March 2022

66790 approaches Pepper Road in Hunslet with an additional 6Z77 0800 Arcow - Doncaster Down Decoy. The load of stone was originally scheduled to depart the previous evening but had been trapped in the quarry overnight after an operational incident blocked the 'S&C' for several hours (01/03/2022)

47853 + 47593 await departure from Stevenage with 1Z37 0556 'Statesman' charter to Fort William. The pair worked the train in multiple as far as Craigendoran, where the 'BR blue' liveried machine ran round onto the rear due to weight restrictions on the West Highland Line (05/03/2022)

The following morning 47593 arrives into Fort William with the 5Z38 0820 empty stock from Tom na Faire sidings for Day 2 of the 'West Highland Statesman' tour (06/03/2022)

At the opposite end of the train and with evidence of the previous night's frost still visible on the cab roof, 47853 is readied for the departure of 1Z38 0850 to Mallaig (06/03/2022)

A couple of hours later, Driver Wylie looks on as 47853 awaits the arrival of a Glasgow-bound service at Arisaig (06/03/2022)

47593 basks in the morning sunshine after arriving in Mallaig on the rear of 1Z38 (06/03/2022)

Another view of 'Galloway Princess' at the head of what would shortly afterwards become 1Z39 1134 Mallaig - Fort William (06/03/2022)

47853 at the end of the line after arriving into Mallaig with 1Z38 0850 from Fort William. It's not the most photogenic of locations but on what was my first visit for almost nine years I felt obliged to record the occasion (06/03/2022)

A selection of faces old and new who helped to make the weekend a thoroughly enjoyable one (06/03/2022)

47853 on the rear of 1Z39 whilst the train was paused on Glenfinnan Viaduct for a pre-arranged photo stop (06/03/2022)

A chance encounter (hence the shadows!) with 47593 departing Fort William on the rear of 5Z39 1337 empty stock to Tom na Faire depot. We'd set off on a stroll out to the Ben Nevis Inn at the foot of the climb up to its namesake peak and had I been a minute or so quicker I'd have managed a half decent shot of 47853 which was leading the train. In the background are 66737 + 73967 which would work the evening London-bound Caledonian Sleeper service as far as Edinburgh (06/03/2022)

The third and final morning of the tour sees 47853 enjoying the sunshine at Rannoch whilst in charge of the 1Z40 0919 Fort William - Stevenage return leg (07/03/2022)

47593 + 47853 pause at Newcastle later that evening with 1Z40. 'Galloway Princess' had been run round from the rear at Craigendoran with the pair then working the train through to its destination in multi (07/03/2022)

47853 + 47501 arrive into Milton Keynes Central with the late-running 5Z44 0231 from Crewe HS after the presence of a freight train had initially prevented the pair from running round in the loop at Bletchley. From here the train returned back north as 1Z44 0613 to Fort William with the locos working in multiple as far as Mossend Yard (12/03/2022)

Night falls over Rannoch as 47853 brings up the rear of 1Z44 after running round in Mossend Yard (12/03/2022)

The following morning 47501 is pictured on the blocks at Fort William after arriving with 5Z45 0823 from Tom na Faire Depot (13/03/2022)

Having not been to Mallaig for nearly nine years, a couple of hours later I was paying my second visit to the West Highland terminus in eight days. 47853 is pictured on arrival with 1Z45 0850 from Fort William (13/03/2022)

47501 waits to depart from Mallaig with the 1Z46 1134 return leg to Fort William (13/03/2022)

As with last week's tour, the train was halted on Glenfinnan Viaduct for photographic purposes: this is the alternative view from the rear of the train with 47501 leading (13/03/2022)

After arriving back into Fort William I made a hasty dash down the road to try and record the departure of the empty stock: 47853 is seen leading 5Z46 1339 to the sidings (13/03/2022)

47501 brings up the rear of the train as it passes that night's Caledonian Sleeper locos 66739 + 73967 (13/03/2022)

On a beautiful late Winter's morning, 70813 speeds through Horbury Cutting with the 6E32 1005 bitumen empties from Preston Docks to Lindsey Oil Refinery (18/03/2022)

Half an hour later 66114 approaches Horbury Bridge from the direction of the cutting with the 6M16 0540 Wilton - Knowsley refuse containers (18/03/2022)

Freightliner's 66587 'As One We Can' makes a colourful sight as it passes Horbury Bridge with a rake of empty cement tanks forming the 6M87 1258 Dewsbury (Blue Circle) to Earles Sidings (18/03/2022)