Wednesday 6th February ~ An Edinburgh Odyssey

Today was part 2 of my East Coast excursions. Caught a Piccadilly Line tube to Kings Cross, then it was to my train, the 09.00 to Edinburgh, haulage courtesy of 91107, the same loco that had returned me from Leeds a couple of weeks previously! This train called at Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The day was cold and sunny, the north sea looking quite choppy as the train passed along the cliffs north of Berwick. Some train observations on the way... 91126 at Kings Cross with the 09.03 to Leeds, also at Kings Cross were 91118, an HST with power car 43305 leading, and thunderbird 67021. 08596 was at Bounds Green, at Peterborough 91120 was at the rear of a southbound express, and 66034 was in the yard. At Doncaster I saw 08802, 66571, 66024, 66181 and 66184. At York HST 43306 + 43308 was arriving with a southbound express for Kings Cross, and at Darlington 91105 was at the rear of a Kings Cross bound express. Passing Tyne Yard I saw 66077, and approaching Newcastle station 43206 was leading an HST departing southbound with the 07.52 Aberdeen-London Kings Cross while in the station 91103 was parked with the 12.25 Newcastle-Kings Cross.

Into Scotland... at Oxwellmains waste terminal, just south of Dunbar, 67007 was parked on the north end of a binliner train, more from this loco later...finally at Edinburgh, 90039 was parked. Arrival in Edinburgh was around 15 minutes late at 13.35, the delay was due to signal problems around Finsbury Park, and overhead line problems between Morpeth and Alnmouth, caused by a fallen tree, because of which the train crossed over to the up line for a short stretch.

91107 after arrival at Edinburgh Waverley with the 09.00 from London Kings Cross

158 871 at Edinburgh with the 12.51 Glenrothes-Newcraighall, 13.51 at Edinburgh

Then it was out of the station for a stroll down Princes Street, a coffee and something to eat on Castle Street, and a walk through Princes Street Gardens. Plus of course some bus observation on the way...

East Lothian Eclipse Urban no.198 on Princes Street with a 113 for Western General Hospital

Lothian Buses Gemini 304 with a 26 for Clerwood

Dart 64 on the 12 to Ratho

Gemini 346 on the 22 to Gyle Centre

First Gemini 37144 on Princes Street with a 27 for Bathgate

President 649 with a 34 to Riccarton

Lothian Buses Gemini 717 on a 3 to Cloverstone

Gemini 941, on the no.100 Airlink service to Edinburgh Airport, heads west along Princes Street

President 659 on Princes Street with a 15 to Penicuik

Eclipse Urban 126 with a 30 to Clovenstone

Gemini 747 on a 44 to Tranent, followed by President 672, on Lothian Road, about to turn east onto Princes Street

After that it was back to Waverley station for a run on the loco-hauled Fife Circle commuter service. This arrived at the station hauled by 67007, which I'd seen earlier at Dunbar. The train was the 17.08 Edinburgh-Glenrothes, and I took it all of the mile to Haymarket.

67007 calls at Haymarket with the 17.08 Edinburgh-Glenrothes

At Haymarket I did a rare rush across to platform 1 to board HST 43257 + 43208 Lincolnshire Echo on the 14.52 Aberdeen-London Kings Cross, 17.18 at Haymarket. Back at Waverley I decided to get more value out of my ticket by doing another return to Haymarket. This was courtesy of a couple of Scotrail class 170's. From Edinburgh I took 170 416 to Haymarket on the 17.37 to Aberdeen, returning on 170 421 on the 16.18 Glasgow Central-Edinburgh, due 17.40 at Haymarket but running around 8 minutes late.

Then it was time to head back to London on the 18.30 Edinburgh-London Kings Cross, my ride courtesy of 91115 Blaydon Races in 'push' mode. This train stopped at most stations en-route (East Coast served stations that is) - Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Morpeth, Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, York, Doncaster, Grantham, Peterborough, Stevenage and London Kings Cross. 

91115 Blaydon Races stands in the gloom of Edinburgh Waverley's platform 8 with

 the 18.30 Edinburgh-London King's Cross

It was of course dark by now. A few observations on the way - 90039 was still parked at Edinburgh, waiting to work one of the Caledonian Sleeper trains, 67028 was at Newcastle and 66732 was in Ferme Park, as it was when I passed two weeks ago. Arrival at Kings Cross was about 10 minutes late at 23.45. At Kings Cross 67020 was now the thunderbird, and Flying Scotsman liveried 91101 was parked in the platform at the tail of another East Coast express. After a long day (and a 15 minute wait at the bus stop), my final move of the day, at ten past midnight, was aboard Gemini WVN9 on the 259 from Kings Cross to Manor House.