NORTH WALES COAST etc.
CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
OCTOBER 2003 - PART ONE

 October 2

 October 3

 I heard that 47635 "The Lass.." was on the Holyheads so off to Crewe where I was fortunate to meet Lucky the trainspotting dog (honest!). He was not too happy with the cold wind but was cheered up when he saw his last "kennel", 66227, arrive at Crewe Diesel Depot. Lucky uses a Chinon 3501 35mm camera, he says he much prefers it to digital. 6/10/2003

 47776 "Respected" was sat in platform 12 with an empty Northern Belle Pullman set. 6/10/2003

 47635 "The Lass O'Ballochmyle" arrived from Holyhead with the 12.45 to Crewe. 6/10/2003

 Is this the most decorated and most colourful locomotive on the system? 6/10/2003

 You read about them but never really expect to see one but today was my day! A quadruple header passing through platform 1 with a southbound freight. 86613 was leading 86430, 86609 and 86627. 6/10/2003

 Robert Burns has two locomotives carrying tributes to him, the other one is 87035, named "Robert Burns" and carrying the same emblem as 47635. It is approaching Crewe's platform 5 with a London bound train while 47787 "Windsor Castle" heads for Manchester with empty stock for the 17.20 Manchester-Holyhead. 6/10/2003

 The new order cometh! Orange "Dylan" class 153 units can now be seen at both ends of Crewe station as Wales and Borders takes over North wales Coast operations. here, 153320 works the Crewe-Chester shuttle. 1/10/2003

Yet another livery variant as 170397 runs down from Liverpool in "Qjump" guise! 1/10/2003

 Wales and Borders service, First Great Western coaching stock and EWS locomotive! Such is the line-up for the loco hauled services between Crewe and Holyhead with effect from September 28th 2003. The Birmingham runs are now ceased because of line closure and, today, 47787 "Windsor Castle" was on duty, seen here running round its stock to form the 15.29 to Holyhead. 1/10/2003

 The 14.00 Holyhead-London was formed by 43153 leading 43080, seen here using the link from the Chester line into platform 6. This link was out of use for many months until recently and not for the first time. 1/10/2003

 37798, in Mainline livery, came off the diesel depot to run North onto the West Coast main Line. 1/10/2003

 47732 "Restormel" still survives on the coastal runs. Today it had collected empty stock for the 17.20 Manchester Piccadilly working and was running onto the Manchester line in brilliant Autumnal sunshine. 1/10/2003

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Link to October 2

Link to October 3