Lincoln's Boat Train

[swanpool]

Hmmm... maybe I did know Pyewipe Junction (and Lincolnian) at school after all - not that the names Paul and Alan ring any bells. If PJ is right about the motive power, I must've been spotting on Central Station Saturday mornings in '61. Sounds about right.

I went to the same school (1960-66).

[lincolnian]

[quote="Pyewipe Junction"]I think the March locos took the Boat Train from March to Sheffield and back. There must have been another loco for the Harwich - March leg. There were definitely V2s for a while - March had four or five of them up to 1960. They were also used on the March to Doncaster stoppers until they were withdrawn in 1959. I remember it was quite sad to see such a dignified and powerful loco pulling three or four ancient ex-LNER carriages.

There was obviously a big change in running matters since the early days - "Great Central in LNER Days" says that Gorton had B17's in 1929 for the North Country Continental from Manchester to Ipswich and back next day ... now that's a fair old run!
PS. I was a Bluecoat 1958-1965.
Paul M.

[Pyewipe Junction]

Paul: check your PMs!

I was a Greyfriar!

A.

[lincolnian]

Paul: check your PMs!

I was a Greyfriar!

A.

PM's to PM?! ... still checking.
Paul M.

[Pyewipe Junction]

Hello Paul:

PMs = personal messages. Log in and it should show you have at least 1 new message. That's the one from me.

Cheers

Alan

[lincolnian]

I still have vivid memories of Ourebi, Hartebeeste, Geoffrey Gibbs as well as various K3's, which were a favourite engine - the best days though were when engineering works were carried out on the ECML and all main line trains were diverted via Lincoln and the bottom of my garden - how considerate!

Eerie or what? Just 2 weeks since I posted this and latest issue of Steam World mag has a superb photo of 'Hartebeeste' by Brayford Pool with the traditional view of the cathedral behind it.
There's also a photo of a Skeggy excursion on its way to pass thro' Lincoln, but it's still in Midland country and hands in the photo.
Paul M.

[lincolnian]

Hello Paul:

PMs = personal messages. Log in and it should show you have at least 1 new message. That's the one from me.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan - there's no PM's in my inbox?

Paul M.

[50C]

In the 1950s March V2s were regularly used on the daily Colchester-Newcastle express.The north bound stopped at Selby at about 1pm and the retun working arrived about 3pm.The V2 went as far as York and then brought the balancing train south.The loco always seemed to be 60803 but I am sure all 4 March V2s were used at various times.The highlight of this working was the occasional appearance of a March Sandringham with Brancepeth Castle and Aske Hall being the most common.Sandringhams were very rare on the ECML north of Doncaster and as a regular spotter in those days I only saw two others (apart from those on the Colchester).
My first one was 61604 Elveden in the early 50s heading to Doncaster on a freight and the other was a footballer on a south bound excursion.To my horror on a visit to the Plant centenary in 1953 my only Sandringham cop at the time, 61604, was on the scrap line.I think it was withdrawn well before any other of the class.
Coming back to the Colchester, by 1960 March Britannia's started to appear mainly on the Saturday working.On three or four Saturdays that summer we had the wonderous sight of double headed Britannias stopping on the 3pm south bound working.To witness 2 spotlessly clean Brits accelerating out of Selby station was magnificent.Why we only got double headed Brits and never a V2 and a Brit or two V2s I dont know. As anyone any idea why the second Brit was attached on Saturdays only and are there any photos available.By 1961 I think
D55XX diesels had taken over

50C

[lincolnian]

Form the early 70s the Boat Train was rerouted via Peterborough, Grantham, Nottingham Midland and Sheffield Midland following the closure of the ex-GC line to Manchester. Does anyone know how much longer it lasted?

Hi Alan,
It was in the '73-'74 timetable that the Boat Train was diverted from the GN & GE Joint as you've said. Apparently there was a further change in May '83 when it was extended to serve Glasgow and Edinburgh, using Manchester Victoria in lieu of Piccadilly and then via Bolton, Preston and the WCML ... don't know if it's still going though, most likely some form of super-dmu if it is!
I didn't realise that it actually started in 1885 as one of the first long distance cross-country trains ... and that B17's were, apparently, usually in charge from 1929 to 1958.
Paul M.

