Eleven members participated in the informal station observations at Stafford and at Nuneaton on 15th April on a day, which started off brightly enough but degenerated into a cold and very wet afternoon. Some East Midlands Branch members were met amongst at least 40 enthusiasts on the platforms. Both Chester and Liverpool groups joined up at Stafford for an hour or so and later noted the continuing West Coast Main Line upgrading taking place especially at Lichfield Trent Valley. No sooner had the group arrived at Nuneaton than preserved 40145 was noted running light engine towards the Nene Valley Railway having earlier completed its rescue mission for a wrongly routed oil tanks train. A down Pendolino did a spectacular emergency stop through the station in a cloud of dust and brake smoke to enliven the day. This was a change as it is usually difficult to note Pendolino set numbers when they pass through the station at such speed.

Station Observations at both Stafford and at Nuneaton
(Freight headcodes for guidance taken from 2007/8 listings)

At Stafford

09.45 350120 08.40 Liverpool - Birmingham New Street with RCTS Chester group from Crewe
09.55 220032 non stop to Birmingham New Street
10.00 57312 in bay platform
10.00 390004 Euston - Liverpool
10.00 350107 to Liverpool
10.04 66196 4K07 Ironbridge – Walton empty coal hoppers
10.10 92004 up light engine to mail platform to reverse
10.12 390007 down non stop
10.18 350124 09.19 Liverpool - Birmingham New Street with RCTS Liverpool group
10.21 221136 to Bournemouth
10.21 221138 to Manchester Piccadilly
10.22 170515+153375 terminating from Birmingham New Street via Walsall
10.24 66580 4O35 Basford Hall – Southampton freightliner
10.24 390052 down non stop
10.30 350130 to Liverpool
10.32 57312 light engine to take Holyhead Pendolino on from Crewe
10.33 221103 to Birmingham New Street non stop through platform 4
10.37 221101 to Edinburgh non stop through middle road
10.40 86628 up light engine in Freightliner green
10.49 350111 to Birmingham New Street
10.50 390035 to Liverpool
10.50 220010 to Manchester Piccadilly non stop through platform 5
10.53 66560 Basford Hall – Ironbridge coal hoppers
10.54 220030 Manchester Piccadilly – Reading non stop through middle road
11.00 350129 to Liverpool
N.B. 5415 EHA415D preserved Midland Red D9 outside station
11.03 390048 up non stop
11.10 390002 to London Euston
11.20 350016 to London Euston with RCTS party on board to Nuneaton
11.21 170507 terminating ex Birmingham New Street
16.03 57312 in bay platform having replaced 57310 (see above)

At Nuneaton

12.09 390036 down non stop
12.10 60030 6M61 Humber – Bedworth loaded bogie tanks(This working had been previously to our arrival incorrectly sent the wrong way at Abbey Junction (which is on the Water Orton line just west of Nuneaton station). Here it should have been through platform 1 or 2 to access the Coventry line but was routed via the flyover. Luckily, Class 40 40145 was behind it (en route from Bescot to the Nene Valley) and was used to drag the train back over the flyover to Abbey Junction where it regained its booked route)
12.12 40145 light engine Bescot – Peterborough (Nene Valley Railway)
12.17 170636 to Stansted
12.18 170522 to Birmingham New Street
12.18 390032 up non stop
12.24 390050 to Liverpool
12.26 390017 up non stop
12.28 170111 to Leicester
12.32 66132 6D38 Small Heath – Mountsorrel Lafarge SD train
12.32 2211xx Holyhead – Euston
12.32 221111 Euston – Llandudno
12.38 153371 on Coventry shuttle
12.38 390004 to Euston
12.41 170521 to Birmingham New Street
12.45 66117 EWS fully laden in Leicester direction
12.47 60022 6V92 Corby – Margam empty steel
12.51 86501 ? Basford Hall - Felixtowe freightliner with only two containers
13.15 170106 to Birmingham New Street
13.20 66418 ? 4S44 Daventry – Coatbridge intermodal (off Coventry line)
13.22 153371 Coventry shuttle
13.28 60048 6G21 Stud Farm – Bescot Ballast (virtually brand new MLA wagons)
13.31 66502 4M94 Felixtowe – Lawley Street (crew change stop)
13.32 390044 down non stop – made an emergency stop at the north end of platform 3 with plenty of dust and brake burning smells
13.33 390011 up non stop
13.36 170111 to Birmingham New Street
13.36 170522 to Leicester
13.45 390035 to Euston (10 mins late)
13.53 66422 4Z34 Coatbridge – Daventry intermodal
13.54 175021 to Stansted
14.21 350119 Euston – Crewe
14.35 92042 4A10 Trafford Park – Wembley intermodal engine name spelt ‘onnegger’
14.45 66720 4L22 Hams Hall – Felixtowe intermodal engine named ‘Metronet Pathfinder’
14.45 170522 to Birmingham New Street
14.49 66589 4M58 Southampton – Ditton freightliner
14.55 92030 4H24 Wembley – Trafford Park intermodal
15.05 170111 to Stansted
15.15 170112 to Birmingham New Street
15.25 170523 to Stansted
15.30 66532 4L90 Hams Hall – Felixtowe intermodal
15.30 90047 4M81 Felixtowe – Ditton freightliner in Freightliner grey
15.34 170106 to Birmingham New Street
15.39 390017 14.17 Euston - Liverpool late running (18 minutes) with some of RCTS group
15.45 90016 4M88 Felixtowe – Basford Hall freightliner in Freightliner green livery
15.50 66410 4M44 Mossend – Daventry Malcolm intermodal with just 3 containers
16.15 170637 to Birmingham New Street
16.19 66722 4M23 Felixtowe – Hams Hall intermodal named ‘Sir Edward Watkin’ in Metronet livery
16.21 390015 15.17 Euston – Liverpool with majority of RCTS group

RWN/GM/DW/AR

15/04/08