|
The final curtain? -
as 37429 "Eisteddfod Genedlaethol" takes the
encore at Crewe after, fittingly, bringing home the last North
Wales Coast line passenger train scheduled for class 37/4 haulage.
Bitter sweet memories for all of the several hundred enthusiasts
who graced the six coach train out to Holyhead and back. The
loco performed faultlessly despite being high on engine hours
and its reward will probably be one-way trip to Wigan and a few
bottles of gas! CLICK
to see more 30/12/2000 |
|
|
The day was foggy and
the temperature was hovering around the -6 degrees mark hence
the misty photos. 67018 had been buzzing about all morning and
it finally ran through the station with 86401 in tow. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
47793 "Saint
Augustine" arrived with a Rail Trail Tours special destined
for the Settle and Carlisle route. The train was running over
three hours late due to a frozen brake pipe. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
The lads at Crewe once
again solved the problem and off she went. |
|
|
37216 passed through
on the Middlewich-Warrington Enterprise. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
37401 had been sat dead
in the depot yard. It was later started and ran out through platform
6 onto the Manchester line. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
66140 ran through the
station light engine heading North. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
175010 left platform
10 destined for Holyhead. 29/12/2000 |
|
|
I hadn't expected 1G96,
the 8.47 Holyhead-Birmingham, to arrive at all having heard on
the radio that the West Coast Main Line was closed and the heaviest
snow falls had been in North Wales. The fears proved unfounded
and 37421 (what else?) appeared running 20 minutes down. 28/12/2000 |
|
|
The stock was quite heavily
iced up. 28/12/2000 |
|
|
Freezing cold, blue sky,
bright sunshine and no wind! What else could you hope for but
a steam engine - when 60800 "Green Arrow" reversed
into platform 11 it came as a complete surprise. 28/12/2000 |
|
|
I stopped at Prestatyn
to photograph 37421 on 1D71 the 12.07 Birmingham-Crewe having
seen the locomotive at Crewe earlier in the day heading South
on 1G96. It was very late and while waiting I photographed "Hippo"
175110 which left for Crewe with a distinctive wheel flat sound.
27/12/2000 |
|
|
This was followed by
156466 en route for Manchester Piccadilly. I was surprised at
how many people were using these trains. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
37421 eventually arrived
some 35 minutes down and pulled to a halt. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
The driver anxiously
waited for permission to leave. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
Which he duly received
and the train set off at a pace. The loco could be heard for
several minutes in the freezing, still Winter air, growling away
into the distance and next stop Rhyl. Another day gone! 27/12/2000 |
|
|
The deserted bays at
platform 12, Crewe station - freezing cold but sunny. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
37421 arrived in platform
12 with 1G96 the 8.47 Holyhead-Birmingham train. It was running
about 15 minutes late with a heavy passenger load. The train
comprised 5 Riviera "GWR" liveried stock. Not an "RR"
unit to be seen. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
The train had stopped
much further down the platform to accommodate the extra coach...... |
|
|
....which allowed a full
side shot, rarely possible in platform 12. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
The train left shortly
afterwards but the plan was to catch this locomotive and stock
again as it returned along the coast. 27/12/2000 |
|
|
Christmas Eve, cold wet
and miserable, only a fool would be found on Crewe station photographing
37/4's - yup, that's me. I wanted to see the last Sunday scheduled
working before Armageddon and arrived to see stock waiting for
green at the South end of platform 12. I ran to catch it expecting
the green but it didn't come and I was able to photograph it
with ease - I assumed it was the stock from the 10.00 Holyhead-Crewe
which had arrived early. 24/12/2000 |
|
|
Goodness it was cold
and shortly after I took this shot the train left and I assumed
that was that, history now. However as I trudged towards the
stairs I heard the distinctive tickover of a 37. I walked back
to the signal to see 37401 sat in platform 6 disgorging passengers
- it was the 10.00 train from Holyhead, so what was 37421 doing?
24/12/2000 |
|
|
24th December 2000 and
the last scheduled Sunday working for a 37 hauled train on the
coast route. Having seen 37421 on ecs and assumed it was the
10..00 Holyhead-Crewe, I was not ready for it and, unusually
for the coastal trains, it appeared in platform 6 with 37401,
"Mary Queen of Scots" in charge. 24/12/2000 |
|
|
It departed as ecs shortly
afterwards and rode off into history - only 4 operating days
to go to oblivion. 24/12/2000 |
|