Our train was on time and for the second day running we had a ride behind
47 848 Newton Abbott Festival of Transport 2000, this time on
1S54, the 0550 Bournemouth-Edinburgh. This goes via Manchester Piccadilly
and Bolton before traversing the single track section via Darwen, the only
one of these diverted services to pass this way. Then on to Blackburn where
we were sufficiently early to allow the numerous enthusiasts to alight for
a leisurely photographic session. The weather was again bleak but at least
the rain had paused.
It was snowing at Hellifield and as we climbed, the snow became quite thick.
The fells looked very bleak in the snow but the lineside photographers were
not deterred, some of them having driven along treacherous looking country
lanes in search of a good location.
47 767 Saint Columba had been stabled in front of 47 847.
It ran north and is seen setting back ready to be coupled onto the front of
our service home, 1M28 Glasgow to Euston. When planning this trip, I was a
little anxious that we had only a short time in Carlisle and that Saturday
evening trains are sparse along the North Wales Coast and finish earlier than
on other days of the week. All was looking good though, and our 15:11 departure
shown as on time, though we didn't actually leave until 15:25 as our loco
was "being attended to by the fitter".
The platform displays were warning of overhead cable problems between Milton
Keynes and Watford Junction and I was glad we were going only as far as Crewe.
We should have known that the network as currently organised is so fragile
that such an incident can paralyse it. Innocent of such fears, we settled
back to enjoy the return ride, with a little sunshine as a bonus.