Electric locos

• 73004 stands in Bescot Up Yard on Sunday 5th May 1990. This was an Open Day - for a full list of the exhibits see the caption for 26036 which was also present. Naturally the EDs were incredibly rare beasties in the West Midlands, although I've managed to see twelve different examples at Bescot - as well as missing a couple of others. My twelve were: 73002 73004 73104 73105 73128 73131 73132 73133 (see below) 73134 73136 73212 (ex 73102) and 73213 (ex 73112).
• The JA pairing of E6006 and E6005 run-round the stock of the 09:15 Oxenhope - Keighley, before working the 10:00 return service. This picture was taken at 09:59 on Saturday 18th June 2005, the first day of the Keighley & Worth Valley railway's diesel weekend.
• The same pairing of E6006 and E6005 worked the 12:20 Keighley - Oxenhope on Saturday 18th June 2005. The train is seen here emerging from Mytholmes tunnel just south of Haworth. This shot was taken at 12:49, with the train running about 15 minutes late, as most trains were on this day. The original plan was to be riding the trains in the middle of the day when the sun was high in the sky, but the weather forecast was wrong and the promised sunshine had only just started to appear in short bursts at lunchtime. This spot is so enclosed by foliage that it would only have been lit in the middle of the day, with the light coming from right behind the camera. For a head-on shot this probably wouldn't have been too bad, but in the event the sun wasn't out when the train came. I took the shot anyway but the resulting image needed a hefty crop to make the locomotive bigger and provide the punch which the ambient light had failed to provide.
• The reflections in the bodyside of 73106 indicate that there were at least two 33s along with two 73s stabled at Ashford station on this day in the summer of 1981.
• Saturday 30th April 2005 was a diesel-only day on the Chasewater Light Railway. No traction was advertised, but when the sun came out in the afternoon I thought I'd make the short journey to see if 73128 was out. It was, and it's seen here at 15:33 after arrival at Chasetown Church St. The train consists of blue DMU W51372 (not running), two un-numbered DMU trailers in red, a goods wagon and a brake van. The railway's stocklist suggests that the trailer cars must be 59444 and 59603, as no others are listed. There are lamp-posts along the road which runs behind the railway here, and I've removed the two which were growing out of the loco in this shot.
• After running-round the train returns south to Brownhills West, pausing first at Chasewater Heaths station which is only a couple of hundred yards from the terminus at Church St. After doing some shots at Church St you can easily leg it here and shoot the train both arriving and standing in the platform. The sharp curve between the two stations means that there's sun of the nose of the loco in both directions mid-afternoon (this shot was taken at 15:47). Once again I've removed several lamp-posts in the background.
• The railway's base is at Brownhills West station, where a fine new shed was recently built. In this shot 73128 is seen departing from Brownhills at 16:10 with the next service to Chasetown. The railway is less than two miles long, and trains don't get above 20mph at most, so it's more suited to shunting locomotives and industrial steam engines than mail-line diesels. Even the Class 73 with its 600bhp diesel engine isn't stretched on this line - but it makes a nice picture nonetheless.
• 73128 only did a couple of trips at the Chasewater Diesel Gala on Saturday 20th October 2007, and this is the second one. The late-running 13:25 from Brownhills leaves Chasewater Heaths at 13:56. There aren't usable many photo spots on this line, partly because it's not very long and partly because about half of it runs through trees and somewhat unattractive scrub. In the middle of the day the best opportunites are around Chasewater Heaths station, and there are only really a handful of spots. Later in the afternoon there are well-lit shots at the ends of the line, Church St and Brownhills West.
• Another view of 73128 at the 2007 Chasewater Diesel Gala. This shot was taken at 13:09 and shows a Brownhills bound train approaching Chasewater Heaths station. Just the one lamp-post cloned out here.
  
  Also available as a wallpaper.
• 73129 and D8137 are pictured between Didbrook and Hailes with the 09:15 Toddington - Cheltenham on Saturday 1st April 2006.
• Another shot of 73129, this time passing Gotherington with the 12:40 Toddington - Cheltenham. This shot was taken at 13:05 on Saturday 9th September 2006, another diesel weekend on the Glos Warks railway.
