From the guard's van

The southern end of both platforms seem to attract "men of a certain age"... just there to watch the trains and take the pictures... including myself of course. At one point there were about 20 on each platform end. No one gets too close to the edge or gets in the way of the operation of the station so the staff wisely ignore them. They come armed with notebooks, cameras and even deck chairs to enjoy the view and, in this case, the sunshine.  Comfort is essential.  Something interesting over there...

A Class 67 in the works yard.  A Grand Central class 180 storms through the station on the up fast.  A Northern class 144 potters through the "ladder" crossovers and heads for the Sheffield line.  A class 153 unit in unbranded GWR green livery on a Lincoln train for East Midlands Trains.  A class 321 EMU leaves the north bay for Leeds.  Still the class 142s soldier on... ... as do the class 144s

LNER HST power car brings up the rear of a northbound express.  This Great Western HST set is currently on hire to Hull Trains (running with 5 trailers) acting as cover for the class 180s which are going through an unreliable patch. It is seen here in the works yard.  An up LNER express charges through the station on the through roads.  Another power car on hire... this time to LNER from East Midlands Trains. It is seen here at the head of a northbound express heading for Leeds.  A Hull Trains class 180 leaves platform 1 with an up train.  Another Hull Trains class 180 with a down train. 

Doncaster station is busy most days with coal, container and Railtrack engineering traffic. A GBRf coal train heads north on the down fast line. The loco was originally no 66238. An up DB container train wends its way through the freight lines at the back of the station.  More coal traffic.  Close up of the loco on the above coal train. This loco was purchased from DB and was one of the original batch of class 66s purchased by EWS. It used to be no 66132.  A class 88 with a northbound engineer's train... the only electric hauled freight train on the ECML at present.  Another view of the above train. The loco is 88004 - named Pandora. 

A trip to Doncaster station today produced pictures of all sorts of trains... first are the class 800 trains on test, some in basic white livery and others resplendent in their LNER livery.  Here a 9 car set waits for a path northbound.  The LNER livery is very smart.  The old and the new. Soon only 16 of the class 91/ Mark 4 sets out of the total of 31 sets will continue to work for LNER while the rest will go off-lease.  We see the difficulties of fitting a testing regime into a busy railway line.  A southbound LNER liveried train enters the platform. 

DB container train heads south through York station. The trains is Wilton Efw Terminal to Knowsley Freight Terminal empty containers. 

LNER Trains 12.00 departure stopping train to Kings Cross.  Class 170 recently transferred from Scotrail to Northern Trains being used on the Leeds - York, via Harrogate service.  Class 800/1 Bi-mode "Azuma" IET train no. 800111 on a training run from Doncaster. It was being used in diesel mode Contrast between cabs.  The south bays at York station.