Northampton 'Cobbler' stock c1990

[Pete the Elaner]

What coaching stock formations were used on the Cobbler service around 1990?

I assume that it would have been hauled by an 86, maybe sometimes even a matching one? 

[PMP99]

The link below has some interesting notes about the last 'Cobbler' which was 1990

 

http://www.leightonlogs.org/86401may90.htm

 

My recollection from when I used it in the 80's was that it was normally an 85 on it.

 

Graham

[Pete the Elaner]

Milton Keynes looked a little different back then.

[Simon Bendall]

What coaching stock formations were used on the Cobbler service around 1990?

I assume that it would have been hauled by an 86, maybe sometimes even a matching one? 

 

 

A typical formation by then would be Mk.1 TSO x3, CK, TSO x3, CK, TSO x2, BSK, all in NSE. Motive power typically 85/0 or 86/2.  86401 was actually rarely seen on the workings.

[ChrisH-UK]

I was given the details of 3 formations from late 89 and early 90, two of the three were BSK, TSO x3, CK, CK, TSO x3, BSK, the third was 90% the same, just missing one of the BSKs, I have no clue where the piece of paper I was given ended up though. A friend who commuted on the line also said on an average day one turn was worked by an 85 and one by an 86, I had thought it was more than two trains a day each way, but by 1990 maybe not.

[Steven B]

In 1986/97 there were six train sets, all made up of vac' braked Mk1s:

 

EN100: BSK 4xSK FK 5xSK

EN101: 4xTSO FK 3xTSO BSK

EN102 & EN104: BSK 2xTSO CK 2xTSO

EN103 & EN105: TSO CK 2xTSO BSK

 

EN100 & EN101 ran self contained diagrams. The four half sets (EN102-EN105) would be combined for peak time services (EN102+EN103 and EN104+EN105). EN100 and EN101 could also be seen working summer Saturdays on the Cambrian.

[Pete the Elaner]

Useful replies, thanks.

 

I am surprised there were no Mk2s & the formations were longer than I expected. I thought they would only have been around 8 coaches, not 10 or 11.

These were way before my time though. I only moved to Mk in 2002. 

[08221]

I commuted on the Bletchley "Cobblers" for several years in the 80's.

 

They were often 10-12 coaches in length and exclusively MK1's. For a while, some of the sets were split in half and formed additional services to/from Euston and Northampton. An 85 with 5 coaches flew along! There was also a service from New Street to London via Northampton formed of MK1's when a lot of BR Staff moved from Euston House to Brum.

 

Traction could be an 81, 85 or 86.

 

Gosh, they were so comfortable, remember the games printed on the tables, carols at Christmas and lots of incidents like a run-past the signal at Bletchley one evening (we ended up by the carriage sidings, all got off and walked back to the station).

 

The good old days!

Edited January 18, 2019 by 08221

[Nearholmer]

I also commuted on them, at least on the way home, usually the c1714, from 1982 until they were withdrawn. At the time, I used to smoke, and that train was usually formed with an open second at the very front, one half being a 'smoker', which I would aim for. Folly!

 

They were cheerful, sociable trains, in a way that none of the subsequent ones were. A high proportion of regulars with regular seats, but there was something about the 'retro' stock that helped, and the fact that you could go all the way to Pwllheli in your normal train on your day-off was quite fun.

 

Anyone else remember being transferred between trains, across track, somewhere near Ledburn, I think when the loco brought the wire down? It took absolutely ages, everybody climbing down and up ladders in the dark.

 

French and Spanish classes on the train too.

[08221]

I also commuted on them, at least on the way home, usually the c1714, from 1982 until they were withdrawn. At the time, I used to smoke, and that train was usually formed with an open second at the very front, one half being a 'smoker', which I would aim for. Folly!

 

They were cheerful, sociable trains, in a way that none of the subsequent ones were. A high proportion of regulars with regular seats, but there was something about the 'retro' stock that helped, and the fact that you could go all the way to Pwllheli in your normal train on your day-off was quite fun.

 

Anyone else remember being transferred between trains, across track, somewhere near Ledburn, I think when the loco brought the wire down? It took absolutely ages, everybody climbing down and up ladders in the dark.

 

French and Spanish classes on the train too.

