Hitchin, Friday August 3rd 1973

Hitchin was  a bit of a trek from Dunstable involving 2 buses a good 90 minute trip. The Luton – Hitchin FLF bus dropped us off in Nightingale Road so the depot was always done first.  Just the 3 locos on shed plus DMUs aplenty.

Then it was down to the cycle “Shed” on down side of the main line adjacent to Hitchin station. As usual the local lads were there even a few girls too, to watch the virtual non stop loco action.

Of the 52 different locos seen, just 2 were “cops”, 5634 and 1994. The local lads were keenly awaiting 1L21 the mid afternoon Fridays Only booked class 45 turn. Being Luton lads we hated peaks as they did everything on the Midland so D22 got a mix of cheers of boos as 1L21 passed.     

Our enjoyable 7 hour ended with “yet another generator” passing and the long bus

trek home with the usual growling bus thrash climbing Offley hill the highlight as it still is today!.

34D – Hitchin depot

5590, 5644, 5647

Hitchin’s small 2 road shed survived into 2015 as seen here albeit without locos just pigeons, sadly demolished in 2022.

Part of the original log from the day, priceless!

loco	code	Train (where known)	New no	depot	Add Notes
1100	1B66	0920 Kings X – Cambridge	47298	GD
5649	1B66	0930 Cambridge – Kings X	31223	FP
1778	1A05	0705 Cleethorpes – Kings X	47183	IM	Green livery
5627	0B64		31203	FP	Parcels
9021	1S17	1000 Kings X – Edinburgh	55021	HA	“Flying Scotsman”. Green livery
1108	1A06	0705 Darlington – Kings X	47525	YK
1999	1N18	Down additional to Newcastle	47297	GD	Green livery
1988	1N13	1005 Kings X – Newcastle	47286	GD
9011	1A07	0725 Newcastle – Kings X	55011	GD
1510	1A08	0830 Leeds – Kings X	47411	FP
1581	1L09	1020 Kings X – Leeds	47461	GD
3722			08555	FP	Transfer freight to South Yd. Green livery
5634	2B65	1015 Kings X – Baldock	31210	FP
5651	0B84		31225	FP	Light loco
5622	8B00		31198	FP	Engineers
1511	1A09	0850 York – Kings X	47412	FP	30 late
3713			08549	HI	Shunting depot yard
9020	1S19	1100 Kings X – Edinburgh	55020	FP
1506	1A10	1130 Leeds – Kings X	47407	FP
9014	1L13	1125 Kings X – Leeds/Harrogate	55014	GD
1509	1A11	0825 Newcastle – Kings X	47410	FP
192	1B66	1130 Kings X – Cambridge	46055	GD
1100	1B66	1130 Cambridge – Kings X	47298	GD
1507	1N14	1147 Kings X – Newcastle	47408	FP
180	1A14	0930 Leeds – Kings X (incl 0841 ex Halifax portion)	46043	GD
????	1A15	0912 Newcastle – Kings X			Tyne Tees pullman
9018	1S32	1200 Kings X – Aberdeen	55018	FP	“Aberdonian”
1107	1A16	0952 Harrogate – Kings X	47524	YK	Green livery
1965	1D02	1220 Kings X – Cleethorpes	47265	GD
9013	1E01	0800 Edinburgh – Kings X	55013	HA
5634	2B65	Xxxx Baldock – Kings X	31210	FP
5651	5C30		31225	FP	ECS
1515	1S14	1300 Kings X – Edinburgh	47416	FP
1577	1L16	1310 Kings X – Leeds/Bradford	47457	GD
5618	8T51		31194	FP	Ballast
1778	1B66	1330 Kings X – Cambridge	47183	IM	off 1A05 earlier
192	1B66	1330 Cambridge – Kings X	46055	GD
5595	5B00		31175	FP	ECS
1100	1N12	1340 Kings X – Newcastle	47298	GD
1513	1A20	1130 Leeds – Kings X	47414	FP
9011	1S35	1400 Kings X – Aberdeen	55011	GD	off 1A07 earlier
9012	1A21	1200 Bradford/Leeds – Kings X	55012	FP
1994	1A70	Up Relief?	47292	TI	Green livery
5627	8B81	March freight?	31203	FP
1517	1A22	1050 Newcastle – Kings X	47418	HO
9005	1E05	1000 Edinburgh – Kings X	55005	GD	“Flying Scotsman”
1104	1L20	1420 Kings X – Leeds	47521	GD	Green livery
5605	2B66	1404 Kings X – Cambridge	31404	FP
345	6S64	Kings X Goods – Aberdeen	40145	GD	Fish empties. Green livery
22	1L21	1505 Kings X – Leeds	45132	TO	Booked FO 45 turn
1737	1A24	1210 Newcastle – Kings X	47144	HO
1778	1B66	1530 Cambridge – Kings X	47183	IM	Green livery
1779	6Z31		47184	IM	Royston oil e’s? Green livery
1508	1B66	1530 Kings X – Cambridge	47409	FP
1101	1L22	1555 Kings X – Leeds	47518	HA
9013	1S42	1600 Kings X – Edinburgh	55013	HA
9015	1L26	1605 Kings X – Bradford	55015	FP
1509	1A26	1355 Leeds/1317 Hull – Kings X	47410	FP
1513	1N23	1615 Kings X – Newcastle	47414	FP

i believe this is a mid 60s view showing a shunter on a transfer freight from the yard South of the station, note the class 20 on the down slow too. This yard was still busy in 1973 but by the early 80s became a housing estate

Thanks to RM web for this memorable image of 6S64 fish empties pounding North with the booked 40 up front, probably taken in Spring 74 just North of Hitchin

Locos by class:

Class 08 3713, 3722…….2

Class 31 5590, 5595, 5601, 5605, 5618, 5622, 5627, 5634, 5644, 5647, 5649, 5651…..12

Class 40 345…1,

Class 45, 46  22, 180, 192……3

Class 47 1100, 1101, 1103, 1104, 1107, 1108, 1506, 1507, 1508, 1509, 1510, 1511, 1513, 1515, 1517, 1577, 1581, 1737, 1778, 1779, 1965, 1988, 1994, 1999…..24

Class 55  9005, 9011, 9012, 9013, 9014, 9005, 9015, 9018, 9020, 9021…10

Total  52

Other Hitchin logs

April 72 Hitchin log

Sep 72 Hitchin log

April 73 Hitchin log

end