Re. 45's at the X, had a fair few turn up over the years, some of the very low numbered ones, D20, D27, D100, even had a Green one turn up at the X one day after a long period of only blue loco,s and that was after the last local Cl 31 had been painted blue.
I don't think the Cl 31 will have to much trouble with 1-49, as long as you don't overload it, they worked out of Moorgate and the Hotel curve for many years, Hope you have a good diesel gala weekend
manna
In the Control, we couldn't get rid of those occasional 45s fast enough, as almost no-one from remotely nearby [ER (ECML) ] depots was passed on them (not south of Donc. anyway, and there was never mention of being able to ask to borrow anyone from 'the Midland' next door, and 'pilot' them ; I think though, one or two Peterboro' men might still have known them), and if the men who worked it up to London (I think they were usually from Holbeck) worked back on another loco or 'home PASS', we could be left with the 45 which was of no use to us for the time being, and one short on your locos that you could actually allocate for work.
So we liked to make sure that the 45 could be worked back by those who brought it, probably even occasionally getting '1 Shunt' to get it shunt released from behind its Up train so that that could happen.
I just thought that i would mention (and make all you 'spotter's out there salivate ) that back around 1969 i remember seeing the prototype KESTREL passing through Welwyn North on the down evening Yorkshire pullmans on several occasions and atleast onetime around the sametime KESTREL on the same service passing through Welwyn Garden City (from the old station car park on the down side). I believe the loco ended up in the U.S.S.R. of all places and was 'cut up' there sometime back in the 1990s. Micky
Micky wrote:I just thought that i would mention (and make all you 'spotter's out there salivate ) that back around 1969 i remember seeing the prototype KESTREL passing through Welwyn North on the down evening Yorkshire pullmans on several occasions and atleast onetime around the sametime KESTREL on the same service passing through Welwyn Garden City (from the old station car park on the down side). I believe the loco ended up in the U.S.S.R. of all places and was 'cut up' there sometime back in the 1990s. Micky
Used to see it on a Leeds job in those days as well. Some debate ongoing at the mo whether it actually has been cut up or not. There's a photo showing it dumped but the script is all Russian so we're looking for someone to translate it.
Good back that, Micky : By respected local railway photographer David Percival.
Seem to remember being at Wood Green 4 'box one evening, with a 3-1-1 (Class 4) car train of what turned out to be Carflats or similar, signalled Up Slow-to-Goods, and what should turn out to be on the front as it gradually came slowly into view through the station between the many buildings on the double-platform-faced Up Slow line ? Yes, HS4000, 'Kestrel'. Only time I saw it, I think.
Last edited by StevieG on Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Micky - have made enquiries of Relief Signalman George Howe and he reckons the Sunday parcels would have been 3E03, which certainly rings a bell with me although I reckon a train with that reporting number also ran on week nights. It was a parcels train on a Sunday, certainly, but would probably have also conveyed empty passenger vans back to London off Sunday morning's Down newspaper trains. George also tells us that it conveyed water cans from St Neots to Everton signalbox as well (SuO)! The 3E03 I am thinking of on weeknights brought any ex works stock from York and Doncaster as well as empty vans, there always being an imbalance of those at Kings Cross.
Regarding Peaks (later class 45) on trains to Kings Cross. These were only used in times of stress where they were manned throughout by Holbeck or York men and, importantly, who could work back with them. We knew that it would cause some difficulty in London (e.g requiring the use of 1 Shunt to haul them off the stops whilst the northern crew had their break) but it was only ever done as a last resort. Cromptons (later class 46) were generally OK as apart from some Kings Cross men, everybody drove them (and they were diagrammed to work to London).
The other service which sometimes produced a surprise was the 0715 Peterborough parly, which on several occasions had a March 37 due to a boiler failure on a Finsbury Park Brush 2. It even had, on one memorable day, a Toton Peak purloined off the Little Barford coal train with the Toton driver traction conducting the Peterborough man. The Peterborough driver was booked home passenger from London at this period, so bringing these 'strangers' back light didn't cause too much hassle.
Micky wrote:Used to see it on a Leeds job in those days as well. Some debate ongoing at the mo whether it actually has been cut up or not. There's a photo showing it dumped but the script is all Russian so we're looking for someone to translate it.
Super photograph of Kestrel, taken ín August 1985 and published 23.12.2009. I put the comments through an Internet translator and the story seems to go like this: Bought in 1971 for £127,000, perhaps after being at some exhibition. Converted to 1524 mm gauge. At some time the diesel engine (perhaps almost immediately) was removed for testing and the body used as ballast for testing other diesel locomotives. Sold for scrap in 1993, reportedly still in existence in 2001. The photo is at some place "Vnikti", Kolumna - which I also googled:
) that back around 1969 i remember seeing the prototype KESTREL passing through Welwyn North on the down evening Yorkshire pullmans on several occasions and atleast onetime around the sametime KESTREL on the same service passing through Welwyn Garden City (from the old station car park on the down side). I believe the loco ended up in the U.S.S.R. of all places and was 'cut up' there sometime back in the 1990s. Micky