30/08/80 ... Where were you?

Page last Updated : 30-07-06

Andy Pullar remembers...
"For me the 30th [Aug 1980] began with me aboard 1L22 2300 Kings Cross to Bradford headed by FPs finest; 55003 Meld. I was heading
to the North East (after finishing work) for a visit to the doomed steelworks at Consett. Some droning to Doncaster behind my high
mileage (for me) machine to start the trip was much appreciated. Not so welcome was the rancid steam heat duff on 1N12 0002 Kings
Cross to Newcastle that I couldn't avoid if I was to make it to Consett. There was nothing for it but to grit my teeth and take Cardiff
Canton's 47144 forward to journey's end. Being brought up in the West Country meant I never could get whipped up by Duffs - wound
up was the usual feeling on seeing one appearing vice a Deltic, Forty or Whizzo. Consider me wound.

Before making the transfer to Consett a side trip was made to cover the newly opened section of the Newcastle Metro from Haymarket
to Tynemouth and back with 4005 and 4079. How exciting you may be thinking but the driver was in an accomodating mood and invited
my travelling companion and I to remain on board whilst the train reversed beyond the station using the connection between the two
tunnels south of Haymarket station. The reason for the driver's largesse became apparent as he demonstrated the emergency brake
and my mate flipped over the seat he was kneeling on.

I cannot remember much about the jaunt to Consett and back to Newcastle apart from having Sentinel 0-6-0 diesel BSC47 for haulage
around the internal track and it being cold and wet (or typical Consett weather). There is one other thing that does stick in the memory
that was pretty remarkable given the announcement of the closure of the steelworks; the welcome from the people that worked there.

Arrival back in Newcastle was achieved in time to make the move to Edinburgh on 1S15 1735 departure. This was hauled by 55016
which was another of my favourite locos for haulage so it had to be done even though I was rostered for work on the Sunday. Gordon
Highlander duly deposited me in Auld Reekie with the move back south being 1E40 1915 Aberdeen to the Cross. Not wishing to be
whithered by a required haulage turning up on E40 from Aberdeen to be removed at Waverley a trip in the 2055 cart to Kirkcaldy was
made as far as Inverkeithing. The cart mileage was reduced by a token ned move to Haymarket on 1O66 2045 shoved by 47705
(and no it wasn't required for haulage and I can't use the excuse of visiting the chip shop in Haymarket with only ten minutes
between trains).

40159 whistled into the up platform at Inverkeithing to give me my Forty fix for the weekend and was duly removed at Waverley.
Here I landed my one and only required loco haulage of the day (not counting BSC 47); 08763. Haulage might be stretching the
point given the the Gronk merely shoved the E40 stock from Aberdeen up the platform onto the rear of the coaches and train engine
being added at Edinburgh. 55006 was that train engine to my immense relief. No Duff's on the way home and extra mileage due to
enginnering work to follow.

Ignoring the Duffs the day produced some rateable engines with good mileage, some required track courtesy of BSC Consett
and the friendly men of steel and the driver of the Tyne and Wear Metro, a bleary eyed BR employee at work the next day and
no chance of overdossing somewhere on the WCML. Instead 55006 took the diversionary routes of Pelaw-Washington-Ferryhill,
York-Ferrybridge-Knottingley-Doncaster and the GN&GE Joint through Lincoln and Spalding. 55003 worked 1L22 in the early
hours of the following Saturday but that is another story."

'Captain Grey' says...
"I was Spotting! Still a spotter then... but went on a NREA (National Railway Enthusiasts Assocition) spotting trip - bus picked me up at Bristol Parkway for a tour of South Wales... depots were Cardiff Canton, Newport Alexandra Road, Cardiff Docks, Radyr, Landore, Swansea Docks, Llanelli, Margam, and a few other stabling points. Highlight of the day, as I remember, was going to the toilet in Bristol TM and seeing about a fiver (big money in those days!) in coins down the bowl. So what did I do? Yep... rolled my sleeves up and got it! That was over a months pocket money! Steam heat Mark One Sleepers up Lickey was always a pleasure. But the only connection to Derby off S19 never was... a 3 car unit.