• An unidentified 73 arrives at Brighton on a parcels train in this 1979 shot. Meanwhile 73130 stands on the adjacent track - waiting to back onto the vans and, if I recall correctly, take some of them out towards Lewes. My arrival at Brighton on this occasion had been via an Adex, hauled by 33064 south of Mitre Bridge Jct. Adexes from the Birmingham area to the Central and South-Eastern divisions of the Southern Region were always great fun. Traction was inevitably an AC electric, usually a "Roarer", to Mitre Bridge (Willesden) - for a Crompton on the Southern. The best bits were the pootle around the south London suburbs - especially on the return which would generally occur around 18:30-19:30 when the local stations were still fairly busy with homebound commuters.
• 73133 and 33026 trundle along Bescot Up and Down Goods Loop on a road-learning outing from Eastleigh. This picture was taken at 13:25 on a rather dull Friday 22nd November 1996. Similar trips around this time bought 1x33, 33+73 and 2x73 combinations to the West Midlands. These two had arrived from the Hamstead direction at 13:20, and departed for Walsall and Sutton Park at 13:27. The route around Birmingham seemed to vary from day to day - and some days they were reported to have been through New St. Amongst the other visitors were: 73105+73134 (Thu 7th Nov); 73133+73105 (Mon 18th Nov); 33202 (Wed 20th Nov); and 73132+73134 (Thu 21st Nov).
• 73208 passes Clapham Jct at 17:36 on Tuesday 7th June 2005. The train is 1D71, the 17:30 Victoria - Gatwick Airport. Clapham Jct isn't the best spot to photograph this service, if only because of the risk of being bowled by a train going north through platform 12. In the event I knew 73208 was out, but not which service it was working. By chance I saw it heading into Victoria just after 17:00, and Clapham Jct was the best I could manage. I got lucky with no train in the northbound platform, but two lamp-posts growing out of the roof of the loco had to go in the post-processing. In fact I'm tempted to lose the remaining one, although it'll take a little more time. No route code (it should be "20") - what's the Southern coming to! 
• The rain certainly fell hard on Manchester during this day in autumn 1979 - which I spent at Dinting trying to see my last BR loco (76015). Despite the damp it was an interesting day, parts of which I can still remember 25 years on. This is 76021 and (I'm pretty sure) 76010 heading west on an MGR train. The second loco is in ex-works condition - I think it was the last one to receive a full overhaul. One memory I have of this day was that almost every pair of 76s were doing one-way trips - they'd go light west and return with a train, or vice-versa - even though there seemed to be enough traffic to make balancing trips. 76015 did eventually turn up, about 20 or 30 minutes before I'd decided to leave.
• Another shot taken on the same day at Dinting. These unidentified 76s are heading west with a loaded MGR. Although the Woodhead route was in decline there were still more freight trains about than you'd see in most locations today - even if they were nearly all MGRs. Kodachrome 64 wasn't really the right tool for the job on a day as dark as this - although in compensation it scans well. The lens was probably wide open, at something like f2, and the exposure as long as 1/125. Whatever it was it certainly hasn't stopped the leading loco. I'd give a considerable sum to be transported back to this day, or indeed any day in 1979, with a digital SLR.
• This was taken on the same day as the previous two shots, and shows 76025 and 76016 drawing into the Manchester platform at Godley Jct. The rain had finally stopped when this pair arrived light-engine from the east. They were about to reverse back onto the eastbound loop line (the dummy to the right of the locos is already off, and the crossover points are reversed). To the best of my recall these two were about to collect some MGR empties which were standing on the up goods loop behind the signalbox. I presume that the Class 47 visible in the distance near Hattersley station had detached from that same wagon set - but I don't really remember. What I do remember is that the 76s had come to a stand immediately behind the dummy, but had then been waved further along into the platform by the signalman (the box window is still open). Whether he did this for my benefit I can't be sure, but it certainly made it easier for me to take the photograph. Godley Junction station was renamed Godley East in 1986 when a new station was built in Godley, and it closed completely in 1995.
