1980s changes on the railways

[Mickey]

From memory three railway changes that occurred on British Rail during the 1986/87 era-

1.The abolition of the final few loose coupled freight trains that were still running on British Rail at that time.

2.The abolition of 'Time Interval Working' on British Rail and from memory from reading the letter that was sent around all signal boxes at that time British Rail management didn't think it was conducive to running a "modern railway" in the 1980s to retain Time Interval Working during emergency working during a complete 'block signalling failure' between two or more signal boxes as it was a system of running trains that was first brought in at the dawn of railways in Britain in the 1830s.

3.The introduction of electric battery operated tail lamps on trains while the old oil tail lamps were gradually phased out over the coming months. The first electric tail lamp that I remember seeing was on the rear end of a oil train and was 'flashing away' one dark evening and I remember thinking to myself that it must have been a dodgy drop of oil with impurities in the oil and also the wick hadn't been trimmed properly?.

[52D]

No1, always reminds me of sleepimg in my house overlooking the ECML and hearing buffers clashing as unfitted trains started out of Tweedmouth yard,

[Mickey]

No1, always reminds me of sleepimg in my house overlooking the ECML and hearing buffers clashing as unfitted trains started out of Tweedmouth yard,

Funny that you should say that 52D because I heard a similar sound a couple of weeks ago when a empty stone train started away from a red signal suddenly 'after getting the road' and I heard that old bang bang bang bang bang noise as the couplings and buffers all banged together and for a moment it took me back to the 'lost sounds' of Britains railways we use to hear all the time at one time.

[Trestrol]

Always remember standing at Seaham Station about 86/87 and saw a class 56 approaching. To my surprise it was hauling a rake of vac braked 21 ton hoppers with a brake van on the end. Probably a clear out of Sunderland South Dock and they were off for scrap. Probably the last unfitted rake I saw.

[Mickey]

The last regular loose couple goods train working that I recall seeing was back in 1985/86 and was from memory the very last loose coupled goods train that ran through Upper Holloway station (in north London) although it was only a fairly short lived working only lasting for about 18 months and finally finishing during 1986.

The train concerned ran several times during the weekday mornings around 10:45-11:00am (through Upper Holloway station) and strangely I only can recall it running in the one direction which seems a bit odd(?) anyway the train departed Temple Mills marshalling yards in East London (located to the north of Stratford station and loco depot) bound for Toton yards on the Midland Region which meant a run down the Midland main line from Carlton Road Junction in north London and then northwards to Toton. The train it's self was usually quite along train and was always hauled by a Brush type 2 (class31) and usually always consisted of mineral wagons, bogie bolster flat wagons and box vans with a brake van at the rear, the train ran as a class 8 loose coupled goods train (block bell 3-2 for signalmen).

[sandwhich]

There was another change in 1986 the final elimination of steam heating boilers and all remaining diesel hauled passenger trains using electric train heating. There were other changes as regards the manning of trains that also came about around that time.

[Mickey]

There was another change in 1986 the final elimination of steam heating boilers and all remaining diesel hauled passenger trains using electric train heating. There were other changes as regards the manning of trains that also came about around that time.

Yes I remember the 'flexible rosterng train crews strike' that effected the railways during the mid 1980s and also secondmen/drivers assistants were abolished and single manning was adopted by the locomen and the ASLEF union.

[StevieG]

Did Class 8 become the unfitted Class ? : I remember 8's still having a (low) proportion of fitted vehicles, with 9 (at that time) being the unfitted.
Another milepost - Wonder when the Vacuum brake was last used on the network.

[Mickey]

Did Class 8 become tbe unfitted Class ? : I remember 8's still having a (low) proportion of fitted vehicles, with 9 (at that time) being the unfitted.

I always use to simplify in my own mind-

Class 6 a fully fitted freight train
Class 7 a partially fitted freight train
Class 8 a unfitted freight train
Class 9 a unfitted freight train

From what I remember being around the North London line at the start of the 1980s and continuing on through until later on in the decade most of the freight train workings that were around back then that carried block loads such as oil or cement or van trains made up of Ferrywagons were all fully fitted trains and always ran as class 6 trains with Freightliner trains running as class 4 along with carflat & cartic trains also running as class 4 trains as well. There was stll a very small number of class 7 partially fitted and class 8 unfitted freight trains with brake vans still around but really not that many by that time and class 9 unfitted freight trains seemed to be the preserve of short trip workings usually with a (class 08) 350hp diesel shunter pulling a few unfitted wagons and a brake van although much later on during the 2000s the class 9 re-appeared again although this time being used for the 'high speed trains' and keeping the class 1 for express passenger trains.

