66. LSL & WCR services on the funeral day of QE2-19.09.22

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2022 > 66. LSL & WCR services on the funeral day of QE2-19.09.22

Despite being designated as a Bank Holiday the day of the Queen's funeral found the railways relatively busy, at least in my part of the world. I got out to see two southbound and one northbound locomotive hauled services partially in connection with the conveyance of mourners. Once again, these were to supplement the lack of services being offered by the hapless Avanti West Coast. Indeed, one of these services was chartered by them to cover for their reduction of trains!
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Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.

Class 319s, unidentified working, between Roade & Ashton Taken from one of my well-trodden paths to the railway from my home a short distnce behind where I am standing a pair of Class 319s heads south on an unidentified up working. Despite all my searching, I could not find this service that could well have been an empty stock move from Northampton to Bletchley. There is talk that these units will finally be withdrawn from service by London Northwestern in the next month (October). Keywords: Class 319s unidentified working between Roade & Ashton Empty Coaching stock ECS
221111 & 221117, VT 07.54 Blackpool North-London Euston (9M47, 2L), between Roade & Ashton With Avanti West Coast operating a much-reduced timetable (down by about one-third), the demand for their use of Pendolinos has meant that they have been able to utilise them on services more normally operated by their noisy and polluting Voyagers. Their absence has been noted but today, on the day of the Queen's funeral, a few were noted back in service again. 221111 and 221117 head south between the villages of Roade and Ashton working the 07.54 Blackpool North to Euston service. Keywords: 221111 221117 07.54 Blackpool North-London Euston 9M47 between Roade & Ashton Avanti Voyager
82139 & 90002, 09.00 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1Z93, 7L), between Roade & Ashton DVT 89139 leads LSL's 09.00 Manchester to Euston relief service between the villages of Roade and Ashton. 90002 'Wolf of Badenoch' is seen providing power at the rear of the train. This service was being run in connection with the large increase in travellers resulting from the funeral of the Queen that had just got underway at the time that this photograph was taken. Whilst respecting the death of the monarch, as I would anybody else for that matter, as a staunch Republican I did not join many others watching the day's events unfold on television. Keywords: 82139 90002 09.00 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1Z93 between Roade & Ashton Wolf of Badenoch
90002, 09.00 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1Z93, 7L), between Roade & Ashton 90002 'Wolf of Badenoch' powers the rear of the 1Z93 09.00 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston LSL relief service. The train is seen at speed passing between Roade and Ashton in south Northamptonshire. The reprise of locomotive-hauled trains in a response to the reduction of Avanti services has become the main feature of traffic on the WCML during the early autumn of 2022 that may well remind passengers of the times when these trains were the mainstay of operations on this route. Keywords: Wolf of Badenoch 90002 09.00 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1Z93 between Roade & Ashton
86401, 08.15 Lancaster-London Euston (1Z86, 1E), Victoria bridge 86401 'Mons Megg' passes Victoria bridge in South Northamptonshire leading the West Coast Railway operated 08.15 Lancaster to Euston service on behalf of Avanti West Coast. The return of locomotive hauled services has been an extraordinary turn of events with passengers once again able to enjoy the luxury of 'proper' trains with comfortable seats and unrestricted views as they travel! Notice in the background of this photograph the tall crane towering above the water tower. This has been installed above Roade cutting in connection with the installation of a new bridge spanning the cutting that will carry Roade's bypass. Keywords: 86401 08.15 Lancaster-London Euston 1Z86 Victoria bridge Mons Megg AL6
90002, 12.23 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (1Z94, 3L), site of Roade station 90002 'Wolf of Badenoch' returns from London working the 12.23 Euston to Manchester LSL relief service and is seen passing Roade taken from the locally named Gravel bridge. On the day of the Queen's funeral, it would be carrying mourners back from the capital many of whom will have been in the long and winding queue of people wishing to pay their respects whilst she laid in state in Westminster Hall. With Avanti West Coast still operating a slashed service with up to a third of their services cancelled with them blaming their staff for not working overtime other operators such as LSL saw an opportunity to operate trains and a successful move, it appears to have been. Keywords: 90002 12.23 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 1Z94 site of Roade station Intercity swallow Wolf of Badenoch

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