12th Jan 1991

Here's an interesting shot, if not the best I've taken. It was a gloomy day though.

At 12.30 Class 47/4 no. 47524, wearing Inter City Mainline livery, double-heads with Class 37/0 no. 37072. Both locos are working, as testified by my notes and this is a northbound coal train from South Wales. According to Freightfax 1991, the only known pre-Freightmaster publication available to help with train identity, there were only two coal trains a day this way, both passing through in the dead of night. Given that the '47 is assisting the '37 I can only assume that this was a very, very late running coal train being given some much-needed assistance, the 6M15 from Onllwyn or Coedbach to Ellesmere Port, due through here at 02.26! There was also 6M14 Tower to Ellesmere Port, but that was due through at 00.54. Either that or an extraordinary additional working. We'll never know I guess.

RailGenArchive reports that the next day no. 47524 worked 1A07 08.58 Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston, between Liverpool and Crewe!