This page shows shows recent updates, latest first.
Some captions now contain a hyperlink to a map which shows the exact location of the photo. I'll add a link to
other captions as time permits, but the intention is to put the hyperlink on the less well-known spots in the first instance. The
map functionality is provided by the Google Maps API.
|
| New photos added on Saturday 10th May... |
|---|
 |
An 0Z71 loco convoy ran from Barrow Hill to Kidderminster on Wednesday 7th May. 66724 hauled 20096 and 37275 which were en route to
the Swanage Railway diesel weekend. At Kidderminster the convoy ran into the turnback siding for a few minutes, before reversing back
onto the down line. This picture was taken at 16:10.
 |
 |
The 0Z71 convoy then ran onto the Severn Valley railway, where 37906 and D444 were attached. While this was being arranged the SVR's
D3022 was shunting carriages from the depot to the station and back. The return move is seen here at 16:21. D3022 carried the TOPS
number 08015, and was a Shirebrook loco in the mid 1970s. It moved to Tinsley before being withdrawn in 1980. Built circa 1953 D3022
has now spent longer in preservation than it did in capital stock.
|
 |
On Thursday 8th May the Swanage convoy headed south. 0Z72 was routed via Old Hill, New St, Tyseley and Oxford. It left Kidderminster
on time and is seen here passing Blakedown at 09:48. The nameplate on the box reads "Churchill and Blakedown Signal Box".
|
 |
This was also taken on Thursday 8th May. 60089 was on shunting duties and had drawn a rake of empty autoballasters into the ballast
sidings at Bescot. It then drew into the neck before propelling the rake of loaded autoballasters on the other road into the Engineer's
Yard. This shot was taken at 13:29.
|
 |
I had several choices of a shot in the afternoon, but my preference was for 57006 on the Stockton - Cardiff scrap train. Preferring
to shoot this nearer 17:00 than 15:00 I elected to head west, with the intention of filling in with 60091 on 6V07 Round Oak - Margam.
However 6V07 eluded me, running unprecedently early according to the locals, it was through Abbotswood Jct by 14:30. I wasn't there in
time and had to make do with 150248 working 2094 Worcester - Weymouth, photographed passing Croome Perry at 15:17.
|
 |
And so to the main event. Unbeknown to me 47818 had been added to 6Z72 Stockton - Cardiff at Derby, something that I only learned about
on arrival at Spetchley footbridge. There was some concern amongst the gallery of four about the cloud drifting around to the south and
west, but none of us gave much thought to the brisk warm wind blowing from the east. At least not until the train passed us at 17:45. The
light was fine when the train appeared, but the signal to the south changed from yellow to green just as it got into range. Normally the
black plume of smoke that erupted from 47818 would have been very welcome, at least for photographic purposes. But on this day it blew
straight in front of the train, obscuring quite a bit of it. As a result I've had to clone out a little of the clag from the rear end of
47818. It's only supposed to be steam photters who have to worry about the wind direction!
|
| New photo added on Monday 5th May... |
|---|
 |
Same location as the previous shot, but rather more interesting light. 37401 and 37417 were running five minutes early with a 1Z67
Carlisle - Swindon railtour when photographed at 18:55 on Monday 5th May. I was a little surprised to see a Pullman coach in the
consist of this train.
|
| New photo added on Sunday 4th May... |
|---|
 |
Wrexham, Shropshire & Marylebone (WSMR) passenger services started operating with effect from Monday 28th April. It wasn't a
particularly auspicious start, with the first southbound train running an hour late due to problems with the leading loco. The first
Saturday, 3rd May, also saw major delays caused by loco problems. The 08:17 Marylebone - Wrexham ran two hours late, and turned short
at Shrewsbury into the path of the 12:55 from Wrexham, although it was still 15 minutes late when photographed approaching Bescot
behind 67013. As if that wasn't bad enough the next northbound, the 12:17 Marylebone - Wrexham, ran 75 minutes late. It can only get
better.
|
| New photo added on Wednesday 9th April... |
|---|
 |
Finally a full sun shot of a decent train at this spot, although I still want one of something coming south. This shot was taken at
12:57 on Sunday 6th April, and shows 37405 and 37401 crawling out of the yard at Bescot with a 5Z37 Bescot - Crewe ECS. The overnight
snow had all but disappeared, just a little patch on the north-facing bank of the mound remained. This train had formed a Wolverhampton
- York charter the previous day, and then recessed at Bescot on the return.
|
| New photos added on Saturday 5th April... |
|---|
 |
It was near enough cloudless as I drove down the M5 to the Glos Warks railway on Saturday 5th April, but as soon as I got there
a whole swathe of crud appeared from nowhere. The first train of the day was the 09:15 Toddington - Cheltenham headed by 73129
and D8137, seen here approaching Hailes a minute or so before the last of the sunlight disappeared. The 73 was detached at
Cheltenham for use on driver experience duty, with the Chopper handling the return working alone.
|
 |
I hung about for the rest of the morning hoping that the dark clouds might break, and by noon a few gaps did appear. But they
were small gaps, and they didn't co-incide with any of the trains I was trying to photograph. One such was the 11:15 Cheltenham
- Toddington, which was steam-heated by 47105. It's seen here just north of Gotherington at 11:27. With the cloud cover closing
in again I got bored and gave up an hour later.
