06.10.1984 | Mystex | 1Z48 | |
| 08:57:00 | Glasgow C | Warrington | 86311 |
| Chester | 47606 | ||
| 18:15:00 | Chester | Warrington | 47606 |
| Glasgow C | 86311 | ||
| "1Z" becoming a note for anything noteworthy or extraordinary: how far the actual thing was from the truth. Bog awful haulage. Only the craic at Chester and good chips to make uip for it. We didn't even go to crewe to spot. |
onsdag 15. september 2010
Mystex
This day in history: Bashing 15th sept 1984
Into September and being a lad of no means by no means, I had no cash or interest to splice open the wallet for tours to the last Skeggies or what TF else.
Now I was into 5th year at school and had a new group of pals by in large IIRC: train spotting was a bit uncool, but I had a lot of bashing left in me to get out, which I did in 1985. It was a time when I started to stumble in life having been done well in the "o" levels. I have been up and down with hedukashun and jobs ever since. I should have taken up some sport : this is what a 15-17 year old really needs! Don't give up locos, but go play footie before a trip to the shed.
Also socially speaking, egalitarianism you learn as a basher gets you no where in life! Far better to be a snob or an inverted version there of.
On this day in history, a saturday in 1984, the only thing that dropped was 37104, probably boiler intact but at least a vagrant and not relocated syphon so a good line in the book!
Still with the stupid fester at Helensburgh "no where" upper due to trains passing at cardross or the like: 30 less miles.. No view and the shop was maybe shut down by this time. Station laid flat this year too.
Now I was into 5th year at school and had a new group of pals by in large IIRC: train spotting was a bit uncool, but I had a lot of bashing left in me to get out, which I did in 1985. It was a time when I started to stumble in life having been done well in the "o" levels. I have been up and down with hedukashun and jobs ever since. I should have taken up some sport : this is what a 15-17 year old really needs! Don't give up locos, but go play footie before a trip to the shed.
Also socially speaking, egalitarianism you learn as a basher gets you no where in life! Far better to be a snob or an inverted version there of.
On this day in history, a saturday in 1984, the only thing that dropped was 37104, probably boiler intact but at least a vagrant and not relocated syphon so a good line in the book!
| 15.09.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| Arrochar | 37012 | ||
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Glasgow QS | 37191 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37104 |
| 12:29:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47618 |
| 13:35:00 | Kilmarnock | Ayr | 27024 |
| 27025 | |||
| 14:15:00 | Ayr | Glasgow C | DMU |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Bridge-of-Orchy | 37014 |
| 19:10:00 | Bridge-of-Orchy | 37264 | |
| ETHEL 2 | |||
| Solid 37 bashing though, but depsite a whole 13 hours out, the book has a note: 219.68 miles logged behind them. Unlike deltics, fifties or sulzer type 4 trash, it was a hard life getting mileage up on syphons! | |||
| 24.09.1984 | Trannie restricted area maybe | ||
| Arrochar | 37264 | ||
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Helensburgh Upper | 37033 |
| 10:33:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Arrochar | 37039 |
| 11:15:00 | Arrochar | Helensburgh Upper | 37184 |
| 13:06:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Crianlarich | 37191 |
| 14:01:00 | Crianlarich | Glasgow QS | 37264 |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37033 |
| 17:33:00 | Dumbarton | Glasgow QS | 37022 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37264 |
| 20:01:00 | Ardlui | 37051 |
Still with the stupid fester at Helensburgh "no where" upper due to trains passing at cardross or the like: 30 less miles.. No view and the shop was maybe shut down by this time. Station laid flat this year too.
Into August, 16 years of age
Early august and I'm 16 years old suddenly, nearly a man, on a boyish pursuit with no chance of a shag.
Here were some monotomous early august moves.
After the freedom weekend, see other blog, it was back to more punishment with boilered 37s,. 37110 being the most exotic as a new refugee to ScR from Stratford no doubt,.
