Todays outing is quite by chance as late last night I caught a message about a Crompton into Marylebone and after a hunt around the net I found some times for Joint Line Railtours trip ‘The Merry-Le-Bone’ from Worksop – Marylebone with an afternoon spin to Calvert and back!
Traction for the tour was quoted as WCRC Tractor and Crompton operating in Top’n'Tail formation. I decided to head over to Quainton Road for the outward working which was headed by 37516 and then dash to Calvert to grab a shot of the return with Slim Jim 33207 at the front and infact I made the dash so quickly I got a bonus shot of the tractor arriving at Calvert!
After a short run up to the Claydon loop the train reversed and the Crompton took over again for the run back to Marylebone via a stop at Quainton Road to pick up a few passengers who had decided to get off and visit the railway centre.
Todays update was a very last minute affair as it wasn’t until I got home from work at lunchtime that I realised Pathfinder were running a railtour featuring Class 37 traction through my neck of the woods. A quick check of the timings and I decided to head out to Calvert which is a new location for me. I opted to try the shot of the train arriving in the Claydon loop near Calvert. I was alone at this location and when another photographer turned up and then opted to move on I began to wonder whether the train would come far enough down the loop for a photo.
I needn’t of worried as 37425 pulled the train all the way up to the signal next to the bridge presumably to please the track bashers. I grabbed a few shots and the dashed around to the bridge in Calvert village. After being the sole photter out at the loop I was rather surprised to find around 30-40 photographers all set up for action and I could hear the sound of 37411 approaching!
I didn’t have much time as I could hear 37411 thrashing away quite clearly so I had to shoot over the top of everyone else already gathered. One plus point to being 6′7″ tall makes things like that much easier! I grabbed a fairly decent shot and then it was another sprint off to Quainton Road for another shot.
I arrived at Quainton Road to find the railway centre amass with tour participants milling around all over the site. I opted for the shot from the newish footbridge which enables visitors to cross from one side of the site to the other as it is dissected by the freight only line to Calvert refuse terminal. I grabbed my shots and then waited to watch and listen as 37411 blasted off into the chilly evening.