 

I remember that happening one evening, but it was at Harrow on the down fast. There were 2 ladders for a trainful of people! Off the Cobbler and onto a 310 on the down slow.

 

Forgot about the language classes, my Dad did one for a while. Sure there was a chess club too.

 

Can't see it happening these days.

Edited January 18, 2019 by 08221

[BMacdermott]

Hello everyone

 

I was also an MK-Euston 'Cobbler' commuter in the 80s (and 90s).

 

At the time, I had very good connections with management and staff of the line. For the purpose of writing an article, I had permission to travel up in the morning (Class 310) and back in the afternoon on my usual trains but accompanied by an Inspector on both runs. The article subsequently appeared in Modern Railways (can't find the issue at the mo!) entitled Footplate Commuter.

 

My Inspector was Richard Gresley; yes...a distant relation of the man himself. Richard and I lived not far from each other in MK and were mutual members of the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust.

 

Looking back at the draft of the article, I see my trips were on Tuesday 23 July 1985. I was on Platform 15 by 16.30 that day ready to catch the 17.18 (Leighton Buzzard, Milton Keynes, Northampton). This was just four minutes behind Nearholmer's 17.14.

 

The stock was already in the platform having been backed in by 85 022. My notes say the loco was pretty clean but could have done with a lick of paint - unlike 86 227 Sir Henry Johnson, which was on 13 at the head of the 17.14. She was gleaming in the then new livery.

 

When we were up in the cab with the Driver, the Guard called out "11 for 395". The stock was: BSK, 3xTSOs, one FK, 5xTSOs, BSK. That journey was relatively uneventful.

 

Not like the one referred to by Nearholmer above. I'm not sure if it's the same one but there are some remarkable similarities with my experience (and I wonder if he was on the 17.18 on this day?).

 

It was a dark winter's evening with plenty of wind blowing. Somewhere near Ledburn Junction, I heard the sound of what I could only imagine was some form of giant pounding his footsteps along the roof of the train! A split second later, I found the true source of the noise - the loco's pantograph flew past my window! The brakes went on hard and fast. Knowing a number of Drivers, my first thought was for his safety, so I quickly made my way to the first coach - we had by now come to a stand. As I looked out of the window, I was relieved to see the Driver emerge from the cab. He wasn't aware what had happened until I told him what I had seen. By chance, we stopped very near a signal post.

 

The Driver got on the phone and I volunteered to go back along the train and make sure the Guard was aware. My memory may be playing tricks here (perhaps a different day?) but I'm sure a wire was flailing around on the ground spitting sparks. Eventually, another train was placed alongside us. I'm sure we walked across the ladders in the form of a bridge. 

 

I do also recall the wires down at Harrow one evening. Richard was in the cab 'on the cushions' that day (in a 310 I think). When I was able to ask him what had happened, his reply was: "Someone's done a knit one, pearl one with the wires!"

 

Brian

[Nearholmer]

Brian

 

Now you say, my train was the 1718, I couldn’t remember the exact time, hence circa 1714.

 

And, yes, now you say it, it was done by bridging, but I know I was on the ballast for some of it ..... recollection hazy, but maybe I volunteered into helping guide the transferring passengers. And, it took a long, long time.

 

Not a Cobbler, but anyone recall being on the train that hit a tow tractor on the barrow crossing at Hemel? I might have raised that topic on RMWeb before.

 

K

[Ray H]

Not a Cobbler, but anyone recall being on the train that hit a tow tractor on the barrow crossing at Hemel? I might have raised that topic on RMWeb before.

 

K

Was that a morning up service on the slow line? I have a vague memory of something like that and I may possibly have been on an up fast train that passed just after ( or was it just before?).

[Nearholmer]

Yes, it happened c0700 IIRC, derailed the front two cars, missing the bridge piers just south of the station by a gnats.

[adb968008]

A typical formation by then would be Mk.1 TSO x3, CK, TSO x3, CK, TSO x2, BSK, all in NSE. Motive power typically 85/0 or 86/2.  86401 was actually rarely seen on the workings.

Every time i saw 86401 it was up north.

One night it arrived on a Glasgow Manchester, at Preston and was detached from the train to be replaced with similarly livered 47573 in NSE !