Push-Pull until something more interesting comes along.... 18/11 to 20/11 then 25/11 to 28/11 1988
The Portsmouth to Cardiff services had finished in May of 1988, I and many of the Crompton roadshow couldn't face the prospect of just shuttling up & down on the Waterloo - Salisbury push-pull trains formed of class 33/1 "Bagpipes" & TC stock just yet.
I for one started a summer of leaping to Brum on Friday evenings, via any Electric loco scratches that were available, for a few beers then try get my head down in one of Birmingham New Street's waiting rooms - the waiting room at the South end of platform One soon became known as "Poodle's Kennel"!
Then at about 0330 upstairs for "The Gen" which would normally appear in the form of a raft of Tops printouts normally in the safe hands of Mr Bernie McDonaugh!
I would return to Euston last thing Saturday night, for a stroll over to Waterloo for the 0130 Sunday Bagpipe to Yeovil Jn, normally on my tod unless the train was diverted via anywhere interesting, in which case a few "faces" would make an appearance.
By the start of August, however, common sense prevailed & I was firmly glued to the Waterloo to Salisbury route every weekend. Mileage is mileage - even if the loco's shoving you from behind!
The following are two consecutive weekends, both with something a little different to the Norm.
Friday 18th November
1554 Sittingbourne - Gillingham 8m 64ch
5169 Gillingham - Waterloo East 8m 64ch
3124 Waterloo - Clapham Jn 3m 74ch
4201 / 3488 / 4315 / 4313 Clapham Jn - Waterloo 3m 74ch
1215 / 4312 Waterloo - Clapham Jn 3m 74ch
???? Clapham Jn - Waterloo 3m 74ch
4 new units out of that lot.
47547 Waterloo - Woking 1L15 2210 Waterloo - Salisbury 24m 27ch
33103 Woking - Clapham Jn 1L16 2220 Salisbury - Waterloo 20m 33ch
33115 Clapham Jn - Woking 2L57 2345 Waterloo - Salisbury 20m 33ch
40 miles of Crompton haulage gained, time to head back into London for the overnight.
Saturday 19th November
3038 Woking - Waterloo 24m 27ch
33103 Waterloo - Salisbury 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 83m 43ch
The booked loco diagram was for a fresh loco to re-engine here:
33101 Salisbury - Yeovil Jn 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 39m 05ch
33101 Yeovil Jn - Salisbury 2O01 0457 Yeovil Jn - Basingstoke 39m 05ch
33115 Salisbury - Dunbridge 2T13 0635 Salisbury - Eastleigh 12m 67ch
155 314 Dunbridge - Salisbury 12m 67ch
My 2nd favourite Bagpipe 33108 was on the 0748 - Beast! Stick with that for a while.
33108 Salisbury - Waterloo 1L04 0748 Salisbury - Waterloo 83m 43ch
33108 Waterloo - Salisbury 1L05 1010 Waterloo - Salisbury 83m 43ch
Push-Pull was the order of the day: 33103 at Waterloo with the 1010 to Salisbury 10/05/88. Flickr photo used with courtesy of Steve Thorpe (Duffield).
33108 Salisbury - Woking 1L08 1312 Salisbury - Waterloo 59m 16ch
Booger had a weekly South West amended workings notice (STN) which showed a Footex coming down with Man City fans for a game at Bournemouth - what would be the traction on that?
Only 33106 & 33201 in Multi from Mitre Bridge! We either passed them on route or got the info from a withered Duffield, who was working at Woking and had seen them go through!
You were never sure if you'd get on this sort of thing but, as the return was non-stop Pokesdown to Clapham Jn, getting on by any means possible was the best option - then see what happens.
33115 Woking - Basingstoke 1L09 1410 Waterloo - Salisbury 23m 34ch
Unit Basingstoke - Southampton 31m 38ch
Piggy Southampton - Brockenhurst 13m 47ch
We changed into a stopping service here
3132 Brockenhurst - Pokesdown 13m 38ch
33106+33201 head through Bournemouth on ECS after working 1Z36 Footex from Manchester to Pokesdown 19/11/88. Flickr photo used with courtesy of Keith Mantle.