|
| New photo added on Friday 4th April... |
|---|
 |
The Scottish snow cover contract finished on 31st March and the two EWS 37s stationed at Aberdeen and Inverness came south. 422 was
sent to Bescot, and worked a Long Marston trip on Wednesday 2nd April. On Thursday 3rd it did the Burton trip, and on the morning of
Friday 4th it worked the Daventry trip in place of the normal Class 92. This photo shows the return 6G62 Daventry - Bescot passing
Hamstead at 12:32. 422 then went light engine to Washwood Heath to work the concrete sleeper trip back to Bescot, after which it headed
north to Arpley, dead inside the late-running 6S73 Mossend service. This was my first opportunity to take any sort of photo for over a
month; the ring-rust meant that I pressed the shutter a fraction earlier than planned, so this is a crop rather than the intended
view.
|
| New photo added on Sunday 2nd March... |
|---|
 |
One of these days I'll nail this shot. Just one photo of a decent train with the sun out properly is all I'm after because it
isn't a great spot - merely one that's unlikely to be available for ever. Saturday 1st March provided two opportunities within 30 minutes,
the first being a delayed 4Z50 Daventry - Grangemouth headed by a pair of DRS 37s with 66407 (low on fuel) dead inside. After a very
sunny morning the cloud had started to build by the time that one passed at 13:17, at which point the sun was behind a particularly
dark cloud. Never mind, 37405 had arrived light engine from Warrington at 12:55, and attached to three MPVs in the Down Yard. It was due
to depart as 6Z84 to York via Manchester, and it left 45 minutes early at 13:41. It crawled out of the yard at walking pace with the
sun out full bore, came past me while the sun had gone behind some thin cloud, and it hadn't reached Darlaston before the sun re-emerged
again. Once again a bit of work in Photoshop was required to produce a reasonable picture. It isn't a bad result, but it's not quite the
shot I was hoping for either.
|
| New photo added on Saturday 9th February... |
|---|
 |
On the evening of Friday 8th February 37401 arrived at Bescot on 6G06 from Crewe. Apparently it was supposed to go back to Warrington
in the consist of 6M65 so that it could work the last Holyhead RTZ trip. That didn't happen and a 66 went to Holyhead instead. Meanwhile
37401 spent the morning parked in Bescot Yard, engine running. At about 12:40 67004 appeared light engine from the north, and 37401 was
attached to the front. Two hours later the pair departed north as 0Z42 Bescot - Arpley, with the 37 making an enormous cloud of white
clag as it joined the main line. A hundred yards further on there was still some exhaust visible as it passed me. 401 was repainted
about ten days ago, and provides an interesting and rare reminder of what the EWS livery looks like when freshly applied.
|
| New photos added on Wednesday 6th February/Thursday 7th February... |
|---|
 |
More Tractor-on-a-lorry shots. On Wednesday 6th February 37897 followed 37174 from Bescot to the EMR scrapyard at Kingsbury. The
rig used for this move arrived at Bescot at 09:30, but it was different from the one used to move 174. This one doesn't have a
lowerable end, so a smaller one which does had to be used as a ramp to load 897. A problem with one of the lorries meant that 897
wasn't loaded until 13:25, and it was 14:30 before it set off. The normal route out of Wednesbury is Pemberton Crescent, Coronation Road,
Crankhall Lane, Woden Road East, and then onto Wood Green Road (the A461). This shot was taken at 14:33 as the lorry negotiates the right
turn into Crankhall Lane. At this point the escort van had gone ahead to stop oncoming traffic. Note how low the well of the trailer
is riding, almost on the ground at this point.
 |
 |
Making the right-turn from Woden Road East into Wood Green Road at 14:39. Not easy to do a wider shot here due to the proximity of
street furniture and traffic at the lights, although I probably could have done better with a little more time to think about it.
As it is this one turned into something of a loco portrait shot. A couple of lamp-posts have been cloned out of this one.
|
 |
Having reached the motorway at Junction 9 the lorry headed north, but only for a short distance. It exited at Junction 10 and headed off
down the Black Country Route (A454 then A463) through Bilston. After passing over the Stour Valley railway just north of Coseley it
made a left turn onto the Birmingham New Road (A4123), seen here at 15:09. I didn't pursue it further, but presume it took the same
route as 174 which went right down the A4123 to the Hagley Road and then headed off towards the M5 Junction 3. Incidentally Sedgemoor
Park is a small estate located in the corner of the A4123 and A463. I can only assume that its undue prominence on a trunk road
sign is something to do with the fact that there's only one way into it, off the A463.
Postscript: End of the Line reports that 37897 had been broken up by Saturday 9th February.
|
 |
Earlier on the 6th the Bescot south end pilot loco, 08844, was in the virtual quarry while a short rake of HQA ballast hoppers were
being loaded. This photo was taken at 12:05.
|
| New photo added on Friday 1st February... |
|---|
 |
37174 left Bescot for the EMR scrapyard at Kingsbury on Friday 1st February. The lorry climbed up the depot driveway at around 09:05,
and as is usual practise it stopped in Pemberton Crescent so that the crew could adjust the trailer height and check that all was well
before they set off. This picture was taken at 09:13 with the crew about to board, and the escort van in the background waiting to follow.
These sort of road movements are so common nowadays that the locals barely turn a head when they drive around the corner to find 100 tons
of railway loco parked on their estate. Indeed a few minutes before this lorry departed another artic had arrived carrying wheelsets.
|
| New photo added on Saturday 12th January... |
|---|
 |
47375 heads north past Elford on Saturday 12th January. The train is a 5Z80 Bristol - Derby ECS, which had run via Newport
(reverse) due to engineering work on the line between Bristol Parkway and Gloucester. 47237 had been used as far as Gloucester,
but was replaced there. Running on a very slack schedule the train left Gloucester 20 minutes late but was well over 30 minutes
up when photographed here at 14:25. Fortunately I'd set out in plenty of time as the A513 was flooded just east of Alrewas where
it goes under the Tamworth line, so I had to turn back and go via Whittington instead.
|
| New shot added on Thursday 10th January... |
|---|
 |
Under a slate grey sky which matches the locomotive livery 20905 and 20901 pass Lower Moor between Pershore and Evesham with a
5Z90 Crewe - Long Marston special. The four Arriva carriages had been intended for use on North Wales loco-hauled services, and
had spent several months engaged on crew-training trips before the plan was changed and some extra multiple-units were found instead.
