August 2023

45699 'Galatea' accelerates through Stourton Cutting with the late-running 1Z67 0752 Carnforth - Scarborough. Today's 'Scarborough Spa Express' had been held back for over an hour to allow a preceding stone train to depart Hellifield Loop, where it had spent the night following disruption in Airedale the previous evening (03/08/2023)

47805 + 47712 await departure from Derby with 1Z25 0525 'Statesman' charter to Penzance (05/08/2023)

Another view of the pair at Derby shortly before departure. Ironically this weekend had originally been chosen for a re-run of 47712's February tour of Scotland with the Mk3 push-pull set but that had been postponed due to a shortage of suitably-priced accommodation (05/08/2023)

After a near six-hour run via the Lickey and Bridgwater, 47805 + 47712 are pictured during a very welcome shorth break for leg-stretch at Plymouth (05/08/2023)

Journey's end and a right-time arrival at the Cornish terminus (05/08/2023)

Clear blue skies prevailed throughout our stay in Penzance, which at one stage threatened to be somewhat longer than the allotted two and a half hours as Storm Antoni deposited a collection of trees and garden sheds onto the main line west of Taunton. Looking almost directly into the sun, 47712 + 47805 are seen here waiting to depart with the 1Z26 1605 return leg to Derby (05/08/2023)

Mission accomplished: some eight hours later and after a surprisingly uneventful run back north, 47712 + 47805 are pictured on arrival back into Derby (05/08/2023)

The rear-end view from Balm Road in Hunslet of 37116 and 37254 top-and-tailing 1Q67 1631 Holgate Sidings - Wigan North Western (24/08/2023)

Some fifteen minutes later 66771 'Amanda' accelerates towards Pepper Road with 6H97 1531 Rylstone Tilcon - Peterborough West Yard. Although the light's hopelessly wrong at this time of day, I literally had to hang around for just a couple of minutes as I was walking home to record a train I suspect I'll rarely attempt to capture on camera (24/08//2023)

40013 'Andania' passes through Horbury Cutting at the head of 1Z70 0936 Crewe - York, which was a private charter to mark the 50th Birthday of a member of LSL staff (25/08/2023)

The remarkable sight of a Brush Type 4 working a timetabled passenger train occurred for the second time this year when Freightliner's 47830 was called upon to rescue 68031 'Felix' after the latter had failed a few miles into its journey with TPE's 1U47 1135 Manchester Piccadilly - Scarborough. 0Z47 1053 Earles Sidings to Earles Sidings road learner was diverted to Guide Bridge, and proceeded wrong-line to Fairfield before coupling to the Mk5 set at the signal immediately west of the station. Once under way the ensemble continued as far as Stalybridge, where the service terminated. "Beeching's Legacy" then ran round and took the empty stock to Longsight via the Ordsall Chord (30/08/2023)