---

Day 3 : Tuesday 28 August 1999

06:33. We've stopped - I'm off the rear of the platform at Watford Junction. A pair of 86's, one in Freightliner livery, are drawing into Willesden yard with a northbound train. 66002 is light engine at the south end. 06:52 - arrival at Euston and breakfast. It's raining again. 90030 "Freiconnection" has brought the sleeper from Glasgow.

As it stops raining, I decide to head along Euston Road to the magnificent frontage of St. Pancras. 43083 and 43073 are on the 08:55 to Nottingham. The sun is coming out as we leave. It's a slow run for the first few miles - we don't really accelerate until West Hampstead. I watch the scenery over breakfast. North of St. Albans, the mist is starting to lift. We pass 66084 at Harpenden and we overhaul a Thameslink (and pass a southbound one) a few miles south of Bedford. We are 6 late into Bedford. 55029 "Marston Vale" and 55031 "Leslie Crabb" are the 09:46 to Bletchley.

The driver puts up the blinds, so I get a view along the line. We are halted at the home at Lidlington as the level crossing gates are not shut. The signalman has a word with the driver. 117701 is the other set, so I decide that I'll head back to London as the 31-hauled set doesn't appear to be running today. We are halted just outside Bletchley. 60023 reverses its train toward the station. Three 31's and 2 coaches are shunting in the yard. After a 6 minute wait and a long conversation with the 'box, we pass the signal (BY26) at red. 60023 has reversed its train into the roadstone terminal. The hold up was due to a points failure.

I catch the delayed 10:41 to Birmingham (also delayed by the points failure) which departs at 10:49. 321413 as far as Northampton. We pass three southbound freights on the way. There's a 37 in the yard and 321433 in the north bay. 08580 is in the siding beyond the bay. '433 comes out of the bay to form the 11:30 to Euston. 319006 in Connex livery arrives with the 11:32 to Rugby.

No freight has passed while I'm at the station. We leave past the derelict signal box and through Hunsbury Hill tunnel. A northbound freight passes us here, and another after we join the main line. The weather has been getting better after a light shower on the Marston Vale line - now the sun is shining brightly. 87018 "Lord Nelson" is waiting at Milton Keynes as we arrive. I see 31452 at the head of the Bedford train as we pass Bletchley. I should have stayed after all! 87018 overhauls us just south of the station. Another Euston-bound express hurtles past as we slow almost to a stand at Tring. A pair of tampers are in the south end sidings. We accelerate again - onto the fast behind the express. Lots of moored boats on the canal - only one moving just north of Hemel Hempstead. Past Willesden again - 92's much in evidence along with 90's and a named, Mainline blue liveried 58. 66069 is waiting on northbound Cargowaggons next to the container terminal. A pair of black liveried 08's and an 87 at Wembley depot. 47757 "Restitution" is standing just outside Euston. 90017 is stabled between platforms 15 and 16.

A Circle line train arrives soon after I get to Euston Square. We are turfed out at Edgeware Road as there is no driver. 30 seconds later, we are allowed back on - a driver has been found. Paddington is less of a construction site than when I was here last year - the impressive overall roof is mostly visible. 43129 and 43182 are on the 13:45 to Bristol. Just before we depart, 47845 "Women's Royal Voluntary Service" arrives at the adjacent platform with a Virgin train from Birmingham.

On time departure. A Thameslink 319 shares North Pole depot with 3 Eurostars. 66's, 60's and another Mainline blue 58 are stabled in the yard at West Ealing. 31420 and 203 look ready to depart at the west end. A Hanson liveried 59 with matching wagons pass us in Sonning Cutting heading east. A mixed set of ARC and Hanson JHA's is in the centre road at Reading, headed by 59001 "Yeoman Endeavour". There's only 08804 at Reading West yard.

