On This Day In History

[Downendian]

A bit late (almost a month) but my excuse was I thought it was late in March 1975 but I was wrong!

Tuesday 4th March 1975

We had a school in service day so the only possible thing to do was a trip to Temple Meads. It transpired it was very much an in with the new guard out with the old sort of day. First the numbers

08 149/411/668/800/836/839/928; 25 040/059/063/077/157/220/277; 31 193/229/286/304; 37 253/303; 45 005/009/010/023/026/032/040/053/062/139; 36/45/70; 46 005/006/012/020/021/023/024/035; 47 020/032/106/111/ 203/227/234/248/267/456/477/479/495/540; 50 014/023/024/026/028/030/033/037/043; D1005/D1029/D1036/D1044/D1054/D1064/D1071; 252 001 3H 1101/1124/1133.

Out with the old - D1005 was hauling stripped out sisters D1029 and D1044 from Laira to Swindon and had a signal stop at Temple Meads for around 30 minutes. It was very sobering for a 13 year old to see Duchess and Legionnaire is such a state having seen them multiple times in service the previous summer- very sad, made worse by the increasing dominance of class 50s on London trains. In with the new - the prototype HST that day featured on BBC points west and they had a film crew there - and yours truly and my friend Danny were featured as adoring train spotters! Lots of 25s pottering about that day featuring both Bath road locos and visitors from the LMR. Peak renumbering was in its final throes we only saw 3 in pre TOPS guise that day, the trains from the south west were firmly in their hands. It stuck in the mind as a special day because of the scrapped Western cortège (the only one I saw) and the HST, but look at the variety of motive power about in a single day.

 

To the day 26 March 1975

25 065/081 put in a surprise appearance on the 1V62 Leeds-Plymouth plus I’d copped another pair of 25s 038/188. Notes this week (half term) have been lost, but I have a 1975 diary where cops if the day are mentioned.

Neil 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Downendian

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

24th April 1971

 

Southall-Paddington-Southall

 

D817 865   D1024 D1027 D1034 D1068   1558 1584 1607 1666 1679 1681 1714 1721 1918   5539   D7046 D7088

Kings  Cross

 

169  1508 1516 1548   5602 5622 5642 5647 5677   9012

St Pancras and Kentish Town

 

12 47 49 61 64 88 104 121 123   3188 3306   5182 5216

 

Euston

 

5220  E3102 E3104 E3110 E3114 E3115 E3120 E3129 E3142 E3146 E3154 E3163 E3165 E3168 E3178 E3190 E3199 E3200

 

Neil.

[rodent279]

Nearly 2 months late, sorry, only just discovered this, but just over 50 years ago, the first electric train ran from Crewe to Preston. Although the letter is not addressed to my Dad, he was on this train, and I have cine film of it. Names have been redacted.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by rodent279

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

On this day in history 23rd August 1972

Ealing Broadway-Barry Island-Ealing Broadway

 

121 163 174  D1004 D1011 D1041 D1042 D1065  1200  1593 1600 1607 1636 1650 1679 1691 1720 1730 1740 1812 1818 1881 1901 1910 1912 1921 1933 1999   3263 3423 3598 3606 3747 3748 3753 3807 3831 3948 3955 3965 3967 4175   5179 5182 7511 7515 7520 7521 7656 7657 7677   5538 5680 5686 5688 5692 5812 5814   6508   6602 6784 6829 6882 6888 6906 6914 6917 6927 6930 6933 6948 6979   D7011 D7030 D7037 D7076   20(R&H)

 

Canton Depot

 

81 126 150   1579 1604 1605 1641 1666 1716 1920   3256 3261 3262 3419 3422 3424 3430 3434 3515 4010 4176   6839 6875 6876 6925 6972 6977 6989 6990 6992 6994 6996 6999   D7052* D7070 D7091* D7094 D7095 D7099 (*=condemned)   7518 

 

Cardiff Station

 

97 111 137   D1005 D1019 D1044 D1067   1588 1592 1597 1600 1660 1731 1740 1916 1924 1933 1935  3262 3756   5180&7675 D/H  6600 6889 6906 6908 6930 6939 6974 6982

Haulage ; not much of a day out for 1605,it did both ways!

All of this on a "Merrymaker" which probably cost about 75p,,,!

