Doncaster FMi Meet 2007

En-route to Doncaster and a stop at Newcastle for a short time to change trains. Pacer unit 143093 enters the impressive train shed designed by John Dobson and was opened in August 1850. The class 142 forms 2N15 0932 Morpeth to Hexham class 2 working.

A down class 1 working makes its station stop with GNER liveried 91126 providing the motive power. 1S05 is the 0700 off London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley.

Another pacer has arrived this time from Hexham. Its station stop is a lengthy 17 minutes and forms a different train. The service is 2A06 1015 from Newcastle to Morpeth. On the next road is 220017 with 1V51 and it will leave Newcastle at 1026 for Plymouth and is my train to Doncaster.

Arrival at Doncaster and visible up against the offices of The Plant is former Cambridge shunter 08594 and Fleetwood Loco Dept No5.

Also up against the wall are long withdrawn 47528 and 08529.

Next to 08529 is an equally sorry looking 08493.

Two more withdrawn shunters sit beside the offices which are now To Let. 08819 and the unidentified classmate have what looks like ex-works independent snowplough ADB965233 keeping them company.

I come all the way south to Doncaster and I could have driven to Ladybank to see this train. 43006 is the rear powercar of 1S12 1030 Kings Cross to Aberdeen as it speeds on the down through road heading for "home" as it is named "Kingdom of Fife".

First freight of the day and 66020 comes round the back of the station with 6D95 1223 Doncaster Belmont Yard to Goole. The train is made uo of BYA, BXA, and BDA steel carrying wagons.

An up working gets away from Doncaster. Way in the distance is 43296 and bringing up the rear is 43115 and their train is 1A24 1140 Leeds to Kings Cross.

More HST action and 43119 and 43105 storm through the station on the up fast road with 1E08 0930 from Edinburgh to Kings Cross, diesel powered under the wires the whole way.

Transpennine services to and from Cleethorpes, or Manchester Airport if you like pass each other. On the left is 185123 with 1B74 1052 Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes whilst departing to the right is 185121 with a return working of 1B77 1128 Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport.

Returning to the back of the station and 66070 brings a rake of empty HTA coal hoppers along with 4D37 1120 Worksop Yard to Hull Docks.

A colourful class 158 set departs Doncaster and crosses all the main running lines to gain the line which heads south west towards Sheffield which is the destination for 158790 and 1J26 1109 off Bridlington.

Bubblecar, or "dogbox" as they were christened on this day, 153356 sits in the south facing bay platform with a class 2 service. It will form 2K25 1304 off to Lincoln.

Down at the south end of the station 66235 scurries towards platform 1 running as 0D57 Doncaster Up Decoy Yard to Immingham.

A southbound freight comes hammering through on the up fast with GBRf Metronet liveried 66719 with 4L78 1143 Selby to Felixstowe Intermodal running about 45 minutes late.

Class 144 Pacer unit 144002 leaves platform 2 and crosses over the fast lines towards the Sheffield road. It is rostered on a Scunthorpe to Lincoln via Sheffield service, 2P69, 1217 off Scunthorpe.

This is a train I have photographed many times back home in Fife, 1E10 0755 Aberdeen to Kings Cross. 43107 leads with 43111 on the back tears through Doncaster without stopping.

A unknown class 220 Voyager makes its station stop with 1E40 0640 from Plymouth to Newcastle in platform 3. Over in platform 2 66067 shakes the station with a rake of loaded HTA coal hoppers on 6F92 0945 from Hull Docks to Cottam Power Station.

The sun has appeared and lights up 66067 and its train as it takes the crossovers heading for the Sheffield road with Cottam Power Station near Retford in Nottinghamshire as the destination.

Here is another pair of Transpennine class 185 Desiro units crossing on reciprocating trains. 185110 is heading for Cleethorpes, 1B76 1152 from Manchester Airport and pauses in platform 3. Over in platform 2 is sister unit 185113 which left Cleethorpes at 1228 with 1B79 to Manchester Airport.

Looking in a southerly direction and 220031 has crossed over all the north/south lines and takes the Sheffield route with 1V59 1219 Newcastle to Plymouth cross country working.

Having seen EWS and GBRf class 66 hauled freights, now a Freightliner example puts in an appearance. Freightliner Heavy Haul 66566 leads 4G02 1320 Barrow Hill to Kellingley empty HHA coal hoppers.

