8.1.10 - 86702 1Z96 Shieldmuir - Warrington, Beckfoot

A very notable return to traffic in 2009 were Electric Traction Ltd's pair of class 86/7s, Nos. 86701 'Orion' and 86702 'Cassiopeia', the first two members of a proposed fleet of spot hire locomotives. Recertified back to 110mph running, their first main line use since their return in Oct 2009 was the piloting of First GBRf's WCML mail diagrams over the busy and particularly cold Christmas period. One such duty illustrated here on Jan 8th 2010 sees 86702 racing south through a freezing Beckfoot with the heavily delayed 1Z96 Shieldmuir - Warrington. This day was superb for those railway photographers who made the effort, many delays saw a stream of interesting southbound workings and if you were in the right spot and prepared to wait it out in the cold there were some excellent opportunities for shots. This picture was used in Railway Express - Feb 2010.