Inter regional loco hauled services from Brighton 1979

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1979 - 1980

A Quiet Start.

Page last updated 28/12/2021

INTRODUCTION:

The Summer timetable change on the 14^th of May 1979 saw the introduction of a new twice daily service from Manchester to Brighton. The real target was passengers from the North West and Midlands travelling to Gatwick Airport but Brighton was a sensible termination point and a major destination in its own right. Northbound the timings were good but southbound they were either very early or very very late!

In April of that year there had been a preview train for the Travel Trade consisting of smart set of mark 1 coaches and including restaurant cars.....this was not replicated on the actual trains!

47019 passes through East Croydon with the travel trade preview train to Gatwick and Brighton .

Photo taken 4th April 1979.

Photographer John Atkinson.

Used with permission.

TIMETABLE and ROUTE:

Departures from Brighton were at 0907 and 1507 Monday to Saturday and 0906 and 1630 on Sundays.

Departures from Manchester Piccadilly were at 0744 and 2330 Monday to Saturday and 0718 and 2330 on Sundays.

Both trains were routed via East Croydon, Kensington Olympia (not calling ), North Pole Junction, Old Oak East Junction then Reading and the Thames Valley. The morning service from Brighton ran via Solihull, Bordesley Junction and St Andrews Junction. The afternoon service ran via Coventry but strangely didn't call at Banbury, Leamington or Birmingham International. The loco change was at Birmingham New Street.

The overnight train from Manchester on Saturdays was routed via the West Coast Mainline with a loco change at Mitre Bridge Junction.

At this point in time neither Haywards Heath, Clapham Junction or Kensington Olympia were in the calling pattern, that was still a few years away. It should be noted that at a fraction under 2 hours Brighton to Reading was about 20 minutes quicker than 2008 with a 125mph Voyager!

An interesting aside back in 1979-1980 there were just two trains a day in the morning from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia with two returning in the afternoon. There are currently 5 trains an hour each way.

14^th May 1979 to 11^th May 1980	M-S	M-S	SUN	SUN
Headcode	1M50	1M64	1M00	1M05
Timing Load	D315/ E???	D315/ E???	D315/ E???	D315/ E???
Notes		BE		F
Brighton	0907	1507	0906A	1630A
Gatwick	09u43	15u46	0940	1710
East Croydon	10u05	16u06	10u07	17u31
Kensington Olympia	10C30		10C53
Reading	1105	1705	1136	1852
Oxford	1140	1735	1213	1925
Banbury	1206		1241	1951
Leamington Spa	1226		1301	2012
Coventry		1830
Birmingham International		1842
Birmingham New Street arr	1302	1858	1340	2045
Birmingham New Street dep	1312	1908	1405	2055
Wolverhampton	1327	1923	1420	2110
Stafford			1451	2127
Stoke				2149
Macclesfield				2211
Crewe	1409	1959	1521
Wilmslow			1541
Stockport	14s36	20s26	16s04	22s29
Manchester Piccadilly	1444	2034	1612	2239
A = starts Gatwick from 7/10/79 onwards, stock runs ECS from Brighton. B = Buffet. C = stops at Kensington Olympia for crew change. E = also stops at Old Oak Common 1633 for crew change. F = also stops at Old Oak Common 1822 for crew change.

14^th May 1979 to 11^th May 1980	M-S	Sun to Fri	SO	SUN
Headcode	1O74	1O52	1O52	1O74
Timing Load	E???/ D315	E???/ D315	E315/ D315	E???/ D315
Notes	B	E	D
Manchester Piccadilly	0744	2330	2330	0718
Stockport	07u52	2338	2338	0727
Wilmslow		23u46	23u46
Crewe		0009	0016	08u07
Stafford		0030	0040
Wolverhampton	0851	0046	0106	0905
Birmingham New Street arr	0910	0104	0131	0930
Birmingham New Street dep	0921	0134	0203	0940
Birmingham International		0144	02u13
Coventry		0156	02u21
Leamington Spa		0212		1008
Banbury		0233		1029
Oxford	1031	0301		1108
Reading	1058	0332		1145
Kensington Olympia	11C34			12C30
East Croydon	12s02	04s41	05s08	13s02
Gatwick	12s23	05s01	0527	1323
Brighton	1300	0533	0601A	1400A
A= terminates Gatwick from 7/10/79 onwards, runs ECS to Brighton. B=Buffet. C = also stops Kensington Olympia for crew change. D = loco changed at Mitre Bridge diesel loco comes light from Norwood as 0O52 at 0313 Sunday morning. E = also stops at Old Oak Common for crew change 0412.

LOCOMOTIVES:

Booked locomotive was a class 47/4 but it was not uncommon for a steam heat class 47/0 to appear. In the summer months a non boilered class 47 might appear. Substitutes were few and far between, usually due to a loco failure. As a result SR class 33 or class 73 would normally be the replacement.

