The LNER Encyclopedia

Anyone have any information on a 'mystery' ECS working that use to run (i think?) from Kings Cross or Holloway down carriage sidings and maybe called at Western sidings then on to Ferme Park carriage sidings then on to Bounds Green carriage sidings then forward to Hornsey carriage sidings and on to Finsbury Park carriage sidings and then possibly back to Kings Cross and was known as 'the odd stock' (certainly by the signalmen it was) and ran in the 'dead hours' at about 2:am back in the early 1970s. The train could be made up of any 'rag bag' of vehicles such as the trains title suggests on any given night?. Some nights the occasional Mk1 coach and/or a GUV van maybe coupled up with the odd DMU coach or a Mk1 restaurant car with maybe an AIR braked box van thrown in for good measure all topped off usually worked by a Brush type 2 (class 31). Micky G.N.R/L.N.E.R.

... the headcode 5B98 immediately springs to mind, but I'm not sure that was the train you're referring to. Was that 5B99? (& 5B98 some similar-sounding daytime working?).
The purpose was to transfer various vehicles between sidings and yards, as required?

Come to think of it, wasn't there a night-time stock transfer trip over a much longer distance (like, Kx / Donc. : 5A19? ; or are these just hopelessly inaccurate meanderings of an ageing memory?).

G'Day Gents

Have worked that train a number of times, it was a 'As Required' train, most of the times that I worked it, we took a few odd coaches out to Bounds Green, usually with defects, dodgy brakes etc and nearly all carded 'one trip only'. After shunting them we would pick up repaired stock, couple of GUV's Resturant/Buffet car etc, would leave BG about 0330, and run mainline back to the 'Cross', back at the 'Cross' you could be put in any old platform, depending what you had on, 2 GUV's and you went straight into the milk dock, I have come back from BG with 10 on, with that many on you would probably be run into 1-6, if you were on one of the shunt jobs it would be a wake up call???
manna

PS/ talking with a driver about this odd stock job one night, and he told me that it was a job that he remembered doing when he was a fireman! but with a N2.

Nice one lads, you can always depend on Stevie and manna to deliver the goods so to speak. I think you are right there Stevie i think it did run as 5B98 or 5B99 and that other main line 'odd stock' working that you mention sounds interesting as well, i havan't heard of that one before but i could imagine it running, i guess they would run ECS down to the 'Works' in Doncaster for overall every so often when you stop and think about it. Yes manna i guess the 'odd stock' was run in steam days when you think about that as well. Talking of the 'odd stock' i can remember when i was a 'tele lad' at CT (single needle telegraph code for Welwyn Garden City s/box) and A.S.L.E.F. or the N.U.R. were in dispute over something back around 1973 and there wasn't a lot running out of Kings Cross on this particular day but 'the powers that be' did manage to run the 10:am down 'Flying Scotsman' which was made up of 2 or 3 Mk1 coaches, a Gresley buffet car, a couple of brake 2nds, a sleeper car with about 6 GUV vans in amongst the rest of the train all topped off with a Brush type 2 (class 31) at the front of the train!. Talk about odd stock this 'motley collection' came hammering through Welwyn Garden City on the down fast line doing about 60mph flat out!. GREAT DAYS!. Micky G.N.R/L.N.E.R.

G'Day Gents
Talking about Brush 2's and 60mph, you get a Brush 2 on a Cambridge express and you struggled at near 60mph all the way to Hatfield, nearly always late into Cambridge, bit different coming back though.
manna

Well a Kings Cross driver told me once when i was a secondman for a short period of time during 1974/75 that if you hadn't got the train above 60mph on the down fast line passing through Wood Green you wouldn't get anymore out of her above that speed until you got beyond Potters Bar because if i remember rightly the gradient is 1 in 200 rising from Wood Green all the way to just passed Potters Bar maybe about Hawkshead. I can remember being on a Brush type 2 (class 31) and going flat out through Wood Green on the down fast line working a Cambridge buffet and the speedo was just on the 60mph and it NEVER went above the 60mph until we had passed through Potters Bar on a number of occasions. Micky

G'Day Gents
That would be about right Micky, 6 or 7 on, fine but 8 on would just tip the balance, and if you had a PW slowing!!

