Saturday 19th March 2010

The ELR DMU theme day brought with it new resident Class 108 M51562+M51922, 'Bubble & Squeak' combo L101+W56289 and Class 101 M56352+M51192, making its last journies on the ELR before being transferred to NRM Shildon. A sad farewell, considering the unit had been such a work-horse to the railway over its 6-year residency. I do feel, though, the unit didnt't get the farewell it deserved. There was no headboard or anything to mark it's last run and on the last trip from Heywood to Bury Bolton Street to Heywood, there was only 3 cranks on board! (Me included!). The one thing that the driver did, however, was give the unit a good caning on that last trip! So something did come out of it! Yeah, fair enough the unit was only being transferred and not scrapped or going into store but surely it's 6-year stay at the Lancs meant somehthing to the railway volunteers? Ah well...


Here's my moves from the day (including the first time this year where I travelled out to Preston and back on the same day with DIFFERENT 142s! The only previous time I went out and back on the same day with different units was a 142 out for a 150 back! All the other times were on the same unit!) -

142037 St. Annes-On-The-Sea – Preston
185141 Preston – Bolton
69196 Bolton Bus station - Bury Interchange
W56289+L101 Bury Bolton Street – Heywood
L101+W56289 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
M51562+M51922 Bury Bolton Street – Heywood
M51922+M51562 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
M56352+M51192 Bury Bolton Street – Heywood
M51192+M56352 Heywood – Ramsbottom
M56352+M51192 Ramsbottom – Heywood
M51192+M56352 Heywood – Rawtenstall
M56352+M51192 Rawtenstall – Heywood
M51192+M56352 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
69135 Bolton Street train station - Shiffnall Street (Bolton)
185112 Bolton – Preston
142036 Preston – St. Annes-On-The-Sea

Saturday 12th March 2010

A trip out to Holyhead for some much needed Class 57 mileage! On the way I bumped into Mike Williams and David Hennessey at Crewe, who were heading for the Crewe Heritage Centre/Basford Hall event-thing!
One problem from this day was I cannot remember for the life of me what ruddy Super Voyager I had Crewe to Preston in the evening! Well, it's not as if I mark them down or anything so who cares? :P I did scoop in a different route on the way back from Crewe to Preston, though. The WCML between Crewe and Warrington was closed by the time I got back from Holyhead and this resulted in travelling via Sandbach, Wilmslow, Styal, Manchester Piccadilly, Eccles, Golborne Junction, Wigan North Western AND Euxton Balshaw Lane (slow lines) to get to Preston! Massive for a Voyager!...... I'll ring for a Taxi......


Here's the moves from the day! -

142021 St. Annes-On-The-Sea – Preston
221141 Preston – Crewe
57304+(390010) Crewe – Holyhead
57304+(390010) Holyhead – Crewe
2211xx Crewe – Preston (via Styal, Man Picc, Eccles, Golbourne Jct and Wigan NW)
142021 Preston – St. Annes-On-The-Sea

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th March 2011

ELR Spring diesel gala, what a riot!

5/3/11:
142037 St Annes-On-The-Sea – Preston
185143 Preston – Bolton
69203 Bolton Bus Station - The Derby Arms (Bury)
50015 Bury Bolton Street – Ramsbottom
50015 Ramsbottom – Heywood
50015 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
L101 Bury Bolton Street – Ramsbottom
50008+50015 Ramsbottom – Rawtenstall
50008+50015 Rawtenstall – Bury Bolton Street
50015 Bury Bolton Street – Heywood
50015 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
56312 Bury Bolton Street – Rawtenstall
56312 Rawtenstall – Heywood
56312 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
50015+56312 Bury Bolton Street – Ramsbottom
L101 Ramsbottom – Bury Bolton Street
37518 Bury Bolton Street – Rawtenstall
33109 Rawtenstall – Bury Bolton Street
56312 Bury Bolton Street – Rawtenstall
50015 Rawtenstall – Heywood
56312 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street


6/3/11:
56312 Bury Bolton Street – Ramsbottom
50015 Ramsbottom – Heywood
56312 Heywood – Ramsbottom
20087 Ramsbottom – Bury Bolton Street
37518 Bury Bolton Street – Rawtenstall
37518 Rawtenstall – Heywood
37518 Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
37901 Bury Bolton Street - Heywood
37518+37901(dead) Heywood – Bury Bolton Street
66880 The Derby Arms (Bury) - Shiffnall Street (Bolton)
185131 Bolton – Preston
156473 Preston – St Annes-On-The-Sea

Friday 25th and Saturday 26th February 2011

25/2/11:
142028 St. Annes-On-The-Sea – Preston
390010 Preston – Wigan North Western
150273 Wigan Wallgate – Manchester Victoria (via Westhoughton)
3008 Victoria Station – Piccadilly
175011 Manchester Piccadilly – Shrewsbury
57314 Shrewsbury – Llandudno Junction
158821 Llandudno Junction – Chester
158823 Chester - Manchester Piccadilly
142003 Manchester Piccadilly – Brinnington

26/2/11:
150201 Stockport – Davenport
150201 Davenport – Stockport
323226 Stockport – Manchester Piccadilly
142056 Manchester Piccadilly – Marple
142056 Marple – Manchester Piccadilly
142048 Manchester Piccadilly – Stockport
323227 Stockport – Manchester Piccadilly
3007 Piccadilly – Victoria Station
1011 Victoria Station – Deansgate/Castlefield
1022 Deansgate/Castlefield – Market Street
3006 Piccadilly Gardens – Victoria Station
1022 Victoria Station – Deansgate/Castlefield
3011 Deansgate/Castlefield – Piccadilly Gardens
1003 Piccadilly Gardens – Deansgate/Castlefield
3013 Deansgate/Castlefield – Piccadilly
142052 Manchester Piccadilly – Rose Hill
142052 Rose Hill – Manchester Piccadilly
142048 Manchester Piccadilly – Stockport
390028 Stockport – Manchester Piccadilly
142012 Manchester Piccadilly – Manchester Oxford Road
142049 Manchester Oxford Road – Deansgate
142036 Deansgate – Manchester Piccadilly
185107 Manchester Piccadilly – Preston
142054 Preston – St. Annes-On-The-Sea