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Day 1 : Sunday 26 August 2001

My parents kindly give me a lift to Newcastle station again (there is no Sunday service from Morpeth). The sun is shining, it's a hot day. We passed a 47 on MkII's waiting on the High Level Bridge. I guess that it's my train. Three 158's and a 156 are in the bay platforms along with 47786 "Roy Castle OBE". A 142 is on a local to the Metrocentre. My train (the 14:35 to BTM) is at platform 4 with 47839 at the head. First class is at the front (great!). The train is almost in Virgin livery, with just one Inter-City liveried coach in the centre of the 7-coach formation.

I wander down the platform to a photo and talk to a man and his son who are down taking photographs too. We lament the passing of "real" trains. 43106 "City of Inverness" arrives and departs with a London-bound train. The 156 leaves and another arrives

Just before we depart, a 225 pulls in at platform 3. I assume that it will hold us up, but we depart on time. The tide is in as we cross the river. The new bridge catches the sun on the far side of the Tyne Bridge. As we start to accelerate after the sharp curve, we are passed by a north-bound HST, and then a second just before Tyne Yard. Tyne Yard contains a number of 66's and there is a single 56 in view.

Soon we leave the buildings behind and travel through the rolling hills of northern County Durham. There are occasional views of Penshaw Monument to the northeast. Familiar country. It's no distance to our first call, at Durham, with the view of the castle and cathedral. There are quite a few people waiting, most of them for the London train it seems. Quite a smoky departure from Durham.

We start slowing just before Tursdale Junction. I assume that we will be put inside for the 225, but it is only for a speed restriction about 50 yards long! There's a photographer with his dog on one of the old bridge abutments. There are stacks of steel sleepers and lengths of new rail by the Stockton lines at Ferryhill. There are a lot of people waiting at Darlington too. Here, a number of 142's are stabled under the magnificent root. The horn blast and the engine note reverberate when we depart. (An announcement - there are no seat reservation labels on the train - Newcastle was unable to provide any.) After Darlington, the North York Moors are visible in a slight haze to the the east.

At Northallerton Longlands Junction, we are put onto the slow lines. We slow to a crawl just north of Thirsk. The 225 whizzes past. We acclerate through the station, but we amble along from here all the way to Tollerton Junction where we are put back on the fast line. We're accelerating as we pass the London <-> Edinburgh half way sign. Just south of "The Sidings", a combine harvester is starting a field next to the line. The sun has gone in now, it's quite grey to the south and west. A cruiser is heading up river as we pass the NRM. There are a few people on the balcony. We come into York on platform 3. There's a VT HST in platform 5. It departs northward just before we depart to the south. We're 6 minutes down due to the slow running. Another smoky departure, passing the large number of new homes on both sides of the line.

Soon we're passing Colton Junction - we're routed via Doncaster, and the Leeds and Wakefield lines swing away to the west. The Trent valley power stations come into view. We pass under the Leeds to Selby line and then return to the original alignment of the ECML. More combine harvesters at work here. A small boat is heading west along the Navigation at Great Heck. Lots of level crossings as we get closer to Doncaster. Some retain the original brick signal boxes. Lots of hopper wagons in the yard at Doncaster. The only other train here is a 144. A 158 arrives. We cross to the west half way down the platform, to pass a 158, holding up 90233 in Railfreight Distribution colours south of the station. As we curve onto the Swinton line, an HST passes in the other direction. There is a glimpse of the sun through increasingly heavy cloud after we emerge from Conisbrough tunnel.

There are fishermen fishing the algae-covered waters at Swinton. A little further on, empty barges are tied up. There's a lot of industry and ex-industry on this stretch. The grey overcast doesn't help to lighten the scene. The motorway overhead at Meadowhall doesn't look too busy. A tram is just leaving the interchange station as we whiz through. We come into platform 8 at Sheffield. There's a MML-liveried HST in platform 6, some PTE 144's in the centre roads, and a FNW 150 on a Hope Valley train. A 170 is stationary just to the south of the station, presumably waiting for us. There's a loop just south of Sheffield, it hasn't seen a weed-killing train for a while - there a buddliea and weeds growing alongside and between the rails. The rails are shiny though, so it must see frequent use.

We cross the murky Chesterfield canal just before joining the Tinsley line north of Chesterfield with its twisted church spire. 66219 on loaded MGR's waits for us to pass. Lots of rowing boats on the river north of Belper. Just before Derby station, we pass a northbound 47-hauled service. We've made up time and we depart Derby only 1 minute late. A CT-liveried 170 arrives just before we depart. 47727 "Duke of Edinburgh's Award" is stabled on a rake of blue and grey MkI's just to the east of the London line. Another murky canal just before North Stafford Junction and the remains of the coal power station at Willington. A lot of new houses on either side of the line on the western outskirts of Burton-on-Trent. There's a shiny new voyager outside the new Central Rivers depot. The WCML flashes underneath at Tamworth. There's a bit of blue sky overhead and the sun is shining brightly over to the west. We pass a rail-served oil depot, then 4 31's and a 47 awaiting scrapping, then a number of swans and other wildfowl on a small lake. A pair of 66's is stationary just after we join the Nuneaton line.

High-rise flats and industry herald the approach of Birmingham. Then the run under the elevated motorway, Lawley Street Freightliner terminal, Saltley depot and we're swinging right to descend into New Street. Four Frieghtliner 66's wait just before Saltley. We stop just before the tunnel to New Street, although not for long.

Lots of 47's in evidence. I wander round and take a few photographs. The 4 Freightliner 66's pass through. Eventually, 47783 "Saint Peter" arrives at platform 4 on the 20 minutes delayed 18:05 to Wolverhampton . A quick uncouple and run-round, and it's ready at the south end of platform 4 for the 18:45 departure. We leave a couple of minutes down at 18:47, after 47783 is coupled to 82131.

Back out the same way, past Curzon Street (the line through Birmingham International and Coventry to Rugby is closed for engineering work). This time though, we head straight on at Water Orton, instead of curving left for Tamworth. We amble along for quite a while before picking up speed. Quite soon, we cross a canal and slow for the approach to Nuneaton, where we join the WCML. We snake our way across the tracks past 47782, 767 and 785 before coming to a stand at platform 4. 47783 is quickly uncoupled and heads forward. Silence descends. 87030 speeds through northbound. An HST follows it (presumably Holyhead-bound).

After a 10 minute wait, we depart right-time at 19:30. We're slowed by signals on the outskirts of Rugby. Lots of evidence of the demolition of the overall roof. Mainline Blue 58042, Grey 56046, 09103 and EWS-liveried 56 and 66 stand in the yard. People watch us as we bypass the station. After the station, the large number of radio masts are visible just to the east. (These MkIII's have been refurbished well - only the old carriage lighting controls give any indication of the age of the carriage.) Lots of containers in the rail terminal at Daventry. Ten minutes further on, we pass a shiny-new substation. We're brought to a stand by a red signal in the centre road at Northampton. After a minute or so, it clears to a single yellow and we wind our way slowly out of the station.

The Milton Keynes and Watford Junction stops pass in the dark. We arrive at Euston at 21:15. I walk to the rear of the train to see what's on the back. It's 86247 "Abraham Darby". It's drizzling. Over at platform 1, 90036 has brought in a rake of sleepers. 90019 is ready to be coupled to the other end. The station is quite quiet as this time of night - only a few trains are moving although several are stabled for the night. We don't depart on time - we are waiting for a guard - it's 23:43 before we leave.

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Day 2 (Monday)

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Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

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Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 2001.

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