Unlikely working of the year through Dinsdale

[Kingspanner]

Either I am completely mad or I have just seen two Caledonian Sleeper coaches hauled by a loco pass the end of my garden. The thing is, I live at Dinsdale on the Darlington-Saltburn branch.
They are a long way from home and taking a roundabout route to get there!

 

[Kingspanner]

RTT has it as 5Z85 Bishop Auckland West to Polmadie. Makes a change from Pacers and intermodals

 

[800002]

Indeed, 5Z85
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K02899/2019/08/13/advanced

 

[3973EXL]

Plus the inwards working 5Z84 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K02898/2019/08/13/advanced

 

[800002]

Now, what were they doing??!!

Wonder if someone here would be kind enough to proffer an explanation.

 

[DanNCL]

Based on the origin on Real Time Trains, it's most likely come from Wolsingham on the Weardale Railway. Caledonian Sleeper Mark 2s do sometimes visit the depot there, though I'm not sure why. I can only assume that reason it ran via Dinsdale was to remove the need for the loco to run round at Darlington for the journey north.

 

[Darandio]

Plenty of dragged 385's gone via Dinsdale in recent months as well.

 

[800002]

most likely come from Wolsingham on the Weardale Railway.

I thought there was a heritage line there somewhere!
Could the inwards arrival been stock returning to the railway and the outwards taken more stock back to polmadie for works to be done?

I see on a list from years ago that the Weardale Railway has plenty o MK-II stock

 

[geml90]

Not a great photo - but seen at Darlington in June 2018. I think it was coming back from the Weardale Railway then.

 

[DarloRich]

There were a couple of sleeper mark 2 coaches at woolsingham when I went past a fortnight ago