9th September 2016

GB Railfreight
GBRf 15 (Day 2 of 4)

Route :
1Z15 : London Kings Cross to Whitemoor Yard
1Z16 : Whitemoor Yard to Peterborough Virtual Quarry
1Z17 : Peterborough Virtual Quarry to Norwich
1Z18 : Norwich to Great Yarmouth
1Z19 : Great Yarmouth to Harwich International

Notes :
(1) 66707 on rear.
(2) 09009 piloting 09002+66735+66707 with 73964+73961 on rear.
(3) 73964+73961 on rear.
(4) John Clifford comments: This was the second day of a four day (and one overnight) tour to celebrate fifteen years of operation by GB Railfreight. The original advertised route from Kings Cross was via Welwyn Garden City. After Thetford the route was Yarmouth via the Wensum curve, then back to Norwich and pick up the route on the Great Eastern main Line (GEM) from there. There was originally a final leg from Harwich to Stratford but this part was transferred to the overnight working to Edinburgh. On the day we left on time and likewise were on time at Belle Isle. For the rest of the day we were always late. On the Hertford Loop we caught up the late running 09.03 Moorgate - Hertford North. Then we had to be held at Langley South Jn to let the 10.00 Stevenage - Moorgate come up. The track layout here means that a train reversing at Stevenage has to come back up the down slow line at cross to the up Hertford line at this point. This waiting got us behind the 09.52 Kings Cross - Cambridge which we should have preceded. At Whitemoor the plan was to attach the two Class 09s to the train to haul it in Whitemoor yard. Due to a misunderstanding only the leading loco was powering. Prior to this 66735 had been attached to get the loco to Peterborough. Both 66’s powered the train on the Whitemoor - Peterborough leg. Being late we were held at Peterborough East for the late 08.52 - Liverpool – Norwich. We moved forward to the next signal to wait for the late 11.27 Stansted - Birmingham to go past.  At Peterborough we learned that the wires had come down at Ranskill again (it had happened earlier in the week) so the East Coast Main Line was in some disarray. We reached the Virtual Quarry at Peterborough and left 66735 behind. Back at Peterborough station we were still late so we waited for 09.52 Liverpool - Norwich to go. At Ely North Jn we stopped for the 13.40 Norwich - Cambridge to go past, then, on going forward to Norwich, we caught signals off the 14.12 Cambridge - Norwich. At Trowse Jn we were held again and saw the 14.40 North Walsham - Harwich tanks go up the G.E.M.L. It had been decided that the train would be watered at Norwich instead of leaving straight away. We left behind the 16.40 Norwich - Yarmouth and were checked by it. At Yarmouth the plan was to leave at 18.30 but we were slightly later than this. We came to a halt on the G.E.M.L. at M.P. 105 for reasons that I did not discover, and there was some slow running on the Harwich branch. Then train then formed the overnight working to Edinburgh.

73964+73961 on arrival at Norwich (photo: PRAR)

Source : John Clifford (on the tour)

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford)

Associated E.C.S. & Light Engine Workings

08/09/16 : 
0Z15 : (66707 + 73961 + 73964?) : Tonbridge West Yard to Ferme Park

09/09/16 : 
5Z15 : (66707 with 73964 + 73961 on rear) : Ferme Park to London Kings Cross

5Z19 : (73961 + 73964 with 66707 on rear) : Harwich International to Parkeston S.S.

10/09/16 :
0Z?? : (66707 + 73961 + 73964?) : Harwich International to Tonbridge Yard

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