Milepost 37 January 2017 Iii

MILEPOST 37 JANUARY 2017 III

By Chiltern to Oxford – From Page 283

RPS to Oxford – Fromrailway Page performance 283 society www.railperf.org.uk

Milepost 37¾ 217 January 2017 Milepost 37¾ - January 2017

The Quarterly Magazine of the Railway Performance Society Honorary President: John Heaton FCILT Commitee:

CHAIRMAN Frank Collins 10 Collett Way, Frome, Somerset BA11 2XR Tel: 01373 466408 e-mail [email protected] VICE CHAIRMAN Michael Rowe Burley Cottage, Parson St., Porlock,Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8QJ . Tel 01643 862182 E-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Frank Price, Penn House, Middle Common Rd., Pennington, Lymington SO41 8LE Tel: 01590 672235 Email: [email protected] TREASURER Peter Smith 28 Downsview Ave, Storrington, W Sussex, RH20 (and membership) 4PS. Tel 01903 742684 e-mail: [email protected] EDITOR David Ashley 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW. Tel 01895 675178 E-mail: [email protected] Distance Chart Editor Ian Umpleby 314 Stainbeck Rd, Leeds, W Yorks LS7 2LR Tel 0113 266 8588 Email: [email protected] Database/Archivist Lee Allsopp 2 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell, RG12 7WL Tel 01344 648644 e-mail [email protected] Technical Officer David Hobbs 11 Lynton Terrace, Acton, London W3 9DX Tel 020 8993 3788 e-mail [email protected] David Stannard 26 Broomfield Close, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire,SK11 9SL. Tel 01625 861172 e mail: [email protected] Meeting Secretary: Michael Bruce, 234A Otley Rd., West Park, Leeds LS16 5AB Tel 0113 305 0367 Committee member: David Sage: 93 Salisbury Rd, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 7JR Tel 01202 249717 E-mail: [email protected] Non-committee official:- Foreign Fastest times: Alan Varley, 285 Chemin de la Costiere, 06000 Nice, France, e-mail: [email protected] Fastest Times Editor Martin Robertson 23 Brownside Rd, Cambuslang, Glasgow, G72 0NL e-mail: [email protected] Directors of The Rail Performance Data Foundation: RPS nominees: Frank Collins, Peter Smith, Frank Price Trustees: John Rishton, Nigel Smedley, David Lloyd Roberts CONTENTS Notices 219 East Coast: West coast Frank Collins 223 Via Barnsley Ian Umpleby 224 Fastest Times Martin Robertson 230 Never on Sunday Peter Absolon 236 Three Journeys on Flying Scotsman Derek Wilson 240 Scarborough Spa Express Noel Proudlock 242 HST and Over the Top Bill Hemstock 245 Sussex Day Rover 1961 David Lloyd-Roberts 247 Borders Rail Steam Martin Robertson 254 Steam in Scotland Sandy Smeaton 255 Overland Travel Experience Malcolm Simister 260 Recorder’s guide to SNCF Alan Varley 263 Letters 269 News: Cross Country Diversions via Kidderminster John Rishton 273 Storm Angus John Rishton/David Ashley 277 Chiltern to Oxford David Ashley 283 Network Developments Ian Umpleby 285 Books 286 Enclosures: Membership renewal and SAE (UK), MTD supplements

Copyright The Railway Performance Society Ltd, registered in England & Wales No. 04488089 Use of the material in the magazine is permitted only for the private purposes of the reader No material in the magazine can otherwise be used for publication or reproduction in any form without the express permission of the Society

Milepost 37¾ 218 January 2017

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the RPS, the Editors or any of their advisers. Whilst efforts are made to ensure accuracy, the Editor his advisers and the RPS accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies howsoever caused. Readers are asked to note that the RPS encourages contributions from all members, and articles may appear that are interesting in content, but occasionally may not be to the standard of the rest of the publication. Material sent to the Editors, whether commissioned or freely submitted is provided entirely at the contributors own risk; neither the Editor nor the RPS can be held responsible for any loss or damage howsoever caused. Published by The Railway Performance Society Limited, 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW Printed by Prontaprint Harrow, 7 Central Parade, Station Rd., Harrow, Middx, HA1 2TW.

PUBLICATION OF MILEPOST

Milepost is published in April, July, October, and January. If you have not received your copy by the end of the month of publication it may have gone astray. Requests for replacements of missing or defective copies should be directed please to the Editor.

REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY

The RPS is always keen to be represented at special media-type occasions. However, we do ask that anyone wishing to do this should do so with the express agreement of the Committee. Should the opportunity arise for any member or in exceptional circumstances, friend of a member, to do this please can contact be made with the Secretary (either by telephone or e-mail) setting out the circumstances of the occasion. Please give us at least one week in advance of the occasion.

SUBMITTING ARTICLES

Submissions may be sent as attachments to an email or by post as documents on a CD, usb or as a printed document. If sending a CD or usb, please enclose a hard copy of the article; this helps if file(s) are unreadable for any reason.

Please send all submissions to the editor whose contact details are in the inside front cover of Milepost. The editor will normally acknowledge email submissions within a few days, and always within 3 weeks. If sending by post and you wish to have a receipt, please enclose an SAE for reply. If you wish any material/CD/usb to be returned, please clearly state this.

Guidelines for submission are: Text: Microsoft Word: Margins 25.4mm all around, Titles Arial 14 bold, text Arial 11. Tables: Microsoft Excel Arial 8, but any recognized format can be handled.

FASTEST TIMES

Alan Varley has taken on the compilation of Foreign Fastest Times. Details are shown on page 218. This means that UK and Ireland will be managed by Martin Robertson, and others by Alan Varley.

HISTORIC FASTEST TIMES

Please send contributions for future issues to: [email protected] Or by post to Bevan Price, 24 Walmesley Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Lancs., WA10 5JT.

Logs need not be sent to me, but could you please provide a copy to Lee Allsopp, for the logs database.

THE MEETINGS SECTION. THURSDAY 26th THURS 23RD TUES 21ST SAT 13th MAY JANUARY 2017 FEBRUARY 2017 FEBRUARY 2017 2017

The Royal Oak, Borough, The Beaufort Arms The Grove Inn, LEEDS LONDON BRISTOL PARKWAY

1630 1600 1700 Area Meeting Area Meeting Area Meeting AGM

Milepost 37¾ 219 January 2017 DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUES

LONDON – The Royal Oak, 44 Tabard Street, London SE1 4JU. From Borough tube station, turn left and at first road junction turn right into Great Dover Street and the almost immediately left into Long Lane. Tabard Street is a few yards on the right (5 minutes walk). OR from London Bridge walk down approach road and turn left into Borough High Street, Turn left by Southwark Local Studies Library, with St Georges Church on right, into Tabard Street. Cross Long Lane and continue down Tabard Street with Royal Oak on right (just over 10 minutes). Please let Richard Howlett know if you are coming on 020 8394 0340 or [email protected]

LEEDS – The Grove Inn, Back Row (off Neville Street), Leeds. LS11 5PL

Please note that there is a slight change to the directions to The Grove Inn from Leeds City station as follows: The South Entrance to Leeds City station is now open accessed from the west end footbridge. Go down the two escalators from the south entrance there are then a number of ways to get to Neville Street but the easiest way to go forward from the escalator through the doors and turn right down Dark Neville Street at the end turn right onto Neville Street cross the traffic lights (water Street) at the corner of Bridgewater Place tower block turn right and the Grove Inn is visible. Please note that the stairs previously mentioned opposite the south concourse (main concourse) are going to be closed. As before if high winds are forecast and Neville Street is closed please meet outside WH Smith's in the South Concourse and we find somewhere else to meet.

BRISTOL PARKWAY - THE BEAUFORT ARMS Members should leave Parkway station along the approach road, passing the bus stops and, at the mini-roundabout where the station approach joins Hatchet Road, turn right. Walk 100 yards and at the next mini-roundabout, turn right again. You are now walking along North Road. Meetings are held at The Beaufort Arms, BS34 8PB, which is on the left side of North Road after a further 50 yards. Meetings start at 16:00 and conclude around 18:30 The Beaufort Arms is open all day and food is served at all times. You can order and eat during the meeting should you wish. Further information is available from John Rishton on 07804 418896 or [email protected]

BRISTOL MEETING OCTOBER 27th 2016 – John Rishton

Thirteen members attended. Most of the meeting was devoted to brief discussions around a vast range of topics including the work taking place at Bromsgrove necessitating route closure for 20 days in late October, Great Western electrification progress, early impressions of class 700 journeys, what the soon to be introduced Vivarail class 230 units have to improve on, ongoing DAS irritations and the new Chiltern services into Oxford.

Do try and come along to our next meeting, Beaufort Arms from 16:00 on 23rd February 2017.

RPS ARCHIVES – LATEST UPDATES – Lee Allsopp

The RPS Archive consists of material collected over the years from submissions and donations of material and collections by members. We are also indebted to the Steam Railway Research Society (SRRS), and the Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) for giving us the opportunity to scan some of their material for inclusion in our archive.

The following is a short summary of the material that is has been added to the Archive on our Website since the last issue of Milepost. The Website is generally updated on a monthly basis, normally the first Sunday in the month. It you haven’t had a look yet, then please give it a try!

 Latest material from Lee Allsopp  Latest runs from Ian Umpleby.  David Adams logs from the 3rd Quarter of 2016  Milepost 37½  HST 40 Supplement  Latest runs from Bob Jennings  Latest runs from Charles Foss

Milepost 37¾ 220 January 2017  Latest runs from Richard Neville-Carle  Latest runs from Philip Tromans  Latest from David Sage  Images from 7 of David Sage’s notebooks to go with info already in the archive.  Logs from John Rishton to go with his Fastest Times entries  More from Bevan Price, including recent runs from the past few years.  23 more books from David Lloyd-Roberts covering commuting from Tunbridge Wells to London along with a wide variety of other material through the years  More running from Derek Wilson with logs from Classes 87/89/91/142/144  Images from a further 25 of John Heaton’s notebooks to go with runs already in the database  Details of John Heaton’s runs from 2014/2015  63 more books from the late Martin Barrett, covering a wide variety of years and traction. Many more to come  3 books from John Wrottesley, covering steam from 1935 - 1940  14 more books from Huw Gould, covering 1957 – 1976, including a large number of German steam runs.  Images from 30 more of Alan Varley’s notebooks to go with info already in the archive.  Details of Alan Varley’s runs from 2014/2015  Noel Proudlock’s runs from 2014/2015  Bruce Nathan’s latest runs from 2015/2016 and runs from Italy in 1953  A number of runs from Keith Farr in the 1960s  Details of Brian Milner’s runs from 2009  Howard Claridge’s run on the East Coast/Midland/West Coast/Western  Dave Shelley’s runs from 2015  The first 2 books of several from Dick Moore covering the 1960s

RPS ARCHIVES – Coming soon! – Lee Allsopp

The following is a taster of material that will appear in the archive, as it is scanned and processed, together with topical material received from a number of members.

 David Lloyd-Roberts has made his vast amount of material available to the society. These will be scanned and added to the archive over the coming months. Data from 246 books has been entered so far.  More from Bevan Price’s notebooks, covering a vast amount of travel over many years.  Member Derek Wilson has donated a large amount of material covering the late 70s onwards. This is now being entered into the archive.  Martin Barrett’s vast collection of notebooks are being scanned and added to the archive.  More scanned notebooks from Alan Varley  4 more notebooks from Huw Gould covering a wide variety of material  A number of notebooks from Dick Moore covering 1963 - 1968

NEED MATERIAL FOR ARTICLES? Lee Allsopp

Do you feel that you could write an article for Milepost if only you had access to material to do so? Just want some information to satisfy an idle curiosity? Even if you don’t have access to the Society Archives on the website, you can still get information and logs for that article or whatever by contacting me direct by either E-Mail, phone or letter. Just ask me the question and I’ll see what we can come up with!

PROVISION OF CURRENT MATERIAL FOR RPS ARCHIVE – Lee Allsopp

With most members now being connected by Broadband, we are now in a position where we can receive contributions via E-Mail of current material from as many members as wish to contribute. A member could record a log one day and send it to me immediately for inclusion in the database and archive. Would any members who may wish to participate in this please contact me by E-Mail for further details.

I can accept material in a number of formats, Word, Excel, Acrobat pdf files and scanned images of

Milepost 37¾ 221 January 2017 hand written material (eg notebooks). For scanned images we find that scanning at 150 dpi gives perfectly acceptable results, while producing files of a reasonable size (200KB-1MB depending on size of paper, density of printing etc)

Distance Chart Editor’s Report.- Ian Umpleby

It’s been another busy period with a lot of developments to keep on top of. Fully revised charts have been produced for Wrexham-Bidston, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Chippenham to Trowbridge as part of the process of revising long neglected ones. An attempt will be made to produce a new Heathrow Airport chart in the January chart issue to make sense of the increased tangle of flyovers introduced at the turn of the year. Inroads have been made into issuing new Heritage Railway charts, including the Isle of Man, but many remain to be done for which I have the data but not the time. Progress has been made with the many other tasks in hand but with no end result, so far. Thanks to all contributors via email, post and website for their assistance over the past year

DONATION OF MATERIAL TO THE RPS

From time to time the RPS receives offers of donations of material for the Society archives. Your Committee discussed this at a recent meeting and thought that it would be helpful to set out some guidelines as to what we would find it useful to have. The items can be broken down into the following broad categories:

1. Logs of runs, either single runs or notebooks of journeys, are always welcome, particularly anything of historical interest. These can be in most formats and material can be scanned into the database if necessary.

2. Books can be considered, but they do need to be specifically related to locomotive performance. General items on railway history or 'coffee table' photographic collections are sadly not of much use - the bottom has rather dropped out of the market for these in recent years and as a Society we do not have the resources to store these or devote time to selling them through ebay or other outlets. A couple of recent instances have shown how difficult it is to dispose of such collections and we would probably have to reluctantly decline such offers - perhaps a better home for these collections would be your local preservation society.

3. The same arguments apply, even more so, to railway magazines and journals. Items with very direct performance content can be considered for inclusion in the archive, subject to copyright restrictions – but please bear in mind that a lot of this material will have been included already. Beyond that, there is such a profusion of these magazines and journals that there is no market for them, and therefore no outlet for the Society to dispose of them, beyond, unfortunately, sending them for recycling.

As members will be aware, we have a fantastic and unique archive of performance material, and it is very much Society policy to continue to grow and develop this very special collection to make it the most comprehensive resource possible, of great value to members, students of performance, historians and professionals alike. But in encouraging everyone to help us achieve this dream, we do need to ask everyone please to bear in mind the resource limitations we have – books and magazines take up a lot of storage space, and also weigh a great deal, while everything that is done for the Society at the moment is achieved through the goodwill of members who so willingly and generously give huge amounts of their time to do so.

In summary, therefore, members help in building the archive resource is at its most valuable firstly, in making relevant material available to us, and secondly, by making arrangements where at all possible to ‘filter’ material before it is passed to us. None of this is intended to deter members from considering offering relevant material to the Society, rather a reflection of what can be usefully stored and be of use now and in the future. If anyone wishes to discuss what might be of interest they can contact any member of the committee.

Thank you once again for your very generous support for the Society and the Archive, without which none of what the Society achieves would be possible.

Your committee wish you a Happy New Year

Milepost 37¾ 222 January 2017

EAST COAST: WEST COAST

Frank Collins

Prior to joining the East Coast Main Line Mass Timing Day on the Saturday, Frank Collins was sampling the Trans Pennine Express Class 350s on the West Coast, and suffering the overcrowding resulting from the problems on the East Coast.

This was of course a Friday afternoon, with the added pressure of the ECML blockage diverting some passengers onto the West Coast – but these trains were busy. I’d started with a train at 1246 south from Penrith which was a three car Class 185 – and absolutely rammed; I had to stand to Preston. At least this was freeing units to double up the subsequent trains that I used; and while these weren’t completely full, a single unit would have been unpleasantly overcrowded. I do therefore question the decision to only order five car replacements rather than six car, and also only 12 of them to replace 10 when additional services are already being contemplated e.g. Liverpool and Blackpool. Maybe they are contemplating clearing the bi- mode units for the Shap route too, to help out at peak times. But at first take I would have thought 15 x six car or 18 x five car was more like it. Not bad for a service that was running a four car train about six times a day a decade ago!

Run 1 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave Date Fri 08/07/2016 41.25 27 60 Low Gill 29 08.5 79 88.5 Train 1418 Edinburgh-M'chester AP 42.83 26 14 Grayrigg 30 20.5 78 78.8 Loco 350405+350410 44.75 24 20 Lambrigg 31 42.5 86 84.5 Load formation 8 46.50 22 40 Hay Fell 32 56.5 82 85.1 Recorder F G Collins 48.00 21 00 Peat Lane 33 58.5 88 86.0 Position/ GPS 3/8 Yes 49.90 19 08 OXENHOLME 35.5 36 05.0 54.1 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave 0.00 19 08 36.5 0 00.0 -/tsr 50 0.00 69 00 Carlisle 0.0 0 00.0 1.13 17 78 Natland [1] 1 39.5 57 40.7 0.71 68 23 Upperby Junction 2 12.0 33 19.4 2.13 16 78 Sedgwick 2 26.5 88 76.6 2.00 67 00 MP 3 42.5 73 51.2 3.60 15 40 Hincaster J 3 21.5 103 96.5 3.16 65 67 Brisco 4 34.5 85/92 80.5 5.56 13 43 Milnthorpe 4 30.0 110/112 103.1 4.81 64 15 Wreay 5 42.0 82 88.0 7.09 12 01 Burton 5 20.0 110/112 109.8 6.00 63 00 MP 6 31.5 88 86.4 8.35 10 60 Burton & Holme 6 01.0 110 110.9 7.25 61 60 Southwaite 7 18.5 101 95.7 9.60 9 40 Yealand 6 42.0 111 109.8 9.00 60 00 MP 8 19.0 108 104.1 10.98 8 10 OB 7 27.5 111 108.8 10.60 58 32 Calthwaite 9 12.5 112/108 107.7 12.85 6 20 Carnforth 8 29.0 110 109.8 12.93 56 06 Plumpton 10 29.0 110 109.4 14.71 4 31 Bolton-le-Sands 9 30.0 110 109.9 13.86 55 11 Hesketh 11 00.0 107 108.9 15.96 3 11 Hest Bank LC 10 13.0 98 104.7 15.19 53 65 Kitchenside 11 45.0 103/110 106.0 17.23 1 70 Morecambe SJ 12.0 11 17.0 51/sig16 71.0 16.50 52 40 MP 12 30.5 98 103.8 18.10 1 00 MP 12 57.5 37/53 17.78 51 18 Penrith 13.5 13 25.0 73 84.2 19.10 0 00 LANCASTER 14.0 14 41.0 34.8 18.76 50 19 Penrith South Jn 14 11.0 86 77.3 0.00 20 79 15.0 0 00.0 20.00 49 00 MP 15 03.0 90 85.7 0.65 20 27 Springfield Park 1 13.5 50 31.8 21.05 47 76 Eden Valley Jn 15 44.5 92 91.1 1.15 19 67 Lancaster Old J 1 44.5 60 58.1 22.00 47 00 Clifton 16 22.0 95 91.2 2.34 18 52 Burrow Road 2 40.0 87 77.0 22.95 46 04 Richardsons 16 57.5 99 96.3 3.19 17 64 Oubeck 3 12.5 98 94.2 24.16 44 67 Bessie Ghyll 17 45.0 85 91.9 4.31 16 54 Galgate 3 51.5 107 103.8 26.00 43 00 Thrimby Grange 19 09.0 78 78.7 5.74 15 20 Bay Horse 4 38.5 110/111 109.1 27.34 41 53 Harrisons Sidings 20 08.0 86 81.6 8.26 12 58 Scorton 6 01.0 110 110.2 29.28 39 58 Shap 21 24.0 97 91.8 9.98 11 01 Lingart 6 57.5 110/109 109.1 31.38 37 50 Shap Summit 22 50.5 77 87.4 11.55 9 35 Garstang 8.0 7 50.0 110/109 108.0 32.45 36 44 Shap Wells 23 35.0 100 87.0 13.55 7 35 Brock 8 56.5 110/109 108.3 33.86 35 11 Scout Green 24 24.0 106 103.8 14.81 6 14 Green Lane 9 37.5 110 110.9 35.18 33 66 Orton Moor 25 09.0 107 105.0 16.25 4 59 Barton 10 25.0 110 108.9 36.79 32 17 Tebay 26.0 26 05.0 97 103.7 17.99 3 00 Lightfoot Lane 11 25.5 97 103.4 38.00 31 00 MP 26 57.0 79 tsr 83.9 19.66 1 26 Oxheys [1] 12 48.5 46sig31 72.7 39.00 30 00 Dillicar 27 37.0 95 90.0 20.49 0 40 Preston PSB 14 09.5 34 36.7 20.99 0 00 Preston plat 6 17.0 15 27.0 23.2

Milepost 37¾ 223 January 2017 Running was pretty brisk (Run 1) - but not without challenges. Schedules are pretty tight – a short, slight TSR in the Lune Gorge does not account for a minute dropped to Oxenholme, so 1½ minutes late from Carlisle became three minutes late there. The normal lightning acceleration south from Oxenholme was restrained by the TSR for all the remodelling work (which would seem only to benefit the handful of through trains off the branch by clearing them faster across the junctions and providing a holding facility off the main line in case the new branch train arrives before the old one clears) and we then got tangled up with something approaching Lancaster – probably from the Furness line. So, five minutes late there, and a check into the back platform at Preston. 1½ minutes late in there, but not exactly robust scheduling.

Run 2 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave Date Fri 08/07/2016 9.50 9 40 Yealand 8 07.5 106 106.5 Train 1600 M'chester AP-Edinburgh 10.75 10 60 Burton & Holme 8 48.5 111/112 109.8 Loco 350404+350403 12.01 12 01 Burton 9 30.0 109 109.5 Load formation 8 13.54 13 43 Milnthorpe 10 20.5 110 108.7 Recorder F G Collins 15.50 15 40 Hincaster Jn 11 32.5 90 98.1 Position/ GPS 5/8 Yes 16.98 16 78 Sedgwick 12 30.5 89/tsr50 91.6 miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave 19.10 19 08 OXENHOLME 13.0 15 00.0 51.2 0.00 0 00 PRESTON 0 00.0 0.00 19 08 14.0 0 00.0 0.50 0 40 Preston PSB 1 06.5 37 27.1 0.90 20 00 MP 1 03.5 62 51.0 1.33 1 26 Oxheys 2 00.0 70 55.5 1.90 21 00 Peat Lane 2 02.5 80 61.0 2.50 2 40 MP 2 52.5 89 80.6 3.40 22 40 Hay Fell 3 06.5 86 84.4 3.50 3 40 MP 3 31.5 99 92.3 5.15 24 20 Lambrigg 4 19.5 86 86.3 4.74 4 59 Barton 4 14.0 109 104.8 7.08 26 14 Grayrigg 5 41.5 79 84.5 6.18 6 14 Green Lane 5 01.0 111 110.1 8.65 27 60 Low Gill [1] 6 53.5 79 78.8 7.44 7 35 Garstang 7.0 5 42.5 110 109.5 9.90 29 00 MP 7 47.0 96 84.1 9.44 9 35 Brock 6 48.5 108 109.1 10.90 30 00 Dillicar 8 23.5 100 98.6 11.01 11 01 Lingart 7 41.5 110 107.0 13.11 32 17 Tebay 11.0 9 42.0 105/107 101.5 12.73 12 58 Scorton 8 37.5 110 110.1 14.73 33 66 Orton Moor 10 37.0 102/103 105.5 15.25 15 20 Bay Horse 10 00.0 111 110.2 16.04 35 11 Scout Green 11 23.5 101 101.6 16.68 16 54 Galgate 10 46.5 110 110.3 17.45 36 44 Shap Wells 12 15.0 93 98.7 17.80 17 64 Oubeck 11 24.0 108 108.0 18.53 37 50 Shap Summit 13 03.5 80 79.8 19.84 19 67 Lancaster Old J 13 15.0 36/sigs 7 66.1 20.63 39 58 Shap 14 29.0 100 88.4 Harrisons 20.99 20 79 LANCASTER 15.0 16 18.0 22.6 22.56 41 53 Sidings 15 42.0 92 95.5 0.00 0 00 16.0 0 00.0 23.90 43 00 Thrimby Grange 16 40.5 83/80 82.3 1.00 1 00 MP 1 32.5 64 38.9 25.74 44 67 Bessie Ghyll 18 00.5 85 82.7 1.88 1 70 Morecambe SJ 2.0 2 16.5 85/90 71.6 27.90 47 00 Clifton 19 23.0 101 94.4 3.14 3 11 Hest Bank LC 3 08.5 72/ sigs 30 87.4 28.85 47 76 Eden Valley Jn 19 56.5 105 102.1 4.39 4 31 Bolton-le-Sands 4 49.0 55 44.8 29.90 49 00 MP 20 34.0 93 100.8 6.25 6 20 Carnforth 6 15.0 93 78.0 31.14 50 19 Penrith S Jn 21 30.5 73 78.8 8.13 8 10 OB 7 21.0 107 102.3 32.13 51 18 PENRITH 24.0 22 59.0 55.2

Northbound was in chaos, everything late. We departed quite close behind a Glasgow bound Voyager – hence the check arriving at Lancaster (Run 2). I suspect the check at Hest Bank was again Furness line related.

Good to see these 350s at last doing what they were bought to do – but their replacement with something better suited to long-distance working with more capacity will be welcome. The challenge will be to clear the straighter bits of the WCML for more than 110 mph without tilt!

VIA BARNSLEY

Ian Umpleby

A straight line between Sheffield and Leeds passes close to the centres of Barnsley and Wakefield yet it wasn’t until 1960 that a direct train service connecting all four places commenced. The underlying cause was the eastern outcrops of the Pennines which pushed

Milepost 37¾ 224 January 2017 early railways in that direction and is still an influence today when the route of HS2 was determined.

Two of the earliest railways in the area, the Manchester and Leeds and the North Midland Railway (Derby to Leeds), were opened around 1840, with both lines taking the line of least resistance. The former had to tunnel under the Pennines (Summit Tunnel) but eschewed a direct course into Leeds by rolling down the Calder Valley past Wakefield to Normanton and using the North Midland line up the Aire Valley to Leeds (Hunslet Lane). The North Midland was similarly unable to avoid some tunnelling on its northwards progress up the Derwent and Amber Valleys, but once clear of Clay Cross Tunnel the easy option was taken up the Rother Valley from Chesterfield to Rotherham avoiding Sheffield altogether. There was a reasonable excuse for this as a line from Sheffield (Wicker) to Rotherham (Westgate) had opened in 1838. The rolling countryside between Rotherham and Leeds provided little resistance to a relatively easy graded and well aligned formation. What might have become of this line today was illustrated in Noel Proudlock’s article in the July 2015 Milepost; if HS2 arrives, speeds unthought-of in the 1970s will become commonplace.

Extensions to Sheffield Midland (1870) and Leeds Wellington (1846) meant that the Sheffield to Wincobank and Horbury Junction to Leeds parts of the Barnsley route were in place. The section from Wincobank Junction through Chapeltown to Barnsley West Junction did not open until 1897 and connected with an existing line into Barnsley Court House station. The line from Horbury Junction to Barnsley (Low Town, then Exchange) opened in 1850 and, a year later, made an end-on connection with a line to Mexborough. Both Court House and Exchange lines ran close to each other east of Barnsley but it was only in 1960 that a chord was constructed between the two to allow trains from Sheffield to run into Exchange.

The Summer 1961 timetable showed expresses taking around 75 minutes for the 40 miles via Cudworth, although the 01.00 from Sheffield made it in 64. An hourly Sheffield-Barnsley-Leeds service had been set up and Table 23 emphasised that it was run by Diesel Trains – DMUs of course. These were scheduled to take an even more depressing 80-90 minutes for the 41 miles amongst dense freight traffic and subject to colliery subsidence slacks. A 70 mph PSR applied from Sheffield to Wincobank (20 mph) then 60 mph to Quarry Junction (20 mph) and 40 into Barnsley. 60 mph running resumed with a 30 slack over Crigglestone Junction and 20 over Horbury Junction, 15 past Wakefield Kirkgate and 20 over Goose Hill Junction. 70 mph applied to Leeds with 15 (down)/30(up) through Normanton and 40 inwards from Hunslet Goods. Stops were made by some trains at Attercliffe Road, Brightside, Ecclesfield (West), Haigh, Crigglestone, and Altofts and Whitwood, all now closed. Meadowhall has subsequently opened.

Events in the intervening years must take a back seat for now but the basic weekday service on the line now consists of a half-hourly express service from Leeds calling at Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley and Meadowhall with one extended to Nottingham. The hourly stopping service now runs via Castleford and is supplemented south of Barnsley by an hourly Sheffield to Huddersfield service. Effectively 70 mph still applies out to Wincobank with 40 (down)/30 (up) over the junction. 70 mph is now permitted to Quarry Junction (site) with brief 60s at Chapeltown (north) and Wombwell, then 50 into Barnsley and 35 over the Penistone line junction. It’s 60 mph all the way to Horbury Junction where 20 applies apart from the 30 mph Up Fast connection. Wakefield Kirkgate requires a reduction from 60 to 40 and Normanton to 30 (up only) before 75 mph comes into force at Altofts Junction reducing to 60 at Hunslet Station Junction, 50 at Hunslet Goods and 35 at Engine Shed Junction.

Leeds-Sheffield main line expresses via Moorthorpe are currently in the hands of Cross Country, supplemented by a few run by East Midlands Trains. Engineering work sometimes blocks this route and trains tend to be diverted via Doncaster with Barnsley as an alternative. The latter was required over the May Day Holiday of 2016 when Sheffield Power Box closed

Milepost 37¾ 225 January 2017 with its functions being transferred to York. This necessitated a complete closure of Sheffield station on the Sunday, but on Monday only the Rotherham to Doncaster line was closed thus permitting a Barnsley diversion. Unusually, this meant the normal weekday service had to be negotiated, and as the Nottingham trains left three minutes before the Cross Country at Sheffield and six minutes before at Leeds, something had to be done. The solution was for the Nottinghams to leave at the usual times but be held in the loop between Brightside and Meadowhall northbound and diverted southbound via Ardsley to Wakefield Kirkgate (reverse) so that the Cross Countrys could overtake. Quite often when Cross Country trains are diverted they are ‘stepped back’ onto the following half-hourly service times. This time, however, the brave decision was made to try to maintain the existing schedules which resulted in some seemingly ambitious southbound working times as shown in the accompanying log. To get back on schedule by Derby, 10½ minutes were allowed to Chesterfield (RPS all comers record 10m 31s) and 17 on to Derby (RPS best 16m 28s). Due to pathing issues the northbound standard pattern services suffered 15 minute later departures from Leeds.

Run M. Ch Timing Point WTT Min. M.P.H. avge 1 Miles

Loco/Unit 221138 1 46

Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes 5/282/300 45 53 Train 0900 Glasgow Central- Penzance 45 70 18.06 Cr'glestone W 23 05½ 58 57.8 Date Mon 2nd May 2016 46 34 18.61 Woolley TN 23 39 58 59.5 Weather Damp 47 33 19.60 Woolley TS 24 40½ ? 57.8 Rec/Pos/GPS? IU;4/5;N 48 02 20.21 Haigh 25 17 61 60.5

M. Ch Timing Point WTT Min. M.P.H. avge 48 42 20.71 Woolley Coal 21½ 25 46½ 61 61.0 Miles 185 75 0.00 Leeds p12c 1311 0 00 2L 49 29 21.55 Darton 26 37 57 59.8 185 44 0.39 Leeds WJ 1 1 12 25 19.4 51 01 23.20 No 32 UB 28 20½ 58 57.3

195 51 52 69 25.05 Barnsley 26½ 30 45½ 31 45.9

195 22 0.75 Engine Shed J 2 1 55 34 30.3 6 55 194 19 1.79 Hunslet Stn 3 20½ 57/60/50rbt 43.7 7 50 25.99 Quarry Jn 31 57 58 47.2

192 49 3.41 Stourton J 5 4 53½ 70 62.9 173 48 190 00 6.02 Woodlesford 6 59 75 74.9 171 62 27.81 Viaduct N 33 35½ 70 66.5 188 31 7.64 Methley North 8 18½ 73 73.1 170 44 29.04 Wombwell 34 45½ 59/56 63.4 187 36 8.57 Methley J 9 9 05 72/75 72.9 169 00 30.59 Elsecar 36 22 58 57.7 185 79 10.04 Altofts Jn 10½ 10 21 51 69.1 167 16 32.39 Tankersley TN 38 02 67 64.8 185 17 10.81 Normanton 11 33½ 29 38.4 165 66 33.76 Chapeltown 39 17 60 65.8

184 56 58 164 13 35.43 Ecclesfield W 36 40 45 70 68.2

50 33 sigs sigs 48 30 13.36 Turners Ln J 15 39 * 37.4 162 60 36.84 MP 42 44½ 40/51 42.5 47 61 13.98 Wakefield K 14½ 17 02½ 25 (TL) 26.4 161 70 37.71 Meadowhall 44 01½ 30 41.0 47 02 14.71 ub 231 UF 18 28 60 31.0 161 60 37.84 Wincobank J 40 44 16½ 30 30.4 45 38 16.26 Horbury J 17 20 46½ 20 40.3 161 27 38.25 Brightside [1] 45 01 54/62 33.3

45 37 159 37 40.13 Attercliffe Rd 47 05½ 48 54.2

0 00 158 75 40.65 Nunnery ML J 43 47 59½ ? 35.0 0 60 17.03 MP 22 01 58 36.9 158 41 41.08 Sheffield p6 45 49 54 10L 13.3

I was just able to make one return trip starting with the 1311 from Leeds which arrived punctually. Obtaining speed data without the aid of a GPS on this route is as challenging as any with no fewer than five changes of mileages, and the best seat I could get was a backwards airline window on the east side. However, with Midland Railway (historically east) and Lancashire & Yorkshire (both sides) posts predominating this was not a disaster, especially as many gaps were infilled about a decade ago. The L & Y posts (Horbury-Barnsley) on the east side seem to have been given preference for retention but the odd post remains on the west side. The short Great Central Railway stretch from Barnsley to Quarry Junction also acquired new posts on the east side.