Here were some monotomous early august moves.
| 03.08.1984 | ticket | ||
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37027 |
| Shopping move most likely | |||
| 08.08.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 11:50:00 | Glasgow QS | 37191 | |
| 13:45:00 | Glasgow C | Kilmarnock | 26026 |
| 14:33:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 26008 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37011 |
| 20.01.2010 | Ardui | Home | 37188 |
| Really quite rate to get 26s both ways on the carlisle. | They were at that point mustered at Corkerhill IIRC. |
| 26.08.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 08:51:00 | Dumbarton | Arrochar | 37108 |
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Glasgow QS | 37037 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37110 |
| 12:30:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47440 |
| 14:33:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 27029 |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37039 |
| 17:33:00 | Dumbarton | Glasgow QS | 37027 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37051 |
| 20:01:00 | Ardlui "up" | 37188 | |
| ETHEL 3 |
1984 part II , part 2
I wonder if the following weekend was one of those "green" ticket set ups or if I borrowed someone's week long ticket: I do remember showing a freedom to the bus driver.
By the looks of things I covered various bits and pieces on the Portions and Carlisles but ended up behind boilered scottish syphons, at their best, with not a whisp of steam in sight. Also a pleasent little run on my own, aka pella, to Kyle behind a cosey little old 26: This may have been steaming actually, despite it beiong august and hot later in the day over Skye.
Dumbarton (dun britton) was far enough for me : I was knackered. Also this was the summer of endless heat wave and I destinctly remember being on a "wedged" mallaig train with 37106 giving a fine growling performance up to Arisaig.
By the looks of things I covered various bits and pieces on the Portions and Carlisles but ended up behind boilered scottish syphons, at their best, with not a whisp of steam in sight. Also a pleasent little run on my own, aka pella, to Kyle behind a cosey little old 26: This may have been steaming actually, despite it beiong august and hot later in the day over Skye.
| 09.08.1984 | Weekend freedom??? | ||
| 11:20:00 | Glasgow C | Carstairs | 86246 |
| 12:12:00 | Carstairs | Glasgow C | 86260 |
| 13:45:00 | Glasgow C | Kilmarnock | 26008 |
| 14:33:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 27014 |
| 16:00:00 | Glasgow QS | Edinburgh Waverley | 477xx |
| 17:08:00 | Edinburgh Waverley | Haymarket | 26003 |
| 17:33:00 | Haymarket | Glasgow QS | 477xx |
| 18:59:00 | Glasgow QS low level | Helensburgh Central | 303 |
| 20:20:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Glasgow QS | 37175 |
| 21:17:00 | Glasgow QS low level | Motherwell via Beslhill | 314-303 |
| 22:xx | Motherwell | Mossend | 86247 |
| Perth | 27041 | ||
| 01:xx | Perth | Inverness | 47541 |
| 06:xx | Inverness | Dingwall | 37261 |
| 07:xx | Dingwall | Kyle-of-Loch Alsh | 26034 |
| Kyle | Kylakin | ferry | |
| 10:15:00 | Kylakin | Armadale | Buss |
| 11:30:00 | Armadale | Mallaig | «MV Pioneer» |
| 12:20:00 | Mallaig | Ft. William | 37026 |
| 14:15:00 | Ft. William | Dumbarton Central | 37081 |
1984 Part II
I guess I actually started to get a bit bored with flailing off to Carstairs and paying excess to Edinburgh. Also there could have been more diuffs on these and the Carlisle route: depots probably hoarded duffs by that time with the lack of coal traffic releasing more locos during the miners strike.
Instead I concentrated on the west highland line, clocking up mileage on the established ED boilered locos and the new comers. Maybe I was mad, but anyway, there are only a handful of bashers who have accumulated over 10,000 miles on ED boilered syphons because the WHL was so slow a route to actually accumulate mileage on.
