CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
North Wales Coast
March 2001 Part 1

 The other Western Outpost! - an external view of Pwllheli station in March 2001 with blue sky, zero temperature and a very white mountain range across the bay. 18/3/2001

 Although the buildings are used for everything but a railway station, its condition is very commendable. 18/3/2001

 Parked in the siding was Central Trains unit 156410 presumably waiting for use the next day. 18/3/2001

 Some years ago I photographed 37430 "Cwmbran" parked at Pwllheli looking very ex-works with a rake of Inter-City sleepers. At that time the platform seats comprised cast "GWR" end frames but these have long since disappeared - as has 37430! "Cwmbran" may have gone from the system but it was recently reported to be on yard duty at Motherwell shunting postal stock. 18/3/2001

 The 9.19 Holyhead-London train was diverted into platform 6 today partly because the 8.38 London-Holyhead was running late and appeared to be class 47 hauled. 16/3/2001

 The London working was hauled by 47787 "Victim Support" which looked strange with the DVT behind it. 16/3/2001

 The shunter went to advise the driver that he was present before detaching the Class 47 which ran off to park in bay platform 8. 16/3/2001

 Meanwhile at the other end of the train Class 86 number 86261 "The Rail Charter Partnership" was attached to propel the train to London Euston. 16/3/2001

 The Middlewich-Arpley Enterprise was hauled by "shed" 66014 and today's load was quite unusual with one small tanker and one bogie tanker which, I suspect, carried chlorine. Can this sort of working really make any money for EWS? 16/3/2001

 The sad sight of coastline favourite 37429 "Eisteddfod Genedlaethol" being towed DIT by 66198 past Chorlton, South of Crewe. Devoid of nameplates and en route to Motherwell for stripping after its traction motors failed at Cardiff, this shot was taken at 14.42hrs by Ray Eden on 14th February 2001.

 Under happier circumstances, Ray had photographed the locomotive at the same spot on 16th May 2000 when it was hauling 1D75 the 14.23 Birmingham - Holyhead.....

 ......and by chance I photographed it at Crewe on its return from Holyhead with 1G79 the 18.25 Holyhead - Crewe. Oh happy, happy days..... 16/5/2000

 Class 47 number 47741 "Resilient" arrived 5 minutes early with the 9.19 Holyhead-London Euston. 13/3/2001

 Waiting in the wings to hook onto the rear of the train and propel it South was 87031 "Hal o' the Wynd" 13/3/2001

 142001 appeared from Chester and soon left as the 11.50 Crewe-Chester. Is this set the prototype? 13/3/2001

 No class 37 today as "shed" 66066 ran off the Manchester line with the Middlewich-Arpley Enterprise. 13/3/2001

 AC electric 86248 "Sir Clwyd County of Clwyd" arrived in platform 5 with 11.57 for Southampton Central. 13/3/2001

 Two more arrivals off the Manchester line were 86260 "Driver Wallace Oakes G C" (right leading) and 86205 "City of Lancaster". They crossed over towards Basford Hall. 13/3/2001

 Another regular class 47 working is the Poole-Liverpool train booked to leave Crewe at 11.45. Today it arrived behind 47818 "Strathclyde" running some 35 minutes down. 13/3/2001

 47812 on the Edinburgh-Poole 8/03/2001

 47840 "North Star" brought the 9.19 Holyhead-London train into Crewe and was detached and parked in bay platform 8. Also in the bay was 90010 "275 Railway Squadron (Volunteers)" 06/03/2001

 Standing in the bright Spring sunshine waiting to take the train on to London was 87015 "Howard of Effingham". 06/03/2001

 A few minutes later Class 37 number 37706 appeared with the Middlewich-Arpley train having arrived earlier and run round at Basford Hall. 06/03/2001

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