We started off two minutes late on the seemingly impossible 45 minute timing including a one minute recovery, but the initial sectional times to Altofts Junction were kept. However, the Up

Milepost 37¾ 226 January 2017 platform at Wakefield Kirkgate was occupied and we were checked before weaving through the station on the Up Through and gaining the Up Fast. The near-60 mph timing from Altofts Junction to Horbury Junction over a 60 mph railway with 30, 40 and 20 mph restrictions was, of course, impossible, even without the Wakefield check, and four minutes were lost here; similarly 60 mph was required onwards to Woolley starting at 20 mph but the Voyager’s acceleration kept the loss down to half-a-minute. From here to Ecclesfield the schedule was just about possible but an unexplained slow recovery from the Wombwell slack cost a further half minute.

Stock HST HST HST HST 22x HST Leeds dep 0515 0543 0622 0646 0811 0909 Leeds 00.00 T 00.00 T 00.00 7L 00.00 T 00.00 13.5L 00.00 2.75L

Stourton Jn 05.00 04.25 05.25 04.75 04.50 05.25

Methley Jn 09.25 09.00 09.50 09.00 09.50 09.00

Wakefield K 16.25 15.75 16.50 16.00 16.25 17.25

Horbury Jn 20.00 19.25 20.25 18.75 19.50 20.25

Barnsley 33.75 29.25 30.00 29.25 29.75 30.50

Meadowhall 50.00 45.25 45.25 45.75 43.00 43.75

Nunnery ML J 55.00 50.25 49.25 48.75 47.50 48.25 Sheffield 65.00 T 57.25 T 52.25 1E 51.75 3E 49.50 18L 50.25 5.5L WTT 65.00 57.00 60.00 57.00 45.00 47.75 allowance Terminus arr STP 3E PLY 1E STP 5E PLY 3E PLY 16L PLY 9L

Stock 22x HST 22x 22x 22x 22x Leeds dep 1011 1111 1211 1311 1411 1511 Leeds 00.00 2.75L 00.00 0.5L 00.00 1.25L 00.00 2.25L 00.00 0.75L 00.00 0.25L

Stourton Jn 05.25 04.50 04.75 04.75 04.25 04.75

Methley Jn 10.00 09.00 09.50 08.75 08.50 09.00

Wakefield K 17.75 17.50 17.75 16.75 16.25 16.75

Horbury Jn 21.25 21.50 20.75 20.75 20.25 20.75

Barnsley 31.00 31.75 31.00 30.75 30.25 30.50

Meadowhall 43.25 44.25 43.25 43.75 43.00 43.00

Nunnery ML J 46.50 48.00 47.00 47.50 46.50 46.25 Sheffield 49.25 7L 49.50 5L 49.75 6L N/R 5L? N/R 5L? N/R 4L? WTT 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 Terminus arr PLY 28L PLY 1L PLY 2L PNZ 2E PNZ T PNZ 1E

Stock 22x 22x 22x 22x 22x 22x Leeds dep 1611 1711 1811 1911 2011 2111 Leeds 00.00 2.5L 00.00 0.25L 00.00 2.25L 00.00 1L 00.00 15.5L 00.00 0.25E

Stourton Jn 05.50 04.75 03.75 05.00 04.50 04.25

Methley Jn 09.50 08.75 08.50 09.50 08.50 09.00

Wakefield K 19.00 15.75 15.75 16.50 15.00 15.75

Horbury Jn 22.50 18.75 19.75 20.00 N/R 18.25

Barnsley 33.25 29.00 29.75 30.50 28.25 28.75

Meadowhall 45.75 41.75 42.25 43.00 41.00 42.00

Nunnery ML J 49.00 46.00 45.00 46.75 44.50 47.50 Sheffield N/R 9L? 47.75 3L N/R 5L? N/R 5L? 47.50 18L 49.25 4L WTT 45.00 45.00 44.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 Terminus arr PLY T PLY 1L PLY T BTM 2E BTM 20L BTM 2L

Approaching Meadowhall, we were catching up the stopper from Leeds so a slow finish ensued and a loss of five minutes overall. An estimate of the net time comes out at around 47 minutes and the Realtimetrains summary of the day’s trains shows that only the 2011 approached this. This excellent facility cannot, of course, give completely accurate departure/arrival times but maybe one day…

Milepost 37¾ 227 January 2017 The ultimate arrival times of the 18 trains showed all but three “On time” i.e. less than 10 minutes late. Two of these were 13½ and 15½ minutes late away from Leeds so the plan came off.

The return trip was made on the 1421. The good news was that it was a five car; the bad – yes you’ve guessed. I managed to squeeze into a vestibule by the door which solved the GPS problem. The Nottingham-Leeds departed on time but we were four minutes late which was useful as we would not catch up 1406 Sheffield–Leeds stopping train until later than booked. 70 mph was reached before Wincobank and we proceeded serenely to Woolley, reached in a few seconds under the net booked time. The net overall time of 48 minutes was much more realistic in this direction. At Woolley the stopper caused the first signal check and these continued on and off until it branched off to Castleford at Altofts Junction. A fine run towards Leeds was spoilt by signals at the death resulting in a four second time loss overall.

Run 1 M. Ch Miles Timing Point WTT Min. M.P.H. Avge Loco/Unit 221139 49 29 19.53 Darton <3> 22 01 59 59.3 Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes 5/282/295 48 42 20.37 Woolley Coal 26 22 53 52/28 s 57.8 Train 0925 Plymouth - Aberdeen 48 02 20.87 Haigh 23 46 37 34.0 Date Mon 2nd May 2016 47 33 21.48 Woolley TS 24 32½ 59 47.4 Weather Sunny Ints 46 34 22.47 Woolley TN 25 31 ? 60.8 Rec/Pos/GPS? IU;5/5;Y(vestibule) 45 70 23.02 C'glestone W 26 02½ 63 62.2

M. Ch Miles Timing Point WTT Min. M.P.H. Avge 45 53

158 41 0.00 Sheffield 1421 0 00 4L 1 46

158 75 0.43 Nunnery MLJ 1½ 1 38½ ? 15.5 1 00 23.81

159 37 0.95 Attercliffe Rd 2 30 50/70 36.6 0 00

sigs 45 37 161 22 2.76 Brightside 4 36 38/44 51.8 45 38 24.83 Horbury J 31 28 35 20 42.8 161 60 3.24 Wincobank J 4½ 5 14 38 45.1 46 64 26.14 No 231 UB FL 30 47 41/24 s 35.9 161 70 3.36 Meadowhall 5 24 38 44.7 47 60 27.09 Wakefield K 36½ 32 33 41 32.2 162 60 4.24 MP 6 42 47 40.5 48 30 27.72 Turners Ln J 33 28½ 39/2 sigs 40.4 164 13 5.65 Ecclesfield W 8½ 8 06½ 70 60.0 49 51 28.98 PC 36 59½ 19/12 21.6

165 66 7.31 Chapeltown 9 39½ 58 64.4 50 33

166 28 7.84 Tankersley S 10 13 57 56.5 184 56 167 16 8.69 TankersleyTN 11 00½ 72 64.5 185 17 30.27 Normanton 40 50 51/63 20.1 169 00 10.49 Elsecar 12 32½ 68/70 70.2 185 79 31.04 Altofts J 40½ 41 37½ 60 58.6 170 44 12.04 Wombwell 13 57 60/73 66.0 187 36 32.51 Methley J 42 42 59 75 64.7 171 63 13.28 Viaduct N 15 02½ 67/63/69 68.4 190 00 35.06 Woodlesford 44 59 76/73 75.9

173 48 15.09 Quarry Jn 45/48 192 48 37.66 Stourton J 46 47 05 76 74.7

7 50 194 18 39.28 Hunslet [2] 48 32 56 67.3 7 08 15.61 Oakwell 17 28½ 41 57.4 195 22 40.33 Engine Shed J 50½ 50 15 17sigs/9 36.6 6 55 16.03 Barnsley 18½ 18 11½ 25 35.4 195 51 40.69 Leeds WJ 51½ 51 35 24 16.4

52 69 185 44 51 01 17.88 No 31 ub 20 20½ 62/57 51.5 185 75 41.08 Leeds 53 53 04 4L 15.7

As noted above Cross Country trains were leaving Leeds 15 minutes later than normal and the tighter timings on the ECML north of York precluded most trains recovering this loss. The revised times are used in the day’s summary. My train was bound for Aberdeen and enough was squeezed out of the schedule to maintain the 2048 arrival but it arrived 11 minutes late. As can be seen from the Realtimetrains summary, apart from the first two and late night trains the schedule proved mostly workable with the preceding stopping trains behaving themselves. The best performance was from the 2217 MML HST Sheffield departure but this was much slower to Barnsley than some Voyagers. Based on the 1421 run an unchecked Voyager could possibly have done the run in 46 minutes as opposed to the scheduled 48 minutes net working time.

The Barnsley route is a pleasant alternative to the often crowded and subjected-to-delay Cross Country trains with a 10-15 minutes’ time penalty. Speeds have been improved over the years

Milepost 37¾ 228 January 2017 but there is a lot of scope for improvement between Barnsley and Normanton where speed enhancements and the remodelling of Horbury Junction could yield a five-minute gain. . Stock 22x 22x 22x 22x 22x Sheffield dep 0709 0822 0921 1021 1121 Sheffield 0.00 T 0.00 1L 0.00 T 0.00 3L 0.00 0.25L

Nunnery MLJ 2.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 1.50

Meadowhall 11.00 9.00 5.00 5.00 5.25

Barnsley 34.75 27.75 18.25 18.00 19.00

Horbury Jn 44.00 42.00 31.00 30.00 29.75

Wakefield K 50.50 46.50 34.75 32.00 34.00

Methley Jn 55.75 53.00 40.75 38.50 40.25

Stourton Jn 61.00 57.00 45.00 43.00 43.75 Leeds 66.75 12.75L 64.25 13.25L 53.00 T 52.75 4.25L 53.25 0.5L WTT allowance 54 52 53 52 53 Terminus arr GLC T EDB T GLC T GLC 2E GLC 2.5L

Stock 22x 22x 221139 (log) 22xxx 22xxx Sheffield dep 1221 1321 1421 1521 1621 Sheffield 0.00 0.5L 0.00 3.25L 0.00 3.5L 0.00 4L 0.00 T Nunnery MLJ 1.75 1.00 1.75 1.75 1.75 Meadowhall 5.25 5.00 5.25 6.75 5.00 Barnsley 22.25 17.75 18.50 20.00 19.50 Horbury Jn 36.50 27.75 28.50 29.00 33.00 Wakefield K 40.00 31.25 32.50 32.75 36.75 Methley Jn 45.25 37.00 43.00 38.25 42.75 Stourton Jn 49.50 40.75 46.50 42.00 47.00 Leeds 55.25 2.75L 50.25 0.5L 53.50 4L 56.50 7.5L 53.00 T WTT allowance 53 53 53 53 53 Terminus arr GLC 0.5L GLC 10.75L ABD 11L GLC 9.5L GLC 2.5L

Stock HST HST 22x HST 22x Sheffield dep 1721 1821 1926 2021 2121 Sheffield 0.00 3.25L 0.00 T 0.00 3.75 0.00 3.5L 0.00 0.25L Nunnery MLJ 1.75 1.25 1.50 1.75 1.75 Meadowhall 5.00 5.50 4.75 5.75 5.25 Barnsley 23.75 23.75 26.00 26.50 23.50 Horbury Jn 33.75 35.00 39.25 34.50 38.75 Wakefield K 37.75 38.00 43.25 41.75 42.75 Methley Jn 43.00 44.75 48.75 47.00 48.50 Stourton Jn 46.75 49.00 53.25 51.50 52.75 Leeds 53.50 3.75L 58.25 5.25L 64.50 15.25L 58.50 9L 58.75 6L WTT allowance 53 53 53 53 53 Terminus arr EDB 4E EDB 3.25L EDB 1L LDS 9L LDS 6L

Stock MML HST MML HST ? MML HST Sheffield dep 2125 2217 2230 2253 Sheffield 0.00 0.75L 0.00 38.75L 0.00 T 0.00 0.25E

Nunnery MLJ 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 looped

Meadowhall 5.75 6.75 5.75 12.00

Barnsley 26.50 22.75 19.50 36.25

Horbury Jn 39.25 31.75 29.00 45.25

Wakefield K 44.25 35.00 35.00 49.00

Methley Jn 49.25 40.50 40.25 54.25

Stourton Jn 53.25 43.75 44.00 58.25 Leeds 60.25 3L 49.75 27.5L 50.75 0.25E 65.50 9.75E WTT 58 61 51 75 Terminus arr LDS 3L LDS 27.5L LDS 0.25E LDS 9.75E

Milepost 37¾ 229 January 2017 FASTEST TIMES UPDATE

Martin Robertson

Welcome to another Fastest Times Update where we look at the latest Fastest Times offerings submitted by our members. My thanks to all those who have submitted offerings in the last few months. I do try to acknowledge receipt of submissions but would apologise if I have missed anybody. Most of the recent offerings have been on the ‘Secondary Routes’ rather than the principal routes out of London - a welcome change.

We start on the ECML with an offering from Michael Bruce between York and Darlington with an HST on a Cross Country service, on which an Edinburgh driver working home was in charge, always a help for good running. Given the number of HSTs which cross the Plain of York a new FT is a rare event. The seven coach formation helps the initial acceleration and the driver cruised at 126/7mph for much of the run. Michael did not provide any comment on the entry into Darlington, which is quite restrictive if the 35mph restriction at Darlington South Jn to enter the station is fully observed. The MTU engine power cars also appeared to be up to scratch with an estimated rhp of 3850hp between Skelton Jn and Tollerton Jn, a fine effort.

Table 1 Miles Location Sched m s Mph Date Sat 4th June 2016 11.23 Alne 7 49 127 Train 1235 Paignton-Glasgow 13.38 Raskelf 8 57 127 Loco 43303/357 16.00 Pilmoor 10 15 125 Load 7/232/2xx 17.98 Sessay 11 08 127 Recorder Michael Bruce 22.19 Thirsk 13.5 13 06 127 Position / Gps 4/9 Gps Y 26.55 Otterington 15 12 126 Miles Location Sched m s Mph 28.70 Longlands Jn 16 16 125 (- 3 0.00 York d 0 0 00 7 /4) 29.95 Northallerton 17.5 16 50 126 1.05 Severous 2 05 64 33.76 Danby Wiske 18 39 126 1.63 Skelton Jn 2.5 2 34 76 37.18 Cowton <1> 20 17 126 3.13 Skelton Br Jn 3 39 93 38.95 Eryholme Jn 21 07 125 5.50 Benningborough 5 04 110 41.49 Croft Spa 22 24 110* 9.53 Tollerton Jn 7.5 7 06 125 44.25 Darlington a 27 25 18 (-6) . Table 2 Miles Location Sch m s Speed Date Wed 27th July 2016 29.1 Peterborough 17 16 50 105* Train 1115 Leeds-Kings Cross 30.42 Fletton Jn 17 38 109 Loco 91132 32.74 Yaxley 18 52 114 Load 10/418/4xx 36.12 Holme 21 20 50 100*/108 Recorder Michael Bruce 38.19 Connington Sth 22 15 113 Position/ Gps 10 of 11 42.24 Abbots Ripton 23 58 117 Miles Location Sch m s Speed 43.24 Mp 62 24 32 120 0.00 Grantham dep 0 0 00 (4L) 46.6 Huntingdon 26 26 13 125 3.32 Great Ponton 4 02 93 49.53 Offord 27 39 120* 4.45 Stoke TNP 4 43 99 53.72 St Neots 29 42 125 5.69 Stoke Jn 5.5 5 25 104 55.35 Mp 50 30 07 125 8.25 Corby Glen 6 49 124 57.97 Tempsford 31 48 125 13.32 Little Bytham 9 10 124 59.07 Everton 32 18 126 16.65 Essendine 10 54 124 61.32 Sandy 32.5 33 22 124 18.35 Greatford 11 38 123 64.25 Biggleswade 34 47 125 20.64 Tallington 12.5 12 43 125 68.38 Arlesey <2> 36 45 125 22.02 Lolham 13 20 123 69.79 Three Counties 37 29 124 22.97 Maxey 13 52 126 72.78 Hitchin N Jn 38 54 121 23.55 Helpston 14 09 126 73.49 Hitchin 40.5 39 16 120 1 25.83 Werrington Jn 15 14 126 77.87 Stevenage arr 44 42 15 (-2 /4)

Milepost 37¾ 230 January 2017 Table 2 has another offering from Michael between Grantham and Stevenage with a Class 91 and the standard ten coach load. Probably a text book run with a good start and finish and running up to the line limits in between. The stop to start average speed of 110.4 mph is only the 9th FT run in the ECML listings with a 110 + average. A fine effort all round.

For Table 3 we turn to the WCML with a short offering from Chris Taylor between Rugby and Stafford on one of the peak evening services which have additional stops. Chris suggested it was relatively slow start from Rugby and there was a slowing at Colwich to less than the psr, which meant that the nett schedule was exceeded by a minute and a quarter.

Table 3 Table 4 Date Friday 10th June 2016 Date Tues 3rd February, 2015 Train 1733 Euston to Liverpool Train 1622 Liverpool-Scarboro' Unit 390.002 Unit 185125/142 Load 9c 466/482 14.2 hp Load 6c 326/344 13.1hp Recorder / Pos C M Taylor 3/9 GPS Recorder /Position C M Taylor 1/6 GPS miles m c location wtt m s mph av. miles m c location wtt m s mph av. 0.00 82 44 Rugby 0 0 00 2 late 0.00 187 77 LIVERPOOL S PKWY 0 0 00 time 0.45 83 00 MP 0 55 37 63.1 0 00 2.45 85 00 MP 2 49 92 110.1 0.46 0 37 Hunts Cross WJ 1 1 27 27 45.0 5.40 87 76 Brinklow 4 25 123 124.1 6 11 8.81 91 19 Shilton 6 04 125 124.1 0.92 7 05 Hunts Cross 2 2 41 63 81.0 14.50 97 04 Nuneaton 7½ 8 49 124/125 124.9 2.07 8 15 Halewood 3 31 86 84.1 17.45 100 00 MP 10 14 121 108.9 4.38 10 40 Hough Green 5 10 81/85 85.7 19.75 102 24 Atherstone 10 11 30 98 105.5 6.12 12 19 Widnes 4 23 87 86.1 21.45 104 00 MP 12 28 115 124.4 10.15 15 66 Sankey 8 53 82 67.8 23.94 106 39 Polesworth 13 40 125 124.8 11.16 17 22 Sankey Jn 10 10 50 27.48 110 02 Tamworth 14 15 22 124 124.4 12.70 17 30 WARRINGTON CEN 11½ 12 11 31.45 114 00 MP 17 17 125 122.7 33.70 116 20 Lichfield TV 17 18 23 125 125.7 38.45 121 00 MP 20 39 125 124.1 41.73 124 22 Rugeley TV -1 22 14 122 94.1 44.60 127 12 Colwich 24 24 04 64 75.4 46.03 128 46 Shrugborough TS 25 12 90 91.4 47.84 129 31 Milford Jn 25 44 101 100.0 49.95 131 40 MP 27 00 88 51.00 133 44 Stafford 29 29 18

Table 4 has another offering from Chris between Liverpool South Parkway to Warrington on a Liverpool to Scarborough TP service. Again, the schedule was not met despite the running up to the line limits.

Table 5 has a rare Scotrail Fastest Time offering from Sandy Smeaton between Glasgow Queen Street and Perth, recorded on a Glasgow to Aberdeen service. I’m not sure of Scotrail’s reasoning to omit the Stirling stop on the 15.41 and 16.41 services from Glasgow, when all of the other hourly services call at Stirling. Sandy comments “The late start was caused by a combination of the 15.37 empty Class 158 leaving Platform 5 at 15.40 and 15.44 arrival from Anniesland then being allowed across the station throat into Platform 1. The slightly late start was just what I had hoped for, assuming all else was clear ahead. The station remodelling has allowed times of around three and a half minutes to Cowlairs W Jn to become the norm, rather than the previous four minutes plus.

The usual brake test at Cowlairs was not too severe and 101mph was achieved on the level at Dullator, a rather poor effort if the unit was not eased by Gartshore. A single yellow signal was sighted on the approach to the 70mph psr at Greenhill Jn, which appears to be the normal practice, rather restrictive for the 70mph turnout limit. Once through the restrictions at Carmuirs W Jn and Larbert, 90mph was reached at the former Alloa Jn at the foot of the climb

Milepost 37¾ 231 January 2017 Table 5 Date: Wed 7.9.16 Train: 1A73 15.41 Glasgow Queen St - Aberdeen Unit: 170.406 Load: 3 cars/ 131 tons tare/ 140 tons gross Weather: Very warm, dry and mostly cloudy Recorder: A.Smeaton/GPS Position: 2/3 Miles Ms Ch LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds Av Spd 0.00 0 01 GLASGOW Q ST (P6) 0 0 00.0 3L ~ 0.74 0 60 Tunnel N End 1 53.1 ~ 23.5 1.24 1 20 MP 2 43.8 35/49½ 35.5 1.83 1 67 Cowlairs W Jn 3½ 3 34.0 45/44RBT 42.1 3.23 3 19 BISHOPBRIGGS 5 5 07.0 66½ 54.2 6.25 6 21 LENZIE 7½ 7 27.4 87 77.6 9.24 9 20 Bairds Siding 9 22.3 97½ 93.6 10.41 10 34 Gartshore 10 05.0 98½ 99.1 11.49 11 40 CROY 11 10 44.7 99 97.5 12.86 12 70 Dullatur 11 34.5 101 99.5 14.81 14 66 UB 12 45.7 100 98.5 15.49 15 40 Castlecary 13 10.0 96½ 100.0 17.34 17 28 Greenhill Upper 15 14 29.2 P70½ 84.1 " 0 04 " " ~ ~ ~ ~ 18.03 0 59 Greenhill Lower 15½ 15 07.0 70½/72/P49½ 65.5 " 106 60 " " ~ ~ ~ ~ 20.28 109 00 Carmuirs West Jn 17½ 17 15.3 Psr 51 63.1 21.48 110 16 LARBERT 19 18 29.1 68 58.5 22.28 111 00 MP 19 10.0 75½ 70.4 23.78 112 40 Alloa Jn 20 13.6 90½ 84.9 25.59 114 25 Plean Jn 21 27.1 89 88.8 26.36 115 07 OB 28 21 58.4 97 89.1 27.78 116 40 Polmaise (MP) 22 48.4 101 101.7 28.40 117 10 St Ninians PC 23 11.7 79½ 96.6 29.59 118 25 STIRLING 25 24 40.6 Psr 37 48.1 30.28 119 00 MP 25 38.9 53½ 42.5 31.40 120 10 Cornton 26 42.3 69½ 63.9 32.43 121 12 BRIDGE OF ALLAN 27 36.8 66½ 67.7 33.28 122 00 MP 28 24.0 64 64.8 34.49 123 17 DUNBLANE 29½ 29 31.6 65 64.6 36.28 125 00 MP 31 13.8 62 63.0 37.15 125 70 Kinbuck 32 04.0 65 62.7 39.28 128 00 Quoiggs (MP) 33 48.0 83½ 73.6 40.51 129 19 Greenloaning (SB) 34 39.1 89/88/91 87.2 42.36 131 07 Carsebreck 35 54.7 87½ 88.1 44.61 133 27 Blackford 37 37 26.1 90½ 88.7 46.91 135 51 GLENEAGLES 38 57.0 91/90½/92 91.0 48.84 137 45 Auchterarder (SB) 40 13.9 91/92 90.1 51.58 140 24 Whitemoss 42 02.0 90½ 91.2 52.98 141 56 Dunning 42 55.1 101/102 94.9 54.28 143 00 MP 43 41.5 99½ 100.9 55.78 144 40 Forteviot 44 35.2 101 100.6 57.28 146 00 MP 45 28.8 100 100.7 58.65 147 30 Forgandenny 46 22.1 74½/P74/76½ 93.0 60.49 149 17 Hilton Jn 49½ 47 55.3 Psr 60½ 70.9 62.33 151 04 PSB 50 41.5 Psr 14½ 39.8 62.51 151 19 PERTH (Pl 2) 53 51 31.4 1.5L 13.5 to Plean which was surmounted at a reasonable 89mph. We then ran at 101 from just after MP 115 ¼ to near the site of the former Polmaise Box before easing for the 40mph psr through Stirling station which was taken at 37mph with only 19 seconds recovered on the schedule.

Milepost 37¾ 232 January 2017 After accelerating to 69½ mph at Cornton the unit was eased to stay within the 70mph limit, which meant that the 75mph section from MP 121 1/4 speed lingered in the mid-sixties and fell to a minimum of 62 at MP 125. 91 mph was achieved at Carsebreck followed by an easing to 87 ½ to stay within the limit. The unit run passed Blackford LC at 90 and ran downhill as close to the line limits as possibl,e with power on after Whitemoss to bring speed up to the 100 mph limit with a maximum of 102 after Dunning. Power came on again after the Earn Viaduct slack to stay close to the 75mph limit until Hilton Jn and yet again in Moncrieff Tunnel, so little time was lost in coasting. With the usual slow entry into Perth station the stop time was 51m 31s, only 1 ½ minutes better than the tight 53 minute schedule. Time was only gained between Blackford and Hilton Jn with fine work by the driver. The 15 41 service has a better path than the following 16 41 service which is allowed 59 minutes to Perth.”

For Table 6 Jeremy Hartill has provided a new FT for a Trans Pennine service between Leeds and Hull. This appears to be as result of engineering work on the usual route via Diggle. Jeremy comments “ As a bit of background to this I spotted an odd Sunday Leeds Hull non- stop train in the timetable while there is engineering work closing the Diggle route. I understand this was done as the intention was to get the set back to Hull in time to strengthen the next Leeds service to a 6 car set but then that plan was scrapped. I went back at the end of August and had another non-stop run from Leeds to Hull which was a better run and that may well be the new fastest time for that section. In all honesty, it is not a particularly exciting performance, I think we were in the eco mode with not very fast climb out of Leeds but from Micklefield onwards the speed limits would make three engines pointless. From there on it was a 70/75 mph run with a slow transit of Selby and one 50mph pws. There was the novelty of passing through Selby and Brough without stopping and we were well inside even time at Hull although the train was late and had not kept time. This lead me to look at the schedule which when you take the recovery time out is 44.5min and requires an average of 91mph from Cross Gates to Micklefield and 80mph from Selby to Gilberdyke. It is a schedule that I would suggest cannot be kept if you obey the speed limits in a 185 though a 158 or 170 on the higher limits might manage it.”

Table 6 Miles M C location Sch m s mph avge Date/day Sunday 21st August 2016 16.84 3 60 ECML 15 27.9 74 75.2 Train 13.22 from Dewsbury 18.25 2 27 Thorpe LC 16 35.6 73 75.1 Motive Power 185.103 20.09 0 40 Selby West 18 22.4 30* 61.9 Load (tons) 3/163/170 2250hp 20.75 30 79 Selby 19.5 19 58.3 23* 24.9 Position 1/3 21.31 30 34 Barlby LC 21 13.3 39 27.0 Recorder J Hartill 23.71 28 2 Cliffe LC 23 30.7 76 62.9 Weather fine 26.74 25 0 Wressle 25 56.2 73/49pws 74.9 GPS: Y/N? Y 29.40 22 27 Howden 28 32.2 68 61.4 Miles M C location Sch m s mph avge 32.49 19 20 Eastrington 31 00.3 76 75.1 0.00 20 47 Leeds 0 00.0 34.80 16 75 Gilberdyke 30 32 56.2 69* 71.8 1.10 19 39 Richmond Hill TE 2 23.0 47 27.7 37.33 14 33 Broomfleet 35 05.1 70 70.5 2.33 18 21 Neville Hill E Jn 3 43.9 61 54.5 39.03 12 57 Crabbley Crk 36 26.9 76 74.8 4.43 16 13 Cross Gates 5 5 31.1 77 70.5 41.21 10 42 Brough 35 38 13.1 71* 74.2 5.63 14 77 Manston LC 6 26.0 83 78.7 43.23 8 41 Melton [2] 39 56.8 71* 69.9 7.30 13 23 Garforth sfb [0.5] 7 41.1 76 80.3 44.24 7 40 Ferriby 40 45.7 75 74.5 9.73 10 69 Micklefield UB 9 9 42.2 70 72.1 46.95 4 63 Hessle 42 55.8 75/76 75.1 11.09 9 40 Grange Farm 10 50.5 76 max 71.8 48.49 3 20 Hessle East J 44 09.3 71 75.3 12.88 7 57 South Milford 12 18.2 74 73.4 49.79 1 76 Hessle Rd Jn 43.5 45 23.6 55* 63.0 14.25 6 27 Gascoigne Wd J 12.5 13 24.0 76 75.2 50.83 0 73 Anlaby Rd Jn 46 42.7 38* 47.2 51.74 0 0 Hull 47 49 18.0 21.2

Tables 7 and 8 both feature Cross Country services between Cheltenham and Birmingham with John Rishton providing the northbound FT and John Heaton the southbound FT, both in similar times. John Rishton comments ‘’Á questionable move by a signaller to give precedence to a train off the Swindon line at Standish Jn severely delayed this train that had previously been running to time and resulted in a nine minute late start. With 8.5 minutes of

Milepost 37¾ 233 January 2017 allowances, what would DAS make of the situation? I feared it would ignore the 1642 Longbridge to LIchfield Trent Valley on the two track section north of Kings Norton and we would thus end up behind it (most of the recovery time is beyond Kings Norton) but either it is better programmed than I anticipated or our driver knew better.

A good start from Cheltenham kept time within 5 seconds of my previous best to Stoke Works though a couple of seconds were lost in climbing the Lickey Incline, in comparison with a lighter Class 220 unit. The previous CrossCity working, the 16 12 from Redditch was running to time and departed Five Ways at 16:48:45 and we passed through Longbridge at 16 45 and thus had the benefit of a clear road into New Street. The next CrossCity service was held almost a minute outside Kings Norton as we passed there at 16 47 and the Longbridge starter was platformed less than two minutes later.

My previous fastest time over the route (as far as Longbridge) was routed via Camp Hill so comparisons ceased but this was my first ever run via Five Ways under clear signals, which provided the Fastest Time.”

For the southbound run John Heaton comments : “I was returning from an RPS Derby Meeting with Michael Rowe – not much detail because we were chatting, but the start to Five Ways was 18 seconds or so faster than normal nowadays, so gave it a slight start on the opposition.”

