Friday 23 December 2016

Freshly ex Works!

"1980's Timewarp - Freshly ex Works and renamed!"

Well, it's finally here!

The most important part of the old 1980's Timewarp was the diary pages.
This data is officially back online forming a new website under a new name.
A back end database now holds all the data and scripts generate the pages.
Now as soon as we add your data to the system, the next person to visit sees it!
Choose a data filter, see the data month by month, see only the class you're interested in or see the whole lot just as before,
You can also view data for an individual date, again with filter
or just see the workings of a single loco, you choose.

For the diary pages how they were always meant to be...
Please visit...
The RailGenArchive .
And let us know what you think


© 'UD' & 'Clayhead' - Preserving the gen online since 1999...

Festive Festering

"We've been away for far too long but now we're back..."

Don't think I'll be getting any haulage in over this Christmas & New Year period, but that hasn't always been the case...

The Derby - Crewe line became a Sprinter (Class 150/1) Stronghold from January 1986, but that didn't stop things from getting interesting from time to time, especially between October 1988 and right through the following year. These notes detail the Christmas / New Yesr period 1988.

THE (usual) DIAGRAM:
2K51 0642 Derby - Crewe
2P86 0809 Crewe - Derby
2K49 1008 Derby - Crewe
2P84 1138 Crewe - Derby
2K59 1258 Derby - Crewe
2P82 1439 Crewe - Derby
2K51 1604 Derby - Crewe (SX)
2K51 1613 Derby - Crewe (SO)
2P88 1739 Crewe - Derby

Early in the morning of Wednesday December 21st, and I heard to distinct sound of a 'Goyle' working with stock on the first leg of the usual diagram, so I made sure I saw the return, which revealed Skinhead namer 31444. With the light now slowly improving, I captured 31444 on film while working its second trip of the day, on the 2K49. Briefly I was tempted to take a trip to Derby with 31444 on the 2P84 1138 Crewe - Derby, but decided against it, as a lack of gen coupled with recent form suggested that a Sprinter would probably work back on the next leg. I did, however, keep a lookout for 2K59 and for the first time since the beginning of the month, a loco that was out during the morning on the route, was still out in the afternoon. Chris then called around just after the passage of 31444 going back to Derby (for the third time) on 2P82. Would 31444 now go on and complete the diagram we both wondered? Chris suggested a car move to Blythe Bridge as a way to find out, as from there, if 31444 was replaced by a Sprinter we could walk away but if 31444 came back to complete the diagram we could pay on the train without penalty. So a plan was formed. If 31444 was coming back it would surely be a few minutes down, but as we arrived at the station, at around the booked time, the crossing barriers were already down, while we expected a freight, but our train arrived as we screeched to a halt in the car park, but now with 47431 up front and formed by a different short rake of stock than earlier in the day. We could probably have made it onto the train, but we both decided against it on this occasion, and instead we left for home… A fresh set of stock for the afternoon (after two full round trips) was known to occur previously, but a fresh set just for the last 2 legs was yet another operating variation.

Thursday 22nd saw almost a repeat of the previous day, but with the more common 31416 working the first three round trips before 47431 once again came out to work the last round trip just as the day before.

Friday 23rd and 31444 was back out on 'the diagram' during the morning, but more remarkable was the unexpected sight of a second hauled rake turning out. The second rake was working the 0908 Derby - Crewe and was hauled by 31423, and with 31444 following just one hour behind it with the more usual 2K49 1008 Derby - Crewe turn. Was this the first time that consecutive Derby - Crewe trains had been hauled since steam days? I went out to record on film the rarely hauled 1038 Crewe - Derby service, which was getting later and later as I waited around in the freezing cold, for it. When it did finally appear, 31403 was hauling the now dead 31423. I later discovered that 31423 had failed at Kidsgrove. After only two round trips, 31444 had been replaced on 'the diagram'. During the afternoon, it was 47431 which again came out on both afternoon trips. And so had now worked on the lines passenger turns for the third day running.

