NORTH WALES COAST etc.
CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
MARCH 2003 - PART TWO

 March 1
  

 Loco haulage returned to the North Wales Coast on Monday 31st March 2003. 47773 "The Queen Mother" leans on the pointwork as it enters Crewe station with the First North Western 08.52 Holyhead-Birmingham service running about 35 minutes down. 31/3/2003

 An "in yer face" shot of 773 entering platform 11. 31/3/2003

 A few minutes later the other diagram left for Holyhead with 47746 "The Bobby" in charge of the 10.21 Birmingham-Holyhead service. 31/3/2003

 Always a sad sight to see a once proud locomotive rotting away. 86208, formerly "City of Chester", awaits its fate at Crewe IEMD 27/3/2003

 Could the same fate befall these racehorses? 87024 "Lord of the Isles" brings a Liverpool bound express into Crewe but for how much longer, the harbingers are around! 27/3/2003

DRS locomotives 20314 and 37606 appeared from the Shrewsbury line, presumably off Basford Hall, and ran into bay platform 8.  They soon left for the LNWR works South of Crewe Station. 27/3/2003

 Fragonset class 47 number 47709 "Dionysos" ran through the station heading South. In the background is Pendolino 390012 and behind the camera was 390013 - the harbingers! 27/3/2003

 37174 was parked dead in the diesel depot yard when I arrived. It was later started up to leave the depot and make a spirited sprint up the West Coast Main Line. 27/3/2003

 A morning mist and bright background sunshine don't help the photographing of blue liveried class 37's. 37065 shunted around Crewe Diesel Depot yard before settling down at the bottom end. 21/3/2003

 Still Class 86 electrics plod on as 86233 "Alstom Heritage", in 60's livery, arrived at Crewe with a Liverpool service. 21/3/2003

 A rare sight in Crewe station is a Class 08 diesel shunter. 08561 arrived with a train of flats which, judging by the shining tyres, had been in for tyre profiling. While the "Gronk" (2000 AD readers will appreciate the nickname) was held, two DRS Class 20's ran into the bay and left again almost immediately. 20313 leads 20312 as they head off South. 21/3/2003

 Friday is acid day (usually) when the Arpley-Sandbach-Arpley can produce a 37. Today it was 37886 "Sir Dyfed/County of Dyfed" heading for Basford Sidings and reversal. 21/3/2003

 After much shunting about outside the LNWR workshops/carriage sidings, Fragonset's 47355 "AVOCET" passed through the station, not the easiest livery to photograph. 21/3/2003

 87004 "Britannia" entering Crewe with a Liverpool bound service but for how much longer. 11/3/2003

 60036 "GEFCO" and 66240 left the diesel depot yard, both with drivers and engines running. As the 60 hit the points the brakes were sharply applied and a conversation took place. After a few minutes both locomotives headed South. They later returned to pass through the station en route North. 11/3/2003

 The Sandbach-Arpley acid train used the independent lines and so passed under the station. Fortunately it returned via the surface and is seen here passing through the station with 37798 in charge. Although looking a bit weather worn, the"Mainline" livery does look attractive in the bright sunshine. 7/3/2003

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Link to March 1