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06/04/2026

📍 BLS Down to Dundee
📅 19/03/26
📸 Nikon D5300

37611 'Pegasus' & 37423 'Perseus' wait to depart from Preston with 1Z23, the 1036 BLS positioning move tour from Peterborough to Dundee. 57306 would work the tour to Leicester, where the pair of 37s would take over the rest of the way. The tour would then pick futher at Uttoxeter, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle and Cumbernauld. The main tour would take place over the following days travelling around Scotland.

©Darren Durrant

01/04/2026

📍 37409 & 37401
📅 13/03/26
📸 Nikon D5300

LSL Class 37409 'Loch Awe' & 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots' are seen stabled in the horse landing at Crewe TMD. They'd be called upon the day after to help out on the Statesman. 47593 had failed, being left in the thunderbird siding. 47810 would work the ECS to Leicester, and the tour back to Crewe solo. 37401 & 37409 would attach to the front, to triple head over the S&C, and back to Crewe via the WCML. 47810 would only be providing heat and power. Arriving back into Crewe, the pair would return to the depot leaving 47810 to run solo to Leicester and back.

©Darren Durrant

26/03/2026

📍 Freightliner 90's
📅 10/03/26
📸 Nikon D5300

While on a Cheshire Day Ranger I ended up waiting at Manchester Oxford Road for a while. Timing couldn't have been any better as during my wait, 2x pairs of 90s passed through with a freight.

90007 & 90009 - 4M42 0223 London Gateway Frghtliner to Trafford Park F.L.T.

90049 & 90011 - 4L67 1020 Trafford Park F.L.T. to Felixstowe North F.L.T.

©Darren Durrant

21/03/2026

📍 Refurbished XC Voyager
📅 06/03/26
📸 Nikon D5300

220033, the first of the refurbished XC Voyagers, departs from Stoke-on-Trent 1M46, the 1145 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly.

©Darren Durrant

16/03/2026

📍 Midland Pullman Test Run
📅 04/03/26
📸 Nikon D5300

43049 'Neville Hill & 43058 are seen at the HST Stop marker at London Euston. This trip was advertised as the Capital Flyer, a test run to see about increasing the line speed for non tilting trains. This would be the first HST to reach 125mph on the WCML during a non stop run.

©Darren Durrant

09/03/2026

📍 Flying Scotsman
📅 19/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

Standing in platform 4 at Birmingham Moor Street, 60103 'Flying Scotsman' waits patiently after completing her first run of the day to/from Dorridge.

Vintage Trains had advertised several days of hour long journeys behind the world famous steam locomotive. 47773 was on the other end leading the services to Dorridge, for Scotsman to work back into Birmingham.

©Darren Durrant

04/03/2026

📍 The Fearless Statesman
📅 18/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

3 days prior to the first Statesman tour of 2026, the stock was taken out for a test run. D1924 lead the morning run to Carnforth where the stock was held for an hour. 50050 took the stock back south, captured at Crewe with 5Z72, the 1353 Carnforth North Jn to Crewe H.S. ECS.

©Darren Durrant

27/02/2026

📍 Spoorwegmuseum, Museum
📅 17/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

While in Utrecht I paid a visit to The Railway Museum, home to several British build and heritage Dutch locomotives. Handily the museum has a direct service from Utrecht Centraal, while an hourly service to the platform here at Maliebaan. Each image has been individually captioned.

©Darren Durrant

23/02/2026

📍 Trip to the Netherlands
📅 16-17/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

Following on from my trip to Belgium last month, once again taking advantage of the well timed Eurostar sale, and the Great British Rail Sale saw tickets from Manchester to Europe for as little as £36 each way. 1 night in Amsterdam was booked. Upon arrival I got a Netherlands Day Rover and did some sightseeing. Pictures individually captioned at various locations over the 2 days.

©Darren Durrant

16/02/2026

📍 A Fearless Run to the Capital
📅 12/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

2026 saw the return to railtour for 50050. Being advertised for the first Saphos Trains tour of the year, it seemed questionable as to how to loco would fare given her recent history. Having had a couple to test runs to Chester and back the day prior (11/02), she was all set for the tour ahead.

87002 would depart Crewe at 0339 with the Positioning Move tour. A good run up the West Coast saw us arriving into Euston 30 minutes ahead of schedule. 50050 was up next with the Fearless Express tour, retracing our route back down the West Coast to Crewe where Blue Peter was awaiting on the UDL. The Cumbrian Mountaineer tour saw 60532 head North to Carlisle. Something I heard on the tour was she was 30s slower up Shap than the Duke of Gloucester on a similar tour late last year. Still good going, especially with having a some delayed services about. At Carlisle 37667 would assist with the ECS to/from Upperby. Once we returned to Crewe it was back to 50050 to London once again with another very good run, arriving into the Capital at 2327. 87002 was attached to the front, and once a despatcher was found it was time for the final leg to Crewe, arriving 47 minutes late at 0307 on the morning of the 13/02.

©Darren Durrant

13/02/2026

📍 Chiltern Loco Hauled Sets
📅 11/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

While on a West Midlands Day Ranger, after visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, I noticed that I'd be arriving into Leamington Spa with an hour to kill before 1J47. Doing a few unit moves to kill the time, I boarded the service at Warwick, taking it to Birmingham Snow Hill. It was an odd experience seeing the Mk5s in service with Chiltern after having travelled with them frequently out of Manchester a few years ago. Once at Snow Hill I took a pair of 172s back to Leamington Spa to board 1J55, once again to Snow Hill. Will be a shame when the Mk3s finish, which I believe to be the end of February. Much more comfortable.

©Darren Durrant

08/02/2026

📍 47765 Running Day
📅 08/02/26
📸 Nikon D5300

After yesterdays Winter Warmer Diesel Running Day, which I forgot my SD card so couldn't take pictures, 47765 had her first solo running day of the year. 3 full line trips were planned. Due to an issue with the dining stock, 47765 was removed from 2J52 to go and solve the problem. 52322 would take over 2J52 to Heywood and 2J53 back to Bury where they would switch sets again. 52322 departed with the Diner 32 minutes late. On the final service of the day, 47765 arrived into Bury Bolton Street 4 minutes ahead of schedule, making up the delay in full.

©Darren Durrant

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