I prefaced my comments by saying an alternative view. But having used Northeast a fair amount and from a commercial viewpoint they were pretty typical of how things were in the early seventies. Your comment about the viscount reaching the end of their life does not quite tie in with Midland replacing BA more or less one for one with viscounts. The regions were very much the bastard stepchild for BA and in Leeds at least they seemed delighted to pull out as soon as possible.