[thesignalman]

Yes, Class 8 was indeed unfitted but ran at 35 mph whereas Class 9 was 25 mph.

O think it was all to do with "brake force", something us signalmen never got involved with. A large engine, like a Peak, sometimes with a brake tender, had far better braking ability than a Type 2 engine and I have always assumed that was the difference but an army of drivers and guards on here will no doubt tell me otherwise!

Class 7s were 45 mph, known as "Maltese" on the Midland because in the old days a train with a "fitted head" was shown in the Working Timetables with a Maltese Cross in the column.

Class 6s were 60 mph generally, although Vanfits were knocked down to 45mph after they started performing strangely on continuously-welded rail at that speed. One such incident occurred at Bletchley one night where they all felt the urge to ride along the platform instead of beside it.

Class 4s were 75 mph, I think.

John

[sandwhich]

Yes the 1980s were indeed changing and challenging times, as said flexible rostering and single manning of driving cabs plus DOO and the Traincrews concept. Also during those years there was the selling off of what was described as non railway activities, Sealink, Seaspeed, Workshops, Hotels & station buffets were the main ones with a few more smaller activities included. Sometimes with the passage of time it tends to be forgotten how much changed during those years.

[Mickey]

O think it was all to do with "brake force", something us signalmen never got involved with.

Yes you are right John 'we'' as signalmen never got involved with what the 'brake force' of a particular train was although I forgot to mention in my previous post after reading your post was that of the various maximum speeds that different classes of freight trains could run at which was much more relevant information to signalmen and as you pointed out-

class 4 ran at a maximum speed of 75mph
class 6 ran at a maximum speed of 60mph
class 7 ran at a maximum speed of 45mph
class 8 ran at a maximum speed of 35mph
class 9 ran at a maximum speed of 25mph

I mite be wrong as it is nearly 45 years ago now but when the electrification of the GN route out of Kings Cross was happening especially during the 'digging of the holes' for the masts and the early stages of the 'wiring up of the overheads' during the 1973-75 era (when I was around) those electrification trains always ran as a class 9 from Kings Gross Goods yard (always with a class 31 loco) and returned daily back to the 'Goods yard' and all those wiring trains had a guards brake van at the rear of the trains.

[Mickey]

Another major change on British Rail during the 1980s was the end of the 'closed shop' where railway employee's were required to join one of the three main railway unions I believe anytime up to 21 days of starting on the railway with those unions being for loco staff ASLE&F (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen) and for most of the other operating grades including a few drivers but mainly including signalmen, guards, station staff, yard staff, shunters, S&T staff & P.Way staff the NUR (National Union of Railwaymen) and finally for office and administration staff TSSA (Transport and Saleried Staff Association).

From memory the 'closed shop' on British Rail ended after three Sealink employee's took the company to the high courts in London around 1983/84 and argued that they shouldn't have to join a union with there lordships ruling in there favour and declaring that the 'closed shop' was illegal. This ruling came at the time of the Conservative government being in power under Mrs.Thatcher's premiership.

[sandwhich]

The closed shop was quite widespread outside the rail industry, I seem to remember the Sealink case but I think that it was government legislation that ended it for good. The end of the miners strike of 1984/85 signalled the beginning of even more changes to freight operations that has finally come to pass over 30 years later.

[Mickey]

More relevant to this forum in some respects were some changes on the ECML during the years 1980-1983 although most of the changes on the ECML (southern end) had taken place during the previous decade when all the 'hard work' was done in regards to re-signalling, electrification & track rationalization of old track layouts.

1980 January The first of the Deltics Nos.55 001 St Paddy & 55 020 Nimbus of Finsbury Park were withdrawn.
1980 December Deltic no.55 002 The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was repainted in green.

1981 May Finsbury Park loses it's main line locomotive allocation.

1982 January Last Deltics were withdrawn.
1982 January BR MkIII sleeping cars introduced.
1982 May Low-fare overnight 'Nightrider' service launched.
1982 May Watton-at-Stone station on the Herford branch between Hertford North & Stevenage was re-opened.
1982 May Wood Green station renamed Alexandra Palace.
1982 October Last daytime loco-hauled Inter City service replaced by HST-125s.

1983 May Last BR MkI sleeper car service withdrawn.
1983 October Finsbury Park diesel depot closed.