Table 7 Table 8 Day/Date Tue 6th Sep 2016 Date 4/6/16 Train 1325 Plymouth-Edinburgh Train 0820 Aberdeen-Penzance Motive Power 221.134 Unit 220014 Load (tons) 283/303 = 12.4 hp/ton Vehicles/tonnes tare/gross 4 Weather dry Recorder/Position J Heaton 3/4 Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 1/5 - S/w Miles M. C Timing Point Sch. m s Avge Miles mm cc location WTT m s avge 0.00 42 24 Birmingham N. S. d. 0 0 00 5L 0.00 86 58 Cheltenham Spa 0 0 00 0.0 0.86 43 13 Five Ways 2 42 19.2 1.69 85 03 Morris Hill 1 56 52.5 2.68 44 78 University 5 14 42.9 5.19 81 43 Tredington 4 04 98.4 3.34 45 51 Selly Oak 6 6 06 45.9 7.26 79 37 Ashchurch 5.5 5 16 103.5 4.40 46 56 Bournville 7 08 61.7 11.44 75 23 Cooke's no. 2 7 43 102.4 5.44 47 59 King's Norton 8 8 24 49.1 15.35 71 30 OB 10 01 102.0 6.94 48 14 Northfield 9 48 64.3 17.98 68 60 Abbotswood J 12 11 44 92.0 8.00 49 19 Longbridge 10 10 33 85.0 18.54 68 15 OWW line 12 06 91.6 [1](½) 22.26 64 37 OB 14 20 100.0 10.56 51 64 Barnt Green 14 12 13 92.3 25.35 61 34 OB 16 10 101.1 12.01 53 20 Blackwell (½) 13 19 79.1 28.30 58 34 Shaw Lane 18 02 94.9 14.15 55 31 Bromsgrove 17 15 04 73.3 29.19 57 43 Stoke Works 19 18 37 91.4 16.30 57 43 Stoke Works Jct 18½ 16 34 86.0 31.16 55 45 Bromsgrove-new 20.5 20 03 82.5 19.01 60 20 Droitwich Road 18 11 100.7 33.48 53 20 Blackwell 21 56 73.9 21.51 62 60 Oddingley 19 39 102.3 34.93 51 64 Barnt Green 23.5 23 04 76.7 24.99 66 18 Spetchley 21 44 100.1 37.49 49 19 Longbridge 25 24 48 88.6 27.53 68 61 Abbotswood 25½ 23 20 95.2 38.55 48 14 Northfield [1] (3) 25 31 88.7 29.39 70 50 Pirton [1] 24 27 100.1 40.05 47 59 Kings Norton 31 27 09 55.1 33.34 74 46 Eckington 26 46 102.3 41.09 46 56 Bournville -2.5 28 27 48.0 38.23 79 37 Ashchurch 32½ 30 12 85.4 42.15 45 51 Selly Oak 36 29 32 58.7 40.31 81 44 Tredington-80tsr? 31 40 85.4 42.81 44 78 University [1] (1) 30 17 52.8 43.80 85 03 Morris Hall 34 08 84.8 44.64 43 13 Five Ways 32 57 41.2 45.03 86 21 Alstone 35 06 76.0 45.49 42 24 Birmingham New St 44.5 35 51 17.6 45.49 86 58 Cheltenham a. 38 35 55 34.0

For Tables 9 and 10 we head south of the Thames with firstly an offering from Bruce Nathan between Burgess Hill and Gatwick Airport. Bruce appears to have had limited opportunities to time trains recently but ventured out to try the new Class 700 Thameslink services. His comments :” I had been to Brighton to see if I could travel on one of the new Class 700 Thameslink units, without success. However my return on the 15.26 from Brighton was quite

Milepost 37¾ 234 January 2017 an encouraging run although the train, limited to one 4-car unit, was absolutely packed as the previous service had been withdrawn as part of Southern’s emergency timetable. This train is the only one of the day to run non-stop between Burgess Hill and Gatwick. It leaves Brighton two minutes before the standard xx.28 to Victoria and makes the extra stop at Burgess Hill.”

Table 10 has an offering from Richard Neville-Carle, with two FT’s between Gatwick Airport and Brighton. David Ashley held the record previously. Richard comments:- “Unlike David's, my trains were running late and the second of them, under the controller's orders, omitted many scheduled intermediate stops so that the stock could arrive at Brighton in time for its return to Bedford. Both of my fast runs were checked to some extent because of the preceding 08:21 Victoria-Brighton. In the current timetable, the 08:30 GEX is booked to pass it at Haywards Heath, and the 06:54 ex Bedford (running out of path) did so there as part of the impromptu regulation of the service. So an even faster time is still theoretically possible.”

Table 9 Table 10 Date/day Wednesday 13 July 2016 Date Tu 9th Aug 16 Tu 18th Oct 16 Train 15.26 Brighton-Victoria Train 08 30 Lon Vict- 06 54 Bedford- Motive Power EMU 377 471 Brighton Brighton Load (tonnes) 4 161/180 tonnes Unit 387214/211/2xx 377215/522 Weather Dry Load 530 Tonnes Gross 355 Tons Gross Rec/Pos/GPS? B.I. Nathan/1/N Recorder R Neville-Carle R Neville-Carle Miles M C location Sch m s mph ave miles Location m s avge m s avge 0.00 41 32 Burgess Hill 0 0 00 0.00 GATWICK A'P't dep 0 00 0 00 0.80 40 48 Wivelsfield 1½ 1 26 63 33.5 2.68 Three Bridges 3 35 44.8 3 00 53.5 3.68 37 58 Haywards Heath 4 3 57 74 68.5 5.44 Balcombe T'l N;th 6 10 74.2 4 59 83.6 5.66 35 59 Ouse Viaduct S 5 25 85 81.3 7.21 Balcombe 7 28 81.9 7 16 83.0 7.58 33 66 Balcombe 6½ 6 45 88/79 86.1 11,15 Haywards Heath 10 32 77sigs 9 15 70.2sigs 10.49 30 73 M23 8 51 83 83.2 14.06 Wivelsfield 12 32 87.4 11 13 88.9 12.14 29 21 Three Bridges 10 10 02 86 83.7 16.94 Hassocks 14 32 86.3 13 10 88.5 14.78 26 50 Gatwick Airport 13 12 42 59.3 19.25 Clayton T'l S'th 16 05 89.4 14 43 89.4 21.23 Patcham T''l Nth 17 26 88.0 16 07 84.8 22.68 Preston Park 18 35 75.7 17 16 75.7 23.98 Brighton arr 21 16 29.1 20 05 27.7

Finally in Table 11 we return to more sedate offerings from Bill Long on the Ffestiniog railway with two uphill runs which both commenced at Minfford. Bill’s comments are:- “The section from Minfford to Rhiw Goch is a new entry for the FT tables resulting from a recent change in the way the request stop at Penrhyn is treated. The first run (not included) picked up this record despite being the only poor effort I timed with “David Lloyd George” this Summer. The reason for this was unclear, but was disappointing given the late start arising from the earlier failure of “Earl of Merioneth”. The second run (shown) overtook the earlier run despite a brief stop before being called into Rhiw Goch, and indeed did rather better work throughout.

It should be mentioned that the eleven coach formations of these runs are too long for the loop at Rhiw Goch and indeed only just fits clear in the main line: the signalman normally seems to delay clearance of the home signal before allowing the train in.”

The second run is from Minfford through to Plas Halt, with Bill commenting:-“The train was described by the Guard as ’heaving’, and the only space I could find was in the Observation Car at the back. Hence the passing times are not directly comparable with my other runs. The section from Minfford to Plas is a new entry due to omitting the Penrhyn request stop. Note that even with a heavy train and a full passenger complement there was no difficulty in reaching and indeed exceeding 20mph uphill”.

Milepost 37¾ 235 January 2017 Table 11 Date Wed xx.08.16 Wed 31.08.16 Train xx aa Porthadog-Bl Fest 15 45 Porthmadog-Bl Fest. Loco David Lloyd George David Lloyd George Load 11 11 Weather Overcast/damp/drizzle Fine Recorder Bill Long Bill Long Position / Gps 12/12/ Gps Y 3/12 Gps Y miles M C Location m s mph m s mph 0.00 2 05 MINFFORD dep 0 00 (-4) 0 00 (-4) 0.34 2 32.5 Gwyndy Bank 2 29 17.5 1 47 17 0.67 2 67 ub 3 31 18.5 2 50 19.5 0.77 2 67 Capel Nazareth 3 05 15 3 08 18.5 0.94 3 00 Mp 3 6 tsr 3 48 10tsr 1.06 3 10 PENRHYN 5 49 10 4 32 9* 1.44 3 40 Pen Cefn 7 32 19.5/22 6 08 18 ss 8 09 -8 20 2.13 4 15.5 Rhiw Goch 9 59 9.5 Staff ex 9 26 2.89 4 76.5 Gysgfa 12 28 20 3.44 5 40 Mp 20.5 3.82 5 70.5 Tro Keepers 15 13 19.5 4.19 6 20.5 PLAS HALT arr 16 40

My thanks again to all those members who have contributed Fastest Times over the last three months. As always Word or Excel Files are the simplest option for myself but written records and pdf files are gratefully accepted. My email address, which is included in the Milepost Contents page is [email protected]. I do aim to respond to all contributors but time is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity at present due to looking after our first grandson on a regular basis.

Never on Sunday

Peter Absolon . Prologue: On a recent trip back to Milford Haven from a college reunion, the Sunday run from Paddington to Swansea surprised me so much (sheltered life!) that I graphed some of it and sent details to the editor. An interesting discussion ensued. This prompted me to look back at my very first undergraduate trip, also on a Sunday.

It really doesn’t seem like fifty years since I went to Cambridge to study Engineering (or Mechanical Sciences, as they preferred to call it!), but a recent reunion weekend there reminded me that it really is that long ago, and called me to look out the log of my journey going ‘up’ for the first time. I had forgotten the significant aspects of this journey. If you had asked me how it went, I would not have remembered all the detail, but the notes brought it back.

I was born and brought up in Canterbury, and found myself making my first student journey on Sunday 2 October 1966. To get ‘up’, I therefore had to go ‘up’ then ‘down’ in the railway sense. My recollection of it being a pretty dull day is confirmed by the historic weather report, which you can now find on the net. As it was a Sunday, one didn’t have high hopes. That said, it was a bold new chapter in my life, and I felt that the journey should be as exciting and fresh as possible. I was therefore quite content that the first part of the journey would be via Maidstone rather than Tonbridge.

The line from Canterbury West to Ashford follows the broad valley of the River Stour, for the most part on a gentle ascent, with three intermediate stations at Chartham, Chilham and Wye.

Milepost 37¾ 236 January 2017 There are several mini-gradient blips, and one more major one between Chilham and Godmersham where the railway takes a short cut away from the river, requiring two miles of (about) 1 in 200 up and a mile of 1 in 132 down. Canterbury West, Chartham and Wye all had level crossings, and in 1966 all four had signal boxes too. Canterbury West had two through roads, removed 1979, and two platform loops, meaning that starting had to be a little cautious. In the down direction, there was a further loop behind the station platform. Once on the main line, speeds tended to be about 60 mph to the bend at Chilham, usually taken slower (my memory says 45), then 60 again nearly to Godmersham summit (any more than this in the down direction and you felt flange contact), and 70-ish to the outskirts of Ashford, where a 90 degree curve into the junction was immediately followed by points and crossings on the approach to Ashford station. . Table 1 Date Sun 2/10/1966 08.54 Canterbury Train W- Waterloo Loco 4Cep? miles m s mph 0.0 CANTERBURY WEST 0 00 *20/60 3.2 Chartham 4 34 55/57 5.2 Chilham 6 49 <47 Godmersham summit 8 59 62/75 10.0 Wye 11 22 65/73 12.8 Ashford Bypass OB 13 53 (Partial signal stop) 14.2 16 48 ASHFORD

The train left Canterbury West on time, presumably with a single 4CEP. An inauspicious start, with a brief 20mph TRS leaving the station, lost about 40 seconds to Chartham. The rest was a fairly typical run including a momentary signal stop on the outskirts of Ashford before joining the main line. This is summarised in Table 1. The lack of precision in mileages, train IDs and times either reflects that my mind was elsewhere, or that I was trying not to look too darkish in my new role!

At Ashford it was normal for the Canterbury portion to be joined from behind by one or two more four car sets, possibly one being a BEP rather than a CEP. And we set off to run to London via Maidstone East, rather than Tonbridge. While the Maidstone line is nothing like the virtually straight racetrack to Tonbridge, and while I have never really found it exciting, it was certainly different. In those days, an hourly train was non-stop from Ashford to Waterloo anyway, so the route between those points wasn’t important to passengers, apart from the one via Maidstone taking longer.

Maps suggest that from just west of Ashford as far as St. Mary Cray Junction, the line was part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. Roughly speaking, the line climbs for the first eleven miles to Lenham, maximum gradient 1 in 100 but varying throughout, then descends for the next nine miles to Maidstone East, the steepest part being a mile-and-a-half of 1 in 60. The next 22 miles feature six minor summits before Swanley where the London to Chatham route is joined for four miles, prior to negotiating the spaghetti around Chislehurst onto the old South Eastern. After that, it descends into the Thames valley, and runs fairly levelly to Charing Cross.

The run is summarised in the Table 2. Even the first part up to Lenham is not stunning; faster ones have been published. There was a signal check approaching Maidstone, and a signal stop leaving same. My notes suggest that the 0929 stopping train from Maidstone was closer in front than might have been expected, and further checks followed. During a three minute

Milepost 37¾ 237 January 2017 signal stop at Otford Junction, an up Hastings diesel was given the road ahead of us, suggesting that the engineering works we were avoiding were between Sevenoaks and Chislehurst. The 15 or so miles from Maidstone to Otford took about 30 minutes. The speed of nearly 70 mph after Grove Park was quite normal in those days. Arrival in Waterloo was only about 17 minutes later than the schedule via Tonbridge.

Table 2 miles m s mph Date 02/10/1966 24.4 West Malling 31 04 Train 0854 Canterbury W- 29.6 Wrotham 39 02 Waterloo 32.2 Kemsing 42 09 Loco 8 or 12 CEP/BEP (3 23) Sig stop miles m s mph 34.5 Otford Junction 49 34 0.0 ASHFORD 0 00 T 35.0 Otford 50 44 Hothfield 5 04 66/62/72 37.4 Shoreham 52 28 62/72/60 6.1 Charing 7 32 58/74 39.7 Eynsford 54 33 67 10.0 Lenham 11 04 62 42.4 Swanley 57 46 21/73 11.7 Harrietsham 12 40 68/69 45.3 St Mary Cray 60 28 66 14.1 Hollingbourne 14 48 70 47.7 Chislehurst 63 39 42 16.4 Bearsted 16 48 63 50.0 Grove Park 65 58 68/69 Sigs 51.8 Hither Green 67 32 19.3 Maidstone East 20 49 15 53.4 St Johns 69 22 (0 46) Sig stop 54.1 New Cross 70 18 21.7 Barming 26 25 47 57.1 London Bridge 74 19 23.5 East Malling 28 46 sigs 58.1 WATERLOO 76 29

My grandmother and aunt lived in a house midway between Oakleigh Park and New Barnet, looking out east across allotments (later a GPO sorting office) onto the East Coast Main Line. I have many happy memories of staying there when I was younger. But as I already had some familiarity with the Kings Cross route to Cambridge, I decided to go via Liverpool Street instead. As I did not plan to leave Liverpool Street until after 14.00, I probably spent some time on Waterloo station, and maybe even Kings Cross.

Surprises were in store on arrival at Liverpool Street:  The train had only seven coaches, when I probably expected nine  At the head was a Class 31 (D5696) rather than a Class 37  It was announced that it was to be ‘non-stop’ to Cambridge, when one might have expected stops at Bishops Stortford and/or Audley End.

I should have worked out the storyboard as I sat on the train in the gloomy emptiness!

We left two minutes late. At Bethnal Green, instead of turning left, we went straight on. 11 minutes and 41 seconds later, the non-stop train made its first stop, at Stratford. D5696 came off the front, to be replaced by D5577 at the rear. About five minutes later, we headed back westwards via Canonbury, reaching and stopping for a second time after a further 14 minutes 56 seconds, at ...... Finsbury Park. We continued on the down slow line, making a third stop in Wood Green station, and passing grandmother’s house at just over 40 mph, 45 minutes into the journey. My notes then say ‘Trackwork, all on slow line, 1N27 in front’. After a 90 second signal stop beyond Potters Bar, we continued on the slow line, taking the main line after Hatfield. A maximum of 80 mph ensued before we regained the slow line before Hitchin. A signal check near Royston, followed by a three minute signal stop at Foxton, rounded the journey off in style. The log is in Table 3.

Revisiting this, I note the irony of diverting trains from a closed line to a partially closed line. The whole non-stop London to Cambridge journey took about five minutes over two hours, with five stops – but at least no bustitution! Canterbury West to Cambridge took about 3 hours 45 minutes on the train. But I was in no rush, I had all day, the length of journey didn’t bother

Milepost 37¾ 238 January 2017 me, it was all by train, even if the passing scenery was well-known, and didn’t pass very fast! Sampling the Great Eastern would have to wait for another day.

Table 3 miles m s mph Date 02/10/1966 0.00 Wood Green 0 00 Train 1436 Liverpool St 1.49 New Southgate 3 20 Cambridge 3.35 Oakleigh Park 6 08 40av Loco D5696 to Stratford 4.18 New Barnet 7 23 42av then D5577 5.57 Hadley Wood 9 21 42av Load 7 coaches 232/245 7.75 Potters Bar 13 12 miles m s mph (sig stop) (1 30) 0.00 LIVERPOOL STREET 0 00 T Brookman’s Park 19 08 49max Bethnal Green 3 27 28 12.75 Hatfield 24 14 Bow junction 6 58 42 (onto main line) 4.00 Stratford 11 41 15.35 Welwyn Garden City 28 24 Stratford 0 00 14:55ish 16.90 Welwyn North 30 37 Victoria Park 3 50 22 Woolmer Green box 32 16 57 Dalston EJ 7 30 38 20.00 Knebworth 33 48 63 Cannonbury 10 08 23.60 Stevenage 36 43 78/80 Cannonbury J 11 03 26.95 Hitchin 41 25 Finsbury Park 14 56 29.70 Letchworth 45 45 55 0.00 Finsbury Park 0 00 31.70 Baldock 47 43 65/55 (slow line) Ashwell 52 15 60 0.90 Harringay West 2 49 (sigs?) * 1.57 Hornsey 3 43 45av 39.85 Royston 58 20 2.45 Wood Green 6 36 42.85 Meldreth 62 29 71 44.85 Shepreth 65 09 45.85 Foxton 68 15 (Sig stop) (3 01) 47.60 Harston 74 50 Shepreth Branch Jun. 80 09 52.85 CAMBRIDGE 85 35

Aside  The crow distance of my journey was 75 miles (yes, there is an App for that too now)  The train distance was about 136 miles  Had I gone straight from Waterloo to Liverpool Street I might have caught the 1136 train giving a train journey time of 4hrs 48 mins – say 5 hrs 30 mins for the entire journey if you add the car and bus at each end  The road distance now the M2, M25 and M11 have been built is 105 miles  15 mph is not a very special average speed for such a long journey!

Epilogue: It is quite interesting to reflect on service changes over the years. The line through Tonbridge and Ashford to Canterbury was electrified in 1963, and the previous irregular (but by no means slow) service (normally needing a change at Ashford) was replaced by an hourly regular through one. When the electric timetable started, a fast train (usually a CEP/BEP mix) left Charing Cross every hour on the hour, called only at Waterloo (03 minutes) and Ashford (63), where it split. The first half went out two minutes later to Dover and Ramsgate, the rear half (one CEP) two minutes after that to Canterbury West and Margate. The schedule from Charing Cross to Canterbury was 86 minutes. A semi-fast train (usually HAPs) followed from Charing Cross at ten past, and (I think) connected at Ashford with a train from Victoria and Maidstone which stopped all stations from Ashford to Canterbury (96 minutes). From 1963, Canterbury West to London became faster than from Canterbury East, despite being about ten miles longer.

In the intervening years it became more fashionable to have lots of trains giving a turn-up– and-ride service to more intermediate stations. In 2009 there were four trains each hour from

Milepost 37¾ 239 January 2017 Charing Cross to Ashford:  00 (stopper taking 86 minutes)…..  23 (semi fast taking 69 minutes, Canterbury in 91 minutes)  30 (stopper omitting Marden and Pluckley, taking 80 minutes)  53 (taking 60 minutes, Canterbury in 87) about the same time as 1963, but now eight minutes to get the second half of a split train on the move, rather than four, as in 1963.

In 2015, Canterbury West has a Javelin coming from St Pancras every hour (xx.12), taking only 38 minutes to Ashford and 57 to Canterbury. This makes Canterbury to Cambridge a one change journey rather than two, with just a trip over the road from St Pancras to Kings Cross, and is only 2hrs 30mins long. A second Javelin at xx.37 runs to Ashford, and then round the coast. Meanwhile the old route from Charing Cross to Ashford via Tonbridge has only two trains an hour, both stoppers, making Ashford in 78 minutes and Canterbury in 99 or 105 minutes. So that is a fine improvement if you are travelling to Cambridge, to places on the ECML or the old Midland, but an increase in journey time if you want Bournemouth via Waterloo! THREE JOURNEYS ON THE SOUTHBOUND ‘FLYING SCOTSMAN’

Derek Wilson

In the days before The Clean Air Act came into law, winter ‘Pea Soupers’ almost seemed to be the norm. The worst I encountered was coming back to London from Edinburgh in December 1961. In those days, the Flying Scotsman still left both capital cities at the civilised time of 1000. Log 1 2 3 Date 20 December 1960 19 December 1961 19 December 1962 Train 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross Loco D279 D9013 D9008 Load 9,305/330 11,381/415 12,416/445 Recorder D Wilson D Wilson D Wilson Miles Place Sch. Actual Speed Sch. Actual Speed Sch. Actual Speed 0.00 Edinburgh 0 0.00 — 0 0.00 53 0 0.00 37 3.00 Portobello 6.21 50 6.03 56/Tsr 38 5.59 50/43 6.50 Inveresk 11.12 56 10.25 65 10.33 84 9.50 Prestonpans 14.26 72 13.18 70 13.30 Longniddry 75 16.30 80 17.75 Drem 21.41 68 20.05 70 18.44 90/66 3.40 East Linton 26.19 75 24.56 77/60 23.55 79/72 29.20 Dunbar 56 79 28.11 83 36.45 Cockbumspath 37.56 39 35.35 63 35.53 64 41.15 Grantshouse 44.10 64 39.37 64 37.47 79 46.25 Reston 49.04 54 44.16 66/Tsr 25 41.44 64 50.30 Ayton 52.56 64/Tsr 48.49 71/Tsr 48 34 57.45 Berwick 61.52 46718 56.56 36/72 51.43 77 65.90 Beal 70.11 62 65.59 72 59.57 64/72 72.90 Belford 76.29 75 71.53 58 66.01 64/Tsr 78.55 Chathill 83.28 66 77.05 Sigs 3m 26s 73.14 Tsr27 81.30 Christon Bank 85.41 Sigs 15 79.47 66 75.29 8227/62 89.75 Alnmouth 91.42 67 96.55 74/54 81.58 77 96.05 Acklington 96.53 62 103.01 75 87.11 75 101.20 Widdrington 101.40 70/45 107.03 48 91.21 44 107.85 Morpeth 108.25 62 113.38 73 97.12 71 113.00 Plessy 114.17 56/65 117.52 Tsr 2564 102.14 64 118.60 Killingworth 119.46 56/62 124.53 35 106.37 79 122.80 Heaton 124.27 36 129.33 — 60 124.45 Newcastle 135 128.52 134 133.27 115 114.50 Net 125.00 122.00 112.00

Milepost 37¾ 240 January 2017 ‘ Log 1 2 3 Date 20 December 1960 19 December 1961 19 December 1962 Train 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross 1000 Edinburgh-Kings Cross Loco D279 D9013 D9008 Load 9,305/330 11,381/415 12,416/445 Recorder D Wilson D Wilson D Wilson Miles Place Sch. Actual Speed Sch Actual Speed Sch. Actual Speed 0.00 Newcastle 0 0.00 0 0.00 54 0 0.00 74 5.50 Birtley 8.05 58 7.31 65 7.34 8.30 Chester le St. 11.00 43 11.46 33 82/30 14.05 Durham 18 17.35 30/65 18 18.02 23/62 15 15.20 75 18.20 Croxdale 24.11 20.17 Tsr29/53 23.20 Ferryhill 29 27.42 71 29.12 70/65 24 28.07 Tsr22/82 30.65 Aycliffe 34.20 63/69 35.25 42 34.32 71/41 36.10 Darlington 45 39.20 68 44 41.31 67 38 40.03 81 41.25 Eryholme 50 43.58 77 49 46.28 75 42 44.18 93 46.25 Danby Wiske 48.07 Tsr 12 50.30 64 47.44 64 50.25 Northallerton 57 53.41 60 56 53.53 77 49 51.00 94 53.55 Otterington 58..18 74 80 58.00 Thirsk 64 61.51 79 63 60.02 81 54 56.23 91 64.20 Pilmoor 66.35 81 65.25 83 60.25 68.85 Alne 75 70.17 80 83 91 70.45 Tollerton 69.12 83 64.41 74.60 Beningborogh 74.28 79 95 78.60 Skelton Jet 81 77.55 26 75.45 25 70.36 23 80.20 York 85 80.41 58 83 78.16 63 70 73.10 84.10 Nabum 86.15 76/Tsr 31 64.06 75 78.30 59 89.85 Ricall 92.30 Sigslm23s 88.28 78/39 82.46 79 94.05 Selby 100 10121.00 64 98 92.30 69 86.52 41 98.55 Templehirst 106.21 68 Sigs 10 92.24 84 102.40 Balne 109.42 76 85 108.15 Shaftholme 117 114.13 67 107.21 45 97.53 43 112.40 DoncasterJet 123 119.00 56 120 113.17 54/Sigs 12s 101.35 117.05 Rossington 124.29 66 123.55 41/Sigs23 77 120.65 Bawtry 127.54 Tsr 11/47 129.54 Tsr32/62 109.01 124.40 Ranskill 134.52 66 135.45 66/Sigs5ml3s Tsr23/79 129.75 Retford 141 139.47 77 137 150.04 72 119 118.02 82/Tsr20 140.90 Crow Park 149.43 79 162.41 71/Sigslm4s 129.02 82/58/71 148.25 Newark 161 155.26 68 154 174.36 Sigs21s/60 135.11 Tsr54/71 153.00 Claypole 183.09 66/Sigs 12s 137 139.26 83/67 158.65 Barkston 174 163.54 48 191.18 46/Sigs 3 m 148 143.41 74 162.90 GranthamSouth 178 168.37 Sigs 20 173 203.58 53 151 146.51 88 168.25 Stoke Summit 184 180.28 70 179 212.08 71 156 150.13 90 171.25 Corby Glen 183.05 80 214.55 77 152.18 88 176.10 Little Bytham 187.50 82 218.56 79 156.39 89 179.70 Essendine 193 190.27 65/71 188 221.50 77 164 159.04 83/57 183.50 Tallington 193.47 Sigslml5s 224.34 161.46 186.45 Helpston 196.15 64 188.85 Werrington 69/20 228.55 Sigs 4m28s 170 165.44 61/21 192.00 PeterboroughJet. 209 202.51 50 203 241.59 Pass 174 169.40 68/64 195.75 Yaxley 207.29 64 Abandoned due to the poor 199.00 Holme 212.36 58/72 visibility 176.56 84 209.50 Huntingdon 227 221.31 67 189 184.47 75/82 216.60 St. Neots 228.36 78 190.13 87/80/86 224.20 Sandy 239 234.20 Tsr 26 199 195.36 83 227.20 Biggleswade 237.48 60 197.40 87 231.25 Arlesley 245.12 64/Sigs 2 200.35 87 236.45 Hitchin 254 250.25 53/Sigs 211 204.11 67 143.35 Knebworth 261 261.02 56/Sigs19 217 209.37 Sigs 23/71 246.35 Welwyn North 264.54 44/Sigs2027 Sigs 47

Milepost 37¾ 241 January 2017 Miles Place Sch. Actual Speed Sch Actual Speed Sch. Actual Speed 250.65 Hatfield 223 218.18 77 255.65 Potters Bar 275 276.25 65/Sigs24 227 222.43 77 259.20 New Barnet 280.05 63/Sigs38 225.29 69 263.40 Wood Green 284.29 36 228.51 65 265.85 Finsbuury 287 288.56 Sigs 237 231.54 268.35 KingsPark Cross 293 294.58 242 237.07 Net time 267m 224m 00s 00s All journeys were timed with a stopwatch accurate to one tenth of a second, and all distances have been rounded up/down to the nearest 0.05 of a mile.

Arrival into Newcastle was on time, or early for all logs; D279 especially so. The improvements in track and signalling allowed the Deltic in the third run to work to its full ability, both with an increased load and 20 minutes cut from the 1960 schedule.

Although D279 arrived two minutes late, the two signal stops more than accounted for this, plus without all the checks from Arlesley to New Barnet, a very early arrival could have been expected.

A year later, all was going well until we met the fog in South Yorkshire, which got worse the further south we went. By the time we passed through Peterborough, it was well after four o’clock & the fog plus the lack of light made timing very difficult, so I decided to end the log there.

The third and final journey was a classic example of a driver always having a few minutes in hand for speed restrictions, or any unexpected checks by signals.

SCARBOROUGH SPA EXPRESS

1 - LEEDS to YORK with UNFAMILIAR VINTAGE DIESELS

Noel Proudlock

There is a saying that some good comes from every unfortunate event. These, I believe unprecedented, performance experiences resulted from the prolonged closure of the Settle & Carlisle line following the massive landslip at Eden Brow, just north of Low House Crossing. The problems faced by the West Coast Railway Company over their steam operation to Scarborough in 2013 and 2014 caused them to switch to a York-Carlisle and return operation in 2015 which they had planned to repeat in 2016. The landslip required a late change of plan and a Thursday Carnforth-Scarborough run on alternative weeks via Shipley or Brighouse was substituted changing from diesel to steam in Holgate loops.

I was told that management had planned to use the customary Class 47 or 57 diesels but the Carnforth fitters pressed for the use of Class 37s and this was agreed, employing a pair in multiple. I saw them leaving Leeds on week one and when I caught up the train at York I said to the Train Manager, ’Two 37s, that’s one I’ve missed!’ He said that their use was to continue and that he had taken very substantial ’on the day’ fares from Class 37 diesel fans, so two weeks later I was at Leeds in time to enjoy the very nippy piece of work tabulated. Later, a Class 37 and 56 (Colas) pair were used and finally two Class 47s, only one manned, by which time a most-encouraging demand brought the load up from eight to twelve cars. The effect of this on the steam section can be another article. In response to the nearly 500 passenger loadings from mid-July, the first two weeks of September were added to the season, and I decided to enjoy the dining experience on the last run, meaning that I had to join the train at

Milepost 37¾ 242 January 2017 Leeds, rather than York as I usually did. You may imagine my surprise and delight when the train ran in behind Nos. 33207 and 47237. I later learned that the 33’s driver was in radio contact with the47’s , and the latter was to give assistance only if requested. He was not so asked and so the Class 33/2 took the 415 tons unaided in the style shown in the table

I did travel in the other direction but the train was routinely switched from the Up Leeds to the Up Normanton line at Colton South Junction; the junction approach signalling enforcing a much-less-than-the-permitted 70 mph passage through the points and, of course, back again at Church Fenton, so the logs are hardly worth showing. It was interesting, however, that 33207 reached 42 mph climbing to Crossgates at 1 in 160 on the outward run but fell to 35 mph on the 1 in 150 beyond Micklefield on the return.

Date 16/06/2016 08/09/2016 Train 0818 Carnforth-Scarborough 0818 Carnforth-Scarborough Loco 37668/669 33207 Load formation 302 tare 8+47237 - 415 tare Recorder N Proudlock N Proudlock Position/ GPS 3/10 Y 2/9 Y miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave Sch. m s mph ave 0.00 20 47 LEEDS 0 00.0 5L P9D 0 00.0 3L P11D 0.80 19 63 Marsh Lane 2 08.0 37 22.5 2 26.0 30 19.7 2.24 18 28 Neville Hill East 4 00.0 53 46.2 4 52.0 41 35.4 4.45 16 11 Crossgates 7.0 6 12.0 65 60.3 7.0 7 58.0 42 42.8 7.30 13 23 Garforth 8 38.0 78 60.0 11 36.0 58 47.1 9.80 10 63 Micklefield Junction 12.0 10 31.0 81/x65/ 69.6 12.0 14 00.0 66/x60/80 62.5 9.80 15 62 /79/80 14.80 10 62 Church Fenton 16.0 14 31.0 74 76.5 16.0 18 13.0 73 71.1 16.70 8 70 Ulleskelf $4 16 03.0 74 74.8 $4 19 53.0 73/YY64 68.4 17.95 7 50 Bolton Percy 17 00.0 78 75.4 21 02.0 64 65.2 20.06 5 41 Colton Junction 22.0 18 41.0 *69 75.8 22.0 22 56.0 68 66.7 21.84 3 59 Copmanthorpe 20 28.0 66 59.7 24 28.0 70/62 69.5 23.60 1 78 Chaloners Whin 22 12.0 AC37 61.0 26 32.0 Ac37 51.2 24.61 0 77 Dringhouses Junction 24 32.0 x13 26.0 28 55.0 X17 25.5 24.91 0 53 HOLGATE LOOPS NTH 30.0 26 41.0 8.4 30.0 30 34.0 10.9

SCARBOROUGH SPA EXPRESS

2 - CHASING A RECORD

Noel Proudlock

I mentioned above about the unexpected performance logs I was able to record because the Settle & Carlisle line was blocked during 2016 and mentioned that it was banning of West Coast Railway’s steam operation to Scarborough in 2014 which caused them to switch to the S&C for 2015. But during the 2014 summer I was at York each Tuesday to confirm that diesel operation was continuing and also to see if a more interesting diesel type would appear. Eventually I did obtain my first run behind a Class 57 but previously, whilst on the platform at York and checking with the Train Manager that relaxation of the steam ban was not likely, I overheard a remark that, ’David’s going to try for a record time to Scarborough’ – David, of course, being driver David Blair, the kind of driver that performance recorders hope to travel behind. I said to the Train Manager, ’I’m coming with you, even though it’s a Class 47.’

