Doncaster revisited. Friday 15th April 2022.
With the alarm set for 05.00 and a drive down to Crumpsall for the first Metrolink tram of the day into Manchester Piccadilly again, but it wasn’t running, so I finished up driving into Manchester. I was retracing my journey from the previous Saturday. It was bank holiday and the weather was glorious. I had the bug to try to clear my IET`s passing through Doncaster, and despite it being Good Friday, Realtime Trains was advertising quite a few freight movements.
I managed to catch an earlier Transpennine class 185 into Doncaster, leaving Manchester just before 06.30 a and arriving into Doncaster an hour later. I was actually the first crank on the station. A number of freight workings had been cancelled however as I rechecked RTT on the way over, but quite a lot passed on the avoiding line towards GBRf Roberts Road depot. I was however surprised to see some 6 class 91 sets operating on the day, these included class`s 91030, 91114, 91110, 91001, 91006 and 91130. Locomotive movements through the station: class 67007 EWS liver, parked up, Engineering train parked up behind yellow liveried class 37 97304, but with a class 331 parked up in front of it, making it difficult to obtain a decent photograph. Light engine EWS livery class 66183, EWS livery 66190, DB livery 66041, Freightliner livery 66513, GBRF 66787, Freightliner 66523, Freightliner orange livery 66503, DB livery 66041, double headed GBRf northbound 66768 and 66735, southbound Freightliner 66525, GBRf light engine 66728, EWS livery parked in platform bay north end 66183, Freightliner northbound 66565, Transpennine CAT on trials 68022, and GBRf 66777 southbound. So quite busy despite the cancellations.
I also managed a few IET cops, and now only need 1 Azuma and cleared Hull Trains, class 180`s and saw my last Lumo, so a very productive day also. I decided to catch the 16.45 Transpennine 185 back to Manchester, the train arrived late, we all pilled aboard and then 10 minutes later they decided to send the train to Scarborough, so we all had to detrain and wait over an hour and a half for the next one.
Faced with the delay, I decided to take tea in my favourite café`s, the Frenchgate, run by a lovely Turkish family. I returned to Doncaster station and caught a Transpennine class 185 direct to Manchester, arriving home for around 20.00, so another cracking day in Doncaster and in the company of some lovely people.
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