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During the week there
is currently only one practical "out-and-back" daylight
run behind Class 37/4 locomotives and that comprises the 12.07
Birmingham-Holyhead, (13.19 ex-Crewe) out and the 15.58 Holyhead-Crewe
return. This allows roughly 50 minutes at Holyhead to photograph
the runround and frequent the coffee bar etc. which is no real
problem. With the ever increasing number of new Class 175's and
the change to natural time at the weekend I decided to undertake
yet another "last time" run on 26th October 2000. I
set off for Crewe with the hope that 37428 (October Events) might
be in charge again and waited on platform 12 for the train to
appear from the Birmingham direction. I turned round to see 37893
running into the platform from the Chester direction with four
on where a shunter proceeded to uncouple the locomotive. I assumed
that a multiple unit had run in from Birmingham and that the
"no-heat" freight engine would be removed to allow
37412 "Driver John Elliott", which was parked
in the depot yard, to take the train out to Holyhead. After all
it was a chilly end-of-October day and earlier this year Charlie
Hulme had reported on his North Wales Coast Railway web site
something about EWS being asked to guarantee a 37/4 for the extension
to Coast Line running. (For new readers, First North Western
operate the trains but English Welsh and Scottish Railways provide
the motive power for locomotive haulage). Wrong! - the freighter
promptly performed the runround stance by running out into the
yard, back down the centre road, out onto the Chester line and
onto the head of the train. This set my brain into flashback
mode and I recalled how me and the present Mrs Bowland took the
now defunct 15.15 Sunday double header out to Holyhead and back
without any heat despite there being 2x37/4's at the head. We
affectionately developed hypothermia together, she said never
again and she never has! I now had misgiving about a repeat scenario
when the seats are damp and, after 4 or 5 hours of travel, one
begins to feel distinctly ill - I wondered if the driver had
a heater in the cab? We set off for Chester and it got worse,
no drinks trolley although the ticket chap assured me it would
board at Chester - not long to wait and the sun dropping over
the yardarm. It didn't appear at Chester or Llandudno Junction
nor was it loaded at Holyhead or Llandudno Jn on the return.
It was a good job the station cafe was open at Holyhead - surely
the bleakest station on the Coast Line - where a mug of coffee
and a sandwich went down well. There were 30 Class 37's converted
to provide electric train heating and a good number are still
operational, there are also any number of Class 47 locomotives
capable of providing heat to fare paying passengers. However,
and here's the rub, while the Class 37 freight locomotive (no
heat remember) is hauling passenger trains the Class 37 locomotives
fitted with train heating capability are hauling, yes, you guessed
it, FREIGHT TRAINS!
I am a cynic, I subscribe to
the belief that Britain is dumbing down, we can't build bridges,
we can't build trains (heard about c2c having to withdraw all
their new stock?), we can't maintain safe tracks etc. etc.. In
essence, does anyone out there in FNW/EWS land give a damn?
The class 37 ran well and kept
time throughout in a period when few other operators can due
to temporary speed limits and line closures etc., here is the
pictorial story of the day. |
