by Mark Collins

As I mentioned I grew up in the Bristol area and Westerns were my locos. I knew the name of every loco and it’s corresponding number so it was imperative that I featured them during the series. I was actually a member of the Western Locomotive Assoc. when I was younger.

It was an early start at the East Lancs Railway in Bury as we had to feature not only the Westerns but also the Warship D832 “Onslaught”.

If you are a diesel lover, then I can recommend a day at the ELR with their variety of diesels on show. Nearly all the senses were catered for; the ground with its mix of oil and rain, the smell of diesel engines and their various noises as they pulled out of the shed to run through the tunnel to the station, brought back vivid memories.

Unfortunately for the ELR there had been damage to a bridge because of a tree hitting it during a flood (during summer too!) so we were unable to travel the full length of the line. As with a lot of the lines we feature during the series, you never get to see the speedometer in the cab?

Thanks to everyone at the ELR, especially Malcolm Kirkwood and David Wright who kept us entertained throughout the day with his stories of his time in the Armed Forces.

Trainspotting.links (will open in a new window)

www.preserved-diesels.co.uk
www.east-lancs-rly.co.uk
www.burydiesel.freeserve.co.uk