| When offered the chance of a look around Alstom Traincare's Wembley facility, I jumped at it. Alas the weather on the day in question was terrible, with fog lingering all day, the temperature scarcely rising above zero, and only the merest hint of sunshine breaking through - briefly ! Nonethless, had I not gone there on this particular day, I would have missed the departure of 87012 and 87019.
My grateful thanks are due to Tim H and the The Chief for making it possible. |
Inside the shed on No.6 road stands "the set" WB64, with DVT 82101 looking very smart at the sharp end. |
When I arrived, set WB64 was in darkness and the pan was lowered on 87002 - not a promising sign! The fitter, however, did the business and rectified a minor fault with Royal Sovereign, to my huge relief. Here she stands awaiting departure time of 15:40 with 5G21. |
87006 and 87028 stand on No.5 road undergoing attention prior to whatever Porterbrook have planned for them, whilst on the right in No.6 road is 87002 with the set for 1G21 - the WCML's last locomotive hauled diagram. |
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The view from alongside 87002, with 87028 and 87006 on the adjacent road. |
'City of Glasgow' plates are about all that are missing from the sides of 87006, viewed here in profile. A fine machine. |
Outside the shed, the Cripple Road plays host to 87007, 87008 and 86213 'Lancashire Witch', the latter owned of course by the AC Locomotive Group whose name adorns the side of 87002. |
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87008, still immaculate in the colours of Cotswold Rail - but to my knowledge never having turned a wheel for that TOC since repainting - stands in the Cripple Road. I understand that a fair amount of work is required to bring 'City of Liverpool' back to a serviceable condition. |
The slight 'speed' blur on 87012 is due solely to the appropriately dull foggy weather as the former 'Coeur de Lion' is towed away and across to the freight yard, whence she and 87019 would be removed to Dolland's Moor and, after Christmas taken via the Tunnel to Germany for onward movement to Bulgaria. |
The 08 pulls away and 87019 + 012 roll past me for the last time. :-( |
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I arrived at Wembley just in time - literally - to witness the removal of 87019 and 87012 to the adjacent freight yard, prior to their departure a couple of days later as part of 6B01 trip to Dollands Moor. Their pans were tied down, and such items as APC magnets removed, to be sure of safe passage through the Tunnel. My eternal thanks are due to the EWS shunters who paused for a moment to allow me to grab this picture...! |
Still operational, albeit on 3 TMs, is 87026. The erstwhile 'Redgauntlet' is seen here engaged in driver training, with a short rake of vehicles which constitute the spares for WB64. |
Now then - a challenge to Hertfordshire, Pathfinder Tours, et al..... let's have 87028, or one of her classmates, on a tour to Scotland before it's too late....? You know, NORTH of the border, preferably via the West Coast of course! The AL7 men live in hope........ |
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El Presidente, a credit to The Chief and his team..... |
