1976 Movements Database

TIMETABLE CHANGES FROM MAY 3, 1976

The new timetable (Summer) was introduced on May 3. It contained no major changes but did have detail modifications made to several services. The 08.30 and 16.30 Paddington-Paignton trains were diverted to Plymouth instead with connections to Paignton and accelerated by omitting previous stops en-route. As a consequence of this decision, the 13.55 and 15.55 ex-Paignton became the 13.45 and 15.55 ex-Plymouth, also with connections from Paignton. The 05.05 Plymouth-Paddington was retimed to leave at 05.45 and accelerated by 34 minutes by omitting several stops, which were covered by the preceding new 06.00 Newton Abbot-Paddington service, but the ‘Golden Hind’ left Penzance 18 minutes earlier at 04.47 and was decelerated by seven minutes. The 16.53 Paddington-Plymouth inherited the stops of the accelerated 16.30 but terminated at Newton Abbot (being overtaken by the down ‘Golden Hind’) instead on Monday-Thursday. Sunday alterations included the extension of the 15.30 Paddington-Plymouth to Truro and a new 19.35 Paddington-Plymouth service. A number of regular unadvertised holiday reliefs were now included in the timetable for the first time. The only other changes to the West of England trains was the introduction of seating accommodation on the 00.55 Paddington-Penzance and 22.10 return sleeper services. Air-conditioned stock was introduced progressively during the year on these services and the summer Saturday seat reservation scheme was again used.

On other routes, Swansea gained a through service to Leeds by extending the 08.48 ex-Cardiff (depart Swansea 07.30) and the 16.38 ex-Leeds (arrive Swansea 22.22). the 14.,00 Newcastle to Bristol was also diverted to Newport and Cardiff. The 08.00 London-Fishguard boat train was accelerated by 15 minutes; the summer-only reliefs (which also conveyed a Motorail portion) in both directions were quicker by more than 40 minutes, the respective departure times were changed to 07.53 from Paddington and 14.00 from Fishguard. Finally, the 08.00 Cardiff-Plymouth which provided connections at Bristol out of the Glasgow/Edinburgh sleeper was accelerated by 30 minutes and an onward connection to Cornwall gave arrivals up to 90 minutes earlier. The introduction, partial, of Inter-City 125s on the Paddington-Bristol/South Wales route from October 4, were yet to be finalised.

Above: Here’s some of the official documents from all those years ago in 1976, that we’ve been working on. Firstly, (left) Old Oak and Ranelagh Bridge movement sheets, of which we’ve had access to hundreds and also on the right, an example of the hundreds, yes literally hundreds of Tops records for the year. We are still going through these so please bear with us. The 1976 workings is largely down to the comprehensive work of the late Kevin Vercoe of Exeter who supplied reams of workings in loco order just after the Westerns finished and provided virtually blanket coverage of the class for that year. He was always ready to help and I remember how I used to wait excitedly for each locomotive’s workings to drop through my letter box. It was a truly magnificent body of work and such a tragic loss at young age.

DISCLAIMER

The workings contained in the respective Western Class 52 Locomotives sections below, and on subsequent pages, have been put together from mainly official records and those supplied by enthusiasts. Having burned the midnight oil for four decades, it is inevitable some mistakes will have managed to beat quality control and sneaked through. There is also the problem of getting hold of all the relevant working timetables and supplements, something which while, not insurmountable, has proved difficult. Locomotive changes and places where these have taken place also needs some scrutiny. Remember BR was a working railway with fluid use of locomotives to keep the services running, train cancellations were only announced as a last resort. So, I and the rest of the WLRS have done the best we can. We do not, by any stretch of our and indeed your imaginations, believe we are right 100 per cent of the time and apologise for any subsequent errors later contained in the database, for which we can take no responsibility. We have done the best we could with the resources we have had access too. The good thing about the internet is these errors can be changed and rectified at the touch of a button. So, we welcome any notes, or additions, errata or observations from enthusiasts. After all, we all want to enjoy the memory of a fine class of diesel engines, don’t we? We set out to get one working a day for each engine, and I think you will agree that we have surpassed our expectations. We hope this database will remain here for future generations of enthusiasts as an insight into the working lives of a much loved and much missed class. Please enjoy the fruits of our labours on this, a FREE resource for all those with hydraulic oil in their blood.

• LATEST ADDITIONS: D1009 August 6, 1976 duly amended.