The Empty Mails, lost trains from the year 2000
With thanks to “TC” for the article and phots
Back in the 1990’s the whole process of moving mail by rail was overhauled. Vast sums of money were spent on the rolling stock, new locos and units, new parcel platforms, and a purpose built terminal at Wembley. A sure sign that in five years it would all be made redundant!
When the Wembley terminal opened it took over the running of all postal and mail trains from the London area. No more would you see mail trains in London terminals stations in the evenings.
Because of the number of workings into Wembley, and the lack of stabling sidings, a number of trains ran empty to/from Euston downside, the shed just outside Euston station on the left. When the “station throat” at Euston was remodelled, these trains, for a period ran empty into Euston to reverse.
During early 2000, the timetable at Euston was as follows:
Headcode Arrive / Depart Formed off
5M65 03.16 / 03.28 1M65 19.15 Plymouth – Wembley
5A97 03.20 / 03.34 1A97 21.00 Warrington – Wembley
5M10 03.38 / 03.53 1M10 22.45 Doncaster – Wembley
5M91 04.11 / 04.21 1M91 20.49 Low Fell – Wembley
5M95 04.37 / 04.47 1M95 21.40 Swansea – Wembley
5A93 04.50 / 05.00 1A93 21.18 Carlisle – Euston
5M99 05.12 / 05.25 1M99 22.11 Plymouth – Wembley
At Euston, there never seemed a set plan, some nights Wembley would send a loco just to do the reversals, some nights the first working would be top and tail, and then they would shunt release the other workings. On 23.03.00 we had 08482 at Euston doing the reversals.
Inside information was important, some nights not all of the empty stocks would run, some nights they could run early, it was regular to see these workings up to an hour early some nights!, there was never a set pattern of which platforms were used, although I prefered it when they used platforms 1 and 2, as these were better for night photography, because of the higher roof, rather than say platforms 4 to 7 where the roof and station lighting is much lower.
One of the first workings for the first batch of 67’s was 1M99 22.11 Plymouth – Wembley, the loco would then do 5M99 into Euston, before going back to Old Oak Common.
A few nights gen:
17.02.00, 5M65 47762, 5M10 86426, 5M91 86401, 5M95 47726, 5M99 47733, 5A93 90023
5A97 didn’t run that night, 47774 came from Wembley to do the reversals.
23.03.00, 5M65 47787, 5M10 90017, 5M91 86430, 5M95 47793, 5M99 67007,
5A97 and 5A93 didn’t run, 08482 doing the reversals.
25.11.00, 5M65 67021, 5M10 47749, 5M91 86416, 5M95 67006, 5A93 90018, 5M99 67026
again, 5A97 didn’t run!
02.08.01, 5M65 67001, 5M91 47799, 5M10 67027, 5M99 90222
04.08.01, 5M65 67009, 5M91 67015, 5M10 90239, 5M95 67007
The Phots..
All taken by TC, these rare small hours views recvd with thanks.
08482 about to haul 5M65 out of Euston to the downside shed. 47787 had worked the train in on March 23rd 2000
67007 only a few weeks old at Euston with 5M99, March 21st 2000
47762 at Euston. She has just backed on to 5M10 (worked by 86426) and will haul the vans to the downside shed. on February 17th 2000
90023 at the stops with 5A93. Alongside is 86401 with 5M91. A TPO from 5M95 is just visible on platform 12 which was worked by 47726 all on February 17th 2000
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