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Introduction The principal routes worked by the newly delivered Peaks formed a giant 'X' across the country, one diagonal featuring the St Pancras - Leeds - Glasgow route, the other the Newcastle - Birmingham - Bristol route. Over time the 'X' became lopsided, the NE/SW route became extended, with services eventually reaching from Edinburgh to Penzance on a consistent basis. On the other diagonal the opposite happened, the closure of the Waverley route and the reduction of services over the GSWR route north of Gretna Junction found the Peak operated services north west of Leeds becoming greatly reduced. Although these routes dominated Peak useage two other routes from these early years were also guaranteed to see Peak haulage whilst a miriad of other routes, some quite surprising, would see the Peaks regularly scheduled for a number of years. These other routes where possible are described by region - unfortunately some of these early services were not well photographed, which is a great pity in light of their rarity.
Southern Region
Glasgow - Eastbourne Car-Sleeper Although the big Type 4's were banned from the diversionary route between Herne Hill & Tulse Hill, D181 did use this route on July 8th 1965 following blockage of the proper route through Clapham, however on 10th when the diversionary route was again required D5023 & D5080 were diagrammed for the train. If the Type 4's needed refuelling whilst at Newhaven they had to make a side trip to Brighton, at this time Newhaven had no facilities for the diesels. This also meant that if the Type 4's needed any type of serious attention it would invariably mean the sending down of a replacement locomotive from Cricklewood. During 1966 this was a thrice weekly service, diagrammed for Holbeck Peaks. On July 28th 1967 Clapham Jct witnessed the failure of D117 whilst working the Stirling - Newhaven car-sleeper. It stalled across the main lines, a station pilot dragged the train back into the station, the Peak being replaced by E6004, a delay of two hours having been created. The return working used an electric locomotive to Three Bridges where an LMR diesel was waiting to take over. From time to time the Peaks laying over at Newhaven would be used on local trip workings, with D60 so noted on August 18th working a trip to Norwood. On September 1st D64 failed at Newhaven waiting to take out the 19.19 to Stirling, E6042 substituted to Clapham Jct, where D192 took over. On May 25th D136 off the Stirling car sleeper train was used by the SR for a morning freight up the Brighton mainline, being noted passing Haywards Heath. D36 was a non-starter on July 26th 1968’s Newhaven - Stirling, D6568 was fortunately on hand to take over with the minimum of delay. On July 13th 1969 5214 was sent from Cricklewood to Lewes to recover 41 which had failed on the previous day’s 19.19 northbound service. In fact the Peak had only reached Southease before expiring, E6031 pushed the train into Lewes, sidelining the Peak, then taking the train to Clapham Jcn where 18 had arrived to take over. A personal note - our family summer holidays invariably took us down to the West Country resorts, however when a close family member moved to the south coast at Saltdean, near Brighton an invitation went out that we would be welcome to visit as part of our summer holiday trip. The first year we made this trip was in the summer of 1969, highlights of the trip included glimpses of the Midland mainline alongside the M1 and the chance of seeing anything Southern once the Thames had been crossed. These journeys were made at a time when the M23 & M25 were but pipe dreams on a far distant horizon. The A23 Brighton road always seemed to be a bit of a roller coaster ride, it was always with great excitement to drop down onto the seafront at Brighton, the A23 ending opposite Brighton pier, just afew miles were left as we journeyed eastward on the A259. Although Brighton held many attractions for us Derbyites it was a journey east along the A259 to Newhaven and Seaford that I perhaps enjoyed the most. In Seaford the road ran alongside the station, it was normally the case to find several emus present, their numbers remembered until I could check out my 'Combine'. Newhaven however with its harbour alongside the railway proved to be my favourite. At this time the A259 crossed right in front of Newhaven Town station, a veritable bottleneck if trains were present, even more so if the swingbridge across the river was also in use. At this time Newhaven was still home to a Brighton allocated shunter, if I was lucky a Class 33 or 73 might be observed, frequently used on the spoil workings coming into Newhaven. I would have been in awe to have seen a Peak here, it was the last summer they would work this route and for us day trippers these nocturnal workings would easily be missed. Of course I presume the Peak would lay over at Newhaven with the stock - all fading memories now, if anyone can fill in the gaps please contact me.
Newcastle - Eastbourne Senior Citizens
Nottingham - Ramsgate/Margate On July 2nd 1966 D105 & D122 were noted on Nottingham - Ramsgate services. During July 1967 Peaks remained solidly in command of the Ramsgate - Nottingham (SO) service. During 1968 the 01.05 (SO) Nottingham - Margate continued to bring Peaks to the east Kent resort, a work to rule saw the first service operating on July 13th behind D40, the following week D104 was in charge and running about twenty minutes early. From the start of the 1970 summer timetable the Nottingham - Ramsgate service was diagrammed for Class 47’s, either throughout or utilising Class 33’s from Brent.
Sheffield - Portsmouth During 1970 Class 45’s were again diagrammed to cover the summer dated Sheffield - Portsmouth Harbour and return, with 81 noted on this working on June 25th.
