Charter Operations
23/5/2013
West Coast pair 33207 and 33029 haul a 16 coach e.c.s back to Carnforth, past a newly relaid Morecambe South Junction. The 33s came off at Carnforth along with 5 coaches, and were replaced by a 47 which then continued to Bo'ness with the rest of the e.c.s.
The pair returned to Southall light engine
The pair returned to Southall light engine
22/5/2013
Just to the north of Lancaster, 86259 "Les Ross" heads the 1Z86 Euston- Carlisle charter. The 86 handed over to a kettle for the leg from Carnforth to Carlisle.
5/4/2013
57313 t'n't with 57316 working a5Z67 Carnforth - Crewe ECS Statesman stock for the following days Hereford-Carlisle charter
57316
1/2/2013
West Coast have not had the best of starts to the New Year with 47500 suffering a bad fire at Ordsall Jnct, Salford.
37516 heads 5Z37 Ardwick-WCRC with 47245 tailing, seen here passing Hest Bank
37516 heads 5Z37 Ardwick-WCRC with 47245 tailing, seen here passing Hest Bank
6/7/2012
Royal liveried 47798 tails 5Z45 to Ely
57601 leads a West Coast ECS to Ely, seen approaching a foot crossing at Keerholme, just to the north of Carnforth on the LNWR line. Oh, and it had stopped raining!!!!
3/7/2012
57001 departs Carnforth with 1Z10 Queen of Scots rake, WCRC jolly to Keith
30/6/2012
"Diamond Jubilee" heads a trial Glasgow-Southampton "Cruisesaver" train, formed mainly of ex-Virgin Mk2s, an Anglian coach and buffet, seen here entering Carnforth
10/6/2012
47854 "Diamond Jubilee" is seen backing onto the second part of 5z62 ecs prior to shunting into WCRC
Having arrived via the LNWR from Settle, 5Z63 heads through Carnforth into the loops before the ecs is shunted back into West Coast. Newly repainted 47580 clags southwards.
Tailing is 47851
12/4/2012
The sun disappeared for the 86 running off 1Z86 into Carnforth station
The sun re-appears as 86259 heads back out of Carnforth Station
22/3/2012
Bodysnatcher (and very claggy!!) 57001 departs from Carnforth heading over the wall, with the Royal Scotsman stock for the Summer season
57001 propels the Royal Scotsman stock into Carnforth Loops, prior to departure to "Braveheart" country.
25/2/2012
Fullus Dullus as 86259/E3137 "Les Ross" heads 1Z86 over the former Hest Bank troughs. The charter will run into the loop at Carnforth for the 86 to come off, and a kettle to take over.
4/2/2012
37676 and 37685 head out of Lancaster towards Morecambe South Junction with 1Z32 "The West Highland way" railtour on 4/2/2012
47773 (D1755) tails 1Z27, which had a kettle on the front, seen here passing Bolton-le-Sands level crossing, slowing for a water stop at Carnforth. The date was 12/11/2011
The rare appearance of the sun lights the side of the 5Z40 Northern Belle ecs to Scotland, as 47790 and 47832 head past Morecambe South Junction on 6/9/2011. The working was delayed by over an hour, as the WCML had flooding issues at various locations, due to heavy rain in the previous 24 hours.
Yet another paint job for 47832, freshly outshopped in Northern Belle livery, as it arrives with 47790 at Carnforth on 27/8/2011 with a Northern Belle charter from Wilmslow to Ravenglass.
The Northern Belle passes the former site of Hest Bank Troughs, with 47790 and 47818 heading to Edinburgh for the Tattoo, on 20/8/2011.
Large Logo 47580 leads 5Z21 through Carnforth station, departing early to Lincoln, on 29/7/2011. Tailing was 47760.
Despite " the wrong kind of weeds on the line", 47760 runs round Carnforth station to tail the 5Z21 ecs to Lincoln.
Friday 22/7/2011 and Large Logo 47580 enters Lancaster with an ecs working to Chester. The tail loco was 47760.
The Northern Belle working on 22/7/2011, produced 47818 top and tail with 47790 on 1Z22 heading to Cheshire for the Tatton Hall Flower bash .
Producing lots of blue clag, 55022 heads to Doncaster at Starricks Farm on the LNWR near Carnforth. The date was 8/7/2011.
Another view of the ecs with 55022.
20308 and 20309 tail 5Z37 through the fasts at Lancaster station on Friday 24/6/2011. 57601 was on the front of the ecs to Gloucester.
The 1Z65 Northern Belle arrives at Lancaster at 11.51, with 47832 at the head. This train waited on the fast line, and departed to it's final destination, Oxenholme, at 12.38.
On 24/6/2011, 5Z23 departs Carnforth in glorious sunshine, with 47851 leading the ecs to Norwich,
and Large Logo 47580 tailing.
47810 and 47501 head the latest Cruise Saver, from Glasgow to Southampton, past Hest Bank on a dull morning, 23/6/2011
West Coast Crompton 33207 rounds the curve into Lancaster on Friday 27/5/2011 with 5Z72 ecs working to Crewe
Northern Belle livery has been applied to 47790, which had been at Keighley for the day on filming duties, and is seen here passing just south of Morecambe South Junction with 5Z52 on 24/5/2011
On Friday 20th May, rounding the curve from Morecambe South Junction, 1Z43 "The Northern Belle" approaches the outskirts of Lancaster. DRS Compass 47832 tops a rake of Chocolate and Cream stock.
At the rear was 47810. In the background can be seen the folly that is the Ashton Memorial overlooking Lancaster.
West Coast Rail's 57601 passes south of Morecambe South Junction with 5Z78 ecs working to Bristol Temple Meads on Friday 13th May 2011.
86101 passes Morecambe South Junction with 1Z86 Watford to Edinburgh Charter on Friday 6th May 2011, in the dull.
47810 and 47832 head 5Z45 north towards MSJ, on a dull afternoon. This was the ecs movement for the first Cruise Saver train they would operate, with 47810 being named upon arrival at Southampton. The date was Monday 18/4/2011.
37676 and 37685 tail 5Z40 through the fast lines at Lancaster, with an ecs move to Taunton on Friday 25/3/2011. On the front was 57601.
On the same day, West Coast had another ecs stock move to Barnetby. This working, 5Z10, departs Carnforth with 47786 on the front...
..........and 47851 on the rear
As preparation for their Cruise Saver and Northern Belle operations, DRS undertook a period of Driver training in Scotland before returning back south. Here, 47802 and 47712 head a rake of Mk 2s back from Inverness to Crewe, past MSJ, running slightly early at this point. And it had just started to rain!! The date was 11/3/2011.
55022 passes MSJ on Friday 4/3/2011 with the ecs stock for the positioning charter from Preston to London. This was in readiness for a Kings Cross to Edinburgh working the following day. The Deltic has had all the fuel tanks, buffers, hand rails, brake pipes painted specially for the trip and looked immaculate as it passed me. On the rear was West Coast 57601.
In connection with the 6 nations rugby, 67021 heads a rugby charter from South Wales to Edinburgh, past Morecambe South Junction on Friday 11/2/2011
BARS 31s made a welcome return to Charter operations this year. 31454 and 31601 approach Lancaster slowly with a returning Charter from Carlisle on Wednesday 2nd March. At this time the sun had just set and light was rapidly fading, so I was grateful that they literally crawled past me.