Request for help - Class 37 working on 3 September 1983

[Stuart]

Bit of a long shot, but, with the wealth of knowledge in this forum, worth a punt.

 

So, we got married on September 3rd 1983, and we left for our honeymoon in Paris by train (OK, there was a ferry involved, but rail on both sides of the Channel, inc a Gas-turbine set from Boulogne to Gare du Nord).

 

We left Durham mid-late afternoon, changing at Darlington (I think) for KX. We set off in a Mk1 Compartment coach, and I am sure the loco was a Class 37 because even at this distance on time, I remember thinking – goods engine, which they were in the North-east. But, I didn’t get the number – new bride to look after etc.

 

Any ideas as to train or loco?

 

I've looked at class37.co.uk but their Working Archive doesn't go back that far.

[GordonC]

On 08/09/2023 at 19:17, Stuart said:

Bit of a long shot, but, with the wealth of knowledge in this forum, worth a punt.

 

So, we got married on September 3rd 1983, and we left for our honeymoon in Paris by train (OK, there was a ferry involved, but rail on both sides of the Channel, inc a Gas-turbine set from Boulogne to Gare du Nord).

 

We left Durham mid-late afternoon, changing at Darlington (I think) for KX. We set off in a Mk1 Compartment coach, and I am sure the loco was a Class 37 because even at this distance on time, I remember thinking – goods engine, which they were in the North-east. But, I didn’t get the number – new bride to look after etc.

 

Any ideas as to train or loco?

 

I've looked at class37.co.uk but their Working Archive doesn't go back that far.

 

are you sure it was a 37? I'd think a Class 40 might be more common on ECML services or possibly even a 45 or 46 while looking similar

Edited September 10, 2023 by GordonC

[woodenhead]

Gotta ask how you ended up changing trains from a main station on the ECML for a journey to London KX?

 

And why in the 1980s would that not have been a HST from north of York all the way?

[Flood]

Possibly the 13.22 Newcastle - Liverpool Lime Street. Durham 13.39, Darlington 13.58. Looking at the Passenger Timetable all other Durham services around that time of day were HST or DMU.

 

It was booked a Class 45 but Rail Gen Archive has that service down as 47450.

 

An unadvertised additional service instead?

 

Edit: 17.05 Newcastle - Liverpool Lime Street. Durham 17.21, Darlington 17.38. Rail Gen Archive has 45113 on the previous working for this diagram. 40118 was used on this service on 24th September 1983 so a Class 40 replacement was certainly possible.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Flood

[Stuart]

Thanks for the replies, folks.

 

Pretty sure it was a 37, I was quite used to 40s. But….

 

Changing - there can’t have been a through train at the appropriate time.

 

I wondered about the 1721, but this was booked for a. Mk II set and would normally have been a 45.

 

However, could have been a scratch set if the booked set was very late/unavailable, 

 

Also, there were sometimes Newcastle-Manchester Victoria extras with Mk1 stock, and a 40….

 

 

[sid rover]

Just checked my haulage records for 3-9-83

Had 37106 from Durham to Newcastle,

Then back from Newcastle to Durham

 

Probably on the Yarmouth coming up. Last one of the year. Stock working back as an additional?

 

Cheers

[sid rover]

https://www.class37.co.uk/fleet.aspx?strnumber=37106

 

Was on the Yarmouth, Way to get the stock back to Clifton?

Worked a couple of pass around York in the evening