35A

By the turn of the 1970s, the only loco-hauled train on that axis would have been the 12:?? Harwich Parkeston Quay to Peterborough and the 16:48 return (1B13/1C15 - later in the decade they became 1B69/1C18). This was usually a six-coach formation. Monday to Fridays it would be a regular class 31/1 diagram. On a Saturday, in the early part of the decade, it varied between a class 31/0 and a class 37. Latterly it was a class 37 (sometimes a 47). Following the closure of the GN/GE Joint line, the 07:17 Harwich Parkeston Quay to Manchester Piccadilly (1M72) and its 15:15 return (1E87) also ran via Peterborough, which was a class 37 diagram with a longer rake (I forget how many vehicles, now!). By the 1980s, this had become "The European", running onward to/from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley, via the West Coast main line, and was a Stratford class 47 diagram (47/0s, initially, later moving to 47/4s, once air-conditioned stock had been cascaded).

In all of the times, over the years, that I have looked at pictures of D9007 with the syphonic horns fitted, I have NEVER noticed that the ETH jumpers had been fitted at that time. Shocking - I must pay more attention! 🙄😁

My 13th birthday. Whilst you were photographing around Preston that day, I was in the Sheffield area - seeking out class 76s and the like. 🙂

A lovely collection of shots for us to savour, again, David. Difficult to pick a favourite! However, on the caption for C5697, it should be 40 055, vice 40 065. The latter was a Haymarket loco and was one of the batch that had their disc indicators replaced by four-character headcode panels, in the 1960s,

J1126 is a really beautiful image - but I'd query D1511. Although it had been banished from Finsbury Park to Tinsley at that time (as several of the 'Generators' were, to either Tinsley or Immingham, until they were air-braked), zooming in gives the impression that the last two digits are more broad and rounded, rather than matching the first digit. I can't, unfortunately, make enough out to suggest what the loco might be. It's definitely one of that batch, the ETS dummy confirms that; see what you think - you may be able to sharpen it up from the original.

C4341 is a lovely image of the two Class 20s, clearly showing 20 032 with the larger cabside windows fitted to certain batches of the class, which allowed easier access for train crew to the (by this time, in this image, removed) tablet-catching equipment, that was formerly fitted in the recess below the cabside window.

Sorry, Dave. C1001 will not be 9015. The size of the nameplate gives it away. By the look and the shape of the plate, it's one of the Gateshead Deltics. Probably 9005. According to Chronicles of Napier it did spend 12 days in Doncaster Works in the early part of July but is recorded as having worked 1A11 on 26th - although that was a Wednesday.

The first of the replacements, J4010, can't be 47 516, as that was blue by then (I have a record of it and there is also a photograph on Class47.co.uk of it, earlier in 1974). It is most likely 47 526 again.

Always interesting to look at the detail differences between members of the same class - in this case, the positioning of the lamp brackets on 26 002 compared with 26 004.

Just out of curiosity, I took a look at my Excel spreadsheet for December 1970, to see if I could pin down any likely candidates for the other pictures. My only reference for 352 was on 21st (the Monday before Christmas) and I couldn't find any likely candidates for the other images, sadly. The green Brush 2 in C432 appears to be running without a tail light illuminated, even when the image is enlarged (although it might just be a tricky angle). Also, the communicating doors don't match, suggesting a replacement - one has a footstep set into it (as built) and the other doesn't.

That's some impressive time-travelling! 🤣 Seriously, though, I have a soft spot for class 24s, 40s, 103s etc. in North Wales. We spent a touring holiday there, in 1971 and those glorious early images bring back some fond memories.

Agreed. C1007 is also not 9006 "THE FIFE AND FORFAR YEOMANRY", as it is a Haymarket Deltic with a single line name. That limits it to 9000, 9004, 9013 or 9016. My immediate suspicion was that it was a typo for 9016. By a process of elimination: it's not 9000, as it has a full width footstep above the bufferbeam; it's not 9004, as the plate is too short; it's not 9013, as it has a crest (13 lost its very early). Therefore it has to be 9016 "GORDON HIGHLANDER".

