Diversion to St Pancras October 1991 a film by Fred Ivey

Work on the West Coast Main Line upgrade resulted in weekend diversion of trains to St Pancras. Class 47 s hauled trains complete with their class 87 locomotives between Nuneaton and Bedford where they could run under the wires to St Pancras.

This cold not happen today for a number of reasons. These days bus replacement services ensure weekend train travel is to be avoided.

St Pancras has changed somewhat since these scenes were shot.

Fred Ivey's YouTube videos can be downloaded at http://www.eavb.co.uk/fredivey/

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• london
• st
• pancras
• railway
• west
• coast
• main
• line
• hampstead
• bedford
• british
• rail

[englischlokfuehrer]

@A60stock Brussel Zuid and bruxelles midi are in fact the same station, just like everything else in that city written alternately in Flemish/Dutch and french. We would know it as Brussels South.

[A60stock]

@englischlokfuehrer Brussels stations both Zuid and Midi are terrible but Antwerp is an example of a great mid 19th century station revitalised and I suspect those rebuilding St Pancras were aware of the clever redevelopment of Antwerp.

[englischlokfuehrer]

@Togepi271 I would disagree with you there, Ok mit was old and run down and had Cinderella status, but thank so SJB who's statue is on the platform concourse the station got saved from the bulldozers and today we have a fantastic station equal to if not better than it's European counterparts, after if you have been to Brussel Zuid station you will see what I mean (Plats 1 - 6 modernised for Eurostar / Thalys /ICE trains but the rest (plats 7 - 21) are still 1950's !

[tjf4375]

That's awesome! Bit of a time capsule there, it's like going back in time watching this!

[soundseeker63]

Cool, fantastic BR vintage footage there! The 87s never looked better than in the exective livery in my opinion. Nice to see St Pancras then and now too. Always was a grand station, a bit under used perhaps. Not so anymore. A lot has changed in 19 years! Not all of it for the good but hey, thanks to youtube we can reminisce! :-)

[ricpendle]

Its nice to see the good old BR colours.

[Togepi271]

StPancras had more charm before the renovation, it felt very Victorian, now it is very clinical

[englischlokfuehrer]

I remember that day as I was the first driver from another depot and line to drive an advertised electric loco hauled/propelled passenger train from St.Pancras as distinct from electric loco hauled special that occurred a few years earlier when 86xxx was named SJB in 1983 ?

[tonyrobts]

Dreadful - thanks for this! Had many 47s between Nuneaton and Bedford on these drags and had an 86 into St Pancras at one point.

[LJJ23ARSRUL]

wow now we can have a midland mainlnie class 43 running next to a class 87 !!!!!!! wow !