The LNER Encyclopedia

During the 70s/80s there was a train known as the "bullion train" that ran on an as required basis from Stratford Freightliner to Leeds Freightliner. It consisted of one freightliner flat and a converted mark 1 coach. A container was loaded at Stratford under strong and no doubt armed gaurd. Train crews had to remain on the engine during this operation, even opening the cab windows was met with a fierce look. When the train left the guard rode in the back cab and there can be no doubt that armed police rode in a passenger area on the mark one coach with the blinds fully pulled down. I was a secondman on this working one day from Finsbury Park to Doncaster we were given a load slip telling us that that the max speed was 60 mph, on arrival at Doncaster we were met by a rather anxious loco inspector as to the reason why we were running late, it turned out the max speed was 75 mph. En route we noticed at a number of stations police were watching our progress and at a number of passing points police cars were seen. Which way the said bullion or whatever it was went I never found out as the security was tight both ways.

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Micky wrote:During the 1970s & 80s the 'money train' has it was sometimes referred to by some usually ran with the headcode 1G70.

I recall one of these trains sometimes use to run over the North London line during the early 1980s but not that regular.

Just like this one, Micky?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30268259@N03/2854152224/

Good evening,

One of the Mk 1 stock Bullion Vans was at Cranmore on the E Somerset Railway last time I was there awaiting restoration.

..... they certainly need to find some external door handles.....

Regards,

Vernon

Hi all
We used to work a bullion train from Gateshead freight to Doncaster.I was running through Ferryhill,when we got a detonator for an unscheduled PW slack,my god that caused panic ive never seen so many guns.

52H

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In the mid-sixties we often saw one of these vans (no containers then) in Southampton docks. I always assumed the bullion was coming off the Union Castle ships from the cape, although it wasn't always a Monday when I saw them (Monday was the arrival day for the 'cape boats')

In about 1966 or 67 the bullion disappeared between South Africa and Southampton on the Capetown Castle!!! The ship was searched from bow to stern, keel to truck but no trace was found. Eventually it was found, probably after a tip-off, or more likely a reward, in a locker of some sort concreted over so there was no sign of it to the searchers.

The Capetown Castle went for scrap the following year, it would have made quite a bonus for the shipbreakers!!

In the 60,s bullion vans were a regular occurance on the GN main line. We used to have one on a train from Leeds to KX about once a month. It would be placed in front of the passenger coaches, no freightliners in them days, and an Inspector and a BTP guy would ride with you. After the Great Trai robbery there was always plenty of Police knocking about at stations, crossings and bridges.

Here is such a train near Normanton:


31225_GooseHill by robertcwp, on Flickr

JeffB wrote:In the 60,s bullion vans were a regular occurance on the GN main line. We used to have one on a train from Leeds to KX about once a month. It would be placed in front of the passenger coaches, no freightliners in them days, and an Inspector and a BTP guy would ride with you. After the Great Trai robbery there was always plenty of Police knocking about at stations, crossings and bridges.

I remember seeing one of those Mk1s at Kings Cross one evening in the 1970s. I think they were shunting it onto a sleeper service, but my memory is really bad these days.

A couple of my photos.
Note loco is of course D1769
Peascliffe Tunnel 31209 up bullion July 83


Note these are both on my flickr site as well.
David

I remember seeing the Down 1G70 working fairly often while working at Finsbury Park 1977-1979. It used to come off the Down Canonbury and into the Down Moorgate line platform (No.6 by then*), and stop for crew relief. Think I recall its Circular then, showing it to start from Stratford somewhere (F.L.T.?), destination Stourton FLT.

* - (Formerly No.8, Down Slow 2 : Wonder what they'll do with all the numbering when the Up Goods is converted to be the Up Slow 2 soon [old Platform 1 {Up Branch} already under reconstruction and lengthening across Stroud Green Road bridge (Bridge 16)] - Another platform 0 {'zero'} in the offing methinks) )

By the time the money reached Middlesbrough there cannot have been much left as the bullion was worked in in a Thompson BZ fitted with a radio ariel--Jim Brodie.

THE POLICE ON THE TRAIN USED TO RADIO ENTRY AND EXIT FROM EACH POLICE FORCE AREA AS WELL.

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