MONTHLY REPORTS

CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD  AUGUST 2015 - PAGE ONE

Closure of the Crewe-Chester line resulted in some trains being diverted along the Middlewich Branch. This is a Holyhead-Euston service, comprising 221112 leading 221116, cautiously feeling its way towards Sandbach. Pictures were taken from a public crossing.  There is ongoing local support for reopening the branch to passenger traffic, resurection of the "Crewe Dodger"? Thanks to THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY web site for the advance warning and timings. 02/08/2015

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Crewe station and parked in bay platform 8 was 57311 "Thunderbird". 01/08/2015

View of the top end. 01/08/2015

Super Voyager 221111 with 221104 in the background. 111 was bound for Chester but, because the Chester line was closed, left via the WCML. 01/08/2015

57304 "Pride of Cheshire" was parked up. 01/08/2015

323228 was on Manchester-Crewe shuttle duty. 01/08/2015

I was at Crewe expecting 45699 "Leander" at 14.42 and 46115 "Scots Guardsman" rolled up at 14.12. However, I was quite happy with that even though its arrival almost caught me out. 01/08/2015

Oh joy! 01/08/2015

Pity about the steelwork. 01/08/2015

Three generations of traction. 01/08/2015

Again earlier than scheduled, the engine reversed onto Crewe Heritage Centre for what I assume was over-night stabling prior to hauling The North Wales Coast Express, running Liverpool-Holyhead and return. 01/08/2015

The fun being over and Crewe station being very quiet I headed for home and arrived at Sandbach to find a Voyager sat in platform 3, presumably having traversed the Middlewich branch. As I arrived the Voyager, which I suspect was 221113, set off towards Crewe. 01/08/2015

As I paused to see if there was any more branch activity, 323225 arrived from Manchester en route for Crewe. 01/08/2015

323233 arrived with a reverse working. 01/08/2015

175007 powered through with a Manchester-South Wales service. 01/08/2015