The first surprise was the appearance of 66726 and the 4L02 from Hams Hall to Felixstowe. I had assumed this would have been routed via London since the cancellation of the GEML engineering work. But it was pointed out that having planned to run it via its 'normal' diversionary route it was more trouble than it was worth to re-route. Which was good news for me, although I would have preferred a less anonymous picture, after all this could be almost anywhere. It's actually Silt Road on the eastern edge of March.

Within 5 minutes of the 4L02 I also got to see a cuckoo (a first) and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers (or one twice). And the skies around Silt Road were filled with legions of swallows. Here is one, perching on a wire over the crossing, surely one of our most attractive summer visitors?

Timed past Ely at 07:35 the 4E62 to Leed passed Silt Road at 07:49

I changed locations to the Badgeney Road AHB level crossing which is a 100 yards or so nearer to March South. An early morning Peterborough to London Liverpool Street 170 approaching the crossing.

A few minutes later, at about the time an EMT 158 was due, the sound of a twin bank Sulzer 12LDA28C could be heard. It turned out to be that of a WCRC 47 at the head of a NENTA tour train en-route to York, Durham and Newcastle. The 158 was a block behind and had to wait at the March South outer home whilst the NENTA special made its March pick-up. Another nice surprise.

And right behind the late running 158, and a little late itself came DBS 6M28 intermodal to Burton-on-Trent.

Due through Ely at 08:05 it passed Silt Road at 08:28. Full except for two empty flats in the middle of the formation.