Gettin em in, “the slims”

A tale of the 12 class 33/2’s and how they fell to TC’s “red pen”. Thanks to “TC” for the cracking memories and phots

33207. Saturday 3rd April 1982, 10.14 Bristol TM – Portsmouth Harbour, from Salisbury to Southampton. A typical Saturday move for the time, 50015 on the 09.10 Waterloo – Exeter down to Salisbury and then 33207 to Southampton on the next train to Portsmouth. Next up was a decent thrash up to Reading with 33105 on the Poole – Leeds/Newcastle. After that it was back into London to have a wander round a few loco sheds. 33207 featured in my moves a few times over the years. The Manchester – Gatwick in September 1985, a railtour with 33202 to Carlisle in 1986 and a few moves on “Route 89” in 1987 and 1988. My last run with it was in 1991 when I had “gen” it had gone to Exeter and was coming back with the 11.55 Exeter – Waterloo. I managed to get to Templecombe for it, but when we got to Salisbury we were met by the man with the golden gloves and 47716 went forward.

The man with the golden gloves has just uncoupled 33207 from the 1155 Exeter – Waterloo on August 9th 1991, for 47716 forward, fortunately “TC” was on board from Templecombe!

33210. Saturday 1st May 1982, 13.40 Exeter – Brighton, from Salisbury to Fareham. I think there was around six of us on a bash on the Portsmouth – Bristol’s on this day. Being fairly new to “bashing” I had already scored 33010/019/028 and 060 when 33210 rolled in. Later on, back in London a few of us stayed out for an overnight and after a trip to Eastleigh with the Saturday night equivalent of the down and up “mails”, we ended up at London Bridge where we were spoilt with 2 JA’s, 73002 and 73004  on the paper trains. I had 33210 only once more, on the Manchester – Gatwick in 1985, it was withdrawn in 1987,

33201. Saturday 9th April 1983, 12.15 Cardiff – Portsmouth, from Fareham to Portsmouth Harbour. This was a day which started well, 33062 on the 09.10 Waterloo – Exeter and 33046 on the 10.10 Waterloo – Salisbury, so by the time I got to “Route 89” I had already scored two HG engines. Sadly “Route 89” was having a bit of a day and the normal Southampton – Fareham moves were not making as trains from Bristol were running a fair bit late. I did a couple of moves from Fareham to Portsmouth, 33201 appeared on the second move. I also had 33201 on the 22.52 out of Waterloo one night in 1987, and it was out during the last week of 33’s on “Route 89” in May 1988.

33211. Monday 15th August 1983, 16.06 Crewe – Cardiff from Crewe to Church Stretton. Back in 1983 there was talk that the first Crewe – Cardiff diagram on a Monday was worth covering, particularly if they couldn’t start the 33. So on this day I made my way across to Shrewsbury courtesy of an HST, 31422, 86225 and a DMU. This was all forgotten when 25161 rolled in with the 11.40 Cardiff – Crewe. Obviously the rat wasn’t going back and it was all smiles when 33211 backed on to the 16.06 to Cardiff. 47543 was the move back from Church Stretton. I had 33211 a few times between 1986 and 1988, once on the 14.10 Waterloo – Salisbury, once on the 22.52 to Eastleigh and a few times on the Portsmouth – Cardiff’s. It was out during the last week, my last run was on the 05.00 Bristol TM – Yeovil and 06.55 return on May 11th 1988.

33212. Saturday 22nd December 1984, 16.00 Crewe – Cardiff from Crewe to Church Stretton. The Saturday before Christmas, so a good time to cover the relief’s on Table 51. After a trip up to Derby with 47589 on an Exeter – York, I was withered when 45075 was taken off the 10.30 York – Plymouth for a very dud 45057. 45075’s boiler was defective. Back in Birmingham it was 81003 up to Crewe on an Exeter – Glasgow relief for 33212 to Church Stretton for 33039 back to Crewe. I had 33212 once more, in April 1987 on a Cardiff – Portsmouth. The loco was another early casualty, going in September 1987.

33208. Thursday 27th June 1985, 16.38 Waterloo – Exeter, Waterloo – Basingstoke. Three months into my railway career, and three weeks at my first station. I had just done a string of early shifts and now had 5 days off and “priv” travel! Arriving at Waterloo I was very pleased to see 33208, the move being Basingstoke for the “boat train” back, and then an overnight up to Scotland. 33208 went in the book a few times over the next few years, the highlight probably being on May 10th 1988 when it did the 09.10 Waterloo – Exeter and 14.17 return.

In the guise of 6593 preserved 33208 at London Bridge with a buffer puffer tour on January 8th 2000.

33202. Sunday 21st July 1985, on the Manchester – Gatwick. A night when I actually had some “gen” and with a winner on the Manchester – Gatwick, me and my mate Andy Weymes shared a “compo” from Birmingham to Gatwick. I had the loco again the following year on a railtour to Carlisle with 33207, but that was it apart from a few runs in preservation.