Milepost 37¾ 243 January 2017 The prospects were good: relatively few signal boxes on the route, no TSRs, no train closely in front and a Class 47 in the shape of No. 47580 ’Great Eastern’ in full Stratford blue livery, large logo, silver roof and a plate commemorating its recent 50th birthday. The load was a nicely manageable ten Mark I Commonwealth-bogied coaches, including a buffet car and two Pullman cars comfortably filled and estimated (since they no longer carry weight plates) at 370 tons tare. But this was not the packed 12 cars that a steam engine can command.

With the 15 mph restriction through the Scarborough Bridge Junction, and then a 50 mph limit until Bootham level crossing is cleared, starts cannot be quite as fast as when loco-hauled trains were the norm and the time of 3m 10s to Bootham, up to 74 mph before Flaxton and passing Howsham in 13m 51s was very encouraging. But Kirkham Abbey’s semaphore distant was ’on’. Compared with other runs, the resultant slowing cost about 45 seconds. Very good progress, slipping up to 80 mph on a couple of occasions, to average 76.3 mph from Rillington to Ganton followed, but the overall time was 42m 29s – not the 60 mph start to stop that David was seeking.

So, to day two, to try again. It’s a long time since I was excited about timing a Class 47 on a 75 mph-limited route! This time it took 13m 52s to pass Howsham, just one second slower, but Kirkham Abbey’s distant was ’off’, and so we were through Malton 34 seconds faster. Very similar running to Ganton, this time averaging 77.3 mph from Rillington followed by a seven second slower approach to Scarborough gave a finishing time of 42m 02s. Still not there. David said, ‘Tomorrow’s my last chance’ as he was rostered for the afternoon duty for the remaining weeks of the service. I said to him that I didn’t think I could join the train for a third day without the risk of divorce!

Date 12/08/2014 13/08/2014 14/08/2014 Train 47580 "Great Eastern" Loco The Seaside Express - 1015 York-Wakefield-Scarborough Load formation 10 Mk I including BC, 2 Pullmans - 370 tons tare Recorder/position/GPS N Proudlock 3/11 Y Driver David Blair miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave m s mph ave m s mph ave 0.00 0 04 YORK P5 0.0 0 00 T 0 00 2L 0 00 T 1.53 1 46 Bootham [1] 3 10 53 28.9 3 14 53 28.3 3 10 28.9 4.18 4 18 Haxby 16* 5 42 70 62.8 5 46 69 62.8 5 42 69 62.8 6.55 6 48 Strensall 7 39 74 73.1 7 44 74 72.5 7 41 73 71.8 9.21 9 21 Flaxton 10 03 61 66.6 10 05 76/60 68.0 9 58 75/62 70.0 11.55 11 48 Barton Hill 12 10 69 66.3 12 14 72 65.2 12 02 74 67.9 13.30 13 28 Howsham 13 51 58 62.4 13 52 61 64.3 13 41 63/64 63.6 14.96 15 01 Kirkham Abbey 16 15 25sig 41.6 15 48 47/55 51.6 15 34 48 53.0 15.74 15 63 Castle Howard 17 17 52 45.0 16 37 56/52 56.9 16 23 59 56.9 16.18 16 18 Crambeck 17 48 55 50.8 17 05 57 56.3 16 49 58 60.6 18.33 18 30 Huttons Ambo 20 05 60/40 56.5 19 27 59/41 54.5 19 09 44 55.3 21.10 21 12 Malton 48.0 23 29 56/43 49.0 22 55 56/37 48.0 22 33 58/38 49.0 25.45 25 40 Rillington 27 53 74 59.3 27 24 72 58.2 26 58 73 59.1 27.46 27 41 Knapton 29 26 80 77.9 29 00 80 75.5 28 33 79 76.3 29.35 29 32 Heslerton 30 52 76 79.0 30 25 79 79.9 29 59 76 79.0 32.80 32 68 Weaverthorpe 33 39 72 74.4 33 05 80/74 77.6 32 39 78/77 77.6 34.38 34 34 Ganton 34 54 78 75.6 34 20 76 75.6 33 51 78 78.7 39.13 39 14 Seamer 69.0 38 43 80/57 74.7 38 11 79/57 74.0 37 43 79/58 73.7 41.23 41 22 Washbeck Mast 40 52 64/53 58.6 40 21 62/50 58.2 39 54 63 57.7 41.95 42 00 SCARBOROUGH P1 76.0 42 29 34E 26.9 42 02 32E 25.8 41 38 34E 25.1 * 16 mins allowed for steam engine to take water

Milepost 37¾ 244 January 2017 But I had left my hat in the train and so had to wait for it to return from the siding and so phoned my wife to say that I would be home later than originally planned. I told what had happened and she said, ‘Why not try again?’ At this time, David was happened to be walking out into the town for some lunch, so I said, ‘I will be here again tomorrow.’ So he knew his final attempt would also be logged. This time Howsham was passed in 13m 41s and faster running thence to Malton saw that station passed 22 seconds faster and the average from Rillington to Ganton this time was 77.8 mph without exceeding 79mph. The run into Scarborough was again a few seconds slower than the previous days’ but we stopped in 41m 38s. The distance travelled measured by the odometer on my GPS was 41.93 miles. So the average speed start to stop was 60.43 mph. As I left the train David was on the platform, talking to the guard, so I gave him the thumbs-up sign. He was well satisfied when I told him that the recorded time was 41m 38s. Had the run into Scarborough matched the time on the first day, the time could have been under 41½ minutes.

This summer when I travelled from Leeds on the last day to savour the dining experience, I could not identify the driver of No. 48151 when it took over at Holgate, but before we reached Bootham crossing I said to myself, ‘This has to be David’. It was, and the train managers were not surprised when I mentioned it. But 48151’s summer work in 2016 is quite another tale.

The three runs are set out in the accompanying table.

HST and OVER THE TOP

Bill Hemstock

In Milepost 40 (?) ’40 Glorious Years – the HSTs’, running on the Midland Main Line was not reviewed due to recent coverage in the Mass Timing Days in 2014 and 2015; a pity as some historic runs from the early days were not therefore reviewed.

On 14 October 1982, I logged a 2+7 HST from Derby to St Pancras with stops at Leicester and Luton. A three minute late start from Derby with TSRs to 53 mph at Draycott and 19 at Thurmaston resulted in a four-minute late restart from Leicester, which the driver promptly set out to recover. All PSRs were exceeded by a small amount, although the 112 mph at Sharnbrook and beyond Oakley represented a 12% overspeed. The acceleration from Market Harborough up to the site of Desborough North signal box was notable: indeed acceleration was not over when the train reached the vertical curve from 1 in 133 up, at 90 mph. Also, up to MP59¾, my figures show a slight acceleration from 93 mph at Irchester to 95 mph at milepost 59¾, notable even with a 2+7 formation. The sustained 106 mph around the long curve from Sundon to MP34 was satisfying, as the southbound traffic on the M1 seemed to be going backwards! The time of 45m 08s to Luton was an HST fastest time for many years, indeed if my memory is correct it was not beaten until the Leicester PSB, with its concomitant increases in line speed, was commissioned. On the final leg from Luton to St Pancras, speeds of 110 mph beyond Harpenden and a well-sustained 111 mph beyond Napsbury gave hope of another fastest time before a severe signal check well short of Silkstream Junction intervened. When reviewing this log, readers should bear in mind that the line limit from Trent to Barrow and Irchester to Hendon was 100 mph and from Barrow to Irchester was still 90 mph with manual block and (largely) semaphore signalling over this stretch.

This HST run reminds me of a run from Nottingham to St Pancras that I recorded on 27 December 1974, when the Nottingham driver negotiated most of the PSRs in a most cavalier manner. No. 45145 has hauling a 10-carriage train of mostly early Mark II stock with electric train heating in use. Speed over Trent Junction was 62 mph – a 24% excess - which gave a flying start to the gentle climb up the Soar Valley to Leicester. However, only 1m 19s of the two minutes late start was recovered. Restarting from Leicester just one minute late, all was

Milepost 37¾ 245 January 2017 normal until the reverse curve through Market Harborough was negotiated at 60 mph (a 20% excess), this speed being sustained up to Desborough North. Down to Glendon station, speed was held exactly to 90 mph but power was not reapplied and speed fell to 86 mph at Glendon South Junction and on to Kettering Iron & Coal where full power was reapplied and kept on until Finedon! As the train swept through the reverse curves at Kettering, speed was back up to 90 mph (a 12.5% excess): the sight of the standees in the centre cross-aisle taken in perfect unison: first steps to the right, then steps to the left and then steps to the right again was amusing/alarming.

Date 14/10/1982 27/12/1974 Train 1542 ex Derby 1202 ex Nottingham Loco HST 45145 Load formation 2+7, 7,226/240/381 10,333/365/503+ETS Recorder Bill Hemstock Bill Hemstock miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave Sch. m s mph PSR ('74) ave 0.00 128 35 DERBY 0 00.0 3L 2.56 125 70 Spondon 3 38.0 72/79 42.3 6.08 122 29 Draycott 6 56.0 53tsr/86 63.9 123 39 NOTTINGHAM 0 00.0 2L 123 20 Beeston 4 58.0 64 121 74 Attenborough 6 10.0 70/73 9.19 119 20 Trent J 9 15.0 78* 59.6 8 24.0 62* 50* 12.11 116 26 Kegworth 11 10.0 100/95* 91.6 10 56.0 72 69.3 14.04 114 32 Hathern 12 21.0 99/105 97.6 12 28.0 77 75.3 16.86 111 46 Loughborough 13 58.0 103 97.6 14 31.0 86 82.7 19.50 108 75 Barrow 15 31.0 90* 102.1 16 21.0 86 86.3 21.79 106 52 Sileby 17 01.0 92 91.5 17 57.0 86 85.8 24.44 104 00 Syston SJ 18 45.0 91 91.7 19 45.0 90 88.3 26.69 101 60 Thurmaston 21 25.0 19tsr/69 50.6 21 16.0 89 89.0 29.35 99 07 LEICESTER 24.0 25 22.0 40.4 26.0 24 41.0 46.8 0.00 99 07 LEICESTER 26.0 26 51.0 28.0 26 50.0 1.54 97 44 Knighton SJ 2 22.0 68/82 39.0 3.20 95 71 Wigston NJ 3 40.0 73* 76.7 4 28.0 63 70* 43.0 7.30 91 63 Great Glen 6 37.0 98/97 83.4 8 12.0 73/76/75 65.9 10.15 88 75 Kibworth 8 11.0 104 10 16.0 -90 82.7 12.78 86 25 East Langton 9 43.0 103 102.7 12 01.0 91 90.0 16.15 82 75 Market Harborough 12 05.0 65* 85.6 14 37.0 60* 50* 77.9 18.65 80 35 Braybrook 13 58.0 87 79.6 17 06.0 60 60.4 20.59 78 40 Desborough N 15 17.0 90/103 88.3 19 03.0 60/90 59.6 24.51 74 46 Glendon SJ 17 39.0 94 99.5 22 02.0 86 78.9 27.09 72 00 Kettering 19 23.0 83* 89.1 23 47.0 90 80* 88.3 30.84 68 20 Finedon 21 33.0 107 103.8 26 13.0 94 92.5 34.03 65 05 Wellingborough 23 42.0 69* 89.0 28 39.0 72* 65* 78.6 36.43 62 53 Irchester 25 26.0 93 83.1 30 29.0 86 78.5 39.34 59 60 MP 59.75 27 18.0 95 93.6 32 54.0 68 72.3 42.43 56 53 Sharnbrook 29 01.0 112 107.9 35 12.0 89/91 80.5 45.98 53 09 Oakley 31 00.0 108/112 107.4 37 38.0 89/92 87.5 49.25 49 67 Bedford 32 45.0 92* 112.3 39 44.0 91/88 93.6 53.18 45 73 Houghton Conquest 35 08.0 107/92* 98.8 42 24.0 90 88.3 57.34 41 60 Ampthill 37 34.0 95 102.6 45 25.0 77 82.8 58.89 40 16 Flitwick 38 30.0 104 99.6 46 34.0 82 80.9 61.84 37 20 Harlington 40 10.0 106 106.2 48 49.0 76 78.7 65.09 34 00 MP 34 42 00.0 106 106.4 51 30.0 70 72.7 66.34 32 60 Leagrave 42 42.0 106 107.1 52 31.0 77 73.8 68.84 30 20 Luton 49.0 45 08.0 61.6 54 19.0 90/92/90 83.3 68.84 30 20 Luton 51.0 47 29.0 71.84 27 20 Chiltern Green 3 11.0 93 56.5 56 17.0 93/96/90 91.5 74.45 24 51 Harpenden 4 46.0 109/110 99.0 57 58.0 91/92 93.1 77.84 21 20 Sandridge 6 37.0 108 109.9 79.21 19 70 St Albans 7 26.0 94* 101.0 61 23.0 81* 80* 83.6 80.84 18 20 Napsbury 8 26.0 107/111 97.5 83.89 15 16 Radlett 10 06.0 106 109.8 64 35.0 91 87.7 86.65 12 35 Elstree 11 40.0 104/107 105.8 66 29.0 84 87.2

Milepost 37¾ 246 January 2017 89.74 9 28 Mill Hill 13 25.0 106/sig4 105.9 68 36.0 90 87.5 92.09 7 00 Hendon 16 25.0 70/80 47.0 70 16.0 72* 75* 84.6 93.98 5 09 Cricklewood 17 54.0 75*/78 76.3 71 52.0 45sigs 75* 70.8 95.55 3 43 Finchley Rd 19 08.0 66* 76.6 73 41.0 - 65* 52.0 97.55 1 43 Kentish Town 20 59.0 57* 64.9 75 28.0 65*/sigs 65* 67.3 99.03 0 05 ST PANCRAS 29.0 24 43.0 23.7 89.0 79 35.0 21.5

Early braking for Wellingborough had speed down to 72 mph at the start of the 65 mph restriction (a 11% excess), but full power was promptly reapplied giving no less than 80 mph before and past Irchester: the average speed from Wellingborough to Irchester was 78.5mph! All was normal from Sharnbrook past Bedford and up the long climb towards MP34, but approaching Luton full power was maintained and the train swept round the curve and onto the ‘Vauxhall straight’ with speeds rising from 90 to 92 mph (a 12.5-15% excess) and the series of reverse curves from MP28½ to Chiltern Green were taken at full power and speed rising to 96 mph at MP27- just beyond Chiltern Green.

By now, I was becoming a little apprehensive as to what might happen at St. Albans, but approaching Sandridge power was shut off and the excess at St Albans was just 1 mph. All was normal onto St. Pancras including the signal checks approaching Finchley Road and St. Pancras to arrive over eight minutes early. Over the last 42 years I have often wondered what this run was all about – any comments anyone?

RPS Supplements

Hopefully, most readers will have found the HST supplement interesting. With only a limited number of pages available, the selection of the content will inevitably be subjective. If you think other logs should have been included, please submit an article, and we will incorporate it in a future magazine.

We hope to produce a similar supplement in 2017, which will celebrate the final years of Southern Steam and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the final journeys. We are planning to publish the final articles produced by Martin Barrett, together with Alan Varley’s recollections of runabout tickets in the 1960s.

If you are able to supply short articles, anecdotes or photographs of the final years of Southern Steam, please send them to me, and I will endeavour to include them in the supplement.

David Ashley - Editor . A Sussex Day Rover: Sunday 7 May 1961

David Lloyd-Roberts

I was 17 at the time. Presumably, I did this day out on a Sunday because of the then relevance of Saturday morning school. I lived then, as I do now, in Tunbridge Wells. For those in the RPS with an interest in football and I know our mileage editor is and our archivist amongst others, this was the day after Tottenham Hotspur completed their momentous double with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City in the FA cup final, the first of the 20th century. To return to timing matters, however…

The area of the Sussex Day Rover appears to have been Tunbridge Wells – Three Bridges – Brighton–Lewes–Uckfield–Tunbridge Wells. The train service between Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead, most of the time, and all day on Sunday, was regular interval. The train service on a Sunday via East Grinstead was two-hourly, on the alternate hour it ran directly from

Milepost 37¾ 247 January 2017 Tunbridge Wells West to Oxted via Ashurst. This was quicker because of the shorter distance. From East Grinstead (High Level) to Three Bridges on a Sunday was worked as a branch. There were a few through trains in the week from Tunbridge Wells to Three Bridges.

The main Brighton line had, of course, been electrified in 1933. The Tonbridge–Tunbridge Wells–Brighton service was still steam in 1961.

My day started with the 0747 from Tunbridge Wells West to Victoria via East Grinstead. I would have started with the 0747 because in the winter timetable there was no train to Brighton from my home town before the 0910 Tunbridge Wells – Brighton. My father would probably have given me a lift to the West station, somewhat grumpily, as the station was two miles from home. (I have used the modern day 24-hour clock in this article even though this was not in use in this country until the mid-1960s).

The line between Ashurst Junction and Forest Row was roughly level. Between Forest Row and East Grinstead there were gradients in the order of 1 in 80. The line from Ashurst Junction to East Grinstead was single with passing loops. There was certainly one at Forest Row, but I am not sure about Withyham and Hartfield. I do remember the climb from Forest Row to East Grinstead was through rhododendron bushes. I cannot say much about the performance of the loco, which was clearly adequate – as far as I can recollect it was the sole run I had over that line in that direction. Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80154 was the last engine built at Brighton works, and emerged with the later style of emblem, the first engine so adorned in my part of the world (see Table 1)

Table 1 Run 1 Date 07 May 1961 Train 7.47 Tunbridge WW- London Bridge Motive Power 80154/4MT Load 5/166/170 Recorder D.L.R Miles [sch] m s mph 0 00 Tunbridge Wells 0 00 52/max West 3.09 Groombridge [6] 5 40 0.00 0 00 *5/54 2.42 Withyham [6.5] 6 07 0.00 0 00 44 /max 1.22 Hartfield [3.5] 3 08 0.00 0 00 45/48 4.60 Forest Row [9] 6 24 0.00 0 00 35/39/32 3.49 East Grinstead [9] 8 43

In 1961 the H Class 0-4-4T of the East Grinstead (HL) shuttle was the usual offering. I have no idea about the line, but I suspect that the 61.5 mph before Grange Road was on the nippy side. (Run 2).

Runs 3 and 4 were clearly a means of getting to Brighton. I would have changed at Haywards Heath off an all stations train to get a higher speed on a semi fast. Andrew James has dealt with the 4 LAVS in Milepost, and these two runs are typical. Particularly marked in comparison with today are the much slower speeds attained by these units and this is especially evident on Run 4 on the 1 in 264 gradient to Clayton tunnel where 2945 & 2954 were held to below 60 mph. Currently, Class 377 units manage a fraction below 90 mph in the same location. I do remember these trains were very crowded, so there may have been an event in Brighton.

Milepost 37¾ 248 January 2017

Table 2 Run 2 Date 07 May 1961 Train 8.27 East Grinstead- Three Bridges Motive Power 31306/H Load 2/64/70 Recorder D.L.R Miles [sch] m s mph 0 00 East Grinstead 0 00 61.5 2 .74 Grange Road [6.5] 5 15 0.00 0 00 37/max 1.40 Rowfant [3.5] 3 27 0.00 0 00 53/10* 2.50 Three Bridges [6] 5 42 .

Table 3 Table 4 Run 3 Run 4 Date 07 May 1961 Date 07 May 1961 Train 7.45 Victoria- Train 8.28 Victoria- Brighton Brighton Motive Power 2951/2928/LAVS Motive Power 2945/2954/LAVs Load 8/279/305 Load 8/279/304 Recorder D.L.R Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph M C [sch] m s mph 29 21 Three Bridges 0 00 37 59 Haywards Heath 0 00 31 54 Balcombe Tunnel 3 40 55/30* 40 48 Wivelsfield 3 47 66 Box 62 41 40 Burgess Hill 4 36 64 33 66 Balcombe [?] 6 50 43 40 Hassocks 6 42 58 33 66 Balcombe 0 00 65/max 45 66 Clayton SE tunnel 9 05 58/75/tsr 37 59 Haywards Heath [?] 7 32 Sig stop 49 19 Preston Park [14] 13 14

49 19 Preston Park 0 00 50 48 Brighton [3] 3 13

Arriving in Brighton, I travelled on the local Tonbridge–Brighton service which was steam hauled. The usual load on all days was four coaches 4/128/135. This train was clearly three- and–a-van. No. 80032 was a Brighton-based engine, and a very regular sight locally. Its performance was totally adequate. Between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells line speeds were 60 mph from Brighton to Lewes, 65 mph Lewes to Eridge, with a 50 mph at MP9 and 45 mph through Eridge station. In the Tunbridge Wells direction from Eridge there was a 20 mph restriction onto the Groombridge line at Birchden Junction and 20 mph through Groombridge Junction. Line speed was 65 mph between Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells West. On the gradient front, there was a rising gradient of 1 in 258 to MP 2¾ with a mile at 1 in 101 up to beyond Falmer, half-a-mile level at the summit and three miles down at 1 in 88 to Lewes. There was also a 50 mph slack at MP9 at the entrance over the viaduct and also a 20 mph restriction over the curving arched approach to Lewes station.

To return to the run of 80032, 39 mph at Falmer to the top of a mile at 1 in 101 was good as was the 66 mph down the grade to Lewes. Equally so was the 40 mph at the top of the 1 in 80/92/75 to Crowborough.

Having said that the Tonbridge–Brighton service was a regular interval the one exception was the 1110 Tonbridge Brighton. This train was a throwback to the previous irregular timetable, the pre- 1956 system. This train missed out all but Crowborough, Uckfield and Lewes to Brighton. It was 16 minutes quicker thereby and was booked to arrive at 1225. The return

Milepost 37¾ 249 January 2017 working was at 1903 which made the same stops but called additionally at Groombridge. At the time, the train was booked to be worked by Redhill ‘N’ Class 2-6-0. I had a good run in May 1960 with a D1 4-4-0, No. 31735 on this service. A photograph of this very train appears in one of the books on Southern Steam.

Table 5 M C [sch] m s mph Run 5 11 53 Barcombe Mills [7.5] 6 30 Date 7 May 1961 11 53 0 00 tsr/15 Train 9.55 Brighton- 13 55 Isfield [5.5] 4 25 Tonbridge 13 55 0 00 Motive Power 80032/4MT 16 39 Uckfield [6] 6 45 Load 4/114/120 16 39 0 00 40/max Recorder D.L.R 18 64 Buxted [7] 5 05 M C [sch] m s mph 18 64 0 00 47/40 0 02 Brighton 0 00 23 40 Crowborough & JB [8.5] 8 44 0 57 London Road [2.5] 2 41 23 40 0 00 50/sigs 0 57 0 00 26 79 Eridge [6] 8 00 2 40 Mp 3 59 45 26 79 0 00 3 38 Falmer 5 27 39 28 61 Groombridge Jct sigs 6 40 Mp 9 05 66 46 26 7 76 Lewes [13] 11 43 46 46 Groombridge [4.5] 5 02 7 76 0 00 55 max 46 46 0 00 50/47 49 48 Tunbridge Wells W [5.5] 5 32

I was very familiar with the local engines. I lived in Tunbridge Wells and often visited an aunt in Brighton. In May 1961, the Oxted line was entirely steam.

Having said all that, what turned up that Sunday morning was a real rarity, an Exmouth Junction N Class ex-works from Ashford. It was therefore in excellent nick – 74 mph with an N was very fast. They had 5' 6” diameter wheels, and were supposedly limited to 70 mph. The 35 mph on the 1 in 80 from Redgate Mill Junction to Crowborough and the 40 mph attained at Falmer Summit were good. The latter in accelerating from MP7 at 30 mph to 41 mph at the crest of the summit was worth around 730 edhp. The grade here is a rising 1 in 88. For younger members of the RPS, this is on par with what a Class 20 could manage with the same load. The 63 mph on the descent to Brighton was far from slow with an N.

Table 6 M C [sch] m s mph Run 6 23 40 Crowborough & JB 0 00 Date 07 May 1961 22 71 Crowborough T NE 1 37 Train 11.10 Tonbridge- 18 64 Buxted 6 45 74 Brighton 16 39 Uckfield [9] ?? ?? Motive Power 31838/N/4P/5F 16 39 0 00 Load 4/128/135 13 55 Isfield 4 35 56 Recorder D.L.R 11 53 Barcombe Mills 7 42 tsr/17 M C [sch] m s mph 9 00 Mp 10 42 64 49 48 Tunbridge Wells W 0 00 sigs 7 76 Lewes [12] ? 12 57 48 32 High Rocks 2 52 52/20 7 76 0 00 46 46 Groombridge 6 00 24 7 00 Mp 2 49 30 46 26 Groombridge Jct 4 20 Falmer Summit 7 29 41/40 28 61 3 38 Falmer 8 32 48 26 79 Eridge 9 10 51 2 40 Mp 9 37 63 25 35 Redgate Mill Jct 10 55 35 0 57 London Road 11 48 23 40 Crowborough & JB [12.5] 14 52 0 02 Brighton [17] 13 21 A competent run with Standard Class 4 4-6-0 No. 75069 which by this date had been fitted with a double chimney, follows in Table 7 on the 1255 return with 42 mph at Falmer Summit and 61½ on the descent.

Milepost 37¾ 250 January 2017 Table 7 Run 7 Date 07 May 1961 Train 12.55 Brighton- Victoria Motive Power 75069/4MT Load 4/128/134 Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph 0 02 Brighton 0 00 0 57 London Road 2 40 Mp 3 56 45 3 38 Falmer 5 18 42 6 40 Mp 8 58 61 7 76 Lewes [13] 11 39

Then followed a good-average run with No. 80032 on its return with the 1210 Tonbridge– Brighton. The load was the normal four carriages - Table 8.

Table 8 Run 8 Date 07 May 1961 Train 12.10 Tonbridge- Brighton Motive Power 80032/4MT Load 4/128/134 Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph 7 76 Lewes 0 00 7 00 Mp 2 48 sigs 4 20 Falmer Summit 7 48 37 3 38 Falmer 8 55 44 2 40 Mp 10 03 60 0 57 London Road [15] 13 10

With the standard service, you arrived at Lewes from Brighton at 11 minutes past the hour and returned at 23 minutes past. This made a nice connection. No. 31838 returned as booked on the 1355 Brighton–Tonbridge in Table 9. I took this train to Crowborough to intercept the 1410 Tonbridge–Brighton in Table 10. This was a sound run with 37 mph on Falmer Bank and 35 up the grade to Crowborough. .

Table 9 M C [sch] m s mph Run 9 7 76 Lewes 0 00 Date 07 May 1961 9 00 Mp 57 Train 13.55 Brighton- 11 53 Barcombe Mills [7.5] 5 52 Tonbridge 11 53 0 00 Motive Power 31838/4P/5F 13 55 Isfield [4.5] 4 23 Load 4/128/135 13 55 0 00 45/sig Recorder D.L.R 16 39 Uckfield [6] 7 41 stop M C [sch] m s mph 16 39 0 00 35 0 57 London Road 0 00 18 64 Buxted [5.5] 4 58 2 40 Mp 4 07 42 18 64 0 00 46/35 3 38 Falmer 5 50 37 23 40 Crowborough & JB [9.5] 8 13

6 40 Mp 9 40 55 7 76 Lewes [13] 12 25

The return was with the aforesaid 1410. This was No. 80144 with the usual four carriages. A good timekeeping performance with perhaps 70 mph before Buxted was the best part.

Milepost 37¾ 251 January 2017

Table 10 M C [sch] m s mph Run 10. 16 39 Uckfield 0 00 56 max Date 07 May 1961 13 55 Isfield [4.5] 4 47 Train 14.10 Tonbridge- 13 55 0 00 15/tsr Brighton 11 53 Barcombe Mills [3.5] 4 05 Motive Power 80144/4MT 11 53 0 00 62/max Load 4/128/135 7 76 Lewes [7] 7 22 Recorder D.L.R 7 76 0 00 M C [sch] m s mph 7 00 Mp 2 35 33 23 40 Crowborough & JB 0 00 60/70 4 20 Falmer Summit 7 40 35 18 64 Buxted [7.5] 7 00 3 38 Falmer 8 45 18 64 0 00 65/max 2 40 Mp 9 54 60 16 39 Uckfield [4] 3 44 0 57 London Road [14] 16 15

Later that year the 1410 and the 1555 return became a regular fill in turn for a Hastings diesel unit. This left the Tonbridge–Brighton service bereft of steam between 1210 and 1610, the service being two-hourly in the afternoon. My return on the 1555 with No. 80033 finds nothing spectacular in Table 11.

Table 11 Run 11 Date 07 May 1961 Train 15.55 Brighton- Tonbridge Motive Power 80033/4MT Load 4/128/135 Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph London 0 57 0 00 Road 2 40 Mp 4 07 37 3 38 Falmer 5 50 33 6 40 Mp 9 40 64/sigs 7 76 Lewes [13] 12 25

The 1610 was a regular Redhill N Class turn and this arrived with No. 31866. This usually conveyed vans which added to the load. The return in Table 13 was with No. 80032 on the 1755. This was a better effort than with No. 80033 with a sound minimum and good maximum speed to Lewes. The net time was two minutes within schedule.

Next up was No. 75069 returning with the 1638, a Victoria via Eridge train. This was good with 44 mph at Falmer Summit and 71½ on the descent. Unfortunately, this was truncated by signals at the approach to London Road, Brighton. To conclude – we have 31866 returning on the 1903 semi fast to Tonbridge. Again, a sound effort with 37 mph at Falmer and 35 mph to Crowborough Tunnel. This took me home.

One thing to add is there does seem to be some mileage discrepancy between Lewes and Barcombe Mills which Andrew James hasn’t been able to ascertain the reason for. The point of measurement on old sectional appendices is sometimes not clear and therefore a miscalculation of the overall distance can result in an error. Alternatively, there may have been a surveying error. This happened on the northern section of the line between Birchden and Ashurst Junctions when the final section was completed between Eridge and Ashurst in 1914.

Milepost 37¾ 252 January 2017 . Table 12 Table 13 Run 12 Run 13 Date 07 May 1961 Date 07 May 1961 Train 16.10 Tonbridge- Train 17.55 pm Brighton- Brighton Tonbridge Motive Power 31866/N/4P/5F Motive Power 80032/4MT Load 4/128/135 Load 4/128/135 Recorder D.L.R Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph M C [sch] m s mph 7 76 Lewes 0 00 0 57 London Road 0 00 7 00 Mp 2 44 2 40 Mp 3 37 40 4 20 Falmer Summit 9 03 30 3 38 Falmer 5 06 40 3 38 Falmer 10 20 6 40 Mp 8 31 68/sigs 2 40 Mp 11 29 60/64 7 76 Lewes [13] 11 44 0 57 London Road ? [?] 13 48 .. Table 14 Run 14 Date 07 May 1961 Train 16.38 Victoria- Brighton Motive Power 75069/4MT Load 4/128/135 Recorder D.L.R M C [sch] m s mph 7 76 Lewes 0 00 7 00 Mp 4 20 Falmer Summit 7 10 44 3 38 Falmer 8 08 2 40 Mp 9 11 71/sigs 0 57 London Road 0 02 Brighton [13] 12 34

Table 15 M C [sch] m s mph Run 15 7 76 Lewes 0 00 Date 07 May 1961 9 00 Mp 2 43 Train 19.03 PM Brighton- 11 53 Barcombe Mills 6 25 53 Tonbridge 13 55 Isfield 9 35 15/tsr/54 Motive Power 31866/4P/5F 16 39 Uckfield [15] 14 45 Load 4/128/135 16 39 0 00 Recorder D.L.R 18 64 Buxted 2 31 36.5 M C [sch] m s mph 20 00 Mp 55/35 0 02 Brighton 0 00 23 40 Crowborough & JB [15] 12 18 0 57 London Road 2 04 23 40 0 00 2 40 Mp 5 13 44 25 35 Redgate Mill Jct 3 31 60/62 3 38 Falmer 6 52 37 26 79 Eridge 5 00 57/sigs 6 40 Mp 11 00 55 27 76 Birchden Jct 6 20 22 7 76 Lewes [14] 13 33 28 61 Groombridge Jct 46 26 46 46 Groombridge [9] 8 40 46 46 0 00 48 32 High Rocks 3 33 44/41.5 49 48 Tunbridge Wells W [6] 5 45

I hope members find this of interest. This day out was clearly done in my neck of the woods, and over lines that were not fashionable at the time. It shows what could be done at 17 with limited pocket money.

