An Up (non-stop) Pendolino speeds through Nuneaton. Geoff Morris

Transfer between stations was facilitated by the use of West Midlands Day Ranger tickets which offered us a flexible way of travelling south from Crewe - although it does not permit travel on Virgin services. Members accordingly used varied routes south, some travelling on the “direct” London Midland service from Crewe (not that direct as it is routed via Stoke) while others travelled via Birmingham. The weather was disappointingly dull during the morning but improved dramatically in the early afternoon and brought out an array of matching Evertonian blue baseball caps at Nuneaton !

Not so easy to read these Pendolino numbers !. Geoff Morris

For those who hadn’t been there since reconstruction was completed, Rugby station came as an eye-opener. Overall it provided a more congenial environment than Nuneaton, particularly in the afternoon when one could sit on the new down platform and observe everything comfortably - albeit at a distance in the case of up services. If you like Pendolinos then this is the place to come with a frequency of 8 in each direction during the off-peak. Currently there is an exception to this once every 4 hours as Virgin’s substitute Mk 3 rake is used on the Euston - Birmingham circuit. It was on (or very close to) time whenever we observed it (with 90029 and DVT 82126).

For a few of us there was a real bonus at the end of the day. We travelled on the 1703 London Midland service from Rugby to Crewe, changing at Stafford into a New St - Liverpool service which runs direct to Crewe (the service from Rugby is routed via Stoke). At Stafford we had just over 5 minutes to wait and just after we had walked across to platform 5 an announcement was made to stand clear on this platform. Almost immediately 66728 came through towing 86701/2 from Long Marston to Crewe. These were formerly 86205 & 86260 and have been purchased and refurbished (and re-liveried) by ETL for use as spot-hire locos. Our train to Crewe was routed via the fast lines and overtook the convoy near Betley Road. Consequently we were able to view them again (and this time get photos) when they arrived in Crewe station.

66301 at Nuneaton on Ratcliffe - Daw Mill coal empties. Geoff Morris

	66414 (James the engine), in a livery that may soon disappear, at Nuneaton on Daventry - Coatbridge. Richard Neale

The following logs are provided in good faith from observations provided by Alan Donaldson, Geoff Morris and Richard Neale plus additional information received from Bob Casselden and Alan Rhind.

