Well, it's really continuing ...
In the evening of December 4 2008 I landed at London Luton for a short 4 day tour, here a passing East Midlands class 222
By London Overground I reached the hotel changing at West Hampstead
Next morning, December 5, I got out at Finchley Road & Frognal,
because ...
... the empty coach stock of "The Cathedrals Express", London - Lincoln that day, pulled by Bulleid Pacific 34067 "Tangmere" was about to come by. At the rear a class 47 diesel was used for backing into Kings Cross terminal.
Next I walked to West Hampstead Thameslink
From where it's only a couple of minutes to St. Pancras
and London Kings Cross right next to it, where rebuilding had just started
IC125 and 225 side by side
View through the old HST doors
People in first class seem to be making tough decisions...
An East Coast Mainline early train snaked through the switches showing its nose into the faint morning sun
Just while I was getting breakfast the special pulled into the platform a little early, so I hurried to the steamer at the other end
A First Hull Trains class 222 arrived in the meantime
And the Cathedrals Express departed northbound
Past a waiting diesel
On the East Coast mainline you can overtake a steam train fairly quickly, at Peterborough I had easily passed it. How many different vehicle classes can you spot here?
Now I took a crowded East Midlands 153 further towards Lincoln. There is a lot of open country here, and equally sparse stations. At Sleaford I decided to get off the train as the steamer should stop here for 15 minutes. First I explored the level crossing behind the station which proved to be an old gated one. Hardly there, this fitting vehicle took me by surprise
I waited on the station pedestrian bridge for the arrival of the train, which sadly was a little delayed ...
... so the stop was shortened and it was impossible to make it to the other level crossing for departure. At least there were nice sunlight effects
Darling, could you reach me the menu please?
While waiting for the EM 156 to Lincoln I got to talk with an older railfan who was regularly visiting Austria
During the short ride we had to stop for half an hour because a truck had crashed into a railway bridge pillar ahead.
But I arrived safely at Lincoln and had some time for a town tour. The city was very crowded because of the christmas market. As lunch I bought an ostrich burger from the stand of a local farm, then I walked up the steep hill forming the old town centre with its massive cathedral.
Back at the pretty station
Old signalboxes between new buildings, sadly the semaphore signals had just been replaced
Yeah! Freight train!
Who can spot Mrs. Santa?
I went on to ...
I also could have taken a HST which apart from the Christmas market specials never reaches Lincoln, but it was quite delayed and I still had several hours of travel ahead. At least I could catch it arriving at Nottingham, and you can see it's from Lincoln
At 5 p.m. I took a CrossCountry 170 to Birmingham
Then the 3 1/2 hour ride to Plymouth inside a SuperVoyager followed
Half moon with HST at Plymouth
The rest of the night will be spent inside the Riviera Sleeper towards London ... until next morning!