Sorry, ment Potters Bar, What was I thinking......DOH??
manna

Yeah a Brush type 2 (class 31) pulling 7 or 8 Mk1 coaches up a prolonged rising gradient would be able to handle that many but anymore than a type 2 would struggle a bit although the Brush 2s were very good locos and easy to drive i liked them over the Brush type 4s (class 47s), Deltics (class 55s), English Electric type 4s (class 40s) and even several Peaks (class 45/6) that were around the 'Cross' in the early 70s certainly the Brush type 2s were a 'maid of all work'. Micky G.N.R/L.N.E.R.

G'Day Gents
There was one job at the 'Cross' a double trip to Cambridge, both fasts (1B66), one trip was with a Brush 2 the other was with a Brush 4, I can't remember which way round they were, think it was the Brush 4 first trip (afternoon) then the Brush 2 getting back to Kings Cross about 2230, the first trip was so easy, hitting Potters Bar at about 80mph with 8 on, second trip trip with the same coaches and a Brush 2 about 55/60mph, big difference, and slower away from every station
manna

Yeah your talking about a diagram manna that was known as the 'double Cambridge' back in the early/mid 70s at Kings Cross. I worked it several times as a secondman in the spring/summer of 1975 it was usually rostered to be worked by a Peak (class 45/6) during that summer and boy it was a tiring diagram to work. Your driver and yourself would work the 11:30 Kings Cross to Cambridge arriving at Cambridge about 13:00 and then as the secondman you would have to unhook the loco and run/round the train and hook up again forming the 13:30 from Cambridge back up to Kings Cross arriving back at the 'Cross' about 15:00hrs. Then you would both work the 15:30 Kings Cross to Cambridge for a second time arriving at Cambridge about 17:00 again the secondman would have to unhook and run the loco around it's train and hook up again to form the 17:30 back from Cambridge to Kings Cross arriving back in the 'Cross' about 19:00hrs. Usually both yourself and your driver would head straight for the Kings Cross B.R.S.A. club around the corner for a 'well earned' pint or two!. Happy days... Micky

Sorry folks this was an error in posting i was trying to change the page heading to read The odd stock/ECS working/Loco diagrams at KX. Micky

Whilst appreciating that Gateshead based Class 46's were ECML regulars, I'm rather thrown by these ongoing references to Class 45's working into KX. Can't recall them being common below Donny on the ECML - where were they located, Holbeck?
Cheers
Robt P.

Yes i think they may have been the class 46s 'peaks' now that you mention it that were either allocated to or on loan to the then Eastern region at Finsbury Park diesel depot circa 1974/75. Several of them were then rostered to working the Cambridge buffet expresses at that time i personally had a number of outtings on them to Cambridge and back as well as several other duties at that time that they worked on Kings Cross diagrams. Micky

I can recall in the early 1970s, Class 45s occasionally working Deltic diagrams on Leeds services into Kings Cross. They seemed to be able to keep time on these, unlike a Class 46 or, often, a Class 47. Fine machines.

With regard to a 31 on a gradient Micky how will they cope on a 1 - 49?

17 - 19 September Diesel Gala at the NYMR
Pleased to announce that the following traction is due to appear at the Gala subject to the usual disclaimers

Home Based

Class 04 D2207
Class 08 08 556 or 08 850
Class 24 D5061
Class 25 D7628 'Sybilla'
Class 50 50 027 'Lion
Class 101 101680

Visiting Traction

Class 20 20 227 and 20 142 or 20 189
Class 31 31 128 and 31 2171' Stratford TMD 1840-2001'
Class 37 37 264
Class 45 45 041 'Royal Tank Regiment'

Friday will be services between Pickering and Grosmont
Saturday will be services between Pickering and Whitby Town
Sunday will be Services between pickering and Grosmont and Whitby Town and Battersby

Its also hoped to be able to repeat the shunter shuttles and a evening service opposite the steam hauled evening Dining train