Trip notices and shunting duties - 1976

Schedules for the trips that visited or passed through Wednesbury in autumn 1976 can be found below. Shunting duties are also listed. All times are SX unless otherwise noted.

Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T06 Bescot HS   06:00 MO   (shunting locos for T05 and T51 attached)
0T06 Wednesbury 06:30 MO 06:35 MO   (after detaching Wednesbury shunt locos)
0T06 Great Bridge 06:40 MO  
 
0T06 Stabled at Great Bridge 06:40 Monday to 05:30 Saturday.

Shunt at Great Bridge, Cashmore's and Dudley FLT as required. Assist trains at Great Bridge and Wednesbury as required (i.e. banking loco).
 
0Z00 Dudley   05:20 SO   (after assisting 4M51 Glasgow-Dudley FLT if required)
0Z00 Bescot HS 05:45 SO  
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T20 Wolverhampton HS   06:00
  Bescot Up Yard 06:20  
 
9T20 Bescot Up Yard   06:45
9T20 Wednesbury 07:05 07:25
  Wolverhampton Steel Terminal 07:45  
 
8T20 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal   08:25
8T20 Wednesbury 08:45 09:35
  Bescot Up Yard 09:50  
 
9T20 Bescot Up Yard   10:20
8T20 Wednesbury 10:35 10:55
  Wolverhampton Steel Terminal 11:10  
 
8T20 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal   11:40
0T20 Wednesbury 12:00 12:20
  Wolverhampton HS 12:45  
 
0T20 Wolverhampton HS   14:00
8T20 Wednesbury 14:25 14:55
  Bescot Down Yard 15:15  
 
0T20 Bescot Down Yard   15:25
0T20 Wednesbury   15:40
  Wolverhampton Steel Terminal 16:00  
 
8T20 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal   16:30
  Wednesbury 16:50  
 
8T20 Wednesbury   18:00
  Wolverhampton Steel Terminal 18:20  
 
8T20 Wolverhampton Steel Terminal   19:04
8T20 Wednesbury   19:24
  Bescot Up Yard 19:45  
 
0Z00 Bescot Down Yard   20:15
  Wolverhampton HS 20:45  
Entries shown in italics are passing times. Trains shown in red were booked to run via Priestfield. The others, by implication, were booked to run via Princes End.
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
8T25 Bescot Down Local Yard   06:54
8T25 Heath Town Sidings 07RR17 07RR19 (sic)
  Wednesfield Road 07:27  
 
8T25 Wednesfield Road   07PR55
8T26 Wolverhampton 08PR00 08:05
8T25 Spring Vale 08:17 08:22
8T25 Bloomfield SSW 08:30 09:05
8T25 Wednesbury   09:20
  Bescot Down Yard 09:35  
 
8T25 Bescot Down Yard   10:30
8T25 Littleton Colliery Sidings 11RR15 11RR30
8T25 Four Ashes 11:38 12:00
  Bescot Down Yard 12:40  
 
8T25 Bescot Up Yard   13:20
8T25 Soho DED 13:45 14:15
  Bescot Down Yard 14:50  
 
0T25 Bescot Down Yard   15:00
8T25 Birchills Power Station 15:15 15:45
8T25 Walsall Midland Yard 16:00 16:30
  Bescot Down Yard 16:45  
Entries shown in italics are passing times.

Footnotes state that the 06:54 from Bescot conveys traffic for Ductile Steel at Wednesfield, and that the 07:55 from Wednesfield Road should convey traffic for the South Staffs Wagon Works only. The same trip would have taken repaired wagons back to Bescot.

Another footnote states that during inclement weather the Wednesfield Road pilot engine should draw the train back from Wednesfield Road to Wolverhampton High Level, as opposed to the normal propelling move.
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T26 Bescot HS   06:40
8T26 Bescot Up Yard 06:50 07:10
8T26 Bloomfield Jct   07:35
  Spring Vale 07:45  
 
8T26 Spring Vale   08:10
8T26 Bloomfield Jct   08:20
  Bescot Up Yard 08:45  
 
8T26 Bescot Up Yard   09:50
8T26 Bloomfield Jct 10:15 10:31
  Spring Vale 10:43  
 
8T26 Spring Vale   11:10
8T26 Bloomfield Jct   11:20
  Bescot Up Yard 11:45  
 
8T26 Bescot Up Yard   12:10
8T26 Witton Loop 12RR28 12RR38
  S.P.D. Sidings (Perry Barr) 12:45  
 
8T26 S.P.D. Sidings (Perry Barr)   13PR05
8T26 Perry Barr South Jct 13PR10 13:12
  Bescot Down Yard 13:30  
Entries shown in italics are passing times. The loco off this trip is shown to work 6G50 Workington - Kingswinford Jct from Walsall Brook Sidings (dep 14:19).
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
9T29 Bescot Down Local   05:55
9T29 Wednesbury   06:10
9T29 Great Bridge 06:20 06:45
9T29 Round Oak 07:15 07:35
  Brierley Hill 07:45  
 
