CREWE - CHESTER - BANGOR - HOLYHEAD
GRAND TOUR Mk2
March 21st 2000 - Part 1

 When the Class 37/4's ran through to Llandudno from Manchester on 1D45, I christened the round trip "The Grand Tour", it was a lot of travelling behind the locomotives and covered many miles. Charlie Hulme was kind enough to put my report on his web site The North Wales Coast Railway but, sadly, that was the last time because with the Winter timetable the Manchester trains will revert to DMU haulage. With this in mind and despite the train now terminating at Chester, I decided to have yet another last fling. So, on 21st September 2000, I boarded the 11.15 from Crewe (1D67) for Holyhead behind 37413 - the 37/4 back from the dead.. Nothing untoward happened en route to Chester but, as we entered the station, I realised that we were going through on the middle road. The reason was that 175006 was parked in the platform so the train had to join it at the West end by using the crossover - that was a new one for me. The images record the journeys....

 37413 entering Crewe station on the 10.07 Birmingham-Holyhead. 21/09/2000

 Arrival at Chester and 175003 is in the way. This meant the train using the centre road and the crossover. 21/09/2000

 Entry into Conwy Castle tunnel - the castle is actually straight! 21/09/2000

 After arriving at Holyhead the locomotive detaches from the train and runs forward onto the headshunt. It then switches tracks to run round the train. 21/09/2000

 Included in the train was Guards Van number 92936. This effectively made it a four coach train but today the loading was light so there was no problem. 21/09/2000

 Interior shot of the van. 21/09/2000

 Also in the consist was GWR liveried coach number 4902 - this is an interior shot. 21/09/2000

 A London-Holyhead HST preceded 37413 from Crewe and it was awaiting ferry passengers when we arrived. This is car 43062 with 43101 at the rear. NB no buffers on this unit. At the side are two 175/0 units with the ferry terminal in the background. 21/9/2000

 37413 left Holyhead on time and is seen here switching tracks as it passes Holyhead signal box. 21/09/2000

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Part 2