A trip to Carlisle to join a few other lads from the Freightmaster Forum for the day. On stepping off the train this was what I was greeted with, Advenza Freight liveried 66841. This was one of the original ten DRS locos which were handed back to the leasing company and Advenza Freight took three of them and this is their first renumbered to 66841.
Virgin Thunderbird loco 57303 "Alan Tracy" rests poised ready to go.
Close by is sister loco 57311 "Parker".
Two women on the platform seem oblivious to the passing of 66510 and its rake of empty HHA coal hoppers. The train is 4S33 0657 MX York to Greenburn empty hoppers.
66841 was dispatched from Glasgow's Springburn Works the previous day but only got as far as Carlisle when it failed with a traction motor fault, it will return to Springburn Works at 1015. Meanwhile 66581 passes by working 6E73 0447 MX Killoch to Ferrybridge Power Station loaded coal.
66841 had departed by the time I had walked to the end of the platform so a shot of it in the sun was gone. 66510 waits for the road to Greenburn for reloading.
Pacer 142090 gets away from Carlisle at 1033 as 2N20 with a bouncy trip to Newcastle.
Down at the south end of the station and DRS 66424 approaches with the daily Tesco block train, the "Tesco Express", 4S43 0612 Daventry to Grangemouth Intermodal. The dedicated Tesco liveried 66411 is not on the train this day.
Another DRS hauled intermodal comes south through Carlisle station, 66415 fronts 4M44 0850 Mossend to Daventry.
Northern rail liveried 156443 slips away from Citadel station with a class 2 working for the Maryport line, 2C44 1043 Carlisle to Barrow In Furness.
The staple diet of WCML traffic at Carlisle is formed by class 390 Pendolino units. 390025 emerges from under the train shed with 1M10 0940 Glasgow Central to Euston.
The 9 vehicle set climbs from the level through the station to the 1 in 100 just beyond the throat.
Virgin West Coast retained some class 221 Super Voyager sets to operate on the Edinburgh, Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street circuit. Here 221112 runs in with 1S44 0820 from Birmingham to Edinburgh, diesel operated under the wires for the entire journey.
A down Pendolino service, 1S42 0730 Euston to Glasgow Central stands in Carlisle's platform three. 390046 will overtake the Voyager unit standing in platform 1.
221143 forms 1M53 1000 Glasgow Central to Birmingham New Street and it departs Carlisle southbound.
Network Rail's class 150 Sprinter based measurement train 950001 runs into Citadel station having worked up from Carnforth Bottom End Sidings via the Cumbrian Coast line, the train is 2X08.
DRS Brush type 4 47802 passes by on one of the though roads, 0Z47 is the headcode but I don't know the destination. In the background is 185104 working 1M93 0953 from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport.
Bubblecar 153378 is coupled to 158910 and they form the terminating 2H10 0849 from Leeds.
185104 has been joined by 185118 which worked in from Glasgow Central, 1010 off. Together they will run to Manchester Airport.
Another DRS light engine move sees 66417 approach with 57010, 57011, and 57012 in tow. Then the camera battery died!!
A quick change of battery and I grab the class 57's as they pass by. The movement is highly likely a Crewe Gresty Lane to Carlisle Kingmoor trip. Freightliner handed back their original ten class 57's and DRS took several of them.
Another class 57 light engine move and Virgin liveried 57305 runs as 0J37 to Carlisle Yard, but I don't know where from. It passes 153363 forming 2C41 0910 Barrow In Furness to Carlisle. Time to move to platform 3 to join the other lads as the sun had moved round enough.
Pendolinos passing. 390011 heads south with 1M11 1040 Glasgow Central to Euston while 390041 approaches northbound with 1S45 0830 Euston to Glasgow Central.
Super Voyager 221113 powers up and departs Citadel station with 1M54 1052 Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street.
Freightliner Heavy Haul 66/6 66616 passes below the south end signal gantry with a rake of loaded HHA coal hoppers. The train is 6M31 0928 Ravenstruther to Radcliffe Power Station.