With no work in the offing the stock was duly despatched to Long Marston for storage, where it joins an ever-increasing array of
locomotives, carriages and wagons.
|
| An old one and a new one added on Wednesday 2nd January... |
|---|
 |
66009 takes the down slow line at Pleck Jct with an empty coal train from Ironbridge. This shot was taken at 18:14 on Wednesday 12th July
2006, and would have been better if I'd been fortunate enough to get another train in the frame. No such luck though. The spot from which this
photo was taken is no longer available. A large chunk of the open ground adjacent to the railway was built on during the autumn of 2007,
another couple of big anonymous sheds being added to the existing development. On the same topic the open ground adjacent to
Leamore Lane just south of Bloxwich has also been lost. A favourite spot of mine in recent years,
it's now being covered with houses (on the same side of the line as the photographer).
|
 |
After festering at Oxley over the New Year 87022 was towed to Wembley on Wednesday 2nd January. Unable to run under its own power (see
below) it was booked to be hauled by a DRS loco, with 37038 being given the honour. In the event it couldn't take the booked route due
to the on-going engineering overrun at Rugby, and was diverted to run via Oxford and Reading instead. 0Z87 Oxley - Wembley is seen here
arriving at Bescot ten minutes early at 11:49, where it paused briefly in the Up & Down Goods Loop (the Up Loop being occupied by a
coal train). It was a foul day in the West Midlands, cold and dark for much of the time, but the sun peeked out briefly and faintly to
brighten the scene a little at just the right moment.
|
| Two unexpected workings on Saturday 29th December... |
|---|
 |
The remaining operational Class 87s in Britain were due to be withdrawn on 31st December, 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.
|
 |
While out for 87022 word came through that the additional 1A84 Warrington - Willesden mail would be running on Saturday 29th. This train
and a corresponding northbound working had run on the previous couple of days, routed via Oxford because of engineering work in the Rugby
area. 47805 had done the honours on the previous workings and duly produced on Saturday, this time towing 325008 and 325011. This
train was held for 45 minutes at Stafford, apparently awaiting a relief crew at Wolverhampton. Running via Wolverhampton would also explain
why the train passed Bushbury Jct at 12:19 but didn't reach Bescot until 12:36. At Bescot it was checked on the approach while the slightly
late running 12:30 Walsall - New St vacated the platform, and following the stopper as far as Aston could only have added to the late running.
Fortunately the light just held out. It had been cloudless, then black, then broken cloud, and 47805 finally appeared just before it clouded
over again. Thanks to Pete T for the heads-up and Ron K for explaining the delay.
|
| A few from earlier this year added on 26th December... |
|---|
 |
Another view of 73128 at the Chasewater Diesel Gala. This shot was taken at 13:09 on Saturday 20th October and shows a Brownhills
bound train approaching Chasewater Heaths station. Just the one lamp-post cloned out this time.
Also available as a wallpaper. |
 |
In glorious late-afternoon light 170507 whizzes through Portway on Wednesday 31st October. A couple of freights passed around the
same time, but neither were lit as well as this unit.
|
 |
Two visits to the footbridge just south of Willington during 2007 proved reasonably fruitful. Tuesday 18th September produced 66081
on the 4E69 Southampton - Wakefield intermodal.
|
 |
Another location I visited a couple of times during 2007 was Kidderminster. There were plenty of opportunities to photograph Class
150s such as 150003 heading south at 16:28 on Friday 10th August.
|
 |
Views of the yard at Washwood Heath can be a bit awkward due to the prominent lighting posts. However if a train uses the right road you
can lose most of them, as was the case here. 66155 draws to a stand with a Toton - Daw Mill empty coal train at 11:55 on Wednesday 31st
October. The yard contains the usual assortment of wagons, recessed intermodal trains to the right and empty car wagons to the left. Among
the car carriers are a handful of coal wagons, no doubt cripples knocked out of trains like the one 66155 is working. The 66 will run-round
its train before heading east to the West Midlands' only remaining pit. These days loaded coal trains from Daw Mill usually go to Ratcliffe
Power Station near Nottingham.
|
| Three new scans added on Sunday 9th December 2007... |
|---|
 |
This is a picture that reminds me why I spent so many hours watching trains in the 1970s and early 1980s (which is when this photo was
taken). A pleasant summer evening, friends to chat with, and the chance of this sort of train turning up without any forewarning. Everyone on
the platform at Bescot, including the young lady in the foreground, is a railway enthusiast. I no longer have the date, nor any of the loco
numbers, but I can recall that some or all of the withdrawn 08s were from Springs Branch, and they were all off to Swindon Works
to be broken up. The 25 ran-round them and they departed fairly promptly via Bescot Curve and Dudley.
|
 |
This picture was taken at Pensnett circa 07:40 on Monday 18th July 1994. 37415 and 37068 have just finished positioning HEA wagons
containing fireclay from Butterwell, and are about to depart light engine. A couple of these trains ran in 1994, but the traffic never
became regular and the terminal at Pensnett fell into disuse afterwards. Note the Class 02 shunter hiding in the shadows. It was running,
and would no doubt have continued with the shunting once the 37s had departed.
|
 |
56077 takes the second portion of a Handsworth - Aldwarke scrap train back past the scrapyard at 15:45 on Friday 19th July 1996.