Milepost 37¾ 253 January 2017 Borders Rail Steam

Martin Robertson

Date Sun 13.09.15 Sun 18.10.15 Train 10 44 Edinburgh-Tweedmouth 10 44 Edinburgh-Tweedbank Loco 60163 Tornado 60009 Union of South Africa Load 10:358/375/525 10/358/375/610 67026 on rear Dead? +Dead 67026 Position/Gps 10 of 10, Y 10 of 10 Y Weather Dry Mild Sunny Dry Mild, damp rail miles m c Location m s mph ave m s mph ave 0.00 0 05 Edinburgh Wý d 0 00.0 0 00.0 0.29 0 28 Calton Nth T'l (in) 1 53.0 19 9.2 1 22.0 20 12.7 0.74 0 64 Abbeyhill 2 57.0 33 25.3 1.34 1 32 St Margarets T'l in 3 50.0 48 40.8 3 22.0 46 31.5 1.99 2 04 Ob 9 4 42.5 45 44.6 4 17.0 42 42.5 2.56 2 50 Craigentinney 5 19.5 27 32.8 3.31 3 30 Portobello Jn 8 55.5 15* 18.8 8 01.5 14* 16.7 3.82 3 71 BRUNSTANE 11 01.5 16.5 14.6 9 45.5 20 17.7 4.59 4 52 NEWCRAIGHALL 13 20.5 24 19.9 11 56.0 23 21.2 5.01 5 06 Zero Waste 14 21.5 25.5 24.8 12 57.5 26 24.6 5.70 5 61 SHAWFAIR 15 44.5 36.5 29.9 14 19.0 34 30.5 6.80 6 69 A720 OB (N) 17 23.0 41.5/39 40.2 16 14.0 34 34.4 8.26 8 26 ESKBANK 19 27.5 45.5 42.2 18 42.5 36 35.4 9.64 9 56 NEWTONGRANGE 21 29.0 36 40.9 21 25.5 29 30.5 10.69 10 60 Povert Rd Ob 23 23.0 30 33.2 23 41.5 29 27.8 11.00 11 05 Gore Glen Fb 24 07.5 18* 25.1 11.31 11 30 Engine Shed Fb 24 52.5 30 24.8 25 05.0 28 26.7 11.85 11 73 GOREBRIDGE 25 44.5 42 37.4 26 00.5 36.5 35.0 12.56 12 50 Fushiebridge Ob 26 49.5 37 39.3 27 25.5 26 30.1 13.67 13 59 Thorniehill Ob 28 39.0 39 36.5 29 58.0 28 26.2 14.47 14 43 Halflaw Kiln Ob 29 49.0 39 41.1 31 40.5 26 28.1 15.40 15 37 Willowburn Ob 31 20.5 37.5 36.6 33 47.0 25.5 26.5 16.77 16 67 Cowbraehill Ob 33 20.5 40.5 41.1 36 47.0 30/25 27.4 17.99 18 04 Falahill Summit Sign 35 08.0 45.5 40.9 39 31.5 31 26.7 18.25 18 25 Falahill A7 Ob 35 28.0 49 46.8 39 56.5 37/43 37.4 19.20 19 21 Sandyknowe Ob 36 33.5 54 52.2 41 20.5 40 40.7 20.37 20 35 Little Gala (N) 37 59.5 46.5 49.0 43 06.0 32* 39.9 21.44 21 40 Crookstone Mill Ub 39 36.5 23* psr 39.7 45 40.5 19* 24.9 22.29 22 28 Pirntaton Ob 41 33.5 34 26.2 47 57.0 30 22.4 23.39 23 36 Plenploth Ob 43 23.0 27* 36.2 50 11.0 24/28 29.6 25.17 25 19 Watherston Ub65 47 26.0 22 26.4 54 36.5 18* 24.1 25.85 25 73 Galabank Jn Gate 48 46.5 38 30.4 56 27.0 29 22.2 26.49 26 44 STOW 49 56.5 39 32.9 57 45.0 29 29.5 27.50 27 45 Lugate Water Ub 51 47.0 25* 32.9 60 07.5 22 25.5 28.45 28 41 Bow Bridge Ub 62 43.5 19* 21.9 28.84 28 72 Bowshank T'l (N) 54 59.0 23* 25.1 63 48.5 22 21.6 29.31 29 30 Harpers Ob 56 16.5 10sc 21.8 65 32.0 11sc 16.3 ss 57 07- 73 28 66 30- 70 17 30.19 30 20 Whitlee Ob 75 36.0 39 72 19.0 41 30.85 30 73 Whin Water Ub 76 36.5 49 39.3 31.70 31 61 Towrwoodlee T'l (N) 77 30.5 53 56.7 74 12.5 53 47.9 32.87 32 75 Hunters Bridge Rd Fb 79 28.0 38 br 35.8 75 59.0 26 39.5 33.25 33 25 GALASHIELS a 80 38.0 19.5 77 11.0 19.0 0.00 d 0 00.0 24.7 0 00.0 25.8 0.46 33 62 Glenfield Rd (N) 1 37.0 34 17.1 1 38.5 32 16.8 0.95 34 21 Dale St Fb 2 27.0 35 35.3 2 38.0 22 29.6 1.42 34 59 Winston Rd Ob 3 17.0 27 33.8 3 59.0 29 20.9 2.00 35 25 TWEEDBANK a 6 14.0 11.8 6 58.0 11.7

Milepost 37¾ 254 January 2017 The opening of the Borders Rail Link from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in September 2015 prompted Abeillio to run a number of steam trips over the line, both on weekdays and on Sundays. In general, A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa was used for the trips but after some minor mechanical problems on the first run on which the Queen was a passenger, No. 60163 Tornado substituted for the A4 in the first of the public runs. The A4 worked the remainder of the public services.

With no run-around facilities at Tweedbank the services were limited to steam haulage in the southbound direction with diesel No. 67026 used northbound on each occasion I was on the services to return the train to Edinburgh. In practice, it is thought that the driver of the Class 67 was providing rear end assistance on most of the southbound runs. It was only the final run on Sunday 18 October where the steam engine appeared to be the sole provider of power.

The two runs shown are the first public run with Tornado and the final public run with Union of South Africa, where there appeared to be no rear end assistance. The run with Tornado was similar to the other runs I had when Union of South Africa was at the head of the train. Speeds were, I thought, well within the capability of the A1, which on a sunny day and a rake of maroon coaches made a fine sight as it wound its way upgrade to Falahill Summit.

The run with Union of South Africa was a bit of a disappointment, particularly as it was the last run of the trips, on which it might be expected that the driver would see what could be done with the loco on its own. It was dry throughout but there may have been slight dampness on the rails, although there had been a couple of Scotrail services over the route before the A4.

On the run with Tornado I had the company of a couple, who could have been in their eighties, from the Borders who had witnessed the final steam service over the route in the early 1960s. They had driven north with their son to be on the first steam trip and confessed that they thought they would never have seen a steam engine back in the Borders after the closure if the line.

The line itself is well worth a visit even with the staple traction of Class 158 units. At Tweedbank I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the nearby Abbotsford House, the former home of the writer Sir Walter Scott and the town of Melrose with its Abbey and excellent eating establishments.

STEAM PERFORMANCE IN SCOTLAND

Sandy Smeaton

The three steam runs in Scotland described below span a period of 75 years and all demonstrate a remarkably high standard of footplate work. The first, in 1939, north over the G&SW route double-headed by a Patriot and a Scot, both then un-rebuilt, was a determined attempt to regain lost time. The second, in 1965, only three months before dieselisation of the Glasgow–Dundee service, is a fine example of what a BR Standard Class 5 Caprotti could achieve in the right hands. The last, from the preservation era, is a testament to the steaming ability of the rebuilt Scot boilers and the footplate skills of the crew.

On Run No.1 the relatively lightly loaded 12.00 pm (noon) from St. Pancras was double headed because No. 6160 was going north for a return working. A 15¾ minute late start from Carlisle, due away about 6.30 pm, produced an electrifying run to Glasgow recovering 13 minutes. Floriston was passed at 77 mph and Gretna Junction negotiated at 70. Even time was achieved as early as Eastriggs, passed at 76 then rising to 78 before Annan. There was a fall to 68 mph on the 1 in 200 climb up through Ruthwell followed by 76 on the descent to Dumfries, stopping there in only 31m 31s from Carlisle, an average of 63 mph.

Milepost 37¾ 255 January 2017

Run No: 1 Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds Date: Fri 14.7.39 3.4 Holywood 4 48 62½/68 Train: 1200 St Pancras-St Enoch 7.5 Auldgirth 8 34 66/65 Locomotives: 5523 'Bangor' and 11.5 Closeburn 12 02 71 6160 'Queen Victoria's Rifleman' 14.2 THORNHILL 16 14 27 67½ Load: 9 / 275 tons tare/ 290 tons gross 17.5 Carronbridge 17 31 64min/70/66 Weather: Wet 26.1 SANQUHAR 30 25 45 57min Timed by: W. Rowing Coleby 29.5 Kirkconnel 28 58 65/62min NEW Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds 36.9 41 35 50 68 CUMNOCK 0.0 CARLISLE 0 0 00 16L 39.4 Polquhap Siding ~ ~ 71 4.1 Rockcliffe 5 52 64 42.3 Old Cumnock 40 29 69 Eased 6.1 Floriston 7 37 77 44.3 Auchinleck 42 49 40 Eased 8.6 GRETNA 11 9 34 70 48.7 MAUCHLINE 52 47 27 66/64 Gretna 9.6 10 28 68 56.3 Hurlford 53 51 80 Green 11.7 Rigg 12 16 71 58.1 KILMARNOCK 62 56 34 4L 14.7 Eastriggs 14 40 76/78 7.7 Dunlop ~ ~ 43 17.7 ANNAN 21 17 03 74/76 10.0 LUGTON 14 13 03 66 21.1 Cummertrees 19 45 74/77 13.2 Shilford ~ ~ 55 24.6 Ruthwell 22 40 68 16.8 BARRHEAD 21 19 22 74max 29.2 Racks 26 33 76/74 22.5 STRATHBUNGO 27 25 28 53 33.1 DUMFRIES 38 31 31 9L 24.4 ST. ENOCH 31 29 26 3L

After Dumfries the entire climb from Holywood to Carronbridge was run in excess of 60 mph, with a maximum of 71 at Closeburn. Passing Carronbridge at 64, a smidgeon outside even time, must have had the timer, Mr Rowing Coleby, smiling. Progress up the Nith Valley after Sanquhar continued in the high 60s until an easing at Auchinleck, perhaps for signals, followed by a maximum of 80 mph down through Hurlford. Despite a slow entry to Kilmarnock the time from Dumfries was only 56m 34s, an average of 61.6 mph. In 1965, both the 10.25 am ex- Leeds and the ‘Thames–Clyde Express’, by then Holbeck ‘Peak’ Type 4 hauled and normally loaded to nine vehicles, were allowed 60 minutes for this section.

The final section of the run to St Enoch took a half minute under 30 minutes. The summit of the climb between Stewarton and Dunlop was passed at 43 mph, followed by 66 down through Lugton and then a minimum of 55 at Shilford Summit. Barrhead saw the final maximum of 74 and, with an apparently unchecked run into St Enoch, the two 4-6-0s stopped only three minutes late.

Although the power required per engine was not high, the two crews, unfortunately not named, made a determined and sustained attempt to regain lost time throughout. I have not yet found a G&SW run to match it for speed.

An odious comparison with the diversions over the G&SW during the closure of Lamington Viaduct early in 2016 operated by Voyagers can be made. The total running time of the ‘Patriot’ and ‘Scot’ from Carlisle to St Enoch was 117m 31s. The Voyager with the fastest booked total running time was the weekday 1500 from Carlisle, given 119 minutes. The majority were booked in 124 or 125 minutes, all making an advertised stop at Kilmarnock. This, of course, is a reflection of the current state of the G&SW with its low line limits and northern end single line sections having suffered years of under-investment.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to discover anything about the timer, Mr W. Rowing Coleby. The run shown is one of only four of his logs on the database.

Moving on 26 years to 1965 and 63 miles farther north, No. 73149 had eight coaches on the 10.00 am Dundee Tay Bridge to Glasgow Buchanan Street on Saturday 5 June. At Perth, a group of army cadets struggled to get all their kit onto the train delaying it by seven minutes.

Milepost 37¾ 256 January 2017 Fortunately for those on board needing to be in Glasgow punctually, the driver was Willie Jardine of St. Rollox who had worked to Perth on the 8.25 am from Buchanan Street. The work thrashed out of 73149 from Perth to Gleneagles far exceeded the norm for a Class 5. A time of about 20 minutes would be considered good for a Class 5 in 1965. 73149 took 8 seconds less than 18 minutes, which would not have disgraced an A4 passing Gleneagles on a three hour timing with six or seven coaches. From the Perth start, 70 mph was reached at Forteviot and after a slight fall on the rising gradient to 67½, the cut-off was lengthened to achieve 72 just before Dunning. Auchterarder was passed at 50 and after speed had fallen to 48, even more was asked of the engine with a slight rise to 48½ at MP137. At MP136, less than a ½ mile from the stop, speed was still 45 mph suggesting a very late regulator closing and brake application. Such running produced a four minute gain on schedule in only 15½ miles. The power output required was about 1,200 edbhp until Auchterarder, where it increased on the 1 in 100 to about 1,400. Close examination of the acceleration between MPs 143 and 142 suggests a high output for a Class 5, but calculating an accurate value is difficult.

The 10.00 am from Dundee always had a tight 14 minute schedule from Gleneagles to Dunblane. 73149 knocked 40 seconds off this, having reached 80 mph on the level after Greenloaning and 84 before late braking for the Dunblane stop. The short run from Dunblane to Stirling, allowed six minutes, was tame in comparison with the preceding running. The maximum at Cornton was only 67 mph and the schedule was exceeded by six seconds.

On the level leaving Stirling, 47 mph was reached before a fall to 44 on the 1 in 118 climb to Plean. The maximum in the dip at Alloa Junction was 72 before stopping at Larbert having gained a half minute. On the awkward climb from Larbert to Cumbernauld, the 12 minutes schedule was marginally exceeded despite achieving a maximum of 58 mph at Castlecary Lower.

On the final section from Cumbernauld the gradient is mostly favourable but usually included slacks. Another two minutes were recovered after 78 mph at Garnkirk and, after a PWS to 25 mph at Robroyston, 65 passing Sighthill East, only 1¾ miles from the terminus. The final arrival was only one minute late, a triumph for engine and crew. Colin Graham timed this run. He knew Willie Jardine’s reputation as a driver and sought out the trains he drove. On the reverse side of the sheet with Colin’s log he had written ‘The Ultimate Run?’ There was no need for the question mark. This run was no exception however. No. 73149 featured in two runs in the March 1966 Railway Magazine when it deputised for an A4 on the 8.25 am from Buchanan Street loaded to seven coaches. On the first, it ran from Stirling to Perth in 33m 38s and two days later cut the time to 32m 25s; exceptional times for a Class 5.

The third run below is No. 46115’s outstanding performance on the 2014 Great Britain. The Lockerbie-Abington section has been published previously, but the complete run from Carlisle to Edinburgh deserves exposure, especially the first section from Carlisle.

46115 had started from Carnforth at 0715, bringing the empty stock to Grange-over-Sands, departing from there at 0945 and working north round the Cumbrian Coast to Carlisle, where there was a brief stop before proceeding up the WCML at 1418. Driving throughout was Gordon Hodgson. The firemen were Pete Hansen and Chris Holmes, the latter taking over at Lockerbie. The load was 12 full coaches, 437½ tons tare, 465 gross. It was a perfect, spring day and the rail was dry. Gretna Junction was passed in only 38 seconds more than 10 minutes, after reaching 77½ mph just north of the Esk Viaduct. (The ‘Caledonian’ was allowed 10 minutes to pass Gretna Junction, but with the luxury of a ‘Duchess’ and eight coaches). The minimum at MP14½ was 66½ mph, recovering to 76½ on the undulating easier section through Kirtlebridge. Approaching MP21, just before Castlemilk Summit, speed had fallen to 65½ only. The engine then had to be eased for a TSR and after approach control dictated a crawl into Lockerbie loop, we stopped there in 28m 51s from the Carlisle start.

Milepost 37¾ 257 January 2017 Run No: 2 Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds Date: Sat 5.6.65 2.16 BRIDGE OF ALLAN 2 56 65 Train: 10.00 Dundee - Glasgow 3.24 Cornton 3 55 67 Locomotive: 73149 5MT Caprotti 4.37 MP 119 4 59 60 Driver: Willie Jardine (St Rollox) 5.07 STIRLING 6 6 06 ~ Load: 8 / 287 /310 1.50 Polmaise 3 05 44 Timed by: C.Graham 2.30 MP 116 4 05 47 Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds 3.30 MP 115 5 22 46/44 0.00 PERTH 0 0 00 7L 3.99 Plean Jn 6 15 48 2.01 Hilton Jn 4 3 59 50 5.83 Alloa Jn 8 8 07 72 3.22 MP 148 5 16 62/67½ 7.30 MP 111 9 23 68 3.91 Forgandenny 5 54 66 8.08 LARBERT 11 10 29 ~

6.72 Forteviot 8 22 70 1.22 Carmuirs West Jn 2 29 45

8.22 MP 143 9 40 67½ 3.22 MP 107 5 12 40 9.22 MP 142 10 31 72 3.57 Greenhill Lower Jn 6 5 43 43 9.52 Dunning 10 46 70 5.40 Castlecary Lower 7 50 58 10.92 Whitemoss 12 04 61 6.22 MP 104 8 44 53 12.22 MP 139 13 26 55 7.22 MP 103 9 42 56/51½ min 13.66 Auchterarder 15 07 50/48/48½ 8.96 CUMBERNAULD 12 12 06 ~ 15.22 MP 136 17 07 45 1.78 Madgescroft 2 54 60/65/63 15.58 GLENEAGLES 22 17 52 ~ 4.21 Garnqueen N Jn 6 5 15 64

0.64 Summit MP 135 2 14 33 5.87 GARTCOSH 6 41 70 2.30 Blackford 4 26 55 7.14 GARNKIRK 7 42 78 4.64 MP 131 6 35 75/74 8.58 STEPPS 8 53 68 6.40 Greenloaning 8 00 78/77 9.91 Robroyston West 10 53 Pws 25 8.64 MP 127 9 41 80/82 10.51 Milton Jn 11 56 50 9.64 Kinbuck (MP 126) 10 26 78 11.40 Sighthill East 12 56 65 10.64 MP 125 11 10 82/84 11.97 ST ROLLOX 13 36 40 11.64 MP 124 11 57 78 12.50 MP 104 14 14 27 31 12.28 DUNBLANE 14 13 20 ~ 13.04 BUCHANAN ST 18 16 01 1L

After a 40 minute water stop, 46115 continued north, accelerating steadily to 72 mph at MP33½, the minor summit south of Wamphray. In the shallow dip to the Annan Water viaduct, speed rose to 79½. The site of Beattock station was passed at 70½, after which the gradient steepening from 1 in 88 to 1 in 74 brought us down to 37 mph at MP45 at Greskine. The curves here caused a further fall to the minimum, 30 mph at Harthope Viaduct. Speed was then held between 31 and 31½ mph to MP49½ before the easing gradient approaching the Summit. As speed recovered quickly to 61 mph at MP51 the engine had not been winded on the climb. The maximum before the Abington water stop was a moderate 70 mph , but two minutes had been knocked off the 43 allowed from Lockerbie.

The last leg to Edinburgh continued in the same fine style with 71½ mph at the Clyde crossing, a minimum of 67 at the top of the rise to Symington, 80 in the Thankerton dip and 70½ at Leggatfoot.

After negotiating Carstairs east chord at a very cautious minimum of 8½ mph, Carnwath was passed at 31½, followed by 58½ at the foot of the climb to Cobbinshaw and a minimum of 44½ at the top. The final downhill section produced a maximum of 76½ before Harburn and, surprisingly, we enjoyed a virtually clear road into Waverley stopping a minute inside the booked 59 minutes from Abington, but 2½ late.

There has only been one run in preservation faster than 46115’s to MP21 after Ecclefechan, that of No. 60532 on 21 March 1998 (which is now unlikely to be surpassed) when the Class 8 had a load of only 10 vehicles. As for the climb of Beattock, Table 1 below, lists those runs in preservation running non-stop from Beattock to the summit which bettered 46115’s effort.

Milepost 37¾ 258 January 2017 Run No: 3 Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds EDHP Date: Tue 29.4.14 20.63 Greskine (MP 45) 21 02 37 1750 Train: 09.45 Grange-over-Sands - Edinburgh Wav 21.63 MP 46 22 41 35 1840 Locomotive: 46115 'Scots Guardsman'; 7P, 4-6-0 22.63 Harthope MP47 24 30 31½/30 1650 Load: 12 coaches/437½ /465 23.63 MP 48 26 27 31 1660 Driver: G.Hodgson 24.63 MP 49 28 23 31½ 1720 Firemen: P.Hansen to Lockerbie/C.Holmes beyond 25.13 MP 49½ 29 22 31½ 1680 Weather: Dry, mostly sunny and no wind. 25.38 Beattock Summit 32 29 48 35 1720 Timed by/Position: A.Smeaton/GPS/ 6/13 27.63 MP 52 32 15 71 Miles LOCATION Sch Mn Sc Speeds EDHP 28.24 Elvanfoot 32 46 69/66 0.00 CARLISLE (Plm 1) 0 0 00 2L 30.73 Crawford 34 59 69½/70

0.75 Caldew Jn 2 39 34½ 33.49 Abington DPL (w) 43 41 00

2.08 Kingmoor 4 37 47 0.00 (Drew-up to signal) 0 00 3L 4.00 Rockcliffe (MP) 6 41 63 2.13 Wandelmill 4 36 52 6.09 Floriston 8 31 74 1700 3.88 MP 62 6 23 66 7.00 MP 7 9 14 77/77½ 5.13 Lamington 7 27 71½ 8.75 Gretna Jn 13 10 38 73 1500 6.88 MP 65 8 56 69/67 10.25 Quintinshill 11 53 70 8.49 Symington 10 22 70 12.00 MP 12 13 25 67½ 10.38 Thankerton 11 54 80 13.00 Kirkpatrick 18 14 19 67 1660 11.88 Leggatfoot (MP 70) 13 04 70½ 14.50 Minor Summit 15 39 66½ 1840 13.48 Pettinain UB 14 27 60 16.00 MP 16 16 56 74½/74 15.08 Carstairs South 16 18 18 Psr 11/8½ 16.75 Kirtlebridge 17 32 75½ 1650 15.64 Carstairs East 19½ 20 54 22 17.50 MP 17½ 18 08 76½ 16.45 Carnwath (MP 75) 22 46 31½ 19.00 MP 19 19 21 70½ 18.70 MP 77¼ 25 55 57/58½ 20.21 Ecclefechan 20 23 67½ 1400 19.45 MP 78 26 42 58/58½ 21.00 MP 21 21 06 65½ 20.88 Auchengray 25½ 28 11 55 21.75 MP 21¾ 21 49 Tsr 58 22.46 MP 81 29 58 51½ 22.18 OB 86 (Breckonhill) 22 16 52½Eased 23.46 MP 82 31 12 46/44½ 24.00 MP 24 24 26 42½/12½/23½ 23.96 Cobbinshaw Smt 29 31 51 46½ 25.63 Lockerbie Dn Loop (w) 37 28 51 1E 25.46 MP 84 33 31 66/76½ 0.21 LOCKERBIE 1 50 16½ 27.01 OB 73 (Harburn) 34 49 74/71½ 1.38 MP 27 4 01 46½ 28.46 MP 87 35 59 74½/69½ 3.06 Nethercleugh 5 51 64 29.94 Linhouse Water V 37 15 Psr 70 4.38 MP 30 7 02 69½ 31.56 Midcalder Jn (Pts) 38½ 38 35 72½ 6.12 Dinwoodie 8 31 71½ 32.37 KIRKNEWTON 39 16 71½ 7.88 Minor Summit MP33½ 9 59 72 35.46 MP 94 41 57 65½ 8.93 Wamphray (UB) 10 50 77½ 36.96 CURRIEHILL [2] 43 19 68 9.88 MP 35½ 11 33 79½ 38.66 WESTER HAILES 44 49 62½ 11.37 Murthat (MP 37) 12 42 76 39.46 KINGSKNOWE 45 43 46 14.13 Beattock (MP39¾) 17 14 58 70½ 40.44 SLATEFORD 48 47 01 41½/Sig15½ 16.63 MP 41 16 06 62 1560 41.46 MP 100 49 58 17 17.88 MP 42¼ 17 22 55 1930 42.16 HAYMARKET 53 52 33 ~ 18.63 MP 43 18 14 49½ 1810 42.81 Haymarket Tnl E 54 31 16 19.63 MP 44 19 32 43 1750 43.12 Mound Tnl W 55 43 15 43.42 WAVERLEY P1/20) 59 57 52 2L [ ] Denotes recovery time. w Denotes loco watered. Edbhp figures calculated by Doug Landau.

The seven runs faster than 46115’s were all by Class 8s, some with lighter loads. Doug Landau’s opinion of the run was that, ‘On the grounds of sustained high power and duration this is probably the ultimate Class 7 performance.’

It will be noted that Gordon Hodgson was on the footplate on four of the runs. Gordon retired from the footplate in summer 2016 after having given many of us the best steam runs of our lives. He will be much missed.

Milepost 37¾ 259 January 2017 Table 1 – ‘The Best of Beattock’

Time Speed Date Loco Load Min speed Average Driver/Fireman Beattock passing on climb speed to Summit Beattock

21.3.98 60532 10/362/390 10m 05s 73 52 59.5 Grierson/Hodgson 22.3.97 60532 11/411/440 11m 47s 65 43 50.9 Hodgson/Kane 12.9.14 46233 9/316/335 12m 43s 63½ 41 47.2 Walker/Scott 28.9.02 6201 11/400/415 13m 20s 62 36 45.0 Hodgson/Kane 6.10.12 46233 12/432/460 13m 55s 68½ 30½ 43.1 Walker/Woods 27.9.03 6233 12/432/470 14m 27s 57½ 36 41.5 Andrews/Santrian 2.10.10 6233 12/437/465 14m 35s 67 31 41.1 Walker/Woods 29.4.14 46115 12/438/465 14m 50s 70½ 30 40.4 Hodgson/Holmes . The Overland travel experience

By Malcolm Simister

Why would anyone travel on a train that takes 10½ hours and runs twice weekly for a journey between Adelaide and Melbourne that by air takes only 1½ hours with flights every hour on two airlines?

My wife and I had an opportunity to find out in mid-January 2016 when we flew from Melbourne to Adelaide on Qantas on a Friday and returned on The Overland train the following Monday, providing two very different journeys.

I first travelled on The Overland in 1981 when it was a broad (5’ 3”) gauge train running via Ballarat but the current standard gauge train runs via Maroona. The former was a gold-mining Victorian city you’ve probably heard of but don’t fret if you’ve never heard of Maroona; most Australians haven’t either. There’s not much there but this is the route between Ararat and Melbourne of the interstate line that was regauged from broad to standard gauge in 1995. Between Adelaide and Ararat it follows the original route.

Today’s privatised daytime train is operated by Great Southern Rail (GSR) and only has sitting cars. In 1981 the joint South Australian and Victorian governments operated train had sleeping cars as well for its overnight journey and I remember sitting up in bed enjoying my breakfast cuppa from the attendant as we descended the Adelaide Hills. What a wonderful way to travel! In January 2016, there were many contrasts between flying over land and travelling on The Overland. Our economy class seats on the Qantas Boeing 737-800 were adequate enough for our 1½ hour flight while those in Red Premium Service on The Overland were much larger, very comfortable and with more than enough leg room for our 10½ hour journey. I know that business class seats in a 737 are spacious too, but you pay considerably more for the privilege whereas the fare on The Overland’s premium experience is comparable with Qantas’s and Virgin Australia’s economy class alternative.

The modern and compact 737 contrasted with our refurbished and roomy 1952-built Overland carriage, BJ4. It was originally a second class sitting car but nowadays the Red Premium seats are arranged 2+1 across the wide aisle. Its green interior felt more warm and welcoming than the comparatively austere but bright cabin of the 737. Even the Red Service 2+2 seating looked very comfortable.

The Overland’s locomotive was more modern than the carriages it hauled, being a 3,000 kW NR class diesel electric Co-Co introduced in 1996 with a single end full width cab and narrow hood, and rented by GSR from freight operator Pacific National on a ‘hook and pull’ basis. It provided plenty of power for our six-vehicle train weighing 293 tonnes comprising three Red

Milepost 37¾ 260 January 2017 Service sitting cars, one cafeteria car, one Red Premium Service sitting car and a van supplying power for on-board services.

From the aircraft, we saw the sky but from train we saw the country in a succession of different scenes through BJ4’s large windows. The beautiful, forested Adelaide hills through which The Overland twisted and turned its way around sharp curves and up steep gradients; the mighty Murray River crossed on a long bridge at the eponymous town of Murray Bridge; the 143 km long pipeline running alongside the railway taking water from the Murray at Tailem Bend to Keith.

The Overland 0745 Adelaide-Melbourne, Mon 18 Jan 2016 Dist Location WTT Actual Max/min Locomotive: NR104, Co-Co, 3,000 kW Km m m:s km/h Formation: 6 vehicles, 293ton tare 414.3 Dimboola station 319 305.09 14E Dist Location WTT Actual Max/min 14.2 Pimpinio loop 11 9.05 118/101 Km m m:s km/h 34.9 Horsham station 21.08 116/104 0.0 Adelaide Parklands Terminal 0 0.00 RT 24 21.52 4.9 Goodwood 4.37 58/- Sigs&stop 5m16s 117/- 21.8 Belair sig stop 23.53 83/32 64.3 Murtoa station 41 49.27 112/102 27 41.45 107.2 Deep Lead loop 65 72.09 117/113 31.0 Mount Lofty loop 40/49 54.01 58/23 120.8 Stawell station 75 81.18 116/102 44.0 Ambleside loop 63 68.50 59/25 80 81.52 12E 51.4 Mount Barker Junction loop 71 76.42 65/46 Sigs/TSR 93/20 62.4 Petwood loop 85/95 88.08 66/41 8.4 Great Western loop 5 9.39 111/- 82.4 Monarto South loop 113 103.20 116/70 Sigs 115/9 96.6 Murray Bridge station 113.33 113/58 26.4 Pyrenees loop 18/26 22.49 42/- (unschedued stop) 124 115.01 30.6 Ararat 32 28.57 66/- 120.0 Tailem Bend loop 140 130.15 116/106 37 30.18 18½E 154.0 Coomandook loop 158 148.10 119/106 20.2 Maroona loop 11 17.50 117/27 184.2 Coonalpyn loop 175 164.38 118/105 78.3 Vite Vite loop 43 51.01 117/60 211.9 Tintinara loop 190 179.37 115/110 114.8 Berrybank loop 64 71.44 117/90 228.8 Coombe loop 200 187.57 114/112 146.8 Wingeel loop 85 90.00 116/67 247.9 Keith loop 211 198.08 114/112 182.8 Gheringhap loop 107 111.30 117/71 273.6 Wirrega loop 225 212.24 114/92 191.1 Moorabool loop 115 118.29 95/53 298.0 Bordertown loop 237 226.27 112/68 195.6 North Shore 122 124.32 58/- 307.2 Wolesley station (SA) 247 232.13 113/99 127 125.51 19½E 315.0 Serviceton station (Victoria) 236.15 113/109 30.9 Manor loop 17 17.30 116/102 344.5 Kaniva loop 270 250.23 117/86 TSR 110/58 377.5 Nhill loop 290 272.53 117/33 49.5 Laverton loop 27 29.16 117/57 Prolonged sigs -/4 56.8 Newport, ANZAC siding 37 37.07 104/22 414.3 Dimboola station 314 301.26 81/- Sigs 39/18 63.4 Tottenham Junction 44 48.01 47/28 68.8 Sims Street Junction 56 58.59 55/18 2 sig stops 1m43s 33/9 73.5 Melbourne Southern Cross 72 74.47 17E

Then, crossing the unmarked state border from South Australia into Victoria, the long disused, overgrown and rusting rails of the turning triangle at Serviceton; the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal looking out of place in the countryside between Horsham and Murtoa; Murtoa itself from where a 112 kilometre long standard gauge branch line still has a scheduled weekday freight service to distant Hopetoun; many small, remote towns where imposing grain silos towered over closed stations, indicating the mainstay of the local economies; the Grampians in the distance relieving the flat plain near Stawell, whose 130 yard long Stawell Gift race has been run annually since 1878; the dual gauge Ararat station where a three car Vlocity DMU waited in the broad gauge bay platform to form V/Line’s service at 1649 to Melbourne via Ballarat, scheduled to Melbourne’s Southern Cross 41 minutes faster than The Overland despite having significantly more stops; Maroona, where there is little except some sidings, the old station buildings and the line branching off to the coast at Portland; the dark grey wallaby bounding across the golden yellow wheat stubble near Vite Vite.

