North Wales Coast
January 2001 Part 2
The last day of January and 37415
was lying dead on Crewe Diesel Depot yard. There were very few
trains while I was on the station just light engines. I had to
photograph something so here is 67020 entering bay platform 8
for its daily siesta. 31/01/2001
90026 ran in from the South, parked
for a while and then ran back out and onto the Diesel Depot. 31/01/2001
86424 ran through and out onto
the Chester Line presumably to the IEMD because the wires don't
go very far on that route. I may have to go to Chester to stand
and look at 37038 just to remember what 37's look like. 31/01/2001
A gloomy day at Crewe in more
ways than one. 37415 was parked dead with nothing to do and there
were only five trains showing on the TV screen at 11.15. To the
left of the 37 is 47758 "Regency Rail Cruises"
with an unidentified "60" (R) in Loadhaul livery and
60050 to the fore. Further down the yard 37704 was lit up with
its engine running. 28/01/2001
No coastal growling today with
37415 dead on the diesel depot yard, has 429 gone to Cardiff?
The only active 37 I saw was 37682 "Hartlepool Pipe Mill"
stopped between platforms 5 and 6 before heading off South. 25/01/2001
87025 "County of Cheshire"
was running DIT at the rear of a London bound Virgin train with
90004 "City of Glasgow" at the head.
Above is a panoramic
view of Crewe Diesel Depot earlier today with the sad sight of
37429 "Eisteddfod Genedlaethol" on the scrap
line. Hopefully this was simply a parking problem as the usual
"standby" spot was taken by several class 47 locomotives.
23/01/2001
A different angle
shot of 429 with, to its left, former Coastline loco 37407 "Blackpool
Tower" awaiting its fate on the scrap line. 23/01/2001
It's back! 37429
"Eisteddfod Genedlaethol" has returned to the
North Wales Coast Line after two false
starts from its "B" exam. When 37415 was drafted in from Scotland
I thought we had seen the last of the only operational "Regional
"Railways" liveried locomotive. This shot shows 429
running towards Colwyn Bay with the 12.07 Birmingham - Holyhead
with the Colwyn Bay Hotel up on the cliff top. 20/01/2001
Flashing past with the sun behind
it before stopping at Colwyn Bay station. I had left home early
today and had no idea if a 37 was out or not. Circumstances allowed
me to be at Colwyn in time to see 1D71. I wanted to take this
shot from one of my favourite places on top of the embankment
but the frost was too hard for safety and the sun was too bright
into the lens so a ground shot it was. 20/01/01
Having seen that the locomotive
was 37429 I had to make the effort to photograph it "through
the arch" at Conwy station - something I have never managed
to do before because the only spot was always taken. I arrived
at 16.10 and the light was very good but by the time 1K73 arrived
from Holyhead it was 16.40 and the light had virtually gone. This
shot shows the train entering Conwy station. 20/01/2001
I knew that the train is scheduled
to stop at Conwy which meant that I could try for a few stills
- my digital camera is 2 million pixels definition but is still
unable to take anything moving and struggles in poor light, I
therefore rely on software to enhance such shots. Some passengers
arrived on the platform so I knew I was in with a chance before
the train left for Crewe. 20/01/2001
Gotit! The arch, the loco and
even the nesting seagull on the top. I really wanted the loco
in the centre and will return to try again before the 37's finally
go - this was one of the few occasions when I wished I had had
my 35mm with me. Still, at least I was there and very grateful
that the 37's are still operating so let us all enjoy it while
we can. 20/01/2001
The growl goes on as 37415 approaches
Crewe with 1G96 the 8.47 Holyhead-Birmingham. 19/01/2001
Passing through into the mid morning
mist despite the bright sunshine. 19/01/2001
Later, 86242 in RES livery propelled
its train South for London Euston. 19/01/2001
AC electric 87005 "City
of London" eases its train over the crossovers en
route for Liverpool. 19/01/2001
37415 out on the
coast again and seen here racing out of the low lying mist and
across the Cheshire plain towards Chester. Hauling 1D71, the 12.07
Birmingham-Holyhead, the locomotive was photographed from a bridge
at Worleston which is near to Aston Juxta Mundrom - and you thought
Welsh was difficult! 17/01/2001
Under the road
bridge, past the old station house and back into the ether. Note
the fields white with frost - the temperature was hovering around
minus 2 degrees centigrade so I was pleased that the train was
on time. There was absolutely no noise and, having heard the loco
being wound up for several minutes on the approach, I was treated
to the bump, bump, bump of the wheelflat as the train receded
into the distance. Sound travels well in the cold, dense air.17/01/2001
So here we go
with 415 entering Crewe's platform 11 on 1D71 and all aboard for
Holyhead. Please
click the photo for more of the day's events. 16/01/2001
First shot of
the day as 37415 arrives at Crewe ahead of time with 1G96 the
8.47 Holyhead-Birmingham. I hope to catch it on its return westbound
for Holyhead. 16/01/2001
I received
a call from the Prestatyn Observer this morning to say that "something
loud" had run West in the dark on a short train. It just
had to be a 37 out on the coast again and, as I just happened
to be going Bangor way later in the day, I managed to call in
and catch 37415 on its return to the coast. Presumably 415 was
here to cover for 37429 after its double failure. The sunny day
and cloudless blue sky resulted in a bright evening and the shots
were quite good - THE GROWL GOES ON...........
37415 on 1K73, the 15.58 Holyhead-Crewe,
exiting the tunnel at Bangor and carefully crossing over to the
platform. 13/01/2001
It seems to blend with the building
splendidly - much better than "Hippos". 13/01/2001
Posing in the evening Winter sunshine.
13/01/2001
Green is offered and it's away
to Crewe - I cannot believe my luck, the 37's made it into the
new (real?) millennium. 13/01/2001
|
|
|
|