1. Journey there

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2022 > 39. A trip to Chester-08-11.06.22 > 1. Journey there

My wife and I travelled up from Milton Keynes but after missing our booked train we arrived a little later than anticipated (and a little lighter thanks to having to buy a replacement ticket!). After we had settled into our hotel room I went for a quick evening walk camera in hand.
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Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.

66523, 09.52 Lawley Street-Felixstowe North (4L99, RT) & 390049 VT 06.52 Edinburgh Waverley-London Euston (9M50, 4L), Milton Keynes Central station Milton Keynes (Central?) station is frustratingly tricky for the railway photographer! There is so much station furniture that gets in the way of the subject making composition always a bit of a compromise as is the case here. As 390049 arrives with the 06.52 Edinburgh to Euston Avanti service 66523 heads south at line speed leading the 09.52 Lawley Street to Felixstowe Freightliner. Keywords: 66523 09.52 Lawley Street-Felixstowe North 4L99 390049 06.52 Edinburgh Waverley-London Euston 9M50 Milton Keynes Central station Freightliner Avanti West Coast
350123, LN 11.46 London Euston-Crewe (1U33, 3E), Milton Keynes Central station This was our train to Crewe but it shouldn't have been! 350123 arrives at Milton Keynes working the 11.46 Euston to Crewe 'fast' service (as far as Rugby that is). My wife and I took this London Northwestern service to its destination via the Trent Valley route and then through Stafford. We should have been on the earlier service that left an hour previously but for some unknown reason the times were misread and we missed it by a minute or two, blame should not be apportioned so all that I will say is that I had nothing to do with the journey planning! Keywords: 350123 LN 11.46 London Euston-Crewe 1U33 Milton Keynes Central station London NorthWestern
66590, 07.50 Felixstowe North-Lawley Street (4M94, 7E), Milton Keynes Central station Another example of the difficulties of photographing trains at Milton Keynes station! 66590 passes at speed through the station working the 07.50 Felixstowe North to Lawley Street 4M94 Freightliner. I took this as our rain north was arriving at platform six behind where I am standing. It took us until we had got to Hanslope Junction, some six miles north, until we overhauled the freight. Keywords: 66590 07.50 Felixstowe North-Lawley Street 4M94 Milton Keynes Central station Freightliner
Class 86s, stored, Crewe Basford Hall Crewe Basford Hall has become the long-term home for the withdrawn fleet of Freightliner Class 86s following their replacement by the newer (but still relatively old in Railway terms) former Greater Anglia class 90s. In this view eight members of the class are seen stored awaiting an appointment with the scrap man with many more further away further north within the yard. Keywords: Class 86s stored Crewe Basford Hall Freightliner
777004 & 08868, stabled, Crewe LNWR Crewe's LNWR facility has become synonymous with the storage of new units awaiting delivery to their operators. Merseyrail's much-heralded replacement of their ageing Class 507/508 units is heavily delayed due to testing and delivery issues with units waiting to enter service held at Crewe. 777004 is seen in its 'beesting' livery but currently unbranded with 08868 protecting the front end of the unit. Keywords: 777004 08868 stabled Crewe LNWR Merseyrail
08631, shunting & M40802, stabled, LSL Crewe LSL's facility on the approach to Crewe station is now packed with a variety of interesting trains and stock. As 08631 trundles about its business, a former HST Mk3 Trailer Buffet is seen behind.M40802 is a Trailer Buffet that now wears its Pullman paint scheme as part of one of LSL's dedicated HST sets that are proving popular with charter operators up and down the country. Keywords: 08631 shunting M40802 stabled LSL Crewe Locomotive Services Limited HST Mk. III Mk3 Trailer Buffet
43049 & M41182, stabled, LSL Crewe Looking superb in its reproduction InterCity Swallow livery 43049 'Neville Hill' stands at Crewe's LSL depot. This HST power car and a set of stock is proving to be a distinct hit with enthusiasts and charter operators alike. The sets are frequently out to all four corners of the country carrying paying passengers enjoying the comfort and luxury of Mk. III coach travel as a distinct contrast to the seating installed on new stock! Keywords: 43049 M41182 stabled LSL Crewe Intercity Neville Hill
56090, 13.39 Crewe Basford Hall-Longport (6K39, RT), Crewe station With Crewe Alexandria's Gresty Road stadium in the background 56090 waits to leave the adjacent station leading the 6K39 13.39 Basford Hall to Longport service that I have photographed before, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30024797852/x56090-13-33-crewe-basford-hall-longport . Incidentally, Crewe football supporters will have been licking their wounds at this stage in the year having just been relegated to division two. Keywords: 56090 13.39 Crewe Basford Hall-Longport 6K39 Crewe station Crewe alexandria
DR73921, 14.10 Crewe Carriage Sidings-Warrington CE (2E), Crewe station DR73921 is brought to halt on one of Crewe stations through lines just a few moments after it has left its starting point! The tamper was leaving Crewe for a short dash along the WCML as the 14.10 to Warrington. This is my first photograph of this particular unit that appears to work mainly in the north west with many photographs taken of it in the sidings at adjacent to Chester station. Keywords: DR73921 14.10 Crewe Carriage Sidings-Warrington CE Crewe station Colas Rail
