The first railtour of the year started practically on my doorstep, which meant I could follow my usual routine of getting the first train out. Met a couple of other locals on the train and set off for Bristol in high spirits. Much speculation about the first loco of the day, with 66006 having taken over from an ailing 67016 on yesterday's Taunton-Cardiff diagram and seemingly still in the area. Arrived at Temple Meads to find the stock just in from Alexandra Dock Junction with 66007 on the front - close enough, and a winner for all concerned! Got coffee and watched the loco run around the train before finding our seats and settling into the thankfully warm carriage. The tables were set for morning coffee, reflecting the standards which the new catering supplier on this trip hoped to provide. Right on time we set off for the familiar route north to Birmingham New Street, diverging slightly at Abbotswood Junction to head through Worcester Shrub Hill and return to the mainline at Stoke Works before curving into New Street via Camp Hill. From here we continued to Stafford for a short leg-stretch before pushing onward to Manchester Piccadilly. A leisurely trip with excellent at-seat service by familiar and attentive staff in itself. But for those of us who had come for the day's main event rather than a wander around Manchester, the fun was just about to begin!

After around an hour to wander the station and it's impressive array of facilities we set off once more with Freightliner's 66596 on the front of the train. Through Stockport again, this time taking the line to Altrincham beside the Metrolink tracks. The morning's grey skies had given way to bright sunshine and it was good to be back out on unusual lines. Once past Northwich where we took the rarely used connection from Hartford CLC to LNW Junctions which saw us heading briefly along the West Coast Main Line, through the remodelled Weaver Junction which confused more than a few of us who were trying to track progress via Quail. At Walton Old Junction we took the lower level lines around the back of Arpley Yard, and curved away onto the remains of the former line to Manchester via Lymm. Little more than a run-round for coal trains now, we pressed on as far as possible towards the end of the line at Latchford. Reversing here, we passed under the station at Warrington Bank Quay and crawled through the vast Unilever complex with Fiddlers Ferry power station looming large on the horizon as we sped up, passing through the industrial fringe of Widnes. The ground seemed very damp, with the trackbed all but submerged in places, but this didn't seem to halt our progress west at all.

At Ditton Junction we regained the route of the mainline, travelling on the more southerly pair of slow lines which link with a variety of yards and freight facilities at Halewood and Speke. As we approached Edge Hill we began to descend away from the station to the south, following the line into Crown Street Tunnel No. 5 which once carried a route to the waterfront at Liverpool, part of a dense network of passenger and freight routes around the city of which very little remains. I'd assumed we would reverse at the earliest opportunity, but we continued to creep forward to the end of the line, with the front loco out of the tunnel's west portal. Pleased to have done this intriguing and fascinating bit of line rather unexpectedly. Once under way again we took the curve to the Bootle branch, and curved north and west again through the edge of the city. The landscape gave way first to fringe estates looking tired and a little menacing, before dissolving into abandoned industrial units. We plunged into a series of tunnels under Kirkdale before surfacing briefly to connect with Merseyrail's 'Northern Line' at Bootle Junction. Soon underground again, we slowed to a halt in Alexandra Dock Tunnel while we awaited permission to cross Regent's Road Level Crossing - the boundary where Network Rail hands over to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company - and as far as we were permitted to travel towards Seaforth today.

We seemed to be in the tunnel for a long time before finally and rather gingerly moving off again deeper into the dock complex, not stopping until we had come alongside the end of the European Metal Recycling plant sidings. Well over the Network Rail limit we pulled forward to allow the train to clear the points we needed to traverse to escape. It was also necessary to completely clear the slewed road crossing which was protected on one side by huge metal gates, but on the landward side by nothing much at all! Noted that there was very little to differentiate road and railway here. Eventually under way again slowly, with the flashing lights of a police car protecting the road. It seems we should have had such an escort in both directions but the police had been late. We'd clearly caused a lot of trouble, as evidenced by a member of dock staff shouting "and don't come back!" as we passed by. As the last light began to fade from the clear sky, we curved around the newly relaid chord at Olive Mount Junction and waited for access to the St Helen's line. Unfortunately held for a stopper, we didn't begin to make up our delay yet. Fitful progress behind the local unit until we reached Ince Moss Junction and returned to the mainline at Bamfurlong Junction, completing a bit of track I'd partially done on 'The Yo Ho Ho' a few years back. Not much mainline running before we used the Golborne Junction to Parkside Junction connection (including another required curve left over from the same trip) to head back to Manchester Victoria. Somewhat late, but having done all of the advertised bits of fairly rare track, we set off homeward in good spirits, if a little sleepy following the early start.

After negotiating Denton Junction to Stockport without any incidents, we headed via Wilmslow back to Crewe and then Stafford where we dropped off 66596 and headed south to Birmingham via Bushbury and Bescot in order to enter New Street heading in the right direction for a quick escape via Selly Oak. A storming run home to Bristol along with some generous timetabling saw us regaining all of our lost time and presenting ourselves at Temple Meads a little early. Naturally, as is tradition, we were held to enter the station just a few minutes late as the Panel reminded us who was in charge! This trip was a fine start to the year with lots of unusual track, a couple of winning locos and an excellent atmosphere and great service on board. Moreover, the tour managed to combine a day out for the 'normals' with a good old fashioned track bash for the enthusiasts. If this is the blueprint successful for future tours in these difficult times, then more of this would be most welcome.

Despite the splash screen, Evolution != 0.9 just yet...the latest build looks and feels quick and smooth to use, but unfortunately eats mbox files. Later attempts to build completely fail - remember - this is fun. IP Knightley's win the quiz once again, two rounds out of three. Vaguely apprehensive about a busy and confusing day tomorrow.