CREWE - CHESTER -- BANGOR - HOLYHEAD  MONTHLY REPORTS May 2006 - PAGE ONE

A quick visit to the LNWR workshops to see Ian Riley's two engines parked ready for their sojourn to Newport, South Wales, on the 6th May with "The Heart of Wales Explorer". 45407 was being coaled ready for the journey and is a remarkably photogenic locomotive - but then it was designed by Sir William.........4/5/2006

The second engine, 76079 was facing North - but the train would be heading South, how would that work then? 4/5/2006

7027, "Thornbury Castle" looking more like a steam locomotive. 4/5/2006

7821 "Ditcheat Manor" was in steam and destined for greater things - but where.......4/5/2006

Hunslet Austerity, currently running as J94 number 68030, was waiting for a steam test after a Winter overhaul before heading back to The Churnet Valley railway. This engine is one of two owned by The Class 4 Preservation Trust Ltd.. 4/5/2006

Then on to Crewe station where work on platform 12 continues as 57301 "Scott Tracy" waits for business. On the basis that this platform is not heavily used, I wait with interest to see what the new awning will be used for. 4/5/2006

Eventually, 301 went out to park alongside the WCML while waiting for the Pendolino to arrive from London. After the AC unit had been prepared for the hook-up, the 57/3 drew carefully into platform 11 and the Pendolino. 4/5/2006

While the 57 & Pendlino were completing their handshake, Freightliner's 66619, "Derek W Johnson MBE", pulled alongside with a set of empty ballast wagons. After a couple of minutes the train pulled out and passed onto the Chester line, presumably for Penmaenmawr. 4/5/2006

67027 "Rising Star" pottered about for a while. 4/5/2006

Quite soon afterwards 57301, complete with 390012 "Virgin Star" headed West for Holyhead. The departure was quite soon after the class 66, would the empty ballast get in the way? 4/5/2006