9T29 Brierley Hill   08:35
9T29 Round Oak 08:45 09:05
9T29 Great Bridge 09:25 09:50
9T29 Wednesbury   10:00
  Bescot Up Yard 10:15  
 
8T29 Bescot Up Yard   10:47
  Langley Green 11:20  
 
8T29 Langley Green   11:50
  Bescot Down Yard 12:20  
 
9T29 Bescot Down Local   13:30
9T29 Great Bridge 13:55 14:20
9T29 Round Oak 14:50 15:10
  Brierley Hill 15:20  
 
9T29 Brierley Hill   16:20
9T29 Great Bridge 16:50 17:20
  Bescot Down Yard 17:50  
 
0T29 Bescot Down Yard   18:00
  Wednesbury 18:20  
 
9T29 Wednesbury   18:50
  Bescot Down Yard 19:05  
Entries shown in italics are passing times.
Diagrammed for a pair of Class 20s
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T30 Bescot HS   06:00
  Work coal traffic and empties between Littleton, West Cannock and Lea Hall collieries and Birchills/Ocker Hill power stations as required.
  Bescot HS 12:30  
 
0T30 Bescot HS   14:30 MO
  Round Oak 15:00 MO  
 
0T30 Bescot HS   12:40 TWTHO
7T30 Heath Town 13:00 TWTHO 13:30 TWTHO
7T30 Pleck Jct 13RR47 TWTHO 13RR57 TWTHO
  Round Oak 14:30 TWTHO  
 
7T30 Round Oak   15:30 MTWO
7T30 Pleck Jct 15RR55 MTWO 16RR05 MTWO
7T30 Heath Town 16:22 MTWO 16PR24 MTWO
0Z00 Wednesfield 16PR34 MTWO 16:55 MTWO
  Bescot HS 17:20  
 
0Z00 Round Oak   14:50 THO
  Bescot HS 15:15 THO  
The afternoon work consisted of three loaded trains from Round Oak to Wednesfield (MTWO) and three empty trains going the other way (TWTHO). No doubt the Wednesfield Road pilot loco would have tripped the empties from Wednesfield to Heath Town.
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T32 Bescot HS   07:30
8T32 Bescot Down Yard 07:40 08:10
  Bescot D.E.S. (Norton Jct) 08:30  
 
  Shunt Norton Jct yard as required.
 
8T32 Bescot D.E.S. (Norton Jct)   13:20
  Bescot Down Yard 13:40  
 
8T32 Bescot Down Yard   14:10
  Bescot D.E.S. (Norton Jct) 14:30  
 
8T32 Bescot D.E.S. (Norton Jct)   15:40
  Duddeston C & W 16:20  
 
8T32 Duddeston C & W   17:15
  Bescot Down Yard 17:36  
 
0T32 Bescot Down Yard   18:20  (engine and brake-van)
  Walsall Goods Yard 18:30  
 
8T32 Walsall Goods Yard   19:00  (COV ABs for 4S38 Bristol - Glasgow)
  Bescot Down Storage Sdgs 19:17  
 
8T32 Bescot Down Storage Sdgs   19:30  (engine and brake-van)
  Walsall Goods Yard 19:37  
 
8T32 Walsall Goods Yard   20:30
  Bescot Up Reception 20:40  
 
0Z00 Bescot Up Reception   20:50
  Bescot H.S. 21:00  
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T37 Bescot HS   07:30 MSX
  Wolverhampton 08:03 MSX  
 
0T37 Wolverhampton H.S.   07:56 MSO
  Wolverhampton 08:03 MSO  
 
  Works as required by D.C.E.
 
0Z00 Wolverhampton   15:10
  Wolverhampton H.S. 15:20  
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T57 Stourbridge Jct HS   05:35 MO
0T57 Stourbridge Jct Yard 05:55 MO 06:20 MO
  Kingswinford Jct 06:30 MO  
 
0T57 Stourbridge Jct HS   05:35 MSX
0T57 Kingswinford Jct 05:45 MSX  
 
  Trips between Kingswinford Jct and Pensnett as required.
 
9T57 Brierley Hill   18:30
9T57 Great Bridge 19:00 19:30
9T57 Wednesbury 19:37 20:10
  Bescot Down Yard 20:25  
 
8T57 Bescot Up Yard   21:45
8T57 Galton Jct   22:11
  Kidderminster 22:57  
 
0Z00 Kidderminster   23:07
  Stourbridge Jct HS 23:17  
The loco off this trip was shown to work T60 the next day, Fridays excepted.
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T58 Stourbridge Jct HS   06:30
0T58 Kidderminster 06:40  
 
9T58 Kidderminster   07:10
9T58 Brierley Hill 07:35 08:05
9T58 Round Oak 08:15 08:45
9T58 Great Bridge 09:05 09:35
9T58 Wednesbury   09:45
  Bescot Down Yard 10:00  
 
