European Railroad Discussion > Oh to be in England: London 1984

In October of 1984 I found myself at Victoria Station in London, England, firmly in the British Rail blue era.

1) 47/4 Class locomotive 47580, the "County of Essex." Remarkably, as of my 2016 British Railway Locomotive guide (Platform 5), this locomotive is preserved at the Birmingham Railway Museum.

2) 08 Class shunter 08531. Again, remarkably, as of my 2016 guide, this locomotive was shown as active, owned by Porterbrook Leasing Company, and in service for Freightliner.

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Like the pictures, are there more?  But I think that is Liverpool Street Station, London, not Victoria - no overhead electrics at Victoria.

Nice shots, but I think it is Liverpool Street. Looks like a Stratford 'silver roof' 47, air-con Mk2 behind so probably a Norwich working. Though why a 47 worked it out of London is an intriguing point, usually an 86 would work them to Ipswich where the overheads ran out.

Posted from Android

Farningham Wrote:
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> Like the pictures, are there more?  But I think
> that is Liverpool Street Station, London, not
> Victoria - no overhead electrics at Victoria.

Yes, I think it is

Posted from Android

I appreciate that possible correction. I can only say that 36 years ago I thought I was at Victoria Station as that is how I labeled the slides and I was in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace and Westminster that day. I do have three more sets of images that I will be posting over the next week or so.

Hexagon789 Wrote:
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> Though why a 47 worked it out of London is an intriguing
> point, usually an 86 would work them to Ipswich
> where the overheads ran out.
>
> Posted from Android

Not in 1984, the first phase of Anglia East electrification, from Colchester to Ipswich was completed in 1985, only then were 86s drafted in to the Great Eastern. Extension to Norwich was completed in 1987.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/21 14:43 by 86235.

86235 Wrote:
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> Hexagon789 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Though why a 47 worked it out of London is an
> intriguing
> > point, usually an 86 would work them to Ipswich
> > where the overheads ran out.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Not in 1984, the first phase of Anglia East
> electrification, from Colchester to Ipswich was
> completed in 1985, only then were 86s drafted in
> to the Great Eastern. Extension to Norwich was
> completed in 1987.

Got my years wrong, for some reason I thought it was 1984 rather than 1985

Hexagon789 Wrote:
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>
> Got my years wrong, for some reason I thought it
> was 1984 rather than 1985

I took this on the first weekend following the Anglia East completion, I think it was May 25th 1985. 86223 Hector, complete with AEI cross arm pantograph on the 09:30 Liverpool Street to Norwich at Mark's Tey. Prior to completion of electrification there was talk in Modern Railways of BR re-deploying 81s and 85s on Anglia services, but sadly nothing came of that. I'd have liked to have seen a Roarer climbing Brentwood Bank or crossing the Stour at Manningtree.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/21 07:55 by 86235.

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86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hexagon789 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Got my years wrong, for some reason I thought
> it
> > was 1984 rather than 1985
>
> I took this on the first weekend following the
> Anglia East completion, I think it was May 25th
> 1985. 86223 Hector, complete with AEI cross arm
> pantograph on the 09:30 Liverpool Street to
> Norwich at Mark's Tey. Prior to completion of
> electrification there was talk in Modern Railways
> of BR re-deploying 81s and 85s on Anglia services,
> but sadly nothing came of that. I'd have liked to
> have seen a Roarer climbing Brentwood Bank or
> crossing the Stour at Manningtree.

They even talked of using the 81s with driving trailers/cab
cars converted from Mk2F Brake Standard Open cars. The same ones which first were used with Class 47/7 diesels in Scotland before eventually coming to the London-Ipswich-Norwich line in 1990.

Posted from Android

NMlurker Wrote:
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> I appreciate that possible correction. I can only
> say that 36 years ago I thought I was at Victoria
> Station as that is how I labeled the slides and I
> was in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace and
> Westminster that day.

If this were Victoria station there would be a third rail for electric power beside each track.