The loco would have had to run-round at Queen's Head sidings, and again at Langley Green or Stourbridge Jct (I can't remember
which). As I recall the first portion had already been recessed at Bescot and the two portions were combined there before heading
north. This flow became a regular working, but without the portion working and routed via Snow Hill and a single run-round at Tyseley.
Work on the Midland Metro trackbed was underway in the background, but it would be another three years before it opened for business.
Another decade will have elapsed before a second Metro line is open.
|
| New photo added on Thursday 29th November 2007... |
|---|
 |
37422 emerges from underneath the M42 just east of Water Orton with the 6G36 Bescot - Birch Coppice trip. This shot was taken at
09:39 on Thursday 29th November, and it turned out to be the last appearance of a 37 on the 6G36/6G42 trip. The previous couple of
weeks had seen many light engine movements and featherweight loads like this one, and the train eventually ceased running with effect
from Friday 7th December. There was one last run on Wednesday 12th December when a Class 66 went light to Birch Coppice to clear out
the remaining wagons. I've cloned out a few lamp posts in this shot, but haven't removed any of the traffic on the motorway. It's
remarkably lorry-free, especially as there was standing traffic on the southbound carriageway an hour or so later.
|
| New photos added on Saturday 17th November 2007... |
|---|
 |
No Class 37 on the Birch Coppice trip on Thursday 15th November, 67014 worked G36, going out light engine. With little else to point my
camera at on a glorious frosty morning I chose to have a pop at 170516 working the 07:35 Stafford - New St. It was 10 minutes late
when photographed passing Bescot at 08:32. This was the first week of the new London Midland franchise and the 150s have nearly all
disappeared from the Walsall line, being replaced by 170 and 170+153 combinations.
|
 |
An old one this, taken on a cold and misty Sunday 1st April 2007. 37219 approaches Cheltenham Racecourse with the 09:15 from Toddington.
|
| New photo added on Wednesday 14th November 2007... |
|---|
 |
On Wednesday 14th November 47790 worked a 6Z50 York - Reading special. This conveyed two RHTT wagons, and was routed via Stockport,
Stafford and Coventry. It was 18 minutes early when photographed approaching Bescot at 12:22, which was a bit annoying as the cloud
was only 10 minutes from clearing the sun. A 6Z51 return working was scheduled for Thursday 15th.
|
| New photo added on Monday 12th November 2007... |
|---|
 |
Too busy with work to do many trains this last week or so, but having to get up early (for me) does provide the opportunity to bag
the odd decent sunrise.
|
| New photos added on Thursday 1st November 2007... |
|---|
 |
The weathermen didn't forecast sun for Wednesday 31st October, yet once it broke through at around 11:00 the rest of the day was
fairly sunny right through until dusk in the West Midlands. Caught a bit on the hop, and unsure how long it might last, I popped over
to Washwood Heath to take my chances with whatever turned up. This one is more a shot of the gas holders than the train, and was taken
at 11:40. The train is a late-running 6M11 Washwood Heath - Peak Forest stone empties, with 60041 leading a mixed rake of wagons in RMC
and Cemex liveries. Mexican-based Cemex bought the RMC Group in 2005.
|
 |
My real interest in this shot is the train, which is the 6Z42 Croft Quarry - Brierley Hill stone. 66015 and 18 MEAs trundle
along the down goods line at 11:54. Brierley Hill is the terminal that refuses to die. Every time a traffic flow dries
up or is diverted elsewhere something else comes along, and it's seen both scrap and stone flows in 2007. With the abandoned South
Staffs route through Dudley no longer available trains like this have to go to Worcester to run-round before returning north
via Stourbridge.
|
| New photos added on Sunday 28th October 2007... |
|---|
 |
Not a train I'm afraid, although there is a tenuous link. This was taken on the way back from Bescot where I'd been having a look
at 90039 on 1K02 Euston - Crewe. A big black cloud did for that shot, but hanging around until the sun went down provided this picture.
|
| New photo added on Monday 22nd October 2007... |
|---|
 |
Sunrise over Bescot, as seen at 07:39 on Monday 22nd October by a half-awake and half-dressed photographer. Sadly the rest of the
day failed to live up to this impressive start, turning out gloomy and cold.
|
| New photo added on Sunday 21st October 2007... |
|---|
 |
Full sun all day on Sunday 21st October, until the exact moment I scrambled up the bank to take this photo 20 minutes before the train
was due. After that thin cloud meant there were only faint shadows, enhanced a little in this version. The train is 1K02, the 13:14 Euston
- Crewe which is currently booked to be a loco and coaches on Sundays. 90039 was in charge on this occasion, and the train was near enough
on time when it passed Bescot at 15:38. The culvert running in front of the railway carries the Willenhall arm of the River Tame. At Bescot
it joins the Oldbury arm which arrives from the Wednesbury direction and runs at right-angles to the railway, along the rear of the
old steam shed. On the other side of the railway Ford Brook, which comes through Walsall, appears from under the motorway and joins the
flow. Hence Bescot could be considered to be the source of the Tame proper. After draining the north side of the Black Country the Tame
runs through the northern suburbs of Birmingham, and then via Water Orton and Tamworth before it empties into the Trent near Alrewas.
