Inter regional loco hauled services from Brighton 1986

1986 - 1987

All Change for Olympia and Inter-City cross London.

Page last updated 11/08/2010

INTRODUCTION:

It was all change in May 1986. It had been decided at long last that Kensington Olympia, which the trains had passed through without stopping( apart from crew changes )for the past six years, had potential as an alternative London destination. In addition it was thought that the ports of Newhaven and Dover had potential so the timetable was completely re-cast and included three trains a day to and from Dover and a daily service to and from Newhaven Marine. The Newhaven train was timed to connect with the overnight ferry to and from Dieppe which had onward train connections to and from Paris St Lazare.

I have also included each year from 1986 the workings to Dover as these were closely related to the Brighton services and formed a part of the new Cross London Inter-city link. There was also a rather bizarre Portsmouth & Southsea to Dover Western Docks train on Mondays only.

This is the leaflet for the launch of the service, just click for a larger image. This leaflet is geared towards the passenger from the North West, similar leaflets were done for the South East. I dont know if there was a Midlands or London variety.

TIMETABLE and ROUTE:

For the first time trains now served Haywards Heath and Clapham Junction with a few also calling at Redhill. All services now ran via the West Coast Mainline with locomotive changes at Mitre Bridge. As a result services were speeded up dramatically between end points but at the expense of the Thames Valley stations that were no longer served. Birmingham was also a loser with only one weekday train, but all services northbound called there on Sundays. Southbound there were only two trains with just one on Sundays.

A trip to Newhaven Marine got you some rare track in as the station was only then served by boat trains to and from Victoria. The stock ran ECS to and from Lovers Walk Brighton for servicing.

There was now a buffet service on pretty well every service, certainly south of Birmingham anyway.

12th May 1986 to 10^th May 1987

M-S

SUN

Headcode

1M34

1M50

1M02

1M00

1M04

1M31

2V72

1M13

1M34

1M50

1M04

1M13

1M02

2O00

Notes

BAC

Timing Load

D315/

E350

D315/

E350

D315/

E455

D315/

E350

D315

D315/

E350

DMU

D315/

E350

D315/

E455/

D315

D315/

E455

D385/

E350

D315/

E350

D385/

E350

DMU

Dover Western Docks

1045

1345

1745

1345

1745

Folkestone Central

1058

1358

1758

1358

1758

Ashford

1114

1414

1814

1415

1815

Tonbridge

1144

1444

1844

Bromley South

1210

1510

1910

1511

1911

Newhaven Marine

0625

Brighton

1015

1215

1826

1053

1723

Haywards Heath

06u51

0651

Gatwick

07u07

1043

1243

1857

0707

1117

1752

Redhill

1913

East Croydon

07u23

1100

1300

1927

0725

1135

1810

Clapham Jct

07u34

11u11

13u11

1939

0738

1148

1824

Kensington Olympia

0743

1119

1235

1319

1535

1935

1946

1954

0752

1212

1552

1837

1935

1946

Slough

2009

Reading

2032

Watford Jct

0810

1304

1346

1605

2009

2024

0830

1250

1621

1906

2004

Milton Keynes

1211

2033

2048

0903

1323

1930

2028

Rugby

1434

0948

1403

Coventry

1252

0957

1417

2005

Birmingham Int

1302

1008

1428

2016

Birmingham New St arr

1319

1027

1447

2030

Birmingham New St dep

1321

1040

1500

2033

Sandwell & Dudley

1330

2042

Wolverhampton

1342

1059

1519

2053

Stafford

0930

1358

1433

1516

1726

2132

2147

1136

1551

1740

2110

2127

Crewe

1502

1545

1755

2212

1808

2135

Stoke

0955

1420

2156

1204

1616

2148

Macclesfield

1015

1441

2216

1230

1637

2208

Stockport

10s31

14s56

22s31

1259

1702

22s24

Manchester Piccadilly

1041

1504

2240

1308

1711

2232

Runcorn

1522

1606

18s22

2234

1829

2200

Liverpool Lime Street

1544

1627

1844

2255

1850

2221

B = Buffet

A = Until 28th September 1986.

