Time for an Update!

Local Depot is in full swing with Rail Operations Group locos coming and going in considerable numbers. Classes involved include 20 / 33 / 37 / 47 / 56 / 57. There's also been some 58's on Depot, and recently Class 91 Electrics for future testing on the Kettering / Corby / M Harborough overhead wires.

If you need 66/7's Leicester is a good place to grab them, as there can be as many as 9 of them in an afternoon spell between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. With the exception of the 'new' locos (66790 etc) still at Longport, I've noted all but one (66771) of the 66/7's passing through the station in the 18 months since 30 Nov 2018.

Leicester is not what it was, Meridian and Central DMU are at best what you will see with occasional freight.

Things are changing here with some EWS freights being taken over by Freightliner. Depot now rarely sees any stabled locos.Often Track machine or two on sidings between Platform 4 and the slow lines.Most MML trains use Plat 2 and 3.Central Trains terminating Birmingham Service usually Plat 1. Ivanhoe Line Plat 4. Citylink Central trains usually main line Plat 2 & 3. Food pricey. Chip Shop in nearby Granby Street(5mins).Regular Group of spotters gather North end of Plat 3. Often a good gathering 13.00-14.00.
Station Staff helpful good relations with Spotters. Talk of barriers later in yearif so good views available from Car Park or Huthinson's walk (Birdcage). Parking expensive.
Ivanhoe service to Loughborough passes Mountsorrel La Farge slower than MML and is recommended.
Happy Spotting
Tony Jarram

Leicester station sees many different types of traffic passing through.

Passenger serivices going north usually call into platfroms 1 and 2, whiel southbound use 3 and 4. HST services mainly use 2 and 3 for quicker acceleration over the junctions. The station has sidings next to platform 4, where units and tampers can be stabled. Beyond the sidings is the fright avoiding lint, which splits half-way down to allow a link line to the depot, which is past the north bridge and also has a yard. A variety of engines are present, being stabled on the deopt and fueled for he various local workings. All platforms and loops are bi-directional, though engines from the depot needing to travel north, must first traverse the loop. The best place to watch most traffic is the north end of platfroms 3 and 4.

Most traffic through the station, is run by the stations current opperator; Midland Mainline. Currently the HST is undergowing overhaul and the stock is running in a vareity of combinations as new stock becomes availiable (28/10/03). Leciester allows all the Midland Mainline stock to be seen in one area, including the extra Turbostar service running from Nottingham to Coventry, jointly run by Central Trains.

Stock on the passenger front combines a large number of Midland Mainline HST's with others brought in from former Virgin XC use. Also used in the passenger diagrams are a large number of differnet units, including 170/1's, 170/5's, 170/6's, 158's, 156's, 153's and occasionally the odd 150 from the Brimingham area.

Continued Below:

On the freight side 66's and 60's by EWS are the norm, with other companies GM machines, being Frieghtliner and GBRf also making an appearance. EWS classes 37's, 47's and 56's are not unknown to be found in the area, while the company sees fir to still use them. Other machines coming out of Brush, tend to go south past Leciester to their new duties. The 57/3's have all been seen leaving the works at Leicester in resplendent conditon.

For foodstuffs there are shops availiable on both isalnd platforms, while also being areas in the station building, the coffee and Hot chocolate from the AMT kiosk are highly recomended. There is a fish and chip shop on Grandy Street, some 2 mins walk from the station, towards the city centre (5 mins) but at time of writing (28/10/03) it isundergoing refurbishment.

Connections from Leicester go to Coventry, London St. Pancras, Peterbrough, Nottingham, Standstead Airport, Sheffield, Derby, Stockport, Macnhester Piccadilly, Shrewsbrey, Luton, Bedford, Birmingham NS and other local intermediate stations. The train from Stockport does go through Toton yard, but its best to take a dictophone or a civil service support staf if you wish to stand a chance to record everything you see.

Any further questions, get in touch,

David F. Newby