“Along the ECML – King’s Cross to York”

Presenter: Stephen Gay

The April Branch meeting comprised of a modern-day journey along the East Coast main line, presented by Stephen Gay, starting at King’s Cross when journeying through to York.  Deltics and diesels featured from the outset whilst plenty was also to be seen of HST’s, Class 91 electrics and the Azumas of today.  Heading out from London brought lineside scenes from both Stevenage and Abbots Ripton, whilst at Peterborough the focus embraced excellent pictures of the bridges over the river Nene and the lines towards the East Midlands and East Anglia.  Several illustrations were shown of the newly completed significant main line junction and tunnelling at Werrington.  Numerous photographic areas appertaining to Mallard’s world steam record run down the ECML followed, illustrating significant countryside locations such as Helpston, Tallington & Little Bytham.  Very importantly the lineside sign at Essendine, the precise point at which the maximum speed of 126 mph was achieved was not forgotten.

An HST and the Manchester to Harwich Parkston Quay locomotive hauled boat train were the focus of attention at Grantham.  Newark yielded pictures of scenic interest where the ECML and Midland traffic crossed the river Trent and the approaches into Yorkshire at Retford pictured the recently engineered lower level platforms at the crossing point of the LNER and former Great Central metals to Lincoln.  Finally, nearing journey’s end, many pictures were to be seen of modern-day traffic through Doncaster together with their adjacent freight yards, before taking the final leg of the journey to York.

Intermingled throughout the programme the presenter gave several self-generated poetic presentations relating to the location and history of some of the places that were featured.  Appreciative thanks were accorded to the speaker for a most interesting rendition.