Railway Herald
Thursday 17th March 2011 saw an inspection saloon arranged for Network Rail staff to visit the North Notts area, the 08.13 Derby RTC to Derby RTC. The diagram included a trip up both the Welbeck and Thoresby Colliery branches. After a fruitless wait on the Welbeck branch to photograph what would have undoubtedly been the last train on the now disused branch it transpired that a decision had been taken to omit the Welbeck branch leg consequently the train arrived much earlier at Thoresby Colliery Junction and is seen here at midday waiting its booked departure time of 13.00. Class 97/3 No. 97302 is the leading loco with classmate No. 97303 bringing up the rear. The two lines in the foreground are the former lines to Lincoln, truncated to High Marnham Power Station then closed when the Power Station closed in 2003, it is now however seeing a new lease of life being used by Network Rail for testing new equipment.
John Illingworth