Saturday 24th, Christmas Eve, but all was not quiet, not on table 80 anyway. 97480 was out first thing, on the usual diagram. Named 'Robin Hood' and previously numbered 47480, this departmental Brush, a large loco machine was more at home on test trains around this time, but it was not unusual to use a departmental loco on a passenger turn. Renumbered into this guise early September 1988, its only previous known passenger duties since then were a stint with Nuneaton drags in mid November. Chris called around just after the passage of 97480 going back to Derby for the third time that day on 2P82. Would 97480 now go on and complete the diagram we both wondered? Chris suggested another car move to Blythe Bridge as surely this time we would be lucky, but, no, once again we were bowled out as 47431 came out once again to finish off the diagram, four days on the trot!

For the few days after the Christmas break, Plastic Sprinter normality returned to table 80, but not for long. For on Friday 30th December, green liveried survivor 45106 was turned out, complete with matching Green tinsel embellishments to work the full four round trips. I was aware of the first leg, so was waiting the second clutching a day return. At an almost deserted cold and damp Derby I took photos in very poor light giving poor results. Enjoying the thrash, on the way back, the sun coming out to improve photographic prospects, spirits only dampened slightly when my compo was invaded by a couple of unaccompanied spoilt brats. I photographed the following legs while sunlight lasted and noted timekeeping wasn't bad all day, given the tight turnaround times and lack of a button to close the doors to be no more than ten late through Stoke was pretty good doing for the last surviving Peak I felt?

What were your moves and railway experiences around Christmas 1988?



© 'UD' & 'Clayhead' - Preserving the gen online since 1999...

Saturday 17 December 2016

Going live?

"Timewarp : now under heavy general overhaul - expect a new livery and shiny new nameplates soon!"

We are now looking to get the new upgraded & revised replacement for the old 1980's Timewarp diary pages online before the end of 2016!

Check back here soon.

© 'UD' & 'Clayhead' - Preserving the gen online since 1999...

Sunday 4 December 2016

Progress report

"We've been away for far too long, but now we're back."

The old site came to a standstill due to getting bogged down with data, so I've been putting in the hours coding the admin section, with still a little more work to do in that area. Hopefully this will all make the new site a lot easier to maintain and this time arround it'll be more of a group effort anyway with many more ways for you to help out in this epic task of 'preseving the gen'. Having put in so much time and effort into the old site, countless hours of effort over many years, we were never going to go away perminently.

Work on the new site continues apace. There are over 225,000 records in the database and counting and most of the coding as been completed but we need to be right upto date before we go live. The new site will have a familliar look about it; month by month listings will now have selectable filters allowing the working's of any single class that you might want displayed, or you can still opt to see all the workings like before, or list just the non ETH workings as originally intended, or you can list just workings by any single loco or for any single date.

All but the data for the year 1989 (from the years covered, 1975-1989) have now been processed although there are still a great deal of omissions which will need to be added as well.

Quite a few of you have emailed asking after the old site and have not had a response. We were simply waiting until we had something positive to report... well expect a mail sometime soon... once we know when we'll be ready to go live you'll find out here and quite possably get that long awaited mail.



© 'UD' & 'Clayhead' - Preserving the gen online since 1999...

West Midlands ADEX's 1984 - part 3

"Timewarp : now under heavy general overhaul - expect a new livery and shiny new nameplates soon!"

Awaydays, Merrymakers or plain old Advertised Excursions, whatever they were marketed as in your area, the once commonplace ADEX is just another aspect of the railway scene that is long gone... to read more see part 1 while part 2 features June-July 84 .

This page was previously part of our old site 1980's Timewarp, with many thanks to Gary Stratford.

Can you add to the listing below? Do you know what worked any of these trains or can you confirm if they even ran? Did you travel on any of the services listed and do you have any railway related memories of the trip? Please post in the box below.

