| You know the feeling. You wake with a start, as though your brain trying to tell you something urgent. Then you realize, with an increasing sense of dread, that you vaguely recall turning the alarm off already. With the reluctance of the condemned, you slowly turn your gaze to the clock and let out a groan. Yes, it is true... you have overslept!
So began this merry Saturday. A solitary piece of toast followed by a quick dash from one side of Manchester to the other and I reached the ELR just in time to miss the double-headed Class 40 trip that I'd wanted! Crestfallen I went in search of a timetable... but I couldn't get one, as the booking office had run out by the time I arrived. With these minor setbacks out of the way, the day actually went splendidly with lots of interesting traction combinations and much judicious use of their respective power handles. The weather was sunny but freezing so it was nice to see that the not-EE-in-the-slightest D832 "Onslaught" had been provided for steam heating duties. The highlight was, of course, 37194+37197+37261 on the last service of the day. Irrespective of your feelings on "tractors" or even triple-heading for that matter, it was an undeniably hellfire run. Red hot clag piling out of the exhausts, drivers winding each other up and some very vocal encouragement from the assembled bashers. A fitting end to a manic day. The loco's involved were 31435, 37194 "Neil Webster", 37197, 37261, D832 "Onslaught", 40135 and 40145. Thanks must go to the two lads from Birmingham who donated one of their timetable sheets to me whilst I was taking a break at Irwell Vale. More pictures and some video footage from the event are available at Marcus Dawson's Rail-net Photo Archive (http://www.rail-net.co.uk/storypage.php?storyid=151). |
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© 1998-2009 Jim Murphy - All copyrights rest with the Author [ Index ] |