On Wednesday 23 January at 14:25 I happened to be at Manchester Piccadilly station with my video camera, expecting to capture a Freightliner Class 66 passing on the way from Crewe to collect the 15:18 Trafford Park - Southampton. Instead, I was surprised to see a a West Coast Railways train of five empty carriages led by 47 854 Diamond Jubilee and 47 500. Later, I discovered that the carriages were returning to Carnforth after having their wheels re-profiled on the Alstom wheel-lathe at Ardwick.
I video-ed that train, and the 66 which followed a few minutes later, then travelled to Mauldeth Road to do a little shopping at B & Q and film the loaded Freightliner train. When I returned to Manchester, however, I found the train service in the Salford and North Wales directions in a state of collapse. It transpired that 47 500 had derailed while the West Coast Railway Co. train was traversing the line from Deansgate towards Ordsall, and spilled diesel fuel had caught fire, with the result that the line was blocked. The fire brigade had attended the fire and sprayed considerable amounts of foam on to and into the loco.
Rumours of the cause began to spread, some of which suggested that the parking brake of 47 500 had been left on when the train left Ardwick. This inspired me to upload a clip from my video to Twitter, where it rapidly achieved 2600 viewers, including, I understand, the investigator from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
The line remained blocked, with trains from North Wales turning back at Newton-le-Willows - a few ran to Chester via Northwich - all the next day, and on the night of Thursday / Friday, 47 500 was listed by two rail-mounted cranes and moved to the siding connecting the Museum of Science and Industry, which as it happens was directly opposite. The line opened again on Friday afternoon, and over the weekend the loco was dragged into the Museum yard by the Museum's battery loco, which we hear has recently been fitted with new batteries. The next step was to remove it by road.
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also was a good point to mention the confidentiality as you did. also not a dig at anyone as it can seem fairly harmless info that some may want to post but you never know what others deem better to have been kept in house till everything is revealed in full.