33201 & 33106 in Multi Pokesdown - Clapham Jn (via Twickenham) 1Zxx 1730 Pokesdown - Manchester Piccadilly 111m 04ch
Hellfire! A Storming run with the pair and no hassle from anyone on the train either. From memory I think Rudolph, Booger, Dobbin(?) Andy(?) JP and Larry (plus members of the Secret Service) all had them.
Unit Clapham Jn - Waterloo 3m 74ch
Time to get out to Basingstoke to pick up the inward working of the overnight:
3075 / 3142 Waterloo - Basingstoke 2045 Waterloo - ? 47m 61ch
33108 & 33101 (Top & Tail and In Multi) Basingstoke - Waterloo 1L16 2120 Salisbury - Waterloo 47m 61ch
This service was booked 33/1 + 8 TC + 33/1 on a Saturday night. It seems it also had a friendly Guard!
33108 & 33101 (Top & Tail and In Multi) Waterloo - Clapham Jn Yard 5Y99 ECS Waterloo - Clapham Jn Yard 3m 74ch
And relax in a Compo for some doss!
Sunday 20th November
33108 Clapham Jn - Waterloo 5xxx ECS Clapham Jn Yard - Waterloo 3m 74ch
33108 Waterloo - Gillingham (Dorset) 1V01 0130 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 105m 23ch
The service terminated here tonight due to Engineering works, for Buses forward - we however had another friendly Guard on board!
33108 Gillingham (Dorset) - Salisbury 5xxx ECS Gillingham (Dorset) - Salisbury 21m 60ch
33108 Salisbury - Basingstoke 2Lxx 0858 Salisbury - Basingstoke 35m 62ch
The Portsmouth to Reading services on a Sunday were formerly booked 33/1 + 4 TC, although we never really touched them when the Pompey's were running. They were now booked Demu's, cascaded off their previous workings since May, due to the influx of the class 155 DMU rubbish. I dropped lucky however, straight into 33102 which was out vice Demu all day.
33102 Basingstoke - Reading 2Vxx 0901 Portsmouth Hbr - Reading 15m 41ch
33102 Reading - Portsmouth Hbr 2Oxx 1135 Reading - Portsmouth Hbr 62m 28ch
33102 Portsmouth Hbr - Reading 2Vxx 1401 Portsmouth Hbr - Reading 62m 28ch
33102 Reading - Portsmouth Hbr 2Oxx 1635 Reading - Portsmouth Hbr 62m 28ch
33102 Portsmouth Hbr - Basingstoke 2Vxx 1901 Portsmouth Hbr - Reading 46m 67ch
50028 Basingstoke - Waterloo 1O57 1610 Plymouth - Waterloo 47m 61ch
1537 / 1586 / 1616 Victoria - Sittingbourne 2150 Victoria - Ramsgate 44m 58ch
Home to catch up on some sleep before early turn at work the following day. I did a few unit moves Weds afternoon/evening but kept my powder dry until:
Friday 25th November
1567 Sittingbourne - Victoria 44m 58ch
Now that's a surprise, I didn't know I still needed some CEP's in 1988 but it may only have been for new number after the refurbishment program.
6308 / 6330 Victoria - Clapham Jn 2m 57ch
Unit Clapham Jn - Waterloo 3m 74ch
As I was on early turn at work in Sittingbourne, I managed to get to Waterloo for the 1632!
33101 Waterloo - Salisbury 1L11 1632 Waterloo - Salisbury 83m 43ch
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207010 working the 18.12 Sherborne - Basingstoke, Thumptastic. 14 October 1988. Cracking Flickr photo used with courtesy of Terry Eyres.
207010 Salisbury - Southampton 2Hxx 1840 Salisbury - Portsmouth Hbr 23m 69ch
47618 Southampton - Basingstoke 1M87 1930 Poole - Edinburgh 29m 38ch
I can't really see the point of the above 2 moves unless I had a pint with someone in Soton, then the Queens Arms in Basingstoke? I could have just drank in Salisbury until the 2220.
Unless I was covering the Edinburgh service in the vain hope it dropped a Crompton - surely not?
