Passengers awaiting the 12:19 Crewe - Holyhead at Bangor shelter under the
canopy until 37 668 arrives
37 895 catches the low morning sun at Bangor on 23rd August on the
07:06 Chester - Holyhead
Bank Holiday Monday 28th August - a four day course in Manchester was scheduled
for the remainder of the week. I could rise at the break of dawn on Tuesday
or enjoy another "possibly my last" loco hauled ride to Manchester
by taking the 13:49 departure from Bangor. No contest! I had plenty of time
so the half hour delay flagged up on the monitor didn't bother me. The Virgin
HST breezed in and departed with almost every seat occupied followed a few
minutes later by 37 521 English China Clays to what sounded
like thunderous applause. That was just the holiday weather hammering on the
platform canopy - half an hour later as we approached Rhyl tourists were strolling
along the promenade in warm sunshine.
The faithful class 37 fan club was entrenched in the front coach but I opted for the fifties ambience of the chocolate and cream brake second. The five coach train was busy - very busy after Chester.
The Earlestown curve, of a radius normally found only on model railways
The Cheshire capital saw the remaining seats in our compartment taken by two young girls and their mother, returning to Doncaster. The elder girl, aged around 8, was very impressed with her surroundings and asked her mum if she'd book the same type of coach next time they travelled by rail. I didn't have the heart to explain they'd all be gone in a few weeks.
I alighted at Oxford Road and 37 521 continued the short distance to
Piccadilly.
This was the last NB class 37 on the Manchester run,
which went over to class 175 units at the start of the winter timetable. First
North Western insisted that freight locos would not be tolerated after the
end of August but...