Colton Junction and Church Fenton

A new week and I'm in North Yorkshire at Colton Junction to the south of York. An unknown class 221 Super Voyager takes the Church Fenton road with 1O14 0600 Glasgow Central to Bournemouth Cross Country service.

66545 leads an empty rake of HHA coal hoppers north on the ECML at Colton. This train, 4S08 0745 Eggborough Power Station to New Cumnock, was the only Freightliner working I saw on the ECML this day.

The first of the day's class 60 tugs comes round the curve on the ECML, Selby Diversion, with 6N04 MWFO 0800 Lindsey to Jarrow loaded TEA and TDA bogie tanks carrying petroleum products.

EWS 66186 takes a loaded set of HTA coal hoppers onto the Up Leeds road at Colton with a train for Eggborough Power Station, 6C20 0728 from Redcar.

This was the first of several pleasant surprises on this day. FM Rail 47703 heads north running as 0Z55 Derby to York NRM.

An unknown class 220 Voyager set passes by heading for its next station stop at York. It is rostered to 1S41 0615 Bristol Temple Meads to Edinburgh Cross Country working.

Sprinter 158904 is in West Yorkshire Metro livery and forms a class 2 local service 2R59 1022 York to Selby.

An unidentified class 220 Voyager approaches Colton Junction heading north with what I believe to be the late running 1E35 0730 Birmingham to Newcastle Cross Country working.

Having seen Trans Pennine units running in South Wales, it is more normal to seen them running here in Yorkshire. 158806 forms 1E66 0822 Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough.

Another three car sprinter unit heads away from York this time bound for Liverpool, 1M28 0946 off Scarborough. 20 years ago I spotted and photographed at York extensively and these trains were worked by class 45 Peaks and a long rake of mkI coaches.

A four car class 221 Super Voyager unit goes south on the ECML with a cross country working 1V47 0935 Newcastle to Bristol.

A GNER mkIV set speeds north to York behind 91103, running at 125mph. The working is 1S09 0900 Kings Cross to Glasgow Central.

This unknown class 220 Voyager unit would have passed through my home county of Fife twice before it reached me here at Colton. Train 1M49 0940 Dundee to Birmingham New Street runs ECS from Craigentinny to Dundee to start its diagram.

The second of the day's pleasant surprises, West Coast Railways 57601 heads away from York on the Church Fenton road with a single observation coach in tow. The train ID is 5Z57 1030 York to Carnforth.

I knew this train was running but not when, and as it appeared my mobile rang. There is never a good time to be told your son's dog has been put to sleep and this was not a good time.

Crossing the road for the going away shot of 31105 and 31106 working 4Z07 Derby to Heaton Serco Test Train. I put my camera down, finished the call and shed a tear or two at the loss of a dear and loyal friend.

Over on the Church Fenton road a pair of class 158 sprinters run westbound. The lead unit is in Trans Pennine livery with the back one in Central Trains colours but with Trans Pennine branding. The working is 1P31 1008 Newcastle to Manchester Airport.

All GNER mkIV sets have the loco at the country end of the train and will pull from London and propel into the capital. 91109 leads 1N04 0930 London Kings Cross to Newcastle.

60027 was seen in South Wales the previous week but now it is further north. The tug is on a class 66 turn, 6M83 MWO 0845 Redcar to Warrington Arpley, 36 loaded MEA coal boxes.

These Trans Pennine units are quite colourful when nicely lit, 158813 forms 1E69 0922 Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough. Back in the mid 1980's during my time at RAF Church Fenton, this would have been a class 45 Peak with eight or so mkI's.

Freightliner Heavy Haul 66510 clatters over the pointwork of Colton South Junction with a rake of empty HHA coal hoppers. The train ID is 4N39 1045 Drax Power Station to Tyne Dock.

DRS 66409 was at the time on hire to Freightliner Heavy Haul and is employed on 6C55 0947 Redcar to West Burton Power Station loaded coal.

I was not doing too well at identifying the powercars and Voyager sets and this HST is no exception. The train IS known and is 1E08 0930 Edinburgh to Kings Cross, diesel hauled under the wires the whole way.

This unidentified GNER HST has a Midland Main Line coach in the formation.

Whilst the unit is identified as 153317, the working is unidentified, but I believe it to be on route learning duties.

Pleasant surprise number 3 and the best of them is 47703 returning south with immaculate Deltic 55002 "Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry" in tow.

The Deltic is going to Barrow Hill, 0Z55 York NRM to Barrow Hill, for the planned Deltic reunion where all surviving class 55 locos will be brought together.

Back to the normal ECML traffic and 43111 leads 43113 with 1S12 1030 Kings Cross to Aberdeen.

158901 speeds away from York under the wires with 2R63 1218 York to Selby. In my days at York in the mid 1980's these trains were worked by some very ropey DMU's!

66132 approaches with 23 empty BDA steel slab flats in tow heading from Llanwern in South Wales to Lackenby in the North East. The train is 6E06 MO 0548 off Llanwern.

Voyager 220032 speeds north with 1E39 0640 Plymouth to Newcastle.

The Anglo-Scottish trains are of a decent length with nine vehicles available for passenger use. 91102 leads 1S13 1100 off Kings Cross to Glasgow Central.

Freightliner have a depot in Leeds called Midland Road. 66556 runs light as 0S15 from the depot to York's Holgate Sidings to pickup a raft of empty coal hoppers for one of the Ayrshire open cast coal pits.

Coal traffic to power stations varies from day to day sometimes whilst others are very constant. 66566 powers 6Y50 0842 Tyne Dock to either Drax or Eggborough Power Station.

Held at the signal protecting Colton South Junction is 66528 working 4G26 Drax Power Station to Redcar empty coal hoppers. On the next road 158907 speeds by with 1B25 1030 Blackpool North to York service.

158907 passes the ladder crossing of Colton Junction South, journey's end is not far away.

Another Metro sprinter approaches with 158902 booked on 1B32 1309 York to Blackpool North.

More sprinters and a three car this time, 158902 is on 1P30 1134 Manchester Airport to Middlesbrough Trans Pennine service.

The driver of 66528 watches as 220019 tears past on the Down Leeds line with 1S53 0930 Bournemouth to Edinburgh cross country train.

I have travelled between Bournemouth and Edinburgh by Voyager and it is a bit of an ordeal because of the noise from the under floor engines.

With the passenger trains clear, the signaller at York sets the turnouts at Colton South Junction and gives the driver of 66528 the road. The type 5 negotiates the turnouts to cross onto the Down Leeds road off the Down Normanton line.

Not all of the Trans Pennine class 158 units are formed of three vehicles. 158871 is a conventional two car unit and forms 1P37 1149 Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport.

More Freightliner action with 66513 working 4G12 West Burton Power Station to Redcar empty coal hoppers.

On the ECML a Newcastle bound HST set speeds by with 43096 on the rear. This working is 1N06 1130 off Kings Cross.

66186 runs as 4N50 1246 Eggborough Power Station to Tees Yard coal empties passing several P Way engineers on the cess.

The race is on but all bets are off! 221106 and 158901 are neck and neck on their respective lines but the Voyager will win the race easily. The class 221 is on 1O22 1105 Edinburgh to Bournemouth with the class 158 working 2R69 1345 York to Hull.

The up "Highland Chieftain", 1E12 0755 Inverness to Kings Cross, is caught in a patch of sunlight as 43039 and 43102 work their train south at Colton Junction.

A rare sight is a pair of Freightliner class 66 locos on a train. But the train loco, 66551 has failed and low emission 66952 has rescued it. The train is 4S15 Cottom Power Station to New Cumnock empty coal hoppers.