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Day 2 : Monday 27 August 1999

It's wet and dismal at Waverley. 90030 "Freiconnection" had brought the sleepers in from Carstairs. It runs round and I chat to the driver (Jack Laughlin) and get to look around the cab. I take a photo of him and the engine, and take his address to send him a print, before they depart at 08:13. 86222 "Clothes Show Live" is on the 09:10 to Bournemouth. At least the rain has stopped by 08:50, although the station is still under a blanket of low cloud - the North British Hotel is invisible from the end of platform 10. The 09:00 GNER service to Kings Cross leaves from platform 11 in front of us, and is replaced by a Virgin HST before we leave, on time, at 09:10.

The low cloud persists as we head for Carstairs - visibility down to about 100 yards at times. After Carstairs, the cloud is somewhat higher, so at least I get to view the scenery. DRS have taken over Kingmoor shed - a number of 37's and 20's are visible, all but one 20 in DRS livery. After our stop at Penrith, through the scenic Lune Gorge, with lowering skies threatening to the south. Just after Oxenholme, a gap in the clouds allows the sun to shine briefly. It's soon raining again, although there's blue sky just visible at Preston, 86242 "James Kennedy G.C." is stabled here, having brought down a train from Glasgow. South of Preston, the sun is out. I decide not to change at Stafford, but to change at Crewe and take a few more photographs (if it stays sunny). The Alstom logo is visible as we pass Earlestown, then past the mail handling centre at Warrington. 60099 is stabled on an MGR east of the station. 66's, 08's, 60023 and 56041 are visible on the shed, and another 60 is waiting to enter the yard which is packed full of MGR wagons. We pass two light 47's between Warrington and Crewe.

47782 passes through Crewe with 86450 "St. Edmund" in tow. 153323 and half a 158 (in Central Trains livery) are an interesting combination on a Nottingham service. I see that 47513 heads a lineup of 47's west of the station. An 08 is busy shunting another 47 around the diesel depot. 158825 is the 13:52 to Liverpool Lime Street. It is delayed by the late-running Cornish Scot and departs at 14:00. Past Winsford and Hartford, this time taking the Runcorn/Liverpool line at Weaver Junction. Across the M56 and a view across the Cheshire plains with Helsby Hill on the left and Ellesmere port on the right. Then Runcorn (where it's 22°C) and across the Manchester Ship Canal and the Mersey. 09023 (EWS liveried) is stood by itself at Speke Junction. We grind round the curve after Wavertree station and pass Edge Hill. Then down to Lime Street (arrival at 14:42). The overall roof is invisible due to the amount of scaffolding. I discover worse when I head for platforms 7 - 9. It's still raining (and heavily in places) inside this side of the station! 47818 is on the 15:10 to Poole. 86231 "Starlight Express" had brought the stock in. Then it's back out the way I came - a good view of the road Bridge at Runcorn from this direction.

Crewe - 37426 is here again - this time in platform 9 - one of the north end bays. We have to wait as 43084 and 43094 leave (on the 15:48 to Holyhead) at 15:50, so we leave 2 minutes down at 15:52. We're put on the slow line and 90018 on a parcels gets the fast. It's just starting to rain again as we leave Crewe and it's grey and wet again by Stafford. The hanging baskets won't need watering today! We catch up with 90018 at Stafford, where it stands at the mail platform. We have arrived 8 minutes before our departure time. While we wait, 43180 and 43195 head past on the 09:50 Aberdeen to Birmingham.

The rain has eased off by the time we arrive at Wolverhampton. A narrowboat is making its way up the locks. It's only a brief let-up in the rain - as it's pouring down again before we leave. We travel slowly between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. I wonder if I'll make the Edinburgh train. The rain gets even heavier. We come to a stand at Smethwick Galton Bridge at our due time at New Street. A 47-hauled train passes us going the other way. 08 3783 in GWR livery is at Soho depot. More delays as we crawl from signal to signal. Another narrowboat heads north along the canal. Five minutes to spare at New Street. 47826 is on the 17:18 to Edinburgh and it's 3 minutes late!

We storm up through the tunnels. We pass another yellow-suited narrowboat steerer at Tipton. We manage Wolverhampton in 16 minutes versus 30 in the other direction. At Stafford, a set of 3 325's is at the mail platform. 87033 starts off south with a London train just after we arrive. We cross the Trent and Mersey canal just before picturesque Stone station. The canal is very brown here with all the rainfall. A number of wagons at Marcroft Engineering at Stoke. The station buildings could do with a clean and a paint. It's not raining quite as heavily here. Another fast start from Stoke. The canal is its usual orange colour north of Harecastle tunnel. It's time for the driver's supper to be delivered at Macclesfield. A patch of blue sky and it has stopped raining by Cheadle Hulme. A plane (Airbus?) is coming in to land just after we pass the station. A number of 309's are stabled at Stockport station. A panoramic view of lit-up Stockport as we cross the viaduct. A 156 overtakes us as we are halted by a signal north of Levenshulme.

87, 47, 309 and 305 visible at Longsight. A Virgin 47 and a FNW 156 at Piccadilly. We almost come to a stand at Deansgate, then it's over the canals to a halt at Ordsall Lane Jn. There's a 66 on a "binliner" at the waste terminal. We have a 3 minute wait at Bolton. While we're there, a 142 squeals through. Two minutes early into Preston where 47826 comes off. 86258 is the replacement. We arrive at Waverley 10 minutes early. 90033 is on the sleepers. I'm in coach A, at the front.

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Day 3 (Tuesday)

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Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

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Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 1999.

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