C = This is an imbalance in the timetable. Stock for this train ran as 5Y42: 1841 Bournemouth CS to Lovers Walk on Saturday nights until the 27th September 1986.

As can be seen there was an evening service between Kensington Olympia and Reading formed of a DMU presumably to give a return service for passengers who had been on a day trip.

The stock ran ECS from Slough on Mondays to Fridays and Southall DMUD on Saturdays. Sunday the ECS also ran from Southall DMUD.

12th May 1986 to 10^th May 1987	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	SUN	SUN	SUN	SUN
Headcode	1O60	1O27	1O66	1O28	1O29	1O74	1O90	1O28	1O66	1O29	1O90
Notes		P	B	B	B	B	B		B	B	B
Timing Load	E350/ D315	D315	E350/ D315	E350/ D315	E350/ D315	E350/ D315	E350/ D315	D385	E455/ D315	E455/ D315	E350/ D315
Liverpool Lime Street				0749
Runcorn				0806
Manchester Piccadilly			0644		0925	1215	1615				1620
Stockport			0654		09u33	1223	1623				1628
Macclesfield			0708		0948	1235	1635				1640
Stoke			0730		1008	1255	1700				1700
Crewe				0832
Stafford			0753	0852	1029	1319	1723				1720
Wolverhampton	0520					1337			0822	0903
Sandwell & Dudley						1347
Birmingham New St arr	0536					1359			0838	0919
Birmingham New St dep	0539					1405			0840	0921
Birmingham International	0548					1415			0850	0932
Coventry	0559					1429			0902	0944
Rugby	0622		0828						0926	1008
Milton Keynes	0650			0951	1127		1821		0951	1032	1820
Watford Jct	0716		0915	1014	1156	1530	1843		1034	1112	1849
Reading		0726						0945
Slough		0741						1002
Kensington Olympia	0750	0803	0947	1047	1230	1602	1915	1026	1121	1159	1922
Clapham Jct	0802		0957			1614	1928		1142		1942
East Croydon	0817		1010			1627	1949		1200		2000
Redhill						1642	2003
Gatwick	0834		1027			1653	2013		1223		2022
Haywards Heath							2029				2036
Brighton	0858		1058			1723			1250
Newhaven Marine							2115				2115
Bromley South		0833		1114	1257			1104		1239
Tonbridge		0859		1137	1320
Ashford		0926		1204	1348			1204		1348
Folkestone Central		0942		1219	1404			1219		1405
Dover Western Docks		0954		1230	1415			1230		1415
B = Buffet P = starts Portsmouth & Southsea 0546 MO

LOCOMOTIVES:

It was now a solid diet of class 47/4's with the odd class 33 or 73 substituting due to failures.

Loco changes were at Mitre Bridge with the class 47 south of and an ac electric north of.

The working timetable shows that 1M34 from Newhaven had another loco change back to a Diesel from New Street.

STOCK:

Later Mk2de air-conditioned coaches generally ruled the roost, with Mk2abc cars making up the rest. The catering vehicle was normally a Mk2d TSO with a buffet counter built in at one end. It had a microwave to do hot meals which were reasonably priced....including a cooked breakfast. The occasional Mk2c TSO(T) or even a Mk1 RMB or RB would substitute. Mk2 BFK's seemed common on the sets. Executive livery was now appearing on many coaches.

