Action Rail UK: Train Trip to Stafford Sightings 8th March 2012

Arriva Trains Wales were offering £19 returns till the end of March so I thought I would take advantage and take a trip to Stafford with maybe more trips to follow. To my surprise you can get a further £2 off with certain Rail Cards, also the tickets can be purchased on the train on the day of the journey, which is also good so you can choose the day and the weather. So a return from Crewe to Stafford was also purchased with my Rail Card so total fare from Barry to Stafford was to be £23 instead of £70 plus, I think that was really good value. So armed with a bag of sandwiches, hot water to make my own coffee, a note pad and the all important camera gear I was off on a very pleasant journey and day out. The countryside travelling up to Shrewsbury was a pleasure to view again, there are some spectacular views and of course this time of year the fields were filled with newly born lambs. I really do not understand why people bury their head in a book, newspaper mobile phone with such wonderful scenery to see. I travelled this line in the 50s and 60s very frequently due to my fathers family living just outside Shrewsbury, it was always a wonderful trip. My mothers words still ring in my ears has we passed the golf course not far outside Shrewsbury "we are nearly there time for a quick wash and get your things together", so long ago but the memories are still clear. Thanks go out to Brad Joyce whom I met at Stafford and was a very helpful young man giving heads up information on a few movements of that day. How Stafford has changed gone were the Locomotive hauled trains of 2003 which I think was the last time I visited, Classes 86/87 and 47 at speed and fully loaded with comfortable coaches were always an awesome sight. Even though now it is mostly units, it was a pleasant change of type and livery from the regular stock sighted at Cardiff

57008 + 47818 + 90015 at Stafford

This list shows my sightings for the day hopefully it will be of interest to some.

7.20 to Cardiff 150260

Cardiff 7.45 - 8.05

150127
158955
175006/009/115
43069/148/156/160
66160

8.05 to Crewe 175009

Newport Area
66188 ADJ
66520 Maindee Junction

Approach to Crewe

47841
56051/69/103
66562

Crewe 10.29 - 11.22

90048+86659+86614 convoy
47257+47854 convoy
90049
150227
153309
175108
221103/106
350103/105/110/258
390022/030/034/037/054/056/103

11.22 to Stafford 350266

Stafford 11.45 - 14.35

66132
66434
66557
66716/718
DR73108
57008+47818+90015 convoy
220005/011/017/018/029/032/033
221104/105/109/113/115/135/139/141
350101/105/108/109/112/113/114/242/250/258/262/266
390002/003/009/017/022/030/032/039/040/041/042/044/049/051/058/104

14.35 to Crewe 350113

Crewe 14.55 - 14.10

47257+47854 stabled in Platforms
221111/116
390002

15.10 to Cardiff 175011
17.55 to Barry 150237