CREWE-HOLYHEAD-CREWE
20th
July 2001
It has been
6 months since my last Holyhead bash and a lifetime since the
37's disappeared so enough is enough as they say and I decided
to ride the coastline again, even if it did mean an HST. The sight
of my first "Voyager" at Crewe served as a reminder
that the HST's won't be around forever and certainly the 47 haulage
will soon be a memory. To run behind a 47 in midweek means an
overnight stay in Holyhead and a night run from Crewe both of
which are no good to me so an HST it had to be. So, on the last
minute and on a Friday too, I arrived at Crewe for the 08.35 from
London Euston running as 1D87 (Thank's to Charlie Hulme's North Wales
Coast website for the timetable information) and booked to
leave Crewe at 10.45. A quick look round revealed a smart looking
47839 ticking over in bay platform 8 but very little else, 37420
"The Scottish Hosteller" was still looking forlorn
on the scrap line, how could they possibly cut that loco up? The
47 revved up and headed off South only to return some minutes
later and pass through the platform 12 loop and stop at the North
end signal gantry. I headed over to platform 11 to await the train
and was interested to see a shunter walk along the platform with
a colleague when it hit me why 47839 was waiting at the gantry
- it was a loco swap and we were to be loco hauled to Holyhead
- a runround! The following pictures record some of the day's
events.
The train arrived
some 15 minutes down and whether this was something to do with
the loco haulage I know not. The locomotive, 86229 "Lions
Clubs International" was soon unhooked and sent off to
park on the West Coast Main Line alongside the Crewe Heritage
Centre. 47839 then pulled forward onto the Chester line where
the driver swapped ends and returned to the station to hook up
to the train.
External combustion/Internal combustion.
We were soon away
and rattling through the maturing Cheshire countryside for the
county town of Chester (the correct title is actually the County
of Chester). I have to say that the ride and noise level experienced
in the Mk 3 stock is infinitely better than the 37 hauled RR stock
although the flange noise is still considerable on this stretch.
Arrival at Chester after a switch
over to the up line just outside the station in order to gain
the up platform because a 153/150 separation process was being
undertaken on the down side. Late running must cause many problems.
Heading West out of
Chester.
Several stops along the coast
and then out from Llandudno Junction onto the cob and Conwy with
its imposing castle and tubular bridge.
The tubular bridge
blends well into the castle itself, a masterpiece of early engineering.
The line skirts the castle and
enters Conwy station through an ornate matching archway scene
of many good shots.
Leaving the Menai
Bridge and onto Ynys Mon with the Marquess of Anglesey's Column
on the hillside, the track is single at this crossing point. yes,
I know, it's all been done before, but not by me with a 47 it
hasn't.
A sharp dash over the Island and
into Holyhead Station.
A brief pause, during
which the driver took a few shots of his own, and the locomotive
moved forward onto the head shunt to prepare for the runround.
This must be an ever diminishing procedure on the British railway
network as units progressively take over. Here the shunter has
received permission to change the points over as the interlock
is released. The engine only just fits the head shunt.
Running round past the train.
At the other end DVT
number 821010, named "101 Squadron", waits to
receive the 47 as 158832 stands in the background.
At the eastern end of the station
an aging gradient post indicates a climb of 1 in 75 which poses
little problem for modern traction but has seen steam struggle
on occasions particularly in the rain.
While the Class 47
had disappeared 175104 left en route for Manchester shortly followed
by 175111 for Stockport.
Eventually the errant machine
reappeared......
......and hooked on
to the DVT in readiness for the journey back East.
Arrival at Crewe and Driver Griffiths,
the first lady driver to operate Virgin trains on the coast run,
checks out the locomotive while detachment takes place. I was
informed that this lady's Father and Grandfather were both drivers
on the railways.
The locomotive ran
forward to the signal before heading off to reverse and power
back North through the station.
Meanwhile, at the other end, 86229
was reattached to the train to propel it South to London. Unfortunately
there were problems with the connections and the DVT could not
communicate with the locomotive. The staff had just agreed to
run the engine round to the front when the problem was cured and
the train left some 50 minutes down.