The Environment Agency provide a concise map showing
the Tame catchment area and its
tributaries (it's a 3 page PDF).
|
| New photos added on Sunday 21st October 2007. Some more Chasewater shots from Saturday 20th... |
|---|
 |
The Chasewater Railway held a diesel gala over the weekend of 20th and 21st October. I went on the Saturday, but despite the cloudless
weather forecast things didn't look good when a bank of cloud rolled in just as the trains started running. Fortunately it did break,
but most of my best shots didn't materialise until the afternoon. This is 37219 making a rather smoky exit from Chasewater Heaths with
the 12:25 from Brownhills. It had stood in the platform for a good 20 minutes waiting for permission to go round the corner to Church
St, causing much angst amongst the assembled gallery as the light came and went several times. The signalbox here is a relatively
recent acquisition and has yet to be commissioned (see link to press release below).
|
 |
73128 only did a couple of trips, 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.
|
 |
Four industrial diesels were used at various points during the day, and they worked both freight and passenger services. This is
the late-running 12:45 coal train from Chasetown, seen on the approach to Chasewater Heaths at 13:06. This train would have most resembled
those which ran on the Chasewater Railway when it was a colliery line. The loco here is "Birch Coppice", or more specifically
Thomas Hill 134C, a visitor from the Nene Valley Railway.
|
 |
37219 did four trips, and the 14:25 from Brownhills was the third of them. It's seen here drawing into Chasewater Heaths station
at 14:45 with the three carriages used for the passenger services. A rather smart BSK has now joined the DMU trailers previously used.
This is probably my favourite shot of the day.
|
| New photos added on Saturday 20th October 2007. First two of a batch from the Chasewater Railway Diesel Gala... |
|---|
 |
These first two shots were taken on the afternoon of Saturday 20th October. This one shows 37219, in its rather nice Mainline Freight
livery, standing in the loop at Chasetown Church St. I couldn't resist a shot of 219 posing in the sun, and this one was taken at 15:35.
The 37 had arrived on the 14:25 passenger service from Brownhills, and it stood here for an hour before returning on the 15:50. It's
near impossible to avoid the lamp posts on the adjacent bypass when taking shots at this location, so as usual I've painted two of them
out in the post-processing.
|
 |
Back at Brownhills 37219 ran-round the coaches and worked the 16:25 to Chasetown. By this stage the cloud which had been a nuisance for
much of the day had largely melted away. The plan is that the railway will eventually have conventional signalling, hence the recent
arrival of Hademore signalbox to add to the one from Madeley Jct (seen here).
Here's the railway's press release, a two-page PDF.
|
| New photos added on Thursday 18th October 2007... |
|---|
 |
Thursday 18th October was another not very successful day, and started with a quick visit to Ryecroft for 37417 on the late-running 6G36
Bescot - Birch Coppice trip. It ran a little late, this photo was taken at 09:57, and I was rather surprised to see blue car-carriers
as well as the conventional Cargowaggons in the consist. 417 had arrived at Bescot from Warrington early on Wednesday 17th, on which
day it also worked the Birch Coppice diagram. As ever the sky is full of vapour trails, when planes are landing at Birmingham Airport
from the north you'll see far more aircraft than trains at this location. There were no planes to be seen on this day though, these
high-altitude trails have been left by passing flights and there are rather fewer of those.
|
 |
I won't get many more opportunities to photograph the North Wales RHTT before the clocks go back, so I elected to have another go on this
occasion. The weather didn't want to play ball though, lots of cloud around Oswestry and Wrexham, black clouds along the coast, and of
course to rub it in a weather forecaster on the radio banging on about how sunny it is over England and Wales. I kept going in the hope
of a decent size break in the clouds, but couldn't risk going beyond Abergele due to the risk of missing the train. It did pass me in
middling sunshine, which was reasonably fortunate, but it's a slightly backlit shot at 13:55. 37261 leads with 37515 on the rear.
|
 |
I drove back along the coast road with a view to doing the Holyhead - Euston somewhere further east if the light had improved. It had,
but once again I ended up not at my first choice of location. I did this shot on my last visit so this is a slightly different view of 1A78
passing Ffynnongroyw at 15:22. Think the loco may have been 57314, but I was too busy taking the shot to get a proper id.
|
| New photos added on Thursday 4th October 2007... |
|---|
 |
The autumn 2007 RHTT trains started running on Monday 1st October, and this pic shows 37218 and 37608 approaching Nantwich with the 3S71
Bidston - Crewe. It was taken at 11:34 on Thursday 4th October, a day that the weather forecasters were describing as mostly sunny, and
improving, across most of England and Wales. Not in Nantwich though, where it was clouding up quite significantly when I arrived shortly
before 11:00. Two eastbound units passed in poor light, but the 37s came in a brief patch of sun. However the resulting pic isn't as well
lit as it seemed at the time, and this isn't really much of a spot to be honest.
|
 |
The plan was to do 3S71, and then go up the North Wales coast for the three loco-hauled trains due to return east in the afternoon. I
arrived at Ffynnongroyw at around 13:00, only to discover that I'd just missed the Penmaenmawr - Crewe ballast (running
a bit late I think). Next up were the DRS 37s on 3J96 Holyhead - Crewe RHTT (14:06), followed by a 67 on the 5K67 Bangor - Crewe
training trip (14:42). Both of these came past with the entire scene lit by the sun, except for the small patch of the immediate
foreground containing the train - evidently payback time for my good fortune at Nantwich. The third train was 1A78 14:14 Holyhead -
Euston, which passed at 15:23 and had the good grace to appear in the sun. 57307 was the loco in charge.
|
| New photo added on Saturday 29th September 2007... |
|---|
 |
On Friday 28th September DRS ran a Carlisle - Euston special, with the return train running on Saturday 29th. This meant that
1Z32 Euston - Carlisle would have to run via the Grand Junction, and it's seen here passing Bescot four minutes late at 16:16.