9T58 Bescot Down Local   11:05
9T58 Wednesbury   11:20
9T58 Great Bridge 11:30 11:55
9T58 Dudley Stop Board 12:14 12PB19
9T58 Round Oak 12:25 12:50
  Brierley Hill 13:00  
 
0T58 Brierley Hill   13:10
0T58 Stourbridge Jct 13L20 13L22
  Brierley Hill 13:30  
 
9T58 Brierley Hill   14:00
9T58 Round Oak 14:10 14:40
9T58 Great Bridge 15:00 15:30
9T58 Wednesbury   15:40
  Bescot Down Yard 15:55  
 
0T58 Bescot Down Yard   16:05
9T58 Wednesbury 16:20 17:20
9T58 Great Bridge 17:30 18:00
9T58 Dudley Stop Board 18:19 18PB24
9T58 Brierley Hill 18:35 19:15
9T58 Stourbridge Jct 19PB25 19:35
0Z00 Kidderminster 19:52 20:00
  Stourbridge Jct 20:10  
Entries shown in italics are passing times.
Diagrammed for a Class 25
Train Location Arrive Depart
0T69 Stourbridge Jct HS   17:20
8T69 Kingswinford Jct 17:30 18:00
8T69 Bescot Down Yard 18:40  
 
0Z00 Bescot Down Yard   18:40
  Stourbridge Jct HS 19:45  
 
0T69 Stourbridge Jct   17:20
8T69 Kingswinford Jct 17:30 18:00
8T69 Walsall   18:40
8T69 Washwood Heath No 1 19:22 19PR24
  Washwood Heath Up Yard 19PR30  
 
0Z00 Washwood Heath Up Yard   19:50
0Z00 Ryecroft Jct   20:15
  Stourbridge Jct HS 20:45  
Entries shown in italics are passing times.

Two alternative trips here, conveying empty coal hoppers to either Bescot or Washwood Heath, then returning light engine.
Diagrammed for Class 08s
Bescot had an allocation of 27 Class 08s in late 1976. They were 08005 08019 08025 08041 08083 08177 08294 08327 08356 08466 08474 08585 08588 08590 08613 08614 08672 08673 08674 08700 08765 08783 08788 08809 08827 08841 and 08901.

This table lists the duties in 1976. There are 19 of them.
Location Number of pilots Comments
Bescot Yard 6 The individual duties were...

T01 Up Hump
T02 Up Yard, South End
T03 Down Hump
T04 Up Yard/Transfer pilot
T07 Down Yard, North End
T08 Down Local Sidings

All operated continuously from 06:00 Monday to 05:30 Saturday, with the exception of T01, T04 and T08 which by this date had no afternoon shift and didn't operate between 13:30 and 22:05.

08294 and 08327 were usually employed as the Up and Down Hump pilots for much of the 1970s (they had radio-telephones fitted I believe). These 08s had taken over the hump duties from a pair of Class 11s, namely 12056 and 12087.
Wednesbury 2 T05 and T51. Operated from 06:30 to 21:10 (SX). Usually returned to Bescot at weekends.
Walsall 1 T16. Operated from 06:10 to 21:50 (SX). Usually returned to Bescot at weekends.
Spring Vale (Bilston steelworks) 1 T09. Operated from 06:35 to 21:40 (SX).
Wednesfield Road Goods depot 1 T45. Operated 07:00-17:00 (SX). Trips to Oxley, Spring Vale, Ductile and Wolverhampton Steel Terminal as required.
Wolverhampton High Level 1 T46. Operated 01:00-09:00 (MO), 19:00-11:25 (SX) and 23:00-06:00 (Sat night). This loco basically worked nights and weekday mornings. Trips to Wolverhampton Low Level as required.
Wolverhampton Steel Terminal 1 T47. Booked for a dual-braked loco. Operated 06:30-21:45 (SX). Trips to Priestfield Esso as required.
Wellington 1 T48. Operated 06:00 to 18:30 (SX). Trips to Oakengates as required. Outstabled at weekends.
Oxley Carriage Sidings 1 T49. Operated 22:00 Sunday to 14:00 (following) Sunday. Required a dual-braked and waterproofed loco (08765, 08841 or 08901).
Wolverhampton Low Level Parcels Depot 1 T50. Operated 06:30 Monday to 13:20 Saturday, but there was no afternoon shift and it didn't operate 13:35-19:00 (SX). Booked to stable at Wolverhampton Holding Sidings.
Brierley Hill 1 T54. Operated 06:20 Monday to 05:20 Saturday. Stabled at Stourbridge over the weekend.
Round Oak 1 T55. Operated 07:15 - 16:00 (SX). Stabled at Stourbridge over the weekend.
Kidderminster 1 T59. Operated 06:30-11:40 and 14:00-19:45 (SX). Stabled at Stourbridge over the weekend.
For simplicity I've omitted periods of an hour or less when pilot duties were booked to be inoperative, typically shift-changes.

Among the small number of duties lost in the previous couple of years were those at Norton Jct, Langley Green and Oldbury Goods yard (on which site the car park at Sandwell & Dudley railway station now stands).