The Colas Class 47 visiting the bay platform at Weston spurred me to write an entry for this blog earlier which I mentioned in a post to the South West Rail Gen Group. I also indicated my dismay that I had no idea what date I took the picture on. Photography wasn't a big hobby for me then and I was three years away from owning a digital camera which would free me from the frustration of waiting for a film to be developed.

Amazingly, the message elicited a response from Tony Hughes, a local who posts regularly to the group, giving the date as 2nd May 1997. This fits into my memory of a strange time - I'd just fought an election campaign, stayed up all night at the Wells Constituency count and turned up at Bridgwater Town Hall for the local election count which I lost - but not desperately embarrassingly. I was on my way to my grandmother's house in the Midlands. When I got to Redditch station I was so exhausted I got a taxi to her house, which caused quite a stir on Batchley estate! I can't remember why I had my camera, perhaps I'd wanted to capture something of the atmosphere that night?

A lot has changed, but how amazing that this history is all out there in the information democracy.

It's a long time since I last saw a locomotive in the bay platform at Weston-super-Mare. I couldn't date the occurrence, but I have a picture of it. Taken with my ancient camera which leaked light and with my shaky hands, I have a picture of 37055 close up against the buffers. I recall seeing my first 66 in the UK too at Weston, but that was as I recall on one of the through platforms, making its characteristically odd sound. Since then, it's been nothing but yellow plant machines in the bay, and very rare visits by locomotives on the through lines.

So I was surprised to read that for some reason, one of Colas Rail's 47's had made the trip to Weston and set back into the bay. I wasn't sure how long for so I made a dignified excuse for an early lunch, and found it at the extreme end of the siding, apparently shut down but seemingly ready to leave at any moment. I captured the moment for posterity - struck by the thought that 'phone cameras were barely dreamed of back when I'd snapped 37055 with a dodgy film camera!

When I went to catch my train home tonight, 47727 had already gone. I wonder if this will be a regular visit? Maybe one day we'll even see passenger trains in the bay again?

Out for the Torbay Express once again this morning. Having agreed to meet family, unusually took a shot from the station, which was incredibly busy with onlookers!

This week, King Edward I took over the duty from Tangmere. A lot less smoke, a bit more noise, and one very impressed young nephew!

Summer brings with it few advantages to those of us who live in the south west. Clogged roads, empty supermarket shelves and crowds moving sluggishly around our town centres are all we have to look forward to for the next few weeks. However, for the the railway enthusiast things are a little bit more positive. Despite having to compete for seats on trains which are much too short, the odd additional working makes for interesting viewing and becomes quite an event. Whilst the countless relief trains of days gone by won't be back, the extra 'holidaymaker' services offered by Crosscountry once again this year are a welcome diversion.

The arrangement is that three HST sets are hired in - at least until Crosscountry's own small fleet is ready for action - two coming from National Express East Coast and one from East Midlands Trains. The two NXEC sets form a Manchester-Newquay-Manchester and a Bristol-Paignton-Newcastle diagram, with the EMT set working down empty on a Friday evening to form an early Plymouth-Newquay service before heading back to Manchester. The whole arrangement provides much needed extra capacity which makes travelling to and from this area just about palatable! I haven't bothered to cover these workings for a couple of years due to a lack of time and finance, and also because I was just slightly bitter that they weren't using locomotive hauled services as they did in the summer of 2004. So today was a chance to make up for this by covering two out of the three sets in operation.

Today started with an earlier than advisable arrival at a very damp and drizzly Bristol Temple Meads in order to take the 07:35 to Paignton. 43367 and 43307, both in new National Express colours, took this train out via it's unusual route via Bath Spa and Westbury to rejoin the usual route to the coast at Taunton. Here, saw some local faces and gave them a wave before setting in for the journey south, through Exeter and along the sea wall at Dawlish. Once south of Taunton we encountered some excellent weather which was to come and go throughout the day. A very brief chance for pictures at Paignton before heading over the footbridge to get back onto the same set as far as Exeter. Arrived to find a fairly large crowd of rather familiar enthusiasts including the near-legendary Dr Death! After a brief telling off for straying across a line on the platform I don't recall being there last time I was here, time to find my way to the platform for the second HST set of the day.

This soon arrived with 43110 and 43238 in charge, and departed for Plymouth a couple of minutes down. It was unlikely to have much effect on the overall progress of the day though, as I'd ended up with a longish wait at Plymouth due to ticket availability, and the timings on these services is notoriously slack in any case. Some fine running over the Devon banks, passing the third set (including 43301 as sighted yesterday) a little west of Newton Abbot. A smooth run then, by Tavistock Junction and Laira into Plymouth. Had over an hour here, so wandered into the city and found it a little changed in the past ten years since I walked through the central area. Noticed an air of vague menace about the place, and also that almost every eating or drinking place was full with queues outside. Did however discover and briefly visit The Moor and More Beer shop. Resisted the temptation to purchase only because I didn't have a bottle opener with me! Retreated to the station for a bite to eat and in good time for the 14:25 voyager to Bristol.

The plan now had been left deliberately vague. Given the decent weather and the relatively early hour, decided to head out to Westbury on the next available service to await the returning class 67 hauled additional service from Weymouth. Boarded a busy but tolerably loaded 3 car class 158, travelling all stops to Westbury where there was time for a coffee and the opportunity to get a bit chilly on this always windy and exposed station. Realised after around an hours wait that I'd miscalculated and had been looking at the progress of the wrong train! This meant that the wait would be much shorter, and soon after 67021 came into view. Boarded for the run back to Bristol in the comfort of a Mark 2 carriage and stunning evening sunshine. Surely this is the best way to travel. On arrival, took the opportunity to photograph silver 67029 under the shadow of the station roof. Strange, having spoken only yesterday about not travelling with this loco since it was painted silver!

Finished the day with a curious additional working - really an extension of a Paddington-Bristol service non-stop as far as Weston-super-Mare where it turned back.So a good old-fashioned day of accruing mileage behind fairly local special workings. An entertaining day out to nearby destinations which I rarely end up visiting.