The “Pennine Summits” Tour, Saturday September 29th 1984
No rancid Crewe overnight for this tour, a very relaxed 0607 310 unit South off Leighton soon had me at Euston. The tour’s stock was hauled in not long after I arrived and it was puzzling to all why an 08 with 2 Pullman coaches was at the North end of the stock. Some claimed it was for a shunt release, so we all hovered by the doors till the gronk moved off and 86324 backed on. The Pullman coaches were added at Euston to make up the consist to the right load -14vb. An 86’3 rather than a “roarer” was a bit disappointing, but 324 still had a middle body arrow and looked a bit like a “roarer” and Euston was “can city” that morning.
A fast run to Nuneaton via Weedon where the first of the day’s pairs in 40155/40028 backed onto the rear of the stock for an atmospheric slog via Coalville, Derby, Tinsley, Healy Mills, Copy Pit, a Blackburn run round and then the S n C.
The hoped for fresh pair were waiting by the box at Carlisle and 40099 and 40104 returned us South via Shap. As they 40’s thrashed South through the dark, wilds of the Trent Valley me and a mate ventured forth to the front coach and were surprised to get an unguarded door window. As luck would have it, we slowed for a lengthy PWR slack, cue immense thrash as we cleared the “T” board, still raises the hairs on the back of my neck, thinking of that moment.
At Rugby the tour’s booked AC loco to Euston had vanished, this seemed to happen a lot on 40 tours! Sadly the 40’s didn’t go through, and to a huge round of laughter 31257 appeared to work the tour forward.
The laughter was perhaps on the other foot once past Kilsby summit, with a top driver, and a healthy steed in 31257, load 14 was moved at very respectable speeds South (see log below). A Watford leap and a 310 home to end a wonderful day out.
Pennine Summits power
86324 0755 Euston-Carlisle “Pennine Summits” tour
Euston – Nuneaton via Weedon
40155} 0755 Euston-Carlisle “Pennine Summits” tour
40028}
Nuneaton-Carlisle via Wigston,Coalville, Derby, Barrow Hill, Tinsley, Wakefield K, Copy Pit, Blackburn, Settle, Carlisle
40099} 1733 Carlisle – Euston rtn “Pennine Summits” Tour
40104}
Via Shap, Preston, Crewe, Trent Valley, Rugby
31257 1733 Carlisle – Euston rtn “Pennine Summits” Tour
Via Weedon at very unpedestrian speeds!
The flying “ped”, 31257’s finest hour!
Sched Actual Var Av Speed
Rugby 2137 2155 +18 ……….
Weedon 2146 2212 +26 45
Hanslope 2154 2222 +28 80
Bletchley 2205 2232 +37 58.5
Leighton 2237 75
Tring 2215 2246 +31 56.6
Berko 2249 80
Hemel 2252 54.3
Apsley 2253 60.1
Kings L 2255 56.6
Watford Jn 2225 2259 +34 54
From Weedon to Watford only 8 minutes were lost on electric timings, not bad for a ped
Other gen from the day
86209 2215 (28/9) Glasgow-Euston
86313 1930 (28/9) Inverness-Euston
86230 0350 Euston-Bletchley
45051 0821 Bradford-Paignton
40086 0900 Bradford-Weymouth (to New St!), crossed North of Derby
47456 1740 Carlisle-Glasgow
86035 Birmingham-Blackpool Evex
47477 Birmingham-Blackpool Evex
86247 1827 Blackpool-Euston
47418 Llandudno-North Walsham Rtn Norfolk Nobbler Railtour
85029 1930 Liverpool-Euston Relief
85025 2250 Euston-Glasgow Nightrider
86235 2300 Euston-Glasgow
“Pennine Summits” phot spot
Apologies for neg quality, 86324 with the tour at Nuneaton at a time when a yard pilot was still in operation
40155 and 40028 some miles off the end of the platform at Blackburn prior to running round
the number of the beast, 355 at Garsdale
The pair rest at Garsdale during a photo stop , at the time Pullman stock on diesel hauled tours was unheard of, how this was to change in later years.
Brighter weather further North at Carlisle where the headboard is about to removed and put on 40099/40104 for the run South
Any more ”Pennine Summit” memories to share?
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