Well there we were today at the station nice and early for the arrival of a Class 66 for the day, but we got an added bonus in the shape of two class 73’s as well. Here are a few pictures of them at OM on arrival.

They duly went on their way to Wansford.

But before this at the early hour of 9am I had the first idiot of the day. Couple arrived on the platform and the chap asked me the time of the first train to Peterborough, 11.10 was the answer. Is there nothing before that asked the man, no I replied if there was then the 11.10 would not be the first one. His wife giggled and he looked confused and they went on their merry way never to be seen again.

Day started quiet with no tickets for the first service sold, the more we went through the day the more it improved with all things considered good figures for the shop and ticket sales.

Now the second service was pulled by the double headed combination of the two Class 73 locos, here they are arriving at Orton Mere.

The third service was pulled by the Class 66.

But between the second and third services we had one of the breed of diesel sniffers arrive at the station, moaning that Wansford were unable to tell him that the 73’s were running hauling a service train and therefore he had not been able to travel behind them. Blimey you thought his world had ended. Now two things irritate me more than anything and that’s loud and rude and he was both, he was an excellent example of why some staff flatly refuse to do diesel galas he deserved to have the rough end of a pineapple shoved where the sun fails to shine. Heaven knows how he thought moaning at me would help, perhaps he thought that if pressed I could magic a couple of class 73 locos complete with coaches out of my rear end so he could have a trip. He could not have been more unhappy if his arse had caught fire in the middle of a drought. I gather he had also been to PNV for a moan as well. If he had bleated on anymore he could have been a woman!!  He reminded me of the pleasures that lie ahead on our diesel galas this year.

A few were about to see them taken off the back end of the last service to town and go back down the Fletton loop.

Special mention must be given to Sue from PNV who helped me for the day, she is a good worker and helped greatly in the day passing on the whole very well. If she could only master Arkwrights till then she would be away, but a female volunteer and a male till is always going to be a tricky combination to crack!!

Now looking forward to the joys of Tuesday when the little ankle snappers are on the first week of the summer holiday, should be interesting as the Valium supplies have yet to arrive.