47501 was attached to the rear of this train, which the headboard suggests was a jolly for the Eddie Stobart company, one of DRS's
more prominent customers. The mauve flowers in the bottom right of the frame are
Sweet Peas using the horrible metal fence as a climbing frame.
|
| New photos added on Tuesday 18th September 2007... |
|---|
 |
To Willington again on Tuesday 18th September, this time hoping to drop 47815 on a Derby - Laira stock move. While waiting for that
to materialise there were northbound freights to be had. I lost a shot of the 6E08 Wolverhampton - Doncaster steel empties to gridlock
in Walsall, having to try three separate routes before eventually making it out of the conurbation. Fortunately I did reach Willington
in time for 6M11 Washwood Heath - Peak Forest, seen here at 10:20.
|
 |
Once again the optimal shot of a 47 at Willington eluded me. Cloud was starting to build by the time 5Z91 Derby - Laira was due at
12:45, but if it had appeared on time there would have been a good chance of success. In the event it ran nearly two hours late,
and I elected to move to Portway where the light might be better in the afternoon. By the time 5Z91 ran there was 80% cloud cover
and I didn't get lucky when it passed me at 14:53.
|
| New photos added on Sunday 16th September 2007... |
|---|
 |
The morning of Saturday 15th September saw me at Willington for a Wakefield - Salisbury charter, but hoping to get at least one
northbound freight in the lovely early autumn sunshine. Sure enough one duly appeared, 66526 and a rake of empty Bardon stone
hoppers were drawing to a stand for a red signal when photographed at 10:13. I presume this is the Washwood Heath - Bardon Hill
service, but what it was doing on this route I don't know. Later in the day this same loco was reported heading south on the Rugeley
- Portbury coal empties, and (to confirm that sighting) it was subsequently reported at Bristol on Sunday 16th. Quite how it managed that
little feat is a bit of a mystery.
|
 |
Here's the object of the exercise, 1Z22 Wakefield - Salisbury with 47851 on the front and 57601 trailing at the back. It was a few
minutes early through Willington, this shot was taken at 10:50. I misjudged the position of the sun for this one, expecting it to be
on the nose by 11:00 when, at this time of year, 11:20-11:30 is more realistic.
|
 |
In the afternoon I popped over to the GCR, originally intending just to take some photos. In the event the skies had clouded up
by the time I arrived, so I figured it was better to go for a ride instead. Of course the cloud started to break again as
soon as I was on the move. Out in the afternoon were D5401, D6535, D1705 and D8098 (D5185 had failed and its turn was covered by
the Crompton). This shot shows D5401 arriving at Rothley with the 15:50 from Loughborough. The erstwhile 27056 has been a long-term
visitor to the GCR in 2007, looking and sounding rather splendid on the couple of occasions that I've seen it. Apparently it's off
to the Llangollen Railway for their October diesel gala before heading home to
the Northampton & Lamport Railway.
|
 |
Back at Loughborough D123 was parked in the shed yard, along with the errant Rat. The shadows were beginning to encroach when
this shot was taken at 16:50. The modern buildings in the background spoil what could otherwise have passed for a 1960s view,
cloning out the headlight on the Peak and the nameplate on the 25 would have been a trivial job.
|
 |
Also on the shed was 33116 (D6535). It still looks a bit of a state in its coat of many colours, but it seems mechanically sound and
provided me with a decent run on the 16:10 from Leicester. Note the lop-sided buffers.
|
| New photos added on Sunday 26th August 2007... |
|---|
 |
With the weather set fair I decided to to have a go at the 37s working the return Llandrindod - Eastleigh charter on Saturday 25th
August. On the way I thought I'd have a look at the Severn Valley Railway. Since the flood damage restricted trains to the Kidderminster -
Bewdley section the Saturday service has been formed of one steam and one diesel diagram. 50049 was the diesel being used on this
occasion, seen here a mile or so east of Bewdley with the 14:50 to Kidderminster. The area immediately behind the train is the Safari
Park.
|
 |
The next working for 50049 was the 16:00 Kidderminster - Bewdley, seen here departing from Kidderminster. I'm not familiar with goings-on
at the SVR, but I found it slightly odd that with two trains in use a rake of coaches was parked in the platform at Kidderminster. The
upshot of this was that the steam service, hauled by Prairie Tank 4566, had to wait outside the station for the 50 to depart - thereby
precluding the opportunity for passengers to make a connection.
|
 |
And so to Craven Arms, where a gallery of 15 or so had assembled for 37422 and 37417 on 1Z38 Llandrindod Wells - Eastleigh. It
ran near enough to time, and this photo was taken at 17:55.
|
| New photos added on Saturday 11th August 2007. Photoshop to the rescue... |
|---|
 |
At the time I took it I didn't think this shot was going to be usable, but on closer inspection it turned out that there were some
fairly faint shadows on the train. A hefty chunk of levels and curves adjustment has generated a much more presentable shot than the
original image. Sometimes you just have to "cheat" a bit, and being shafted by the light after a three hour wait is one of
those times. 20311 and 20315 approach Kidderminster with the 6M67 Bridgwater - Crewe flask at 18:29 on Thursday 9th August.
|
 |
Back to Kidderminster on Friday 10th August to see, amongst other things, if I could drop any traffic diverted as a result of the
freightliner which derailed at Saltley Viaduct the previous night. The only train I saw was 60076 on the 6E09 Lackenby steel empties,
but that didn't make much of a shot. Best of the rest was Black 5 45110 on the last SVR train of the day, the 17:15 from Bewdley.
