The Merry-Le-Bone & Aylesbury Vale Venturer, 5th September 2009

6th September 2009

The first and potentially only mainline Crompton passenger action of 2009! No sooner had I bid farewell to 207 at Crewe the previous Saturday contemplating whether it would see the mainline again this year then came the news that Joint Line Railtours 'Merry-Le-Bone' tour had reverted to Plan A which would see a WCRC 33 and 37 top and tail a Worksop - Marylebone charter with a mini trip out and back to Quainton Road thrown in for good measure! Mass alteration of plans! 33207 was as loud and strong as ever with a storming run through the Chilterns into Marylebone - rare Crompton territory indeed. The equivalent load 12 made for lots of noise and an excellent performance by both 33207 and 37516. Thanks to Joint Line Railtours and WCRC for a superb late summer treat - a real bonus and very much an oasis in the desert of Crompton railtours - more please!!

The first Crompton mainline passenger train of 2009 - 33207 arrives at Burton-on-Trent with the 1Z37 0645 Worksop - Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x828	33207 arrives at Burton-on-Trent with the 1Z37 0645 Worksop - Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x872	33207 approaches Walsall with 1Z37 5/9/09 1280x854	33207 rounds the sharp curve at St Andrews Junction, Birmingham on 1Z37 5/9/09 1280x854
33207 arrives at Marylebone with 1Z37 0645 Worksop - Quainton Road 5/9/09 - Photo courtesy of Stephen Humphrey 1280x960	On the blocks at Marylebone Pt 1 - 33207 in very rare Crompton passenger territory arrived on 1Z37 0645 from Worksop 5/9/09 1280x854	On the blocks at Marylebone Pt 1 - 33207 in very rare Crompton passenger territory arrived on 1Z37 0645 from Worksop 5/9/09 1280x854	33207 trails the 'empties' to Claydon Junction as it departs Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x854
33207 trails the 'empties' to Claydon Junction as it departs Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x854	33207 arrives back at Quainton Road to form the 1Z38 1528 Quainton Road - Worksop 5/9/09 1029x960	33207 arrives back at Quainton Road to form the 1Z38 1528 Quainton Road - Worksop 5/9/09 1265x960	On the blocks at Marylebone Pt 2 - 33207 arrived on 1Z38 1528 from Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x875
BE not required for Marylebone! - 33207 arrived on 1Z38 1528 from Quainton Road 5/9/09 1280x854	67012 Marylebone 1724 Marylebone - Wrexham 5/9/09 1280x854	37516 awaits departure time at Marylebone with the 1Z38 1528 Quainton Road - Worksop 5/9/09 1280x854	37516 awaits departure time at Marylebone with the 1Z38 1528 Quainton Road - Worksop 5/9/09 1280x854
33207 Banbury on the rear of 1Z38, waiting for 67012 to pass 5/9/09 1280x854	33207 Banbury on the rear of 1Z38, waiting for 67012 to pass 5/9/09 1280x854