So off we set with 31514 on the front for a crawl (only way to describe it) to Crewe via Manchester.. We did actually get a non-stop run through the through platforms at Manchester Piccadilly, which is a rarity.. Arrival at Crewe was pretty much on time, which surprised most of us. So we awaited the extra pair of 31's (For our triple (x3!!) header to London) And we waited and waited.. eventually they were bolted onto the front of 514 to make a combo of 31308+31271+31514.. We set off 14 late from Crewe, only to grind to a halt at Basford Hall yard. "They've burst!" was one cry.. "Where's Crewes gronk?" was another.. We watched as driver and fitter looked around the 3 loco's in a puzzled state.. The fitter got up between the loco's and wiggled the multi cables.. Bingo!! We were on the move again.. The plonkers at Crewe had only cocked it up when hooking up the Multiple Working cables.. One of the Ped's wanted to go the other way... :-/

Our timings said we were supposed to go via Wembley to Kenny O. , but due to a nasty incident with a few Dusty Bin's (321's) we couldn't get past Watford.. so across country we went.. Rugby - Coventry - Didcot - Reading.. This led to a reasonably rare working of some 31's on the GW main line... Needless to say our timings had gone to pot totally by this point. However our driver planned on getting to London on-time :) Didcot - Reading a distance of 17.5 miles was covered start - stop in 15.2 minutes... A start stop average of 69mph (not bad for 60mph restricted locos... ) Apparently the magic ton was nearly reached between Pangbourne and Tilehurst... Needless to say 31514 had burst big style by the time we hit Reading.. There was a strong burning smell.. The thing was shut down, and a not to be moved sign slapped on the side.. Smoke was coming out of the engine room of 31514 even when it was shut down... Ooopps...

After a fitter went into 514 with a 6ft crowbar, and isolated a couple of traction motors, we were allowed to carry on to Kenny Olympia (without the help of 514 which by this time was just dead weight..) We hit West London 120 late.. Our southern engines for the day were sat patiently at Kenny O for us.. They were.. 33030 + 33051 + 33207. What no 116??.. Well this was the day's before 116 + 051 became dedicated railtour loco's, although 051 was pretty much a regular even then.. We covered a silly roundabout route to head off towards Essex.. (Our route for the day meant we travelled through Willesden Junction FOUR times.. Each time it was straight through, across the mainline, which will probably never happen again, as there were very few trains into Euston because of the Watford crash..)

Newmarket was reached still 2hours down, were we had a "photo" stop.. Pretty pointless as all three loco's were off the end of the single platform,with no way of getting alongside the track to photo them. Nearly everybody said we should have carried on to try and gain some time back... Most of the rest of the tour of Anglia region, was missed by me as I caught some Zeds..ZZzzz.. Colchester (uhh where are we?? Ah! I see..) Hmm. Not missed much apparently from what I gathered from those who stayed awake.. Anyway, working our way through suburbia on the way back to Central London was fun.. Our next port of call was Stratford, were we were supposed to pick up a train crew to take us round London. It started of well when we were mis-routed through Maryland,and started to head to Liverpool Street. That was halted.. Shame. So we eventually backed up, and crossed to the correct side of Stratford Station.. Here our train crew should have joined us, but no.. we carried on onto the freight curve.. Our crew had to walk from the Station to our train, slowing everything down.. (We'd already lost more time as 33207 had burst en route to London.) when we got back to Kenny O we looked for a red duff to take us back north (well we were expecting it!!) but no, we'd got two-thirds of the ped combo that we came down with.. 31514 was left behind. So with 31271+31308 at the front we left London 137 minutes late.. We passed through Willesden again for the last time, and worked our way round to the GW mainline again. A spirited run bak to Crewe followed, (not that anyone cared by now) gaining 30 minutes en route. At Crewe our underpowered friends left us for a big red engine (47738) which took us back to Preston (Via Warrington to gain time) arriving 108 late. Any passengers for Stockport had a bus ride at 1.am from Warrington.. (engineering work had kicked in on the Manchester route stopping us going that way even if we wanted to..) So, all in all a grand day, with a few burst engines, a few storming runs, a few yawns.. A right hotch potch, but almost a classic tour!!

One note, a lot of bashers were well wrecked as this train had a HUGE real ale bar and a lot bailed at Kenny O for a beer festival there.. :)

Mike Broom.