On this day in History – London – 20th February 1971

In the mid 1960’s it was decided to concentrate all of the London Midland Region overnight sleeper services on Euston. This meant that the St Pancras – Nottingham – Leeds – Glasgow sleeper became the Euston - Nottingham – Leeds – Glasgow sleeper. The route taken between Euston and Nottingham was West Coast Main Line to Northampton, then the freight only line from Northampton to Market Harborough and then the Midland Main Line to Nottingham. This lasted until the early 1970’s when the line between Northampton and Market Harborough was closed and the sleeper service cut back to start/terminate at Nottingham. A by-product of this was the ability in this period to use the seating accommodation of the Up service for a trip from Nottingham to London via the WCML, thus on the early morning of the 20th February 1971 I board the train at Nottingham for the ride to Northampton behind class 47 D1960 where we change engines for class 82 E3051 for the run up to Euston. This is what I saw that morning on the run to Euston: class 08 (3017/27/53/86, 3847/50/64, 3957), class 11 (12049/53), class 25 (5229/35/49, 7522, 7607/49), class 45 (93, 104), class 46 (146/83), class 47 (1628, 1854, 1960), class 81 (E3005/12/21/97), class 82 (E3051), class 85 (E3064/88/91/92), class 86 (E3112/15/20/23/33/38/39/40/42/43/46/52/54/56/64/65/69/70/71/74/84/86/91/92/97).
There followed a tour of London stations starting with Kings Cross where the following could be found: class 31 (5598, 5601/13/27/44/49/78), class 40 (281), class 47 (1505/73, 1761, 1991/95), class 55 (9000/04/07/08/11/21), Liverpool Street: class 15 (8226/34), class 31 (5699), class 37 (6752, 6816), class 47 (1526/27, 1759), Waterloo: class 09 (4105), class 33 (6521), class 42 (829/66), Clapham Junction: class 09 (4109), class 33 (6513/74/81), class 73 (E6007/29/46), class 74 (E6103), Paddington: class 43 (860), class 47 (1597, 1679), class 52 (1058).

Of note are:
12049 which lasted another eight months in service until withdrawn in October 1971 and is currently preserved at Ropley. 12053 which lasted another two months in service until withdrawn in April 1971 and broken up in November 1971. The two Liverpool Street station pilots 8226 and 8234 which both lasted in service for less than six weeks being withdrawn in March 1971 and broken up in November 1971. 860 which lasted in service for less than six weeks being withdrawn in March 1971 and broken up in December 1971 and finally 866 which lasted another eleven months in service until withdrawn in January 1972 and broken up in October 1972.

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