37152 was one of the last large syphons I did some miles behind that summer.
That and I love the scenery and craic.
Instead I concentrated on the west highland line, clocking up mileage on the established ED boilered locos and the new comers. Maybe I was mad, but anyway, there are only a handful of bashers who have accumulated over 10,000 miles on ED boilered syphons because the WHL was so slow a route to actually accumulate mileage on.
37152 was one of the last large syphons I did some miles behind that summer.
That and I love the scenery and craic.
| 28.07.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 09:06:00 | Arrochar | 37191 | |
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Glasgow QS | 37051 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37152 |
| 12:29:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47453 |
| 14:28:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 27041 |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37264 |
| 17:33:00 | Dumbarton | Glasgow QS | 37111 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37191 |
| 20:01:00 | Ardui | Home | 37184 |
| 26.08.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 08:24:00 | Helensbugh Central | Dumbarton Central | 303 |
| 08:51:00 | Dumbarton | Arrochar | 37108 |
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Glasgow QS | 37037 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37110 |
| 12:30:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47440 |
| 14:33:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 27029 |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37039 |
| 17:33:00 | Dumbarton | Glasgow QS | 37027 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37051 |
| 20:01:00 | Ardui | Helensburgh Upper | 37188 |
| ETHEL 3 | |||
| 175/09/1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 09:06:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Arrochar | 37012 |
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Glasgow QS | 37191 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37104 |
| 12:29:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47618 |
| 13:35:00 | Kilmarnock | Ayr | 27024 |
| 27025 | |||
| 14:15:00 | Ayr | Glasgow C | DMU |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Bridge-of-Orchy | 37014 |
| 19:10:00 | Bridge-of-Orchy | Helensburgh Upper | 37264 |
| ETHEL 2 | |||
| 24.09.1984 | Trannie restricted area maybe | ||
| 09:06:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Arrochar | 37264 |
| 09:45:00 | Arrochar | Helensburgh Upper | 37033 |
| 10:33:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Arrochar | 37039 |
| 11:15:00 | Arrochar | Helensburgh Upper | 37184 |
| 13:06:00 | Helensburgh Upper | Crianlarich | 37191 |
| 14:01:00 | Crianlarich | Glasgow QS | 37264 |
| 16:50:00 | Glasgow QS | Dumbarton Central | 37033 |
| 17:33:00 | Dumbarton | Glasgow QS | 37022 |
| 18:20:00 | Glasgow QS | Ardlui | 37264 |
| 20:01:00 | Ardlui | Helensburgh Upper | 37051 |
Bashing. "ned cards" Mid July 1984
16/7/1984 sATRUDAY
One day after the "freedom" was over and it was right into a transcard, at all of £4.99, and just to show the southside of Glasgow was where it was all happening, just take a look at this day:
The date is important: first saturday of the glasgow fair: the tradtional shutdown of the yards for a week or two's holiday, often taken doon-the-watter. In this case the addex's seem to be to the silvery sands of Stevenston. When we bailed there it was far from silvery in the town centre; strewn with litter and an itinerant Rottweiler shagging some poor unsuspecting mongrel.
A very big line for any diesel loco, but there were several monsters out. 37013 vo back out on the Stranrærs, and 138, seeming small beer now and not only big loco but a big line 37 196: think it was one of the few boiler isolated 37s: dunno where it was allocated at the time, but obvioulsy lurking with intent ex motherwell. We did a "shanks pony move over to Kilwinning assisted by an old double decker IIRC. Chips in between and a semi-fast Ayr DMU service to "whisk" us in for the next move: well rattle us up a little quicker than the stopping 311s down there at that time.
Then some daytime version of 1S81 or the likes drops a 40 and we go after it on a bloody transcard! That old grumpy sod with the tasch commented as such on the way from Coatbridge Central to Cumbernauld. But a line in the book was had from all be it a very lethargic 40150 when compared to her sister 155 we had bagged at Chester. A "desperate" move.