158909 shunts at the south end of the station moving from platform 6 to the old motorail siding behind the eastern wall.
66091 heads away from Carlisle running light as it has no train to take. The working is 0K05 1322 Carlisle Yard to Crewe Virtual Quarry, it will route via Ais Gill.
66513 heaves its empty rake of HHA coal hoppers up the rising 1 in 120 gradient through the reverse curves and single slips into the station. The resistance of the wheel flanges on the curves will be considerable as the length of the train twists right to left back and forth.
156448 smokes its way out of the station on the Maryport line with 2C30 1247 Carlisle to Barrow In Furness. Beside it 390010 slides smoothly and cleanly towards the station working 1S48 0930 Euston to Glasgow Central.
950001 comes south through platform 1 and will stable in Wapping Sidings in front of Carlisle signalbox.
57305 reappears with a load of 13 well filled KFA timber wagons in tow. The loco is on hire to Colas Rail and it it is working 6J37 1251 FX Carlisle Yard to Chirk loaded timber. Korospan have a plant at Chirk for making timber products.
Ahh I can remember the days of double headed class 31's on this turn and the train started at Hull too, that was back in the mid 1980's. 158860 arrives with 1M53 1049 off Leeds, not quite the same.
185106 departs Carlisle working 1M95 1200 Edinburgh to Manchester Airport. The electric blue livery with stripes is quite striking especially when lit by the sun.
Another impressive livery when sun lit is the carmine and cream adopted by the former Strathclyde Passenger Transport. 156436 is so adorned and forms a Stranraer to Newcastle service.
The unusual sight of a pair of class 66 locos is welcomed by the gathered photographers and number takers. 66181 leads 66109 DIT at the head of 4S70 0945 Milford Yard to Falkland empty coal hoppers.
156432 wears the new ScotRail livery and runs into platform 1. It will sit here for some 25 minutes before continuing to Stranraer. 2N29 1239 Newcastle to Stranraer.
Freightliner 66528 brings its rake of empty HHA hoppers up from London Road junction onto the level track of the station. It is working 4S60 0815 MX Drax Power Station to Ravenstruther routed via the ECML and Hexham.
390041 is seen again and is employed on 1M14 1340 from Glasgow Central due into London Euston at 1801.
A completely different train is the class 142 Pacer unit, this doesn't tilt it bounces!! 142019 runs in with a terminating service from Newcastle.
Its station work done, 390041 gather speed as it departs Citadel station heading for London.
Lit perfectly by the mid afternoon sun is 66519 with 6Z32 0929 Killoch to Stourton, Leeds loaded coal hoppers.
66177 comes off the Maryport line with the late running 6C28 1202 TThO Workington to Carlisle Yard enterprise. It was running about 2 hours down. It is very well loaded with 5 china clay slurry tanks and 28 containers.
In complete contrast is this southbound enterprise working, 6X12 1545 Carlisle Yard to Eastleigh. 92026 has some 6,000hp on tap and here it hauls a solitary empty KFA flat.
221114 clatters of the pointwork in the southern throat with 1M86 1452 Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street passes 185115 with 1S66 1400 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh.
Another freight comes in from the Maryport line. Immaculate DRS type 3's 37610 and 37605 haul a pair of soda tanks towards Carlisle Kingmoor, 6C42 1338 ThO from Sellafield.
This part of the afternoon becomes busy for freight. 66177 had been sitting waiting for the road to Newcastle for a few minutes before it got underway. Its train is 6E62 TThO 1527 Carlisle Yard to Tees Yard enterprise.
DRS type 5 66433 fronts 4S44 1217 from Daventry to Coatbridge intermodal. This well loaded train turns off the down main to run through the station's platform 1 on the west side.
Yet another freight and another freight operator. A southbound freightliner service, 4M71 1401 Coatbridge to Crewe Basford Hall, hums slowly south behind a pair of locos once synonymous with the WCML, the class 86. 86609 and 86637 are in different Freightliner liveries.
