A week or two ago I organised a tour of Norwich Crown Point depot for a few of us and today this tour went ahead. The day started off fairly early for my Dad and I as (being the cheapskates we are!) we decided to drive up, with the others taking the 10:30 off Liverpool Street, arriving at 12:27. The drive up went smoothly and before we knew it we were watching the 10:30 from Liverpool Street pulling into platform 2. Here my Dad and I met up with Slash, Seth, Chris J and Ca55ie before we all took a stroll over to the depot.
We arrived perfect timing as our depot guide was just walking round to meet us. He gave us a quick talk regarding the depot before we took a walk up the left side of the depot buildings to find 90006 'Roger Ford' looking very smart having recently been re-painted, as well as Cotswold Rail 47813 'John Peel' shunting around. The 90 was waiting in one of the reception sidings ready to head towards the station, presumably to form a southbound service to London. We then walked into the DMU side of the depot buildings where we saw 'one' liveried 153314 receiving attention alongside a Class 170 in the Bombardier road. We then climbed aboard and took photos in the cab of 47818 which was also receiving attention. On an adjacent road was ex-FNW liveried 153313 on loan from Arriva Trains Wales.
We then took a walk down another shed road alongside some 90s and Mk3s before emerging back into daylight to see Cotswold 47813 still shunting around. At this point we were standing next to a Mk3 coach's axle, with sheeting covering what we were told to be a hotbox, with it's shiny new replacement behind it. Near to this was 90009 standing alongside a new traction motor, with a rake of Mk3s behind. We took a wonder down this depot road to 90014 'Norfolk and Norwich Festival' which we did, of course, cab. Yet another wonder down another depot road led us to yet another Cotswold 47, although this time it was 47828 'Joe Strummer' who's headcode panel had been replaced with a sheet of transparent plastic. A further stroll out into the sunlight let us to Cotswold 08871 which was guarding a faded Anglia Railways Mk2 coach who's end had been crumpled by an incident on site. The coach was purchased from Porterbrook, and whilst Mk2s were in use on the GEML it had some parts taken off for use as spares.
Alongside this was another Cotswold 08, this time being 08847. We wondered down between some ex-Virgin Mk3s, which are being used for training purposes, and some 'one' liveried Mk3s. On the end of the rake of Virgin coaches was a dented one liveried Mk3 that was subject to abuse from a carriage washer when it's two bogies decided to take two different routes over a point, and is likely to be transported by rail to be fixed, possibly at Crewe. We walked back around to the entrance and got another look at Cotswold 47828 'Joe Strummer' before thanking our guide and taking a walk back to the railway station. Here Dad and I parted company with the gang.
I should hopefully have uploaded my images by tomorrow night and I'm sure Dad and Chris J will have theirs on their sites soon too. Thanks to 'one' for having us and for the (mostly) RailUK members mentioned above for coming along.
We arrived perfect timing as our depot guide was just walking round to meet us. He gave us a quick talk regarding the depot before we took a walk up the left side of the depot buildings to find 90006 'Roger Ford' looking very smart having recently been re-painted, as well as Cotswold Rail 47813 'John Peel' shunting around. The 90 was waiting in one of the reception sidings ready to head towards the station, presumably to form a southbound service to London. We then walked into the DMU side of the depot buildings where we saw 'one' liveried 153314 receiving attention alongside a Class 170 in the Bombardier road. We then climbed aboard and took photos in the cab of 47818 which was also receiving attention. On an adjacent road was ex-FNW liveried 153313 on loan from Arriva Trains Wales.
We then took a walk down another shed road alongside some 90s and Mk3s before emerging back into daylight to see Cotswold 47813 still shunting around. At this point we were standing next to a Mk3 coach's axle, with sheeting covering what we were told to be a hotbox, with it's shiny new replacement behind it. Near to this was 90009 standing alongside a new traction motor, with a rake of Mk3s behind. We took a wonder down this depot road to 90014 'Norfolk and Norwich Festival' which we did, of course, cab. Yet another wonder down another depot road led us to yet another Cotswold 47, although this time it was 47828 'Joe Strummer' who's headcode panel had been replaced with a sheet of transparent plastic. A further stroll out into the sunlight let us to Cotswold 08871 which was guarding a faded Anglia Railways Mk2 coach who's end had been crumpled by an incident on site. The coach was purchased from Porterbrook, and whilst Mk2s were in use on the GEML it had some parts taken off for use as spares.
Alongside this was another Cotswold 08, this time being 08847. We wondered down between some ex-Virgin Mk3s, which are being used for training purposes, and some 'one' liveried Mk3s. On the end of the rake of Virgin coaches was a dented one liveried Mk3 that was subject to abuse from a carriage washer when it's two bogies decided to take two different routes over a point, and is likely to be transported by rail to be fixed, possibly at Crewe. We walked back around to the entrance and got another look at Cotswold 47828 'Joe Strummer' before thanking our guide and taking a walk back to the railway station. Here Dad and I parted company with the gang.
I should hopefully have uploaded my images by tomorrow night and I'm sure Dad and Chris J will have theirs on their sites soon too. Thanks to 'one' for having us and for the (mostly) RailUK members mentioned above for coming along.
