5th March 2020

It was my intention to get to see layout progression with the layout builder and local model shop owner, but with Johnson Street having some running issues, he offered me the chance to have a running session nearby at Stacton Tressell. It was a chance to give my three DB 90s some running opportunity, something they havent had for a while and at the time of writing this several weeks later (22nd March) I'm so glad I did. 90024, 90028 and 90034 all got some running time here. You will have to imagine all the OHLE for the purpose of this

I have some short running clips from this session on my fledgling youtube channel, Johnson Street IEMD, weblink - tbc

22nd March 2020

The world is quickly frighteningly changing from what was normal thirty seconds ago to organised shut down on a scale one can only compare to ''I am legend''. We're all getting used to being largely housebound, for me, this means in the short term, I am not going to get to see the layout in its current state but that I am going to get to see it completed hopefully by the end of the year. My 90 pool remains at three in DB and one in Freightliner,  at least until i can get reliveried into DB Cargo of one form or another.

In the world as we know it, Grand Central are still getting ready for services from Blackpool to London from May and this being delivered with five DB90s dragging six Mark Fours and a DVT. The first DB 90s into Grand Central were initially 90026 and in the last few days, 90029 has been released from Toton and is now at Crewe IEMD. Its exoected that 90020, 90021 and 90039 will follow 026 and 029 into Grand Central colours. Its a gorgeous take that they have done for the Grand Central Class 90, I'm calling it ''Bumblee livery'' and its definitely on my radar to see it at Johnson Street IEMD, athough not immediately, its behind other DB90S on my radar in the form of ex-EWS DB90037 and also DB minus-Schenker90036 and also DB Cargo 90019 Multimodal. I also fancy having one DB90 in a stored state, so, possibly either RfD-EWS or EWS Maroon in total out-of-service appearance, like what 90017 or 90030 look like at the moment, with the cab doors securely shut, possibly de-pantograph'd. I want the 90s I have based at Johnson Street to be reflective of the active pool, yes, there are some different liveried DB90s, but the mainstay of the fleet are now in DB Corporate colours, only 90018 remains Schenkered and 90029 is now the first DB90 to have been reliveried out of DB red.

(below - Grand Central DB90026 back at Crewe, from Toton (where DB paint their locos), at the time of writing, 90029 has just become GCDB 90 number two)

Of the active 90s in the DB Cargo fleet (including those that are to be Grand Central'd), they look like this:

90018 - DB Schenker red

90019 - DB Cargo red, named ''Multimodal''

90020 - DB EWS (due to be reliveried into Grand Central - for Blackpool North-London Euston passenger services from May 2020)

90021 - DB EWS First Scotrail (due to be reliveried into Grand Central - for Blackpool North-London Euston passenger services from May 2020)

90024 - DB Malcolm (stored due to technical problems not yet cured)

90026 - DB Grand Central (first of five to be reliveried)

90028 - DB Cargo red, named ''Sir William McAlpine''

90029 - DB Grand Central (second of five to be reliveried)

90034 - DB ex-DRS blue

90035 - DB cargo red

90036 - DB minus-Schenker, named ''Driver Jack Mills''

90037 - DB ex-EWS maroon, named ''Spirit of Dagenham''

90039 - DB EWS (due to be reliveried into Grand Central - for Blackpool North-London Euston passenger services from May 2020)

90040 - DB minus-Schenker

(below, DB 90028 in DB Cargo just before it was named at York Museum in January of 2019, the second of three DB90s in this form, joining 90019 and 90035 - 90019 and 90028 are named, 90035 is not.)