The LNER Encyclopedia

Anyone else remember seeing this service? The inaugral Down train near Arlesey in 1977. The Deltic had been lovingly hand cleaned specially at Clarence Yard

Yes I remember it well!

May i ask which racehorse this is ?

Not a racehorse for once - think it was 55013 The Black Watch

52A wrote:Yes I remember it well!

Lucky man - in those days the only momentoes I got might have been the occasional orange recovered off the floor of an empty Transfesa wagon! Still, at least I heard the 'deep throated hum' coming towards me from quite a distance that sunny morn. East Coast elegance...

On the topic of Deltics, another thread reminded me of an occasion when I was about 12; we heard that a circus train was coming to Ashington. At that time the only locos seen on the line were J27, Q6 and K1. Imagine our astonishment when it turned up with a Deltic hauling it! This was surpassed however by another occasion. If the wind was in the right direction I could just hear Deltics on the ECML late at night. Imagine my surprise one day when I woke up to the sound of a Deltic that souded as if it was 200 yards away. When I got up I discovered that the reason was because it had been 200 yards away! There was a diversion and we saw many ECML trains during that day; it seemed extrordinary seeing this traffic passing the end of my street. I had seen all of the locos before, so didn't take a note of any numbers.

That photo should have been shown to the Gateshead cleaners!!

Afternoon all

The first run from Kings Cross was Deltic 12 'Crepello' (I was on it from Darlington to Newcastle) and if I remember correctly, the return working was Deltic 22 'Royal Scots Grey'.

Keep The Faith

Keith

BTW, the photo is not a shot of the first run as Deltic 13 didn't get the silver roof treatment until it was chosen to take place in the Rainhill celebrations.

Keith

Deltic18 wrote:The first run from Kings Cross was Deltic 12 'Crepello' (I was on it from Darlington to Newcastle) and if I remember correctly, the return working was Deltic 22 'Royal Scots Grey'.

8th June 1977.
55012 on the 0745 Kings Cross-Edinburgh.White buffers and a headboard (not the one above).
55022 on the 1500 Edinburgh-Kings Cross.Silver buffers (which had buffed up to something) and the same (or similar) headboard.

I saw both workings at Waverley.

Andy

Humble apologies, I got my slides mixed up. Here is the genuine article, complete with headboard, passing Arlesey. A credit to Clarence Yd and Hornsey C.S.