[Archibald Sturrock]

I too lived in Lincoln and attended the City School between 1955 and 1959, trainspotting from about 1957 to 1958, and only remember "Football club" B17s on the boat train. The cycle dash to Central station was a bit shorter for me and my mates! I also well remember the Doncaster locos running in, and the main line express diversions, as I lived on the north side of the Foss Dyke and often cycled along the footpath towards the Pyewipe Inn. I could spend all day on Sundays spotting the Pacifics going past, in a steady procession - wonderful!
I recently made two trips to the UK from Sweden specifically to photograph Tornado, once at Loughborough in gray and again later in green heading to Kings Cross - what memories that brought back!

[lincolnian]

Form the early 70s the Boat Train was rerouted via Peterborough, Grantham, Nottingham Midland and Sheffield Midland following the closure of the ex-GC line to Manchester. Does anyone know how much longer it lasted?

Hi Alan,
It was in the '73-'74 timetable that the Boat Train was diverted from the GN & GE Joint as you've said. Apparently there was a further change in May '83 when it was extended to serve Glasgow and Edinburgh, using Manchester Victoria in lieu of Piccadilly and then via Bolton, Preston and the WCML ... don't know if it's still going though, most likely some form of super-dmu if it is!
Paul M.

It turns out that in May '83 the Boat Train (now Harwich to Glasgow/Edinburgh) gained an official title - "The European", so end of the North Country Continental ... 1885 to 1983, not a bad run! I've just checked available trains and there's now no apparent direct connection from Harwich to Glasgow, the minimum number of changes required being 3 so, presumably, "The European" is no longer either.
Paul M.

[lincolnian]

I too lived in Lincoln and attended the City School between 1955 and 1959, trainspotting from about 1957 to 1958, and only remember "Football club" B17s on the boat train. The cycle dash to Central station was a bit shorter for me and my mates! I also well remember the Doncaster locos running in, and the main line express diversions, as I lived on the north side of the Foss Dyke and often cycled along the footpath towards the Pyewipe Inn. I could spend all day on Sundays spotting the Pacifics going past, in a steady procession - wonderful!

Hi Archibald, many's the occasion your namesake passed the bottom of my garden! Just wondering if you, Pyewipe Junction, Swanpool or anyone else can remember an occasion which I have a vivid memory of for some reason, presumably one Sunday in early '60's, when A1 'Auld Reekie' was standing light engine in Lincoln Central gleaming as if it had just come out of it's box? I must have had to leave as I don't recall where/how it went, but it was standing on the through Doncaster bound track - only time I recall seeing a Scottish A1 in Lincoln.
Paul M.

[Archibald Sturrock]

Hello, Lincolnian, I joined the RAF in September 1959 and my transpotting came to an abrupt halt!
I would like to show this picture, however (if the link works):
http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/ ... lincolnver:
which shows A3 60065 Knight of Thistle passing through Lincoln around that time.
Sorry for the thread drift away from the boat train, and I know the picture quality is terrible, but it is a tangible link to those days, when every summer day the sun shone!

[Bill Bedford]

I've just checked available trains and there's now no apparent direct connection from Harwich to Glasgow, the minimum number of changes required being 3 so, presumably, "The European" is no longer either.

But we have EuroStar now, so the Continent is not as cut off as it once was.......

[lincolnian]

Hello, Lincolnian, I joined the RAF in September 1959 and my transpotting came to an abrupt halt!
I would like to show this picture, however (if the link works):
http://www.time-capsules.co.uk/picture/ ... lincolnver:
which shows A3 60065 Knight of Thistle passing through Lincoln around that time.
Sorry for the thread drift away from the boat train, and I know the picture quality is terrible, but it is a tangible link to those days, when every summer day the sun shone!

Nice one Archie - I'll lay quite good odds that within 5 minutes of the photo being taken I saw that passing the bottom of my garden ... in full sun of course!
Paul M.