Class 31

• 31112 and 31420 depart from Hednesford with a Bescot - Brereton ballast train. This picture was taken at 10:53 on Sunday 9th July 1995, and the train is running wrong-line in an engineer's possession. From memory the northbound train had crossed over to the southbound track at Hednesford, where 31462 and 31467 had also been attached at the rear (they're just out of sight behind the bridge). Of note was that the four 31s working this train were painted in four different liveries. 31112 was in Dutch livery, 31420 in the old Mainline livery, 31462 was in the incredibly drab plain grey, and 31467 was in BR blue. The return working passed Ryecroft at 16:17 the same afternoon, with 462+467 leading, and 420+112 trailing on the rear.
• 31249 trundles downhill towards Ryecroft Jct with the 9M09 Tuesdays-only departmental working from Doncaster to Bescot. This was a short-lived train, which as the picture suggests conveyed mainly ex-works engineer's wagons from (I presume) Doncaster Works. The picture was taken around 1989, and at this time everything on the engineer's side was being painted into "Dutch" yellow and grey livery. This train was normally hauled by a plain-grey or Dutch-liveried Class 31. However on this occasion one of the diminishing number of blue 31s appeared, which was nice as I don't care much for the Dutch livery.
• 31285 leads a 1Z18 test train through Coseley at 15:25 on Saturday 11th March 2006. 31105 was trailing at the rear. This train was testing the catenary, and a raised pantograph is visible on the fourth carriage, the yellow one. In fact the pantograph area was illuminated by lights which were all too visible on this very gloomy afternoon, although this light hasn't rendered in the picture. Despite the appalling light I managed to get away with ISO400 for this shot (at 1/500 f4.5). All-over yellow isn't really a great livery for a locomotive, but it was a blessing on this occasion.
• 31415 approaches Mills Hill with 2J92, the 13:20 Blackpool North - Manchester Victoria - Oldham loop - Manchester Victoria service. This one went anti-clockwise around the loop, and was en-route from Rochdale back into Manchester when I took this shot at 15:46. It was followed seven minutes later by 56121 on 6M21, the 09:37 Blyth - Ellesmere Port export coal train. I spent several weekdays pootling around Manchester and Liverpool during 1990 on North West Day Ranger tickets. This particular day, Wednesday 18th July 1990, was blessed with perfect weather. My route north was via a Euston - Holyhead service, with 86254 from Wolverhampton to Crewe and 47423 forward to Chester. Then I took a unit to Manchester Victoria and did some photos of Class 504s on the Bury line before going to Mills Hill in the afternoon. After that it was a quick trip to Bolton with 31415 on 2N99 17:10 Manchester V - Blackpool North, and 31431 on 2J60 15:42 Barrow - Manchester V. The day concluded with 85011 from Crewe to New St.
• 31422 and 31407 approach Wednesbury at 13:09 on Tuesday 28th July 1992. This was a T90 Worcester - Wednesbury trip that had gone to Bescot in error and is seen here returning to Wednesbury. It's a spoil train and was, I believe, a test trip to Honeybourne.
• 31434 runs slowly along the up line at Smethwick Rolfe St during an engineers possession. This picture was taken at lunchtime on Sunday 17th March 1996. Also involved on the same job were tamper 73262 and ballast regulator 77306, whose numbers I recorded because I photographed them. On-track plant isn't really my bag, but these two came past while I was waiting for the 31 to move. Once again I must confess to a bit of manipulation with this shot. A lamp post and telegraph pole have been removed from the background to improve it a little.
• 31454, 31601 and 31190 climb through Leamore (Walsall) with the FM Rail coal trial formed of PGA stone hoppers. This train ran on Tuesday 25th July 2006 as 6G20 Daw Mill - Rugeley. It's seen here at 14:56, running about three hours late on the original schedule, mainly due to problems with the wagons. Freight trains with any sort of load are never going at speed in this location as it's quite a substantial climb, and I'd estimate that the 31s were making about 15mph. An incredible working this, and one that will be long-remembered by those who were out to see and photograph it.
• 31459 trails on the back of the ECS for 2N97, the 15:49 to Blackpool North, as it draws out of the sidings at Chester. This shot was taken at 15:11 on Tuesday 30th March 2004, and 31602 was at the other end of the train. The shunt move required the train to head out onto the Warrington line, before reversing into platform 2.
• Significant numbers of withdrawn locos were stored all around Bescot Yard for much of the 1990s, with around 70 being present at one point. They were usually kept in the Local Sidings, but for a period most of them were moved into the Storage Sidings. This never struck me as a good idea given the proximity of these sidings to the perimeter fence - which backs onto open space and isn't overlooked in this area. The predictable vandalism duly occurred, as witnessed here on 31512. This picture was taken on the afternoon of Sunday 17th May 1998.
• 31516 and 37678 are seen parked at Bescot TMD on the afternoon of Wednesday 8th August 2001. Both locos were withdrawn at this point, but the 37 was still seeing occasional use as the depot pilot (although not on this particular day as 08888 was doing the honours). 31516 was taken to the EMR scrapyard at Kingsbury on Wednesday 22nd August 2001 along with 31428 and 47238, the whole ensemble being hauled by 37057. All the withdrawn 31s have long since been removed from Bescot, but 37678 was still there in April 2005.