Virgin Cross Country unusual locos 1998

[The Fatadder]

The announcement of the new Calvelex Class 56 got me thinking of 56019 and it’s usage on Virgin Cross Country mk2s in 1998.

 

this got me thinking of some of the other unusual motive power utilised by Virgin XC in the late 90s.  
As well as various 47s from Fraggonset and EWS, and the obvious Deltic D9000, I have seen mention of Class 31, 33, 37, 55, 47/3, 56, 58, 60 and 73s.   Naturally I am most interested in workings into Devon and Cornwall, however anything else that was going on in this time period is almost as interesting!

 

Some examples found trawling through Flickr this morning.

 

https://flic.kr/p/pPryMF 58046 in Mainline blue 

 

https://flic.kr/p/2iXhqDt 56053 in Transrail triple grey.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8708923@N03/8770824869/ 37897/37679 in Transrail / unbranded triple grey departing Penzance

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16867856@N07/13669944513/ Great Western Trains 47846 heading through Dawlish.

 

https://flic.kr/p/23Knukm D9000 in two tone green

 

 

 While looking I also found this 

https://flic.kr/p/9azeKZ a pair of powercars and two mk3s as a replacement for a Virgin 158.

 

I have seen a photo of class 73s on Virgin mk2s, but not the other classes, I am particularly interested in seeing a photo of class 31s (given I am looking for a candidate for a respray).

So I am hoping others can share their memories and photos of these interesting workings.

 

edit:

a little more time on Flickr and I’ve found this:

https://flic.kr/p/24b3m7o

 31465 in Regional Railways and 37466 in Dutch (2 Months before it was repainted into EWS). 

Edited June 19, 2021 by The Fatadder

[Chris.D]

I'm not sure you have seen this group, but it has a variety of traction on the Crosscountry mk2 sets, including several 31's, which the one you have found is part of it. Most the photos do appear to be from 1998 too.

 

Virgin Trains loco hauled substitutions

[The Fatadder]

8 hours ago, Chris.D said:

I'm not sure you have seen this group, but it has a variety of traction on the Crosscountry mk2 sets, including several 31's, which the one you have found is part of it. Most the photos do appear to be from 1998 too.

 

Virgin Trains loco hauled substitutions

Thanks for that link, I hadn’t thought to search groups and that is absolutely brilliant!
  Already added another 37 to my todo list (350 in green with cowlings) and made my second 56 decision even more difficult with a photo of 56035 In Loadhaul.  It would have been an easy decision to do 19, but as it’s available straight out the box I’m less interested…

 

with photos on that group of 33s, 73 and a 60.  I think that leaves the class 20 as the only mainline diesels which didn’t end up in Virgin use in 97/98.

 

[The Pilotman]

At 1:23,23 in this video:

 

you’ll see 31420+434 on the 1658 Reading to Edinburgh on August 8th 1997.
 

[TravisM]

I saw 56019 at Manchester Piccadilly and with Cavalex's recent announcement, I thought I'd try and recreate the train and I was wondering if anyone has details of the virgin Mk2's that ran behind it?  I've found 1254, a Mk2F RFO but just need the rest.