Cab ride: Derby to Nuneaton via Long Eaton, Leicester and Whitacre Junction.
They may well be 50+ years old and only a handful of them remain in service so when a pair of DCR Class 31s worked a ballast train from Derby to Willesden, it may well have become the freight working of the year – and the whole journey was recorded from the cab!
This is the first part of the journey, filmed on a fine day in September 2014 on board 31601+31452 from Chaddesden Sidings in Derby to Nuneaton. With 13 loaded ballast wagons in tow, the 31s have to work hard to keep to a tight schedule and they do so in fine style!
From Derby the train is routed via Long Eaton and Leicester to Nuneaton. Unable to head south at Nuneaton, the train continues to Whitacre Junction where the locos run-around, before heading back to Nuneaton.
Filmed with the full assistance of DCR, the entire journey from Derby to Nuneaton is shown.
A special ‘thrash cam’ in the back cab records the locomotives in full effect. Part narration, on-screen captions and maps.
Produced by - Train Crazy
Running time - 145 minutes
Format - 16:9 widescreen
DVD and Blu-Ray
Released - November 2014