Page last Updated :  02-03-08 Saturday 11 July 1987         by 'UD' 37693 was already quoted for next days 1A52.  No one knew for sure, but if the 1640 Euston - New St & 1918 return relief's ran, they may well also produce something otherwise the all-day drags will be 47/4's like the previous week. Sunday 12 July 1987         by 'UD' We see 37693 working 5A08 ECS into Wolverhampton, just like the previous week, and so it looks odds on to work 1A52.  The 1640 Euston - New St & 1918 relief's are now known to be running and 56080 is quoted to work then, but if you do 1A52, you pass the relief going the other way and you can't get back for the relief going back out either.  So we must choose one or the other and both are required. As the morning wore on, news filters through that 37693 as been hijacked for a rail tour, with 56080 now stepped up to work the 1A52 drag, and 37690 is now quoted to work the relief's.  Before all that, however, 47283 is working 1V81 1405 Liverpool - Paddington. We do 47570 on 1M08 0932 Poole - Liverpool.  This usually made 1V81 at Crewe, but not when diverted via Shrewsbury, so we have to bale at Wolves and take a coach to Stafford to make V81.  47283 produces as expected and we return to New Street by the normal direct route. By this point, large numbers of bashers have appeared several main-men included.  56080 then works an earlier train than expected, being attached to 86227 on 1A48 1700 Wolverhampton - Euston.  This was all very convenient as it now meant that 56080 would make 37690 at Nuneaton!  Was this just a lucky fluke or was it a fix?  It did seam a little too good to be true. Approaching Nuneaton on 1A48, 37690 is passed, waiting to back onto the 1640 Euston - New Street relief, which was already waiting in the platform.  There is just time for a quick phot of the grid before crossing over and joining the relief.  The 37 is attached within minutes and then a brake test carried out as everyone takes up their seats.  Then we wait…  we wait some more.  One by one people are returning to the platform.  Whispers are starting spread that the guard is refusing to take out the relief due to the lack of EH!  The relief, it should be noted, was formed of pressure vent MkII's apart from a couple of AIRCONS including the BSK.  On board the train there was just a handful of 'normals' and a large number of bashers all of which would, if asked, prefer the Air con NOT to work!. Then came the announcement that the train was caped and would go forward only as ECS!  It was at about this point that things a riot literally broke out on the platform between a handful of bashers and members of staff!  Others then stepped in to try and cool things down and for awhile the whole thing looked like it might get out of hand. Things had charmed down by the time 86103 arrived with 1J34, the 1710 Euston - Aberystwyth.  47527 was quickly attached.  We felt sure that after the near riot, there was no way that they would allow the relief to continue other than as an ECS and so felt our best move would be to join 1J34.  That way we would make sure we were at New Street when the stock arrived.  The 19:18 off New Street would surely be booked a different crew and would probably still run we reasoned, but if we stayed, (as did some of our mates and many others) in the hope of getting 37690 into New Street and that never happened we would be well bowled! Once at New Street off J34, we watched 37690 arrive ECS ( apart from a couple of stowaways ).  37690 did work the 1918 relief Euston back to Nuneaton, but running some 40 late, while the next service following J34 suffered a loco failure nr Water Orton.

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