Steam Journeys: Late and Crowded Trains


		Late Trains

		In the whole period from 1954 to 1966, I had 13 instances of travelling by service train when I arrived at my destination 30 minutes late or more. Looking back through my records, there are a surprisingly high proportion of arrivals which were on time or within a few minutes thereof. On some routes, schedules were lax, but on others, notably the London Midland Region West Coast and Midland Main lines, they were tight. Here we will look at the 13 instances of 30 minutes late or more.

		On Saturday 20th July 1957, 5067 St Fagans Castle worked south from Shrewsbury on the 8.00am Manchester to Penzance. The loco was short of steam from the start, and stops for a "blow up" beyond Leebotwood. With modest running on the downgrades through Ludlow and Leominster, we were 33 minutes late in to Hereford.

		A few hours later on the same date, I returned from Hereford to Shrewsbury on the 8.00am Paignton to Manchester, extended this Saturday to Blackburn. We are 22 late from Hereford, and 6966 Witchingham Hall, seemingly in ex works condition, struggles all the way to Church Stretton summit. We arrived at Shrewsbury 34 minutes late.

		Next we have the Cornishman from Birmingham Snow Hill to Gloucester Eastgate on 5th January 1956. The loco is 5088 Llanthony Abbey. But it is foggy, and we suffer heavy delays at Knowle, Hatton North, and Bearley and are 31 late into Stratford. More delays at Toddington, Winchcombe, and approaching Gloucester make us 43 minutes late.

		Saturday 15th July 1961, and I was returning home from a holiday on the south coast. At Basingstoke, 6930 Aldersey Hall, in ex works condition, had taken over from Southern motive power. It seemed that the driver was averse to travelling at over 40 to 45 mph, since it was not until be had passed Banbury that we exceeded 45 mph. The consequence was an arrival at Birmingham Moor Street 46 minutes late.

		Saturday 8th August 1964: And so we come to the infamous 11.05am Weymouth to Wolverhampton. This train had a terrible reputation for late running. On this date it was 54 minutes late away from Oxford with 6937 Conyngham Hall. The running was vigorous to Leamington, and more so on to Birmingham. We topped Hatton bank, with load 10, at 46 mph. So we pulled back 8 minutes and were 46 minutes late into Snow Hill

		Saturday 5th September, and another go at the 11.05am from Weymouth from Oxford. This time we had a grubby 6855 Saighton Grange, which ran like it looked. Dreadful. 47 minutes late into Snow Hill.

		On 26th January 1960, 6005 King George II, on the 8.00am From Birmingham Snow Hill was running 10 minutes late at High Wycombe. But the final 26 miles took 66 minutes, thanks to thick fog. So we ended 50 minutes late. Later in the day, returning on the 3.10pm from Paddington, there was much flooding in the Aynho and Banbury areas, though it did not cause major delays.

		On Saturday 16th August 1958, and I am returning to from Dovey Junction to Birmingham on the 12.30pm ex Aberystwyth. We have at the front end 4377, a Churchward 2-6-0 that in 1957 and 1958 was putting in some splendid performances on the Cambrian lines. Today is no exception. With a 10 coach load, the running to Welshpool had been superb. Next we have a non stop run to Wolverhampton, via the Abbey Foregate curve. After a superb climb up to Briedden, we run into trouble. The down Cambrian Coast Express is running in two portions. And both are late. We are held at Briedden to cross the first, and at Westbury to cross the second. So by the time we approach Shrewsbury we are 20 minutes down. And as we reach Coleham, we see that Shrewsbury have put out an "all stations stopper" ahead of us. Unbelievable. But perhaps Wellington will hold it in the platform road and let us by on the through line. No such luck. So we follow it to Wolverhampton, and end up 52 minutes late.

		The Cambrian again, and on Saturday 24th August 1957, I am at Barmouth, awaiting the 11.00am Ruabon to Pwllheli. It comes in 30 late with a pair of Colletts, 2286 and 2264 at the head of 8 crowded coaches. The locos are worked hard, and pick up time between the stops. But time is lost through crossing stops and heavy station work, and we are 39 late at Portmadoc. At Criccieth, the pilot engine is detached, taking 5 minutes, and at Afon Wen, we are held for 10 minutes. So we arrive Penychain no less than 55 minutes late, despite much hard running.

		The North and West line once more. On Saturday 15th June 1957, I am returning from Hereford to Shrewsbury on the 7.30am Penzance to Manchester, which, from Pontypool Road, is the return working of the Jubilee, Patriot, or Royal Scot off the morning Manchester to Swansea. But the 7.30am Penzance is 41 minutes late in, and the stopping service which should have followed, is now ahead. So 45587 Baroda catches the stopper up at Leominster, and is unable to get by until Craven Arms. So with the usual signal stop at Coleham, we are 66 minutes late into Shrewsbury.

