JL - 11.12.23 66176 6K05 Carlisle - Crewe, Greengates

Coincidentally it's almost 15 years to the day since 6K05 became an S&C routed freight. The first pathing of the afternoon Carlisle - Crewe engineers diagram was Monday 15th Dec 2008. The first day of a new Virgin WCML high frequency timetable which pushed freight traffic onto the Ais Gill route. We haven't seen the extra capacity used to anything like its fullest extent as coal traffic has died and intermodal containers still use WC metals. However, it was just like the old days when 66176 appeared on 6K05 this afternoon. Whether this is a recent DRS hire in, or just a yet to be re-liveried member of the original batch bought from DBS I'm not sure. Whatever the circumstances it made a nice change at Greengates this afternoon.