CREWE - CHESTER -- BANGOR - HOLYHEAD  MONTHLY REPORTS January 2007 - PAGE TWO

"Great Marquess" day on the Churnet Valley Railway and the lady herself was on duty, 14/01/2007

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Names on class 175's! This is 175006, 175003 "Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru" was earlier seen heading for Manchester but it's not 429 is it? 12/01/2007

Also heading for Manchester was "The Ghost". 12/01/2007

390040 "Virgin Pathfinder" arrived from London for the switch over to diesel power to facilitate the trip to North Wales and Holyhead. 12/01/2007

040 later left with 57313 "Tracy Island" in charge. 12/01/2007

Shortly afterwards Super Voyager 221119 "Amelia Earhart" left for London ex Holyhead. 12/01/2007

With platform 12 and its avoiding line closed for some time to come, freight traffic is often seen using platformed lines as is the case here. 66614, en route for North Wales, crept into platform 11 to await a pathway. Such blocking of passenger facilities results in trains backing up outside the station - more was to come! 12/01/2007

614 had a train of "Autobalasters" in tow - big aren't they? 12/01/2007

Work continues apace on the modifications to platform 12. I am not sure what the full plan comprises but if the number of stored scaffolding boards is anything to go by, it's a lot of work. Part of the old bay have been filled in to allow vehicular access and there are many and varied items of mechanical plant in use. 12/01/2007

57304 "Gordon Tracy" entered bay platform 8 and parked up. 12/01/2007

304 with 350126. 12/01/2007

47811, in ex FGW/Freightliner livery entered platform 6 with no lights showing. It was unhooked from 4 empty flats and headed off onto the North Wales line - IEMD bound? 12/01/2007

The 47 later returned, complete with lights, via platform 11 to reverse onto the back end of the flats. Meanwhile trains were backing up in both directions waiting to enter the station. 12/01/2007

811 appears to have taken a beating. 12/01/2007

After hooking up the train pulled forward to await clearance to cross over. The wagons had "for repair" tickets attached and were eventually taken onto the LNWR depot. 12/01/2007

Eventually the 47 was allowed to leave and free-up platform 6 for its intended use. 12/01/2007

I was about to head for home when I noticed an AC electric waiting to enter the station. It turned out to be 87022 "Cock o' the North" heading for Nuneaton on a driver refresher trip. 12/01/2007

I suppose it looks OK in "First" livery but it was good to see an 87 again. 12/01/2007