 

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

21st October 1972  Ealing Broadway-Manchester Piccadilly-Ealing Broadway  

55 66 100   290 295 307   401 403 415 420 434 441 442   D1011 D1068   1552 1555 1579 1599 1616 1640 1651 1657 1661 1674 1680 1688 1695 1709 1754 1780 1808 1857 1929   3068 3113 3217 3250 3576 3601 3602 3761 3764 3772 3800 3908 3952 3954 3963 3966 3968 3970 3971 4150 4178

5026 5042 5050 5064 5141 5197 5238   5554 5682 5688 5803 5809 5818   6566   D7017 D7044 D7054 D7096

8013 8066 8147 8176   E3004 E3013 84002 E3049 E3060 E3080 E3092 83014 E3107 E3141 E3152 E3185

 

Manchester Victoria   327 345   3842  5020 5210

 

Longsight   84  203 222 291   1612 1815 1953   3771 3778 3909 4144   5177 5203  8598

84010 E3054 E3060 E3077 E3080 E3094 E3125 E3133

 

Reddish 301  1832  5052 5084 7594 7653  76003 E26007 E26016 E26021 E26029 E26036 E26039 E26041 E26047 E26052 E26055

Haulage : 1599 Ealing- BNS,E3080 BNS-Manchester P, E3060 Manchester P.-BNS, 1579 BNS-Ealing B.

Another BR "Merrymaker" excursion,probably for the sum of 75p.

Depot visits were made by bus,using the Ian Allan "Locoshed Directory".Am glad I got to see some 76's resting at their home depot,unfortunately never saw them at work.

What carefree days.....!

[rodent279]

Edit:- I knew I should have consulted my notes! The photo was taken on 26thth Nov, but the trip was actually to York for a visit to the NRM. See below the photo for full explanation. 

 

Couple of days late, but never mind. Saturday 26th November 1983, yes thats right, 40 years ago, RTC test loco 97201 "Experiment", the former 24061, is seen stabled at Derby, with a class 20 for company. I was on the return leg of a trip to Sheffield to sample class 08 shunter haulage on (I think) the last booked shunt move with passengers on board, sleeping car detachments excepted.

This happened at Sheffield,  with a 4 coach portion from Leeds being shunted onto the rear of the Newcastle- Poole, 08878 doing the honours on this day. Amongst other things spotted on this day was a forlorn looking 76031, in Coopers Metals, Brightside, awaiting the cutters torch. 24061 fared a bit better, now residing in Yorkshire, on the NYMR.

 

 

The photo was taken on the 26th Nov, but I was wrong about the trip. It was taken from the window of an HST leaving Derby, after a trip to the NRM, York. The Sheffield shunt trip did happen, but a couple of weeks later, on 10th Dec 1983. No photos for the 10th Dec, but for the record, the motive power was:-

 

3100xx 0647 Leighton Buzzard > Birmingham (0600 Euston-Birmingham New St)

47512 0850 New St > Sheffield (0710 Bristol TM-Leeds, booked HST but loco hauled subs for the winter 83-84 timetable)

DMU 1118 Sheffield > Rotherham (probably a Swindon InterCity unit in their dying days, wish I'd recorded more DMUs)

45137 1153 Rotherham > Sheffield  (1J67 1106 Leeds-Sheffield)

08878 shunt onto rear of 1O19 0950 Newcastle - Poole

45131 1O19 1222 Sheffield > Birmingham New Street 

47189 1450 Birmingham New Street > Derby  (think this was an Xmas relief)

47594 1627 Derby > Birmingham New Street  (1450 York- Plymouth?)

86102 1748 Birmingham New Street > Watford Junction 

3100xx 18xx Watford Junction > LB

 

Of all the locos above, apart from 24061, only 47594 (renumbered from 47035 2 months earlier) is still in existence, as 47739 with GBRF.

 

Home for 7.30pm, mum's home made lasagne in the oven ready & waiting. Happy days!

Edited November 29, 2023 by rodent279

[rodent279]

A frightening 38 years ago to the day I took this photo of thumper 60018 at Hastings, 12/04/1986!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The occasion was my one & only trip to Hastings on a Thumper. When I took these photos, the catastrophic meltdown at Chernobyl was 4 days in the future, Buzby was still telling us it was good to talk, if you saw Sid, you had to tell him, and almost no one had a mobile phone!

 

Last Saturday (6th April), I was reunited with 1013, for an excellent day out courtesy of Hastings Diesels Ltd.

 

 

 

I'd really recommend a trip with HDL, the ambience on board is very relaxed, no premium dining but there is good food & beer in the ex-class 411 buffet car.

Edited April 12 by rodent279