled and snarled along the down fast to Nuneaton where even more bashers piled aboard, Dud 58002 was viewed on a Nuneaton drag too.
At New St 37278 returned to Bescot depot and we remained on 86217 to Wolves. After the initial excitement of the big tractor the rest of the morning was pretty average with 47320, 47456 and required 58014 on the 1200 Wolves – Euston drag back to Nuneaton. 310052 returned me home from Rugby and i even got home in time to meet the Sunday afternoon visitors….
.
Checking with colleagues the next day, for a change, nothing massive appeared at New St that July Sunday afternoon so i didnt miss out. That performance from 37278 remains sharp, writing up these notes 38 years later!
1/7/84 Su
048 0635 Euston-Rugby LB-MK
86217 1F90 0700 Euston-Liverpool Relief MK-RU
37278} 1F90 0700 Euston-Liverpool Relief RU-NS (via Nun)
86217(d)}
86217 1F90 0700 Euston-Liverpool Relief NS-WO
47322 0805 Wolverhampton-Hastings Charter
85015 0805 Wolverhampton-Hastings Charter
58002} 1A05 0757 Wolverhampton-Euston
86220(d)}
47320 1V79 0825 Manchester-Bristol WO-SA
47294 1V79 0825 Manchester-Bristol
47207 Bolton-Stratford Charter
47474 1H31 1050 Birmingham-Manchester
47456 1O19 0825 Liverpool-Poole SA-NS
47484 1O19 0825 Liverpool-Poole
37233} 0610 Plymouth-Skegness Railtour
37186}
47500 W.Ruislip-Chester Charter
58014} 1A14 1200 Wolverhampton-Euston NS-NU
86223(d)}
47322} 1G26 1100 Euston-Wolverhampton
86238 (d)}
86223 1A14 1200 Wolverhampton-Euston NU-RU
052 1326 Rugby-Euston RU-LB
The late Tony Ewer was also out on July 1st doing the dreaded Mid Saturday night overnight then much the same as me
85022 2124(30/6) Bristol – Glas/Edin WO-CR 010784
87005 0015 Liverpool – Euston CR-ST 010784
86327 2350(30/6) Euston – Liverpool ST-CR 010784
47558 1G00 0357 Crewe – Birmingham CR-NS 010784
58002/86220(d) 0757 Wolves – Euston NS-NU 010784
37278/86217(d) 1F90 0730 Euston – Liverpool NU-NS 010784
Tony Ewer catches 58002 nicely stabled at Nuneaton after dragging the 0757 ex Wolves on July 1st 1984
86217 1F90 0730 Euston – Liverpool NS-WO 010784
47320 0825 Manchester – Bristol WO-NS 010784
58014/86223(d) 1200 Wolves – Euston NS-NU 010784
86223 1200 Wolves – Euston NU-RU 010784
052 1326 Rugby – Euston RU-MK 010784
Any more Sunday July 1st 1984 memories to share??
end
Leighton Lists 