In 2003 at large open day was held on the 26th and 27th of June at the Doncaster Plant to mark the 150th anniversary of these works. The works are next to Doncaster railway station so I had a little look round the station be for I went into the open day

Freightliner class 86609 and a Freightliner class 47 at Doncaster on the same day in 2003. 86609 was going to be displayed later at the open day and was a little late as I think as the event had all ready started.

This was one of the 3772 trainsets that was on lease from Eurostar at this time. This set had been repainted in GNER colours for the White Rose service between Kings Cross and Leeds. This set and the others hve now gone back to Eurostar.

 

Things have changed since 2003, GNER is now no more, with LNER now (20139 running the main ECML trains. Virgin lost Cross Country and these trains are now Cross Country. Arriva Trains Northern is now Northern and Trans Pennie. Open access rail operators Hull Trains and Grand Central all so use the station.

 

Doncaster railway station is in South Yorkshire and it is 156 miles from London Kings Cross. Doncaster station is now (2019) managed by LNER. Doncaster station is on of the East Coast Main Line (ECML).  Doncaster is one of the main railway stations on the ECML.

Doncaster station has eight platforms on two islands platforms. Platforms one three and four and eight are through platforms. Platforms six and seven are bays at the north of the station on the down side. Platform two and five are south-facing bays on the up side. It now has another (new) platform with the number 0 on the up side at the norther end.

There is a good mixture of train operators who now run thier services to from and though Doncaster station. LNER now( 2019) runs the main ECML trains replacing Virgin East Coast  East Coast and NXEC and GNER be for them . First Hull Trains also run there trains though Hull to London. Cross Country and Northern Rail trains together with First TransPennine Express and East Midlands Trains also use this station

Doncaster's Great Northern Railway railway works was called The Plant. It was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853. This railway works is (or what is left of it now ) next to the station on the west or down side of the station. LNER A3s and A4s were just two of the many classes of steam engines that came out of these works.