ADEX's originating in the West Midlands 1984 - third & final part of this article features August-November.

Wed
01/08/1984
1Z26
0746 Longbridge - Folkestone Central

Wed
01/08/1984
1Z16
0720 Kidderminster - Tenby

25279+25282 Via Central Wales To Llanelli 47191 fwd & 1810 rtn to Cardiff Central 25279+25282 fwd via Shrewsbury to Kidderminster

Thurs
02/08/1984
1T05
0820 Water Orton - Blackpool North (1805 return)


Sun
05/08/1984
1Z17
0805 Wolverhampton - Paignton

Sun
05/08/1984
1Z39
0854 Wolverhampton - Littlehampton

Outward 47059 to Littlehampton, 73136 to Chichester (actual dest, but Littlehampton shown in STN Rtn unknown.

Mon
06/08/1984
1Z26
0715 Shrewsbury - Newcastle

Tues
07/08/1984
1Z26
0700 Coventry - Largs
[See also Note 1]

Thurs
09/08/1984
1Z26
0642 Banbury - Scarborough

Sun
12/08/1984
1Z16
0730 Shrewsbury - Paignton

47379 is thought most probable noted ECS towards Shrewsbury?

Sun
12/08/1984
1Z27
0903 Wolverhampton - Bournemouth

[See also Note 2] Outward 47342 to 1/2 mile outside Bournemouth (low fuel?), then 33110 assist to dest.  47342 worked the rtn

Mon
13/08/1984
1Z25
0720 Kidderminster - Harrogate

Tues
14/08/1984
1T05
0735 Leamington Spa - Rhyl (1800 return)

Return 47552

Wed
15/08/1984
1Z25
0700 Banbury - Yarmouth

Wed
15/08/1984
1Z26
0826 Redditch - Margate [See also Note 3]

Thurs
16/08/1984
1Z16
0800 Shrewsbury - Taunton (1730 return)

Return 47148

Thurs
16/08/1984
1T06
0927 Coventry - Llandudno (1730 return)

Return 47225

Sun
19/08/1984
1T06
0836 Birmingham New Street - Llandudno
(1805 return)

Sun
19/08/1984
1T07
???? Nuneaton - Llandudno Mystex
(1842 return to Northampton)

47162 noted with ECS heading for Nuneaton


Sun
19/08/1984
1Z37
0730 Birmingham New Street - Broadstairs
[See also Note 2]

Outward 47331 at least


Sun
19/08/1984
1Z27
0815 Wolverhampton - Brighton
[See also Note 2]
Outward 47279 to London Victoria 73005 fwd.

Mon
20/08/1984
1Z16
0705 Lichfield City - Tenby

Tues
21/08/1984
1T06
???? Leamington Spa - Llandudno (1730 return)

Tues
21/08/1984
1Z26
0642 Longbridge - Edinburgh Waverley

40079 outwards via 5 Ways, Aston, Walsall, Sutton, Water Orton, BH, Rotherham, Pontefract /1Z26 1638 rtn

Wed
22/08/1984
1Z09
???? Banbury - Stirling
[See also Note 4]

Wed
22/08/1984
1Z27
???? Water Orton - Weymouth

Sun
26/08/1984
1Z39
0800 Shrewsbury - Portsmouth Harbour

47246 Outwards at least


Sun
26/08/1984
1T06
0915 Wolverhampton - Rhyl (1910 return)

Mon
27/08/1984
1T10
0730 Northampton - Blackpool North (1800 return)

[See also Note 5]
40155 in & out of Blackpool North

Tues
28/08/1984
1T05
0840 Banbury - Blackpool North (1755 return)

Tues
28/08/1984
1Z25
0715 Shrewsbury - Eastbourne

47234 Outwards at least


Wed
29/08/1984
1Z25
0805 Barnt Green - Skegness

Thurs
30/08/1984
1Z25
0650 Kidderminster - Scarborough

Sun
02/09/1984
1T05
0900 Leamington Spa - Llandudno (1720 return)

