A “dino” out of Euston Tu May 27th 1975
An early start saw me at Luton station for around 7.30 am and haulage on 45113 from Luton to Bedford Midland on the St Pancras-Manchester. A short fester at Bedford saw 08221 as yard pilot, 25113 stabled, 31418 on parcels and 45114/142/149 on passenger turns.
Then the short walk and into a deserted but atmospheric St Johns station. Pegs changing announced the arrival of Cravens 103 56148/50390 on my Bletchley service. Front coach seats allowed good views of the brickwork’s with D1028 Western Hussar passing on the Westbury-Leagrave stone train at Millbrook. A 3 hour spell at Bletchley station saw much class 25/85/86/87 action plus a solitary as yet unrenumbered “fish” in E3012. Once 37203/224 had passed on the Wolverton stone I strolled down to the TMD.
1E had the usual 310’s/DMU’s /08’s plus a rare beast for the TMD in 87024. Possibly a failure, or on a test train an 87 on “top shed” was well worth the long walk. I then went into hike/save money mode and walked down the canal. 25315 rumbled over the flyover with a fertiliser train and some hour plus later I rested at Chelmscote to see 83005 on the Redhill -Warrington sand and 83011 on liners.
304 unit 029 also passed and with 4 other “dinos” viewed in service there were a few more then normal 1-2 out today locally I thought. Like many before and after me I then festered in the station car park at Leighton for an hour or so. 83005 on the Charrington tanks perhaps the best power viewed in this spell.
At Leighton I bought a “nightrider” peace, which allowed at seriously low fares a cheap “night” out in the capital. The first train I believe you were valid on to Euston was around 1530 was joined with 310081 the screaming, lively power.
33041 was passed on an inter regional freight at Willesden whist at Euston was:
25068,85022,86002,86007,86011,86234,86248,86252,86253,87020
A tube to Victoria for the rush hour with units a plenty incl 5037 MIB! and beastly 71006 dropped in around 1900. Content with my day the 1934 Euston-Bletchley beckoned as this made a good bus connection (for Dunstable) at Leighton. The power home that evening was 009 a 304 “dino” roaring and bucking out of Euston, happy days!!
20 years later 304009 is seen here at Stafford on 323 vice turns on 060595. The protracted introduction of the 323’s kept some of these classic units including 009 until the final “dino” turns of March 1996.
Vintage gen extracts for 270575
Bletchley Station
25070,25310,85032,86002p,08082sh,85008pv,87008p,86230p,
87017p,86034p,86256p,
51676,59729,59761,51880,51896,59654,59668,51893,86041p,
86007p,25174/25185l,014,87028p,
86211p,87011p,86250p,86212p86028p,83011frl,85010p,
86025p,86232p,56145,50394,86205p,86243p,85004pv,86236p,
035,009,033,87025p,81011l,E3012,37203/37224st,86231p,
08082sh,87027p,85015frl,86226p
Bletchley Depot
51680,59731,59754,59756,55009,56295,59739,59675,59747,058,051,51676,59729,59761,51880, 59763, 029,070,87024,094,51896,59654,59668,51893, 048,56149,50393,51872,08085,08011
Bletchley Flyover
25315fert
Chelmscote Br
86253p,86025p,83005sa,86243p,83011frl
Tunnel Hill
029
Leighton Buzzard
86246p,87025p,82005o,87002p86234p,85026p,83004frl,029,86222p,86231p,86229p,033,009,86035p,86002p,86226p,87011p,86014p,86227p,86240p,85015fr,86205p,86018l,
86235p,86039frl,081H
Leighton Lists 