Locomotives that ran between Bedford and London during the 1960s and 1970s.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

9 minutes ago, EddieK said:

I believe that the Class 116s had tripcock equipment fitted (?) as presumably there were stretches of line signalled by the LT system.

That would be right for Moorgate. Everything beyond St Pancras/King's Cross was LT owned and operated.

[PortlandStone]

On 30/08/2022 at 01:10, Poor Old Bruce said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned the Metrovic Co-Bos yet on the Condor.

Metrovick Co--Bos also appeared on passenger trains. Either in pairs, or double heading a Black 5 4-6-0.

[david.hill64]

7 hours ago, PortlandStone said:

Metrovick Co--Bos also appeared on passenger trains. Either in pairs, or double heading a Black 5 4-6-0.

Or being rescued by a black 5 ...........

[kernowtim]

As mentioned the most common diesel was the class 45, usually on passenger working but also the odd oil train to dunstable and the 'binliner' refuse train to Bedford.

Class 47s appeared too, cls 25 and 31 on freight.

There are also Facebook groups such as miďland mainline and  Harpenden's railways which may be of ìnterest!

[Michael Hodgson]

On 28/08/2022 at 20:20, Jeremy Cumberland said:

 

Disused Stations suggests that Midland trains to Moorgate were withdrawn "circa 1979", which sounds rather late to me. I have no idea what worked them after the 112s were scrapped (before my time), since 127s weren't allowed to Moorgate. Nor can I remember how far north they worked, which makes me suspect they had ceased running before about 1977.

When the "Bedpan" line was electrified, there was an electric Widened Lines service through to Moorgate.  Thameslink trains ran across London off-peak initially but during rush hours they terminated at Moorgate (or stayed on the Southern Region).  I understood this to be a deliberate policy to ensure that late running on one side of the river didn't infect rush hour traffic on the other side.  They were limited to 8 coaches by platform lengths, but because they wanted to run 12 cars, the platform at Farringdon had to be extended, and this was done by cutting off the junction to Moorgate.

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/thameslink-to-close-its-moorgate-branch-line-6878717.html

 

For a while there was a ticketing anomaly in that Undergrond tickets (one class only) could be used on the Thameslink trains in the central area, but those trains had first class accommodation.  Ticket inspectors coudn't charge excess fares for travelling in first because there was no fare for such travel !  Not they they could move about these trains to inspect tickets in the rush hour anyway.

[bécasse]

10 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Thameslink trains ran across London off-peak initially but during rush hours they terminated at Moorgate (or stayed on the Southern Region).  I understood this to be a deliberate policy to ensure that late running on one side of the river didn't infect rush hour traffic on the other side.  They were limited to 8 coaches by platform lengths, but because they wanted to run 12 cars, the platform at Farringdon had to be extended, and this was done by cutting off the junction to Moorgate.

Thameslink trains generally operated through at all times from the first day that the service was introduced, changing between third rail and overhead electrification during the stop at Farringdon. There were periods when various parts of the link were rebuilt when the service was split north and south (and was advertised as such) and there were also occasions when disruption of one sort or another, most commonly weather, also caused the service to be split, I suspect to minimise disruption to crew rosters.

The very first Thameslink departure from Brighton (to Luton in this case) arrives at Preston Park around 06.15 on a Monday morning back in 1988. I travelled though to Kings Cross Thameslink on it.

Edited May 8 by bécasse

[dave75]

Did I read somewhere of a mgr train for a cement works hauled by a peak with a 47 added at cricklewood for its slow speed control ability?

[EddieK]

A look through Railway Observer magazine found reference to the last DMU out of Moorgate to Midland Main Line on 11th May 1979. 

From 13th May 1979, the entrance to the tunnels was blocked to normal train services, with the lines onwards into the tunnel classed as engineers' sidings. Trains from the Barking line were still permitted to reverse south of Kentish Town Station at this time.

[keefer]

14 hours ago, dave75 said:

Did I read somewhere of a mgr train for a cement works hauled by a peak with a 47 added at cricklewood for its slow speed control ability?

There were various freight flows to the SED which had a 47/3 added, not only for the SSC but also to help power the trains more quickly through the busy commuter traffic.

There is mention of this in the R.O, which I looked up for another thread about cl.47s which visited the SED.

Edited May 9 by keefer

[St Enodoc]

Do the Blue Pullmans count?

[Tom Burnham]

On 08/05/2024 at 22:08, dave75 said:

Did I read somewhere of a mgr train for a cement works hauled by a peak with a 47 added at cricklewood for its slow speed control ability?

To Northfleet, usually from Welbeck Colliery I believe. Certainly were double headed along the Dartford Loop (via Sidcup for non-SER types).

[Clive Mortimore]

On 11/05/2024 at 05:19, St Enodoc said:

Do the Blue Pullmans count?

By the time I started "serious" trainspotting they had been transferred to the (great) Western Region.

Edited May 15 by Clive Mortimore