A recent class 20 phot on the Nuneaton drags created much interest and some interesting moves and memories from that Cold, snowy Winter Weekend.
Thanks to Dave Spencer for this unusual Washwood Heath view of 20188 and 20059 dragging 85026 on the 1157 Wolves – Euston on February 9th 1986
Dave Spencer’s moves, Sun Feb 9th 1986
Dave went photting in the morning with the gems below included then an afternoon “drag” move
Heres the 20’s at a snowy Saltley prior to working the Nuneaton drags, thanks to Dave Spencer for the phot
20188} New St – Nuneaton 1457 Wolves – Euston
20059}
53648}
59569} Nuneaton – Coventry 1606 Nuneaton – Coventry
53706}
87014 Coventry – New St 1450 Euston – Birmingham NS
81014 New St – Wolves 1540 Euston – Shrewsbury
81014 Wolves – New St 1734 Shrewsbury – Euston
TC’s moves
The reason so many “locals” were about on a random February Sunday in 1986 is down to the cheap fares, BR had a Young Person’s promotion on, “Fantastic February Fares”, I think it was either £6, £12or £18 that year depending on where you went, so Penzance to Wick would have been £18 return.
I had a few days annual leave that month, and the weekend the 20’s worked (Sunday 9th) I was on a Priv All line. I had started off on Wednesday 5th with 33113 on the 10.10 Waterloo – Salisbury, an overnight to Scotland where it was cold and snow on the ground. Thursday night was spent in a b&b in Stirling, just north of the station across the railway and in a row of large old houses. Friday night up to Inverness, coming back down late Saturday afternoon, I had done the lunctime move to Brora after Inverness swopped one of the morning arrivals, giving 5 of these recently arrived 37/4’s in one go, 37414/417/418/420 and 37421. Back in Glasgow, and 47404 is on the 22.15 to Euston, going via Carlisle, Settle, Blackburn, Preston and south from there. My intention at the time was to do 47404, always had a soft spot for Generators, to Carlisle for 1V62 forward, for the pilot (which we now know was 47011). This is where the plan went wrong, I had got myself rather comfy after the previous overnight and probably a bit more tired due to the cold and I was dossed and away! The next thing I remember was waking up and we were moving, somewhere under the overhead wires. When I came to and got my bearings I worked out we were in the Rugby area, not bad considering I wanted to get off at Carlisle. I managed to find out that 47404 had worked the train from Glasgow through to Preston, where it gave way to 87026. 47404 continued its busy night by taking 1V62 forward from Preston and then getting the Cannock pilot (47011). I stayed on to Euston. I must have had “gen” on 47363 and the 20’s, because I went straight back north on the 10.00 off Euston, 47363 took the 11.00 Euston – Wolverhampton forward from Nuneaton to Birmingham and 20059+20188 worked back south on the 15.00 Wolverhampton – Euston from Birmingham, 86236 being the electric that dragged both ways. 86236 took me back to Euston for 45143 home on the 18.45 St. Pancras – Nottingham.
Saturday February 8th 1986
37414 06.35 Inverness – Wick Inverness – Dingwall 18.75
37417 06.55 Inverness – Kyle Dingwall – Achnasheen 27.75
37418 07.10 Kyle – Inverness Achnasheen – Dingwall 27.75
37421 06.05 Wick – Inverness Dingwall – Inverness 18.75
37420 11.35 Inverness – Wick Inverness – Brora 90.75
37414 12.05 Wick – Inverness Brora – Inverness 90.75
47633 16.30 Inverness – Edinburgh Inverness – Perth 118
47467 19.34 Perth – Glasgow QS Perth – Glasgow QS 62.5
47404 22.15 Glasgow – Euston Glasgow – Dumfries – Carlisle – Settle –
Blackburn – Preston 228.5
Sunday 9th February 1986
87026 22.15 (PN) Glasgow – Euston Preston – Euston 209
86206 10.00 Euston – Wolverhampton Euston – Nuneaton 97
47363 11.00 Euston – Wolverhampton Nuneaton – Birmingham NS (drag 86236) 20.75
Thanks again to Dave Spencer for this Washwood Heath view of Thornaby’s 47363 dragging 87006 on the 1057 Wolves – Euston on February 9th 1986
20059+20188 15.00 Wolverhampton – Euston Birmingham NS – Nuneaton (drag 86236) 20.75
86236 15.00 Wolverhampton – Euston Nuneaton – Euston 97
45143 18.45 St. Pancras – Nottingham St. Pancras – Bedford 49.75
MIB’s moves
8 February I was on the circuit. I did winner 47049 on the 1115 Edinburgh to Dundee and went to watch Dundee Utd v Hibs with Dave Newman. We then did 47018 on the 1730 Dundee to Edinburgh alongside some disgruntled Hibees as they lost 4-0.