|
| New photos added on Thursday 9th August 2007. Another mission unaccomplished... |
|---|
 |
The objective on this afternoon was to photograph the Class 20s on the Bridgwater flask and, with luck, the Class 66 on 6M41 Margam -
Round Oak. I elected to try this location at Summerfield on the southern edge of Kidderminster because the embankment was covered in
Corn Marigold. While waiting for the
freights there were plenty of Class 150s to photograph, and the best livery combination was 150126 in the new Network West Midlands livery
paired with a unit in the obsolete Anglia livery. These two were working 2C60 16:17 Worcester Shrub Hill - Dorridge.
|
 |
In the events both the freights ran late. The sun had been nailed on most of the afternoon, but started to get a bit flaky after
17:45. I'd been in position for the best part of three hours when 6M41 finally appeared at 18:09, with 66004 in charge. At least it
came while the sun was shining between ever growing patches of cloud. It was 18:30 by the time the flask appeared, but by
then a big wodge of cloud had obscured the sun over Kidderminster, even though there were clear skies to the north and east.
|
| New photos added on Tuesday 7th August 2007. Rubbish afternoon at Rugeley.. |
|---|
 |
Two freights passed each other at Rugeley Trent Valley just as I was arriving at around 15:30 on Tuesday 7th August. The following three
hours produced just three more freights, all of them northbound. 66175 on 6K50 Toton - Crewe at around 16:30, 66575 on a liner at 17:58,
and 66202 on a ballast at 18:21. A couple of southbounds, including 92004 on the car empties (normally hauled by a 90)
appeared between 18:30 and 18:45. The paucity of traffic was partly caused by the failure of 86501, the loco I'd set out to photograph,
on the North London line - something I didn't find out about until it was too late to head elsewhere. The outcome was that the only shot
from this session which I cared for was one of 150237 working 2H71 16:12 New St - Stafford. It was 11 minutes late.
|
 |
Here's the shot of 66202, which has only made the cut due to the relative novelty of a rake of four-wheel Sea Urchin and Coalfish
wagons trundling along the down fast line. Not something you really expect to see these days, although like many freights here it's only
on the fast as it's taking the Stafford line at Colwich Jct. The train is 6Z78 16:19 Bardon Hill - Warrington, conveying ballast for
the Manchester Metrolink project. Thanks to Ron K for the train id.
|
| New photos added on Friday 3rd August 2007... |
|---|
 |
This train has proved popular amongst photographers of late. Firstly because it runs at a very useful time for a midsummer shot,
and secondly because in the w/c 30th July it was regularly producing a Class 60 and HTA wagons - a rare combination in the Midlands
and south as only a few HTA rakes have conventional couplers on the outer wagons. The train is 6V17 Bescot - Portbury, formed of
empty coal hoppers off a Fiddlers Ferry - Bescot working. This view was taken at 17:03 on Thursday 2nd August, and shows 60056
passing East View Road (Wylde Green) on the Sutton Park line. Pete Tandy also shot
this train at Croome Perry nearly two hours later in the last
of the evening light.
|
 |
Not a great day for me, Friday 3rd August. On holiday but suffering with a cold, and the light on the blink almost as soon as I managed
to get out of the house. In the end I headed east to make the most of the sun, but turned up at Cossington too late for most of the
freight there. Ninety minutes produced just one, 66136 trundling along the down fast at 16:41 with empty stone hoppers for Mountsorrel.
|
 |
You ain't seen this, right. Normally I don't do this sort of thing, but today I needed to take some photos and there wasn't much
else to take, at least where I was. Meridian units are pretty ubiquitous on the Midland main line, having largely displaced the HSTs.
My excuse is that I don't mind this livery, probably because being basically blue and grey it reminds of corporate BR.
|
| New photos added on Sunday 29th July 2007... |
|---|
 |
57309 threads through the trees at Spring Vale (Coseley) with 1B22 16:18 Wolverhampton - Euston on Sunday 29th July. The loco-hauled
diagram has produced intermittently since the dragging started, but it did appear this week and 90020 is just visible in the gap
between the trees. Having done a more conventional shot of this train a few weeks ago I opted to try a wider angle and include the cut
this time. Not sure it's worked to be honest, although it would obviously have been fine without the trees that obscure much of the
train. One of the ironies of the Black Country landscape in recent years is that as it's become greener many views have been lost to
uncontrolled vegetation, both around the railways and elsewhere.
|
 |
The garish livery of a Virgin Class 57 certainly helps it stand out from a background of greenery, but compared with the subtlety and
class of the livery on D5401 it looks like an accident with a paint pot. This is another shot from Saturday 28th July, and shows D5401+D5185
double-heading the mineral wagon set through Woodthorpe at 17:20. The consist of the mail train (below) made for a lovely picture, but
didn't look terribly prototypical to me, whereas it is possible to visualise this freight train somewhere on the Midland lines in the 1960s.
Even the headcode is plausible. |
| New photos added on Saturday 28th July 2007... |
|---|
 |
The Great Central Railway held a "Mail by Rail" weekend on Saturday and Sunday 28th
and 29th July. This involved the running of passenger, mail and freight trains, hauled by a mix of steam and diesel locos. This shot shows
D5185 and D5401 clagging like good 'uns as they climb past Woodthorpe with the 16:10 Loughborough - Rothley. It was taken at 16:21 on
Saturday 28th.
|
 |
The timetable on the GCR website showed the mail train returning to Loughborough at 17:08, but in the event it ran rather earlier than
that, passing Woodthorpe at 16:49 with D123 in charge.
|
| New photo added on Monday 9th July 2007... |
|---|
 |
37405 found its way to Bescot on Friday 6th July, but wasn't used over the following weekend. Happily it was turned out for the Birch
Coppice trip on Monday 9th, especially as there was some sunshine during the morning. Here it is emerging from Walsall's Park St tunnel
at 09:34. I was hoping for a bit of clag but the train was checked by the signal at Ryecroft Jct, and was therefore crawling towards the
peg which is about 100 yards further on.
