Interest in a 1970 train?

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Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1192
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Interest in a 1970 train?

Post by Mickey »

Has anyone got any knowledge and timmings on a particular train that I have been interested in for a long time that I rode on several times during 1970?.

The train concerned was a Sunday Only train that departed Kings Cross around 8:20am for Peterborough and usually consisted of a blue livered Brush type 2 (class 31) hauling a rake of 8 or 9 blue/grey B.R.Mk1 coaches. This train may have also stopped at Finsbury Park, Potters Bar and Hatfield stations before it arrived at Welwyn Garden City station around 8:50am although I always caught it from Welwyn Garden City station. After departing WGC station this train was 'turned out' along the Down fast line which it continued on through Welwyn North station passing Woolmer Green s/box and passing through Knebworth station with the next stop being at Stevenage old station. After departing Stevenage old station and still running along the Down fast line on approaching Hitchin the train was 'turned in' along the Down slow line at Hitchin South s/box before stopping at Hitchin station. On departing Hitchin station the train was immediately 'turned out' along the Down fast line at Hitchin Yard s/box for a run along the Down fast line northwards passing Cambridge Junction, Three Counties and Arlesey s/boxes before stopping at Biggleswade station still on the Down fast line. After departing Biggleswade the train reached Sandy station around 9:50am before continuing along the Down fast line passing both Everton and Tempsford s/boxes before stopping at St.Neots station. On departing St.Neots the train continued along the Down fast line passing Offord s/box and Huntingdon North No.1 s/box before rolling into and stopping at Huntingdon North station. After departing Huntingdon North station the train continued on to Peterborough but I never rode on this train beyond Huntingdon North station.

I travelled on the above train on three separate Sundays during 1970 which were as follows-

Trip 1.WGC-Sandy
Trip 2.WGC-Biggleswade
Trip 3.WGC-Huntingdon North

I never did do a 4th trip WGC-St.Neots

A very limited Sunday service between Hitchin, Biggleswade, Sandy, St.Neots and Huntingdon North stations in 1970.

On a Sunday in 1970 the stopping passenger service on the Down line between Hitchin and Huntingdon North and Peterborough stations was very limited with the next train calling at all stations north of Hitchin including Biggleswade, Sandy, St.Neots and Huntingdon North stations was around 6:00pm being provided by a x2 car Cravens unit.

On the Up line I believe a early Sunday morning train ran about 8:00am from Huntingdon North station to Hitchin calling at St.Neots, Sandy, Biggleswade and then Hitchin comprised by a x2 car Cravens unit with the next train running about 6:00pm on the Sunday evening from Huntingdon North station to Hitchin calling at St.Neots, Sandy, Biggleswade and Hitchin comprising again by a x2 car Cravens unit. Also I believe another x2 car Cravens unit may have run between Huntingdon North station and Hitchin stopping at St.Neots, Sanday, Biggleswadw and Hitchin around 8:00pm and again comprised by a x2 car Cravens unit all these jobs I would presume were Hitchin loco diagrams.

"After spending around 8 hours at either Sandy, Biggleswade and Huntingdon North stations I wanted to go home!."
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
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