Thanks to Mike Lewis for the tour write up
I don’t recall any police (to evict tour jumpers) at Chesterfield on the Plant Invader but I didn’t know that many people at the time. If anything kicked off I was oblivious so must have been many carriages from me. I booked on the tour because it was getting a pair of Tinsley 20’s which were always bigger than Toton and I was going to Doncaster works anyway as I was still spotting until 1985.
The most memorable thing about the day was our arrival at Doncaster as the 0910 Yarmouth to Newcastle had burst north of the station and 08876 was in the process of dragging the train back into Doncaster Station (37007 had failed). 37097 took over for the rest of the journey.
I did the 0620 EMU to St Pancras and went to Waterloo for the 0800 departure. I didn’t need 33031/028 but was fairly comfy in my first class Mk1 compo (£16-95 ching )which is probably why I missed out on any Chesterfield drama. I made a note it was load 8 and we arrived at Brent Junction 15 late.
33031 and 33028 at Waterloo prior to departure with the Plant Invader tour on July 28th 1984, ta to RESL for the phot
Winner 56011 took us forward via Corby to Toton for another winner 58010 to Tinsley Yard. Then I had my big double score 20093/054 to Doncaster where we had a couple of hours to go around the works.
The 20’s returned at 1600 and were removed at Sheffield for 58010 to Derby by now 15 late. I cannot recall if the tour stopped at Bedford but I stayed with 56011 as it worked from Derby to Brent Junction. I did the right move as the morning 33’s had gone elsewhere and double score 33039/020 brought my winners up to 6 for the day.
However, we never got to Waterloo as the train terminated at Clapham Junction. By now we were 30 late and rather than remove the defective carriage and waste more time it was caped. So I did the 2149 unit to Waterloo and went home on the 2243 St Pancras to Bedford which I suspect was a 317.
Spotting notes from 28/07/1984
Bedford 31217, 31271
Cricklewood 25145, 25219, 25303
Waterloo 33113, 33118, 33039, 33116 33031/33028
Clapham Junction 73120, 73135
Brent Junction 25182, 56011
Harpenden 08434
Ratcliffe 58009
Toton 37199, 58010, 08677, 20041, 20113, 20182, 20161, 58005, 58004, 20026, 20098
Tinsley 20054/20093, 20144, 20088, 20128, 20007, 20061, 20099, 31154, 37210
Doncaster Station 08876, 37007, 37097
Doncaster Works 55016, 20050, 40174, 40158, 08745, 40090, 08105, 40169, 08618, 40170, 31216, 08525, 08627, 08263, 50004, 37044, 08205, 40080, 58015, 50001, D9000, 31447, 58008, 56082, 50041, 37100, 50020, 50033, 50013, 37133, 31307, 31412, 31148, 08817, 08879, 08802, 58016, 58017, 58018, 31318, 31133, 58019, 58020.
Steam 4471, 60009, 4498, 251.
Doncaster Station 20054/20093
Derby 56011, 58010, 08456, 25309, 25119, 25259, 25278, 31327, 31284, 20168, 20173
Leicester 20164, 20162, 58012, 31189, 31164
Bedford 56055, 25313
Brent Jcn 33039/33020
Waterloo 33004, 33114, 73121
Kings Cross 31272
Leighton Lists 