The Edinburgh Thunderbird is type 5 67016.
Voyager class 221 tilting unit 221103 waits in platform 7 at Waverley with a train to Bournemouth, 0852 off, 1O16. This will be my train to Carlisle.
Most North Berwick services operate from either Haymarket or Waverley stations. But 332483 has worked through from Glasgow Central. The train is 2Y94, 0705 from Glasgow's Central station.
221103 is seen again at Carlisle during its station stop under the glass roof of Citadel station.
The south end of platform 4 was the location of the Freightmaster Interactive meet. Freightliner Heavy Haul 66581 runs slowly into the station for a crew change. The train is 6M11 0606 Hunterston to Fiddlers Ferry power station loaded coal hoppers.
DRS worked southbound Intermodal 4M44 0821 Mossend to Daventry, draws in for a crew change behind 66414.
Another Freightliner working, Intermodal this time, approaches Carlisle from the south. 90043 fronts a very lightly loaded 4S52 MX 0803 Crewe Basford Hall to Coatbridge Freightliner service.
Parked up in Wapping Sidings in front of Carlisle's power signalbox is Virgin's 57311. There appears to be some activity in the cab.
Gone are the class 87 locos and rakes of mkIII coaches on West Coast services. Now Virgin WC employ their class 390 tilting Pendolino units. 390017 makes its station stop with 1M13 0939 Glasgow Central to Euston express.
The change in gradient from level to 1 in 100 is most noticeable as the set departs the border city.
Gone also are the class 47 locos with mkII coaches, then HSTs on the Cross Country workings have come and gone. Virgin employ their class 220 and 221 Voyager units on these workings now as 221105 runs in with 1S39 0615 Briston Temple Meads to Edinburgh.
Bubblecar 153332 stands at its journey's end, Carlisle's bay platform 2. It worked in as 2C41 0949 Whitehaven to Carlisle.
Four class 221 sets were built as four vehicle units for the North Wales coast traffic. They are not dedicated to these workings and can appear anywhere. This is 221143 and forms 1M92 0949 Glasgow Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
DRS's "famous" loco 66411 "Eddie the Engine" in Stobart livery approaches Carlisle Citadel station with the "Tesco Express" 4S43 0631 Daventry to Grangemouth Intermodal. Beside it is Plasser and Theurer 08-4x4/4S-RT switch and crossing tamper 73910 coming in off the Maryport line.
Pendolino 390040 passes 156481 as it slips quietly away southbound. It is rostered to 1M14 1010 Edinburgh to Euston. At the time there was one in and out working to Edinburgh a day with calls for more.
Victa Westlink have a contract to hire a couple of Virgin's class 57 locos for freight traffic. 57311 emerges from Wapping Sidings to run to Kingmoor Yard, 0Z57, to collect its train.
156438 with 153316 arrives at Carlisle with 2H10 0849 Leeds to Carlisle via Settle, a journey of just under 3 hours.
A few minutes later another Northern sprinter runs in, this one is 156480 with 2N13 0924 from Newcastle via Hexham.
My first freight from the Red team as 66120 comes to a stand at the up starting signal with a load of Scottish opencast coal. The train is 4Z74 1013 New Cumnock to Ratcliffe power station.
An empty coal train rumbles in with Freightliner 66518 fronting a rake of HHA hoppers, 4S11 0730 from Drax power station to either Hunterston or Killoch.
Another of the four coach class 221 Super Voyager sets slows for its station stop as 221141 brings in 1S43 0958 Manchester Piccadilly to Glasgow Central.
66120 is framed between two HHA hoppers as it departs southbound.
Another class 57 loco arrived from the south and was left by its driver at the north end of the west side sidings. A short while later he returned and took it back to Wapping Sidings.
This is a familiar train for me back home in Fife. 221133 is rostered to 1M54 0820 Aberdeen to Birmingham New Street.
Up and down Pendolino services make their respective station stops. On the left is 390053 with 1S44 0846 Euston to Glasgow with 390003 heading in the opposite direction with 1M15 1110 off Glasgow for London.
All the passenger services over the Settle to Carlisle route are class 2 workings except this one. 158774 in First Group Trans Pennine livery forms 1M53 0947 Leeds to Carlisle. This class 1 train used to continue to Glasgow but was cut back to Carlisle several years previously.
In lovely warm spring sunshine 390003 gets way with 1M15 1110 from Glasgow Central to London Euston. Virgin would like to increase these 9 coach sets to 11 coaches due to increased demand, this was something they achieved a few years later.
The set departs away, I am unsure of where its next stop is.