Milepost 37¾ 261 January 2017

At Gheringhap our standard gauge line converged with the freight-only broad gauge line from Ballarat to form a dual gauge line for several kilometres to North Geelong; the impressively high bridge over the Moorabool River, crossed at reduced speed; the classic Victorian Railways wooden North Geelong C signal box, passed approaching the basic and unattractive concrete platform at North Shore built specially for The Overland and at which the on-board announcement made muggings sound likely; the Melbourne-Geelong broad gauge line paralleled to the new flying junction at Manor which diverts V/Line trains to the north while The Overland continued straight on through Werribee to Newport; and the excruciatingly slow and dismal approach to Southern Cross through some of Melbourne’s ugliest industrial suburbs and freight yards, the most awful, depressing and circuitous approach by rail to any city anywhere in Australia and quite possibly the world. But we arrived 17 minutes early in the dual gauge platform 2 at Southern Cross.

I have summarised my log of the run in the table, of necessity at a high level due to its length. I have shown the maximum and minimum speeds I recorded on my Garmin GPS in each section. The distances are my best estimates from the information I have. Given their magnitude, small errors won’t have a material effect.

Curves rather than the gradients limit speed through the Adelaide hills but the maximum permitted speed anywhere is only 115 km/h. In any case, the state of some of the track, especially in Victoria, would make higher speeds unwise. Once over the Adelaide hills’ summit at Mount Barker the train descends steeply towards Murray Bridge where curves again limit speeds but thereafter gradients are minimal.

This single-track railway, punctuated every few kilometres with passing loops, is primarily for freight, most of which runs overnight, but we were held at Belair to cross an Adelaide-bound container train hauled by four locomotives, overtook another in Dimboola loop making for Melbourne double-headed and crossed in the loop at Maroona a train of empty wheat wagons, also double-headed.

On this trip the schedule had plenty of slack, mostly due to scheduled stops in some loops to cross freights not being required and scheduled station dwell times being generous.

The reason for the unscheduled stop at Mount Barker remains a mystery and we also stopped briefly at Horsham despite the working timetable showing only a passing time. The signal stop before Murtoa was due to a track work occupation not anticipating our early running, while those before Southern Cross were to sandwich The Overland between V/Line’s trains approaching the terminus, again on dual gauge track. We were slowed or stopped for signals or track work at various other places as shown.

But the purpose of this train is not speed. Qantas and Virgin offer fast, frequent transport services while The Overland provides an increasingly rare Australian travel experience. For railway enthusiasts with time, there’s only one way to go. As I write, cuts to government subsidies threaten The Overland’s survival after June 2016 and if it is withdrawn no passenger trains will run between Adelaide and Melbourne for the first time in more than 128 years. And that would be a great shame.

Milepost 37¾ 262 January 2017 A Recorder's Guide to the SNCF - high speed to Strasbourg Alan Varley

The headline events on the French railway scene in 2016 were both linked, for better or worse, to the extension of the LGV Est-Européenne from Baudrécourt to Vendenheim, 10 km from Strasbourg. On one hand there was the aftermath of the disastrous derailment of a test train at the end of the previous year; on the other the opening of the 107 km of new line in July. The accident delayed the opening and had a continuing impact since the Up line viaduct where it occurred (the test train was running eastwards but on the Up line) remained sealed off by the legal authorities for almost a year. So the line opened with single-line operation for some 28 km from Vendenheim to Steinbourg, the first point at which a crossover is available. This article offers a brief description of the line, and some examples of early running with this single-line configuration.

From PK299 the extension continues to run just a little south of eastwards, parallel to but south of the Metz-Réding line formerly used by TGV services to reach Strasbourg. A flying junction at Lucy (PK305-305.6) provides a connection to/from Metz. Around PK 353.6 the new line crosses the River Sarre and the Metz-Réding line just north of the triangular junction at Réding where the latter joins the old Paris-Strasbourg route. At PK361.5 on the LGV-Est there is a flying junction with a connection from Réding but this is not normally used by passenger trains. The old Paris-Strasbourg line runs through the Vosges mountains alongside the Marne-Rhine canal in the narrow valley of the Zorn with a series of tunnels; the new line skirts this area to the north and cuts through the hills in a single four km long tunnel just north of Saverne before turning south-east to cross first the A4 motorway at PK383.4 and then the old main line, the Zorn and the canal around PK387. At the eastern end of the extension the Up and Down lines separate and cross the Marne-Rhine canal and the old Paris-Strasbourg line on separate viaducts while curving sharply southwards. The junction at Vendenheim is complex as the left- hand running of the LGV connects to the right-hand running of the Alsace-Lorraine system; Vendenheim is also the point at which the Strasbourg-Wissembourg branch leaves the old line, which comes down from a four-track to a two-track formation onwards to Nancy and Paris. So to accommodate TGVs the two tracks on the north/east side of the line through Vendenheim are dedicated to LGV and Wissembourg traffic. The down LGV line crosses the first two tracks (Strasbourg-Nancy and vice-versa) and connects with the third (the RH track from Wissembourg), while the up LGV line, having crossed both Nancy tracks, also leapfrogs the third track on a bow-string girder skew bridge and descends between the two Wissembourg tracks to its junction with the easternmost one - the extreme RH track when coming from Strasbourg. At present trains from Strasbourg use a 120 km/h crossover between Mundolsheim and Vendenheim to run wrong-line through Vendenheim and the junctions.

Gradients are generally not severe. Although there are some stretches at 1 in 30 or steeper they are extremely short and there are hardly any points where speed is significantly reduced by climbs, except where neutral sections are also present. From 233 metres at around PK302 the line just tops 300 metres altitude at PK309 and some short sharp switch-backs follow, with a low point of 207 metres at PK318 and a summit of 285 at PK325.5. There is then an easy stretch through a low of 220 metres near PK332 rising gently to 260 at PK342. For 10 kms between PK345 and 355 there are more switchbacks with three small summits, and finally the line rises to 340 metres at PK371 - this is just three metres below the highest point on the first phase of the LGV-Est. The line then drops into the Zorn valley with the only sustained gradient of any length - a fall of 158 metres in 10 km. The maximum gradient here is 1 in 30, but this is encountered only for a very short distance at the eastern end of Saverne tunnel. Switchback gradients to PK395.5 are followed by a broken descent to the end of the line. Saverne tunnel is limited to 300 km/h but otherwise the line speed is 320 throughout to the 300/230/170

Milepost 37¾ 263 January 2017 sequence approaching the 160 limit on the final curve. A line chart with profile is now available for the extension.

I visited the area when travelling to and from the UK for the RPS MTD in July, and again in August. My first down run lost a couple of minutes in the Paris suburbs due to signals and then ran very fast to Lorraine, passed in 71m 49.4s. The driver then appeared to select a 310 km/h cruising speed as far as Domnon, 300 thereafter, but nevertheless, we suffered a severe check through Saverne tunnel culminating in a stop of almost a minute while an up train came off the single line. With a fast finish – 06m 15s from Vendenheim - we took 115m 10s to Strasbourg, net 106¾ minutes, on a 108 minutes schedule. Table 1 Paris Est-Strasbourg

0925 Paris-Colmar, T 12.07.16, 2+8/399/425, Euroduplex 4714, AV 4/10 PK Dist m s km/h ave My second down run was 00.16 00.00 Paris Est Run 1 RT also checked, although less 08.91 08.75 Noisy le Sec 06 50.0 117/80*tsr severely, on the exit from 22.54 22.38 Vaires-Torcy 13 08.0 157/155 129.8 Paris, and it too ran very fast 12.00 34.54 SEI 75 17 02.3 267 186.8 on the old LGV - in fact from 18.50 41.04 SEI Chauconin 18 23.6 305-320 287.8 PK133 to 271 this run was 45.01 67.55 SEI Coulombs 23 28.0 302-319 313.5 10 seconds faster than the 71.61 94.15 SEI Beuvardes 28 30.7 320-283 316.4 281 km/h Champagne- 90.17 112.71 SEI Villers-Agron 32 10.5 269-315 304.0 Lorraine run I was to record 113.77 136.31 Champagne 37 00.4 313-320 293.0 six weeks later. High speed 140.62 163.16 SEI Livry-Louvercy 42 04.9 313-320 317.4 continued to Domnon, after 166.80 189.34 SEI Tilloy 47 00.9 308-320 318.4 which we seemed to ease a 188.36 210.90 SEI Villers 51 05.0 306-320 318.0 little, with a more marked 213.57 236.11 Meuse 55 51.4 284-318 316.9 slowing after Vieux Lixheim. 235.06 257.60 SEI Lamorville 60 00.0 309-319 311.2 So we avoided a check 254.02 276.56 CAI 254 63 34.9 319-271 317.6 before the single-line 263.44 285.98 SEI Prény 65 26.8 258-320 303.1 section but fell foul of 281.32 303.86 Lorraine-Louvigny 68 59.4 317/313 302.8 another train when joining 287.85 310.39 OB 70 13.6 318/314/319 316.8 the old infrastructure at 298.06 320.60 OB 72 09.7 315/319/314 316.6 Vendenheim. Final arrival 307.56 330.10 SEI Lesse 74 01.8 286 305.1 was, however, just RT and it 314.55 337.09 Radio hut 75 25.0 315/319 302.5 remains my fastest overall 319.05 341.59 CAI 76 16.3 309/319 315.8 time to date, so I have 325.55 348.09 OB 77 31.0 316/319/315 313.3 shown it in Table 1 - in 331.12 353.66 PCV Domnon 78 34.0 317/300 318.3 summary form only to 336.15 358.69 OB east 79 32.9 308/315 307,4 Lorraine, with speed ranges 341.08 363.62 CAI 80 30.2 312/300 309.7 rather than successive max- 347.80 370.34 CAI 81 48.7 312/306 308.2 min from Chauconin to 353.66 376.20 UB rail 82 56.2 315 312,5 Lorraine. Net time would be 359.00 381.54 PCV Vieux Lixheim 84 00.6 289/286/294 298,5 around 102¾ minutes, not 365.82 388.36 OB east 85 25.2 288 290,2 allowing for the slow running 369.67 392.21 CAI 86 16.2 261/240 271.8 from Vieux Lixheim 372.67 395.21 Saverne Tunn W 87 00.0 242 246.6 onwards. The fastest time 379.52 402.06 PCV Steinbourg 88 37.6 263/234 252.7 noted so far was recorded 386.81 409.35 UB rail 90 23.7 246 247.4 by Reinhard Douté on an 392.03 414.57 CAI 91 46.3 227.5 early-morning service with a 396.28 418.82 UB 93 02.2 201.6 DB ICE set that recovered a 401.55 424.09 OB 94 40.0 194.0 two minutes late start to 404.16 426.70 Viaduct W 95 38.5 160.6 arrive a minute early in 492.39 429.87 Vendenheim 97 26.5 28* sIgs 105.7 Strasbourg in 103m 58s; 497.21 434.69 Hausbergen 101 08.5 78.2 unfortunately he was not 502.00 439.48 Strasbourg 105 56.0 RT 60.0

Milepost 37¾ 264 January 2017 able to record full details of the running, but the presence of both ICE and TGV units here opens up prospects for an international battle for fastest times! The speeds shown in Table 1 come from the display panels at the end of the passenger saloons as GPS does not work in the latest-generation Euroduplex stock (nor in the German Class 407 sets, which do not benefit from permanent speed displays either). However, the screens only show speeds over 230 km/h - hence the lack of detail after PK387.

Table 2 shows two successive runs in August on one of the inter-sector TGVs making the intermediate Champagne and Lorraine stops. Run 2 was substantially late, but the set perhaps had a slightly over-reading speedometer as maximum speeds were a little slow. Signals again spoiled the end of the run; net time would be about 35¼ minutes. Run 3 is the continuation of the record-breaker, and after a slower initial start it produced a better acceleration and faster speeds, edging 15 seconds ahead of Run 2 before becoming another victim of the single-line operating problems.

Table 2 Strasbourg-Lorraine

Run 2 1123 Bordeaux-Strasbourg, W 24.08.16, 2+8/399/420, Euroduplex 4706, AV, 9/10 Run 3 1123 Bordeaux-Strasbourg, Th 25.08.16, 2+8/399/420, Euroduplex 4717, AV, 9/10 PK Dist m s km/h ave m s km/h ave

281.32 0.00 Lorraine 0 0.0 Run 2 18.5 L 0 0.0 Run 3 4.5 L 287.85 6.53 OB 3 28.2 225 112.9 3 20.1 218 117.5 298.06 16.74 OB 5 39.6 315 279.7 5 32.5 317/318 277.6 307.56 26.24 SEI Lesse 7 30.5 286/284 308.4 7 21.4 300/319/311 314.0 314.55 33.23 Radio hut 8 54.2 319/308 300.6 8 41.5 320/311/319 314.2 319.05 37.73 CAI 9 45.8 315/312/313 314.0 9 32.8 312/315/314 315.8 325.55 44.23 OB 11 0.6 312/317 312.8 10 47.1 319/312 314.9 331.12 49.80 PCV Domnon 12 4.5 312/313 313.8 11 50.6 315 315.8 336.15 54.83 OB east 13 2.4 312/313/311 312.7 12 47.7 317/315 317.1 341.08 59.76 CAI 13 59.2 313/312 312.5 13 43.9 316/318 317.7 347.80 66.48 CAI 15 16.6 316/308/317 312.6 15 0.4 314/318/293* 316.2 353.66 72.34 UB rail 16 23.8 310/296 313.9 16 9.8 309/304 304.0 359.00 77.68 PCV Vx Lixheim 17 27.5 306/315 301.8 17 12.0 318/314/316 309.1 365.82 84.50 OB east 18 46.3 311 311.6 18 29.7 313 316.0 369.67 88.35 CAI 19 30.9 285*/277* 310.8 19 18.0 * 287.0 372.67 91.35 Saverne T W 20 10.0 279 276.2 20 7.2 * 219.5 379.52 98.20 PCV Steinbourg 21 34.2 294/289 292.9 31 37.2 sig stop/85 35.8 386.81 105.49 UB rail 23 2.0 310 298.9 33 41.5 285/292 211.1 392.03 110.71 CAI 24 6.0 264*/267 293.6 34 48.1 257 282.2 396.28 114.96 UB 25 6.5 220* 252.9 35 50.9 225 243.6 401.55 120.23 OB 26 36.9 170*/150* 209.9 37 26.4 164* 198.7 404.16 122.84 Viaduct W 27 38.5 155 152.5 38 31.3 142 144.8 492.39 126.01 Vendenheim 29 11.5 69* sigs 122.7 40 18.0 115/105* sigs 107.0 497.21 130.83 Hausbergen 31 47.5 sigs 111.2 42 18.5 sigs 144.0 502.00 135.62 Strasbourg 37 46.0 48.1 47 50.0 52.0

Run 4 was a similar performance, a little slower than the previous two at first, with more irregular speeds, but it made the fastest approach to Saverne tunnel with the best time from Vieux Lixheim to Steinbourg. It managed a clear run through Vendenheim and seemed set for a good time to Strasbourg until it suffered a brief stop just outside the station. Run 5 was made on a non-stop Paris-Strasbourg working on a very warm evening following heatwave conditions that had resulted in the imposition of a 100 km/h speed restriction right through the Paris suburbs. Consequently, we took 24m 58.7s to pass Chauconin, a loss of 6½ minutes that put us some way behind an inter-regional service that we should have passed in Champagne TGV. The result was a check here as the TGV-R was allowed out of Champagne ahead of us, and restrained running to Lorraine TGV where we finally passed it. After that we had a clear road to Strasbourg - my only run so far not to suffer a check at some point between Vieux Lixheim and Strasbourg. Times in the log are from Paris. Speeds were good and well

Milepost 37¾ 265 January 2017 sustained - this run was marginally slower than Run 3 from PK298 to Domnon but a little faster onwards to Vieux Lixheim; average speed from PK294 to Vieux Lixheim was 314.3 km/h for 65 km. This run was then beaten by Run 4 through Saverne tunnel and on the approach to Vendenheim, and was 15 seconds slower than my very first run from there to Strasbourg. Overall though it was a good performance, equivalent to just over 35 minutes start-stop from Lorraine to Strasbourg. Net time from Paris is difficult to assess; with speeds similar to those of Run 1 from Beuvardes to PK298 it would be about 102 minutes. A scratch time might be around 101 minutes - so the 106 of the fastest bookings offers relatively little margin. These runs illustrate the new possibilities available for long-distance high-speed averages: a combination of Runs 1 and 5 gives an average of over 312 km/h for some 350 km continuously between PKs 17 and 367.

Table 2 continued

Run 4 0723 Bordeaux-Strasbourg, F 26.08.16, 2+8/399/420; Euroduplex 4715, AV, 2/10 Run 5 1855 Paris-Sbg, F 26.08.16, 2 x 2+8, 782/820, Euroduplex 4703/TGV-R 549, AV, 19/20 PK Dist m s km/h ave m s km/h ave

281.32 0.00 Lorraine 0 0.0 Run 4 RT 80 24.4 Run 5 pass 287.85 6.53 OB 3 30.2 212 111.8 81 49.4 263 276.6 298.06 16.74 OB 5 50.3 307/317 262.4 83 47.3 295/307/305 311.8 307.56 26.24 SEI Lesse 7 40.3 301/314 310.9 85 36.3 319/316/320 313.8 314.55 33.23 Radio hut 9 2.1 312/320/309 307.6 86 58.4 295/324/310 306.5 319.05 37.73 CAI 9 53.3 314/299/302 316.4 87 49.7 320/311 315.8 325.55 44.23 OB 11 10.0 300/304 305.1 89 4.3 315/321 313.7 331.12 49.80 PCV Domnon 12 16.4 298/294 302.0 90 7.2 319/314 318.8 336.15 54.83 OB east 13 17.3 301/310 297.3 91 4.2 318/316/321 317.7 341.08 59.76 CAI 14 15.5 306/297 304.9 92 0.0 316/320/307 318.1 347.80 66.48 CAI 15 35.4 306/318/308 302.8 93 16.4 318/308/320 316.8 353.66 72.34 UB rail 16 43.8 319/302 308.4 94 23.5 318/303 314.4 359.00 77.68 PCV Vx Lixheim 17 45.3 310/315/314 312.6 95 25.7 307 309.1 365.82 84.50 OB east 19 3.2 317 315.2 96 43.6 318 315.2 369.67 88.35 CAI 19 47.8 298*/291 310.8 97 28.3 295* 310.1 372.67 91.35 Saverne T W 20 24.5 300/302 294.3 98 5.5 288 290.3 379.52 98.20 PCV Steinbourg 21 46.5 297 300.7 99 28.2 303/297 298.2 386.81 105.49 UB rail 23 12.5 319/269* 305.2 100 55.6 305 300.3 392.03 110.71 CAI 24 17.2 271 290.4 102 0.8 268*/223* 288.2 396.28 114.96 UB 25 17.1 231* 255.4 103 3.1 229 245.6 401.55 120.23 OB 26 44.7 178* 216.6 104 36.0 210*/156* 204.2 404.16 122.84 Viaduct W 27 45.2 145*/140 155.3 105 34.3 158/153 161.2 492.39 126.01 Vendenheim 28 59.0 158 154.6 106 48.0 157/159 154.8 497.21 130.83 Hausbergen 30 50.5 /stop 5 secs 155.6 108 39.0 139* 156.3 502.00 135.62 Strasbourg 38 2.0 40.0 113 19.0 8½ late 61.6

In the up direction, timings are slightly extended to take account of the single line running: the fastest booking is 109 minutes, but my best time so far has been a punctual 111m 57s by a German ICE set. This was achieved with hardly any speeds over 300 km/h, which was in fact the maximum until after Champagne; only between Beuvardes and Chauconin did we venture up to 310 a couple of times. With a restrained start this gave times of 07m 52s to Vendenheim, 17m 14s to Steinbourg at 164 following a maximum of 277 km/h, and 39m 01.5s to passing Lorraine. My other non-stop run, on the 1546 from Strasbourg with a 109-minute schedule, was another carefully-calculated performance. We were through Vendenheim in 06m 49½s with a maximum of about 145 km/h on the old line; then we touched 288 on the wrong-line section before slowing to 165 for the crossover at Steinbourg, passed in 15m 26.8s. Recovery at first was slow, only 274/271 to Vieux-Lixheim (20m 51.5s); speeds then varied between 316 and 281 and we passed Lorraine TGV in 36m 22.6s. Running continued in much the same style, and this was enough to get us through Pantin in 102m 30s, on line for 108 minutes to Paris. But with a signal stop outside Paris Est we took just over 112 minutes.

Milepost 37¾ 266 January 2017 So Table 3 begins with Run 6, which made a fast start to Vendenheim, no doubt with something close to the full 160 km/h MPS before slowing for the 120 km/h crossover. With a 292 km/h max. on the wrong line, this produced a good time to Steinbourg, but we then seem to have run for some way with the cab signalling showing a 230 limit. It was only after Vieux Lixheim that we stepped up to normal speeds, with signs of an easing again as we approached Lorraine. The train was probably on time by now; it was booked to a first stop in Champagne in 73 minutes, and with a continuation of the same somewhat restrained style of running - maxima mostly around 312-314 km/h, just one 320 - we were able to make a slow approach to Champagne for a time of 71m 12s there.

Table 3 Strasbourg-Lorraine

Run 6 1816 Strasbourg-Paris, W 6.07.16, 2+8/399/425, Euroduplex 4701, AV 4/10 Run 7 12 31 Sbg-Bordeaux, Th 25.08.16, 2 x 2+8, 782 /795, Euroduplex 4719/TGV-R 503, AV 9/20 PK Dist m s km/h ave m s km/h ave

502.00 00.00 Strasbourg 0 0.0 Run 6 2 late 0 0.0 Run 7 4 late 497.21 04.89 Hausbergen 4 28.0 65.7 5 2.0 /110* XL 58.3 492.39 09.61 Vendenheim 6 40.0 XL 128.7 7 35.5 117 110.7 404.16 12.78 Viaduct W 7 58.5 145.4 8 54.6 140/143/135 144.3 401.55 15.39 OB 9 2.3 147.3 10 1.5 147 140.4 396.28 20.66 UB 10 35.0 238 204.7 11 34.6 225/259 203.8 392.03 24.91 CAI 11 32.3 285/284/292 267.0 12 41.2 254 229.7 386.81 30.13 UB rail 12 37.4 270 288.7 13 57.3 240 246.9 382.42 34.52 Viaduct W 13 53.2 165*/160 208.5 15 13.6 170*/164 207.1 379.52 37.42 PCV Steinbourg 14 57.2 165 XL 163.1 16 16.9 167 XL 164.9 376.68 40.26 Saverne Tunn E 15 53.0 195 183.2 17 13.6 185 179.7 372.66 44.28 Saverne Tunn W 17 4.5 209 202.4 18 29.1 200 191.7 369.67 47.27 CAI 17 55.2 224/225 212.3 19 12.3 260 203.3 365.82 51.12 OB east 18 57.0 220 223.7 20 1.7 305/313 279.8 359.00 57.94 PCV Vx Lixheim 20 34.5 290 251.8 21 20.8 311/313/305 310.4 353.66 63.28 UB rail 21 39.7 310/317 294.8 22 22.4 311/302 312.1 347.80 69.14 CAI 22 47.0 312/309 313.5 23 31.0 315/310 307.5 341.08 75.86 CAI 24 4.8 310/312/308 311.0 24 48.6 313/314 311.8 336.15 80.79 OB east 25 1.9 312/315 311.5 25 45.6 311 312.0 331.12 85.82 PCV Domnon 25 59.8 306/303 312.7 26 43.6 313/310/312 312.2 325.55 91.39 OB 27 5.4 305/308/306 305.7 27 47.9 310 311.9 319.05 97.89 CAI 28 20.7 313/307 310.8 29 2.6 312/308/313 313.3 314.55 102.39 Radio hut 29 13.3 313/302/313 308.0 29 55.0 308/305 309.2 307.56 109.38 SEI Lesse 30 34.1 316/318 311.4 31 16.0 316/306 310.7 302.84 114.10 OB 31 29.2 305 308.4 32 10.9 312 309.5 298.06 118.88 OB 32 27.2 284 296.7 33 5.9 314 312.9 294.20 122.74 OB 33 15.2 301 289.5 33 50.6 310 310.9 287.85 129.09 OB 34 33.0 284 293.8 35 6.9 262* 299.6 283.93 133.01 OB 35 22.8 283/284 283.4 36 10.4 145* 222.2 281.32 135.62 Lorraine 35 56.2 280 281.3 38 8.0 0.5 late 79.9

Run 7 was delayed by the late departure of the preceding ICE, and being right on its heels we made a slow start and gave it plenty of headway through Steinbourg. After that, we appeared to run with a 315 km/h ceiling, also apparent on the continuation to Champagne, and with a slow run into the platform at Lorraine we did not quite regain the lost time. Run 8 was a TGV- R working a Strasbourg-Roissy shuttle. This too made a relatively slow start, but then despite its slight power handicap compared to a Euroduplex set it recorded the highest speed of these tables before Steinbourg and recovered just as well as Run 7 through Saverne tunnel. There may have been a 300 km/h section on the cab signalling after Vieux Lixheim - not necessarily due to catching a preceding train, which was unlikely here, but possibly to the presence of staff on or near the track. Subsequent speeds were not particularly high but the arrival in Lorraine TGV was 1½ minutes early and the time was my fastest yet. Between Strasbourg and Paris the fastest non-stop time I have yet seen is 107m 37s on a run recorded by Reinhard

Milepost 37¾ 267 January 2017 Douté in September. It was at first almost identical to my Run 7; they were never more than three seconds apart until Run 7 began to slow for its Lorraine stop, after which Mr. Douté’s run continued in the same steady but unspectacular style to pass Lorraine in 36m 18s and Champagne in 68m 49s.

None of my up runs produced speeds as high as those noted in the other direction, where there was sometimes lost time to be recovered. However an up run recorded by Reinhard Douté on the opening day with a driver who was perhaps infected by the spirit of the occasion (he arrived eight minutes early in Marne-la-Vallée, admittedly on a ludicrously inflated schedule) shows what can be done. The start was comparable to my two fastest, in 06m 52s to Vendenheim, but the wrong-line section seems to have been taken very slowly as the time to entering Saverne tunnel was 17m 21s. The OB at PK365.8 was passed in 20m 09s with speed already right up to the line maximum, and the 75 km from PK365 to PK290 were reeled off at an average of 316.9 km/h - by far the fastest piece of sustained speed noted in either direction, and confirming that none of the gradients on this stretch is severe enough to bring speed down significantly. A normal approach to Lorraine, in just under five minutes from PK298, resulted in a time of 37m 50s. With normal running between Vendenheim and Steinbourg this could have been more like 36m 30s.

Table 3 continued

Run 8 0957 Strasbourg-Roissy CDG, F 26.08.16, 2+8/383/400, TGV-R 540, AV, 7/10 Run 9 0605 Strasbourg-Brussels, S 27.08.16, 2+8/383/390, TGV-R 4517, AV, 3/10 PK Dist m s km/h ave m s km/h ave

502.00 00.00 Strasbourg 0 0.0 Run 8 RT 0 0.0 Run 9 RT 497.21 04.89 Hausbergen 4 43.0 142 62.2 4 41.0 140/159/112* 62.6 492.39 09.61 Vendenheim 7 7.5 112 XL/156 117.6 6 57.0 XL 132/158 124.9 404.16 12.78 Viaduct W 8 29.5 145 139.2 8 13.7 148/144 148.8 401.55 15.39 OB 9 32.1 166 150.1 9 17.9 158 146.4 396.28 20.66 UB 11 5.1 223 204.5 10 54.8 210 195.8 392.03 24.91 CAI 12 3.3 286/293 261.6 12 5.5 249/262 215.4 386.81 30.13 UB rail 13 8.5 270* 288.2 13 26.0 220* 233.4 382.42 34.52 Viaduct W 14 25.9 162*/166 203.7 14 51.3 157*/166 184.9 379.52 37.42 PCV Steinbourg 15 30.5 163 XL 162.2 15 58.3 148/155 XL 156.4 376.68 40.26 Saverne Tunn E 16 28.2 190 177.2 17 5.1 151 153.1 372.66 44.28 Saverne Tunn W 17 41.1 213 198.5 18 50.2 134 137.7 369.67 47.27 CAI 18 28.5 260 227.1 20 3.0 180 147.9 365.82 51.12 OB east 19 17.8 298/308 280.4 21 10.2 224 205.7 359.00 57.94 PCV Vx Lixheim 20 37.8 296/278 306.9 22 54.5 249/250/240 235.4 353.66 63.28 UB rail 21 45.4 281/273 284.4 24 10.4 260/246/263 253.3 347.80 69.14 CAI 23 0.0 305/316 282.8 25 34.5 254 250.8 341.08 75.86 CAI 24 16.6 314/312 315.8 27 3.9 289/278 270.6 336.15 80.79 OB east 25 13.5 313/309 312.5 28 7.5 286/294 279.6 331.12 85.82 PCV Domnon 26 11.5 315/305/314 312.2 29 9.7 292 291.1 325.55 91.39 OB 27 15.7 306/313 312.3 30 20.7 271/270 282.4 319.05 97.89 CAI 28 30.9 309/305 311.2 31 44.7 291/294 278.6 314.55 102.39 Radio hut 29 23.8 306/299 306.2 32 41.0 281/268 287.7 307.56 109.38 CAI 30 45.6 311/307 307.6 34 13.2 282 272.9 302.84 114.10 OB 31 40.7 314 309.7 35 12.5 293/282 287.8 298.06 118.88 OB 32 35.9 309/310 311.1 36 12.3 290/280 287.2 294.20 122.74 OB 33 21.0 307 308.1 37 1.4 286 283.0 287.85 129.09 OB 34 42.0 242* 282.2 38 24.2 263 276.1 283.93 133.01 OB 35 52.3 158* 200.7 39 30.3 160*/169 213.5 281.32 135.62 Lorraine 37 32.0 1.5 early 94.2 41 10.0 2.5 late 94.2 I have included Run 9, finally, as something of an oddity. It was made on one of the trains linking the two administrative centres of the EU, Strasbourg and Brussels, replacing the former Corail services via Luxemburg and Metz (is it really efficient to make an enormous detour almost to Paris to accomplish this journey? That's another question...), so the TGV provided

Milepost 37¾ 268 January 2017 was one of the four -voltage sets. Things began normally, though with even more dilatory wrong-line running than on Reinhard Douté's run, and an early slowing for the approach to the Steinbourg crossover that brought speed down to 157 km/h. This recovered to a more normal 166 before dropping sharply to 148. Very uneconomical, I thought, at the foot of the steep climb to the tunnel - until I realised that the fall in speed was caused by the loss of all power from one end of the train. One-power car HSTs and 1,650 HP Deltics are familiar experiences, but this is the first time, I believe, that I have recorded a half-power TGV. The climb through the tunnel brought us down to 134 km/h but with the help of some down gradients we got up to 250 at Vieux Lixheim and even into the 290s either side of Domnon and over the final hump before Lorraine. This time, with only 4,400 kw of power available, the gradient variations were clearly apparent! Still in the same one-power car configuration we took 40m 52s on to Champagne, and on this section with its more severe profile, speeds ranged between 145 km/h minimum on the first spike, after 157, or 158 before Preny after 214, to a maximum of 316 in the descent before Villers-en-Argonne. Arrival in Champagne was seven minutes late.

I hope it will not be too long before I can report further on this route in its proper configuration. By the time this article appears in print the up-line viaduct should be returned to use and schedules no longer distorted by wrong-line running and, for many trains, extra pathing time.

LETTERS

HST Supplement

Dear David

There are a few things in the 40 Glorious Years – HSTs that I would like to comment on.

The circumstances which brought the Class 91 and Class 43 sets into service was that the Class 91 locomotives came first and the only rolling stock which they could haul at speeds up to 125mph was the HST Mark IIIs. These use AC 415 volt electricity supply for air conditioning etc and this can only be supplied by the HST power cars – still the case today. Therefore, it was decided to use a Class 91 for haulage and keep an HST power car at the other end for train supply and providing a driving trailer not giving traction power. Extended running of the Paxman engines at train-supply-only RPM was judged to be a fire risk by a build-up of oil in the silencer, and so – at all depots and turnaround stations – shore supplies were installed at considerable expense. Therefore, it was agreed that on the Class 91 hauled sets that they must supply traction power. Those selected were fitted with buffers – which they still have – to avoid recovery difficulties in the event of total failure, with different couplings at each end. The reference to mark IV stock should refer to Mark III, as should the reference in runs 113 and 119.

In terms of performance, I am disappointed that the 110mph start to stop runs I recorded in 1977-1979 on trial runs over short distances did not find a mention, and also the 1985 Tyne Tees Pullman launch special when 140mph running was authorised and 240 miles were run in 120 minutes, and a 115mph start-stop run over 268 miles – a world record then, and possibly still so today. It was, of course, on the 50th anniversary of Mallard’s world record.

