30 years ago

[Mickey]

Deleted

[hq1hitchin]

Yes, Steve, by the late 1970's 1N00 was followed (SX) by 1L00, the 0110 Leeds, 1B05, the 0200 P'Boro, 1B06, the 0355 Hitchin and 1L01, the 0405 Leeds, which was a really slow train. That was it on the down road for LHCS until 1S12 - the 0550 Aberdeen and a favourite for taking locos to Plant. You used to swap the traction at P'Boro or Donny with that one, depending on what was about.

Up until the mid 1970s, there was also a loco hauled 0605 Grantham, formed of a handful of passenger vehicles and about six vans. Certainly not a fast train, either. One morning it had one of the ex LMS insulated cream vans in the formation, a very rare vehicle. Never saw one before or again.

[JeffB]

My first main line turn was on the 02:00 paper train in 1960, on 60062 Minoru, Ron Kennedy was the driver, calling at Huntingdon, Peterborough and on to Grantham in those days. On a Friday, turned at Grantham, light to Newark and worked a Fridays only train back to the Cross. The excitement of it, you would have thought I had been to the end of the Earth and back. When I look back at it now I think could I, or would I do it again with a steam engine, I dont know. Very happy days. When I look back at it, over 50 years ago.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Ahh, Ron Kennedy, I had a few runs with Ron, not many though, he was doing more union work then than driving, I suppose he's gone to the engine shed in the sky ?? real nice fella

manna

[JeffB]

No idea where Ron is now manna, I knew him before he took up the union work. As you say, a real nice fella.