You may...or may not, be interested in this...
Monday evening I came across some information regarding the A4 Locomotive Sir Nigel Gresley. It was to make its way North through York to Pickering to take part in the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Gala. The excellent website Mainline Steam gave a detailed itinerary of its movements early yesterday morning. I decided to make the trip.
Up at 5.20am and heading for Church Fenton Railway Station via Hull McDonalds (to save time you understand). I pulled off the M62 at Howden and checked the live feed. Last night it said the A4 would reach CF at 8.20 but when I looked at the update...it was 15 minutes EARLY at its latest marker! It was now 7.30 and I had 30 minutes to go according to Google Maps. This wasn't turning out to be the leisurely outing I envisaged. Fortune was with me as I negotiated the rush hour traffic around Selby. The country approach roads to Church Fenton were also straighter than anticipated which meant I arrived at the Station at 8.03.
A fingers and thumbs exit from the car and some slight confusion with the bridges found me on the platform some 5 minutes later. A quick check of my phone revealed the A4 was still to the South of me approaching Castleford. Phew!
There were plenty of commuters on the Platform but only one nerd...me! I set my phone and camera up...held one in each hand...and waited. I was getting a few curious glances and I joked with a couple of lads that there was a surprise coming very soon. With that, I saw smoke in the distance! Which platform though? I stood centrally and hoped for the best. Of course, it chose a different track...
Using my cat-like reflexes, I managed to position myself on the next platform just in time. Phone in one hand...Camera in the other...
A rare opportunity to see this classic in full steam on the Mainline. There are only 6 A4's left in the World and this is the only one still "working", as far as I'm aware? It was renovated in the National Railway Museum in York. Whenever I am fortunate enough to "catch" a Steam Locomotive I'm transported back to Bury as a teenager, when my pals and I used to ride the local area and beyond on our bikes, trying to glimpse these magnificent "living" machines.
Back to Bird spotting...
After leaving Church Fenton, it was onto Duff' for a 3 hour "sesh". Steady away but distant views of Red Kite (2) and Buzzard (5) were enjoyed. A circling Dunlin was an unexpected bonus. A late afternoon stroll down to the Cliff revealed a couple of Herons (not that common here) hanging around the pond at the rear of the Bungalow on Seaside Road...
Today didn't pan out as intended as I spent most of it trying to correct my "key left in the ignition error" which resulted in a flat battery. With the help of some good neighbours I eventually sorted it. It took a while! A brief afternoon visit to what's left of the Sewage turned out to be a good decision...
Long-tailed Skua S
Mediterranean Gull 4
Yellow Wagtail...
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| Too close for the camera from the car! |
House Martin c20 still around Intack
Plenty of Robins "in" now. I seem to have a particularly tame one hanging around the front garden. The resident Tawny Owls are still calling regularly throughout the day.
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