| A last chance to bid farewell to the WCML's premier traction before most of them are 'refreshed' and sent far away to spend their remaining days in Bulgaria hauling - if reports are true - trains of sulphuric acid.
Not exactly a joyous occasion, then - it reminded me of Doncaster Works on 27th Feb 1982.... - though better that most of the Sevens be sent abroad than scrapped. On a much happier note, 'Royal Sovereign' looked quite superb (even if she's in blue and not IC.....!) and is set for a return to main line working. Bring it on :-) |
'Royal Sovereign' seen between two classmates |
'Patriot' |
Evidence of many years' paintwork on the rubbed-down sides of 87003 |
'Britannia' |
'City of Glasgow' still looks in fine shape. |
Detail on 87006 |
'City of Glasgie' and many classmates |
87009 faces the doomed 87027 |
'City of Birmingham' |
Gold buffers. Unmistakeably 'King Arthur' |
'King Arthur' |
'The Black Prince' |
'John o' Gaunt', which had a return to glory for a day (the 'skoda down the coast' farce) working Crewe - Euston and return. Yes, I and a handful of others had it. If only it hadn't dumped its fire bottles when reversing onto 1A41 on the Sunday, I'd have cleared it for 10,000. But it wasn't to be. Cheers then! |
'Knight of the Thistle' |
87014 at the opposite end of the line-up to 87009, with 87033 / 030 / 021 / 004 / 013 / 006 / 011 / 017 / 003 / 025 / 020 and 034 sandwiched in between. |
The mighty 'Iron Duke' |
Enough said..... |
Evidence of an oil leak, and much accumulated road crap, on 87017 |
87018, 87029, 87010 and 86215 |
'Lord Nelson' |
'Lord Nelson' may well be doomed; the rest of the line up should be more fortunate. |
'North Briton' - a machine whose final diagram was nothing less than The Royal Scot to Glasgow, for 1M34 back. What finer way to bow out? Alas it may yet not escape, however. Time will tell..... |
The utterly magnificent 'Robert The Bruce' |
It will be noticed that 87021 has a brand new pantograph. It never worked a train while equipped with it, as its final working saw it stranded near Rugby Cement works after losing the pan head. |
