Date with a Duchess
by Hugh Williams · 11th August 2016
5am and West Coast Railway Company class 37 No. 37706 waits at Crewe to start the day out with 1Z61, 05.19 Crewe – Liverpool Lime Street (via St Helens Jnc) - Crewe leg of the Cumbrian Mountain Express charter.
WCRC 37668 waits departure time at Liverpool before returning 1Z61, back to Crewe ready for the Duchess to continue north.
WCRC 37706 and 37668 are stabled up at Crewe after working 1Z61, 05.19 Crewe –Liverpool Lime Street - Crewe leg With one of WCRC Pullman car sitting in the background waiting its passengers to load for the run to Carlisle.
LMS Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 Pacific No.46233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ at Crewe before departing with 1Z62 08.20 Crewe to Carlisle leg of the charter.
Upon arrival at Carlisle, the Duchess was removed from the train for turning and servicing before the run back to Crewe and is seen as she runs tender first with support coach through Carlisle station.
During the break in Carlisle, various services were seen going around the station including Scotrail liveried class 156 No.156432, which is waiting departure with the 14.22 to Dumfries local Scotrail service.
First TransPennine class 350 No.350402 arrives at Carlisle with the 12.00 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh service. These units are very similar to the class 350 Desiro units that operate London Midland services locally.
Colas class 60 No.60021 stabled at Carlisle.
DRS retro liveried class 37/4 No.37402 Arrives Carlisle with 2C45, 11.38 from Barrow. DRS has recently repainted a number of its class 37/4 into this 1980s large logo blue livery and operates them on the Cumbrian coast route for Northern Trains as a stop gap measure as there is a shortage of DMU units available.
To save running the loco round at terminating station, DRS operate some of the ex-Scotrail/Anglia driving coaches on these services. Here DBSO No.9704 departs Carlisle on 2C34 14.33 to Barrow. These coaches were converted in the late 1970s for the push pull services between Glasgow and Edinburgh and were later used on Anglia trains between London and Norwich.
Most of the train was made up of West Coast railways maroon MK1 coaches in both first and standard class, but also used were two of their Pullman stock. Here 1960 built Metro-Cammell Pullman No.348 in full Pullman livery and carrying the name Topaz sits after arriving at Carlisle. These coaches were originally built for use on the East Coast main line. The other Pullman carried WCRC maroon livery.
An inside view of the above Pullman set up for dining passengers.
46233 Duchess of Sutherland at Carlisle, having just backed on to the train after turning and services, and ready to work 1Z63, the 14.52 Carlisle to Crewe return leg.
37668 departs Crewe with 1Z64, 19.07 Crewe to St Helens via Liverpool last leg of tour.
Returning to base 46233 Duchess of Sutherland passes Stafford with 5Z66, 12.18 Crewe Heritage centre to Butterley MRC on Sunday 24th July 2016.

