33109 - East Lancs Night Rider - 14th/15th March 2009

16th March 2009

A chance to relive the world of the Crompton overnight was offered by the East Lancs as part of their annual spring Night Rider event which saw 33109 take over from 47402 just after midnight at Bury for 4 round trips before breakfast! Load 8 saw some excellent thrash under the full moon and rising sun. The 200 scouts seemed to enjoy themselves too....since when did scout camp = 96 miles of Crompton haulage? Many thanks to the staff/loco groups of the ELR for another ambitious and excellent event providing a very different experience to the average diesel gala and recreating an essential part of the past.

33109 with its first visit to Rawtenstall of the night with the delayed (1 hour late) 2320 Bury - Rawtenstall 14/3/09 (now 15/3/09) 1280x960	33109 Heywood 2356 Rawtenstall - Heywood (1 hour late) now 15/3/09 1280x891	33109 Heywood 0147 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960	33109 Rawtenstall 0523 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960
A mere 45 minutes after a fully dark departure from Rawtenstall, 33109 stands at Heywood at sunrise with the 0523 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960	33109 Heywood at just after 6am with the 0523 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960	33109 Rawtenstall 0711 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960	33109 Rawtenstall 0711 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09...and lots of people just woken up and trying to work out where they were and what they were doing! 1280x960
33109 catches the first of the early morning sun at Heywood arrived with the 0711 Rawtenstall - Heywood 15/3/09 1280x960	Night job done...now to the day job...33109 arrived back at Bury with the 0806 Heywood - Bury to find a few EE machines had woken up! 15/3/09 1280x960	Clearly reminding me which profile I prefer - 33109 basks in the morning sun at Bury having arrived with the 0806 Heywood - Bury 15/3/09 1280x960