Trainmadgrandad.co.uk, Life, Times and Thoughts of a Railway Enthusiast!'

 
 
The Liverpool to Harwich Boat Train
Do you remember the infamous "Derek and Clive" comedy album (aka Peter Cook and Dudley Moore)? Beside its questionnable langauge, it asked each of them the question, "What was the worst job you ever had?" Well, I am now going to ask the question, "What was the worst train journey you ever had?"
 
My mother and father were wartime sweethearts. My Dad was from Merseyside and met my mother when he was in basic training in the Ipswich area. So, in the late fifties and early sixties, we went for a Summer Holiday in Ipswich at our grandparents house. My brother had introduced me to train spotting. We both had notebooks, plenty of pencils and our Ian Allen Cobined Volumes, which a Liverpool Aunt and Uncle gave us a Christmas present each year.
 
We would get down to Liverpool Central via the H14 Crosville Bus. Before going onto the platform, we had to go to the Gents whether we needed to or not, Then it was finding suitable seats. The train always seemed to be around ten coaches pulled by an LMR 4-6-2 tank loco. The signal came off, the green flag was waved and the whistle was blown. Excitement was at fever pitch as we noted all the loco numbers, and then disappeared into a tunnel at the throat of the station.
 
We would approach Manchester Central with its huge arched roof and loads to see. The 4-6-2T would run round and soon we were off towards Sheffield. At this point we were heading for Guide Bridge and the electric route through the Woodhead Tunnel and into South Yorkshire The Class 75 and 76 electrics were all around us with heavy freights and the occasional 8Fs.
 
Itinerary of Liverpool Harwich Boat Train
  • Liverpool Central High Level
  • Manchester Central
  • Guide Bridge
  • Woodhead Tunnel
  • Sheffield Victoria
  • Lincoln
  • Spalding
  • March
  • Ely
  • Bury St. Edmunds
  • Ipswich
 
 
Sheffield Victoria brought us our first Eastern Region loco "cops" : a complete difference to our home station at Huyton on the Liverpool and Manchester By now, we had eaten our teatime sandwiches nad spotting was an absolute treat as we trundled through stations such as Gainsborough, Lincoln and Spalding and onto March and the mind numbing boredom of Fenland! Miles and miles trundling through Ely, Bury St.Edmunds, Stowmarket. Nothing to see and the irritating ringing bells at each footpath or farmers' crossings. How relieved we were when we arrived in Ipswich!
 
In 1973, I started my teaching career in Ipswich. At the age of 22, I always travelled between Ipswich and Huyton via Liverpool Street and Euston because I was very wary of the section across the Fenlands. By this time the Harwich train started at Manchester Piccadilly and cut out Lincoln by passing through Peterborough. I decided to go home for Easter and save money. Boarding the return train, I reckoned I was so much more mature and should cope with the Fens. No chance, after March and Ely, i was climbing the carriage walls and scarred for life!