Part 2 (June - July)

47787 'Windsor Castle' is pictured on arrival at Crewe with 1A77 1323 from Holyhead. The train was terminating here today due to a week-long engineering blockade on the WCML (01/06/2004)

47750 - EWS' other surviving '47' - could be found in Platform 10 at Crewe the same afternoon (01/06/2004)

A '47/3' at Norwich: it takes you back ten years or more! Fragonset's 47355 'Avocet' awaits departure with NENTA's 1Z45 0648 charter to Scarborough. (05/06/2004)

1Z45 had reversed at Ipswich, with '703 continuing forward to Yorkshire. The stock was booked to run to York and back for watering, and 47355 is seen here departing Scarborough with the empties at lunchtime (05/06/2004)

47355 'Avocet' waits to depart Scarborough with 1Z46 1735 return charter to Norwich, which it worked as far as Ipswich. A week of night shifts had finally caught up with me, and I slept through most of what was described as a 'lively' run up the ECML (05/

The following morning 47714 is seen here at Great Yarmouth with 5G54 1012 ecs back to Norwich. Additional loco-hauled shuttles were running in connection with Channel 4's 'Pop Beach' Music Festival at the resort, the first of which had just arrives behind

Just to prove it hadn't been an illusion, here's another look at 47355 stabled at Norwich with the stock off the previous day's NENTA charter (06/06/2004)

47714 arrives back at Norwich with 5G58 1311 empty stock move from Yarmouth. Several of us had opted for a fast taxi back from the coast rather than risk a very small 'plus' off the unit behind (06/06/2004)

On the rear of the incoming set was sister Cotswold Rail machine 47200 'The Fosse Way', which then worked 1G58 1355 back to Yarmouth, the last of the additional trains from Norwich (06/06/2004)

A game of crazy golf and a trip to the Pleasure Beach helped to pass the afternoon at the seaside. 47714 is pictured here waiting to depart Great Yarmouth with the first return train after the event, 1G59 1915 to Norwich

47787 'Windsor Castle' waits to depart Holyhead with the SO 1A77 1323 to Crewe (12/06/2004)

Former FGW 47830 catches the evening sunshine at Crewe before working forward to Holyhead with 1D89 1720 ex-Euston (12/06/2004)

The next morning 47830 is seen in the yard at Holyhead with the stock for 1T61 1345 to Chester (18/06/2004)

With me not being required at work until Monday evening, Sunday night B&B's at Holyhead were becoming the norm. 47787 'Windsor Castle' departs Chester with 1A49 0920 Holyhead-Euston (14/06/2004)

47851 'Traction Magazine' is pictured at Chester with the SuO 1D87 1325 shuttle to Holyhead (20/06/2004)

The line between Chester and Crewe was closed on Sundays for the whole of June, meaning that two rakes of Mkllls were effectively trapped on the 'Coast' on a Saturday night. Rather than sit idle at Holyhead, they were cleverly deployed on three return tri

The other rake in use that day was top-and-tailed by 47828 'Severn valley Railway' and 47787 'Windsor Castle'. The former is pictured in the yard at Chester after working 1A61 1345 from Holyhead (20/06/2004)

An increasingly familiar scene, as 1A49 0920 Holyhead-Euston departs Chester on a Monday morning, this week with 47830 in charge (21/06/2004)

47826 'Springburn' is pictured on arrival with 1A77 1323 Holyhead-Euston during the loco-change at Crewe (21/06/2004)

The other former FGW machine now reassigned to Virgin duties - 47816 - was on standby duty at Crewe prior to working forward to Holyhead on '1D89' later that evening (21/06/2004)

47826 'Springburn' waits to depart Holyhead with 1A75 1610 to Chester (27/06/2004)

Due to a succession of loco failures the previous day, there were insufficient '47s' for the Chester shuttles to be top-and-tailed, so 47826 worked its trains alone and ran round at either end. 'Springburn' is seen here waiting time at Llandudno Junction

The next morning 47826 departs Chester en route back to Crewe with 1A49 0920 Holyhead-Euston. 47830 is 'd.i.t.' after suffering a turbo-charger failure whilst en route to Holyhead with '1T62' on the Saturday afternoon (28/06/2004)

And now for something completely different: 47358+47303 'Freightliner Cleveland' shatter the afternoon tranquility at Colton as they head south along the ECML with 4L79 1607 Wilton-Felixstowe. At the time these were two of Freightliner Intermodal's last t