shredder1
Established Member
UK to Northern France. London to Calais, (Day 1). Friday 3rd March 2017.
A long weekend was in order as I wanted to get over to Sotteville, to see the large locomotive dump, a pilgrimage and piece of history in the making, with hundreds of locomotives stored and awaiting their fate. I was very fortunate in being offered a trip out there by a long standing Facebook friend Charlie, who had very kindly offered to take me with his friend Gary; I was in excellent and well informed company, because Charlie is a retired southern driver and Gary a current driver, both of whom had encyclopaedic railway knowledge.
I travelled down from Manchester on the Friday morning, catching the 09.35 Virgin Pendolino to London Euston followed by a short underground ride to London Victoria and then the Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport where my friends picked me up.
Travelling in Charlie`s all singing and dancing Land Rover, it took no time at all to reach Le Shuttle at Folkestone, a first for me, I`ve only travelled on Eurostar in the past, so Le Shuttle was a new experience.
Driving on to the top deck, we sat in the vehicle for the 30 minutes journey until we reached the French side of the tunnel at Coquelles. A few quickly grabbed photographs of the Shuttle locomotives, not easy really and the depot on the French side was near on impossibly to get close too.
After driving off the Shuttle we made our way to Coquelles yards, but only one class 66 was on the stabling point. With a few more behind the high double fencing, so we drove round to Calais unit depot for a few more photographs as the daylight faded.
Checking in at the Ibis Le Club Accor Hotel, before going for a meal and a few beers in the Cite Europe Mall. Lots of police were parked up in the hotel car park, because of the migrant problems, with large double fencing now all around the railway yards, but the hotel was excellent and after watching a thunderstorm from the room window, I slept well.
https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...30556107794.1073742680.100001125840218&type=3
A long weekend was in order as I wanted to get over to Sotteville, to see the large locomotive dump, a pilgrimage and piece of history in the making, with hundreds of locomotives stored and awaiting their fate. I was very fortunate in being offered a trip out there by a long standing Facebook friend Charlie, who had very kindly offered to take me with his friend Gary; I was in excellent and well informed company, because Charlie is a retired southern driver and Gary a current driver, both of whom had encyclopaedic railway knowledge.
I travelled down from Manchester on the Friday morning, catching the 09.35 Virgin Pendolino to London Euston followed by a short underground ride to London Victoria and then the Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport where my friends picked me up.
Travelling in Charlie`s all singing and dancing Land Rover, it took no time at all to reach Le Shuttle at Folkestone, a first for me, I`ve only travelled on Eurostar in the past, so Le Shuttle was a new experience.
Driving on to the top deck, we sat in the vehicle for the 30 minutes journey until we reached the French side of the tunnel at Coquelles. A few quickly grabbed photographs of the Shuttle locomotives, not easy really and the depot on the French side was near on impossibly to get close too.
After driving off the Shuttle we made our way to Coquelles yards, but only one class 66 was on the stabling point. With a few more behind the high double fencing, so we drove round to Calais unit depot for a few more photographs as the daylight faded.
Checking in at the Ibis Le Club Accor Hotel, before going for a meal and a few beers in the Cite Europe Mall. Lots of police were parked up in the hotel car park, because of the migrant problems, with large double fencing now all around the railway yards, but the hotel was excellent and after watching a thunderstorm from the room window, I slept well.
https://www.facebook.com/nick.melli...30556107794.1073742680.100001125840218&type=3
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