Then back into central for a strange move to Nitshill: IIRC 27066 was nb now and fairly large. To top it off, on one of the returning Stevenstons or Ardrossans 37155: very, very big ML IIRC and a nice rack of three huge syphons within three weeks: 154-156 thank you, my lords!
Saturday 21/7/84
A week later and we ae taking motherwell NB and foreign split box syphons for granted. But this day produced at that point the biggest of them all: in it's life as the super-syphon, 37292 probably worked three passenger trains and this was one. "huge if not enormous" as Rupert put it in a post to a blogg "this bashing day in History".
292 grumbled it's way over the slack line Kilmarnock-Ayr. At Ayr it was notably "hunting" , a fault I have heard caused by choking valve seats, badly adjusted timing chains or faulty governors. Although it probably did not prioduce anywhere near 2000bhp, the benefits of the alternator made it seem to accelerate quicker relative to less thrash!
37292 was actually the prototype for the 37/4s which could well have been uprated. This uprating was the same as the CSVT uprate on the 50s: so it is unlikely it would have been a success without gear-driven-cams, new valve gear etc. II guess that autumn 292 went down to Crewe works to become the 37/4.
The then "silly ba'heid" move persisted as syphons could well drop on from carlisle. Syphons like 048 were probably itinerant from lack of work on coal, and I reckon they displaced failed type 2s off Carlisle shed. Covering this move meant that you were "bowled out" for all the later west highland moves, bar doing a combined bus move to Garelocheid maybe.
Taking for granted was just as we did: this was actually the last "big" saturday out of Glasgow Central moves, and the likes of the 37 moves seen that summer would only be repeated on the Aberysthwiths the next summer, where NB 37s were actually BOOKED and not huge drops! A week later, at the end of August, I scored my last big ML 37, 152 which worked the 11:30 stranrær. Although as you will see the 11:30 more or less became booked a 37, the later examples seemed to be boilered stratford examples which IIRC became Scottish allocations anyway.
Certainly by October I was no longer a ned really, but a syphon basher bone fide and with enough under the belt to be a "man". I knew by that October freedom that the writing was on the wall. I was getting a bit bored of bashing from time to time, and that disastourous Mystex to Chester was just the first nail in the coffin.
37192 to dundee and back marked me as a syphon devotee: They became pretty common on that route later, but until 84 they were rare for some reason: There were still enough reasonably condition 27s and 26s to cover the dundee loco hauled prior to this. It is not a bad route for 37s, with top speeds of 90mph and very little running at the dreaded 40-50 mph slack spot. 37192 became my mileage machine, although I think I topped it with 188. It put in a good run, but one of the mrk Is had a dragging brake set so I reckon we didn't get over 75mph. IIRC I did this all alone, with maybe a paltry few "men" coming on later at Perth. West country bloke with beard reported the coach IIRC too.
Also that October, 264 moved north to Inverness ( again?) and was duly taken there. Dark evenings up the Far North East!
One day after the "freedom" was over and it was right into a transcard, at all of £4.99, and just to show the southside of Glasgow was where it was all happening, just take a look at this day:
| 16.07.1984 LowLand Master Transcard | |||
| 08:54:00 Home | Glasgow C Low Level | 303 | |
| 10:02:00 Glasgow C | Johnstone | 37138 | |
| 10:50:00 Johnstone | Glasgow C | DMU | |
| 11:30:00 Glasgow C | Paisley | 37013 | |
| 11.xx Paisley | Glasgow Central | DMU | |
| 12:40:00 Glasgow C | Stevenston | 37196 | |
| 14:09:00 Kilwinning | Glasgow C | DMU | |
| 15:08:00 Glasgow QS low level | Coatbridge Sunnyside | 303 | |
| 15:40:00 Coatbridge Central | Cumbernauld | 40150 | |
| 16:20:00 Cumbernauld | Springburn | DMU | |
| 16:34:00 Springburn | Glasgow QS Low Level | 303 | |
| 17:30:00 Glasgow C | Nitshill | 27066 | |
| 17.xx Nitshill | Glasgow C | DMU | |
| 18:15:00 Glasgow C | Johnstone | DMU | |
| 18:52:00 Johnstone | Glasgow C | 37155 | |
| 20:56:00 | |||
The date is important: first saturday of the glasgow fair: the tradtional shutdown of the yards for a week or two's holiday, often taken doon-the-watter. In this case the addex's seem to be to the silvery sands of Stevenston. When we bailed there it was far from silvery in the town centre; strewn with litter and an itinerant Rottweiler shagging some poor unsuspecting mongrel.
