You win some you loose some...

If everything in this hobby worked exactly as one planned then I guess it would be boring. One of the things that keeps me entertained is that occasional sense of surprise- when something happens that you are not expecting. Of course it works the other way as well- sometimes the event you have planned for, or the picture you have meticulously planned doesn't quite go to plan- the light changes at the last moment, or worse, the train simply doesn't appear as you expected it or at all.



First, my 'win'- I was heading back from the pub in Surbiton where I had been with a couple of friends, seconds after descending to the country bound platform for my train home I noticed a streak of yellow passing through the London bound platform- a NR DBSO, a test train and on the back 37025 'Inverness TMD'. I had just time to check where it was heading on Real Time Trains before diving onto the next 'fast' service for London and beating it to Waterloo. Fortunately I had my camera equipment with me as I had been out photographing earlier in the day. Great to see this fantastic loco at Waterloo, especially in one of the low numbered suburban platforms. What good timing on leaving the pub!

Secondly my recent 'loose'. GBRf had published in good faith that for operational reasons the 23:50 Lowland Sleeper from Euston to Glasgow/Edinburgh would be powered by 87002 on 5th June. As 87002 is 'required' and with nothing planned the following day and seats available on the sleeper at late notice I decided to give it a go. Fingers crossed as I walked up platform 2 to view the engine- and there it was on the front of the train- 87002 'Royal Sovereign'. I took my photos and made my way to my berth at the front of the train. Checked in and then returned to the front of the train to await the departure- but what was this? 87002 was no longer there! 10 minutes before booked departure the loco had been removed from the train for reasons unknown and disappeared. It would never return. Some while later 90042 arrived to work the train the reason cited was a leaky cab in the class 87. A very unfortunate turn of events, but to be fair to GBRf there clearly was every intention of using the class 87 and these things do happen. Given the awful weather that night a leaky cab could have caused plenty of discomfort to the driver between London and Glasgow.