		On Saturday 25th February 1956, I travelled to London with family and friends, on the 7.30am ex Birmingham with 45742 Connaught. I did my own thing during the day, but joined the party in the late afternoon for "Harry Seacombe at the London Paladium". Our return trip to Birmingham was on the 9.35pm Euston to Wolverhampton. The loco was Jubilee 45625 Sarawak. We were 3 minutes late away, and with a heavy load and no banker, we struggled up Camden bank. Then we had signal checks all the way to Watford Junction. With more checks and poor running we were 29 late at Northampton, and 36 late at Coventry. By Adderley Park, it was looking like 40 minutes down into New Street. Then we stopped in the tunnel, within sight of New Street. Track replacement and single line working meant that it took another 40 minutes before we reached a platform. 76 minutes late!

		On Tuesday 5th September 1961, my brother and myself headed for Carlisle. At Preston, we caught the 9.30am Liverpool to Glasgow with 46102 Black Watch. We decided to return south on the 1.45pm Glasgow to Liverpool, due off Carlisle at 4.10pm. We hoped for another 66A Scot. Or perhaps a Clan. What we got was 46227 Duchess of Devonshire. Ahead of us was a Perth to Euston, which had cone in with 46226, and departed with almost new D2. We were 8 late away, but were able to regain time easily. That is until we came to a stand for signals at Burton and Holme. We stood, and stood, and stood. Word came that D2 was a total failure ahead. The result was that we were 82 late back into Preston.

		And finally, my latest ever arrival on a service train. On Saturday 27th August 1960, I returned to the Midlands at the end of my South Devon holiday, and chose the 2.25pm Paignton to Sheffield, which was conveniently booked to set down at Barnt Green. On a hot, sultry afternoon, 6831 Bearley Grange left Paignton 10 minutes late and held it's own until Taunton. Then we ran into a massive thunder storm, were stopped at Flax Bourton, maybe for a cutting slip, but made it to Bristol, though with the rails under water. At St Philips Marsh, a Black 5 (no idea of the number) replaced our Grange, and we continued through the lightning and water deluge until Yate. Here we were stopped to be told that Wickwar Tunnel was flooded, and to proceed with care. We got through ok, but suffered continual signal checks all the way to Barnt Green, arriving 88 minutes late.



		Crowded Trains

		My earliest recollection of a crowded train was in 1946, when, at the age of 7, I was returning from a family holiday at Skegness (yes, Butlins). We had obtained a seat at Skegness, but had a change of train at Peterborough. But at Peterborough, the Birmingham service was already full. So it was decided to extend the train we had just got off to Birmingham. We were not quick enough, and were unable to get a seat. In fact we stood like sardines in the corridor the whole way.

		On Friday 30th July 1954. I returned home to the Midlands after a two week holiday in North Wales. At Dyffryn Ardudwy, I joined the coast portion of the Cambrian Coast Express. The loco was Dukedog 4-4-0 no 9008 which had a 4 coach train. At Dovey Junction it would be combined with the Aberystwyth portion, but what I hadn't bargained for was that only two of the Pwllheli coaches would go forward. And I was not in one of the two. So I had to fight my way into the main train, where I stood almost unable to move for the whole journey back to Snow Hill. For the record, we got 78003 to Welshpool, an unidentified Midland 3F 0-6-0 on to Shrewsbury, 7922 Edstone Hall to Wolverhampton, and 5029 Nunney Castle to Snow Hill, where I managed to fight my way out of the train. We were 7 late arriving.

		On Saturday 9th July 1955, I travelled from Birmingham New Street to Dawlish Warren by rail. I caught the 6.35am Walsall to Kingswear as far as Exeter St Davids, where I intended to catch the next service that stopped at Dawlish Warren. 45265 took me to Bristol, and I had no problem obtaining a window seat. At Bristol, I made the mistake of alighting to see what loco would take us on to Exeter. It was a bad move. I neither got the number of the Hall that backed down, neither could I reclaim my seat. In fact, I only just managed to get back on to the train. At Exeter, I alighted, and caught the 6.40am Leicester to Paignton, which had a booked stop at Dawlish Warren. Again, the train, only 7 coaches, was bulging with passengers. The loco was 1009 County of Carmarthen.

		And so we come to Friday 5th September 1958. And I was about to record my finest ever performance of a Western Region loco. I joined the Torbay Express at Churston station, and claimed my reserved seat. But it was on the non Milepost side. So I tried to find a window seat on the appropriate side, the left. They were all taken. So my options were to stand for the whole journey, or not time the train. Thank heavens I chose to stand. By Torquay, the corridors were full, and hundreds were waiting to join at Exeter. Two coaches were added. On to Paddington, 5024 Carew Castle gave me one of the most uncomfortable, but rewarding, journies I have ever had.

		Just one more to go, and yet another Western Region loco performing superbly. The date was Saturday 4th July 1959, and the train the 9.25am Aberystwyth to Paddington. The loco was 5369, an engine in top form at that time. It would need to be, for there was a 425 ton load to take over the 49 miles from Welshpool to Wolverhampton, via the Abbey Foregate curve. It was packed corridors, and wide open windows to hear the superb sounds coming from the engine. 5369 was, without doubt, my favourite Western Region locomotive.