HOMEPAGE

LINKS TO ALL JIM FENTON'S DATA PAGES
[1]     [2]    [3]    [4]    [5]    [6]    [7]    [8]   [9]    [10]    [11] 

JIM FENTON'S
TRAINSPOTTING
OBSERVATIONS
1966/68

PAGE
1

Jim Fenton was a trainspotter in the sixties along with most boys of his age.
Nothing unusual in that, but unlike most "spotters" (myself included)
Jim kept meticulous records of his "spotting trips" and as he grew out of the hobby,
he placed them safely in his attic and forgot about them until he came across them recently.
Realizing that he possessed a vault of memories that would be of interest to 
railway enthusiasts, he asked me if I would be interested in publishing them on 6G.

There is so much data that it was necessary to split up the records into eleven pages for 
quicker download times and also to make it easier to read and research.

Although there is plenty of video and still photographs of steam, working in 
it's heyday, plus audio files by the likes of Peter Handley along with unlimited literature on all aspects of the subject,  there has been a distinct dearth
of locomotive records and observations. 

The data in the following pages goes some way to redress the balance.
 
Jim Fenton travelled nationwide to motive power depots, stations and favourite locations
 by train, bicycle and car to collect and record it in such a comprehensive way. 
There is a wealth of local interest as Jim made numerous trips across North Wales
plus several visits to 6G and  spent a lot of his time "spotting" around 
Colwyn Bay and the surrounding area.

I have found the observations fascinating reading, and felt it was like a trip
 back in time to the "Glorious Years".
As I read through the records it was nice to see so many "Brits" , "class 5s" and "9F's,
but it came home to me vividly that there was no Patriots, Scots, Coronations etc,
and only a handful of "Jubs" which emphasizes what was happening to 
our steam engines during the mid to late sixties.

I would like to thank and congratulate Jim on his endeavors to put this unique data 
into this format, and for allowing us to share these fascinating records.
  
I know that site visitors will find these pages enthralling.

Geoff Poole.

**********************************************************

1966 - 1968: TRAINSPOTTING OBSERVATIONS 
by Jim Fenton

The recent discovery of some of my old trainspotting log books in the attic has provided an insight to what locomotives and multiple units were around in North Wales, the northwest of England and selected other locations between 1966 and 1968. I hope that you find the observations of interest and that memories come flooding back! Most data is from 1967 when I also kept a daily diary of schoolboy activities (trainspotting appeared to be my prime past time!).

My Top Ten most enduring rail-related memories are as follows:

1)     What got me interested in railways, I think, was visiting friends of my parents in Disley, near Stockport. They lived on a road with the Manchester Piccadilly – Buxton (LNWR) line at the top of the road, across the Whaley Bridge Canal and a field was the Manchester Central – Chinley (MR) line and across the Goyt Valley was the Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills/Hayfield/Chinley line (LMS). Effectively surrounded by trains morning, noon and night! Surprisingly, the location still is!!

2)     The sight that first got me ‘hooked’ on trainspotting. A misty autumnal evening in 1964 on Penrhos College footbridge in Colwyn Bay seeing an extremely work-worn Britannia class 70024 ‘Vulcan’ working hard round the curve on the Slow line (by Allen’s Repository) with a down parcels bound for Holyhead. Could anything be more impressive?

3)     A fairly still evening, with the gentle wind out of the west, sitting on Tan-y-Bryn Rd. bridge awaiting the up ‘chlorine’ loose coupled, pick-up freight (usually went through about 20.00) and hearing it begin to move out of Llandudno Junction. After what seemed an age, a huge column of smoke appeared around the corner near the electric substation in Mochdre that indicated the imminent passing of a very weary-looking 9F. The length of the train that evening was massive by North Wales standards. Awesome smoke effects! Oh, for a video camera!

4)     Sitting on the side parapet of Queens Road bridge in Llandudno Junction on a Summer Saturday eating chips from Enoch’s, followed by a couple of ‘Jubbly’s’ (a triangular frozen drink sort of thing). Brilliant!

5)     Sticking my head out of the door window of the first coach behind Britannia class 70045 ‘Lord Rowallan’ as it slipped viciously while starting from Talacre station with an up train to Chester. The noise, the smoke, wonderful!

6)     Visits to Croes Newydd shed because it always looked ‘cosy’, sited in the triangle of lines and I seemed to prefer roundhouses rather than straight sheds. That’s why I love Barrow Hill shed!

7)     Sitting on Crewe station (North end) watching 8F 48212 wheezing through with a freight from the Stoke on Trent area towards Chester.

8)     Travelling behind D117 from Chinley to Derby on the old Midland mainline through the most beautiful scenery in the Peak District.

9)     Sitting on the cab roof of a Bullied Pacific in Woodhams Scrap yard in Barry and feeling very sad about the fate of all the wonderful steam locomotives.

10) Crawling through long grass across a field on my elbows and stomach trying to ‘bunk’ Kingmoor shed, only to be met by a Transport Policeman who had seen me coming, but complemented me on my effort!!

