Part 3 (July - September)

A hasty decison by FM Rail to fit 47832 with multiple-working equipment for the SERCO contract after '355 had suffered a main generator flashover earlier in the week led to the sought-after 47145 appearing on the weekend NENTA charter. 'Myrddin Emrys' wai

47703 'Hermes' is pictured on arrival at Carlisle with 1Z31 after working forward from Ipswich via Wakefield, Copy Pit and the WCML (01/07/2006)

The 'gen' beforehand was that 'Ermintrude' was only going to work the legs between Norwich and Ipswich, and a double run-round would take place at Carlisle. However, on an an absolute scorcher of a day, '703 was feeling a little 'hot and bothered' on its

Riviera Trains' 47575 was returned to traffic for the East Lancashire Railway's July Diesel Gala, and is pictured on arrival at Heywood with the 0945 ex-Bury on 'Sulzer Day' (05/07/2006)

47402 'gateshead' pauses at Ramsbottom with 1J65 1020 Heywood-Rawtenstall (05/07/2006)

Three hours later it's the turn of 47575 to make the Ramsbottom stop with 1J71 1320 Heywood-Rawtenstall (05/07/2006)

With the 'Yorkshire Eye' in the background, 47712 'Artemis' waits to work forward from York on 1Z50 0754 Kings Cross-Hexham 'Blue Pullman' landcruise (07/07/2006)

The 'West Highlander' was booked for electric traction out of London, with the '47s' taking over at York for the run to Scotland via the Tyne Valley. The dedicated 'Blue Pullman' pair of 47709 + 47712 await the train's arrival in the Parcel Sidings (07/07/2006)

Friday's itinerary included an afternoon break in Hexham, where 47709 is seen waiting to drag the train back from the station into the goods loop after passengers had alighted (07/07/2006)

47712 'Artemis' stands in the loop east of the station prior to working 1Z51 1625 Hexham-Dumbarton Central. The journey north continued via Carlisle, Holytown , Mossend and Springburn (07/07/2006)

The next morning, 47709 'Dionysos' arrives at Dumbarton Central with the stock for 1Z21 0812 to Inverness (08/07/2006)

After running via Stirling, Perth and Dundee, 47709 pauses at Aberdeen with 1Z21 before continuing 'over the top' to Inverness via Elgin. '712 worked the return leg via Pitlochry to Dalmuir later that evening (08/07/2006)

Day 3 of the Blue Pullman's 'West Highlander' weekend was, appropriately, a trip along the West Highland line to Fort William. 47709 'Dionysos' is seen arriving into the platform at Dumbarton Central having shunted the empty stock (09/07/2006)

In appalling mid-summer weather conditions, 47712 leads 1Z23 0914 Dumbarton-Fort William around the 'horseshoe curve' (09/07/2006)

The new order at Fort William: 47854 and 47709 stand side-by-side with the 'Royal Scotsman' and 'Blue Pullman' respectively. Out of shot in the adjacent sidings there was the '67' for the overnight 'sleeper' to London. A few years earlier such a scenario

47854 powers away from Fort William en route back from Mallaig with 1H86 0750 Spean Bridge-Taynuilt. The original intention had been for the 'West Highlander' to visit Mallaig today until it was realised there was nowhere it could pass the 'Royal Scotsman

On our way back south, 47854 was visible outside the former goods shed at Crianlarich. '47s' are banned from the Oban line becaude of weight restrictions, so the 'Scotsman' had continued forward to Taynuilt behind the '37' that had brought the train down

47703 'Hermes' leads 47709 into Dumbarton Central with the empty stock for 1Z20 0845 to Edinburgh Waverley (10/07/2006)

47703 had been the standby loco at Dumbarton all weekend in case of an unforseen problems with 709 or 712, and it worked the train down to Edinburgh as a positioning move on the Monday morning. With the 'Pullman' heading back to London with electric tract

47402 basks in the morning sun at Bury with the 0945 to Heywood (16/07/2006)

'Gateshead' is pictured again at Bury en route back north with the 1020 Rawtenstall-Heywood (16/07/2006)

Its duties for the day almost complete, 47402 pauses at Ramsbottom with the 1620 Heywood-Rawtenstall (16/07/2006)

Two 'Generators' in the space of a week... 47401 'North Eastern' waits to depart from the loop at Riddings with the return leg of the 1209 round trip from Hammersmith during a privately-chartered running day the the MRB (22/07/2006)

The 'pioneer' is pictured again during a lunch-break at Swanwick Junction during the 1302 round trip from Hammersmith (22/07/2006)