Withered by 4L92 - Part 1: The 14:03 Ditton - Felixstowe is the only Freightliner diagram booked for a pair of 86/6s to be phot-able around the Midlands in daylight. Except when 66569 turns up, pictured here at Millmeece on Friday 9th March. Cheers then.

Once a common sight between Birmingham and Crewe / Liverpool, the 323s are now scarce on the WCML outside the confines of the West Midlands, their main stronghold being the Cross-City services. On 9th March, however, 323220 was sent to Crewe IEMD for attention, seen here passing Millmeece as 5Z17, 15:00 ex New St.

The late afternoon sun puts in a timely appearance just as 90043 'Freightliner Coatbridge' passes Millmeece on 4M88, 08:49 Felixstowe - Basford Hall, on 9th March.

Barely two minutes behind 90043, 92037 'Sullivan' passes Millmeece in charge of 6F63, 16:15 Bescot - Warrington Arpley, on 9th March.

Running somewhat late, 60063 'James Murray' passes the same location at Millmeece, heading 6K50 Toton - Crewe, on 9th MArch.

On a day when freight was sparse to say the least, there was little else to phot but a few 350s! In this view, 350115 runs into Acton Bridge to make its booked stop with 1G29, 12:40 Liverpool - Birmingham, on 12th March.

A shutter speed of 1/1600 sec is required to stop 390012, showing its paces storming through Acton Bridge at full speed with 1F15, Euston - Liverpool, on 12th March.

Not booked to stop at Acton Bridge, 350110 cruises easily past at 100mph, on 1G31, 13:19 Liverpool - Birmingham, on 12th March.

Returning south from Merseyside to the Capital, 390012 is rapidly gaining speed after negotiating Weaver Junction, as it approaches Acton Bridge, on 12th March.

Withered by 4L92 - Part2: Typically, on a rare occasion when yours truly is in position somewhere different for the 14:03 Ditton - Felixstowe, it once again fails to produce a pair of AL6s....!! On 12th March, 90041 proceeds cautiously towards the 40mph turnout onto the Up Slow at Acton Bridge. Feckin' cheers then!

Photographed from the road bridge in the background of the previous shot, 350113 hurries past with 1F45 13:51 Birmingham - Liverpool, on 12th March. Footbridge 40A is visible in the background.

The rancid Voyajunk having mercifully cleared the shot just in time (and now cunningly hidden behind an OLE mast !), 350125 approaches Acton Bridge on 12th MArch, with 1G37 14:40 Liverpool - Birmingham.

In an era when the majority of signage, bridge plates and so forth are uninspiring modern items, it was a pleasant surprise to find this vintage sign on a bridge over a minor country road near Dutton Viaduct ! It will be noted that the lettering is inset with reflective 'cats eye' type glass pieces.

There can be few locations on the WCML which are more cluttered with OLE equipment than the south end of Basford Hall yard. Getting a shot is difficult to say the least; here 90042 rolls along the Down Fast Independant, in charge of 4M88, 08:49 Felixstowe - Basford Hall, on 12th March.

Heading north along the Down Slow, thus avoiding Basford Hall yard, 92015 'D H Lawrence' heads 6S73, 16:15 Bescot - Mossend on 12th March. The heavyweight OLE construction harks back to the ground-breaking era of the early 1960s when overhead electrification at 25kV revolutionised the WCML. In hindsight, the heavy masts were found to be over-engineered; compare these with those erected north of Weaver Junction a decade or so later.