Brush type 4 diesel electric locomotive D1550 at Sheffield Victoria, waiting to leave with a northbound service to York from Poole, Dorset. The express ran daily throughout the year, Sundays excepted. The train joined the Great Central main line near Banbury, running northwards through Rugby Central and Nottingham. Victoria stations, arriving in Sheffield at teatime. On the front of the locomotive a code interpreted the train's journey, with '1' being an express passenger train. Because this was a long distance service, the letter 'N' merely informs of a destination somewhere in the North Eastern Region. The express was regularly formed of Southern Region carriages; unlike the maroon British Rail standard livery, they were painted Malachite green. The ex-Great Central main line closed to through traffic on 4 September 1966 and the York to Poole service was re-routed through Midland station. Locally, the line remained open as far south as Arkwright Colliery, near Chesterfield.