Some time in 1987 sees 33202 stabled with a 4TC at Salisbury loco sidings

33209. Tuesday 11th February 1986, 18.15 Cardiff – Manchester, Cardiff – Newport. In the middle of a weeks all line and the first winner of the day is at 6pm in Cardiff. I did think about going to Crewe on 33209 for maybe the Stranraer forward, but when I was given the gen on 33047 and the offer of a bed for the night, I settled for Newport. The next day it was a leisurely trip to Shrewsbury for 33047 on the 13.45 Manchester Cardiff (the loco having done the 07.50 Swansea – Manchester earlier). A few trips in 1987 and 1988, it was on “Route 89” during the first week of May 1988.

33209 at Westbury with the 0950 Swansea – Portsmouth H on June 3rd 1987

33205. Thursday 29th January 1987, 17.29 Salisbury – Waterloo, Basingstoke – Waterloo. A short afternoon bash, 33046 on the 16.38 Waterloo – Exeter to Andover for the 17.29 Salisbury – Waterloo back to London. 33046 was a few minutes down, so I bailed at Basingstoke. Very pleased when 33205 rolled in. This loco could be spotted head on because it had a fairly hefty dent in one of the handrails under the cab windows. 33205 went in the book a few times over the next 12 months and two of those runs were also on the 17.29 Salisbury – Waterloo. My last run was in February 1988 with a Bristol – Cardiff and return.

With dented handrails clearly on show, 33205 at waterloo with the 1410 Waterloo – Salisbury on July 3rd 1987

33204. Friday 6th February 1987, 09.50 Swansea – Portsmouth Harbour, Bristol TM – Fareham. A week after 33205 and I am at Victoria for 73006 on the 03.10 to Sittingbourne. The paper trains were not good for sleep, so once back in London it was 33118 on the 08.10 Waterloo – Salisbury for 33046 on the Brighton – Cardiff. As we run into Bristol TM I see 33204 in position to work something forward. A few minutes later I heading back south with 33204 on the 09.50 Swansea – Portsmouth. 33204 worked a bit on “Route 89” in February and March 1988. My last run with 33204 was on 6th October 1988. A Thursday evening, so with five days off I had gone into London hoping for a northbound roarer out of Euston. I guess my luck was out as I ended up at Waterloo and 33204 was on the 22.10 Waterloo – Salisbury. The overnight that night was a trip to Yeovil with 33114 and 33111.

33203. Friday 22nd May 1987, 08.00 Cardiff – Portsmouth Harbour, Bristol TM – Salisbury. I had left Waterloo the previous evening with 33047 on the 22.52 Weymouth. 33047 had been a rare one earlier in the decade as it had been “no heat” for a long while. I could definitely confirm that its heat worked that night. 33114 forward from Eastleigh and 33050 on the 01.55 Southampton – Bristol TM, and then the move went a bit wrong. I should have done 33057 to Yeovil and back on the 05.00 Bristol – Yeovil, but I let this go, believing that the 06.35 Bristol TM – Plymouth would get a pilot locomotive. Well it didn’t, but the move was slightly rescued when 47592 (a winner) produced on the 07.04 vice DMU to Taunton. A quick trip to Weston Super Mare later and 33203 which I had spotted on Bath Road depot hours earlier is just coming off the depot. The 08.00 Cardiff – Portsmouth was a one way diagram, with the loco then going to Eastleigh, the returning 13.10 being a different engine, which that day was 33046.  I had 33203 again in July on the 17.29 Salisbury – Waterloo and twice on 30th January 1988, into and out of Portsmouth.

The “red pen” is ready, 33203 about to be scratched by “TC” on the 0800 Cardiff – Portsmouth H forward from Temple Meads on May 22nd 1987

33206. Wednesday 5th August 1987, 08.30 Brighton – Cardiff, Salisbury – Trowbridge. Sometimes in this hobby you need a bit of luck. Over the years I had got to know some of the 33 bashers, so one evening the phone rang with the news that 33206 had worked the Cardiff – Brighton forward from Bristol TM. Also by luck I was rest day the next day, so after a call to Paul Mayes, we both were on the 08.10 Waterloo – Salisbury with 33112. 33206 duly produced and we bailed at Trowbridge. We must have had some gen that day because we did 33060 to Southampton for 33209 back to Salisbury for 33206 to Portsmouth. We then made out way to Basingstoke for 33204 on the 16.42 Waterloo – Exeter to Andover for 33010 back to Waterloo, giving us 3 slims for the day. I have always regarded 33206 as the hardest one, and apart from this day my only other trip with it was on the A1A charter to Weymouth in 1994. 

To many 33206 was the rarest “slim”, she is seen here at Weymouth about to thrash East with the “Barchester Chronicles” tour on a soggy May 14th 1994.

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