Home»All Photographs»Year Albums»2022»July»2022_07_16 Cheshireman

For over a week before this train was scheduled to run weather forecasters’ had been predicting exceptionally high temperatures. I expected “The Cheshireman” would be cancelled as a precaution against fire-risk or diesel haulage would replace steam throughout. In practice neither of these took place but an interesting and ultimately disappointing alternative was employed. The Class 47 diesel locomotive attached to the back of the train effectively shoved the Duchess all the way to Chester and back as far as either Rugby or Watford Junction when at last it appeared the old Lady gave up the ghost and the train had to be terminated. This was not the sort of message that preserved steam on the main-line wants or deserves. My day began successfully with shots of the train at Grendon, near Atherstone, as it accelerated away from the Nuneaton stop. The outward trip was then spoiled by road closures, diversions that were so numerous and not clearly signposted that I had to give up and return to the M6 only to find that the authorities had resigned and changed the M56 + M53 junction minimising the route to the A55 round Chester. I eventually found my way to Christleton to use for the return run after I had made my stop-over trip to Manchester. Christleton was fine for my first shots of the return run but the journey via the M56 and M6 + A5 to Atherstone took far too long. I should have been too late but I suspect that problems with 6233 had begun between Litchfield and Tamworth and so 10 minutes late was enough for me to catch the train as it passed under the B5000 bridge near Dordon. 68 min late leaving Nuneaton, 100 min late at Rugby and although the train was only 40 min late by Watford Junction the decision was made to terminate the excursion there. Clearly it is undesirable to attempt to propel 160 ton steam locomotives and long trains with diesel power from the rear for 358 miles. I hope lessons are learned!