• Another shot from that same rainy day visit to Dinting in 1979. This one shows 76011 and an unidentified classmate coming off the viaduct with eastbound MGR empties. The facing crossover was used by eastbound locals which took the branch to Glossop before retracing their steps back to Dinting en route to Hadfield. At the time of this photo the local trains were all still formed of Class 506 units of course.
• 82003 stands in the Storage Sidings at Bescot one sunny day during the early summer of 1980. This was Bescot's regular stabling spot for electric locos in the 1970s. Diesel locos were parked in the Down Local Sidings but these were unelectrified. In 1980 the (electrified) Up Reception Sidings became available, and these were subsequently used to stable both diesels and electrics. This arrangement persisted until well into the 1990s when a Virtual Quarry was established on this site. Diesel locos then moved back to the Local Sidings, and electrics - which by then were Class 92s only - reverted to the Storage Sidings. However the Storage Sidings are close to the perimeter fence and after a couple of 92s were vandalised electrics are now stabled in the Down Yard or Down Reception Sidings instead (usually the former).
• Another one in Bescot Down Storage Sidings, this time a shot of 84010 taken in autumn 1979. Note the cooling towers of Birchills Power Station visible above the left-hand cab. Work on re-modelling this part of the down side of Bescot Yard started in January 2004 and continued throughout that year. The new arrangement provides longer sidings.
• And a third one in Bescot Down Storage Sidings. 85010 is parked next to a classmate in this 1980 shot.
• 86220 was waiting to work a cross-country train to the north-west when seen at New St in this shot from the spring of 1980. The rail blue livery is often regarded as being rather boring, but it was infinitely superior to any of the liveries that this class would subsequently carry (of which there are several examples below).
• 86401 rounds the curve between Tipton and Coseley at 18:11 on Friday 26th May 1989. I believe the train was 1G37 16:20 Euston - Wolverhampton, due here at 18:06. The exact location is the overbridge at Central Drive, Tipton - a spot which has long since become overgrown.
• 86430 approaches Dudley Port on a sunny autumn day, Saturday 29th October 1988. I didn't record any details about the train, but given the coaching stock and the time (12.32) it's probably the 12.18 Wolverhampton - Euston. I never cared for any version of the Inter City livery, and this one was no exception - but the battered paintwork on this loco at least adds a little character. Just visible to the left of the train is Watery Lane crossing box. At the time it controlled the foot crossing at Watery Lane and the level crossing at Owen St (Tipton), the latter being monitored via CCTV.
• 87002 propels a southbound express through Hamstead at 12:32 on Saturday 19th February 2005. Trent Valley trains were running via the Grand Junction line, the normal arrangement on a winter weekend. What marked out this particular winter was the almost complete takeover of West Coast expresses by Pendolinos. Three hours at Hamstead on this day produced just two loco-hauled passenger trains, the other was also a southbound train which passed at 13:20.
• 87101 stands at Carlisle in this shot from May 1980. Not much of a day by the look of it.
• 87012 heads through the Warwickshire countryside between Dordon and Grendon with the 1S96 Willesden - Shieldmuir mail at 18:34 on Thursday 8th June. With the power cars of Class 325 units being re-instated to traffic locos Class 87s were shortly to cease making regular appearances on these trains. At the end of December 2006 this loco and classmate 87019 (see below) were despatched via the Channel Tunnel for use in Bulgaria. Multimap shows the footpath better than Google.
• 1S96 again, at the same location but from a different angle. This shot was taken at 18:36 on Wednesday 10th May 2006, when 87019 was the loco in charge. The shot of 87012 (above) was taken from the footbridge in the background.
• The remaining operational Class 87s in Britain were due to be withdrawn on 31st December 2007, as they weren't fitted with OTMR technology. With this in mind a farewell tour was due to run from Birmingham International to Glasgow and back on Saturday 29th December. Sadly things didn't work out as planned. Falling out of bed around 09:15 I learned that the tour had yet to start. The train was still at Oxley with faults on some of the carriages, and the prospective passengers from International and New St had travelled to Wolverhampton by service train to meet the tour there. Further messages revealed that the train would go round the houses via Soho to see if the stock problems could be fixed. This ECS working left Oxley just before 10:00 and ran anti-clockwise via Soho and Bescot. In the event problems with the central door locking weren't soluble and the train was finally cancelled while standing in the platform at Wolverhampton, after which it returned to Oxley. Unsure how much time was available I had to settle for the nearest spot to cover the ECS working, and got lucky. 5Z86 Oxley - Oxley is seen passing Bescot at 10:32 with just 7½ miles to go before the curtain fell on Class 87 haulage in the UK. Thanks to GWOT for posting the ECS move.
