Sunday 30 October 2016

Crewe, 21st October 2016


57307 Lady Penelope marked for '20 Years of Direct Rail Services' as a Thunderbird standby. Originally D1901 delivered from Brush in September 1965, later 47225 which operated for Freightliner. Rebuild to 57307 completed in September 2003.

57312 Solway Princess was seen shffling around the station a couple of times. New as D1811 from Brush, Loughborough in February 1965. 47330 from April 1974, 47390 for a while in 1994-5. Out of service from June 2000, and readied for 57/3 conversion in June 2003, emerging in October as 57312 The Hood. Suffered a near withdrawal experience in early 2013.


86628 seen coming around from Crewe Electric. New as E3159 from English Electric Vulcan Foundry in May 1966, entering traffic in July that year. Later 86028, 86328 and 86428. Now one of 15 currently active Class 86/6's, it has run as Aldaniti,

66030 arrives from the north with the regular Friday 6K32 wagon repair turn from Warrington Arpley (10:53) to Marcroft at Stoke (now Axiom Rail).

Formation was 391122 + 391694 + 391645 + 391689 + 391529 (all MEAs, converted from HEAs in 1995-2004) + 81 70 4908 031-7 (FKA twin container flat, Thrall Europa 1999 for EWS)

MEA 391694.

37069 + 37604 arrived and reversed in the Platform 8 to access Gresty Bridge DRS depot.

37069 was new from English Electric Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns (Darlington) as D6769 in July 1962. Renumbered as 37069 in July 1974. Sent to France in July 1999, returning in October 2000 and stored WNXX at Wigan CRDC. Selected for overhaul at Brush for DRS, arriving at Loughborough in February 2002, released to traffic in August 2003. Stored in May 2012, overhauled at RVEL Derby from July 2015, returning to traffic in October of that year, allocated to pool for XHNC nuclear traffic.

37604 was new from English Electric Vulcan Foundry (Newton le Willows) as D6707, allocated to March, on 3rd February 1961. Renumbered 37007 in February 1974. Heavy General Overhaul at Crewe October 1985 - April 1986, emerging as 37506. Renumbered 37604 for European Passenger Services in April 1995, transferred to DRS in October 2007 and currently allocated to pool XHNC. At a recent 6592 engine hours, this is one of the lower time Class 37s in the DRS fleet.