42. Two railtours and the Sleeper-01.06.19

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2019 > 42. Two railtours and the Sleeper-01.06.19

Before work, I managed to see two railtours near to home and, in between these, captured the 'highland' sleeper on what was, possibly, its last run utilising the Mk. III stock before their retirement to be replaced by the Mk. IVs. In the evening after dinner, I nipped out to see one of the railtours return.

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Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.

350261, LN 05.29 Bletchley-Liverpool Lime Street (9F32, 2L), Ashton Road bridge
I must be mad! I got up at 05.00 to walk across the field from home and photograph a class 350! Well, that's not quite the whole story, I was there for another reason but 350261 passed working the unusual 9F32 05.29 Bletchley to Liverpool Lime Street. I presume that this is more of a positioning working but it is an oddity none-the-less.
Keywords: 35026 05.29 Bletchley-Liverpool Lime Street 9F32 Ashton Road bridge

D1944, outward leg of The Settle and Carlisle Coastal Statesman, 05.42 Milton Keynes Central-Appleby (1Z25), Ashton Road bridge
D1944 'Craftsman' brings up the rear of The Settle and Carlisle Coastal Stateman railtour booked as the 1Z25 05.42 Milton Keynes to Appleby. The last time that I saw this locomotive was at the 2016 Gresty Bridge open day where it was unveiled in this retro. green livery and named, see ..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/v/photos/21936chg/25724353204/d1944-47501-drs-gresty-bridge
Keywords: D1944 The Settle and Carlisle Coastal Statesman 05.42 Milton Keynes Central-Appleby 1Z25 Ashton Road bridge

90043, CS 19.50 Fort William, 21.043 Aberdeen, 20.45 Inverness-London Euston (1M16, 4E), Victoria bridge
This could possibly be the last Caledonian Sleeper service to use the aging Mk. III stock with the even older Mk. II day stock. CS was scheduled to turn this service over to the new CAF Mk. IV stock from the following Monday, as the lowland service had done some weeks earlier. 90043 brings the 1M16 past Victoria bridge between Roade and Ashton on the southern WCML.

*UPDATE* ...........
It has emerged that this WAS supposed to have been the final Mk. III sleeper train but due to mileage accumulation issues and shunting logistics problems at Edinburgh, there will be another month with this stock in use before the Mk. Vs come into use.
Keywords: 90043 19.50 Fort William 21.043 Aberdeen 20.45 Inverness-London Euston 1M16 Victoria bridge

Stock, CS 19.50 Fort William, 21.43 Aberdeen, 20.45 Inverness-London Euston (1M16, 4E), Victoria bridge
At the time of writing, these two CS branded Mk. II coaches are almost the oldest in revenue earning service dating from the mid-1970s. They are scheduled for immediate withdrawal as their Mk. IV replacements are due to enter service from Monday 3rd June. The Mk. III sleeper coaches, also to be replaced, make up the rest of the train as it passes Victoria bridge just south of Roade.

*UPDATE* ...........
It has emerged that this WAS supposed to have been the final Mk. III sleeper train but due to mileage accumulation issues and shunting logistic problems at Edinburgh, there will be another month with this stock in use before the Mk. IVs come into use.
Keywords: Stock 19.50 Fort William 21.43 Aberdeen 20.45 Inverness-London Euston 1M16 Victoria bridge

66712, 03.15 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park (4M21), Victoria bridge
66712 'Peterborough Power Signalbox' leads the regular 4M21 013.15 Felixstowe North to Trafford Park Freightliner past Victoria bridge between Northampton and Milton Keynes. Notice the nonchalant driver sitting at his controls with his arms folded!
Keywords: 66712 03.15 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park 4M21 Victoria bridge

70007, 02.57 Felixstowe North-Garston (4M45), Milton Malsor SP738560
I took this photograph deliberately from this rather head-on angle for a reason. I wanted to emphasise the unusual dimensions of class 70, in this case, 70007. It is noticeable how narrow the midriff of class 70's design is, meaning the engines themselves must be very narrow. That and the rather bulbous cabs do not make this class of locomotive the most attractive on the network! The 4M45 02.57 Felixstowe North to Garston Freightliner passes Milton Malsor just south of Northampton.
Keywords: 70007 02.57 Felixstowe North-Garston 4M45 Milton Malsor SP738560

66526, 03.25 Garston-London Gateway (4L52), Milton Malsor SP738560
66526 'Driver Steve Dunn (George)' leads the 03.25 Garston to London Gateway Freightliner past Milton Malsor. The train was going incredibly slowly at this point, on the steady 1:200 rising gradient out of Northampton. This location looks idyllically rural but looks can be deceiving. Just across the field to my right is the busy M1 motorway that the rear wagons of the train will be crossing just around the curve and out of view in the distance.
Keywords: 66526 03.25 Garston-London Gateway 4L52 Milton Malsor SP738560

66083 & 66078, outward leg of The Curvey Weaver, 06.42 London Euston-Garston FLT (1Z78), Milton Malsor SP738560
The sky in the background should have meant that this train was bathed in lovely early summer sunshine. However, there was a stubborn and virtually complete bank of cloud behind and to the left that blocked out the sun so the train remains poorly lit! The 1Z78 Curvey Weaver railtour approaches Northampton past Milton Malsor on its outward leg that left Euston at 06.42. 66083, still in its old EWS livery and branding, leads the train that would end up at Graston Freightliner terminal via various odd and rare sections of track. 66078, resplendent in its new bright red DB livery, brings up the rear of the train that is entirely composed of twelve superb Mk. I coaches.
Keywords: 66083 66078 The Curvey Weaver 06.42 London Euston-Garston FLT 1Z78 Milton Malsor SP738560

350243 & 350232, LN 17.14 Rugeley Trent Valley-London Euston, started from Hednesford (2Y42, 2L ), Roade Cutting
A Saturday evening unusual working, that I did not know existed, is seen passing through Roade Cutting. It is is a positioning move of some kind, with 2Y42 17.14 Rugeley TV to Euston is composed of 350243 and 350232. However, something went wrong earlier in the evening as the inbound service was terminated at and thus started from Hednesford rather than Rugeley
Keywords: 350243 350232 17.14 Rugeley Trent Valley-London Euston 2Y42 Roade Cutting

350374 & 350103, LN 18.24 London Euston-Rugeley Trent Valley (9K72, 8L), Roade Cutting
350374 and 350103 pass through Roade Cutting forming the 9K72 18.24 Euston to Rugeley Trent Valley. The green front end livery of the 350 does its best to blend in with the summer foliage of the cutting!
Keywords: 350374 350103 18.24 London Euston-Rugeley Trent Valley 9K72 Roade Cutting

66078 & 66038, return leg of The Curvey Weaver, 13.55 Garston Freightliner terminal-London Euston (1Z79), Roade Cutting
In the evening, the returning Curvey Weaver railtour makes its way through Roade cutting led by 66078 looking very smart in its recently applied DB cherry red livery that was completed only a week earlier. It is sobering to think that this 66 has been operating on the UK network for over twenty years now. 66038 brings up the rear of the 13.55 Garston Freightliner terminal to London Euston that I believe was running as 1Z79; can anybody confirm this?
Keywords: 66078 66038 The Curvey Weaver 13.55 Garston Freightliner terminal-London Euston 1Z79 Roade Cutting

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.