North Country Continental

[Tom F]

Morning all.
In the late 1930s, was the NCC a daily train, or just once a week? I've been looking through Steve Banks book, but I can't find anything about the days it ran.

Cheers

2750

[JASd17]

Tom,

The NCC ran each week day, summer and winter. I have checked the 1937-8 and summer 1938 timetables. 3.30pm departure for the York portion, heading south. 7.25am from Harwich PQ, northbound.

In the timetables it is not named. It is described as 'Continental Restaurant Car Train'. It also appears that the York portion of the service had a Restaurant Car on Mondays and Fridays only in the summer TT. If I am reading the summer 1938 public TT correctly.

John

[jwealleans]

I don't have my source material to hand, but I thought the (ex-GE) RF and RTO in the consist were detached at Sheffield? Was the routing changed post war, or did it run in multiple portions?

[JASd17]

Jonathan,

The story of the train is really quite complicated, C J Allen's titled trains gives a useful summary. The Great Central in LNER Days 2, Jackson & Owen, is good on the locomotive workings.

The summer 1938 TT, gives Restaurant Car train 'Liverpool to Harwich', the York portion was attached and detached at Lincoln, in the late 1930s.

John

[jwealleans]

Thanks, John. The Carriage Working I have for it is 1950 or 52, I think (from Andy Rush). I also have a photo of the RF (E668E, I think) after being dropped at Sheffield. It's in maroon by then, so long after the period you're interested in, Tom. Two restaurant portions in the one train does seem a bit excessive, though.

I'm surprised Carter/Banks don't cover it in detail, it was a well known and long standing service.

[Tom F]

Tom,

The NCC ran each week day, summer and winter. I have checked the 1937-8 and summer 1938 timetables. 3.30pm departure for the York portion, heading south. 7.25am from Harwich PQ, northbound.

In the timetables it is not named. It is described as 'Continental Restaurant Car Train'. It also appears that the York portion of the service had a Restaurant Car on Mondays and Fridays only in the summer TT. If I am reading the summer 1938 public TT correctly.

John

Thanks John
Yes found it in the WTT departing York at 3.30 for Lincoln at 5.15. I did read that the down portion worked up via Knottingley avoiding the EcML.

Would this be the service that is down leaving Lincoln at 11.27 arriving at York at 1.12

[JASd17]

Tom,

Yes, the summer 1938 public TT has 11.25am departure from Lincoln, but the WTT may well have a slightly different time, arrival is 1.12pm at York, via Knottingley, as you say. I also note that it says it has a restaurant car on Monday, Friday and Saturday, until 12th September, inclusive. I didn't look at the Saturday page before, so I wasn't reading it right, as I feared!

John

[earlswood nob]

Afternoon all
There is a 1947 LNER timetable available on the Timetable World website.
I don't know whether the NCC ran in those days
Earlswood nob

[Tom F]

Tom,

Yes, the summer 1938 public TT has 11.25am departure from Lincoln, but the WTT may well have a slightly different time, arrival is 1.12pm at York, via Knottingley, as you say. I also note that it says it has a restaurant car on Monday, Friday and Saturday, until 12th September, inclusive. I didn't look at the Saturday page before, so I wasn't reading it right, as I feared!

John

Cheers John. This means I can have the motive power I was hoping arriving on shed!

[JASd17]

Tom

Looking forward to the motive power in question.

I wonder?

John

[Atlantic 3279]

Quite a few years ago Bryan Longbone of the GCRS put together a slide show of superb historical value based on an album of unique old photographs that he had rescued from a bin outside Lincoln library! The pictures were all taken in and around Lincoln circa 1925, probably during the photographer's dinner breaks from his day job. Amongst other railway shots, he repeatedly captured a change of engines on a late morning / lunchtime train, ex North Eastern locos being relieved by ex Great Eastern locos. The train is possibly the Continental, although at an earlier date than is of interest to Tom in this context.

[Saint Johnstoun]

When I lived in the Midlands one of the regulars in our local Pub came from the Retford area and used to travel home from School on the NCC when he could - in those days (1950s) the mainstays were B17s, B2s, and B1s - Kimbolton Castle was one of the usual performers. It would seem that after the Grouping B12s also managed to work through on occasion. Parkeston B17s worked right through to Sheffield where an electric took over.