Nuneaton observations 11th August 2009
	DR73922	In down sidings (all day)
11.00	350264	09.33 Crewe-Euston
11.00	390019	09.48 Liverpool-Euston
11.02	153375	10.45 Coventry-Nuneaton (thence hourly arr xx03 dep xx.10)
11.05	390036	09.55 Manchester-Euston
11.06	390008	10.00 Euston-Manchester
11.08	66305	10.45 6A47 Daw Mill-Ratcliffe PS
11.10	390013	07.35 Glasgow-Euston
11.12	390043	10.07 Euston-Liverpool
11.21	170519	10.52 Birmingham-Leicester
11.22	390051	10.05 Manchester-Euston
11.24	221106	10.10 Euston-Holyhead
11.28	350105	Delayed 09.46 Euston-Crewe
11.30	66429	04.38 4M34 Coatbridge-Daventry
11.32	390045	10.20 Euston-Manchester
11.36	390025	10.30 Euston-Lancaster
11.38	221110	08.55 Holyhead-Euston
11.39	390007	10.40 Euston-Manchester
11.41	66559	10.35 4L75 Basford Hall-Felixtowe
11.42	390046	10.35 Manchester-Euston
11.43	170636	11.16 Leicester-Birmingham
11.52	170637	11.22 Birmingham-Stansted Apt
11.53	390022	11.00 Euston-Manchester
11.58	390002	10.48 Liverpool-Euston
12.00	390034	11.07 Euston-Liverpool
12.00	350109	10.33 Crewe-Euston
12.02	66301	09.58 4G61 Ratcliffe PS-Nuneaton
12.05	221114	11.10 Euston-Chester
12.05	390042	10.55 Manchester-Euston
12.10	170518	Heavily delayed 08.21 Stansted Apt-Birmingham (signalling problems at Melton Mowbray)
12.13	390041	08.40 Glasgow-Euston
12.19	350260	10.46 Euston-Crewe
12.20	390011	11.20 Euston-Manchester
12.21	390016	11.15 Manchester-Euston
12.23	170113	delayed 09.21 Stansted Apt-Birmingham
12.25	390031	11.30 Euston-Glasgow
12.25	170109	11.52 Birmingham-Stansted Apt
12.28	66588	05.45 4O27 Garston-Southampton
12.33	390023	11.40 Euston-Manchester
12.39	221115	11.35 Chester-Euston
12.41	390004	11.35 Manchester-Euston
12.45	170519	12.16 Leicester-Birmingham
12.48	66414	12.17 4S44 Daventry-Coatbridge (James the Engine)
12.52	DR98009/10	Down
12.55	390040	12.00 Euston-Manchester
12.57	57308	Down light engine
350105 departs Nuneaton on a Crewe - Euston London Midland service. Richard Neale          90016 at Nuneaton on Tilbury - Basford Hall. Richard Neale
13.00	350125	11.33 Crewe-Euston
13.00	390001	12.07 Euston-Liverpool
13.01	390024	11.48 Liverpool-Euston
13.05	390029	11.55 Manchester-Euston
13.10	170518	Delayed 12.22 Birmingham-Stansted Apt
13.11	390035	09.40 Glasgow-Euston
13.12	221142	12.10 Euston-Chester
13.17	170397	Delayed 10.21 Stansted Apt-Birmingham
13.19	390019	12.20 Euston-Manchester
13.20	350265	11.46 Euston-Crewe
13.22	390008	12.15 Manchester-Euston
13.23	390052	12.30 Euston-Lancaster
13.25	66552	12.53 6E89 Daw Mill-Drax PS
13.29	170113	12.52 Birmingham-Leicester
13.30	66590	07.45 4M94 Felixtowe-Lawley St
13.40	390036	12.40 Euston-Manchester
13.41	221106	12.35 Chester-Euston
13.43	170109	13.16 Leicester-Birmingham
13.45	390032	12.35 Manchester-Euston
13.50	170519	13.22 Birmingham-Stansted Apt
13.50	390051	13.00 Euston-Manchester
13.57	390043	12.48 Liverpool-Euston
14.00	390005	13.07 Euston-Liverpool
14.03	350111	12.33 Crewe-Euston
14.05	390045	12.55 Manchester-Euston
14.11	170103	11.25 Stansted Apt-Birmingham
14.13	221110	13.10 Euston-Chester
14.17	390046	13.20 Euston-Manchester
14.18	350117	12.46 Euston-Crewe
14.20	390007	13.15 Manchester-Euston
14.20	170397	13.52 Birmingham-Leicester
14.25	390003	10.40 Glasgow-Euston
14.25	66013	10.18 6V92 Corby-Margam
14.26	390013	13.30 Euston-Glasgow
14.35	390042	13.40 Euston-Manchester
14.40	90016	10.31 4M34 Tilbury-Basford Hall
14.41	221102	12.24 Bangor-Euston
14.43	170113	14.16 Leicester-Birmingham
14.45	390022	13.35 Manchester-Euston
14.50	390016	14.00 Euston-Manchester
14.52	170109	14.22 Birmingham- Stansted Apt
14.57	390020	13.48 Liverpool-Euston
14.57	66504	05.59 4L90 Ditton-Felixtowe (via Hams Hall)
14.58	390002	14.07 Euston-Liverpool
15.02	350105	13.33 Crewe-Euston
15.14	221118	14.10 Euston-Chester
15.20	350128	13.46 Euston-Crewe
15.42	170117	Delayed 12.25 Stansted Apt-Birmingham
66725 (Sunderland) at Rugby on Felixstowe - Hams Hall. Geoff Morris
Rugby (Only loco-hauled services recorded)
15.17	92007	12.18 4O10 Trafford Park-Southampton
15.25	66725	10.59 4M23 Felixstowe-Hams Hall
15.27	66504	05.59 4L90 Ditton-Felixstowe (via Hams Hall)
15.??	92017	13.19 4H17 Wembley-Trafford Park
15.46	90029+82126	14.43 Euston-Birmingham
15.49	66569	10.17 4M58 Southampton-Basford Hall
15.49	66712	15.16 4L22 Hams Hall-Felixstowe
15.53	67003	Up light engine
15.53	90044	07.34 4M81 Felixstowe-Ditton
16.23	66539	08.49 4M88 Felixstowe-Basford Hall
16.24	66542	15.16 4L22 Hams Hall-Felixstowe
16.38	66416	07.16 4M44 Grangemouth-Daventry
16.48	86612/04	14.03 4L92 Ditton-Felixstowe
17.01	82126+90029	16.30 Birmingham-Euston
82126 at Rugby on Euston - Birmingham service formed of Virgin's substitute Pendolino stock. Geoff Morris          90029 at Rugby on Birmingham - Euston service formed of Virgin's substitute Pendolino stock. Geoff Morris
Stafford
18.00	90019 (Scotrail livery)+67017+67008	16.35 6L48 Garston-Dagenham
18.10	66728+86701+86702	Long Marston-Crewe

86701/2 (hauled by 66728) at Crewe following refurbishment and repainting at Long Marston. Geoff Morris

Geoff Morris 21/8/09

05/09/09