The Bletchley – Northampton drags, Sunday Dec 14th 1986.
After the rigours of the “Cromptons” to Blaneau the day before, we had a nice local drag to cover. The advance gen was limited, the drag was on the down only between Bletchley and Northampton (until 1300) and only Bletchley/ Rugby were providing the power.
A crisp winters day greeted us at Leighton as we joined a BY based 104 unit on the 0815 Euston – Rugby. Now a few years earlier such a drag would have produced plenty class 25 action. Alas on bailing at Bletchley there were “peds” everywhere except for 25173 on the holding sidings and it wasn’t allocated!
A fair crowd of bashers hovered on Bletchley’s down fast, far in excess of the usual two covering the “Cobblers”. These crowd scenes aught the attention of Bletchley PSB staff and cue an announcement that “the next train would be hauled by Thomas the tank engine!”. Bletchley box at that time was famous for its Thomas the Tank flags, stickers and tales!
We flagged “Thomas (31183/31247) for required 31441 with 31187 on the 0900 Euston – Wolves dragging 86435 for the atmospheric local thrash to Northampton. A 310 unit straight back, then a long fester at Bletchley. From memory there was a Chelsea footex to Liverpool that was also dragged by, i think 31290 and 31294.
31260 and 31144 dragging 86233 was joined for the thrash North on the 1150 Euston – Manchester. A Northampton bail and a long fester we missed the massive working of the day…
Apparently the engineer’s isolation overran and Bletchley kicked out 25173 on an emergency drag of the 1250 Euston – Liverpool, just to Hanslope Jn from where the electric went forward. The hugeness of this working was compounded by the last 25’s being withdrawn 3 months later, and, this was, we think the last 25 hauled passenger train on the Southern WCML and we were on “a mouldy ped”….
Funny old game this bashing lark!
53586} 0815 Euston-Rugby LB-BY
54179}
31183} 0845 Euston-Holyhead
31247}
31446 0855 Euston-Liverpool
31187} 0900 Euston-Wolverhampton BY-NO
31441}
86435(d)}
094 1020 Rugby-Euston NO-BY
31423 0950 Euston-Manchester
phot 25173
31183} 1000 Euston-Wolverhampton
31247}
31446} 1050 Euston-Liverpool
31187} 1100 Euston – Wolverhampton
31441}
31260} 1150 Euston-Manchester BY-NO
31144}
86233(d)}
31290} 1200 Euston-Shrewsbury
31294}
31446 1210 Euston-Preston
25173 1250 Euston – Liverpool (to Hanslope Jn)
076 1335 Rugby-Euston NO-LB
31183 and 31247 at Bletchley between drags on December 14th 1986
31183 and 31441 leave Bletchley dragging the 1100 Euston – Wolves on December 14th 1986
25173 stabled on Bletchley HS a few hours before her big working! on December 14th 1986
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