| 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?" |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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
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| 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! |
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| 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! |
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