|
| New photo added on Sunday 8th July 2007... |
|---|
 |
A new season of Wolverhampton - Nuneaton drags commenced on Saturday 7th July. As ever staple fare is Class 57s hauling Pendolinos, but
this year the loco-hauled standby set can sometimes be turned out for a single Euston - Wolverhampton and return working on Sundays. On
8th July 90031 duly worked 1G09/1B22, the 11:56 from Euston and 16:18 back. 57313 was used to drag both these trains north of Nuneaton,
and this photo shows 1B22 passing Spring Vale, just north of Coseley, at 16:24. The picture was taken from the relatively new bridge which
takes the Black Country Route over both the canal and the railway. Many years ago, on what may as well have been another planet, Bilston
steelworks would have dominated the background to this scene.
|
| Three new scans and one new photo added on Friday 6th July 2007... |
|---|
 |
37154 takes the Skako ballast train over the River Tame at 15:04 on Saturday 5th August 1995. It's just left Bescot and is about to pass
under the M5/M6 junction at Ray Hall. The train was, I think, bound for Rugby because the loco was seen heading back north through Berkswell
at 16:37. My notes suggest that the Sutton Park line was closed on this day, some sort of fire apparently. Whether this train ran via Aston
because of the closure I don't know, but the Silverdale - East Usk coal also ran this way and I'm fairly sure that one was diverted off the
Park.
 |
 |
37358 accelerates past Coleshill at 12:46 on Monday 31st January 1994. The train is 6V14, the Saltend - Baglan Bay acetic acid tanks.
At this time 6V14 also conveyed steel wagons, but they were tagged on the back and aren't visible in this shot. The Hams Hall freight
terminal had yet to be built, but the Distillers sidings were still in use, hence the CO2 wagons parked to the right.
|
 |
37334 trundles along the goods loop at Burton-on-Trent with the 7D36 trip from Bescot, conveying MGR wagons for repair. This picture
was taken at 10:06 on Wednesday 2nd October 1996.
|
 |
Back up to date now, and our rather grim summer. 33103 splutters away from Pleck Jct at 13:51 on Thursday 5th July 2007. The train is a 4Z33
Bescot - Chaddesden special conveying a handful of flat wagons. A day of some variety this, at 13:00 there were working locos of Classes 08
33 37 57 60 66 67 and 92 all present at Bescot.
|
| New photo added on Monday 25th June 2007... |
|---|
 |
D1015 worked a Birmingham International - Penzance charter on Saturday 23rd June. Afterwards it took the ECS to Bescot and spent
Sunday 24th tucked up inside the depot. On Monday 25th the Western ran light engine to the East Lancs Railway, seen here leaving
a very damp Bescot at 10:05.
|
| New photo added on Friday 25th May 2007... |
|---|
 |
This is more of a news shot than anything aesthetically appealing. It shows 321427 approaching Bescot at 16:11 on Friday 25th May.
The unit was forming 2I41 16:00 Walsall - Birmingham International, and running about 9 minutes late. At Tame Bridge it would have
passed 321418 coming the other way with 2A79 15:37 International - Walsall. 321s starting working some Walsall line services from
the timetable change on Sunday 20th May. They're the first four-coach units to work this route for many years.
|
| New photos added on Thursday 24th May 2007. A couple of old ones... |
|---|
 |
I think I've used this one briefly before, but it seems appropriate to resurrect it now that Freightliner have recently ditched most
of their Class 57s. 57001 has spent most of 2007 out of traffic, but on Saturday 19th February 2005 it was out and about, seen here
working north through Hamstead at 13:19.
|
 |
I've dug this one out for not better reason that I like the lighting. D8137 and 73129 pass Hailes with the 10:00 Cheltenham - Toddington
at 10:40 on Saturday 1st April 2006.
|
| New photos added on Wednesday 23rd May 2007... |
|---|
 |
37410 arrived at Bescot on the evening of Monday 21st May, and was promptly put to work as the south end pilot loco, a duty most recently
covered by 08842. It worked this duty on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd; these pictures were taken around 08:30 on the Wednesday.
Although shunting commenced not long after I arrived, the sun promptly went in and it was fully 40 minutes before it re-appeared.
Fortunately the 37 was still shunting at the south end of the yard when it did, and I managed to get a couple of shots in decent light.
The loco was stationary for this shot, perfectly positioned between the bushes while wagons were being coupled up.
|
 |
Shots from Sandy Lane are more difficult than they once were, due as ever to an increase in vegetation. As a result it's difficult
to include much of the wagons when the pilot is shunting the sidings furthest from the running lines. As an aside I've seen all bar one
of the Class 37s at Bescot (accident victim D6983, cut up in 1966, was the one I never got). 37410 was my very last one, finally bagged
while working a return solar eclipse special on 11th August 1999. Ironic then that it's now taken up residence locally.
|
| New photo added on Monday 7th May 2007... |
|---|
 |
Many freight trains run on Bank Holidays these days, and a number ran around the West Midlands on Monday 7th May - even though the
Sutton Park line was shut for engineering work. That meant diversions via Birmingham New St. One such train which took that route was
the afternoon trip from Washwood Heath RMC to Bescot. 37422 worked this train, running light from Bescot and returning with a long rake
of Salmon wagons loaded with the usual concrete sleepers. I was embroiled in some decorating and left it too late for a decent shot,
but with a bit of luck I did manage to get 422 just after it had been detached from its train at 16:08. The nose of long-withdrawn 37707
is just visible to the left of the frame.
|
|
|
