CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
North Wales Coast
October 2000-1

 Crewe, 15th October 2000:- As the rundown of Class 37/4 operations on the Coast Line gathers pace one of the casualties has been the Sunday double header. This has now reappeared for four weeks so off I went to Crewe for the 20.12 Crewe-Holyhead, double headed more for positioning purposes rather than loading. The problem at this time of the year is light levels, digital cameras do not cope easily with the night gloom of Crewe station and the 37's are shy creatures, preferring the darkness of the road bridge or, in this case, platform 11. When I arrived I noticed a rake of "Tope" wagons on the centre road with the unmistakable tickover of a 37 at the North end of the station. There in the darkness was 37704 which I photographed a few days earlier on the Middlewich branch. The loco unhooked and ran round through platform 12 to reconnect at the other end of the train. It later took the wagons out Southwards presumably to the Basford Hall "virtual quarry"! Over on platform 1 the Royal loco "Prince William" appeared to be replacing Class 47 "Vulcan" on a special train but I had no time to get over because the double header was due.

The temporary Sunday double header, the 18.12 Crewe-Holyhead, standing ready to leave at Crewe. 37429 "Eisteddfod Genedlaethol" leads 37401 "Mary Queen of Scots". Both engines were under power and on this occasion 37401 left with a cascade of sparks coming from the exhaust, an impressive sight!. 15/10/2000

The drivers swap notes before the train leaves for Holyhead. It was a particularly dark dry night and digital photographs become very grainy. 15/10/2000

The ghostly image of 37704 created by the night shot at Crewe. The loco was being coupled up after running round the wagons. 15/10/2000

37412 "Driver John Elliott"arriving at Crewe Station with the 15.58 Holyhead-Crewe. Within the four coach train there were three units in GWR livery plus one in RR livery. 37 haulage is becoming more difficult to find now. 10/10/2000

37412 preparing to leave for the carriage sheds at Crewe. 10/10/200

175007 was sat in bay platform 10 at Crewe with the 17.53 Crewe-Holyhead. These units are now making serious inroads into Class 37 operations on the Coast Line. 3/10/2000

I called in Crewe to see the arrival of the 15.58 Holyhead-Crewe which eventually arrived at 18.45hrs behind 37401 "Mary Queen of Scots" after I had left. While waiting I saw 86231 "Starlight Express" arrive and depart with a Glasgow train. 3/10/2000

37/4's to spare. 37421(L), 37412 and 37429 graced the shed yard, presumably waiting for work! 3/10/2000
 

60 Minutes at Crewe Station - 5/10/2000

Crewe platform 12 and 175011+175010 arrived on the 10.07 Birmingham to Holyhead, formerly a Class 37 turn. I heard the noisy brakes for the first time! 5/10/2000

37413 was unusually parked in Bay Platform 8. 5/10/2000

47844 arrived at Crewe where it detached from a Holyhead-Euston train. An electric locomotive was attached to the rear for the journey South, the train being driven from a DVT at the front. 5/10/2000

87015 "Howard of Effingham" was attached to the rear. 5/10/2000

A string of locomotives appeared at the rear of the station in the form of 90026 "Crewe International Maintenance Depot", 90017 "Rail Express Systems", 47776 "Respected" and 47575 "City of Hereford". 5/10/2000

37421 left from platform 11 on the 8.47 Holyhead-Birmingham. 5/10/2000

08873 trundled through on the centre road. 5/10/2000

37710 ran through platform 5 on the Middlewich-Arpley Enterprise working. 5/10/2000

AC electric Class 87 number 87021 "Robert the Bruce" was on the rear of a Virgin train to London. 5/10/2000

 Top