Many locomotives observed during day trips were not accurately located geographically, but those ‘in the know’ will be able to track the journey by the types and specific numbers of locomotives recorded (especially shunting locomotives). It could be considered a ‘detective game’. The more you look into it, the clearer some journey’s become! For example, on trips to or via Crewe, the recording of EM1(Bo-Bo) or EM2(Co-Co) locomotives indicates the train passing the sidings at Crewe Electric Shed opposite Crewe Works. Another piece of detective work is to determine the London termini from the locomotives/EMU’s recorded. I certainly have enjoyed recalling day trips. Reference to the annual Locoshed Books will assist reconstruction of many trips.

With grandparents living in Blackpool, in hindsight, I was given a wonderful opportunity to regularly visit the last bastions of steam in the northwest between 1966 and 1968. Following the demise of steam in August 1968, interest in number collection diminished. My love of railways, however, continues to this day but it’s not the same!

Unlocated observations in the 1967 diary refer to Colwyn Bay. Most of the records of locomotives at Colwyn Bay were observed from Penrhos College footbridge or Tan-y-Bryn Road bridge. Only very selected records of specific locomotives were recorded, however, at these locations. The locomotives recorded as ‘shunting’ at Colwyn Bay were in the late afternoon, after school. Most of the ‘off shed’ records at Llandudno Junction were made from Queens Road bridge.

Complete locospotting logs of selected days out are given below, but without specific locations of many observations. It provides, however, a taste of what was! Trainspottings logs are recorded consecutively in columns not rows.

Days in 1967 marked with an asterisk(*) have a full locomotive/multiple unit log below.

1967 Diary

January 1967.

1^st            Visited Blackpool North shed (10B)*

5^th             Saw 73144 & D5078

8^th             Visited Wolverhampton High Level station

10^th           Visited Stockport (9B) and Reddish (9C) sheds *

12th           Saw D5141 and D251

13^th            Saw D5078

14^th            Visited Crewe (5A & 5B). Saw D1956 & D1957. Copped 70016 & D381 *

17^th            Saw D1861 & D5073

18^th            Saw D5075. 48060 shunting

20^th            Saw D1620 & 90645

23^rd            Saw 48509. 48373 shunting

24^th            Saw D376 & 45056

25^th            Saw D5076 & 48073

26^th            Saw D5073

27^th            Saw 92083. 73159 shunting

28^th            Visited Trafford Park (9E), Patricroft (9H) & Newton Heath (9D). Copped 104 out of 253 locomotives *

February 1967.

4^th            Visited Warrington shed (8B). Saw D8193 & D8194 (ex Vulcan Foundry) *

5^th            Visited Blackpool North shed (10B). Saw D3007 *

17^th          Saw D5076 & 48258

March 1967.

11^th            Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G) Saw D5144, D5073 & D1806 (on freight)

14^th            Saw D1951, D225 & D1843

15^th            Saw D1805

16^th            Saw D1803 & M56106

17^th            Saw D1801

18^th            Visited Warrington shed (8B) *

21^st            Visited Newport and Cardiff*. Copped 143 out of 228

25^th            Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G) Saw D5077 & D5087. D298 was derailed 
on points on the shed, but re-railed with jacks.

29^th            Visited Crewe Works. Copped 65 out of 324 locomotives*

31^st            Visited Warrington shed (8B)*

April 1967.

1^st            Visited Preston station and Lostock Hall shed (10D)*. Saw 60007

3^rd            Visited Warrington shed (8B)*

4^th            Saw D5001

6^th            Saw D5006. D5140 shunting

7^th            D5080 shunting

8^th            Visited Reddish shed (9C) and Crewe station/sheds (5A & 5B)*. Saw 45593 and D8306 + D8307 (ex Crewe Works)

11^th     D5144 shunting

12^th     D5084 shunting

13^th     D5087 shunting

14^th     D5075 shunting

15^th     Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G) Saw D5075 & D5080

17^th     D5057 shunting

18^th     D5093 shunting

20^th     D5060 shunting

21^st      D5060 shunting. Visited Lostock Hall (10D)*

22^nd     Visited Rose Grove shed (10F)*

23^rd      Visited Blackpool North station & shed (10B) plus Blackpool South station*. 
Rode on 45375 while on turntable at North shed

24^th     D5081 shunting

25^th     D5085 shunting

26^th     D5057 shunting

27^th     D5073 shunting

28^th     D5093 shunting

29^th     Saw D224, 48304 & D1829

May 1967

1^st        D5075 shunting

3^rd       D5091 shunting

4^th       Saw D1852, D1829, D5085, D5140 & 48012

5^th       Saw M56153

8^th       Visited Buxton shed (9L)*

9^th       Visited Nottingham station*. Copped 62 out of 117

11^th     D5008 shunting

12^th     D5079 shunting

15^th     D5143 shunting

16^th     D5087 shunting

17^th     Saw D1806, D1854 & D1906. D5143 shunting

18^th     D5141 shunting

19^th     Saw D214, D1802. D5013 shunting

20^th     Saw D1962

22^nd    D5076 shunting

23^rd     Saw D1940. D5010 shunting

24^th     D5006 shunting

25^th     D5003 shunting

27^th     Saw D7587, D7595 & D1688 (on freight)

29^th     Saw D1722 & D5086

31^st      Saw D1687, D5080, D1849, D5003, D5013 & D2605. D5058 shunting

June 1967.

