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