CREWE - CHESTER -- BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
 MONTHLY REPORTS
AUGUST 2013 - PAGE TWO
 

 Sandbach station and "Hippo" 175110 is speeding towards Manchester. 04/08/2013

 47580 "County of Essex" (again), in charge of The North Wales Coast Express, soon followed to take the route to Manchester Piccadilly then back via Altrincham to Chester and Holyhead. 04/08/2013

 Tacked on the back end was 45231 "The Sherwood Forester". I thought there was a tight speed restriction on steam locomotives running tender first but this was moving some! 04/08/2013

 On now to Lostock Gralam, near Northwich, to see the train with the class 5 in charge. The station has been overhauled and an interesting montage has been erected on the Manchester-bound platform. 04/08/2013

 Manchester airport is not far away! 04/08/2013

 The train arrived dead on time and on its way to Greenbank to take on water. 04/08/2013

 Thanks to the footplate crew for sounding the Stanier hooter and the friendly wave. Nice to see. 04/08/2013

 In yesteryear mode.

 The 47 was now on the rear but not working much. 04/08/2013

 I haven't seen a 175 on here before but then it's not often I visit Lostock Gralam. 04/08/2013

 This is how the station looks now......

 ......and this is how it looked some years ago when......

 ...... I came to see 47757 "Capability Brown". This locomotive was scrapped in March 2006.