The Saturday night service from Manchester had a loco change at Mitre Bridge. The replacement diesel coming light as 0O52: 0313 Norwood Yard to Mitre Bridge, as a result this could mean an SR loco such as a class 33 may have been booked for this and the return on Sunday.

STOCK:

Two captive rakes of Mk1 vacuum braked dual heat stock were utilised, based at Longsight?

Thanks to Steve Carter for the following information:-

The carriage marshalling book for May 1979 - May 1980, the following formations were used:

Click on the time for a photo of the train marshalling details.

2330 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton which then works the 0907 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly.

Formed NEV(BG) - SK - TSO - FK - TSO - TSO - SK.

From my own recollections and photographic evidence the train often had a BG at either end of the rake.

The 0744 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton then worked the 1507 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly.

Formed TSO - TSO - FK - RKB - TSO - TSO - NEV(BG).

From my own recollections and photographic evidence the RKB was usually a RMB. Occasionally a Mk2z TSO or FK would substitute in the daytime set as would Mk1 SK’s for the TSO’s and vice versa.

PHOTOS:

	Southern Region issued pocket timetable for the Brighton to Manchester services and the then SO Brighton to Bristol TM service. Supplied by Alan Lake.
	Pocket timetable West Midlands and Thames Valley to Brighton. 1979-1980. Authors collection.
	A copy of the 1979-1980 Cross Country Timetable was acquired on eBay. Here is the formal introduction to the Brighton services and other enhancements to the timetable. Authors collection.
	A copy of the timetable page introducing the new service. From the BR passenger timetable 14th May 1979 to 11th May 1980 South London, East Surrey, Sussex. Authors collection.
	1979 Start up leaflet, but Merseyside based. Authors collection.
	An unidentified class 47/4 waits to depart East Croydon with the 0907 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly. Photographer K. Oxlade / Authors collection.
	A nicely turned out 84010 arrives at Manchester Piccadilly with 1M50 the 0907 from Brighton. Photo taken 29/5/79. Photographer Barrie Watkins, Used with permission.
	Another view of 84010 as it rolls into Manchester Piccadilly with 1M50 the 0907 from Brighton. This was an out and back working formed off the daily 2330 Manchester to Brighton service and was formed of 7 Mk1 vehicles. Photo taken 29/5/79 Photographer Barrie Watkins / Authors collection.
	47488 waits to depart from Oxford with 1M50 the 0907 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly. The usual 7 car Mk1 formation is missing one of its coaches on this date. Photo taken 31/5/79 Photographer Barrie Watkins / Authors collection.
	An entry from Central Division Control Log for the 22nd September 1979 and 1O52 is missing a loco! Kindly supplied by Alan Lake.
	Carriage label from the 0907 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly, a bit tatty but its the only one I have and its even been dated when it was removed from the service, 12/10/79. Supplied by Steve Carter / Authors collection.
	47459 drops down on to the fast lines at Old Oak Common and past the signalbox. This is the 0907 Brighton to Manchester service during its first month of operation. This bit of line no longer exists for passenger trains as it was used as access for the now closed Eurostar depot. How times change. Photo by the author.
	An entry from Central Division Control Log for the 21st November 1979 and its a cold ride on 1O52! Kindly supplied by Alan Lake.
	47478 gets away from East Croydon with 1O74 the 0744 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photographer Alan Edwards / Authors collection.
	From a secret source arrived a photo of the finger board that would have graced the platform gate at Brighton station for the 1507 departure to Manchester.
	47489 approaches Mill Road and Patcham tunnel on the final leg of its journey whilst working the 0744 Manchester to Brighton service. Photo taken winter 1979 by the author.
	On a lovely bright day 33022 departs Brighton with the 1507 Brighton to Manchester service. This photograph was taken from the window of Brighton stations' switchboard which was in the Combined Engineering workshops in New England Rd, on the site of the former engine shed. Photo taken December 1979 by the author.
	47534 with the 1507 Manchester to Brighton seen between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Three Bridges station. This is one of three slides I have from this location, exact dates unknown but some research has probably got the right year! Photographer Barry Johnson, date around 1980. Authors collection.
	An entry from Central Division Control Log for 16th March 1980 and some problems befall 1O52! Kindly supplied by Alan Lake.
	40027 seen here at Stafford with 1M00 the 0940 Gatwick to Manchester Piccadilly. This is a Sunday and the train must have been diverted north of New Street due to engineering works with the class 40 substituting for the electric loco. Photo taken 13th April 1980. Photographer Mike Hodge. Used with permission.
	47482 seen here just south of Three Bridges with the 1507 Brighton to Manchester service sometime in 1980. There is a similar photo in 1981-82, This view just shows what I thought was the access road bridge for Gatwick in the background, in fact it is the bridge taking the M23 over the railway line. Photographer Barry Johnson / Authors collection.