Yours

Noel Proudlock

It is hoped that Noel will make a presentation, following the 2017 AGM, in which he will explain his early experiences of the HST, including the special trains mentioned above

Milepost 37¾ 269 January 2017

Brighton Line

Dear David

In Milepost 37½, Page 203, a log from Haywards Heath to East Croydon caught my eye. At first it seems that the compiler of the log has not taken into account that the “Quarry Line” is six chains longer than the original line via Redhill when calculating the cumulative distance. However, closer inspection and calculation demonstrate that the cumulative distance at mp20, quarry Tunnel South and North, Purley and Purley Oaks do not admit the plus 6 chains from Earlswood North Junction. However, the cumulative distance at Star Lane, Coulsden North, Stoats Nest Junction, South Croydon do admit the plus 6 chains.

This reminds me of the log in Milepost 37, page 23, of a log from Gatwick Airport to Victoria. Here, I regret to say the cumulative distance is quite simply wrong, and though the lineside miles and chains column does define the timing points, no indication of the plus 6 chains between Earlswood and Quarry Tunnel South, and the plus 15 chains between East Croydon and Selhurst. This has affected the relevant average speeds which should be corrected from 77.5 to 81.4mph and 39.8 to 47.6mph (this is a big difference)

As the compiler of the original line chart for the “Brighton Line”, I am perturbed that basic errors of distance are still being published in Milepost. As the late Eric Rudkin impressed upon me (and others), “if your distance is wrong, everything else will be wrong”

Finally, I see that the editor’s note in Milepost 37½ page 203 indicates that the RPS database and Fastest Times listings are separate features. Could not modern technology be used to connect both to talk to each other?

Yours faithfully

P W Hemstock

Dear David,

In the first week of November I went on a Shearing’s coach holiday with my wife, Margaret, and son Eric, who has Downs' Syndrome. We did manage one rail day out on the 'free day' with an itinerary on a North Wales Day Rover: Llandudno - Chester-Shrewsbury -Machynlleth- Port Madoc. We then caught buses to Caernarvon and Bangor then train to Llandudno via Llandudno Junction.

I enjoyed Ian Umpleby's article in the last Milepost 37½ and I enjoyed a similar experience. The 08:30 Llandudno to Cardiff was formed of 150262. We left a minute late and managed to arrive right time in Chester. We probably lost about a minute overall to Shrewsbury. I am not familiar with the Chester - Shrewsbury line, and to the best of my memory my last run over it was with 75010 with 6 carriages in July 1965. It did appear to me that the unit was not pushed as hard uphill as it might have been. On the other hand, the opening run to Chester was, in my view, very good, as it kept time with slight over speeds. I enquired of the guard whether this was booked, and he told me, as I suspected, it should have been a 2 car 175. The train's next stop was at Newport, and I wondered how many a time a 150-2 makes an 95 miles nonstop journey.

I thought readers might be interested in this experience.

Milepost 37¾ 270 January 2017 Date 03/11/2016 M C [sch] m s mph Train 08.30 Llandudno- 179 15 Chester 0 00 reverse Cardiff 180 17 Roodee J 3 10 43/52 Motive Power 27/05/2311 181 09 Saltney J 4 10 42 Load 2/71/76 212 02 Recorder D.L.R 211 00 Green Lane 5 30 59/58 M C [sch] m s mph 209 67 Balderton 6 40 61/60 3 14 Llandudno 0 00 46/max 208 12 Pulford 8 21 61/62 1 16 Deganwy [3.5] 4 21 206 48 Rossett 9 55 57/52 1 16 0 00 37/13* 204 76 Gresford 11 42 53 223 40 Llandudno J [4] 3 56 204 00 Mp 12 47 53 223 40 0 00 203 20 Mp 13 37 54 221 40 Mp 2 45 66/64/65 201 66 Wrexham [16] 16 19 219 39 Colwyn Bay [5] 5 12 201 66 0 00 219 39 0 00 200 46 Ruabon Rd 2 03 54 218 05 Old Colwyn 1 54 58 199 48 OB 3 06 55/52/65 217 05 Llysfaen 3 09 61/77 197 05 Ruabon [6.5] 7 20 216 03 Llandules 4 08 76/78 197 05 0 00 213 32 Abergale 6 04 76 196 08 OB 2 00 53/64 212 00 Mp 7 12 77 194 09 Whitehurst TI 4 01 57/73 211 00 Mp 7 59 77 192 54 Chirk [5.5] 7 20 209 51 Rhyl [10] 9 57 192 54 0 00 209 51 0 00 191 40 Weston Rhyl 2 02 51/53 205 40 Prestatyn 4 05 76 190 67 OB 2 50 45/47/45 204 00 Mp 8 15 78/77/74 189 66 4 18 35/33 201 76 Talacre 6 46 78/75/76 189 50 Gobowen [5.5] 4 52 199 12 Mostyn 8 59 79/80/75 189 50 0 00 195 76 Holywell J 11 38 76/77 187 67 Whittington 2 32 69/72 193 51 Bagillt 13 24 78/73 184 66 Rednal 5 11 65/63 191 47 Flint 15 01 74 183 15 OB 6 22 73 188 74 Rockcliffe 17 05 76 181 04 OB 8 33 55/sigs 188 00 Connah's Quay 17 53 77/75 179 15 Baschurch 10 18 73/72 186 74 Shotton 18 42 75 176 76 Old Woods 12 15 65/71 186 20 Queensferry 19 20 74 175 36 Leaton 13 35 70/63/73 184 69 Sandycroft 20 21 74/72 171 78 Cotton Hill 17 35 30 182 38 Mold Junction 22 14 78 171 46 Shrewsbury [22] 19 00

181 02 Saltney J 25 21 74

180 17 Roodee J 24 09 51 179 15 Chester [27] 26 04

Regards

David Lloyd Roberts Dear David

I attach the partial log of a run from Fort William to Tyndrum Upper on the overnight sleeper from Fort William. Traction was a Class 66 with 73/9 inside providing eth power. I was coming back from the island of Rum, which I left on the 16 20 ferry and was back in the house by 1 00am the following morning: one ferry, two rail journeys and a bus trip from the centre of Glasgow. Excellent joined up transport, if it works.

There appears to some problem with the 73/9's as Sandy Smeaton, advised that all of the overnight services are currently being worked by GBRF Class 66/s with their drivers, each with a 73/9 providing eth power.

Very little performance interest for a loco as powerful as 66739, but impressive accelerations on the final sections of the climbs to Currour and County March Summit; watching the Gps reading continuosly rising quickly, on gradients of 1:59 or 55.

Milepost 37¾ 271 January 2017

I have omitted the date as speeds were well above the 40mph limit for double headed trains.

Fort William Sleeper Service miles m c Location m s mph ave Date Sep-16 0.00 Tulloch 13 03.0 Train 19 50 Fort William-London Euston 0.75 81 0 Mp 1 44.5 28* Loco 66739 + 73969(eth only) 1.59 80 13 Fersit Ob 3 55.5 27 23.1 Load 5:257/260/385 1.75 80 0 Mp 4 16.5 30 27.4 Recorder/Position M D Robertson Coach 1 2.72 79 2 Fersit Tunnel In 6 03.0 32 32.8 Weather / GPs Dry Dark … Gps Y 3.25 78 40 Mp 7 05.0 29.5/31 30.8 miles m c Location m s mph ave 4.75 77 0 Mp 10 04.5 29/26 30.1 0.00 99 33 Fort William d 0 00.0 5.75 76 0 Mp 12 06.5 29/25 29.5 0.60 98 65 Fort William J 2 40.0 31 6.75 75 0 Mp 14 20.5 29.5 26.9 1.09 98 26 Alcan Works 3 25.5 40/26rbt? 38.8 8.75 73 0 Mp 18 16.0 40 30.6 3.20 96 17 Torlundy Ob 6 48.5 40 37.4 9.75 72 0 Mp 19 59.5 28br 34.8 4.50 94 73 Anoch Mor Rd 8 46.5 36 39.7 10.05 71 56 Currour 20 40.0 25* 26.7 5.16 94 20 Mp 9 50.5 39/46 37.1 11.75 70 0 MP 23 26.0 39 36.9 6.41 93 0 Mp 11 31.5 42/38 44.6 12.76 68 79 Ub 211 24 53.0 47 41.8 7.41 92 0 Mp 13 03.0 42 39.3 13.75 68 0 MP 26 15.5 43 43.2 8.41 91 0 Mp 15 11.0 16br 28.1 14.75 67 0 Mp 27 44.0 42 40.7 8.72 90 55 Spean Bridge a 16 40.0 12.5 15.86 65 71 Snow Shed Out 29 22.0 32 40.8 0.00 d 18 57.0 16.74 65 1 Footbridge 31 07.5 27* 30.0 0.69 90 0 Mp 1 47.0 35/30* 17.32 64 34 Rannoch a 33 29.0 14.8 1.69 89 0 Mp 3 30.0 36/40 35.0 0.00 Rannoch d 0 00.0 2.69 88 0 MP 5 01.5 36 39.3 15.60 48 66 Bridge of Orchy 26 02.0 3.26 87 34 Roy Bridge a 6 54.0 18.2 0.67 48 12 PSRM 1 40.5 45 36.8 0.00 d 7 53.0 1.60 47 18 Ob 2 47.5 50 50.0 0.84 86 47 Ob 1 45.5 42 2.82 46 0 Mp 4 26.0 31* 44.6 2.14 85 31 Ob 3 32.5 41 43.7 3.24 45 47 Horseshoe VN 5 26.0 22* 25.2 2.81 84 49 Ob 4 47.0 30/28* 32.4 3.75 45 6 Gleann VN 6 41.5 27 24.3 3.82 84 48 Ob 6 33.0 42/39 34.3 4.36 44 37 Cottage 7 47.5 40/42 33.3 4.42 83 0 Mp 7 32.0 29 36.6 4.82 44 0 Mp 8 27.0 41.5 41.9 4.66 82 61 Ob 8 01.5 27* 29.3 5.61 43 17 Ob Abut 9 37.0 40/46 40.6 5.67 81 60 Tulloch a 10 57.0 20.7 6.44 42 31 Whitebridge 10 47.0 40 42.7 7.44 41 23 Upper Tyndrum 13 31.0 22.0

Why Serco do not hire-in Class 67's which worked the services previously, and for which - on the West Highland Line - Abellio drivers previously worked the services, I do not know. This would avoid the use of the 73/9's for eth, until the problem with them can be rectified. Nothing seems to be a simple solution for the current rail set up.

Regards

Martin Robertson

Resistance Formulae

Readers may be aware of the correspondence between John Knowles and Doug Landau regarding resistance formulae. This has continued, to the extent that the correspondence cannot be accommodated in the current magazine format. The correspondence continues on the RPS web-site. For those not on the internet, a printed version will be provided upon request to the Editor. A spreadsheet is also available on the RPS web-site.

Milepost 37¾ 272 January 2017 NEWS

CROSSCOUNTRY DIVERSIONS VIA KIDDERMINSTER - John Rishton

Closure of the railway from Barnt Green to Droitwich Spa and Stoke Works Junction to Abbotswood Junction between 25th October and 6th November 2016 allowed for track, signalling, bridge and pre-electrification work between Bromsgrove and Barnt Green. As a result, a regular hourly North East – South West Voyager or HST and a Nottingham - Cardiff class 170 working were diverted to the Kidderminster route. Several freight workings were also being diverted along this alternative route. Normally there are two CrossCountry trains in each direction on weekdays - less at weekends - that are routed between Birmingham and Cheltenham via Kidderminster. The southbound workings are early morning Birmingham starters, and northbound they are late-evening terminators, so must all be Birmingham-based crews. All but one of these trains are rostered for class 170 units and have a minimum running time of 61 minutes.

London Midland normally runs a 10-minute frequency over the Stourbridge Junction - Smethwick Junction section and to accommodate the diverted trains had to considerably curtail its usual services. Most Hereford – Birmingham New Street services did not run north of Worcester.

The very busy Stour Valley route between Galton Junction and Birmingham New Street was also subjected to a service reduction and minor re-timings for the duration of the work.

I made one return journey over the route of the diversion during the period; both ways by HST.

The Good

My outward trip was on the 06:40 York-Plymouth. It normally departs New Street at 09:17 but a departure at that time would clash with the 07:43 Euston – Glasgow. Fortunately, there is a spare path between the Glasgow departure and the following 09:10 Birmingham International – Holyhead. Departure was thus retarded to 09:19 though in reality the train departed a minute late at 09:20.

Whilst boarding I noticed a CrossCountry uniformed driver entering the front cab and presumed he was a pilotman, probably required as the train is not rostered for a Birmingham driver, who should have known the route.

Once clear of the New Street pointwork I noted that full power had apparently been applied and very respectable acceleration followed until we were travelling at a couple of miles per hour over the 65mph line limit before braking for the approach controlled signals nearing Galton junction. Braking was much more cautious than the acceleration and I presumed the pilotman was driving and his normal routine did not include HST work.

At Smethwick Junction we join the Snow Hill to Worcester route. It is a pity we could not leave New Street at 09:12 - the time some of the services to the South West normally depart, and which would have got us to Smethwick Junction at 09:20. Instead the 08:46 Dorridge to Worcester Foregate Street passes Smethwick junction at 09:22½, and we were booked to pass at 09:28½ with a resultant immediate four and a half minutes pathing time in our schedule. I thus anticipated cautious running over the remainder of the diversion. By Spon Lane however we were back on full power and accelerated to 64mph well before the summit at MP136. Brakes were then gently applied to bring speed down to the 40mph limit through Old Hill tunnel.

Milepost 37¾ 273 January 2017

Day/Date Thursday 27th October 2016 Miles mm cc location WTT mm:s mph avge Train 06:40 York to Plymouth 15.72 138 51 Blakedown 30.5 24:44 75 63.4 Motive Power 43.301+7+43.384 18.85 135 41 Kidderminster 33.5 27:15 74 74.6 Load (tons) 380/400 = 11.2hp/ton 20.91 133 36 A442 (4) 28:55 75 74.1 Weather dry 22.47 131 71 Hartlebury 41 30:09 76 75.9 [1] Rec. Pos. GPS JR - 2/9 - GPS 24.87 129 39 Cutnall Green (4) 32:06 69 73.8 Miles mm cc location WTT mm:s mph avge 28.24 126 10 Droitwich Spa 51 35:49 40 54.4 0.00 0 05 Birmingham New St 0 00:00 1L 0.0 29.21 125 12 A38 37:00 65 49.2 1.03 1 07 Monument Lane 02:53 41 21.4 30.51 123 68 Strand Lane 38:03 77 74.3 2.03 2 07 Soho SJ 4 04:06 59 49.3 33.26 121 09 Rainbow Hill T 40:56 32 57.2 3.36 3 34 Smethwick Rolfe St 06:22 21 35.2 33.46 120 72 Worcester Tunnel J 55.5 41:26 20 24.0 3.74 3 64 Galton J 6.5(1) 07:24 25 22.1 33.86 120 40 Worcester Shrub Hill 57 42:35 20 20.9 4.04 4 08 Smethwick J 8 08:38 15 14.6 34.45 119 73 Perry Wood Walk 43:45 52 30.3 4.72 134 07 Rood End (4.5) 09:48 51 35.0 35.71 118 52 A4440 44:54 70 65.7 5.39 134 60 Langley Green W 10:33 54/64 53.6 37.04 0 62 Norton junction 61 46:26 26 52.1 6.81 136 14 Rowley Regis 16 12:01 50 58.1 37.82 68 61 Abbotswood J 62.5 48:09 30 27.3 7.99 137 28 Old Hill (3.5) 13:45 34 40.9 41.62 72 45 Croombe Road 51:29 104 68.4 9.47 138 67 Cradley Heath 16:41 31 30.3 42.80 73 59 River Avon 52:10 103 103.5 10.79 140 12 Lye 18:22 58 47.0 46.33 77 22 Bredon 54:13 103 103.3 11.69 141 04 Stourbridge NJ 20:07 15 30.9 48.52 79 37 Ashchurch 70.5 55:30 102 102.4 12.12 142 19 Stourbridge J 27.5 21:14 39 23.1 53.37 84 25 Swindon Road [1](4) 58:33 88 95.4 13.96 140 32 Hagley 23:04 70/47tsr 60.2 55.78 86 58 Cheltenham Spa 81 61:11 0 54.9

By Rowley Regis we were, in theory, four minutes behind the 08:46 from Dorridge and although all signals were still showing green, our driver gradually further reduced speed down the bank to Cradley. To my surprise, once through Cradley power was again applied and we accelerated back to the 60mph line speed before Lye.

We approached Stourbridge Junction with a total of nine minutes pathing time, but without any adverse signal other than because of approach controls, and now running over five minutes early. With still no sign of the Dorridge starter we accelerated up to 70mph before a temporary restriction just after MP140 and then back up to line speed which was held until approaching the former Regional Boundary at Cutnall Green.

We passed through Kidderminster exactly in the path of the Dorridge train and puzzled, I checked on Open Train Times, to find the other train was running nearly 10 minutes late and we were thus ahead of it; I suspect those in the cab had realised this somewhat earlier! The train ahead of us, as far as Stourbridge, was the 08:00 from Leamington, which terminated at Stourbridge before we were at Galton Junction.

If there is still a brief 60mph through the down goods loop entrance just south of Kidderminster, it was ignored. There are a further nine minutes of allowances on to Droitwich that we did not use - passing the station over 16 minutes early.

Approaching Worcester so early may be problematic and I was anticipating a lengthy signal stand at Tunnel Junction. A check with Open Train Times showed that the train in front should now have been the 07:04 Nottingham – Cardiff but, like ourselves, that had passed Smethwick junction out of course and in front of the 07:47 Leamington to Shrub Hill. The 07:47 from Leamington was however out of our way at Worcester by the time we passed Droitwich.

Now in advance of the 09:54 Great Malvern – Paddington we could anticipate a clear run to Cheltenham and with speeds reaching 104mph we arrived in Cheltenham in just over 61 minutes from New Street – the normal allowance for the diversion - and almost 20 minutes

Milepost 37¾ 274 January 2017 early. Also, well within the time needed to take up the next CrossCountry path to Bristol at 10:26!

The Bad

My return journey was by the 16:25 Plymouth to Leeds. Due to an unspecified “train fault” the HST lost six minutes at Exeter and despite a generous 21 minutes of station and other allowances onwards to Cheltenham it had regained no time before departing.

The train accelerated well towards Ashchurch, which was passed still six minutes down. Braking for Abbotswood appeared to be rather cautious but that was probably down to the approach controls on the junction signal. After taking the curve towards Worcester we were brought to a brief stand before Norton Junction. We were held again, ahead of the signal box - this time for over six minutes.

Day/Date Thursday 27th October 2016 Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph avge Train 16:25 Plymouth to Leeds 26.58 125 12 A38 37:42 59 55.3 Motive Power 43.378+7+43.304 27.55 126 10 Droitwich Spa 25 38:49 40 52.1 Load (tons) 380/400 = 11.2hp/ton 33.32 131 71 Hartlebury 30.5 44:24 69 62.0 Weather dry 36.94 135 41 Kidderminster 33.5(2) 49:47 45sig 40.3 Rec. Pos. GPS JR/DAd - 2/9 - GPS 40.07 138 51 Blakedown 38 54:23 20 40.8 Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph avge 41.83 140 32 Hagley (0.5) 58:22 32 26.5 0 86 58 Cheltenham Spa 0 00:00 6L 0.0 43.67 142 19 Stourbridge J 41.5 62:06 27 29.6 1.69 85 03 Morris Hill 02:13 83 45.7 44.07 142 51 Stourbridge NJ (5.5) 63:48 12 14.1 3.84 82 71 Cleve 03:35 102 94.4 45.00 140 12 Lye 65:32 51 32.2 7.26 79 37 Ashchurch 5.5 05:37 100 100.9 46.32 138 67 Cradley Heath 67:05 47sig 51.1 12.03 74 56 Eckington 08:24 102 102.8 47.80 137 28 Old Hill 70:22 40 27.0 16.08 70 52 Pirton 10:54 84 97.2 48.98 136 14 Rowley Regis 54.5 73:17 33 24.3 18.04 0 05 Abbotswood single J 13 13:20 29 48.3 signal stand 75:37 to 75:38 signal stand 15:37 to 16:00 50.57 134 47 Langley Green [1](5) 76:53 24 26.5 18.75 0 62 Norton junction 14.5 17:23 11 10.5 51.75 133 32 Smethwick J 63(2) 80:02 27 22.5 signal stand 18:22 to 24:48 52.05 3 64 Galton J 66 80:43 33 26.3 19.48 118 04 M5 25:58 52 5.1 52.43 3 34 Smethwick Rolfe St 81:12 26 47.2 21.13 119 56 London Road 27:35 47 61.3 53.37 2 39 Soho NJ 82:27 42sig 45.1 21.93 120 40 Worcester Shrub Hill 18.5 30:23 11sig 17.1 53.77 2 07 Soho SJ 68.5 83:28 43 23.6 22.40 120 78 Worcester Tunnel J 20 33:10 23 10.1 55.10 0 61 Arena Tunnel 85:25 30 40.9 55.80 0 05 Birmingham New St 73 88:46 0 12.5

A study of the timetable reveals that there is a 19:46 Worcester Foregate Street to Dorridge that we are scheduled to precede and by now it was looking that we would be running behind it. It calls at all stations on the part of its journey that we would be following behind it. However, it was 1952 before we moved on from Norton Junction so there must be other problems ahead. A check with Open Train Times revealed that eight minutes ahead of our scheduled time at Norton junction should be the 17:22 Paddington to Hereford, but it was running 10 minutes late, passing the junction whilst we stood on the curve. The service to Hereford departed Shrub Hill at 19:47 whilst we stood close to the signal box until 19:58 so there must have been other conflicting moves ahead. Further interrogation of Open Train Times revealed an empty stock move from platform 2 to platform 1 at Shrub Hill was scheduled for 19:41 to 19:49, it involving running to Wylds Lane at MP120-14 as the cross-over at MP120-31 is not currently available, and the driver then changing ends of the unit before reversing. Due to its own earlier late running that move did not commence until 19:51.

Should we have been given priority? The signaller obviously thought not and, for two reasons. At the time I agreed; firstly, we were going to catch up the train to Dorridge anyway and secondly a Nottingham to Cardiff, a Wolverhampton Steel Terminal to Alexandra Dock and a Great Malvern to Paddington were all awaiting the clearing of the route through platform 2.

Milepost 37¾ 275 January 2017 Once on the move we were slightly delayed approaching Tunnel Junction whilst an empty stock accessed the yard but once into Rainbow Hill tunnel - now 19 minutes late - we started to regain normal progress.

There were no further adverse signals until passing Kidderminster at 20:23. The Dorridge service should, by now, be standing at Stourbridge Junction but yet another check with Open Train Times revealed the Dorridge train to be at Blakedown, running seven minutes late – so perhaps we could have been given priority at Shrub Hill and allowed to run in front?

We now followed the all stations service, maintaining around 30mph, but after Stourbridge North Junction our driver must have sensed he was falling behind and returned to line speed only to be checked by the Dorridge service at its Old Hill stop. After slowing to around 20mph we easily accelerated up to 40mph through the station before easing for the Dorridge service calling at Rowley Regis.

Our driver had become slightly too eager on Old Hill bank and because of his efforts we were brought to a stand for one second before Langley Green crossing, whilst the train ahead pulled away from the station. We parted company with the Dorridge bound train at Smethwick Junction, passed by us at 20:53 and now running almost 23 minutes late - this despite 14 minutes of allowances since Cheltenham.

Would the line be clear at Galton Junction? My onward service from New Street would be doubtful if not! The timetable showed the 19:23 Euston to Wolverhampton and 19:27 Manchester to Southampton to both be passing as we approached but our luck had now changed and both were a few minutes late – giving us a clear road over Galton Junction, except that we were very closely following the 19:47 Shrewsbury to New Street. We pulled into New Street at 21:02, some 22 minutes late. However, the train was not due to leave until 21:03, to take the path of the following South West to North East service in a normal timetable, and actual departure was only a couple of minutes late. And I made my onward connection. Just! and The Ugly

There was no ugly; but I offer a few thoughts about train regulation on my journeys.

My journey was on the second day of the diversions. On the first day, the outward train services around the time I travelled appear to have run to schedule. By running ahead of a scheduled London Midland service, we did not use the pathing allowances and presented at Cheltenham around 20 minutes early. I was surprised when analysing the run that we had been allowed into the platform as we had trapped the 10:36 Cheltenham to Paddington in the sidings just north of the station. We should have followed immediately behind it at 10:40. Also out of course immediately behind us from Stourbridge North Junction was a Round Oak to Margam working but that was held behind the Paddington service.

On the return journey, it was evening by the time we reached Worcester and the London Midland services were already thinned out from day-time levels. Had we taken our correct place in front of the 19:46 from Foregate Street the service then immediately in front of us would have been the 19:57 Stourbridge Junction to Stratford-upon-Avon, scheduled away from Stourbridge 11 minutes before we should have passed. The total of 16 minutes of allowances for a train well ahead of us until Langley Green appears excessive. However, the alternative might have been a prolonged study of the cutting foliage awaiting our path through Galton Junction as I do not imagine New Street would want us any sooner than necessary!

Milepost 37¾ 276 January 2017 STORM ANGUS

The Prequel – Thursday 17th November 2016 – John Rishton

The 17th November 2016 weather forecast for the West Coast Main Line was for heavy rain and snow in Cumbria, otherwise just showers and a moderate westerly breeze.

I arrived at Warrington Bank Quay shortly before 13:30 for the 13:39 to Birmingham without checking how trains were running that afternoon. Platform indicators were showing the next train south as the 13:20 to Euston running 18 minutes late and calling intermediately at Rugby. Strange! I thought all but the first and last couple of xx20 departures were non-stop to Euston. On the spur of the moment I decided to catch this earlier departure and return north from Rugby to Lichfield and home.

Departure was 20 minutes late and checking on-line I found there had been an earlier freight train failure near Haymarket east junction that had delayed the 10:08 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport by around 25 minutes and, in turn, the 10:40 Glasgow Central to Euston had caught up and followed the TransPennine service from Abington southwards to Wigan and Golborne.

Acceleration away from Warrington was far from spectacular though in mitigation it was raining gently. When we reached 121mph acceleration ceased and it became obvious the driver had engaged “auto-pilot” rather than attempt to regain lost time. The brakes came on a little north of milepost 162 and we gradually reduced speed until it became likely that 1355 was not a good time to pass through Crewe unhindered. The sky was looking very dark ahead as we came to a stand on the up fast in the centre of the station.

After a minute, we set off - but towards Kidsgrove, with an announcement that we would be taking the route via Stoke due to weather-related track damage between Crewe and Stafford. We had a clear run over the single-track section to Barthomley but our progress was constantly well under the maximum permitted speed. As we approached Kidsgrove we were briefly halted by a red signal due to the 13:59 Stoke to Manchester crossing our path. A clear road then allowed a maximum of 95mph just south of Longport before braking for the Stoke station area restrictions.

South of Stoke our speed almost reached 100mph just beyond Barlaston before the brakes came on for Stone. Puzzlingly, our speed dropped to the mid-twenties before it dawned that we were heading back to the main line at Norton Bridge. I had assumed that the cause of the diversion was the low-lying area north of Doxey Junction, but apparently not. As we passed through Stone there was an announcement that we were now running 40 minutes late, followed by information regarding claiming a refund, but no mention of why we had not taken the direct route from Stone to Colwich.

My first journey over the remodelled connection directly onto the up fast at Norton Bridge followed, where we joined the booked route, now some 45 minutes late. I noted the sky was still very dark to the north as we accelerated up to 107mph passing under the M6.

The remainder of the journey was uneventful but for a very cautious passage of the Atherstone reverse curves and a boring maximum of 121mph for mile after mile onwards towards Rugby.

We caught up the 13:02 Crewe to Euston via Stone service, running a few minutes late on the up fast, at Shilton and thus ran the final few miles at around 90mph. There were three minutes of allowances in our schedule between Norton Bridge and Rugby but this last slight delay resulted in our Rugby arrival being still some 43 minutes late.

Milepost 37¾ 277 January 2017

Day/Date Thur 17 November 2016 Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph avge Train 10:40 Glasgow Cen-Euston 47.74 1 48 M6 46:54 57 42.3 Motive Power 390020 49.94 138 71 Norton Bridge 26.5 50:05 38 41.5 Load (tons) 9/460/480 = 16.6hp/ton 51.95 136 70 Great Bridgeford [1] 52:11 79 57.4 Weather wet 53.57 135 20 M6 (0.5) 53:13 107 94.0 Rec. Pos. GPS J Rishton - 1/9 - Stopwatch 55.30 133 42 Stafford 31.5 54:41 64 70.8 Miles mm cc location Sch mm:s mph avge 56.51 132 25 Queensville (0.5) 55:37 84 77.7 Shugborough 0.00 182 12 Warrington Bank Quay 0 00:00 20L 0.0 59.81 129 01 Tunn 57:45 99 92.8 1.97 180 13 Acton Grange J 2.5 02:31 79 47.0 61.67 127 12 Colwich 36.5 58:59 89 90.5 3.99 178 11 Chester/W'ton r'way [1] 03:49 103 93.2 64.32 124 40 Rugeley NJ 38.5 60:30 119 104.8 6.62 175 41 L'pool/Crewe r'way 5.5 05:14 116 111.4 67.75 121 06 Armitage 62:12 121 121.1 9.62 172 41 Acton Bridge 6.5 06:44 121 120.0 71.07 117 60 Curborough J 63:51 121 120.7 11.43 170 56 Hartford J 7.5 07:38 121 120.7 72.57 116 20 Lichfield TV 42.5 64:36 121 120.0 12.28 169 68 Hartford 8 08:03 121 122.3 75.21 113 49 Hademore 65:54 121 121.8 16.65 165 38 Winsford 11 10:14 121 120.1 77.27 111 44 Coton 66:55 121 121.5 19.20 162 74 Minshull Vernon [1] 11:30 121 120.8 78.85 109 78 Tamworth 67:42 121 121.1 20.94 161 15 Coppenhall J (0.5) 12:26 sigs 108.0 79.82 109 00 Amington J 46 68:11 121 120.5 23.28 158 68 Crewe Coal Yard 14:56 48 56.9 82.36 106 39 Polesworth 69:27 121 120.3 24.12 158 01 Crewe sig stand 16.5 17:08-18:50 22.9 85.74 103 07 Baddesley 71:26 90 102.3 27.96 4 67 Barthomley J 23:58 63 44.9 86.53 102 23 Atherstone 71:58 91 88.8 30.36 2 35 Alsager 26:09 68 66.0 88.80 100 02 Nuneaton Rd 73:15 118 106.2 signal stand 29:02 to 29:55 91.77 97 04 Nuneaton 52 74:44 121 120.2 32.71 0 07 Kidsgrove 31:18 14 27.4 93.70 95 10 Attleborough SJ [1] 75:41 121 121.9 36.21 17 06 Longport 35:04 93 55.7 97.05 91 62 M69 77:20 121 121.8 37.88 18 60 Etruria 36:11 78 89.8 99.19 89 51 M6 78:24 121 120.3 39.11 19 78 Stoke-on-Trent 37:55 39 42.6 100.75 88 06 Brinklow 79:15 102sigs 110.1 40.39 21 21 A50 39:31 59 48.0 103.65 85 14 High Oaks J 81:09 89 91.6 43.06 23 75 Wedgwood 41:32 94 79.5 104.49 84 27 Newbold J 81:44 87 86.4 43.75 24 50 Barlaston 41:58 96 95.4 105.49 83 27 Rugby TVJ 59.5 82:25 76 87.7 46.12 27 00 Stone J 44:36 23 54.0 106.32 82 40 Rugby 61 83:42 0 38.8

I had intended catching the 14:42 from Rugby back to Lichfield - a 20 minute connection had my up train been on time. I did (just) manage the connection as the northbound train had been diverted via Northampton due to lineside damage in the Weedon area. Sounds familiar?

That evening’s news bulletins revealed that a tornado had struck the Welsh coast near Aberystwyth late that morning. Rapidly travelling eastwards it was responsible for tree and property damage near Whitchurch and Cheadle (Staffs) plus severe flooding in Madeley village before curving round to the south and west and repeating its destruction in the Daventry area.

But for the failed freight train in Scotland the Glasgow to Euston train would have already passed Crewe before the damage was reported and it would have been several hours before it could reverse back to Crewe to let passengers continue on their way. For once it was a pleasure to be 20 minutes late!

I never did find out why we did not use the Stone to Colwich direct route but the line passes through woodland between Great Heywood and Colwich so it was perhaps a precautionary measure.

