Great Western Coffee Shop

... well ok, it probably isn't - just hadn't seen it before ;D

Standing at Maidenhead this evening, just after 5pm, and a short train came thundering through platform 4 heading towards Paddington. It had two engines and three carriages, the carriages were bright yellow and the engines looked similar to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_55 in shape at least. I think it said "Directors Services" on the side of both engines, but I possibly misread it.

Just wondered what it was, and what it was up to, if anyone knows ?

Nearly right... Sounds like that would be three Network Rail test vehicles sandwiched between two Direct Rail Services class 37s. Did they look anything like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Rail_Services (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Rail_Services)

Second pic down is a class 37.

Ah yes that looks more like it :)

Thanks inspector_blakey!

Having had a bit more of a poke about on Wiki, I think this was the actual livery of the ones that came past:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MazeyDay37.JPG

That would make sense, I think that's the current version of their livery: the pic of the 37 on the DRS wikipedia entry is a few years old. A fun fact is that DRS is the only state-owned freight operating company: it was originally owned by British Nuclear Fuels Limited and is currently owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Its main purpose is/was to operate all the nuclear flask trains in the UK, but it's also been pretty enterprising in gaining other business.

Here she be

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/relex109/6801168188/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/relex109/6801168188/

That's the one!

Thanks relex109, nice shots there  :)

Going back to your original post, there is at least one class 55 ("Deltic") registered for main line operation at the moment, that being 55 022 "Royal Scots Grey" in BR blue. So there's always the chance that one might go whizzing by one day when you're waiting on a platform... Similar in shape to a class 37 but if you compare one next to the other they actually look quite different.

55 022 pic (http://davef.railnuts.com/2011/04/11/55022-working-alcan-freight-11th-april-2011/)

In fact you can often tell a Deltic a mile off (quite literally) because they're fitted with high-revving Napier engines based on a marine design that make a very, very distinctive noise. Not to mention that they make the ground shake even when they're idling...

55 022 video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28jvEuINklg&feature=related)

I'll put my nerd hat away for the moment...