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.
Sprinter 156451 is in the latest Northern Rail livery and rolls into Citadel station with 2N21 1124 Newcastle to Carlisle class 2 stopping service.
66193 pilots 66098 as it heads north towards the station and onto the yard. The train is thought to be the very late running 6C02 0421 Crewe Basford Hall to Carlisle Yard departmental train. 66098 had failed at Carnforth with 66193 rescueing it.
A very healthy enterprise working comes off the Maryport line with named 66002 "Lafarge Quorn" fronting the daily 6C48 1202 Workington to Carlisle Yard enterprise. 57313 is parked up on Wapping Sidings.
Long distance Cross Country working, 1S47 0630 Bournemouth to Edinburgh, approaches with 221104 forming the service.
An empty coal train emerges from London Road Junction and climbs the short 1 in 120 gradient onto the level station section.
4S31 0840 Ferrybridge Power Station to Hunterston threads across the southern throat with 66562 leading a rake of new HXA hoppers.
390021 terminated in Carlisle with 1C11, 0946 off Euston. To keep the platforms clear until its booked departure time back south, the unit is stabled down by London Road Junction on the electrified Shunt Neck Siding.
66520 runs in from the south with a rake of 10 MRA and 5 JNA ballast wagons loaded with ballast freshly quarried from Shap. The train is 6C26 1300 Shap Summit to Carlisle Yard loaded ballast.
156503 wears the attractive carmine and cream livery of Strathclyde Passenger Transport which looks superb in sunlight. The unit is rostered to 1E96 1000 Stranraer to Newcastle Scotrail service.
After its station stop the unit continues on its journey to Newcastle on the ECML via the picturesque Hexham line.
This mid afternoon Carlisle departure is formed of a pair of class 156 sprinter units. 2H93 1400 Carlisle to Leeds has 156428 leading in Barbie First Group livery while Northern Rail branding, whilst 156460 is in new Northern Rail colours.
153301 and 156488 nears its journey's end with a four hour journey from Preston, 1005 off, 2C91, via the Cumbrian Coast.
390015 departs Carlisle with the front of the train climbing the short 1 in 100 section to lift the line over the former freight avoiding line and the direct line to the Maryport road. The working is 1M16 1249 Glasgow Central to London Euston.
As 390015 climbs over the former freight avoiding line while to the left is 390021 parked up on a line that drops down to the level of the former freight avoiding line.
Tilting class 221 Super Voyager 221112 crosses off the main line to make its station stop in platform 1. This working is 1S52 1158 Manchester Piccadilly to Edinburgh.
Carlisle Citadel station's platform 1 is occupied by 221112 forming 1S52 1158 Manchester Piccadilly to Edinburgh Cross Country service.
66232 and its rake of empty HTA coal hoppers clatter and bang over the crossings, points and half slips that make up the southern station throat. The train left Milford Yard at 0958, 6S70, and is heading for Ayr.
221105 is seen for the second time of the day. Now it is heading south from Edinburgh to Bournemouth, 1O24, 1249 off.
390021 emerges from the Shunt Neck Siding as 5A80 to enter the station and await its 1434 departure time and return to London as 1A80.
