47403
Established Member
Due to a mixture of work and the Christmas and New Year shake up, its fair to say, since 2018 arrived, ive done absolutely nothing railway related in the slightest, in fact the festive period had completely swallowed my railway mojo. I think it was roughly a week into it before I identified a loco, what i could call the first sighting of the year. That dubious honours went to 91128 followed by 66745 and 66570 became the first cop of the year, as it trundled through on an Engineers train, bound for the King Eddie Bridge and Newcastle Central engineering work, should anyone really care.
I have missed a few locos i needed for sight, mainly on the Sellafield-Seaton flasks (6E44 coming and either 6M60 or 0M60 going back) but if your at work,there's nowt you can do about it, frustrating as it is, its just tough, No money=no trips out etc.
A 3rd week into January and I was on a couple of days off and whilst browsing various bits of social media, I read some gen on the days 6E44, 2 clockwork cats too and more important to me, both needed for the book of sights, so I planned a walk out the house to intercept them, on their way back to Sellafield. As i set off 325014 raced towards Tyne Yard from Craigentinny. First time ive seen one move in daylight on the ECML for a good while.
I wandered on, enjoying the fresh air, whilst checking RTT, to see how the 6M60 had progressed. I'd arrived at my intended viewing spot and had about 10mins, so I poured myself a coffee from the flask, as 142017 and 156451 passed before 88009 & 88010 duly added themselves to the book of sights, I was very happy to have roped them in. The day after I see a Donny IEP depot to Glasgow Central working on RTT and subsequent delve into finding some gen, reveals it's 800s on test and it's not 800101 thankfully. So dive minutes before it was due I walk up the street and sit on the wall, having a smoke when 800003 & 800004 whizz through. I've had 1 cop in three weeks now I've got 4 entries to the Book of Sights in 2 days. Then on that very same Evening I read 2 bits of news, firstly that there's a 67 dragging a 385 North tonight from the Hitachi plant but also the 37s on the Cumbrian Coast may well be goners by the 27th of January. However I'm told, they've a stay of execution, due to training on the 68s not being complete and for a while one turn would remain, for a while anyway. It got the cogs turning into trip mode, at long last and that evening I made a plan of sorts to get out and have a day on the rails.. Around 23.45 I walked up the street, sat on the same wall having a smoke, hearing first then seing 67002, dragging a brand new 385014 up to Craigentinny. I sauntered back down the street and went to bed.
All I need now was a days holiday for next week's plan to bear fruit. As expected my gaffer said, No problem. My railway mojo was back. Over the course of the next few days, I deliberated what to do, wether or not to involve an overnight stay or Not, that would involve going straight after work. I decided not to add the extra expense and decided an early start would suffice.
More to follow
I have missed a few locos i needed for sight, mainly on the Sellafield-Seaton flasks (6E44 coming and either 6M60 or 0M60 going back) but if your at work,there's nowt you can do about it, frustrating as it is, its just tough, No money=no trips out etc.
A 3rd week into January and I was on a couple of days off and whilst browsing various bits of social media, I read some gen on the days 6E44, 2 clockwork cats too and more important to me, both needed for the book of sights, so I planned a walk out the house to intercept them, on their way back to Sellafield. As i set off 325014 raced towards Tyne Yard from Craigentinny. First time ive seen one move in daylight on the ECML for a good while.
I wandered on, enjoying the fresh air, whilst checking RTT, to see how the 6M60 had progressed. I'd arrived at my intended viewing spot and had about 10mins, so I poured myself a coffee from the flask, as 142017 and 156451 passed before 88009 & 88010 duly added themselves to the book of sights, I was very happy to have roped them in. The day after I see a Donny IEP depot to Glasgow Central working on RTT and subsequent delve into finding some gen, reveals it's 800s on test and it's not 800101 thankfully. So dive minutes before it was due I walk up the street and sit on the wall, having a smoke when 800003 & 800004 whizz through. I've had 1 cop in three weeks now I've got 4 entries to the Book of Sights in 2 days. Then on that very same Evening I read 2 bits of news, firstly that there's a 67 dragging a 385 North tonight from the Hitachi plant but also the 37s on the Cumbrian Coast may well be goners by the 27th of January. However I'm told, they've a stay of execution, due to training on the 68s not being complete and for a while one turn would remain, for a while anyway. It got the cogs turning into trip mode, at long last and that evening I made a plan of sorts to get out and have a day on the rails.. Around 23.45 I walked up the street, sat on the same wall having a smoke, hearing first then seing 67002, dragging a brand new 385014 up to Craigentinny. I sauntered back down the street and went to bed.
All I need now was a days holiday for next week's plan to bear fruit. As expected my gaffer said, No problem. My railway mojo was back. Over the course of the next few days, I deliberated what to do, wether or not to involve an overnight stay or Not, that would involve going straight after work. I decided not to add the extra expense and decided an early start would suffice.
More to follow
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