Anglia Day Ranger, Sat July 30th 1983
Thanks to “MIB”
Earlier in the month I had ventured out on an Anglia day ranger on the opening Saturday of the month and so I went for a repeat performance hopeful that the man in control would deliver again.
I did the same train from Bedford as earlier in the month but this time I did the Shenfield overnight fill in moves which involved changing to a DMU for onward passage to Southend. I regret now not writing down the unit numbers and what Cravens it was assuming my memory has not failed me and it wasnt a Cravens. All I can recall is 31232 at Liverpool St and the un-tempting 47097 on the 0400 to Cambridge which was quickly ignored with big Thornaby winner, 37098 on the 0430 to Norwich as the top man delivered for me once again to spirit it home after a less than desirable night owl move for me.
It appears I did doss on the 0430 this time round as I noted nothing until arriving at Ipswich where 37072 and 31225 were parked up. I was less than impressed by the sight of 31160 on the 0715 to Cambridge, having had that three times in a day on the Cambridge line back in August 1982, So after buying my day rover and viewing 37140 heading towards Ipswich tunnel on a freight, I re-boarded the 0430 to head up to Norwich in the rear section of the front MK2 loading to six Mk2s. As I did so 37089 + 37053 went by on a liner so it is possible they had been paired all month as they worked a liner through Brentwood when I did the 0430 at the start of July.
37098 at Ipswich with the 0430 Liv St – Norwich, 300783
37140 middle road at Ipswich, 300783
Once in Norwich 31108 and 37099 were loitering for Yarmouth portions whilst 31309 was heading to Yarmouth on the 0608 from Peterborough. It was time to seek out Maurice to either be impressed with what he knew or peeved if piffle was the order of the day. In a way it was a mixture as I had another big Thornaby snout lined up on the 1005 Yarmouth to Liverpool Street on the long way round via Ely and another winner on the 1305 Yarmouth to Liverpool Street but once again the 40 was a big disappointment on the 0815 Manchester as it was 40172 and the 0850 from Newcastle could only rustle up 47130 so they were both in the bin as potential moves.
31108 at Norwich, 300783
37102 0924 Norwich – Liverpool St 300783
It would be another lengthy breakfast as the 0935 to Birmingham was 31401 + 31414 and the 0924 to Liverpool Street was dud local 37102 whilst 37098 took charge of the 0910 Yarmouth to Newcastle. This meant I was condemned to doing the 0935 Yarmouth to Leeds again as I required 31312 out to Thetford on 10 MK1s. This was not good as I wanted 37072 following it which meant I had little choice but to continue to Ely from Thetford with the snout which was only on 6 Mk2s compared to what the 31 had been entrusted too. Interesting that again a 37 parked up at Ipswich earlier wound up at Norwich to do a summer dated train although I didnt understand why 37072 didnt do the Leeds to get it nearer to home and 31312 went to London as a March loco instead of what actually happened. Nevertheless this meant that the only way I could do the 1348 from Norwich was to indulge in a cart all the way back from Ely passing 47150 on the 1030 Yarmouth to Birmingham but at least I could get a bit of sleep. All very annoying as 31231 + 31422 on the 1015 from Birmingham would have been preferable.
37072 at Ely with the 1005 Norwich – Liv St via Cam on 300783
It was a tight plus onto the 1305 Yarmouth to Liverpool Street but we made it at Norwich noting 40172 for the Manchester, 31189 and 31200 on portion duties, 31261 assigned to the Chesterfield and 47158 which had done the 1128 from Liverpool Street. No heat 37055 was backing onto 8 Mk1s so we would be late departing and this time I decided I would go all the way on this winner looking at the gen I was in possession of. I had required 31212 on the 1025 Lowestoft to Liverpool Street as advised by Maurice but I lost track of what it did next as no gen on it thereafter. I nodded off at some point in the compo and realised we had lost half an hour on timings by the time we arrived in London. In a way the lateness played into my hands as another NB Stratford snout, one I didnt know about, 37070, was on the 1700 to Lowestoft load 7 and as another winner I had to do it to Colchester for a Clacton unit back to London and food. 31240, 31268, 37103 and required for sight 08498 were lurking on Colchester depot.
