Trainspotting

East Coast Main Line
 

An early morning  drive from the Midlands saw us looking for a location close to the East Coast Main line near to St Neots. By 9am we had found an excellent position just north of the "Three Arch bridge", near to milepost 53, with views of Paxton box and level crossing to the north, and the River Ouse ahead. Below is what we saw during the next 9 hours. An unforgettable day.
 

 
 SATURDAY 30th JULY 1960: PAXTON (Nr ST NEOTS): 
9.00am to 6.00pm:
 
 DOWN LINE: 

time

train

loco

name

load

late
 
9.01 M 8.00am The West Riding 60070 Gladiateur 12 RT
9.14 M 8.08am The Butlins Express 61391 11 RT
9.20 M 8.18am Kings X-Hull Deltic 13 RT
9.34 R Freight 90165 20+b
9.34 M 8.40am Kings X-Edinburgh 60015 Quicksilver 12 2E
9.46 M 8.52am Kings X-Leeds/Bradford 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley 8 2E
9.53 M 9.00am Kings X-Edinburgh 60027 Merlin 12 3E
10.02 M The White Rose 60123 H A Ivatt 12 4E
10.09 M 9.18am Hertford-Skegness 61393 8 RT
10.19 M 9.30am The Norseman D208 9 7E
10.36 M 9.40am Kings X-Newcastle D280 11 RT
10.45 M 9.52am Kings X-Leeds/Bradford 60010 Dominion of Canada 8 3E
10.51 M 10.00am The Flying Scotsman D248 12 5E
10.52 R Light Engines 90269 +90239
11.03 R Freight 90618 41+b
11.07 M 10.10am Kings X-Glasgow 60102 Sir Frederick Banbury 14 2E
11.20 M 10.18am Kings X-Bradford 60013 Dominion of N Zealand 13 4L
11.26 M 10.28am Kings X-Hull 60105 Victor Wild 13 RT
11.41 M 10.40am Kings X-Newcastle 60897 12 3L
11.47 M 10.52am Kings X-Bradford D209 9 3E
11.59 M 11.00am Kings X-Glasgow D247 13 2E
12.06 M 11.08am Kings X-Skegness 61282 11 2E
12.23 M 11.18am Kings X-Scarborough 60112 St Simon 12 7L
12.33 M 11.40am Kings X-Newcastle 60814 9 3E
12.40 M 11.50am The Queen of Scots 60120 Kittiwake 8P 6E
12.41 R 10.45am Kings X-Peterborough 60903 10+v 13L
12.58 M 12.00pm Kings X-Bradford 60061 Pretty Polly 12 2L
1.03 M 12.08pm Kings X-Hull 60533 Happy Night 10 3E
1.14 R Light engine 90215
1.15 M 12.20pm The Northumbrian 60032 Gannet 13 1E
1.29 M 12.30pm Kings X-Newcastle 60936 12 1L
1.42 M 12.40pm Kings X-Bradford 60852 12 2L
1.45 R Freight (Edinburgh) 92169 26+b
1.48 M 12.52pm Kings X-Wakefield 60014 Silver Link 12 2E
1.54 R Freight D8027 +D8020 27+b
1.55 M 1.00pm Heart of Midlothian 60928
 
Loco 60928 limped by and came to a halt at Paxton box. At 2.40pm, B1 no 61174 arrived on the relief line from the Hitchin direction to assist. The 1.18pm, 1.25pm, and 1.40pm services from Kings Cross went by on the relief line. The delayed "Heart of Midlothian" went forward with 61174 at 3.01pm. The first train to use the main line again was the 1.52pm Kings Cross-Bradford at 3.17pm. Worst delayed was the 2.00pm Kings Cross-Newcastle, 31 late.
 
