CREWE
- CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
GRAND TOUR
Mk2
March 9th 2000 - Part 1
When the Class 37/4's ran through to Llandudno
from Manchester on 1D45, I christened the round trip "The
Grand Tour", it was a lot of travelling behind the locomotives
and covered many miles. Charlie Hulme was kind enough to put my
report on his web site The
North Wales Coast Railway but, sadly, that was the last time
because with the Winter timetable the Manchester trains will revert
to DMU haulage. With this in mind and despite the train now terminating
at Chester, I decided to have yet another last fling. So, on 21st
September 2000, I boarded the 11.15 from Crewe (1D67) for Holyhead
behind 37413 - the 37/4 back from the dead.. Nothing untoward
happened en route to Chester but, as we entered the station, I
realised that we were going through on the middle road. The reason
was that 175006 was parked in the platform so the train had to
join it at the West end by using the crossover - that was a new
one for me. The photographs record the journeys....
37413 entering Crewe station on
the 10.07 Birmingham-Holyhead. 21/9/2000
Arrival at Chester and 175003
is in the way. This meant the train using the centre road and
the crossover. 21/9/2000
Entry into Conwy Castle tunnel
- the castle is actually straight! 21/9/2000
After arriving at Holyhead the
locomotive detaches from the train and runs forward onto the headshunt.
It then switches tracks to run round the train. 21/9/2000
Included in the train was Guards
Van number 92936. This effectively made it a four coach train
but today the loading was light so there was no problem. 21/9/2000
Interior shot of the van. 21/9/2000
Also in the consist was GWR liveried
coach number 4902 - this is an interior shot. 21/9/2000
A London-Holyhead HST preceded
37413 from Crewe and it was awaiting ferry passengers when we
arrived. This is car 43062 with 43101 at the rear. NB no buffers
on this unit. At the side are two 175/0 units with the ferry terminal
in the background. 21/9/2000
37413 left Holyhead on time and
is seen here switching tracks as it passes Holyhead signal box.
21/9/2000