Crowd puller! 40106 about to run round at Rothley after a good run from Loughboro
Well worth the early start at around 5am 81009 roared out of the darkness with the load 3 (BSK and 2 Vans) “Milk empties” to Bletchley. The warm confines of 310047 with its usual dossed out states forward from Bletchley where i too dossed out to Coventry. Much more average power followed then it was the unfamiliar shortish walk across Loughborough to the then fledgling, but then much more real Great Central Railway for their Diesel Day.
“Teddy bears” 9523 and 9516 were my first ever “Teds” for haulage and what a racket they made, impressing all aboard for the run to Rothley and back. More “teds” then the “Queen of Green” 40106 worked the next turn, with bursts of 40 thrash and much whistling. I then reluctantly left Loughborough for the lure of the big railway, giving my rover like you did, to another crank who was walking towards the Great Central.
9516 and 9523 running round at Rothley, the then end of the operational GCR
Back at New St as hoped for, the fairly solid 1620 was roaring and 85034 delivered the usual to Wolves. A huge bonus whilst festering at Wolves was 81006 arriving on the 1440 ex Euston. By diagram she should go back on the 1727 Wolves – Euston which she duly did, 81010 also producing on a Spurs return footex, also 85009. Watching 81006 roar South off the Keynes was a fitting end to a cracking October Saturday…happy days!..
The sad sight of seriously fire damaged 81018 at Rugby, having caught fire a few weeks earlier
81009 0350 Euston-Bletchley LB-BY
047 0430 Euston-Birmingham BY-CO
86240 0726 Coventry-Glasgow CO-NS
31425 0810 Birmingham-Norwich NS-LS
43081} 0815 St.Pancras-Derby LS-LO
43016}
9523} 1030 Loughboro-Rothley LO-RO
9516}
9523 and 9516 at Rothley after a a loud run from Loughborough!
9516} 1105 Rothley-Loughboro RO-LO
9523}
40106 1140 Loughboro-Rothley LO-RO
40106 1215 Rothley-Loughboro RO-LO
9520} 1245 Loughboro-Rothley LO-RO
14029}
14029} 1315 Rothley-Loghboro RO-LO
9520}
40106 at Loughborough with an afternoon Rothley service, lead coach buffet Sc 1852 is still at the GCR today…
43088} 1350 Derby-St.Pancras LO-LS
43118}
31411 1210 Cambridge-Birmingham LS-NS
31459 1425 Birmingham-Norwich
47106 1140 Poole-Manchester
85034 1620 Birmingham-Preston NS-WO
85034 roaring nicely at Wolves with the 1620 Birmingham New St – Preston, always a good bet for a “roarer” back then.
81010 ECS for Smethwick -Euston rtn Spurs Footex
81006 1440 Euston-Wolverampton
The day has just got a whole lot better providing 81006 returns on diagram, seen here at Wolves with the 1440 ex Euston
85009 1245 Glasgow-Cardiff WO-NS
81006 1727 Wolverhampton-Euston NS-MK
095 1730 Birmingham-Euston MK-LB
81010 on the then freight line at Wolves with emcars for a Smethwick RS – London rtn Spurs football special.
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