1A04/1D04 "The Hull Executive"

The onset of the summer 1978 timetable saw the abolishment of the final remaining 'Pullman' services on BR, these included the 1A02 06:50 Hull - King's Cross and 1D05 17:09 King's Cross - Hull "The Hull Pullman" services. From the 8th May 1978 these trains became the 1A04 06:50 Hull - King's Cross and 1D04 16:42 King's Cross - Hull "The Hull Executives". Executive services had already replaced Pullman trains on diagrams between Bradford, Leeds, Newcastle and King's Cross in the past. 55012 "CREPELLO" was specially prepared by Finsbury Park to haul the inaugural down service on the 8th May 1978 and the up services continued to produce a Deltic regularly for the rest of the timetable period. The Up "The Hull Pullman" had also regularly produced a Deltic but like the 78-79 timetable the down service was rarely a class 55.

The down "The Hull Executive" was, however, re-timed from the start of the 1979 timetable and had the honour of being the fastest timed loco hauled service in the country. The service had a first set down point at Retford and was timed to do the King's Cross - Retford section at an average of 91.3 mph. On the 14th May 1979 55003 "MELD", complete with newly applied white window surrounds departed King's Cross on the first of the re-timed 1D04 17:05 King's Cross - Hull services. Meanwhile the up service was re-timed to depart Hull at 07:00. These services were the final accolade to be bestowed upon the Deltics and gave them the chance to show their mettle for one last time in their excellent career's. From the start of the 1979 winter timetable an extra set-down at Newark was included in the down itinerary and from May 1980 four minutes were also added to the running time, thus slowing the progress of the 1D04, undeterred the Deltics still made some excellent runs on this prestigious service - see the logs below...

Selection of 1D04/1A04 Logs courtesy of Paul Gildersleve.

Selection of 1A04 Logs courtesy of Richard Barrick.

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HULL  Retford  Doncaster  Goole  Brough

The following is a list of known traction on the 1A04 07:00 Hull - King's Cross and 1D04 17:05 King's Cross - Hull services between 1979 and 1981. From the 5th January 1981 "The Hull Executive" services sadly became a HST diagram...

May (1979)

June (1979)

July (1979)

August (1979)

September (1979)

October (1979)

November (1979)

December (1979)

January (1980)

February (1980)

March (1980)

April (1980)

May (1980)

June (1980)

July (1980)

August (1980)

September (1980)

October (1980)

November (1980)

December (1980)

January (1981)

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