Saturday 8 February 1986
47017 xb winner
0706 Edinburgh to Haymarket (to Inverness)
47454 xe
0715 Haymarket to Edinburgh (0620 x Glasgow QS)
Breakfast
47003 xb
0915 Edinburgh to Inverkeithing (to Dundee)
47558 xe
0948 Inverkeithing to Haymarket (0730 Aberdeen to Carstairs)
47715 xe
1042 Haymarket to Edinburgh (1000 x Glasgow QS).
47049 xb winner
1115 Edinburgh to Dundee
Went to Tannadice Park with Dave Newman Dundee Utd 4 Hibernian 0
47018 xb
1730 Dundee to Edinburgh
27017 xb
2015 Edinburgh to Haymarket (to Dundee)
47633 xe
2028 Haymarket to Edinburgh (1630 x Inverness)
47049 xb
2115 Edinburgh to Haymarket (to Dundee)
Dinner at baked tattoo place
47560 xe
2152 Haymarket to Edinburgh (from ?)
47714 xe
2230 Edinburgh to Haymarket (to Glasgow QS)
47427 xe winner
2307 Haymarket to Edinburgh (2020 Aberdeen to Carstairs)
08755 xo winner
Edinburgh station shunt 1C77 2320 to 2325
47426 xe
2340 Edinburgh to Carstairs (2020 Aberdeen to Carstairs)
Sunday 9 February 1986
47481 xe
0024 Carstairs to Carlisle (2020 Aberdeen to Bristol TM?)
47629 xe winner
0206 Carlisle to Preston via Settle/Blackburn (1V62 2345 Glasgow to Bristol TM)
47404 xe
0530 Preston to Crewe (1V62)
47011 xi winner + 47404 xe
0700 Crewe to Birmingham NS via Cannock
(1V62)
Went for breakfast
47363 xos winner dragging 87006
1128 Birmingham NS to Nuneaton (1100 Wolverhampton to Euston)
20059 xos winner + 20188 xo dragging 87026
1400 Nuneaton to Birmingham NS (1200 Euston to Wolverhampton)
31422 xe
1717 Birmingham NS to Leicester (to Norwich)
HST
1822 Leicester to Bedford (1755? Nottingham to St Pancras)
My moves
Being far too old for a young persons Railcard by 1986 a fairly basic Saturday move for me. Festered around a snowy Euston for an hour but no “roarers” out. Then a trip to on “the most boring trains in the world” with newies 73124 and 73132 being caned in on the Gatwicks.
I’m not coming out today! 85021 at Euston, spare on February 8th 1986
86222 at Euston with the 1020 Liverpool, 86419 hovers too on February 8th 1986
Over at Waterloo, hoping for a “standard” on the 1410 there was the unlikely scenario of an eh 47 being thrashed hard with the brakes on in the bay platform. “Low power my arse” advised the driver on getting out of the 47, but presumably Control decreed 33113 (bashed by “TC” a few days earlier should be shunt released (she had done the 1010 Waterloo-Salisbury earlier) and put on the 1410 Salisbury. After watching the “ED” huff and puff with the shunt release, a 310 unit home beckoned.
Attracting attention from enthusiasts at Waterloo, 73116 about to shunt release the 33’1 for the 1410 Salisbury, the “low power” 47 rests on February 8th 1986
058} 0725 M.Keynes-Euston LB-EU
086}
73132 0945 Victoria-Gatwick VI-LGW
33113 1010 Waterloo-Salisbury
73129 1105 Gatwick-Victoria
73123 1120 Gatwick-Victoria
73124 1150 Gatwick-Victoria LGW-VI
33113 1153 Salisbury-Waterloo
33113 1410 Waterloo-Salisbury (sht rel)
083 1502 Euston-Birmingham EU-LB
Thanks to Dave Spencer, “TC” and MIB for sharing their moves and memories of a cold February weekend….
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