33115 Basingstoke - Clapham Jn 1L16 2220 Salisbury - Waterloo 43m 67ch
33106 Clapham Jn - Woking 2L57 2345 Waterloo - Salisbury 20m 33ch
Saturday 26th November
1210 Woking - Waterloo 24m 27ch
33115 Waterloo - Salisbury 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 83m 43ch
33103 Salisbury - Yeovil Jn 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 39m 05ch
33103 Yeovil Jn - Salisbury 2O01 0457 Yeovil Jn - Basingstoke 39m 05ch
33109 Salisbury - Southampton 2H03 0604 Salisbury - Portsmouth Hbr 23m 65ch
We had the Gen that, due to the mainline being closed between Southampton & Basingstoke all weekend for Engineering works, services would be loco hauled via Redbridge & Laverstock curve to/from Southampton & Basingstoke. This normally only occurred on Sundays using a single 33/1.
Me & Booger were stood on the platform next to the 10 car Piggy formation, praying that a 33/0 "Standard" would roll around the corner, instead of the expected Bagpipe, when we got a very pleasant surprise - a PAIR of 33/0's rolled in!
Sunday trains only normally ran load 5, hence with load 10 being the norm on Saturday services ALL the services were to be hauled by PAIR'S of 33's! Unbelievable....
33016 & 33039 in Multi (hauling Piggy's 2402 & 2409) Southampton - Basingstoke (via Redbridge & Laverstock) 1W04 0648 Weymouth - Waterloo 57m 12ch
33039 & 33016 in Multi (hauling Piggy's 2416 & 2418) Basingstoke - Romsey (via Laverstock) 1W11 0830 Waterloo - Weymouth 49m 68ch
Yes, you could get off or on these at Romsey, even though there was no 3rd rail here the class 442's had been designed for class 33's to drag them on such diversions, the Piggy's Batteries & locos air supply allowed the unit doors to still open & close! Here comes another pair - stick your hand out, we want to get on!
33015 & 33115 in Multi (hauling 2415 & 2417) Romsey - Basingstoke (via Laverstock) 1W16 0953 Weymouth - Waterloo 49m 68ch
We let this pair go and had a couple of celebratory pints in the Queens Arms while we waited for 33016 & 33039 to work again.
33016 & 33039 Basingstoke - Romsey in Multi (via Laverstock) 1W31 1330 Waterloo - Weymouth 49m 68ch
We had passed another pair of Standards a couple of times, we again bailed at Romsey to pick these up:
33040 & 33053 in Multi Romsey - Basingstoke (via Laverstock) 1W22 1353 Weymouth - Waterloo 49m 68ch
33053 & 33040 in Multi Basingstoke - Southampton (via Laverstock & Redbridge) 1W39 1630 Waterloo - Weymouth 57m 12ch
33053 & 33040 in Multi Southampton - Basingstoke (via Redbridge & Laverstock) 1W42 1753 Weymouth - Waterloo 57m 12ch
33101 & 33115 (Top & Tail & in Multi ) Basingstoke - Waterloo 1L16 2120 Salisbury - Waterloo 47m 68ch
33101 & 33115 (Top & Tail & in Multi ) Waterloo - Basingstoke 2L57 2345 Waterloo - Salisbury/Weymouth 47m 61ch
Sunday 27th November
The 2345 normally ran to Basingstoke formed of a 33/1 + 4 TC + Unit, splitting here with the 33 going forward to Salisbury & the unit going forward to Weymouth. Tonight, with everything running via Laverstock, the Weymouth portion also required a Crompton on top - so why not send it through to Weymouth!
33115 Basingstoke - Weymouth (via Laverstock) 2B69 2345 Waterloo - Weymouth 120m 57ch
We sorted a fully patronised taxi to Yeovil Jn to pick up 33117 on the return overnight... the only delay being to let a Badger cross a dark country lane somewhere on our journey.
33117 Yeovil Jn - Salisbury 2O01 0715 Yeovil Jn - Salisbury 39m 05ch
207013 Salisbury - Dean xxxx 0845 Salisbury - Portsmouth Hbr 8m 78ch
There were 3 or 4 of us stood at Dean on a nice Sunday morning waiting for a class 33 hauled class 442 Piggy to make a booked stop & pick us up! Some of the path's the diverted trains were using meant some Salisbury - Basingstoke services couldn't run & this was the solution for passengers heading that way. Surreal! I still remember watching the Guard sticking his head out then releasing the doors...
