RAILS and WINGS and OTHER THINGS: February 2025

16th NOVEMBER 2024: 60007 SIR NIGEL GRESLEY & 44871 BLACK 5 AT YORK WITH CHRISTMAS WHITE ROSE EXCURSIONS.

Today there were two Christmas excursions from 'down south' up to York. 1Z66 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 44871 Black 5. Sir Nigel set off in darkness at 05:59 hrs from platform 2 at St. Albans station and 'Black 5' 44871 st off from Kings Cross station, also in darkness at 07:39 hrs.

First to arrive at the station was 60007 A-4 Class 4-6-2, 'Sir Nigel Gresley at 12:19 hrs, platform 9. This locamotive always draws the crowd and today was no exception.

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley approaces platform9.

I chose my spot on platform 10. As you can imagine, the platform was packed with enthusiasts. It was really a scrum to take photos and the seucurity staff had their hands full.

Photos don't do justice to any locomative and this is never more true than now with this gleaming blue steel engine.

Speed Record plaque on side of Cab.

Once all the passengers had disembarked, the locomotive steamed-up and moved off to the north sidings with its rake of coaches and class 47 D1924 'Crewe Diesel Depot'back to make way for 'Black 5' 44871 to enter alonside platform 9.

D1924 Crewe Diesel Depot.

An hour after 60007 had moved off from platform 9, Black 5' 44871 moved in. Most of the sightseers had departed, only the enthusiasts remained.

44871 'Black 5' pulls in alongside P9 at York Rail Station.

Black 5 44871 arrives P9 York Rail Station.

44871 'Black 5' lets off steam & moves of to North Sidings York Rail Station.

Well that was a decent outing. Two steam locomotives in one visit. That reminds me, I must visit the Museum soon!

TPE 802212 arrives P10 bound for Newcastle.

LNER Azuma 800106 for Aberdeen at P11.

Cross Country Class 220 pulls alongside P10.

Cross Country 221114 P10.

RJC

END

23rd NOVEMBER 2024: 1Z82 BARROW-IN-FURNESS (THE CHRISTMAS WHITE ROSE) to YORK with 61306 'MAYLOWER'.

What a day! Was going to get to York early to catch the 07:29 departure of 'The Lanashire Fusilier', but it was dark (4am), cold and raining buckets! So I went back to bed. Got up later and took the 11:11am train up to York for my first ever meeting with 61306 'Mayflower'.

As usual for a Saturday, the station was busy with visitors to York and the Christmas season is upon us, so that doesn't help. It was cold and very wet, the rain was constant. So staying under cover was essential. Enthusiasts are a friendly bunch and we passed the time chatting.

'Mayflower' was due in at 12:21pm, but an announcement over the tannoy indicated that the scheduled time would slip due to the inclement weather east of Leeds. Indeed, 61306 was 30 minutes down before I left home at 10:30am.

Still, staying under cover against the relentless rain, I execrcised my camera and chatted to others. Another anouncement: "The Charter Train will arrive on platform 11". Everybody races to the platform against the tide of passengers arriving for a days shopping.

'Mayflower' finally arrives...at platform 11.

As you'd expect on platform 11, it's quite tight for space at the north end as all the enthusiasts pack the platform. But at 13:20hrs, 59 minutes behind schedule, 1Z82, 61306 'Mayflower steadily rolled alonside platform 11. What a great-looking steam loco and my first for this one. A passenger who alighted from the train asked me to take a photo of him and his family beside 'Mayflower' amongst the scrum of sightseers. Eventually I made my way towards the front of the platform. Unfortunately, I was getting soaked and more importantly, so too was my camera! Photos taken, 61306 slowly moved off to the North Sidings.

'Mayflower' departs the station for the North Sidings.

Now, a mad scramble to get my train home at 2pm and to get my camera dry and myself too!

61306 Mayflower at platform 11 York Rail Station.

61306 Mayflower buffer detail.

61306 Mayflower cab detail.

61306 Mayflower nameplate.

61306 Mayflower steams up ready to depart platform.

61306 Mayflower departs to sidings.

TPE class 185, 2x3 car train nos, 114 & 118 departs platform 3.

TPR 185114&118 Saltburn-Manchester Airport at P3.

Freightliner 66553 passes platform 5 south at York Rail Station.

Freightliner 66553 pulls up at signal to await passing train.

66730 leads 66756 as they pass platform 3.

66553 gets the 'GO' light, withh 66416 at the tail.

1V58 service 220004&002 Edinburgh-Penzance at P5.

Service 9M31 TPE 802218 Newcastle-Liverpool Lime St at York Rail Station.

155344 service 2R90 Bridlington-York arrives P1 York Rail Station .

Network Rail IMVU 153311 York Sidings.

My ride back home departs P1 Doncaster Rail Station.

Please note, the time on photos is incorrect. It is still showing BST.

RJC

END.

21ST NOVEMBER 2024: 5Z55 TYSELEY STEAM TRUST to ORTON MARE (45596 BAHAMAS) at PETERBOROUGH RAIL STATION.

Having laid my lovely wife's ashes to rest this morning on our 32nd Wedding Anniversary. I needed to getaway and do something trivial. So I took a train-ride down to Peterborough. I arrived there with 35 minutes to spare as the arrival of 45596 wasn't due until 14:05hrs.

45596 Bahamas with Support Coach arrives alonside platfom 4. You always get one who's not in position and spoils the photo! Thanks for that!!

Bitterly cold but the Sun, low in the sky, was out in a clear blue sky. No many enthusiasts around, well it was a work-day. At the last moment, there was a platform change that neccessitated a quick walk/jog over to the other platform. No sooner had I got on the platform and 45569 was at the north-end of the platform and closing fastish. It would only be on station for a few minutes for a passing train and then it was off.