A very big line for any diesel loco, but there were several monsters out. 37013 vo back out on the Stranrærs, and 138, seeming small beer now and not only big loco but a big line 37 196: think it was one of the few boiler isolated 37s: dunno where it was allocated at the time, but obvioulsy lurking with intent ex motherwell. We did a "shanks pony move over to Kilwinning assisted by an old double decker IIRC. Chips in between and a semi-fast Ayr DMU service to "whisk" us in for the next move: well rattle us up a little quicker than the stopping 311s down there at that time.
Then some daytime version of 1S81 or the likes drops a 40 and we go after it on a bloody transcard! That old grumpy sod with the tasch commented as such on the way from Coatbridge Central to Cumbernauld. But a line in the book was had from all be it a very lethargic 40150 when compared to her sister 155 we had bagged at Chester. A "desperate" move.
Then back into central for a strange move to Nitshill: IIRC 27066 was nb now and fairly large. To top it off, on one of the returning Stevenstons or Ardrossans 37155: very, very big ML IIRC and a nice rack of three huge syphons within three weeks: 154-156 thank you, my lords!
Saturday 21/7/84
| 21.07.1984 | LowLand Master Transcard | ||
| 09:06:00 | Home | Garelochhead | 37014 |
| 10:08:00 | Garelochhead | Glasgow QS | 37081 |
| 11:30:00 | Glasgow C | Ayr | 37155 |
| 12:30:00 | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 47537 |
| 13.xx | Ayr | Kilmarnock | 37292 |
| 15:45:00 | Glasgow C | Kilmarnock | 26015 |
| Kilmarnock | Barrhead | DMU | |
| Barrhead | Kilmarnock | 27001 | |
| 18:47:00 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow C | 37048 |
| Central | 303 |
A week later and we ae taking motherwell NB and foreign split box syphons for granted. But this day produced at that point the biggest of them all: in it's life as the super-syphon, 37292 probably worked three passenger trains and this was one. "huge if not enormous" as Rupert put it in a post to a blogg "this bashing day in History".
292 grumbled it's way over the slack line Kilmarnock-Ayr. At Ayr it was notably "hunting" , a fault I have heard caused by choking valve seats, badly adjusted timing chains or faulty governors. Although it probably did not prioduce anywhere near 2000bhp, the benefits of the alternator made it seem to accelerate quicker relative to less thrash!
37292 was actually the prototype for the 37/4s which could well have been uprated. This uprating was the same as the CSVT uprate on the 50s: so it is unlikely it would have been a success without gear-driven-cams, new valve gear etc. II guess that autumn 292 went down to Crewe works to become the 37/4.
The then "silly ba'heid" move persisted as syphons could well drop on from carlisle. Syphons like 048 were probably itinerant from lack of work on coal, and I reckon they displaced failed type 2s off Carlisle shed. Covering this move meant that you were "bowled out" for all the later west highland moves, bar doing a combined bus move to Garelocheid maybe.
