A WINTER'S TALE WITH
F.N.W. OR....
......FREEZE NORTH WESTERN
During the week there
is currently only one practical "out-and-back" daylight
run behind Class 37/4 locomotives and that comprises the 12.07
Birmingham-Holyhead, (13.19 ex-Crewe) out and the 15.58 Holyhead-Crewe
return. This allows roughly 50 minutes at Holyhead to photograph
the runround and frequent the coffee bar etc. which is no real
problem. With the ever increasing number of new Class 175's and
the change to natural time at the weekend I decided to undertake
yet another "last time" run on 26th October 2000. I
set off for Crewe with the hope that 37428 (October Events) might
be in charge again and waited on platform 12 for the train to
appear from the Birmingham direction. I turned round to see 37893
running into the platform from the Chester direction with four
on where a shunter proceeded to uncouple the locomotive. I assumed
that a multiple unit had run in from Birmingham and that the "no-heat"
freight engine would be removed to allow 37412 "Driver
John Elliott", which was parked in the depot yard, to
take the train out to Holyhead. After all it was a chilly end-of-October
day and earlier this year Charlie Hulme had reported on his North Wales
Coast Railway web site something about EWS being asked to
guarantee a 37/4 for the extension to Coast Line running. (For
new readers, First North Western operate the trains but English
Welsh and Scottish Railways provide the motive power for locomotive
haulage). Wrong! - the freighter promptly performed the runround
stance by running out into the yard, back down the centre road,
out onto the Chester line and onto the head of the train. This
set my brain into flashback mode and I recalled how me and the
present Mrs Bowland took the now defunct 15.15 Sunday double header
out to Holyhead and back without any heat despite there being
2x37/4's at the head. We affectionately developed hypothermia
together, she said never again and she never has! I now had misgiving
about a repeat scenario when the seats are damp and, after 4 or
5 hours of travel, one begins to feel distinctly ill - I wondered
if the driver had a heater in the cab? We set off for Chester
and it got worse, no drinks trolley although the ticket chap assured
me it would board at Chester - not long to wait and the sun dropping
over the yardarm. It didn't appear at Chester or Llandudno Junction
nor was it loaded at Holyhead or Llandudno Jn on the return. It
was a good job the station cafe was open at Holyhead - surely
the bleakest station on the Coast Line - where a mug of coffee
and a sandwich went down well. There were 30 Class 37's converted
to provide electric train heating and a good number are still
operational, there are also any number of Class 47 locomotives
capable of providing heat to fare paying passengers. However,
and here's the rub, while the Class 37 freight locomotive (no
heat remember) is hauling passenger trains the Class 37 locomotives
fitted with train heating capability are hauling, yes, you guessed
it, FREIGHT TRAINS!
I am a cynic, I subscribe
to the belief that Britain is dumbing down, we can't build bridges,
we can't build trains (heard about c2c having to withdraw all
their new stock?), we can't maintain safe tracks etc. etc.. In
essence, does anyone out there in FNW/EWS land give a damn?
The class 37 ran well
and kept time throughout in a period when few other operators
can due to temporary speed limits and line closures etc., here
is the pictorial story of the day.
90036 was waiting to leave
from the centre road with a rake of Post Office vans. 26/10/2000
I returned from looking at
the Diesel Depot yard to see a Class 37 creeping up on me from
the North end of the station. There was no 37 working scheduled
apart from the 12.07 ex-Birmingham which should have appeared
from the South, besides it was only 12.55 and the Birmingham train
was not due until 13.17. 26/10/2000
37893 was at the head of the
stock which I thought might be an ecs working for positioning
purposes. However, the no-heat 37 was uncoupled and performed
its runround to reconnect to the head of the coaching stock which
was all locked. The EW&S marking shows that the locomotive
was one of the earlier batch to receive the branding, the "&"
was dropped fairly soon after introduction. 26/10/2000
Riviera coach number 4902 was
at the rear of the train, it's like visiting an old friend. The
stock was unlocked by the shunter who also went along the train
removing rubbish - hard working these guys. It was a raw day in
Crewe and the carriages were very cold with no prospect of any
change throughout the day. 37412 was on the depot doing nothing
and it could provide heat! 26/10/2000
While I was jumping up and
down to keep warm I heard the growl of a 37, 37893 had hooked
on so it must be something else. It was 37216 coming through the
centre road with what appeared to be the Middlewich-Warrington
train I have been trying to photograph on the Middlewich branch.
37216 is in "Mainline" livery. 26/10/2000
The train set off on time and
37893 sounded to be in fine fettle but no drinks or food on board.
The train was virtually empty which was unusual for this train,
was it a relief? Chester came with very few people boarding and
an uneventful run along the beautiful North wales Coast. This
shot shows the train running onto the Menai Bridge. 26/10/2000
Holyhead (Caergybi in Welsh)
was reached on time and we went into platform 3 which was a first
for me. The whole place was very quiet. 26/10/2000
37893 was quickly uncoupled
and ran forward onto the headshunt - not much room here. 26/10/2000
Holyhead and the "Boat
Train" platform - what a gloomy and unwelcoming atmosphere,
you can almost smell the steam. At least the small cafe was open
and a mean mug of coffee is served in there. 26/10/2000
Departure on time and 37893
accelerates away under the road bridge where road improvements
continue. 26/10/2000
Bangor station ahead and a
packed platform met the train. This tunnel always seems to drip
water. 26/10/2000
Journey's end and Crewe's platform
12 again with the light now lost - probably forever where the
37's are concerned. The train had been on time throughout despite
the very tight schedules created by the train having stopped at
most small stations after Bangor. Get the car heater on ASAP!
26/10/2000