37055 backs on to the 1305 Norwich – Liverpool St on 300783
On arrival at the Street, it looked like a 37 was plonked on the 1928 to Norwich via Cambridge service which may have been 37016 but too far away to see. If it was then I had it in July 1979 on the 1645 Norwich to Peterborough, which it worked at least two consecutive days on a family holiday in Hemsby. I reckon the diagram of the 1928 started off with the 0855 Cambridge to Liverpool St, 1052 Liverpool St to Lowestoft, ecs to Norwich, 1536 Norwich to Liverpool St via Cambridge and 1928 Liverpool St to Norwich via Cambridge so plenty of mileage off one 37 for the day but a unit move to fill the gap from Lowestoft to Norwich to catch up with it was probably required.
After scoffing whatever it was which I cant now recall, 37054 was busy doing nothing as I went to view the 2035 to Cambridge which was re-timed to leave at 2028 because it was going via Seven Sisters, something to do with Clapton Tunnel closed and buckets and spades. If it was dud I was heading home but that was not the case as winner 47099 was up front so had to be done to Bishops Stortford to get back for the 2300 HST home which meant buying a piece again. This was put in jeopardy after passing through Cheshunt and coming to a grinding halt in silence. The guard walked through to the front and had a conversation with the driver which revealed the 47 had suffered a loss of power so we had to await a rescue locomotive. Unless I did a ballast leap, going to Harlow or Stortford now would be the end of making the HST to get home.
About half an hour elapsed before the rescuer arrived which was an unknown 37 so by the time the 37 commenced dragging the 47 forward past Wormley box we were around an hour late but I was in luck as we had a red at Broxbourne so I bailed at this new shack although that was an irritant as I had a 30 minute fester for the next cart. I went to see what the mystery snout was doing the drag and was mildly irritated it was 37055 again as I had hoped for something completely different for the day. 31246 passed through as I kicked my heels on the platform waiting for the unit but at least it was on time. A quick dash on the Victoria Line and it made the 2300 in the days when getting from the underground to St Pancras was much easier and quicker than it is today.
It was a few years before I later learned that 47276 did the 2150 Cambridge to Liverpool Street that night which was to be one of my last three 47s for haulage, so had I gone to Bishops Stortford, chances are that is what I would have had back, so maybe the Broxbourne bail was not the smartest move I ever did.
The full bash summary (asterisks denote winners):
The Moves – Friday 29 July 1983
HST 2231 Bedford to St Pancras 2337 (2035 ex Sheffield)
Saturday 30 July 1983
EMU 0022 Liverpool St to Shenfield 0058 (0022 to Southend Victoria)
DMU 0100 Shenfield to Southend Victoria 0131 (0022 ex Liverpool St)
DMU 0218 Southend Victoria to Shenfield 0249 (to Liverpool St)
EMU 0251 Shenfield to Liverpool St 0332 (0218 ex Southend Victoria)
TE 37098 xot* – 0430 Liverpool St to Norwich 0829 (1P04)
MR 31312 vb* – 1023 Norwich to Thetford 1100 (1E73 0935 Yarmouth to Leeds)
TE 37072 xot* – 1115 Thetford to Ely 1145 (1C77 1005 Yarmouth to Liverpool St)
DMU 1218 Ely to Norwich 1343 (1218 Ely to Norwich)
SF 37055 xo* – 1348 Norwich to Liverpool St 1612 (1642) (1C29 1305 ex Yarmouth)
SF 37070 xo* – 1700 Liverpool St to Colchester 1750 (1P33 to Lowestoft)
EMU 1817 Colchester to Liverpool St 1920 (1753 ex Clacton)
SF 47099 xi* – 2028 Liverpool St to nr Wormley 2106 failed (1P56 re-timed 2035 to Cambridge)
SF 37055 xo + failed 47099 xi 2153 nr Wormley to Broxbourne 2156 (1P56 2028 Liverpool St to Cambridge)
EMU 2226 Broxbourne to Tottenham Hale 2243 (2205 Bishops Stortford to Liverpool St)
HST 2300 St Pancras to Bedford 2341 (to Derby)
Thanks again to MIB for the memories, moves and phots, cracking stuff!
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