When the freight-line between Pleck Jct and Round Oak closed in March 1993 it meant the end for the long-established spoil tip at Wednesbury. As a consequence spoil trains began to run from Bescot to Honeybourne in Worcestershire. This arrangement lasted for three or four years until Honeybourne tip was shut, after which spoil trains ran to Stoke and later Chaddesden (Derby). By 2003 a ballast recovery facility had been installed at Bescot, with the residual material being disposed of by road.

The Honeybourne trip ran as 7G07 outward, and 7G04 return. The outbound train generally departed Bescot around 07:00, with the return train running during the afternoon. Traction was provided by 31s, 37s or 47s from the departmental pools - sectorisation still ruled at this stage and most of the locos in question were in the "Dutch" livery. However for a brief spell in 1995-96 the small fleet of Bescot-based 20s were also used on these trains.

Most of the pictures below were taken on one day - Wednesday 9th August 1995. I hadn't planned to spend the day chasing the Honeybourne trip - it was just one of those things which happen. The weather forecast was good, unbroken sunshine was promised. However when I awoke there was total cloud cover in the Black Country. I took my camera with me, primarily for use after work, and called in at Bescot on my way to work as normal. The Honeybourne should have left by the time I got there, but almost by chance I noticed what appeared to be a BRT Class 20 shunting near the storage sidings. Closer inspection with binoculars revealed that it was actually a 20+37 combination, and they were running onto a rake of loaded spoil wagons.

Although it was fairly clear what this train was, the photographic possibilities didn't look good. The light was murky, and I was supposed to go to work. However it looked like departure might be imminent, so I scooted off to Ryecroft (Walsall) to see if there might be a chance of a shot there before work. Sure enough the train arrived at Ryecroft fairly promptly, 20075 leading 37201 and a long rake of Grampus wagons coming past in rather poor light. I couldn't resist it. With the train routed via Washwood Heath, Bromsgrove and Worcester I'd have plenty of time to shoot down the M5 and head it off at Droitwich. So the hastily manufactured plan was: (a) nip to the local phone box and tell work that I wouldn't be in until lunchtime, then (b) head off to Droitwich pronto - hoping the sun would burn through sooner rather than later...

The train passed Ryecroft at 09:14, which meant that I'd have arrived at Droitwich shortly after 10:00. By this time the sun was beginning to break through. In the event I needn't have worried as the train didn't appear until about 11:10, by which time the cloudless sky promised by the weather forecast had arrived. It was held on the Bromsgrove branch, which was good news because the sun wasn't quite yet on the front. By the time it re-started at 11:24 the light was near perfect - things were beginning to work out.

While I was waiting at Droitwich a fellow photographer turned up. I was able to advise him what was coming, and in return he suggested that it might well be possible to get in front of the train for a further shot because it would probably have to wait at Worcester for access to the single line from Norton Jct to Evesham. This seemed worth a try and so I found myself waiting at Lower Moor, which is just east of Pershore. In the days before mobile phones I wasn't absolutely sure whether the train had passed or not - but it seemed unlikely. I'd have been in position by 11:50 or thereabouts, and the first train which came was an eastbound Turbo at 12:15. The spoil followed, passing me at 12:33. Things were getting better still.

The spoil had been required to wait at Worcester for the road to Evesham, and with a Turbo in front it struck me that it might well have to wait at Evesham before it was allowed into the Evesham - Moreton section, especially if there was a passenger train heading west. So the next move was a short journey to Evesham to see if I'd guessed right.

It turned out that I was right, when I drove onto the bridge at the west end of Evesham station the spoil was standing in the platform. It would have already been there for at least five minutes when I arrived, and I'd no idea how much longer it would wait. Unsure of the parking arrangements at the east end of the station I locked the car and ran as fast as I could around to the bridge at the east end of the platforms. Just as I got onto the bridge - and still out of breath - I heard the clank as the semaphore dropped off. By the time I'd got my camera out of the bag the brake was off and the train was just beginning to move. I managed to get two shots off, although they were rather more tightly framed than I'd have preferred.

If these were the only shots I'd got of this train I'd have been a little disappointed - but in reality they were bonus shots so I was happy enough. The clock showed 13:00 exactly, and it was decision time. I'd told work that I would be in for the afternoon, but there were more shots to be had and the sky was still cloudless. Hence the next task was to find a phone box and apologise for my continued absence. And then it was time to go to Honeybourne.

By the time I got to Honeybourne the locos were already running-round the train in the sidings behind the platform. The train was then propelled into the tip sidings, which aren't visible from the station bridge. After a while the locos re-appeared with the return train, which was much shorter and consisted of eight Grampus wagons. The traincrew parked the train near the station while they took their break. This was all very convenient from a photographer's perspective as the train could easily be shot from the station bridge, or indeed from the platform through the bridge arch. Two or three other photographers turned up during the hour or so while the train was parked here. One of the traincrew came across to speak to us and we learned that it had departed late because they'd asked for an additional loco (the 20) due to the weight of the loaded train.

The points leading into the sidings at Honeybourne are worked from a ground frame. This is operated by the train crew in conjunction with the signalman at Evesham or Moreton. The communication and signalling equipment is (or at least was when these pictures were taken) housed in the grey hut. It was just before 15:00 when the release was given for 7G04 to depart. The train set back a few yards down the siding, the points were reversed, and it drew into the platform. The traincrew would then have returned the points to normal and locked up the cabin before setting off along the single-line to Evesham. I took this picture at 14:57 and then headed back to Lower Moor for another shot there.

After the Lower Moor shot I had plenty of time to make it back up the M5 to Ryecroft, where the train would be perfectly lit. Ryecroft is a well-used spot for local photographers, but I don't recall anyone else being there that afternoon - despite the unbroken sunshine. 7G04 eventually ambled past at 17:19, although by now the heat of this summer day combined with the air pollution in the conurbation meant that the light wasn't very crisp. I was in no position to complain though - the day had been a success from a photographic viewpoint, as well as being a pleasant day out in the sun.

It's interesting to reflect back on this day from nine years on. A 20+37 combination was quite unusual in 1995, although it's fairly common on DRS flask trains nowadays. The Honeybourne trip wasn't rare, as it ran several times a week, and the normal locos for these trains (20s excepted) weren't particularly special at the time. Nonetheless looking back it seems rather odd that I was alone at most of the spots from which I photographed this train. There was just one other person at Droitwich and two or three at Honeybourne. A picture of 7G04 at Barnt Green was published in a contemporary magazine, so other people were out and about, but this was in the days before mobile phones and "gen" lists. If something like this happened nowadays it would doubtless be known about by many more people - and there would be far more people out for it, particularly on a sunny day. How times change.

As it happens I'd been at Honeybourne a week or so earlier to photograph a railtour. On this occasion there were rather more photographers about - no doubt helped by the fact that it was a Saturday, and a sunny one at that. The date was Saturday 29th July 1995, and the railtour was hauled by 47348 and 33057+33019 (on the rear in this shot which was taken at 15:20). The tour visited the MOD depots at Kineton and Long Marston, being hauled around the latter by steam loco 7298. One of the traincrew is standing at the door of the loco as he gets ready to alight and work the Honeybourne ground frame. The train will then be hauled back up the branch to Long Marston by the Cromptons.