Jumping the Tour, Saturday May 7th 1988

By the late 80’s very few tours or Merrymakers stopped at Leighton. So waiting on platform 4 with 50 or so Railtour types was quite unusual. Unlike them i didnt have a ticket for said tour as i feared a “can” would work to Mitre Bridge. There were no other local bashers hovering which wasn’t a good sign.

So right time 1Z47 “the Watercress Flyer” tour arrived at Leighton with, to my surprise 85034 up front! I joined, bagging the front vestibule for the unique sounds of an 85 accelerating away albeit on a light load 8 Mk I’s from the Berko, Hemel, Watford and Harrow stops the train called at after also doing Wolverton, The Keynes and Bletchley before I joined.

After some miserable, overweight Hertfordshire Steward gripped me and said he’ll see me later issuing a ticket as he was a bit busy!

So my plan changed, if a standard (33’0) or slim (33’2) worked the tour forward i would find a seat and ching out. If it was a “bag”, still common on passenger back then i would leap at Kenny O. Approaching Willesden Freightliner we crossed a Northbound tour with what i think was 47581 complete with large headboard. 83009 was following the tour heading for the Suburban lines diveunder.

At Mitre Bridge Jn, after my only ever “roarer” to reach there, was quickly uncoupled to be replaced by the inevitable “bag” in the guise of 33114. There was little thrash during the huge 2.27 miles from Mitre Bridge to Kenny O as it was all downhill from North Pole Jn. During the booked stop at Kenny O i leapt to phot the tour leaving.

A tube to Euston Square to Euston which as feared was “can city”. Even the 1110 Euston – Northampton “Cobbler”, a reasonable train for a “roarer” got 86421 which i did home anyway.

4 hours later i was back at Leighton station, 310081 was joined on a Milton Keynes local from where a long fruitless wait for an up “roarer” off the Keynes on a Saturday afternoon. There was one “roarer” 81013 on up liners!, 31152 dragging a failed Parcels unit and an immaculate shiny new 90008 on pre service test runs providing some interest.

If theres no “roarers” out, a “seven” was always considered a reasonable alternative and 87026 provided escape from the Keynes on a Liverpool – Euston.

I arrived at Euston with enough time to walk to Kenny O for the return tour, after more fruitless festering at Euston, improved initially by the rare 87101 hovering i was about to leave for the return tour when 85023 arrived on a Wolves – Euston.

I expected this to go back on a Wolves, most of which stopped at the Keynes but to my and Neil Evan’s delight she backed onto 1B10 the 2010 Euston – Northampton “Saturday Cobbler”. We were well chuffed as this train was reverting to a unit in 8 days time, and although we didn’t know it at the time , this was the last ever “roarer” on the 2010 Euston – Northampton as the last one on Saturday May 14th got rancid 86438 as power. 85023 stormed North, the reasonable 85012 doing the return tour an hour or so ahead of us.

Phots from the day

47581 (probably) passes Willesden Freightliner depot with an, as yet unidentified tour

83009 roars under the North London line at Willesden, the old High level box standing proud too

Her pantograph well stretched, 85034 having been uncoupled from the tour roars back to Willesden at Mitre Bridge Jn

33114 about to work the tour forward from Mitre Bridge Jn, note the long lost box and still extant bridge over the canal and GW main line in the distance