Bunker shot

There once was a man named Graham Bunker. He was the Managing Director of Arriva Trains Wales. He was also quite fond of utilising LHS (Loco Hauled Stock) on routes which he felt best suited that type of train. He arranged steam-hauled specials to promote the Cambrian coast line. He was making plans to use LHS on the busy Manchester - Cardiff route. He quit on May 25th. He was replaced by a man called Bob Holland. Bob likes buses. Oh dear.

On a similar note;


This is currently the only regular Arriva Trains Wales loco-hauled train, which works between Holyhead and Manchester four times per day SuX (that means Sundays eXcepted by the way, not "sucks"). It's still running despite the fact that we're now on the Summer timetable and, as far as I know, it's only still running because the Class 175 DMU it replaces has not been fully repaired since it had a fight with a pile of mud last year. Hopefully it will never be repaired and this train will run for another 12 years...

...but realistically I can't see that happening. Which is why I went out today to have a quick jaunt on it. I did a DMU out from Manchester, getting as far as Newton-le-Willows before realizing I wasn't going to make the connection with it at Warrington. No big deal as it made for a change and resulted in this view of it pulling in to Newton behind 57311 "Parker".