Special Workings & Charters

[childwallblues]

RE: Special Workings & Charters
The Enigmatic Logistician 12/01/2013

The tour was a bit of a disaster. The locos were 37259 tnt 37611. Departure from Crewe was 0821 and 37259 failed before the end of the platform. Fitters got it going but 37259 was declared a total failure at Stafford.
It was decided to run round 37611. However this took time and blocked the busy Platform 4, all up stopping trains having to use Platform 1.
After we finally departed from Stafford we had a further delay when we were put in Four Ashes Loop due to a medical emergency on board. We then moved to Wolverhampton and suffered further delays awaiting ambulance staff.
On departure from Wolverhampton we were further looped and then made a protracted stop at Birmingham New Street before proceeding to our final pick up point at Nuneaton. Here 37425 had been sent from Crewe and was attached to the rear of the train.
The upshot of all this was we were now 150 minutes late and Pathfinder announced that the tour was being severely curtailed. It was to run down the WCML to Milton Keynes Central and then into Wolverton Works. It was then to pick up its homeward path. The part of the tour abandoned was that down the Midland Main Line to Cricklewood and over the Hendon Flyover to East Acton and back to Milton Keynes Central.
To add to our misery the carriage that we were in FO 3340 failed with no heating or lighting.
A truly disappointing day.