Crossforth
Established Member
Funny performance this afternoon. The 1340 Manchester Airport to Liverpool semi-fast (1F98) got away from the Airport three minutes late and lost another two minutes to Oxford Road. It would have been approaching Ordsall Lane Junction at about 1408 but was held on approach. In the meantime the 1402 Manchester Victoria to Liverpool stopper (2F37) left Victoria a minute late and would have been approaching Ordsall Lane Junction at about 1406 and it, too, was held on approach. However at 1408 it was given a clear signal, ahead of 1F98. I can only think that this was an error, since there was nothing that 2F37 needed to be out of the way of.
At Earlestown 2F37 was diverted into platform 5 (i.e. the Warrington-bound platform) in order to let the semi-fast pass. I presume that the stopper would have then been sent down the Warrington line as far as the crossover, then back through platform 3, since any other manoeuvre wouldn't have made particularly good sense. 1F98 reached Liverpool at 1457, 14 minutes behind schedule (compared to the working time), and 2F37 at 1509 (5 minutes behind).
The above information has been obtained from 'Realtime Trains', I did not witness any of the above happening, nor can I say which units were involved, not that such details would be relevant, really.
I was on 2F37. We pulled up to Ordsall Lane Junction from Vic about the same time as the Manchester Airport to Blackpool North service turned up. That was let in front of us and then we got under way. I didn't see 1F98 at Ordsall.
Once 2F37 got to Earlestown, we were looped to allow, what I now know to be, 1F98 to pass. 2F37 never entered platform 5.