1^st        D5075 shunting

2^nd      Saw D1939, D5005 & D5011

3^rd       Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G). Saw D2955. Visited Warrington shed (8B) in afternoon*

4^th       Visited Blackpool North shed (10B) and Lostock Hall shed (10D)*

5^th       Saw D2954 in short, down mixed freight pulled by D5086. D5058 shunting

6^th       Saw D1622

7^th       Saw D225 and D236. D5007 shunting

9^th       Saw D5000. D5073 shunting

10^th     Visited Old Oak Common (81A), Finsbury Park (34G) and Hither Green (73C) sheds*

12^th     D5058 shunting

13^th     D5007 shunting

14^th     D5091 shunting

15^th     Saw D1621 and D1580. D5004 shunting

16^th     Saw D1993, D5073 and D222

17^th     Saw D67 on special

19^th     Saw D5074

20^th     Saw D1965. D5008 shunting

22^nd    Saw D220. D5074 shunting

23^rd     Saw D1965. D5081 shunting

24^th     Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G)*. Saw D5002, D7540, D387 and D1955

26^th     D5073 shunting

27^th     Saw D1848 and D227. D5013 shunting. Saw first (up) Freightliner

29^th     D5009 shunting

July 1967.

1^st         Visited York (50A)*. Copped 177 out of 298.

4^th        Saw D1587 and D5021. D5073 shunting

6^th        Saw D1962 and D5288

7^th        Saw D1929, D5008 and D5020 plus some Western Region multiple units.

8^th       Visited Llandudno Jct. and shed (6G) Travelled behind D378 (down) and D7627 (up). Saw D5000, D5089, D5294 and D7626

11^th     Saw D1634, D1805 and D258

15^th     Visited Hull Dairycoats shed (50B) and Leeds Holbeck shed (55A)(partially!)*. Copped 133 out of 330

22^nd     Saw D5005, D5072, D5228, D7574, D7630 and D350

26^th      Visited Crewe (5A & 5B). Copped 10 out of 242

29^th      Visited Preston. Saw 9 Britannia class passing through the station

31^st       Visited Lostock Hall shed (10D)

August 1967.

2^nd      Saw 92014

5^th       Saw D5030, D5187, D388 and D7629

7^th       Saw D5027

12^th     Saw D5012, D5028, D7511 and D7523

19^th     Saw D5036, D7582, D352 and D7609

21^st      Saw D5049

26^th     Visited Derby Works Open Day and Toton shed (16A)(partially!)*. Saw D207, D209, D1661 and D361 at Crewe. Copped 93 out of 257

September 1967.

2^nd       Visited Preston from Blackpool North. Pulled by 44971. Saw D7637, D6812, D1782 and 48381

4^th        Purchased Runabout Ticket for 25 shillings! Visited Carlisle and Annan. Saw D8500 – D8504.Visited Carlisle Upperby shed (12B)*

5^th       Visited Carlisle station and Workington shed (12D)*. Saw 70039

6^th       Visited Carlisle and Skipton*. Pulled by D31 from Carlisle to Skipton. Visited Carnforth shed (10A). Saw D400 and 92071. Copped 42 out of 177

7^th        Visited Carlisle Kingmoor shed (12A)(partially!)*. Saw 70037, D5349 and D6841. Copped 20 out of 120

8^th       Returned home from Blackpool via Carlisle and Crewe*! Copped 19 out of 170

14^th     Saw D206

15^th     Saw D206, D1712 and M50398

16^th     Visited Northwich (8E), Bolton (9K), Newton Heath (9D) and Trafford Park (9E) sheds*. Copped 58 out of 249

28^th     D5027 shunting

30^th     Saw D5033, D5047 and D5059

October 1967.

21^st      Visited Lostock Hall shed (10D)*. Saw 44985

22^nd     Visited Blackpool North shed (10B)*. Saw D1541

26^th      D5031 shunting

28^th      Visited Birmingham New Street, Tyseley shed (2A) and Saltney shed (2E)(partially!) sheds*. Copped 78 out of 295

November 1967

6^th        Visited Liverpool Edge Hill shed (8A)*.

December 1967.

13^th     Saw D320

[END OF PAGE 1]

HOMEPAGE

LINKS TO ALL JIM FENTON'S DATA PAGES
[1]     [2]    [3]    [4]    [5]    [6]    [7]    [8]   [9]    [10]    [11]