The Highwayman

[Mickey]

A short-lived legendary ECML service renowned for it's ''leisurely progress'' northwards and usually worked by a EE-type 4 (later known as a class 40) complete with it's own headboard THE HIGHWAYMAN that ran in the years 1970 & 1971 from Finsbury Park to Newcastle via Sunderland with a through ticket costing 35/-shillings or £1.50p.

[52A]

It ran "southwards" as well.

[Percy Main]

I remember travelling south on the Highwayman via Sunderland. Still quicker than the United coach from Gallowgate. By the way 35/- is £1.75 not £1.50.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I can remember the 'Highwayman', always thought it was a bargain for anyone going 'opp norf'. It used to sit on the Down slow waiting departure, which meant any other down slow train had to use 'Slow 2' fun and games there

manna

[giner]

What was the "leisurely progress" bit about The Highwayman? Was it a bit of a stopper, or just that it's schedule was, well, leisurely? Odd, too, that it would run from Finsbury Park and not the Cross. Handy for any Arsenal or Spurs fans going to a Magpies or Black Cats away game, I suppose.

[cambois]

This post brought back old memories. I used it instead of the coach to get from Kent to Newcastle whilst at the university there. It started Finsbury Park I think partly to save costs - no ecs locos required, and partly as an early form of market differentiation/segmentation. It was slow - crew change on the main line (swop with the crew in the other direction) somewhere north of Doncaster - again to give it a clear place - faster (a bit) and more comfortable than the coach, so price competitive whereas the normal fares were not. It used Mk1s whereas the Mk2s were then much more common on the regular services. Finsbury Park was fine for me - up to Victoria and then the relatively new Victoria line straight across London

Mind you could still get class 40s and Mk1s on Christamas/Easter etc reliefs on the ECML in 1979, complete with steam heat

[Mickey]

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[Mickey]

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[Percy Main]

What was the "leisurely progress" bit about The Highwayman? Was it a bit of a stopper, or just that it's schedule was, well, leisurely? Odd, too, that it would run from Finsbury Park and not the Cross. Handy for any Arsenal or Spurs fans going to a Magpies or Black Cats away game, I suppose.

Using the coast route and stopping at Sunderland, Stockton and Hartlepool probably added at least an hour. Then it made unlikely stops at places like Potters Bar ((I think). I don't remember any extended stops at Doncaster, just the way it ambled along the slow line with Deltic-hauled expresses overtaking us.. Terminating at Finsbury Park with its tube connection wasn't as inconvenient as it sounds, and was probably just a way of rubbing in the economy nature of the service.

I have a vague memory of special Highwayman-branded buffet fodder.

[Mickey]

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[stnman]

Hi there - as you can see I am a new member, although I have been visiting the site for some time.

The leisurely progress of The Highwayman was due to its running as Class B (sorry, Class 2) and using the slow lines as much as possible to keep out of the way of "proper" traffic.

The first summer it ran (4th May to 3rd October) the down train left Finsbury Park at 0925 SX, 1520 SO, and made public calls at Potters Bar, Stevenage, Eaglescliffe, Stockton, Hartlepool and Newcastle. There were also unadvertised stops, one of which was Doncaster. Presumably it made similar calls coming up. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the headcodes - senility is creeping in!

I do not think the train ran in the winter. The second summer it ran, it was extended to and from Edinburgh. Down, it ran as 2S45; Up I cannot recall exactly, but I will have a look next time I am at the NRM if I have time.

Regards,

stnman

[Mickey]

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[cambois]

Another memory was that I stopped using it as soon as the Student Railcard was introduced so I could use the faster trains. Which explains why only ran for two years

[Mickey]

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[StevieG]

It used to sit on the Down slow waiting departure, which meant any other down slow train had to use 'Slow 2' fun and games there

manna

Can't remember where it used to sit waiting the 'Right-away'. Would've thought Platform 10 (the Down Canonbury, accessible by the ECS from all Down lines except the Down Fast and Down Goods No.2) would've been more out of the way of other passenger traffic, and it could still reach the Down Fast at Fins. Park 5 box on departure (trains from all Down lines could do that there).

I too was thinking that it (the Down working at least) was a Class 2 before reading 'stnman's post. ...Welcome, stnman.
When it ran to Sunderland as the Down destination, the headcode of 2N99 comes to mind - not sure if that's right though.