8th August 1991

Network South East Class 47/7 no. 47702 "Saint Cuthbert" has stopped at Central station on the 19.40 Exeter St. Davids to Basingstoke service. The driver waits for the "right-away". The passengers are boarding and we are ready to go - almost. There are two more passengers to board and they are travelling first class "plus" - in the cab!

Spencer and myself had driven down to Exeter to chance our luck on bagging a couple of cab rides, hoping that we could get back to Exeter to pick up my car! The ploy worked! This driver was more than happy to let us jump up onto the footplate and enjoy the ride east to Axminster.

I seem to recall that he was quite laid back about all of this, so laid back that he propped up his right leg up on the driving console all the way! Probably not the standard of behaviour that would be accepted today. He didn't rate these former Scottish engines much either, "worn out" and "no power", complaining that they lacked the spirit and acceleration of the "Hoovers". He was right, of course. And we were able to testify to that ourselves on the return journey, in the cab of Class 50 no. 50046 "Ajax"! What an evening that turned out to be!