A pair of Thames Turbos flashes past just before Didcot, where 59's, 60's and 37's are visible. Swindon (works no more) is our next stop. We are a few minutes early, so there is a delay before we restart. 47287 is stabled just west of the station. The English Heritage flag flies over part of the old works. We soon take the left fork at Wooten Bassett Junction - for Chippenham and Bath. Soon too, the blue sky disappears to be replaced by cloud. It's raining heavily by Chippenham, although it's lighter to the west. Through Box and Middle Hill tunnels and into the Avon valley. It's stopped raining now. Through Sydney Gardens and into Bath Spa with its pleasant prospect.

Sunshine and showers from Bath to Bristol. Two narrowboats are heading up the Avon just where it passes under an old railway bridge (the old Midland route to Bath). 08896 "Stephen Dent" is out at Barton Hill. We arrive in Bristol at 15:19. Hardly any of the information screens are working. There are a fair number of staff around to help though on some platforms. However, people still wander backward and forward. 60020 arrives between platforms 11 and 13 on a freight, and 47805 arrives at platform 6 with a Plymouth train. I miss getting a photograph of either. I take a picture of DB999600/1 instead.

A number of 15x's and HST's arrive and depart. 37407 "Blackpool Tower" arrives at platform 9 at 15:59. The driver and guard disappear, but reappear at 16:20. It's raining again as we leave Bristol. A slow exit until we're on the Bath line, then the engine is opened up. Lots of horn is used through the tunnels. Back to Bath Spa. Lots of people get on here. A full power start from Bath, and lots of horn again through the tunnels. Very impressive from the front carriage. I think that the driver must be an enthusiast himself. Shortly after leaving Bath, we branch right for Westbury at Bathampton Junction. The rain has stopped.

We wind along close to the river Avon. While we wait at Bradford on Avon, a 158 on the Waterloo to Manchester pulls in. Rain again by Trowbridge. The driver has to get out to shut a door. The wheels slip with another full-power start. Three 59's, a 66, 60018 and 08947 "Margaret" at Westbury. It's a slow run through Frome and we arrive at Castle Cary 3 minutes down. The sun comes out. Once again, the sound of the 37 can be heard for several minutes before insect and bird song takes over - cars are a bit more frequent this time though. A track machine is stabled in the siding. I talk to a gentleman who has come to pick up his daughter and family from a trip to Legoland in Denmark.

43012 is on the front of the 18:16 (43151 is on the rear). Across the Somerset levels in bright sunshine to Cogload Junction where the Bristol line joins us with a flying junction and shortly to Taunton. Past Cowley Bridge Junction on the approach to Exeter. Lots of wagons again in Riverside yard, along with 60020. The track recording unit plus a car carrier in the bay (platform 2). 60020 comes through the station after the HST and a Birmingham-bound 158 have departed. The TRC heads off east just after the Barnstaple to Exeter Central arrives. The station is well kept and retains a number of GWR and BR(W) platform seats. The TRC returns and stops at platform 1, which now contains the 19:21 to Exmouth (platform 1a), the 19:26 to Central, and the TRC. 66057 brings a short TTA (tanker) train through just before the Paddington train arrives with 43186 on the front (43011 on the rear).

Tiverton Parkway again - quite a few cars in the car park, even at 19:45. Taunton - 143010 is the local to Severn Beach. A handful of people change here. Castle Cary, where a westbound HST arrives and departs at the same time as us. At Westbury, 59101 is waiting to head west from the up sidings, and a Wales and West ECS is also waiting for us to pass. A westbound HST is just leaving Pewsey as we arrive. A number of locos are standing at Acton, then HEX's at their depot and Eurostars at theirs. Arrival in Paddington is at 22:02.

Work is progressing on the resurfacing of platforms 4 and 5. 47846 "Thor" is on the sleepers. 47813 "S.S. Great Britain" has brought them in. Two of the sleepers are in FGW livery, and there are also two FGW liveried Motorail vans on the rear. I'm in one of the refurbished sleepers - they seem to have done a slightly nicer job on these than on the refurbished Caledonian - it's not just sprayed purple and mauve.

---

Day 4 (Wednesday)

---

Introduction Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Timetable Mileages

---

Text and photographs Copyright J.D.Coleman 1999.

---