The Main Event – David Ashley

Storm “Angus” - the first storm of the season - arrived in South West England, as forecast, on Saturday 19th November. Initially in spite of torrential rain and strong winds, rail services ran reasonably normally. Due to engineering work, XC were running an hourly shuttle service between Gloucester and the south west. With high tide in the south Devon area around 2200,

Milepost 37¾ 278 January 2017 the final two “Voyagers” of the day were terminated at Exeter, presumably in view of the Voyagers’ dislike of sea water hitting the roof. The 1900 Paddington-Plymouth was running around twenty minutes late, which allowed it to pick up the passengers from the 1955 Gloucester, and the 2000 Paddington-Plymouth was held at Exeter to pick up passengers from the final XC train of the day.

Sunday 20th November 2016

It continued raining on Sunday 20th November. Readers will be aware of the annual saga of “leaves on the line”. In the advertising industry it is often claimed that half of the money spent is wasted; the problem is that you don’t know which half! So it is with leaf fall – we are told to expect disruption from mid-October to mid-December, and Network Rail treat the rails throughout the period, but in practice most of the leaves are probably dumped in a single week, and this year Storm Angus produced ideal conditions.

GWR South West Main Line: Sun 20th November 1305 Glos 1355 Glos 1300 Pad 1605 EXD- 1257 Pad- 1400 Padd- 1456 Glos- 1554 Glos- 1500 Pad Plymth Plymth Penzance Penzance Plymth Plymth Plymth Penzance Penzance Paddington 1300 T 1257 T 1400 1L 1503 3L Westbury area 1443 24L 1643 29L Gloucester 1306 1L 1355 T 1456 T 1554 T Bristol TM 1346 2L 1444 T 1509 13L 1544 T 1644 T Taunton 1418 3L 1515 T 1525 29L 1544 14L 1600 1L 1615 T 1716 1L 1723 32L Tiverton Pkwy 1431 4L 1528 1L 1535 28L 1555 14L 1611 1L 1628 T 1728 1L 1739 35L Exeter a Exeter d 1453 12L 1548 6L 1556 34L 1605 T 1617 22L 1634 8L 1646 2L 1745 3L 1758 37L Newton Abbot 1513 12L 1609 7L 1617 34L 1637 T 1643 26L 1656 9L 1706 2L 1805 4L 1832 50L Totnes 1525 13L 1621 8L 1629 34L 1651 T 1658 31L 1709 8L 1723 7L 1846 33L 1913 79L Lipson 1547 13L 1644 9L 1653 35L 1725 8L 1731 43L 1741 16L 1751 13L 1920 45L 1954 97L Plymouth a 1550 13L 1721 43L 1729 67L 1747 55L 1753 24L 1759 17L 1958 97L Plymouth d 1732 65L 1742 5L 1926 33L 1926 33L Liskeard 1843 111L 1915 68L 2026 70L 2026 70L Par 2017 180L 2030 119L 2136 118L 2136 118L Truro 2156 254L 2212 130L 2212 130L Penzance 2248 264L 2309 150L 2309 150L 2045 1600 Pad- 1654 Glos- Plymth- 1700 Pad- 1755 Glos- 1700 Pad- 1800 Pad- 2000 Pad- 2350 Pad- Plymouth Plymth Penz (Addnl) Penzance Penzance Penzance Penzance Plymth Penzance Paddington 1602 2L 1701 1L 1801 1L 2017 17L 0309 199L Westbury area 1738 12L 1836 22L 1945 17L 2200 32L 0432 181L Gloucester 1654 T 1755 T Bristol TM 1744 T 1844 T Taunton 1823 16L 1830 11L 1913 23L 1919 2L 2024 20L 2254 45L 0510 151L

Tiverton Pkwy 1841 21L 1845 14L 1931 28L 1935 6L 2041 24L 2310 48L 0519 149L Exeter a 1948 30L 2110 38L Exeter d 1859 22L 1904 17L 1956 7L 2028 68L 2328 49L 0541 66L Newton Abbot 1922 23L 1933 27L 2019 10L 2051 70L 2134 41L 2350 51L 0604 67L

Totnes 1936 27L 2016 58L 2033 13L 2102 69L 2144 38L 0006 54L 0614 65L Lipson 2033 63L 2044 64L 2055 14L 2206 38L 0029 54L 0636 64L Plymouth a 2036 62L 2048 65L 2101 16L 2126 66L 2209 36L 0032 53L Plymouth d 2057 12L 2137 47L 2151 86L 2245 66L 0643 15L Liskeard 2147 35L 2212 59L 2225 95L 2311 70L 0711 2L Par 2217 40L 2232 57L 2247 92L 2343 76L 0742 4L Truro 2256 54L 2259 61L 2333 112L 0014 82L 0810 3L Penzance 0005 78L 0027 105L 0045 143L 0121 107L 0907 12L

Services ran normally until the early afternoon on the Sunday. The 1157 Paddington- Penzance lost a few minutes beyond Tiverton Parkway – possibly due to flooding at Hele -but continued losing time through to Penzance where it arrived 22 minutes late. The 1305

Milepost 37¾ 279 January 2017 Gloucester was similarly affected beyond Tiverton Parkway. Both the 1355 Gloucester and 1300 Paddington suffered similar delays approaching Exeter (although the Paddington train had already lost 20 minutes around Westbury) Both trains then each lost around half an hour approaching Plymouth – not normally an area associated with flooding or slipping. The Paddington train continued losing time throughout Cornwall and arrived in Penzance 264L. The 1605 Exeter – Penzance DMU followed the 1300 Paddington all the way to Par, where it was terminated 119L. The next three trains (1257 and 1400 Paddington and 1456 Gloucester) followed through to Plymouth in quick succession. The 1554 Gloucester made reasonable progress as far as Newton Abbot, but succumbed to the skid pan around Totnes, and lost time through Cornwall where it arrived in Penzance 150L. The 1500 Paddington-Penzance mirrored the 1300 train as far as Exeter, and the 1554 Gloucester beyond. Arrival in Plymouth was 97L where it terminated – problems with the train. Both the 1600 Paddington and the 1654 Gloucester lost time throughout, which was compounded by the Totnes problem. Arrivals in Plymouth were an hour late. An additional train was provided from Plymouth for the 1500 Paddington which terminated at Plymouth, using the stock from the 1600 Paddington. It only lost 66 minutes during its journey to Penzance. The delays had been increasing over the previous six hours. We now have a succession of three trains with long dwell times at Exeter and/or Plymouth. It is inferred that this was due to train crews arriving on late-running trains for their following duties: the 1700 Paddington was 30 minutes late on arrival at Exeter, 40 minutes dwell there (overtaken by 1755 Gloucester XC), 25 mins dwell at Plymouth and 143L at Penzance. The 1755 Gloucester lost only 16mins to Plymouth, but with a 31min wait there, and further time lost, arrival at Penzance was 105L. The 1800 Paddington was 40 minutes late by Exeter and with 36min dwell at Plymouth and further time lost in Cornwall, arrival in Penzance 107L – It must be a long time since Penzance welcomed four trains between 0000 and 0130. The Sleeper departed Paddington over three hours late, and with the assistance of booked dwells of 1½ hours at Exeter, 53 mins at Plymouth and 17mins at Liskeard, was able to depart from Liskeard only two minutes late.

In the up direction, trains ran reasonably punctually until the early afternoon. The 1437 Penzance-Bristol Sprinter ran punctually through Cornwall, but was held at Plymouth for 40mins, possibly due to the delays to southbound trains approaching Plymouth. A further 20mins were lost around Totnes, and arrival at Bristol was 84L. The 1500 Penzance- Paddington achieved a punctual run through Cornwall but succumbed to a 27min dwell time at Plymouth and a further 70mins were lost around Totnes. Additional time was lost on the Berks and Hants line and arrival at Paddington was 161L. The 1530 Penzance-Gloucester closely followed the 1500 train, so was 114L on arrival at Gloucester. The 1749 Plymouth- Paddington and 1825 to Gloucester were both closely following the earlier trains and were 1437 Penz-1500 Penz- 1530 Penz 1749 Plym 1825 Plym 2000 Plym 1607 Penz- 1731 Penz- 1900 Penz- 2115 Penz Bristol Pad Glos Pad Glos Pad Pad Pad Exeter Pad Penzance 1437 T 1500 T 1530 T 1607 T 1731 T 1900 T 0018 183L Truro 1518 T 1542 T 1607 T 1653 1L 1818 4L 1939 T 0109 188L Par 1541 T 1608 1L 1630 T 1728 11L 1907 29L 2126 83L 0137 193L Liskeard 1609 T 1637 5L 1659 7L 2135 234L 2206 184L 2218 109L 0201 191L Plymouth a 1639 2L 1702 6L 1735 20L 2224 257L Plymouth d 1719 41L 1729 29L 1748 23L 1754 5L 1825 T 2011 11L 2236 186L 2255 100L 0230 190L Hemerdon 1729 42L 1738 29L 1756 23L 1803 5L 1832 T 2020 11L 2245 187L 2303 99L Totnes a 1759 51L 1811 43L 1819 30L 1943 86L 1955 63L 2036 11L 2305 188L 2323 99L 0300 192L Totnes d 1934 103L New ton A 1820 60L 1937 116L 1948 105L 1959 89L 2009 64L 2050 13L 2320 190L 2336 98L 0315 193L Exeter a 2359 98L Exeter d 1857 70L 2000 116L 2008 105L 2023 91L 2030 64L 2114 15L 2343 190L 0340 154L Tiverton P 1914 71L 2020 121L 2027 110L 2039 94L 2046 67L 2143 29L 0005 198L 0358 156L Taunton 1928 70L 2036 122L 2042 112L 2051 94L 2059 67L 2204 35L 0023 200L 0407 153L Bristol TM 2041 84L 2116 114L 2132 62L 2245 35L Gloucester 2208 61L W'bury area 2146 155L 2209 134L 0135 228L 0500 139L Paddington 2322 161L 2344 137L 0052 48L 0254 215L 0625 79L NB - Arrivals show n only w hen there is an extended dw ell time

Milepost 37¾ 280 January 2017 137L and 61L respectively. The train to Paddington was further delayed on the Berks and Hants line – probably due to flooding around Castle Cary. The 2000 Plymouth-Bristol- Paddington lost time throughout, and the train terminated 48L. The 1607 Penzance- Paddington was 11mins late at Par, 90mins late at Bodmin and 234L at Liskeard. It was terminated at Plymouth 257L - Cancelled M8 problem - failure above sole bar. Both the 1731 and 1900 from Penzance were caught behind the failed train and arrived at their destinations 215L and 98L. Whilst the up Sleeper also departed over three hours late, it was not able to emulate the punctuality statistics of the down train – mainly due to the fewer number of planned extended dwell times (43mins at Exeter and 40mins at Reading – 83 mins) compared with the 160mins of the down train. Arrival was therefore 79mins late.

So what can we draw from this situation?:

The longer the problems continue, the worse the situation will deteriorate (train crews displaced) The more trains in the area, the more congestion will occur, and more lateness will result

Monday 21st November 2016

Based on the way that the Sleeper services recovered time during the night, the operators must have been reassured that services could recover on the Monday. How wrong they were!

Dawn broke reluctantly on the Monday, as it is prone to do in late November. It was still raining. The 0706 Paddington-Penzance encountered animals on the line in the Westbury and was unable to recover the 50mins lost. It was reported that the early trains from Penzance omitted Par and Bodmin stops to avoid restarting on slippery rail. The flooding situation in the south west deteriorated during the day. A summary of the operations is as follows:

South Wales

Flooding in Chipping Sodbury area – diversions via Lydney and Gloucester, or Berks & Hants

The chart shows arrivals in Paddington. C indicates cancelled. The terminators indicates the lateness when cancelled. As is usual in these situations, the Cardiff terminators were cancelled

Arrivals in Paddington from Noon South Wales 40L, 70L, C, 110L, 56L, C, 43L, C, 268L, C , C,108L, C, 76L, C, 99L, C, C, C, C, C Terminators: Swindon 250L, Reading 60L

Bristol and Cheltenham

Flooding near Box – diversions via Bradford North Junction (reverse) and Thingley Junction, (for Chippenham) or via Berks and Hants

Bristol 6L, 10L, 6L, 7L, 22L, 2L,39L, C, 13L, 82L, C, C, 39L, C, 136L, 104L, 110L, 20L, 72L, 20L 42L, 22L Terminator: Bath 63L South West

South West 124L, 27L, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, C, 77L, 73L, C, 35L, 30L, Terminators: Castle Cary 168L, Taunton 4L, 11L, 12L Reading 108L, Exeter 30L, 43L, 1L

As on the Sunday, the service ran normally on the Monday morning but deteriorated later. Whereas the problems on the Sunday were mainly caused by the leaf fall, on the Monday they were caused by flooding caused by the incessant rain over the previous days.

Milepost 37¾ 281 January 2017

Berks and Hants

The first closure due to flooding occurred in the Castle Cary area around 1300. The final trains through were the 0645 Penzance (up) and 1205 Paddington (down). The line reopened around 1800. The aforementioned 0706 Paddington returned from Penzance 47L and was 64L at Exeter, and was the first (and last) train through. It was terminated at Reading 108L. In the down direction the first train was the 1606 Paddington which terminated at Taunton 99L - unfortunately, the reopening coincided with the closure of the line between Tiverton and Exeter (see below), so a reinstated through service was still impossible.

Cranbrook

The Waterloo-Exeter line was flooded at Cranbrook and was closed from 1330 and reopened around 2000, but there were few trains using it.

Flax Bourton

Flooding resulted in a much-reduced service between Taunton, Weston-super-Mare and Bristol. The line reopened around 1800

Tiverton Pkwy-Exeter

The line closed around 1730. The final northbound train was the 1625 Plymouth-Leeds and southbound was an additional 1550 Taunton-Penzance train. Due to the Berks and Hants problems, the final through train from Paddington to Exeter was the 1133 Paddington-Exeter.

The problems on Sunday resulted in few cancellations, but there were many cancellations on the Monday. Whilst there was little evidence of diversions, this is not surprising in view of the deteriorating services on the diversionary routes.

Tuesday 22nd November

Any hope of a normal service on the Tuesday were thwarted by flooding from start of service at Cowley Bridge Junction near Exeter. As this was the only disruption in the south west, it was possible to arrange diversions. GWR operated a roughly two hourly service of Paddington-Penzance trains that ran via Castle Cary and Yeovil Junction. On alternate hours, trains ran to Taunton. XC operated a few trains from Exeter along the same route where train crew and paths were available, but generally terminated at Taunton or Tiverton. The line reopened around 1300 on the Wednesday.

It is disappointing that, having spent £15m in 2012 resolving the problems, four years later the same problem has recurred. NR did “spin” that the benefit of raising of the signalling equipment has avoided a longer line closure.

Whilst it may be easy to sit at a computer after the event and work out what has happened, it is much more of a problem for those “on the ground” to find out what is going to happen (Passengers and staff). Each train that is cancelled is going to inconvenience those who had planned to use it, and their transfer to one of the few trains that will continue to run is going to result in uncertainty and over-crowding. There were reports of Temple Meads station being closed due to overcrowding, and only allowing passengers onto the platforms when trains were announced. There was also major criticism of operations at Taunton, with minimal information about what was going to happen, and also in arranging replacement buses and taxis.

Milepost 37¾ 282 January 2017

It must felt like to the operators that they were playing Whack-a-Mole for three whole days! My parents once told me about a garage situated on the A38 south of Tewkesbury, which probably started life as the village blacksmiths, upgraded themselves to agricultural engineers when mechanisation arrived, and eventually to automobile engineers when motor vehicles appeared, when they were dispensing fuel at the same time as repairing vehicles. When they asked why they called the garage ODTAA Garage they were told it meant “One damn thing after another”. You can imagine that NR and GWR had similar feelings after these three days. (ODTAA was also a novel by John Masefield published in 1926)

The Sequel – Saturday and Sunday 26th and 27th November

If these problems were bad enough, on the following Saturday, a power surge in the signalling system knocked out all signals between Thingley Junction and Bristol from 0900 to 2000. On Sunday 27thNovember the line from Paddington to Reading was planned to be completely closed until noon. Due to over-running engineering work, the line didn’t reopen until 1420 resulting in yet more delays and cancellations.

By Chiltern to Oxford – David Ashley

Having covered one of the first Chiltern trains to Oxford Parkway in Milepost 36¾, I returned just prior to Christmas to sample the extension of their trains to Oxford.

As usual, confusion reigned at Marylebone which, after the morning peak, resembles a parking lot for surplus DMUs. I headed towards platform 6, which I believed is where the 1006 train would depart, and found two Class 165/0s already present. Passengers were directed to Waiting Point A, which is located towards the country end of Platform 3. With no other indication of the presence of the 1006, a Class 165/0 with all doors open on platform 4 looked appealing, and some Chinese shoppers headed towards it. The more knowledgeable had made their way to Platform 6, and by 1000 a third train had arrived, and at 1002 it was announced as the 1006.

The train left one minute late, and made a spirited departure. With no tsrs or signal checks, most of the late departure was recovered, and 100mph speeds were achieved by the Ruislip area, and the train continued at line speed through to Haddenham, where the time was 32m19s – a new RPS record time. The train continued in the same vein until it slowed for the diversion to the Oxford line at Bicester South Junction.

Although the posted speed limit is indicated at 75mph beyond Oxford Parkway, this is probably academic, as speeds rarely exceeded 55mph. There is a frequent change from single to double track, and there is an abundance of noise barriers on both sides of the route to assuage local residents who feared excessive noise from the trains.

In view of all the problems associated with Wolvercote Tunnel in the reopening of the line, it was surprising to see how insignificant that it actually appears: only 130m long, and recently doubled - maybe it was the resident bats that were causing all the problems

The new line approaches the GWR line around Milepost 65, and continues into Oxford, where the two northernmost platforms (1 and 2) are allocated for the Chiltern trains. Two Chiltern trains an hour run into the station, with dwell times around 35 minutes, so both platforms are occupied for around five minutes twice an hour.

What was surprising on the return journey was the number of passengers boarding at Oxford

Milepost 37¾ 283 January 2017 Parkway for Marylebone. Whilst last year, the mid-morning train was virtually empty, this year Chiltern had created a significant demand for the service, and it was comfortably filled.

Date Tu 20-Dec-16 Date Tu 20-Dec-16 Train 1006 Marylebone-Oxford Train 1142 Oxford-Marylebone Loco 168214 Loco 168214 Load formation 1/3 Load formation 1/3 Recorder D Ashley Recorder D Ashley Position/ GPS Sunny 1/3 Y Position/ GPS Sunny 1/3 Y miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave miles M C Timing Point Sch. m s mph ave 0.00 205 68 MARYLEBONE 0 00 P6 1L 0.00 31 19 OXFORD 0 00 P1 2L 2.21 203 51 W Hampstead 3 19 48 40.0 1.24 30 00 MP 30 2 13 57 33.5 2.85 203 00 Kilburn 4 06 51/47 48.8 2.46 28 62 Wolvercote TN 3 30 55/x52 57.3 3.65 202 16 Willesden Gn 5 04 50 49.7 3.56 27 54 Oxford Pkwy 4.5 5 18 36.7 4.38 201 38 Dollis Hill 5 54 69 52.2 0.00 27 54 Oxford Pkwy 5.0 6 12 4.85 201 00 Neasden 7.0 6 18 73 71.2 2.24 25 35 Islip 2 41 72 50.0 6.49 5 00 Wembley Stad 8.0 7 32 79 79.7 3.60 24 06 Oddington 3 46 85 75.5 7.81 3 54 S'bury/Har Rd 8 32 82 79.5 6.53 21 12 Langford Lane 5 39 98 93.2 8.74 2 60 Sudbury Hill 9 11 86 85.4 8.16 19 41 Bicester Vill 8.0 7 51 44.7 9.76 1 58 Northolt Park 11.0 9 52 91 90.0 0.00 19 41 Bicester Vill 9.0 8 36 /42 11.56 0 06 South Ruislip 11.5 10 58 101 98.2 0.51 19 00 Gavray J 1.0 1 10 41 26.4 12.09 0 48 Ruislip Gdns 11 17 100 99.5 1.16 0 00 Bicester SJ 2.0 2 05 43 42.5 13.35 1 69 W Ruislip 12.5 12 03 100/102 98.8 5.78 3 54 Brill - path 5 54 89/91 72.5 16.13 4 51 Denham 13 42 97 100.9 7.09 2 29 Brill T S 6 46 89 90.9 16.99 5 40 Denham GC 14 14 97 97.0 8.25 1 16 Dorton 7 30 98/102 95.1 18.71 7 18 Gerrards X 16.0 15 19 96/95 95.5 9.45 0 00 Ashendon J 8 14 99/96 98.2 21.44 9 76 Seer Green 17 01 97/96 96.2 13.04 30 21 Haddenham Pk 10.5 10 23 101 100.1 23.01 11 42 Beaconsfield 17 59 100 97.8 16.14 27 13 Ilmer 12 16 98/78 98.8 27.84 16 28 H WYCOMBE 22.0 21 18 58 87.3 18.80 24 40 Princes Risboro 14.0 14 04 84 88.8 29.99 18 40 W Wycombe 23 26 67 60.5 21.98 21 26 Saunderton 16.5 16 15 93/101 87.3 32.82 21 26 Saunderton 26.0 25 43 79 74.2 24.80 18 40 W Wycombe 18 06 79/83/55 91.6 35.99 24 40 Princes Risboro 28.5 28 03 84 81.6 26.95 16 28 H WYCOMBE 20.0 19 57 59 69.7 38.65 27 13 Ilmer 29 50 100/102 89.6 29.30 14 00 Tylers Green <.5> 22 00 81 68.8 41.75 30 21 Haddenham Pk 33.0 32 19 74.9 31.78 11 42 Beaconsfield 23 46 89 84.1 0.00 30 21 Haddenham Pk 34.0 33 11 33.35 9 76 Seer Green 24 47 99/100 93.0 3.59 33 68 Ashendon J 3 42 84 58.2 36.08 7 18 Gerrards X 27.0 26 26 95 99.1 4.79 1 16 Dorton 4 31 90 88.2 37.80 5 40 Denham GC (2) 27 27 102/100 101.8 5.95 2 29 Brill T S 5 17 91 91.0 38.66 4 51 Denham 27 58 101 100.2 7.26 3 54 Brill - path 6 05 99/101 98.4 41.44 1 69 W Ruislip 32.0 29 38 99/101 99.9 9.86 6 22 Blackthorn 7 41 93 97.5 42.70 0 48 Ruislip Gdns 30 23 99 101.0 11.59 8 00 8 9 05 40 73.9 43.23 0 06 South Ruislip 34.0 30 42 98/95 99.5 11.88 8 23 Bicester SJ 10.0 9 32 38/43 38.3 45.03 1 58 Northolt Park 31 49 97 96.7 12.58 0 56 Gavray J 11.0 10 28 40 42.8 46.05 2 60 Sudbury Hill 32 27 99 97.1 13.09 19 41 Bicester Vill 12.0 11 36 27.1 46.98 3 54 Sud/Harr Rd 33 01 93 97.9 0.00 19 41 Bicester Vill 13.0 13 07 48.30 5 00 Wembley Stad 37.0 33 54 76/24sig 90.0 1.64 21 12 Langford Lne 2 13 70 44.3 49.69 200 66 Neasden S J [1](1) 2.64 22 12 M40 3 04 79 70.6 49.86 201 00 Neasden 40.0 36 40 51 33.9 4.56 24 06 Oddington 4 20 91 91.2 50.34 201 38 Dollis Hill 37 13 56/47 51.8 5.93 25 35 Islip [1] 5 14 97 90.8 51.06 202 16 Willesden Gn 38 08 50/45 47.5 8.16 27 54 Oxford Pkwy 8.0 7 34 57.5 51.86 203 00 Kilburn 39 05 48/47 50.5 0.00 27 54 Oxford Pkwy 10 9 42 /53 52.50 203 51 W Hampstead (2) 39 54 51 46.8 1.10 28 62 Wolvercote TN 1 50 45 36.0 ss 2.5m 2.06 29 59 MP 65 3 08 56 44.4 54.79 205 74 MARYLEBONE 50.0 47 23 P3 1L 18.3 3.56 31 19 OXFORD 5.0 6 16 P1 T 28.7 Estimated distances - Oxford-Oxford Pkwy Estimated distances - Oxford Pkwy-Oxford

There does seem to be an imbalance in the timetable, with the stopping train allowed 66 minutes with four stops and two minutes’ recovery, and the faster train allowed 64 minutes with two stops and 6½ minutes recovery. The log of the faster train does confirm that there is plenty of surplus time in the schedule: it was slowed to allow the 1227 Marylebone to

Milepost 37¾ 284 January 2017 Aylesbury onto the Amersham line at Neasden South Junction, and stopped for 2½ minutes outside Marylebone to allow the 1243 to Banbury to vacate platform 3, to let us in. Arrival was one minute late.

Network Developments – Ian Umpleby

The pace of change continues, but some current and future improvements face delay/cancellation. The speed profile on the Selby to Hull line was raised, with even the Class 180/185 dmus benefitting, although they still suffer from differential speed restrictions. The first part of the Calder Valley Line speed upgrade saw 85-90 PSRs introduced between Manchester and Rochdale with further upgrades promised eastwards this year. The eastbound MML exit from Derby has seen an easing of the speed profile towards Spondon which should assist quicker starts. 100 mph all-traction PSRs from Bicester to Oxford and Bromsgrove to Cheltenham have been made differential without affecting the incumbent classes. There have been many PSR positioning changes following the Manchester Christmas work, but the general speed level is little changed. The Christmas resignalling/remodelling work on the GWML out of Paddington has seen the electrification of platforms one/two postponed, but platform 12 is being widened resulting in the closure of platform 13. The (eastbound only) Acton Relief line has opened allowing up trains to burrow under the entry/exit from Acton Yard with 1/40 down and 1/50 up grades and an 85MU PSR. The Stockley East Flyover has opened at Heathrow Airport Junction making the track layout here even more complex; hopefully the revised Mileage Chart will cope with this! The Marlow branch junction at Maidenhead has been remodelled in connection with a 60 mph loop through platform 5 and a Crossrail turnback siding installed between the Relief Lines west of the station. Train detection by axle counters has been introduced in the Didcot area. Oxford Parkway to Oxford opened as planned. The Cardiff Christmas resignalling has seen all lines made bi-directional in the Central station area which should considerably reduce delays awaiting platforms. The west side layout remains unchanged but that to the east has been remodelled and the new Valleys’ Lines platform 8 opened. No significant PSR changes but signal repositioning may allow faster approaches. The Christmas work at London Bridge primarily focuses on the first use of the South Bermondsey Flyunder designed to keep Thameslink trains out of the way of other services. On the WCML the Neutral Section at 51m 16ch has been removed and a handy footbridge erected at Penrith for timing purposes. Nearby, the Settle & Carlisle Line is scheduled to reopen fully on the 31st March. Resignalling of Nottingham to Newark and Five Ways to Ashchurch has taken place, the latter allowing the opening of all Bromsgrove’s four platforms. Electrification work continues along the GWML despite the well publicised “pauses”, and from Stalybridge to Blackpool North, Walsall to Rugeley and Glasgow to Edinburgh. The Ordsall Lane to Salford Crescent line was to be regarded as electrified from the start of this year. Redoubling of the Kettering to Corby line continues along with preparations for its electrification. The Tram-Train project from Meadowhall to Parkgate has been delayed once again but the Network Rail pointwork is almost finished. Holytown to Kirknewton electrification is now underway and the Barnt Green to Bromsgrove scheme is due to be completed by November. Gospel Oak to Barking should be completed shortly. Crossrail work rolls on with Brentwood to Shenfield’s Electric Lines currently closed. Work at Doncaster has allowed the new platform zero and the connections to Carr Depot, servicing Hitachi’s new trains, to open along with a new Up Passenger Loop just south of the station. The Up Slow to Black Carr Jn is now bi-directional. The much delayed Wrexham to Chester redoubling has been rescheduled for late March but that along the Ebbw Vale branch is delayed. The North Highland lines radio signalling has just been upgraded. Norton Bridge is about to be put out of its misery with a closure proposal announced but either Wedgwood or Barlaston may be resuscitated. Work on the Liverpool Lime Street remodelling has just begun as has platform extension work at London Waterloo. Edinburgh Gateway station has just opened and there is a prospect of Cambridge North, Low Moor and Ilkeston all opening in May; work is underway at Kenilworth. Platform extensions for 10 coach trains have taken place from Ascot westwards

Milepost 37¾ 285 January 2017 and Rochdale’s south bay opened. In Ireland the Coleraine to Londonderry resignalling and crossing point location has been completed but Portrush Signal Box is downgraded to a Shunt Frame requiring special arrangements when more than one train has to traverse the branch. The work on doubling the Dargan Viaduct out of Belfast Central has been postponed. A faster approach to Limerick Junction from the east and departures from Cork to the north have been introduced together with the restoration of passenger services between Dublin Connolly and Islandbridge Jn. (west of Heuston), although peak hours only. One beneficial side effect of the latter is that dmus have had to be taken from existing turns requiring the restoration of loco hauled trains on most Dublin to Cork services.

BOOKS

I thought my first book would be 'Biography of British Train Travel', to be published by Pen & Sword soon, but with the help of Bob Randall (Locomotion Books) who is a friend from the days of steam I have produced a book via Createspace and this is available now from Amazon. The title and image of the cover attached say it all. Its a 48 page paperback with 32 train running logs and descriptive text and is copiously illustrated throughout in black and white. Available now from Amazon at £8.99 plus p&p.

It contains a collection of photographs and train logs, all recorded during the Spring of 1964 on BR Southern Region Area 2 Rail Rovers. The line from Waterloo was still almost entirely steam operated to destinations such as Basingstoke, Salisbury, Southampton and beyond. Many services stopped at Woking, which fell just inside the Area 2 boundaries. That spring the I bought several of these Rail Rovers. Thankfully the treasured logs and photographs have survived.

The full story of the last few years of Southern steam is told in my book ‘Twilight of Southern Steam – The Untold Story’, published by Pen & Sword. But this collection gives a small yet unique insight into the life and times of a steam train basher in the 1960s. It will be published by Pen & Sword later this year – Don Benn (Author)

ATLAS OF THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY, by Richard Harman & Gerry Nichols. 224pp. 210mm x 297mm. Hardback with monochrome diagrams. ISBN 978-0-7110-3829-5. Ian Allan Publishing. £30.00. The resources of the Stephenson Locomotive Society’s library have been well used to compile this atlas which provides a detailed layout of the lines inherited by the Southern Railway in 1923 (with the exception of the part share in the East London Railway) and traces changes through to 31 December 1947 when British Railways took over.

146 pages of maps (plus five key pages) to a scale of approximately 0.7in (18mm) to the mile cover the complete system from Cornwall to Kent including joint lines. Lines in the London area are at a scale of twice this size. Inset enlargements are provided to show details of all but the most basic stations. Dates of opening or closure under Southern Railway ownership are given and where there were significant changes such as in the Isle of Thanet or Southampton Docks, there are separate maps for 1923 and 1947.

Goods sheds, sidings, signal boxes, level crossings and other features are included along with distances in miles and chains, mostly relating to the milepost sequence. Sometimes these

Milepost 37¾ 286 January 2017 differ by a chain or two from the current RPS distance charts as they probably relate to the centre of stations rather than a specific timing point and there may well have been changes since 1947. Private sidings are shown including lines of different gauges. The maps include rivers but no other geographical features and there are no details of gradients. Much electrification took place on the Southern prior to the outbreak of war in 1939 and new EMU depots are indicated but the maps do not show which lines were electrified.

Following the maps there is a complete Gazetteer with separate indexes for Bridges and Viaducts, EMU Depots, Engine Sheds and Works, Industrial and Military Railways, Level Crossings, Locations and Signal Boxes, Sidings, Stations and Tunnels

The atlas will appeal to those who enjoy poring over maps and may help in studying old logs on lines now closed that are not included in the RPS charts. It may also help to identify the location of photographs taken in Southern Railway days. Railway archaeologists or anyone travelling on the basic lines of today can use it to help identify the sites of past features.

Bruce Nathan

RPDF – The Database

The Rail Performance Data Foundation are considering what can be done to improve the flexibility of the RPS database.

We are looking for somebody who has a knowledge of databases and who can improve the filtering and sorting on the current facility, or introduce a new database to do so. If you have significant experience in this area, and are able to operate and manage databases, either on a voluntary or a commercial basis, please contact Frank Collins

RPS AREA MEETINGS

THURSDAY 26th JANUARY 16:30 ROYAL OAK, BOROUGH

THURSDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 16:00 BEAUFORT ARMS, BRISTOL PKWY

TUESDAY 21ST MARCH 17:00 GROVE INN, LEEDS

Milepost 37¾ 287 January 2017 Storm Angus: Disruption in the South-west – from page 278

Milepost 37¾ 288 January 2017

All aboard the “Austerity Express”

From page 141

RPS railway performance society www.railperf.org.uk

Milepost 37¾ 289 January 2017 .

Milepost 37¾ 290 January 2017