Avanti West Coast
The 9S44/06.16 London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley had an eventful journey on Monday, July 15. From Wolverhampton, it was operated by Pendolino No. 390124 and was gradually losing time throughout the journey. Between Slateford and Edinburgh the train lost 15 minutes.
The return working 9M56/12.52 Edinburgh to London Euston was cancelled. Meanwhile Class 57 No. 57308 was summoned from Carlisle and was attached to No. 390124 at Edinburgh hauling the set to Polmadie depot for attention. Later, No. 57308 left Polmadie light engine (0Z99/21.31) bound for Carlisle.
With their imminent replacement by Hitachi IETs, it does seem appropriate to show some interest in the Avanti West Coast Voyagers. On Tuesday, July 23, a journey from Chester to Llandudno Junction was made on 1D83/09.02 from London Euston to Holyhead formed of Nos. 221103+221104.
While at Harrow & Wealdstone on July 24, new Avanti‘Evero’pairing of Nos. 805011+805003 were noted passing through platform 3 at speed with 9G26/14.16 London Euston to Birmingham New St.
ScotRail
Class 334 No. 334004 was hauled south from Yoker to Wolverton by Class 37 No. 37601, the first of the class to go to the works for corrosion repairs.
Class 156s are also passing through Wolverton Works. No. 156456 returned north on Thursday, August 1, being observed passing Thankerton with 5S07/08.15 Wolverton Centre Siding to Corkerhill, where it arrived at 15.48. Following this, on August 6 No. 156467 was observed passing Thankerton whilst working 5H20/09.05 Corkerhill CS&MD to Wolverton Centre Sidings.
Caledonian
The Lowland sleeper service was seriously delayed on the morning of July 24 when Class 92 No. 92028 hit a deer at Leggatfoot, about 1m 55 chains north of Thankerton. Arrival at Glasgow Central was 84 minutes behind schedule.
CrossCountry
From August 10 to November 9, CrossCountry is running a temporary timetable with services reduced. This is to allow for staff training.
Northern Rail
There was disruption around Bolton during the morning of Wednesday, July 24. The 2J25/08.23 from Clitheroe to Rochdale, had proved reliable enough on the two previous days, but on the Wednesday the platform indicators at Bolton showed it was running around 30 minutes late.
According to Realtime Trains it had arrived at Blackburn on time but was then held there for 24 minutes. It was eventually terminated at Manchester Victoria‘due to an issue with the train crew’. With 2J25 running so late it made sense to travel into Manchester using the 2W46/08.32 from Southport to Stalybridge formed of No. 769431, which was 13 minutes late at Bolton having made extra stops in place of cancelled services.
Trains leaving Newcastle station towards Durham can, at least in theory, depart from either the east or west end of the station and then cross the Tyne on either the High Level Bridge or the King Edward Bridge. The same applies for trains from Newcastle to Sunderland, although in most instances Sunderland trains will leave Newcastle at the east end of the station and cross the Tyne on the High Level Bridge.
On July 9 a journey was made from Newcastle to Sunderland on the 1J09/16.17 from Newcastle to Middlesbrough, formed of No. 158817, which is one of the few trains that leaves Newcastle station at the west end from platform 9. It crossed to the Up Slow before passing over the King Edward Bridge. From there it used the chord from King Edward Bridge North Junction to King Edward Bridge East Junction, and then it ran along the Gateshead side of the Tyne to Greensfield Junction where the chord to Park Lane Junction, Gateshead was taken, before crossing to the Up Slow.
Prototype Class 150 No. 150001, now the oldest diesel multiple unit on the National Network, was seen on Wednesday, July 10, alongside platform 8 at York station where it was forming the 2C33/11.10 departure to Leeds via Harrogate.
While they have hardly revolutionised rail services in the northwest, the Class 769 working on Northern have outshone their classmates on GWR and TfW. Several opportunities were taken by a correspondent to travel with Class 769 during mid-July.
On Friday, July 19, a journey was made from Wigan Wallgate to Bolton using the 2W62/16.32 from Southport to Stalybridge formed of No. 769442. On
