1001 out on the main line again!

Friday 29 June 2007

This article was opened on Friday 29 June 2007,
and closed on Friday 13 July 2007.

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1001 entering the double-track section of line at Appledore on the outbound leg of its trip at about 10:37. Photo by Steve Hatcher.

1001 visits Dover and Canterbury on driver-training run

Following 1001’s prolonged absence from the national railway network, it ventured out to Kent today on a driver-training run for GBRailfreight.

Newly-repainted Motor Coach 60118 Tunbridge Wells led sister-vehicle 60116 Mountfield out of St. Leonards Depot at 09:50. In the course of the 4-hour journey the pair traversed the Romney Marsh to Ashford, and conducted a circular tour from Ashford via Folkestone, Dover, Deal, Sandwich, Minster and Canterbury, before returning to the depot via Rye.

Our train, which ran as headcode 5Z22, completed the scheduled working faultlessly and with no late-running; despite a minor delay to its path between Ashford and Deal, it was running early at Canterbury and had to be held at Appledore to await clearance of the single-line section to Rye.

The train reversed three times: twice at Ashford International, and also at Minster East Junction (1001 traversed two sides of the triangle). It therefore got ‘turned’ in the course of the day’s outing.

Shakespeare Tunnel

Today’s working took our train through the 1,387-yard Shakespeare Tunnel between Folkestone and Dover, which is formed of two narrow single-track bores; these are normally out of bounds to SR DEMUs such as ours, as the trains have no end door to provide a means of escape. The unavailability for railtours of this spectacular stretch of line has often been lamented — but a special dispensation was granted for this non-passenger working.

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Motor coach Mountfield’s grey name-plate is visible in this view looking back at Shakespeare Tunnel, shortly after 1001’s passage through it at around 11:15.

At Rye

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Above: 1001 arriving at Rye… Below: …and showing off its new external door-indication lights whilst waiting for the line to be vacated. Photos by Craig Stretten.

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Above: Class 171 DMMU number 171 723 approached Rye from Ashford at 10:23. Photo by Dave Markwick. Below: Moments later, the same location viewed from a different angle by Craig Stretten.

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Appledore and Minster

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Above: Motor coach Mountfield brings up the rear as 1001 passes through Appledore station and over its level crossing on the outward portion of the trip. Photo by Steve Hatcher.

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Above: Our train at Minster station, having just reversed via Minster East junction. Motor Coach Tunbridge Wells has just undergone a full repaint, as is evident in this picture (and that below).

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Above & Below: Our train — correctly showing headcode 22 — waits for the correct departure-time at Appledore. Photos by Dave Markwick.

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