The southern end of the West Coast Main Line was in a state of transition in 1963. Steam was in decline but electrification wasn't yet complete so English Electric Type 4s had taken over almost all of the long distance trains (D1 or D2 in the Working Timetable) while Sulzer Type 2s worked stopping trains to Tring, Bletchley, Northampton and Rugby. These trains were designated D240, denoting maximum eight-coach loads.
Steam substitutions on the D240s was quite common but less so on the D1s or D2s. Any train without the above designations - mainly summer extras on Fridays and Saturdays - could be steam or diesel hauled.
The 1963 summer timetable ran from June 17 to September 8. I spent seven summer Saturdays spotting and photographing the London end of the WCML, between July 20 to September 7 (except for August 31 when I ventured to North Wales).
I'd spent most Saturdays in the summer of 1962 on the South Western main line but its appeal had diminished after the ‘Schools', ‘Arthurs’ and ‘Nelsons’ had been withdrawn. Seeking new pastures, I tried Oakleigh Park on the East Coast Main Line on Saturday June 15 1963, followed by the Western Region Main Line out of Paddington on Saturday June 22. But I found my new favourite spot after a visit to the Kenton area