33111 (hauling Piggy 2408) Dean - Basingstoke (Via Laverstock) 1W06 0747 Poole - Waterloo 42m 25ch
33114 + Piggy 2414 near Dunbridge on a diverted Waterloo- Bournemouth service, 30.10.88. Flickr photo used with courtesy of Keith Mantle.
Single 5 car Piggy's today so only single loco's but who's complaining - not me!
33101 (hauling TC 8015) Basingstoke - Southampton (Via Laverstock & Redbridge) 1W21 0945 Waterloo - Weymouth 57m 12ch
33101 Southampton - Basingstoke (Via Redbridge & Laverstock) xxxx Weymouth - Waterloo 57m 12ch
33053 (hauling Piggy) Basingstoke - Southampton (Via Laverstock & Redbridge) 1345 Waterloo - Weymouth 57m 12ch
33114 Southampton - Romsey xxxx Weymouth - Waterloo 7m 14ch
33111 Romsey - Southampton 1W37 1444 Waterloo - Weymouth 7m 14ch
33053 Southampton - Basingstoke (Via Redbridge Laverstock) 1W34 1502 Weymouth - Waterloo 57m 12ch
Me & Duffield adjourned to the Queens Arms for a few bevvies, prior to him returning to Woking & me going into Waterloo, on the inward working of the overnight.
Queens Arms Basingstoke
However on returning to the station we saw from the information screens that the Poole - Edinburgh had been delayed, so back to the pub for another pint while we waited to see what turned up on that - we couldn't spawn something big on that could we?
The train finally loomed towards us out of the darkness and we could see Southern Region 2 character headcode blinds! No Sparks from 3rd rail pick-up shoes so surely not a class 73 so it MUST be a class 33 on the front - we are in! Could it even run-round at Reading & take us further North?!
Err, no, we were still bowled - it was a pair of ED's (class 73's) running on Diesel!
73110 & 73126 in Multi Basingstoke - Reading 1M87 2005 Poole - Edinburgh 15m 41ch
We still took these to Reading as if they DID run-round at Reading & take us further north we would have to do them, to wind up some class 73 Bashers we knew (no don't laugh - these people do exist!)
The flap ended when a class 47 backed onto the other end at Reading and the 73's returned light engine to the Southern.
47591 Reading - Paddington 1V98 1615 Newcastle - Paddington 35m 73ch
I cannot remember if this then involved a long walk, or if either the LUL or Night Buses came into play, I did this move more than once so it obviously worked somehow!
Monday 28th November
33101 Waterloo - Salisbury 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 83m 43ch
33108 Salisbury - Yeovil Jn 1V01 0140 Waterloo - Yeovil Jn 39m 05ch
33108 Yeovil Jn - Waterloo 2O01 0512 Yeovil Jn - Waterloo 122m 48ch
After a weekend of dropping on big time it was my turn to get withered - 33008 on the 0922 Pompey!
This class 50 diagram was booked to go forward to Paignton from Portsmouth but I was late turn at work so had to get off at Woking!
33008 Waterloo - Woking 1P15 0922 Waterloo - Portsmouth Hbr 24m 27ch
33109 & 33117 (Top & Tail and In Multi) Woking - Waterloo 1O47 0839 Yeovil Jn - Waterloo 24m 27ch
Another service that was booked 33/1 + 8 TC + 33/1 (from Salisbury), I could make my 1400 late turn in Sittingbourne off this, so I normally did the 0810 ex Waterloo to Grateley for this back in. The lure of 33008 cut down the mileage but couldn't be flagged!
1566 / 1573 / 1590 Victoria - Sittingbourne 1150 Victoria - Ramsgate 44m 59ch
Phew. What a couple of weekends they were!
The Footex the first weekend was definately the highlight of that weekend, obviously the pairs of Crompton's on the drags via Laverstock the 2nd weekend were scarcely to be believed!
On more normal weekends on the Waterloo - Salisbury Push-pull diagrams we started going for beers off the 1810 from Waterloo before the 2120 overnight. Then we started going for beers off the 1610 from Waterloo, near the end we went drinking off the 1410 from Waterloo..... Hic!
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