• The objective on this visit to Dudley Port was the loco-hauled VXC service, and I arrived at 12:45 for the 12:48 New St - Manchester (1H00). It was therefore a bit of a surprise when 90018 passed southbound at 13:02. Figuring it was running late I thought it might be back within 30 minutes, but in the event it didn't re-appear until 14:01, running as the 13:48 off New St I presume (1H01). Unknown to me services on the Stour Valley route had been severely disrupted during the morning, due to a body being found on the line near Galton Bridge. This might explain why the 90 was on a different diagram from the one I expected, and although this meant a longer-than-planned lunch break it also put some light on the nose.
• 90130 has a dead 90133 in tow as it passes Slindon with 6M86 Dover - Crewe. 90130 was in SNCF livery at this time, one of three in the colours of various European railways. This shot was taken at 16:50 on Tuesday 19th September 1995. I'd been to North Wales after 37s, but set off home early due to poor weather. The light improved south of Chester so I diverted to Slindon to see what I might pick up there. In addition to 6M86 I had a pair of 86s on 4M54 Tilbury - Crewe (at 17:21) and 47356 on 6K65 Longport - Crewe via Stafford (at 17:31).
• 90045 heads the 4M87 Felixstowe - Trafford Park liner through Rugeley Trent Valley at 17:34 on Friday 5th May 2006. This train was on the slow line, and running less than a minute behind a Class 66 hauled liner on the fast.
• When I arrived at Hamstead at 12.30 on Wednesday 1st November 2006 Stour Valley trains were being diverted via the Grand Junction route and the line was alive with multiple units. Slotting 6G62 Daventry - Bescot into this melee wouldn't have been easy, but it appeared near enough on time at 12:44, with 92001 at the head of the usual long rake of Cargowaggons. This is one of only two 92s that carry EWS livery, and since their takeover by DBS it's unlikely that any others will appear.
• 92002 leads a rake of vans through Kensington Olympia at 14:32 on Thursday 9th September 2004. The train is bound for Dollands Moor and thereafter the Channel Tunnel. I much prefer the platform-end shot at Olympia since the new flats have been built on the east side of the station, especially since most of those flats are now adorned with white satellite dishes.
• 92008 rounds the curve at Factory Jct with a Wembley - Dollands Moor service, probably the same train seen in the picture above at Kensington Olympia. This shot from the footbridge at Wandsworth Road station was taken at 15:03 on Tuesday 7th June 2005, and it's a location I hadn't visited for the best part of a decade. Remarkably little has changed in the intervening years, although the trees along the lineside are bigger than I remember them (no surprise there). Despite the prominent landmarks of the Gas Works and the Power Station the bit of this picture that screams London at me is Portslade Road in the bottom left corner. The distinctive London brick, and the factory units set into the railway arches, are so typical.
• 92022 stands in Bescot Down Yard on the afternoon of Saturday 29th April 2006.
• Monday 9th June 2008 was a glorious summer's day, so I took the afternoon off work with no fixed objective in mind. The first opportunity that came my way was the 6A42 Warrington - Wembley Enterprise, seen here approaching Bescot at 14:39. This is a little later than normal I believe, partly because it had to negotiate a busier than usual Grand Junction. A lot of Stour Valley trains were being diverted via Bescot due to signalling trouble caused by a cable theft at Tipton. After a brief stop on the approach A42 ran into the Up & Down Goods loop, rather than going into the yard for a traffic stop. This train had been forecast to convey three Class 87s en route from Crewe for further use in Bulgaria, but it didn't happen. Fortunately 90039 was tucked inside train engine 92030, providing some variety in the consist.
• 92034 rushes through Hamstead with the 4A07 Trafford Park - Wembley intermodal in this shot which was taken at 13:22 on Saturday 8th April 2006.