What a day locally, Sunday August 14th 1983
1/ Multi traction local “DAA (daft as arseholes)” Railtour
2/ Rugby – Bletchley dragging
3/ Nuneaton – Brum dragging
4/ 1G06 produces!
5/ HST’s and loco hauled “Inter City” services making booked stops at Flitwick.
6/ Chiltern diversions – 2 interregionals diverted via Wycombe iso Oxford
…..Beat that!
1/ The Butterly Bulldog Railtour
DAA’s “Butterly Bulldog” tour was originally advertised for 2 x 25’s from Euston – Nuneaton. Because all the BY 25’s were busy elsewhere, Nuneaton power and crews were used on this leg. This meant 31304 and 31101 featured but were well received because of their rarity value.
Leighton was passed around 1000 and then the withering spectacle of several pairs of 25’s dragging up Inter Citys followed. 104 DMUs were on local stoppers too. A Rugby photo stop then Nuneaton where more got off than joined the tour (See item 3)!. 20153 and 20167 then took us onwards to our Shirley photo stop on the Stratford-on-Avon branch. A warm summers day, plus decent power and route added to make a superb tour atmosphere which lasted all day.
31101 and 31304 swing the “Butterly Bulldog’s” rake of First class Mk 1’s from Down fast to Slow at the original “real” Ledburn Jn, 140883
31101 and 31304 are raked in for a phot by many during a booked photo stop at Rugby. Note the DAA headboard, the best railtour organiser ever, probably!
Rare class 20 haunt, 20167 and 20153 at Stratford-on-Avon with the tour in strong early afternoon sun
Back at New St the 20’s were swapped for 20077/20178 and many of the Nuneaton bailers rejoined here! The next loco change was in the depths of Toton yard where rather rare 37042/37065 took us forward including the rare track connecting Codnor Park Jn – “and BR limit/Midland railway trust boundary”. (signal TT132).
Biggies at Notts, 37042 and 37065 after working the tour South.
The legendary “Buzzard” (aka Smudger Smith) in his Camborne rugby shirt looks on as 44004 waits to take the tour forward nr Swanwick Jn.
The first class 44 original peak haulage for many followed through to the MRC’s terminus at Hammersmith. Unloading a lengthy 10 coach consist here at the short terminus took some time. It was worth it though to admire the lines immaculate 44004 “Great Gable” at the blocks.
Steam in ex Somerset and Dorset 13809 then hauled us back through Butterly and to the lines terminus at Ironville a short distance beyond the connecting chord we had done earlier. The Kettle then took us back to the Chord and the 37’s were reattached.
We returned South via Trowell Jn to Nottingham where we ran round then a final thrash to Leicester. A non stop run to Pancras followed with the rare 31315 and 31320 up front. 11 locos plus a steamer, big track, all first class stock and that DAA tour atmosphere, it was a shame in some ways it had to end on getting to the blocks.
Tour power..
20077/20153/20167/20178/31101/31304/31315/31320/37042/37065/44004/13809(k)
2/ Rugby – Bletchley dragging
The 8, yes 8, Saturday night/Sunday morning up overnight trains were booked for diesel haulage from Rugby to Bletchley via Weedon. The first 4 early morning up Wolves and a Liverpool were also dragged. Class 104 DMUs worked Rugby-Bletchley locals instead of 310 units. Drags were Southbound only via Weedon and all rats were in pairs.
The drag list remains very impressive
25095/25178/25193/25194/25200/25221/25250/25269/25277/25306
47374
3/ Nuneaton – Brum dragging
Big locos were often “arranged” for the Nuneaton- Birmingham drags of booked Euston – Wolves services and the right man was probably on as:
37274/47075/56002 all dragged. 56002 was an early withdrawal casualty so offered few other class one chances.
14/08/83 Thanks to “TC”
HST 09.00ish St Pancras-Sheffield / Bedford – Leicester
BUS Leicester – Nuneaton
56002 drag 87006 11.00 Euston – Wolves / Nuneaton – Birmingham NS
86229 12.00 Euston – Wolves / New St – Wolves
37274 15.00 Wolves – Euston / Wolves – New St
86243 11.59 Portsmouth – Liverpool / New St – Wolves
40013 1G06 14.25 Manchester P – Birmingham / Wolves – New St
47439 17.47 Cardiff – Derby (vice HST) / New St – Derby
DMU / Derby – Long Eaton
20136/20141 18.00 Skegness – Derby / Long Eaton – Derby
HST 20.00ish Sheffield – St Pancras / Derby – Bedford
Thanks again to “TC” for a classic Summer Sunday selection of power
4/ 1G06 produces
1G06 Su 1425 Manchester Picc – Birmingham NS often got a 40 and Sunday August 14th 1983 saw “namer” 40013 produce!
5/ HST’s and loco hauled “Inter City” services making booked stops at Flitwick.
By August 83 the peak hauled Bedford – St Pancras commuters were history so Flitwick was served by a monopoly of 317 units. “Out of coarse” booked stops of many of the mornings and the overnight 1M10 saw HSTs and 45’1s make stops at Flitwick for Bedford passengers.
45109 1C21 1050 Derby – St Pancras made the booked Flitwick stop, probably one of the last “peaks” to ever stop there.
Special Traffic Notices (“STN’s”) contain all sort of bits of the real railways workings. Heres the Flitwick stoppers entry for Sunday August 14th.
6/ Chiltern diversions
Whilst High Wycombe and Risborough still got a daily 47 hauled Birmingham – Padd using the “original GW route” there was no loco hauled service train action on Sundays.
Because of Oxford area engineering work…
1S81 0850 Padd-Glasgow C – diverted via Northolt Jn, High Wycombe to Anyho Jn to regain normal route.
1O74 0905 Wolverhampton – Gatwick diverted via High Wycombe, Northolt Jn and additional stop at Ealing Broadway.
So there you have it, 6 local examples of the real railway from 1983 will Sunday August 16th 2015 produce likewise?, we all know the answer……………….!
Any more August 14th 1983 memories to share?.
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