Class 40 Mainline Action - 09th June 2017

BR Blue Beast D345 is back in action on the mainline and is given a fairly good workout on Friday 09th June when it works a "mini" tour from Carnforth to Bury Bolton St (ELR) via Wigan, Chester, Shrewsbury, Wrexham, Stafford and Manchester.

This is the extended edition and we begin the action at Carnforth where D345 makes a less than stealthy approach to the WCRC facility. Next up the noise on the platform has gotten louder (thanks to the crowds of spotters) where WCRC 37516 brings the ECS of the tour into the station.

Now we are onboard we get a view from the window as we pass through Wigan North Western at speed where we can see Andy and Stepsney on the platform, once we clear the station D345 opens up as she passes the former home of many classmates - Wigan Springs Branch.

We rejoin the action a few hours later where we are speeding along Chat Moss and get a glimpse of Astley Signal Box and Level Crossing and finally get a proper view from outside as we rejoin the action at Ordsall lane where a lot of construction work is going on with the new Ordsall Chord being built. We pass behind Salford Central and then pass through Deal Street Jn which has undergone considerable "rationalisation" since the BR days as we approach Manchester Victoria. The final shot is of D345 thrashing out of Victoria on the final few miles of the tour.

All in all it was a very enjoyable day and was well worth going out for a bash, it was my first proper experience of a Class 40 on the mainline (although I have previously had this beauty up Miles Platting bank a few years back).

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