1Z54, Pathfinder Tours excursion from Newtown to York called at Wrexham General right on time on 21 December at 09:10 with 56 078 and 56 070 in charge of 11 coaches. 56 078 carries Doncaster Enterprise name plates and looks very good indeed in its 1980s livery, as these two pictures by Tim J. Rogers show. - 22 December
We've been asked if the Arriva Trains Wales loco-hauled turns along the Coast will continue to run in the New Year: the answer, we are fairly certain, is Yes. The Monday - FRiday Bangor - Manchester and Manchester - Holyhead 'club trains' will face a problem in that the Manchester - Crewe line used by the empty stock workings in each direction is blocked for engineering works every day fron 5 January to 21 May.
To get round this problem, the following alternative route and timings for these empty trains have been prepared by Network Rail. 5K44 09:00 Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe Carriage Sidings. Stockport pass 09:13, Hale pass 09:42, Greenbank pass 10:02, Chester 10:26 - 10:49 [reverse using the triangle], Crewe CS 11:37. 5D45 14:00 Crewe CS - Manchester Piccadilly. Chester 1431 - 1520 [reverse on the triangle], Greenbank pass 15:47, Hale pass 16:05, Stockport pass 16:29, Longsight Down Goods Loop 16:44 - 17:12, Manchester Piccadilly arr 17:17. Now there's some photo-opportunities for you all. - 22 January
A misty day at Crewe - with Rowan Crawshaw
47 789 Lindisfarne arrived in Platform 11 at Crewe with the 1K57 07:35 from Holyhead on 19 December.
47 789 rolls through Platform 6 runs round its train to form the 1D65 10:30 to Holyhead. It's quite uncommon for a train to arrive in Platform 11 and stand there while the loco runs round: these moves have traditonally involved the use of Platform 12.
43 080 departs Crewe with the 1D87 08:40 Euston - Holyhead on 19 December. - 22 December