August 30, 1980	47081			DERBY	BRISTOL PARKWAY
August 30, 1980	45050			BRISTOL TM	BIRMINGHAM NEW ST		2130BTM-GLASGOW SLEEPERS	1S19

Gary Blyth recalls...

"Being a 33 fan I decided to go to Bristol to get some very rare Eastleigh ETH 33's in!!! I arrived back
 in Birmingham later to find I missed the "Tractor fest" on my very own "doorstep". Bugger. Oh to have a
 time machine.  I did stand and watch 37115 depart Bristol that day on a SW/NE train and missed 33113 by
 seconds and never had the chance to get it again!

 Anyway, here's what I did.

 47081 Birmingham New Street - Bristol Temple Meads 1O53 06:53 Derby - Weymouth
 47244 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa   1O53 06:53 Derby - Weymouth

 33002 Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads   1V21 07:46 Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central
 33015 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa   1O73 11:00 Bristol Temple Meads - Portsmouth Harbour
 47378 Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads   2V59 09:00 Weymouth - Bristol Temple Meads
 33064 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa   1O76 12:15 Bristol Temple Meads - Brighton
 33014 Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads   1V26 11:15 Portsmouth Harbour - Swansea
 33002 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa   1O83 15:05 Bristol Temple Meads - Portsmouth Harbour
 33008 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa   1O87 16:00 Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour

 45057 Bristol Temple Meads - Birmingham New Street 1E91 15:05 Paignton - Leeds"

Alan Baylis says...
"86016    Stafford - Crewe                  1F02    0100 Stafford - Liverpool
47443    Crewe - Chester                   1D02    0228 Crewe - Holyhead
47530    Chester - Crewe                   1A04    0107 Holyhead - Birmingham
85024    Crewe - Birmingham             1G00    0125 Holyhead - Birmingham
EMU    Birmingham - Wolverhampton
47358     Wolverhampton - Birmingham    1V63    0800 Wolverhampton - Plymouth
This was a dud move. I had hoped to get back to Tamworth for the 37!
45066    Birmingham - Burton              1E10    0700 Bristol - Leeds
37167    Burton - Derby                       1E33    0935 Birmingham - Scarborough
37132    Derby - Birmingham               1V79    0824 York - Tenby
Late running 25s gave me another new engine followed by a two minute connection at Wolverhampton and a three minute one at Birmingham on my return!
25118}    Birmingham - Wolverhampton    1J24    1010 Euston - Aberystwyth
25126}
86213    Wolverhampton - Birmingham    1G06    0935 Llandudno - Euston
45064    Birmingham - Tamworth        1E30    0815 Plymouth - Leeds
Couldn't afford to miss the 37 so had a seventy minute wait at Tamworth
37153    Tamworth - Birmingham        1M61    1015 Scarborough - Birmingham
86241    Birmingham - Crewe            1M85    0757 Penzance - Liverpool
The afternoon's new engines were in North Wales so I headed there for a new 40 and 25.
47463    Crewe - Chester            1D60    1400 Euston - Holyhead
40073    Chester - Rhyl                1D21    1540 Manchester - Bangor
40050    Rhyl - Chester                1J39    1718 Llandudno - Manchester
DMU    Chester - Flint
25105    Flint - Warrington            1J40    1817 Llandudno - Manchester
87018    Warrington - Preston            1P79    1805 Euston - Blackpool
47406    Preston - Kirkham            1P79    1805 Euston - Blackpool
DMU    Kirkham - Preston
86239    Preston - Crewe            1A00    2035 Barrow - Euston
Not strictly this day but perhaps worth recounting is that the overnight move from Crewe was with an 86/0 and we meant to bail at Preston.
Totally exhausted, myself and a whole compo of bashers including Andy M overslept to Carlisle! Normally a disastrous move on a Sunday
morning, as there was no return for hours we found the southbound 'Royal Highlander' running late and still in the platform. With a desperate
leap we just made it!"

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