PHOTOS:

	Leaflet for the start of the revamped services at Kensington Olympia.
	Buffet menu, we think from 1986. Reproduced courtesy of Keith Carter.
	Carriage label for the 0520 Wolverhampton to Brighton. Authors collection
	On the 2nd day of the new services into Kent 47446 passes Petts Wood Junction with 1O29 the 0925 Manchester Piccadilly to Dover Western Docks. Photo taken Tuesday 13th May 1986. Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	Carriage label for the 0925 Manchester Piccadilly to Dover Western Docks. Authors collection.
	47625 'City of Truro' at Petts Wood Junction with 1M04 1345 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken Tuesday 13th May 1986. Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	Carriage label for the 1045 and 1345 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Only puzzle is I can find no record of the Nuneaton stop printed on this label.
	81007 arrives at Nuneaton with 1M50 the 1053 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly. Diverted due to engineering works the train is about to gain a diesel loco for the trip into Birmingham New Street Photo taken Sunday 6th June 1986. Photographer Steve Buckley. Used with permission.
	58040 couples up to 81007 on the diverted 1M50 1053 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. Photo taken Sunday 6th June 1986. Photographer Steve Buckley. Used with permission.
	47406 'Railriders' arrives at Clapham Junction with 1M00 the 1215 Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken 11th June 1986. Photographer Chris Eaton. Used with permission.
	47626 'Atlas' passes Petts Wood working 1M04 the 1345 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken Tuesday 24th June 1986. Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	47513 'Severn' approaches Petts Wood with 1M31 1745 Dover Western Docks to Manchester Piccadilly. Photo taken 24th June 1986. Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	Carriage label for 1M50 the 1015 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly. Authors collection.
	An unusual visitor to Brighton is NSE liveried 47573 'The Evening Standard' seen here at Dyke Road Drive Brighton with 1M00 the 1215 from Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken Summer 1986 by the Author.
	Large logo 47459 arrives at Gatwick with 1M00 the 1215 from Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken Summer 1986. Photographer unknown / Authors collection.
	An unidentified but named class 47 at Southease on the Seaford branch with 1O90 the 1615 Manchester to Newhaven Marine service. This service only lasted a year before being diverted to Brighton where people actually want to go to! Date taken unknown but it must have been in the summer to be light enough. Photo by the Author.
	After several attempts I have finally managed to acquire a carriage label for the 1615 Manchester to Newhaven Marine . This label is for the Monday to Saturday service . Authors collection.
	The Manchester to Newhaven Marine train ran for just one year. This carriage label is for the Sunday service, 1620 departure, which did not serve Redhill. Authors collection.
	Approaching Kensington Olympia station is 47618 'Fair Rosamund' at the head of a motley selection of Mk2 coaches forming 1M04 the 1345 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken 17th July 1986. Photographer Geoff Edwards / Authors collection.
	86260 'Driver Wallace Oakes GC' gets the 1053 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly away from Watford Junction. Photo taken 17th August 1986. Photographer unknown / Authors collection.
	86240 'Bishop Eric Treacy' seen at Watford Junction with probably 1O74 the 1215 from Manchester Piccadilly enroute for the West London Line and Brighton. The electric loco will be detached at Mitre Bridge Junction to be replaced by a diesel. Photo taken 17th August 1986. Photographer unknown/ Authors collection.
	This is a carriage label for the 1215 Manchester to Brighton service Authors collection.
	47513 'Severn' approaches Orpington with 1O29 the 0925 Manchester Piccadilly to Dover Western Docks. Photo taken Friday 3rd October 1986 Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	47523 passes Orpington carriage sidings with 1M02 the 1045 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken Friday 3rd October 1986. Photographer Graham Walker. Used with permission.
	Carriage label for the 1045 Dover Western Docks to Liverpool Lime Street. Authors collection.
	47609 'Fire Fly' at Gatwick Airport having arrived with 1O60 the 0520 Wolverhampton to Brighton on Network Southeast's 'Network Day'. Photo taken 21st November 1986. Photographer Carl Hodgkinson. Used with permission.
	Carriage label for the 1826 Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street. Authors collection.
	47611 'Thames' arrives at Kensington Olympia with 1M00 the 1215 Brighton to Liverpool Lime Street. Photo taken 19th December 1986. Photographer unknown / Authors collection.
	47599 runs into Gatwick Airport with 1O66 the 0644 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photo taken 12th February 1987. Photographer Geoff Edwards / Authors collection.