Diesel train codes KX

[StevieG]

.... " I never knew why there was two departures, 1N00 and 1N01 at 0100 and 0115, did they both go to Newcastle or did one go to Sunderland ???
manna "

I've a feeling N00 went direct, but N01 might have been via Leeds, then York. [ Note; signalmen and controllers (& others?) often omitted the first character in conversations where mistaking train IDs was unlikely : I.e., if you had 1D40 and 8D40, or 1C91 & 2C91, around at the same time, use the full numbers ; woe betide getting them mixed up in requests/orders/discussions about regulating, station stops, unplanned diversion, etc. ; even though they might be going in opposite directions.]

My finding an old 'somewhere' KX WTT or two of mine would give up the answers to some of the gaps on these topics, including the complete KX 'B' route headcodes meanings. I'm running only on memory so far.

[manna]

G'Day Gents
I've been looking through some of my books at headcodes and there seems to have been a big change in headcodes in the winter timetable 69/70,so 52D, 1A16 is correct for the Flying Scotsman, but before 1970, after that date it became 1S17.
If you want to go back to the very early days of headcodes, sometimes only the letter was used, ie---B or A (KX, Division)
manna

[StevieG]

(Have just added the '70s 'overnight' KX-Scots headcodes to the daytime list that I posted earlier.)

[StevieG]

I earlier put a quick post in "General LNER Discussion", just to ensure any non-"Model Railway"-ers got a chance to know of this thread.

'robertcwp' has then kindly posted there :

The Chronicles of Napier site lists express headcodes in the Timetables section.

http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/report.htm

[ajax103]

These 'route' codes were swept away with the GN electrification, when each train got its own standard-format headcode, but using a new set of 'local' 1 or 2-way route letters.
Moorgate/KX - Hertford loop destinations were H-Down, and Up from(/& via, e.g. incl. from Letchworth Stev.) Hertford loop -J.
-- ditto -- - Welwyn GC; V-Down, K-Up.
-- ditto -- - Down to Stev./Letchw. via Hertford-F.
KX - Royston, - R (both ways)[/i]

It's pretty much the same except the H in the headcodes doesn't get used any more with it being replaced by B or a G.

Up

Letchworth/Stevenage/Hertford North/Gordon Hill to Moorgate - J
Letchworth/Stevenage/Hertford North to Kings Cross - D
Welwyn to Moorgate - K
Welwyn to Kings Cross -Y
Royston to Kings Cross - R
Kings Lynn/Ely to Kings Cross - T
Cambridge to Kings Cross - C
Peterborough to Kings Cross - P

Down

Moorgate to Gordon Hill - G
Moorgate/Kings Cross to Hertford North - B
Moorgate to Stevenage/Letchworth - F
Moorgate/Kings Cross to Welwyn - V
Kings Cross to Royston - R
Kings Cross to Ely/Kings Lynn - T
Kings Cross to Cambridge - C
Kings Cross to Peterborough - P

Also, anyone know what the headcode was for light engines to Hertford North?
With regards to StevieG, thank you for your post on the subject - its been highly informative.

[StevieG]

Thanks for comment Ajax; appreciated.

(I have just edited my original epistle post to add a few things for more completeness, and to make some points a little clearer.)

[manna]

G'Day Gents
There was'nt a light engine headcode for Hertford North, the light engine would use the train code that it was due to haul, eg, 0B78, on arrival at Hertford the headcode would be changed to 2B78.
manna

[robertcwp]

For the King's Cross area suburban workings in the early to mid-1970s, the principal codes used were as follows:

First character: class of train, ie 1 = express passenger, 2 = local passenger, 5 = empty stock

Second character: usually 'B' for services within the King's Cross area, though 'P' was used from 1974 for down workings to Cambridge.

The third and fourth characters designated individual routes. The principal ones are summarise below:

Third character: 6 = King's Cross, 7 = Moorgate, 9 = Broad Street

Fourth character: 1 = Potters Bar, 2 = Hatfield, 3 = Welwyn Garden City, 4 = Hitchin (or beyond on main line, eg to Huntington), 5 = Baldock/Royston, 6 = Cambridge, 7 = Gordon Hill, 8 = Cuffley/Hertford North

Other examples were:
51 Broad Street/Moorgate/King's Cross-Finsbury Park Carriage Sidings
52 Broad Street/Moorgate/King's Cross-Bounds Green/Hornsey Carriage Sidings
53 Moorgate-King's Cross
54/5/6 Broad Street/Moorgate/King's Cross-Hitchin via Hertford North

Note that outer suburban trains were latterly allocated individual train reporting numbers rather than route codes. This change was in place by May 1976, and may have occurred prior to that date.


The best source for the main line codes for expresses is the Napier Chronicles site:

http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/report.htm

[simonh]

Third character 8 was for Finsbury Park/Ferme Park

The same codes, more or less were in use in 1961. Main difference were:

62/72/82/92 xxx and Hatfield and Dunstable branch
99 between Hatfield and Dunstable

57 Hatfield and St. Albans
58 Welwyn Garden City and Hertford (North)

Obviously not much call for those in the 1970s. Actually I don't imagine 57 or 58 were ever used.

Simon.

[StevieG]

Simonh,
Thanks for filling in a few gaps and adding more detail to my generalised ramblings from memory, on the KX suburban area headcode sytem.

[chaz harrison]

Thanks again everyone for so much information. Of course it is of general interest with a much wider currency than my small plea for info.

FYI - As my layout depicts a mythical terminus I think I might "borrow" the WGC/Hertford N code.
So my passenger workings could be 2B58
if I have it right a parcels train might therefore be 3B58?

Of course I could swipe another code (say 3B57) to suggest a different route? With models, as soon you enter the world of fantasy, anything goes - but it is best to stay as close to reality as possible. (No HSTs sharing the tracks with J52 saddle tanks!)

Chaz

[StevieG]

3B57/8 sound feasible to me.

[manna]

G'Day Gents
Amazing what you can learn when you scratch the surface, I have'nt thought about headcodes for 30 years or more, but then I never had to use a St Albans to Gordon Hill headcode
manna