43 195 is leading and 43 006 at the rear in Ian Bowland's 'aerial view' of the 13:35 Holyhead - London on 26 July. Thanks to Stave Vaughan for the numbers.
Edition of 30 July 2002Our appeal for information brought this from Deiniol Williams: 'There is usally a pair of Frangonset Class 31s hauling the tours ran by Green Express along the Coast. The tour on 10 August is "The Settle & Carlisle Explorer", Starts Llandudno Junction and proceeds to Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Chester, Frodsham & Warrington, to Carlisle. Timings are as yet un-published but from the other tours ran by Green Express they usally follow the early morning Londons ( 1A23 05:38 Holyhead-London Euston ) or later on in the morning at about 8-ish, but I'm unsure what happens in the evening with getting a route back down the Coast. More Information at : The Green Express Railtours web-page.'
As for the 37-hauled train from Aberystwyth on 5 August, we do believe that this will be a 'relief train' so 'ordinary mortals' (© George Jones) - we hope to get official conformation of this. The times , apart from 12:10 from Aberystwyth, still elude us... - 30 July
From the weekend of 10/11 August when the West Coast Mainline is blocked, 1D87 and the respective return workings on both Saturday and Sunday become HST, so if you want Saturday Class 47 action - get it in now. Whilst August 19 is the final day for Cross Country loco hauled (although there may be some workings vice Voyager after this date) the North Wales Virgin 47 turn will remain until the end of the timetable in September. The 09:19 Holyhead - Euston on the final Saturday of the Summer Timetable will be the last scheduled Virgin loco-hauled turn on The Coast. From the start of the Winter 2002/3 timetable all Virgin services on the Coast will be diagrammed for HSTs.
It is pleasing to hear that, at last, from September all our London services will be in the hands of HSTs. This is something that INTERCITY managed to do in 1991, but we took a step backwards when Virgin took over in 1997. So a big well done to Virgin..... after 5 years we are back to the standard of service we had in 1991. We are, of course, on the verge of an even bigger step backwards in terms of passenger comfort as come next June, Voyagers will start to appear at Holyhead. - 30 July
Strike Deja Vu
BBC is reporting that First North Western staff (conductors and ticket staff) in the RMT union have now voted to strike about pay, with a series of two-day strikes to begin on 5-6 August. We are, however, told that 'talks are continuing.' At least that's after the Commonwealth Games, although it may kill off the late trains which were meant to run after the Closing Ceremony. - 29 July
Class 47 Pictorial
The locomotive workings of Saturday 27 July was well-recorded by our contributors. The 09:19 Holyhead - London was worked as far as Crewe by 47 851 Traction Magazine: pictured above at Shotton by Tim J. Rogers.
The best way to see 47 action on a Saturday is to travel to Holyhead on the morning Virgin train, watch it run round and depart, and then return on the 14:02 First North Western train, as demonstrated in this photo sequence by Rowan Crawshaw. Above, 47 739 Resourceful has been released and is backing on to its train in Platform 1 to form the 13:25 to Euston.
The train awaits departure, with the driving van trailer behind the locomotive as usual. When the train reaches Crewe the diesel will be removed and an electric loco coupled to the rear. The driver will drive from Crewe to London from the cab of the leading van.
The First North Western train (which now starts from Crewe) has arrived behind 47 750 Atlas, until recently on hire from EWS to Virgin and still carrying Virgin livery but without the logo. This train runs round in Platform 4.
The lamp indicates that the shunter is betwen the loco and coaches making the necessary connections: the screw coupling which takes the load, plus the air brake pipes and electrical supply cables.
Portrait of 47 750. (Rowan Crawshaw)
47 750 and the 14:02 pass Ian Bowland's loft perch on Penmaenhead near Colwyn Bay. The A55 expressway road dominates the foreground.
Back up the line at Shotton, Tim J. Rogers was waiting for these to trains: first the Holyhead - London service with 47 739...
... and then the First North Western service powers through.
It looks like this Saturday entertainment will continue through to the end of the Summer timetable, but Virgin and planning to end general Class 47 haulage of their trains on Monday August 19, on which day it is said that the 08:46 Penzance - Manchester will the official 'last train' and will be hauled by the two Rail Blue heritage locos 47 840 and 47 847. However, just to annoy the railfans of northern England, the service will be taken over by two Voyagers at Birmingham while the 47-hauled train continues as an invitation-only special to an invitation-only photo-session at invitation-only Derby with an array of the other 'heritage' locos. The 06:08 Preston - Paignton and 13:03 return, formed of Mk 3 stock - will, we believe, continue after that date. - 29 July
Two questions from readers: (1) is there a Class 31 working along the Coast on 10 August, and if so what are the times? (2) Does anyone have any detailed timings for the return Class 37 from Aberystwyth on 5 August, and is this train avaibalbe to normal ticket holders? - 29 July
Bucket and Spade news - by our special correspondent
It seems Summer is here and so are the "Bucket and Spade Brigade" with almost all trains going down the North Wales Coast full all day. The majority have been fully formed, with the odd 175 missing causeing overcrowding. Even the loco and stock (still only four coaches) was full. Is it not now time to put an extra coach into the rake?
Wales & Borders put a little variety into their Chester-Shrewsbury route over the weekend of 27/28 July with 150 102 borrowed from Central Trains on Saturday and Valley Lines liviered 150 279 on Sunday as well as a Cardiff-allocated 158 working on the Birminghams. Heading in the other direction of course were the spectators of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, which should again be a cause to strengthen those trains which would be possible if all the 175's worked as they should ... 29 July
One train which has already gone over to Voyager working is the 17:50 Manchester - Birmingham, seen here awating departure from Manchester Piccadilly Platform 9 on 24 July, viewed through the new glass wall, now fully visible across the platform ends. Full marks to the architects for making a view of the trains a feature of the station, in contrast to the 1960s style of Lonon Euston and Birmingham New Street where the policy was to hide the trains away.
The 17:50 stops at Congleton, where the platform is too short for two four-car Voyagers coupled and some overcrowding ensured when a single 220 was tried, but five-car sets are now available such as 221 132 William Speirs Bruce seen here, and these are now usually found on this working.
An oddity is that on the scrolling display on the front of the train, the traditional 'headcode' - in this case 1G54 - is displayed along with the destination information, whereas the display panels by the doors (inset) have the Virgin 'Flight Number' VT 3105.
As for William Speirs Bruce, he's the first one of these names your compiler has never come across before. He was a Scottish polar explorer: here's an interesting web link. - 29 July