CREWE - CHESTER -- BANGOR - HOLYHEAD  MONTHLY REPORTS APRIL 2006 - PAGE TWO

Plumley station deep in the heart of Cheshire and about as rural as you can get. 45407 is due in from Chester on the Mid Cheshire, Altrincham-Chester-Altrincham shuttle so a couple of traffic shots while waiting. This is 142012 and 142035 on a Chester bound service. 30/04//2006

Next came 66003 on an infrastructure train. The driver had to give a warning hoot as he approached the station and as it passed through the noise and turbulence were awesome as can be seen by the children's reaction. It was a good example of how stealthily modern trains approach. 30/04/2006

Dead on time the Stanier black 5 rounded the curve and approached the station. 30/04/2006

Classic lines. 30/04/2006

It was damp and miserable, the rails were wed and there were 10 on, with the safety valves feathering the engine started to slip as it pulled away. The driver was well in control and held the slip brilliantly. There were a couple of minors before 407 really dug in but what an impressive sight. To see the full story see Charlie Hulme's North Wales Coast Railway. 30/04/2006

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Work on the new canopy for platform 12 continues. Use of this facility will be interesting because this part of the platform was rarely used in the past. 24/4/2006

57307 "Lady Penelope" reversed onto its Pendolino for the journey to Holyhead. 24/4/2006

Leaving for North Wales with 390044 "Virgin Lionheart" in tow. 24/4/2006

66574 left the LNWR sheds and raced North. 24/4/2006

221105 "William Baffin" arrived from Holyhead en route for London Euston. 24/4/2006

The Serco test train arrived in platform 5 but reversed before I could get to the front. 67002 "Special Delivery" was leading. 24/4/2006

On the rear was 67017 "Arrow". 24/4/2006

The train left to run up the West Coast Main line with the test pantograph raised. 24/4/2006