The first tug of the day sees 60017 rumble through platform 2 with a string of departmental empty spoil wagons. This is 6D15 Tees Yard to Doncaster Up Decoy Yard Departmental.

Yet another HST set speeds through the station southbound with GNER's longest distance working. 43039 and 43108 are the powercars for 1E12 0755 off Inverness for London Kings Cross. The sun is struggling to emerge from the clouds.

A featherweight load of four HAA coal hoppers is brought across the crossovers from the west side to the east side of the station. 66199 powers 6D17 1456 Doncaster Belmont Yard to Immingham Enterprise working.

A few years before these images were taken, Kings Cross to Leeds services were handled favourably by under utilised Regional Eurostar sets. Now those sets have been handed back and GNER employ HSTs to work the Leeds trains. 43053 is the rear power car of 1D33 1235 Kings Cross to Leeds.

EWS type 5 67028 rests in the southern bay platform having returned from a route learning trip from Retford to Doncaster via Gainsborough, the headcode being 0D28. It will venture out for another run shortly.

A class 7 departmental working comes south through platform 2, 66116 leads 7D08 from York and will terminate at Doncaster's Up Decoy Yard. The train is made up of 28 MTS and MHA spoil wagons and a couple of cranes.

A selective shaft of sunlight brightens up 185148 as it leaves the up platform 2 onto the up fast and then it will pass over the down roads to gain the line to Sheffield. This is 1B81 1328 Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport. I think the Manchester Airport TO Cleethorpes service due about this time must be late!!

A member of the gathered FMi group records OTP 72201 as it makes its way along the Down Fast. This piece of On Track Plant is a Plasser and Theurer DGS 62-N dynamic track stabiliser. Its route details are not known.

Round on the west side of the station and 66531 runs north light engine. It may be 0G11 1400 Doncaster Down Decoy Yard to Leeds Midland Road light engine. If this IS correct then it is running about an hour late.

Freightliner 66548 clatters over the fast roads crossovers with a rake of empty HHA coal hoppers. These bogie hoppers can run empty up to 75MPH and therefore can run as class 4 services. This working is 4R18 1145 from Cottam Power Station to Immingham Docks where it will be reloaded with imported coal.

Hull Trains started off as an Open Access operator but was later bought over by First Group. HT bought a fleet for Voyager units and gave them class 222 numbers and called them "Pioneers". Here 222101 pauses with 1H04 1333 Kings Cross to Hull whilst to the right crossing into platform 2 is 158909 with 1J42 1441 from Sheffield to Hull.

More GBRf action with 66712 coming round the west side with 4M91 1316 West Burton Power Station to New Biggin loaded gypsum. Gypsum is found naturally but is also a byproduct of the power station desulphurisation process. It is taken to the New Biggin plant on the S&C to be made into building supplies, i.e. plasterboard.

This DRS type 3 brings all the (at the time) UK freight operators to Doncaster on this day. 37038 heads north with another route learning trip, this one is 0Z38 Peterborough to York. I do not know if it was just on the ECML or whether it was via Lincoln but the learners are for the new Open Access operator Grand Central.

Another light engine is recorded this time heading south, 66081's journey details are not known.

Dark clouds gather to the north east but the sun shines down on 158905 in its attractive Metro livery as it departs Doncaster with 1J29 1326 Scarborough to Sheffield.

A long lens shot to the north of the station and below the "knitting" of the OLE is class 08 shunter 08514 bringing a short engineers train made up of several cranes south.

91115 crosses off the down fast and has the road into the western most platform face with a down working to Leeds, 1D36 1410 off Kings Cross.

Another look at 08514 as it rumbles through platform 1 with its train of cranes.

A final look at this unusual working.

Approaching on the down fast at speed is 91105 powering 1N09 1430 Kings Cross to Newcastle. These mkIV sets were originally designed to tilt but the equipment was never fitted.

Another Pacer unit sets off for Sheffield having left Scunthorpe at 1518, headcode 2P75. The set is 144007.

The class 91 locos are push pull and are always found at the north end of the sets, unless there is a problem. Here 91126 pushes its train away from platform 1 with 1E15 1200 Glasgow Central to Kings Cross.