...and a ride on the S&C
Carlisle & Leeds
6 August 1986
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Here are a few photos taken on a day out just over 20 years ago at the time of writing. The intention of that trip was simple - a ride over the Settle and Carlisle railway, with a work colleague and my son, then a young child. The weather started poor - a true S&C day, some might say... Despite Carlisle's rain, there were one or two items of significance. One was the arrival of the rake of brand-new class 318 units, on test from Glasgow. Another was our discovery of the re-opening to normal passenger services of many of the local stations on the S&C, closed in May 1970. And 20 years ago, there was still quite a mixture of motive power - electric class 81s, for example - we had been hauled from Wolverhampton by no 010 of that class.
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
There are no photos of our trip from Carlisle to Leeds - we just sat back and enjoyed our run through the rain- soaked countryside. Leeds was still all-diesel in 1986 - and the only relatively modern traction was the HST set that crept in from the south. The Peaks were still in service, likewise a variety of "heritage" (i.e. worn-out) multiple units, including the class 110 set arriving from Manchester, still in use on its originally-intended route. The "cross-country" 120 set was reduced to use for parcels carriage, its time in passenger service spent. So there it is - not a day for photographic masterpieces - but what a change there's been in the railway scene in the intervening period.
81 010 has just arrived at Carlisle 86 217 "Halley's Comet" and 318 255, Carlisle 318 255, Carlisle 318 250 and 08 910, Carlisle 87 021 "Robert the Bruce", Carlisle Class 101 - our Leeds train at Carlisle Leeds west end - BR Derby unit arrives Class 110 Calder Valley unit arrives, Leeds west end HST arrival, Leeds west end Leeds east end - 47 453 is ready to depart Class 120 unit in parcels service, Leeds That Calder Valley unit, Leeds east Leeds east - 45 arrives with west-bound train