Southern Region Inter-Regional Workings Reading was the normal locomotive changeover point for services transitioning from Poole & Bournemouth to the Midlands and points north. However from time to time locomotives, including the Peaks were exchanged at Basingstoke, not a huge incursion onto Southern metals, but nevertheless an interesting one. The only other significant use of Peaks onto the Southern was from the Bristol direction and this was mostly with their use on regular parcels workings into the Southampton area. In the early 1980's an inter-regional LMR/WR/SR passenger working through Reading returned to the timetables with a service between Wolverhampton & Brighton, diagrammed for Mk2 stock and Class 47/4's. It was only a matter of time before a Class 47 was not available, on December 7th 1983 the 07.48 Wolverhampton - Brighton and 13.48 return to Manchester were worked throughout by 45130 with the help of a Saltley driver making an unexpected trip to the seaside! It is doubtful if the Peaks had every ventured into a Waterloo on a regularly scheduled service until June 11th 1985 when 45143 was present to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards 1685-1985. It had been specially cleaned up by Toton and arrived at Waterloo on the 05.48 ex Exeter. Present was the regimental band entertaining the crowds as well as the Duchess of Westminster who renamed the locomotive with the addition of '1685-1985' to the nameplate. It left on the 13.10 to Exeter, some twenty minutes late due to an incoming service having a problem with motive power.
Western Region However once removed from the NE/SW route and the cross country route through Reading, their use tended to be erratic, covering for locomotive shortages and failures rather than solid diagramming on particular turns. Typical of this observation is their use into Paddington, they were infrequent visitors there, usually deputising for failures or on relief workings either from the south west or from Birmingham. Likewise their forays in South Wales away from the NE/SW route services were always filling in for failed locomotives or covering for locomotive shortages.
Scottish Region They were frequently used on freights to Ayr and passenger services to Dundee, Lockerbie, Wemyss Bay and Perth. Since these were regular services and the diagramming of the Peaks on these services was somewhat consistent, one might consider these workings to be a valid part of the Peaks scheduled passenger working history. In the Edinburgh area the Peaks were early visitors, both over the Waverley route and from Newcastle. In a similar vein to Glasgow's use of these machines they frequently wound up on a variety of local passenger workings, particularly to Perth & Glasgow, whilst D153 was even tested over the Highland mainline to Inverness. During the reign of the Peaks the northernmost reach of the NE/SW route was Edinburgh. However on a frequent basis Haymarket would turn out spare Class 46's and occasional Class 45's on the Edinburgh - Aberdeen route. The views below from the camera of Mike Cooper capture some of these workings. Unfortunately for Mike he'd gone out lineside in the hope that these services would be Deltic hauled, as many still were at this time. Fortunately even when a Deltic didn't show Mike kept his camera out and captured these views, showing a small part of the twilight years of the Class 46's.
Eastern Region 1961 On 15th November D25 took part in some high speed dynamometer car trials between Newcastle & Kings Cross. The load was ten coaches plus dynamometer car - 385 tons - allowed four hours seven minutes, Newark was passed three and a half minutes early. The next day a northbound trip was made leaving Kings Cross at 9.50am but to a slightly slower schedule.
ECML Newcastle - Kings Cross The Peaks were often used on the Deltic turns, a shortage of Deltics on November 15th 1962 found the 7.50am & 9.40am Newcastle - Kings Cross being handled by D173 & D177 respectively. The Great Northern outer London workings were not normally the preserve of the Type 4s, but from time to time they did drop in on these workings. The 07.34 Kings Cross - Hitchin was worked by D173 on July 3rd 1964 & D193 three days later.
Kings Cross
Grantham
Doncaster
Newcastle
Trans-Pennine Newcastle - Liverpool On July 26th 1962 D173 was loaned by Gateshead to Edge Hill, it was added to the 9.42am Newcastle - Liverpool, piloting D243. D170 would follow on September 8th, this time piloting D290 on the 3.16pm Newcastle - Liverpool, the Peaks were to take over on some of the Trans-Pennine workings from the start of the winter timetable. After introduction on the Liverpool - Newcastle services D166/170/173/174 were active on four diagrams, frequently taking ten minutes off the Leeds - Manchester section timings, other members of the Gateshead allocation would join them and timekeeping was of the highest order, despite a one day rail strike on October 4th 1962. By the summer of 1963 steam operation on the Trans-Pennine passenger services was in serious decline. Failures of Gateshead’s Peaks on this route were usually covered by English Electric Type 4’s. Double heading of these services was a frequent occurrence particularly for the services starting out of Liverpool - during 1965 the 9.00am & 11am to Newcastle were frequently doubleheaded, examples include February 13th saw D186 & D272 on the 9am with D277 & D346 on the 11am, on February 24th the 11am ran with D177 & D277. Although the core services were those operating between Liverpool & Newcastle, the route had a number of variations which from time to time took the Peaks further afield. On the east coast Scarborough was a favourite destination for the Peaks, they were used on this line for crew training shortly early on in their careers. Hull was another location that occasionally received Peaks, though these tended to be on the Kings Cross services. West of Liverpool the 11.25 Newcastle - Llandudno was a favourite for odd workings, on August 5th 1967 D123 was in charge of this working, on August 12th 1967 it was the turn of D7677.
Liverpool
St Helens
Manchester Victoria
Eastwards towards the Pennines
Around Diggle
Hebden Bridge
A glimpse of the North Wales mainline.......
Page added January 10th 2005.
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