40122 Outwards at least


Wed
05/09/1984
1Z25
0532 Shrewsbury - Whitby
[See also Note 6] 

? to Sheffield 47352 to Whitby / ???? Rtn to Battersby & failed, 37058 to Shrewsbury

Thurs
06/09/1984
1Z26
???? Banbury - Scarborough

Sun
16/09/1984
1Z68
0800 Lichfield Trent Valley - ? Mystex
[See also Note 8]

Mon
17/09/1984
1Z16
0657 Walsall - Plymouth

Tues
18/09/1984
1Z25
0700 Lichfield Trent Valley - Plymouth
[See also Note 9]

? to ? Then 85014 to Stonebridge Park, 47146 fwd.  1Z25 / 1753 rtn 47146 to Willesden 85031 fwd to ? With ? fwd.

Tues
18/09/1984
1T05
0800 Banbury - Llandudno (1736 return)

Wed
19/09/1984
1Z25
0805 Barnt Green - Newcastle

Thurs
20/09/1984
1Z09
0755 Lichfield Trent Valley - Carlisle (1800 return)
[See also Note 7]

Thurs
20/09/1984
1Z16
0732 Birmingham New Street - Weston-super-Mare

47102 Outwards to Stratford-on-Avon & 47199 fwd to Weston-super-Mare & 1745 rtn to Stratford-on-Avon then 45059 fwd.

Wed
26/09/1984
1T05
0845 Kidderminster - Blackpool North (2015 return)

Sat
06/10/1984
1Z17
0800 Lichfield City - Paignton

Sat
13/10/1984
note 11.
0710 Shrewsbury - Weymouth

47450 Outwards & Return


Sun
21/10/1984
1T05
0830 Banbury - Blackpool North (1850 return)

Sun
28/10/1984
1T05
0900 Coventry - Blackpool North (1852 return)
[See also Note 10]

Sat
03/11/1984
1Z49
0735 Coventry - Edinburgh Waverley

Outward 85019 to Carstairs; 47156 forward.  Same locos returned with a 1733 dep reported.

Sat
17/11/1984
1Z25
0800 Kidderminster - Bournmouth ADEX (1752 rtn)

47002 Outwards & rtn with Steam heating


Note 1. Outward Carlisle 10L26/10L35; Return Carlisle 20L57/21L07
Note 2. Outward via WCML, Return via Reading
Note 3. Outward Birmingham New Street 09L17/09L27, Mitre Bridge Jn 11L14/11L26; Return Willesden WL Jn 19L20/19L32, Birmingham New Street 21L28/21L38
Note 4. Outward Coventry 07L33/07L44; Return Coventry 23L41/23L53
Note 5. Outward Preston 10L14/10L26; Return Preston 18L30/18L41
Note 6. STN W1 No. 36 page 59 quotes 2 workings with same headcode: 0614 (arrival time matches timing section on page 66)/0616 Wolves, 0636/0642 New St or 0756/0800 Wolves, 0818/0829 New St!
Note 7. Outward via S & C, Return via WCML; Outward Nuneaton 08L20/08L32
Note 8. Outward Mitre Bridge Jn 10L06/10L18; Return Willesden No. 7 20L21/20L31
Note 9. Outward Willesden No. 7 09L00/09L12; Return Willesden No. 7 21L36/21L46
Note 10. Return Crewe 20L17/20L27 - Adex (W1) Charter (W2)
Note 11. 1Z38 (M)/1Z26 (W1)
Note 12. Via Coventry & Nuneaton outward at least.

Thanks also to : Mike Tongue, Alan Baylis, Lee Nash, Paul Griffin, Nick Ross, Steve Jones, Fred (the Skinhead), Mike Hollick, Tim Holden, Andy Foster & Barrie Williams for their help with this listing. This post originally part of our old site - 1980's Timewarp



© 'UD' & 'Clayhead' - Preserving the gen online since 1999...