Page last Updated : 17-02-08
Mark Nicoll remembers...
"Carlisle Upperby Open day so had :
86261 on 1M70 from Glasgow to Carlisle (think this was 1020 Nottingham?)
86250 on an unidentified train back to Glasgow
Not a hellfire day for me but the following Saturday (the 18th) was better
as I had 40007 (a Gateshead engine at the time according to its data panel)
in and out of Morecambe on an excursion."
'Captain Grey' recalls...
"September 11, 1982 20071 BR NOTTINGHAM BEESTON 1235 SKEG-LEICESTER 1M02 3.25 * M20047
September 11, 1982 20047 BR NOTTINGHAM BEESTON 1235 SKEG-LEICESTER 1M02 3.25 M20071
September 11, 1982 20072 BR BEESTON DERBY 1258 SKEG-DY 1M35 12.75 * M20141
September 11, 1982 20141 BR BEESTON DERBY 1258 SKEG-DY 1M35 12.75 * M20072
September 11, 1982 45122 BR DERBY LEICESTER 27.50
September 11, 1982 45057 BR LEICESTER LOUGHBOROUGH PAIGNTON-NOTTS 10.50 *
September 11, 1982 45137 BR LOUGHBOROUGH NOTTINGHAM 15.00
For me it was a poor man's effing version of bashing on this late Summer
Saturday. A cheap day return Radcliffe-on-Trent to Notts. bagged me 4
Choppers and 3 Peaks... not bad for 45 pence. Think I took the girlfriend
with me on this day too to limit any earache. I was hoping the
Paignton-Notts produced an NB Duff but in came a steam heat peak so we did
the insect line in the book move to see what was behind it on a
Pancras-Notts service.
Not so much hellfire as 'oh well'. Scored 3 of the Bombs and 45057."
Paul Griffin recalls a Hellfire Weekend...
"I started the summer Saturday, as so often in those days, with a drive to Sheffield to buy
an East Midlands Rover and get the gen. There wasn't much about initially, but then the
DMU from Grantham came in with the east coast overnighters and they were raving about a
pair of Tinsley 20's on stock in Nunnery Sidings. It seemed obvious that Tinsley allocated
monsters 20105 and 20106 were going to do the 0732 Sheffield - Skegness. More gen soon arrived and
I was able to start planning for the day. First though was a huge pair of
twenties to Chesterfield for the plus 19 onto the 0802 Chesterfield - Scarborough.
Allocated a Tinsley engine off Barrow Hill, 47278 and 279 had
tended to be regulars, but today it was 47319 which for years had been one of
the Knottingley and Healey Mills merry go round engines,
rare as Hen's Teeth and heavily required.
I took it to Sheffield and settled down for the one hour twenty minute wait for Longsights 40030
- also required - on the 0818 Manchester Piccadilly - Skegness.
A good run off this fine machine as far as Lincoln where I had nearly two hours
to pass walking around the town before the arrival at 1252 of the 0920 Yarmouth
- Newcastle with yet another Tinsley monster in the form of 37245. 37 miles of
premier power to Doncaster where arrival was on time, allowing a quick leap onto
a DMU bound for Sheffield. It was an important +4 because I needed to get to
Sheffield for 1436 and the 0840 Paignton - Newcastle. Today this was entrusted
to 31195 ( IM) and monstrous 31122 ( TO but before that TE and withdrawn ).
I needed 31122, but of course the first stop north of Sheffield was
Bolton-on-Dearne - a station outside the validity of an East Mid. I wasn't
gripped and got off at Bolton on Dearne. The next train back was at 1631 ( and
going further north on the train didn't help return any faster ), so I hunted
out a bus back to Sheffield. The reason for this was the urgent need to get to
Leicester, and my car was hastily relocated from Sheffield to Leicester in time
for me to catch 31149 (TO) and required 31128(BR) out to Narborough on the 1414
Norwich - Birmingham. I made the +1 onto the unit back from Narborough to end
a memorable day. The next day was going to be equally memorable, but for
different reasons.
Sunday the 12th September started with the drive to Nuneaton to cover the
dragging. I soon found that nothing required was out, but I could at least have
50019 on the 0940 Euston - Wolverhampton from Nuneaton to Birmingham. Required
track for the class.
The fun really started at 1154 when the 0850 Paddington - Manchester rolled in
with 50042 in charge. This was booked a 47 throughout, but the 50 was obviously
going forward. I got on. Off we went to Soho, then through Bescot and over
Cannock. Surely the engine would only go to Crewe! I paid an excess fare to
Crewe and sat back to await developments. No sign of a replacement loco at Crewe
so I approached the guard again and paid the excess to Manchester. Consulting
the timetable revealed that the 50 would be returning south on the 1615
Manchester Piccadilly - Cardiff, routed via Stoke and Wolverhampton. This wasn't
a service train at all - it was a railtour! I bought yet another ticket at
Piccadilly and travelled with the fifty back to New Street. The first thing I
saw here was a pair of Cromptons ready to work the 1511 Leeds - Portsmouth.
33027 was dud, but 33111 was well and truly required. Today they were diverted
to Leamington via Solihull. More decisions. I got on.
The train stopped at Solihull for a bus connection to Coventry, and not having
been gripped I got off. The timetable revealed absolutely no trains back to
Birmingham, so I had to find my second bus of the weekend. Eventually I got
back to New Street.
The weekend finished with March boilered 31318 on the 2010 Birmingham -
Cambridge back to Nuneaton.
Truly hellfire days !"
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