CLASS 20
On a perfect spring day (May 14), a private Vintage Trains tour ran as the 1Z42 11.44 Manchester Piccadilly-York via the Hope Valley, Mexborough and Doncaster led by EE Type 1 No. 20189 with the green-liveried No. 47773 at the rear of the six coaches. The special returned from York soon after arrival, heading back to Manchester through Leeds and Huddersfield. In the early evening No. 20189 was at the business end of the empty stock move back to Tyseley, reached at 19.50.
CLASS 37
Following its recent exploits on charter trains in Scotland, No. 37403 Isle of Mull (RAJV) ran light from Bo’ness SRPS to Grosmont on May 2. Four days later it took charge of the 1T18 15.00 Pickering-Whitby and thereafter became a daily sight at the seaside terminus on NYMR services throughout May. Over on the Cambrian coast, Type 3s Nos. 97302 (37170) and 97303 (37178) handled the 1Z13 10.17 Shrewsbury-Pwllheli and 1Z14 16.23 return legs of Pathfinder Tours’ special from Oxford on May 13. The same diagram seven days later was in the care of Nos. 97302+97304 (37217) as No. 97303 had been commandeered to work the 6J88 09.00 Porthmadog-Maindee with a track machine. A second timber trial ran from Aberystwyth to Chirk on May 18 hauled by Nos. 97302+97303 running as the 6C55 15.55 from Aberystwyth. The wagons were taken forward from Shrewsbury to Chirk, via Chester, by No. 56113.
No. 37521 made several forays between Crewe and Toton during the early part of May taking coaching stock for tyre turning. On May 9 for instance, it worked the 5F54 16.30 Crewe HS-Toton TMD with two coaches and returned the following morning with No. 47593 and two more items of stock on the 5K21 08.45 from Toton. On May 19, Nos. 37521+37688 set off with a private charter heading from Crewe to Llandudno via Shrewsbury and to go on alone. Stable companion No. 37518 was called up to cover the morning ‘Jacobite’ diagram