Enjoy your break, Dave. I've just returned from a very pleasant week by the seaside, on the Devon/Cornwall border. I would say feeling refreshed and de-stressed - but that was put paid to by Network Rail's inability to keep the overhead wires up between Reading and Paddington, with the result that an expected 20:15 arrival home became 23:45, due to services backing up all the way out beyond Swindon. On reviewing the last week's postings, can I just flag up that C1736 can't be 47 402, as suggested, as it was one of the 'Generator' initial batch of Brush 4s (D1500-D1519, later 47 401-47 420) which had the ETS jumper on the buffer beam, to the left of the driver's-side buffer, for their entire service lives - whereas the example in the image has the ETS jumper above the buffer beam, in what became regarded as the 'traditional' place. Best regards.

C729 shows how late some of the Class 46s lost their green livery with small yellow panels (specifically those that migrated to the Western Region). By the time of that image, seven 46s remained in green livery, three with full yellow ends (138, 154 & 159), four with small yellow panels (141, 147, 163 & 165). Zooming C729, it appears that the last digit of the number is quite angular and it looks, to me, very much like 147.

It's one of the D1100-1111 batch. By the end of 1972, 1100 (47 298), 1101 (47 518), 1107 (47 524) and 1111 (47 528) were all blue. Unfortunately, I have a blank in my records, due to some personal circumstances, during most of 1973 and early 1974, covering the period of the next few blue repaints. Zooming the image, I'm pretty certain that it's a 47 52x loco, with a rounded final number. My suspicion is that it's 47 526 - which I recall being one of the last of the batch to go blue. With a bit more searching through Flickr (etc.) I could probably pin it down and, if I ever have the time, I'll try and do so.

Sowerby Bridge Lamp oil tank (and a younger me) Sept 67 J1141 Depressing, isn't it? . . . . All that rust! 🤣

Regarding C683, David, the EE Type 4 can't be 251, as that loco was blue before the end of 1970. By August 1971, only 252, 254 and 257 (of that batch of Eastern Region locos) were still in green. It's most probably the latter.

Thanks for that extra information, Rob. It's funny, although that was a period when I was very well acquainted with what was going on - especially around the Eastern Region - I don't remember the 104s migrating down into Anglia, at all! I have fond memories of sitting at Cherry Tree, in your neck of the woods, watching the four car sets rattling up the coast and, also, around York and Leeds but my brain seems to have wiped any memories of them (in triples) in Essex. I shall have to check through my old notes and (surviving) stock books, from curiosity, to refresh my memory.

There was a King's Cross - Skegness summer Saturdays, as well, which still ran well into the mid-1980s, usually a Class 31. IIRC, the Scarborough service was withdrawn before the end the 1970s (with the HST timetable of 1978, I think).

Thanks, David. I didn't think of looking at Chronicles of Napier for it, as it was usually a class 40 diagram (although I do, vaguely, remember seeing a Deltic on it, once). 🙄

C1744 is, I'm pretty certain, 55 020 "NIMBUS". The number is almost legible when zoomed, the nameplate is the right length, there is a white "DL" experiment plaque to the lower left of the leading cab door which corresponds with other photos of that loco in 1974 and, additionally, I found a photo from later in the year where the dent at the top of the nose had been filled but was still (just) visible. Can anybody provide any more information on C1742? I'm not familiar with 1L11 and, unfortunately, for most of that summer, I was "off the road". The only reference in my notes for 1974 has 47 471 at the head of 1L11. I don't recognise the headcode but I'm wondering (given that it's Mk. Is) if it was the summer Saturdays King's Cross - Scarborough, which was normally a class 40 diagram. TIA. Beautiful pictures, Dave. As always, I love anything that takes me back to my teenage stamping ground around that period. The Swiss photos are fascinating, also - not areas that I managed to get to.

I just had to check my own photographs, to refresh my memory of the date that I was thereabouts. Actually, it turned out to be the following year and the following month - to the day, 5th September 1979. I have very fond memories of a day in Montreux and, similarly, of walking around Lac Leman to Vevey. I also have a couple of photographs, posing outside the Grand Hotel (a location which will be familiar to music fans of that vintage). Sadly, to this day, I have still not been back!

Many happy returns, David, albeit a bit late! I hope that you had a good day. Best wishes for the next twelve months.

Both were in batches that were tablet-catcher fitted.

Interesting that, in C18237 and C18239, the Class 91s are both missing the same nose hatch covers. They weren't removed for a period of time (like the Class 442s) were they? I don't remember that occurring - but then I was no longer living on the ECML by that time and only used to see them periodically.