Taking for granted was just as we did: this was actually the last "big" saturday out of Glasgow Central moves, and the likes of the 37 moves seen that summer would only be repeated on the Aberysthwiths the next summer, where NB 37s were actually BOOKED and not huge drops! A week later, at the end of August, I scored my last big ML 37, 152 which worked the 11:30 stranrær. Although as you will see the 11:30 more or less became booked a 37, the later examples seemed to be boilered stratford examples which IIRC became Scottish allocations anyway.
Certainly by October I was no longer a ned really, but a syphon basher bone fide and with enough under the belt to be a "man". I knew by that October freedom that the writing was on the wall. I was getting a bit bored of bashing from time to time, and that disastourous Mystex to Chester was just the first nail in the coffin.
37192 to dundee and back marked me as a syphon devotee: They became pretty common on that route later, but until 84 they were rare for some reason: There were still enough reasonably condition 27s and 26s to cover the dundee loco hauled prior to this. It is not a bad route for 37s, with top speeds of 90mph and very little running at the dreaded 40-50 mph slack spot. 37192 became my mileage machine, although I think I topped it with 188. It put in a good run, but one of the mrk Is had a dragging brake set so I reckon we didn't get over 75mph. IIRC I did this all alone, with maybe a paltry few "men" coming on later at Perth. West country bloke with beard reported the coach IIRC too.
Also that October, 264 moved north to Inverness ( again?) and was duly taken there. Dark evenings up the Far North East!
lørdag 4. september 2010
To the Memory of the Polmont Rail Crash
On returning to my log book of loco haulage in the mid eighties, I am just about as far as late july when I realise there is a very note worthy event which should not be left as a side note in my otherwise innane blogg.
On the 30 th july 1984 thirteen people missed their lives on the Polmont to Falkirk stretch of line when the leading DBSO ( driving, brake, second only: the push pull driving coach) struck a cow which had wandered onto the line due to breaches in the fencing east of Falkirk tunnel.
It is in their memory I write, 26 years on. I hope the families have healed their grief and been able to keep fond memories of their loved ones.
My bashing book does not cover this day actually, but rather the 28th of july and there is no run to Edinburgh noted. In fact I believe we were on the 1600 Edinburgh to glasgow or reverse: we were in the DBSO and we saw cows running along the line. I do not know why I did not write the "moves" in but I am pretty sure we were on our way back with Rupert and co when we saw the cows: bullocks by the look of them, gallavanting inside the line.
I remember my stomach dropping when hearing about the crash and confirmed fatalities: this could have been me and my friends, on a pleasure tour to Edinburgh and back.
Why I did not write the move ? well perhaps it was a shove 47/7 over to view something on a cheap day returne and we came back via falkirk grahamston after the crash. It was in my school holidays and I like going to Edinburgh.
I feel like I have had the nine lives proscribed in the feline sense, this being one.
On the 30 th july 1984 thirteen people missed their lives on the Polmont to Falkirk stretch of line when the leading DBSO ( driving, brake, second only: the push pull driving coach) struck a cow which had wandered onto the line due to breaches in the fencing east of Falkirk tunnel.
It is in their memory I write, 26 years on. I hope the families have healed their grief and been able to keep fond memories of their loved ones.
My bashing book does not cover this day actually, but rather the 28th of july and there is no run to Edinburgh noted. In fact I believe we were on the 1600 Edinburgh to glasgow or reverse: we were in the DBSO and we saw cows running along the line. I do not know why I did not write the "moves" in but I am pretty sure we were on our way back with Rupert and co when we saw the cows: bullocks by the look of them, gallavanting inside the line.
I remember my stomach dropping when hearing about the crash and confirmed fatalities: this could have been me and my friends, on a pleasure tour to Edinburgh and back.
Why I did not write the move ? well perhaps it was a shove 47/7 over to view something on a cheap day returne and we came back via falkirk grahamston after the crash. It was in my school holidays and I like going to Edinburgh.
I feel like I have had the nine lives proscribed in the feline sense, this being one.
Abonner på:
Innlegg (Atom)