153913 & 153303, 13.54 Chester-Crewe for 14.25 Crewe-Chester (14.25 Crewe-Chester) (1D58, 1E), Crewe station 153913 and 153303 arrive at Crewe station working the 13.54 from Chester. My wife and would take these units back to Chester as the 1D58 14.25 from Crewe. I really do think that what is essentially a shuttle service between Crewe and Chester with no intermediate stations should be handled by something more substantial than two single-car units coupled together. Both the incoming service and the one that we travelled on was uncomfortably busy. In addition, we left slightly late due to a protracted discussion between the guard and five cyclists three of whom were refused access to the train with their bikes despite having booked them. A particular bugbear of mine is the way that cyclists are treated on the railways in this age. They really must do so much better to accommodate cyclists as leisure travel is now fast becoming more important to their revenue stream post-COVID19 and rather than viewing passengers with bikes as a hindrance, they should be welcomed on board. Incidentally, after further discussions, all the cyclists were permitted to travel on this service with their trusty steads! Keywords: 153913 153303 13.54 Chester-Crewe for 14.25 Crewe-Chester 1D58 Crewe station TfW Transport for Wales
158836, AW 15.38 Holyhead-Birmingham International (1I26, 3L), Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Taken from Chester's city wall 158836 approaches from the west with the 15.38 Holyhead to Birmingham International. At this location, the railway cuts through the city walls in two places with Bonewaldesthorne's Tower just out of sight to the right. Keywords: 158836 15.38 Holyhead-Birmingham International 1I26 Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Transport for Wales
158836, AW 15.38 Holyhead-Birmingham International (1I26, 3L), Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Having run into Chester station the 15.38 Holyhead to Birmingham International is seen again retracing its steps at least as far as Saltney Junction where it will head southwards towards Wrexham and Shrewsbury. I have only one previous photograph of 158836 taken many years ago at Bayston Hill south of Shrewsbury. In this view, taken from Chester's city wall, the train is seen crossing the Shropshire Union Canal with the first of a steep flight of locks visible to the right. Keywords: 158836 15.38 Holyhead-Birmingham International 1I26 Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Transport for Wales
175003, AW 16.45 Llandudno-Manchester Airport (1H92, RT), Raymond Street The Transport for Wales livery applied to the Class 175 units as part of their refurbishment programme between 2019 and 2022 looks very smart and will be the last that they will carry possibly prior to their withdrawal unless a new operator is to take them on. 175003 (previously named 'Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru') working the 1H92 16.45 Llandudno to Manchester Airport is seen approaching Chester taken from Raymond Street which is a classic location for many a railway photographer over the years! Keywords: 175003 16.45 Llandudno-Manchester Airport 1H92 Raymond Street Transport for Wales
197101, 17.35 LlandudnoJunction-Crewe (cancelled from Chester) (3K52, 42E), Raymond Street Testing times for new stock! 197101 is seen approaching Chester taken from the city's Raymond Street bridge working the 3K52 Llandudno to Crewe mileage accumulation turn. The Class 197s will soon operate all over the northwest and become a familiar sight replacing all of the Coradia Class 175s and the Express Sprinter Class 158s. In the background of this view two of the bridges that carry the city wall over the railway can be seen. These were constructed in 1848 to carry the railway from Chester onwards to North Wales; can one imagine today merely knocking through a historic city wall in this way? Keywords: 197101 17.35 LlandudnoJunction-Crewe 3K52 Raymond Street
67010 AW 16.36 Holyhead-Cardiff Central (1V98, RT), Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall With the dramatic growth of trees to the west of Chester, the previous views of the grand Roodee Viaduct have been lost from this location atop the city walls. Towards the rear of the train, the parapets of the viaduct can just be seen. Transport for Wales' 67010 approaches the city with the 16.36 Holyhead to Cardiff Central 1V98 service. The stock is a rake of former LNER Mk. IVs that still carry their old livery minus the branding that is a remarkable match to the TFW paint scheme! Keywords: 67010 16.36 Holyhead-Cardiff Central 1V98 Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall
221113, VT 16.10 London Euston-Bangor (1D90, 1L), Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall 221113 takes the sharp curve just west of Chester having emerged from a short tunnel working Avanti's 16.10 Euston to Bangor service. I am standing on Chester city wall that was cut through by the Victorians when the railways arrived in the city. Just to my left is the impressive Medievil Bonewaldesthorne's Tower which is a historic part of the city wall circuit, see.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonewaldesthorne%27s_Tower Keywords: 221113 16.10 London Euston-Bangor 1D90 Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Avanti West Cost Voyager
82226 AW 16.36 Holyhead-Cardiff Central (1V98, RT), Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Having entered Chester a little earlier with 67010 at the helm, the 16.36 Holyhead to Cardiff TfW service is now partially retracing its steps with former LNER DVT 82226 now leading with the Bo-Bo pushing at the rear. A short distance from here at Roodee Junction the train will head off to the south and continue its journey along the Welsh Border. This is the first time that I have seen a former ECML DVT away from their 'natural' home, the last time that I saw this one was in Bedfordshire back in 2017, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/24908401204/x82226-91103-1y11-arlesey-tl189364 Keywords: 82226 16.36 Holyhead-Cardiff Central 1V98 Bonewaldesthorne's Tower Chester city wall Transport for Wales DVT
Tickets, Milton Keynes Central-Chester These was not the tickets that we were supposed to be travelling on from Milton Keynes to Chester! Due to us missing our train by a minute we had to purchase another set at what was a walk-on price making it a pretty expensive run to the northwest. Luckily, split ticketing did save us a pound or two that seemed to tick off the booking clerk somewhat after she claimed that she had found us the cheapest fare with her simply saying 'get them yourselves' to then switch her microphone off and turn away to talk to a colleague! She plainly had not worked hard enough on our behalf that simply is not good enough is it really? Keywords: Tickets Milton Keynes Central-Chester

Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.