Headed to Warrington Bank Quay for a couple of hours in the morning to get 55022 "Royal Scots Grey" on 0Z44 Castletown - Crewe driver training run. Also seen a couple of Freightliner runs and 92031 on 0Z42 from Crewe. Thanks to Matthew for the company on my short visit. Highlights: 55022, 92031

Rushed to Chester earlier than planned after hearing that 37601 and 37604 which were working 6K41 Valley - Crewe had left 2 hours early. Got to Chester just in time to photograph the pair. Then headed on to Warrington Bank Quay to catch 47739 on 0Z41 Crewe - Ribblehead for the logs to Chirk that night. Also had th chance to get some better photographs of 66841 on 6J37 again. Appologies for some minor focussing issues here and there, i am still to master this new camera....

Headed out this afternoon to give my new camera a test as there were a few things around worth photographing. I now have a Fugifilm S1730 which i belive is a big step up from my old compact camera (as some of the results are allready starting to show). Went to Helsby under the impresson that 70003 was working 4F03, turned out to be 70002 in the end. Then went to Chester to catch 6K56 but missed this by minutes due to my train being held at a red signal outside Chester. hung around for 48151 "Guage O Guild" on "The Welsh Mountaineer" back to Preston and 57315 on the WAG. Appologies for some minor focus issues and lighting problems with these images, i am getting used to using a viewfinder again....

Rushed to Chester after work today to see 66841 on the Chirk logs as i still hadn't seen it. Also hung around for 57316 on 1W91. Appologives for the slight blur on some of the images, the lens on my current camera is playing silly beggars, getting a new camera soon though hopefully.

Was lucky enough to get a ticket for this years DRS open day at Crewe Gresty Bridge Depot. Went along and was not dissapointed at the variety and what was put on, great job DRS! Saw 37409 being named "Lord Hinton" aswell as 37229 "Jonty Jarvis" finally! Cabbed 37409 and 57009. Also saw a few movemnts at the station before and after visiting the depot. All in all a good day was had, Thanks to Luke, Alex and Richard for the company as allways!

This morning i got news that the Queen was visiting Chester and that the Royal Train had been seen stabled at Hooton. With this information i rushed off to Hooton to see if it was still there. To my luck it was but it was far down the sidings so a good photo from the station was impossible. So i headed to a spot i havn't used for some time, a Bridge on a country lane just east of the station, on the Chester line. Here i waited and waited, about 4 units passed at 15 minute intervals and i was about to give up when i heard the familiar sound of a 67 horn. 67005 powered out of Hooton with the Royal Train heading for Chester. Good to see this, a first for me, even if it did mean rushing out stupidly early!

Today i made use of the lovely weather and headed to Warrington with a freind. After a terrible journey there due to issues with Merseyrail and a mad dash to Lime Street, we got there in the end. Wasn't expecting too much freight wise as Thursday looked to be quiet on Freightmaster. However, pleasently supprised, with lots of Freightliner Heavy Haul trains. Highlights included 66434 on 6C19 and seeing 70004 for the second time. Was a great trip out and kopped lots of Freightliner Heavy Haul locos i needed so that was good. Also caught the Pen stone train at Chester on the way home which was worked by 66529. Had a great day, thanks to Richard for the company!

Headed to Crewe firstly to see 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" in it's new black colour scheme on a tour to Carlisle, 56312 on "The Scenic Settler" tour and 60163 "Tornado" on a railtour to Chester. Headed to Manchester and Stockport in the afternoon to try out a couple of new locations for photographing trains for me in the afternoon sun. Finished the day off by heading back to Crewe to catch Tornado's return to London. Also includes 90020 on the Blackpool Footbal Club Footex to London. Thanks to Luke, Richard, Jack and Danny for the company and a great day. And also, thanks to the sun for the lovely sunburn!

Headed to Crewe today, mainly to see 97301 working to Wigan. Sadly my photos didn't go to plan here but was a good experience non the less. Also got 2 steamers working to Bristol Barrow Road for a tour the next day aswell as 70002 on 0M70 Midland Road - Basford Hall. Was a great outing and had loads of laughs, thanks to Luke, Richard, Jack and Richard for the company and the laughs throughout the day!

Took at short trip to Chester before heading to Liverpool to meet a freind, soley to catch 67006 and 67029 on the Northern Belle. Some shots of the usual units around too, all services bound for North Wales were terminating at Chester due to engerneering works. Not that happy with the quality of the images from this trip and the cause of this will have to be looked into i think...

Headed over to Warrignton today to soend a few hours around the area and see what was around, hoping to catch 70004 which had been on the Ellesmere Port coals the week before. Sure enough 70004 appeared on the Ellsmere Port diagram aswell as 59201 on the Liverpool Bulk Terminal coals. Also saw a few more sheds aswell as 31601 and 31459 on a Network Rail Test train. My video of this can be found on my youtube page (search for Merseyrailmad). Thanks to Luke and Richard for the company and the laughs!!

Headed over to Crewe today in the freezinf cold weather and the rain to catch 0Z40, the DRS movement to Barrow Hill with 20301, 20304 and 47712. Also saw a Freightliner loco movement from LNWR to Basford Hall aswell as other bits and bobs. Rather quiet on the loco front toda i have to say, and due to the cold conditions my pictures weren't up to my usual standards. Thanks to Jack, Danny, Alex, Fred and Luke for the company and the laughs! Was a good day, even though we didn't see loads!!

This afternoon i nipped over to Hooton to catch 1Z23 "The Boot and Hoot" railtour into the station behind 31190. Once in Hooton Long Sidings, 66139 coupled up the rear of the train and hauled the tour back out towards Runcorn Folly Lane. The tour originated and terminated at Eastliegh. Was flippin' freezing, but ended up meeting up with lots of great people from different trips aswell as some new people so thanks goes to Luke, Richard, Alex, Jack, Mike and David!! Was a fun few hours!!

After the Merseyside Model railway Exibition this year, and after hearing that 37425 (returned into service by DBs on Wednesday) along with 37401 was working one of the last RTZ train out of holyhead, we headed down to Chester for that and whatever else was around. kopped 66108 working the RHTT back to Crewe aswell as 57304 on the Pendolino Drag. All in all a good afternoon! Thanks to Richard and Luke for the company as usual!

Went over to Crewe today to see what was around, and to see D1015 at Chester on the way. Had a great time spotting the western at chester, so great that i even saw it on its return in the evening! Then we went over to crewe and not alot was around! Headed to The railway Age, and missed 2 DRS 37's!! But saw DBS 60022 with 66018 and 66066. Thanks to Luke for the company and laughs!