2.31 R 1.18pm Kings X-Bradford 60034 Lord Faringdon 11

17L
2.40 R Engine to assist 60928 61174
2.51 R 1.25pm Kings X-Skegness 61200 10 26L
3.01 R 1.40pm Kings X-Edinburgh 60114 W P Allen 11 23L
3.17 M 1.52pm Kings X-Bradford 60008 Dwight D Eisenhower 12 27L
3.29 M 2.00pm Kings X-Newcastle 60133 Pommern 12 31L
3.34 M 2.10pm Kings X-York 60157 Great Eastern 12 26L
3.39 M 2.18pm Kings X-Cleethorpes 61406 11 21L
3.41 R 1.45pm Kings X-Peterborough 61273 6 18L
3.44 M 2.28pm Kings X-Newcastle 60881 10 16L
3.50 M 2.45pm Kings X-Newcastle 60017 Silver Fox 10 5L
3.56 M 2.52pm Kings X-Bradford 60109 Hermit 12 5L
4.00 M 3.00pm Kings Cross-Newcastle 60869 v+12 2L
4.07 M Freight D206 22+b
4.15 R Light engine (11.32up) 61144
4.18 M 3.18pm Kings X-Bradford 60520 Owen Tudor 12 RT
4.46 M 3.40pm Kings X-Newcastle 60066 Merry Hampton 13 6L
4.54 M Light engine (1.19up) 60065 Knight of Thistle
5.09 M 4.08pm Kings X-Cleethorpes 61379 Mayflower 11 1L
5.15 M 4.18pm Kings X-York 60141 Abbotsford 13 3E
5.58 R Freight 92140 52+b
 UP LINE: 

time

 train

loco

name

load

late
 
9.04 M Sheffield-Kings X D206 9
9.18 R Freight 90253 52+b
9.27 M Grimsby-Kings X 61130 9
9.44 M Nottingham-Kings X 60017 Silver Fox 9
10.14 M Doncaster-Kings X 60881 12
10.21 M (Unidentified) 60854 10
10.34 R Peterborough-Kings X 60869 6
10.35 M 7.30am Leeds/Bradford-Kings X 60157 Great Eastern 12
10.48 M Saltburn-Kings X 60114 W P Allen 13
10.57 M Skegness-Kings X 61406 11
11.08 M 8.11am Leeds-Kings X 60059 Tracery 12
11.22 M 8.21am Leeds-Kings X 60141 Abbotsford 13
11.32 M The Butlins Express 61144 10
11.40 M 8.41am Hull-Kings X 60800 Green Arrow 11
12.10 M York-Kings X 60520 Owen Tudor 12
12.14 R Parcels (Kings X) 61877 12v
12.22 M 8.08am Darlington-Kings X 60867 11
12.29 M 7.50am Newcastle-Kings X 60048 Doncaster 12
12.37 M 9.40am York/Hull-Kings X 60110 Robert the Devil 12
12.54 M Cleethorpes-Kings X 61379 Mayflower 11
12.58 M 8.10am Newcastle-Kings X 60028 Walter K Wigham 12+v
1.05 M 8.50am Newcastle-Kings X D207 12
1.19 M 10.27am Leeds/Bradford-Kings X 60065 Knight of Thistle 12
1.32 M 8.40am Saltburn-Kings X 60054 Prince of Wales 9
1.39 M 10.50am Leeds-Kings X 60044 Melton 12
2.00 R Peterborough-Kings X 60924
 
Trains until 2.40pm were subject to "Stop and proceed with caution" instructions following the failure of 60928 on the down "Heart of Midlothian".
 
2.12 M 9.04am Sunderland-Kings X 60880 13
2.22 M 9.45am Newcastle-Kings X D201 13
2.29 M 11.17am The Yorkshire Pullman 60148 Aboyeur 11P
2.34 M The Butlins Express 61391 11
2.40 M 10.42am The Scarborough Flyer 60983 13
2.56 M 9.20am South Shields-Kings X 60026 Miles Beevor 12
3.10 M 10.25am Newcastle-Kings X 60862 12
3.17 M 10.35am Newcastle-Kings X 60010 Dominion of Canada 12
3.25 M 11.48am Leeds/Bradford-Kings X 60016 Silver King 12
3.34 M Mail 92191 10v
3.50 M 12.03pm Leeds-Kings X 60013 Dominion of N Zealand 12
3.55 M Hull-Kings X Deltic 12
4.15 M 9.45am Edinburgh-Kings X 60025 Falcon 12
4.22 M 11.30am Newcastle-Kings X 60061 Pretty Polly 11
4.31 M 10.00am The Flying Scotsman 60020 Guillemot 12
4.40 M Hull-Kings X 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley 11
4.40 R Light engine (1.54 dn) D8027 +D8040
4.44 M 11.55am Newcastle-Kings X 60015 Quicksilver 13
5.13 M 12.47pm The Norseman D208 8