Dave F's photos - ongoing - more added each day

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I like the latest Swayfield photo’s which are all full of interest. I think , as stated by keefer, in the post above, that in J2957, the train will be some kind of extra or excursion working. I recall being on a schools excursion train, and it was the same mix of liveries of the Mk1 stock. (We went to Alnmouth for a trip to Holy Island).

And I particularly like C1607 of a Deltic, from the side, on an up express train in May. 1974. A very nicely captured view of the train.

 

 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

 

[JeffP]

We used to get quite a few Merrymaker excursions from East Lincs, starting Cleethorpes or Lincoln, and the greater proportion had a Tinsley class 45 on the front.

Went to Margate, Brighton, Weston s Mare, Tenby, Ayr, Portsmouth, Whitby and Paignton behind them.

[DaveF]

 

Some more photos along the Cumbrian Coast line this afternoon.

 

 

Wraysholme Crossing Class 108 Lancaster to Barrow 9th Aug 87 C8899.jpg

 

 

Foxfield 6th Aug 87 C8751

 

 

Ravenglass 153359 and 153360 Barrow to Carlisle 25th Aug 92 C17933.jpg

 

 

Maryport 22nd April 87 C8401

 

 

Aspatria 153313 Whitehaven to Carlisle 25th Aug 92 C17949.jpg

 

 

David

[great central]

C17949, 153313 now with EMR nee EMT still has that old style overhead warning flash on the second man's windscreen!

Won't be with us much longer though, Abellio have said all single unit trains to be gone in the first six months of the franchise.

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I like the new Cumbrian Coast Line photo’s which are all full of interest. C8401 of Maryport and the signal box on the 22nd April, 1987, really stands out as a superb shot. Indeed it is useful for anyone making a model of that box.

 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[BernardTPM]

1 hour ago, great central said:

C17949, 153313 now with EMR nee EMT still has that old style overhead warning flash on the second man's windscreen!

Won't be with us much longer though, Abellio have said all single unit trains to be gone in the first six months of the franchise.

Oh, now then... they could rebuild the 153s into two car units by pairing them up.... errr...

[great central]

11 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

Oh, now then... they could rebuild the 153s into two car units by pairing them up.... errr...

True but they would also need fitting with universal toilets and PIS screens to become PRM compliant. All before the end of the year as well.

Afraid it looks like an appointment with a gas axe before too long.

[BernardTPM]

Don't worry, it wasn't a serious suggestion.

[Ian Hargrave]

13 hours ago, great central said:

C17949, 153313 now with EMR nee EMT still has that old style overhead warning flash on the second man's windscreen!

Won't be with us much longer though, Abellio have said all single unit trains to be gone in the first six months of the franchise.

 

To be replaced by what,I wonder ?   The use of single units by EM is/was geographically wide ranging from Derby-Crewe to rural Lincolnshire and beyond.Noisy but characterful.

[great central]

10 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

 

To be replaced by what,I wonder ?   The use of single units by EM is/was geographically wide ranging from Derby-Crewe to rural Lincolnshire and beyond.Noisy but characterful.

Initially ex Anglia 156s with a few 170s from West Midlands I understand. The entire 15x fleet is to be replaced by more 'modern' units by 2022, all 170s we're told. They'll be getting on for 25 years old by then.

Awaiting developments.

 

Edit: the use of 153s was mandated in the original EMT franchise drawn up by the DFT under instructions from the government of the day. To say they were inadequate from day 1 wouldn't be unreasonable.

Edited September 8, 2019 by great central
Add last paragraph

[Ian Hargrave]

So more castoffs for the Derby-Crewe line then. Thinking about it,the 153’s have worked this line on and off since Regional Railways days,interspersed with 156 and 158 occasionally.

 

Prior to that there was a period in the late 1980’s when,due to a shortage of dmu,a combination of pairs of class 20  hauling redundant diesel units was the norm. This led to official complaints from local authority council members.It redefined the term ramshackle.

[DaveF]

 

This morning we visit the Heathersaw Light Railway, in north Northumberland, which is a 15" gauge line.  Most of you probably have never heard of it and will need a map to find the location.

 

It runs along the River Till between Heatherslaw, where there is a working watermill and not very much else to Etal, a small village (though compared to many villages in Northumberland it is not really small) which has a thatched pub and a castle to visit.

 

It is a relatively new line, the photos were taken in its early days, it has changed a bit since then.

 

A link to the railway's website which gives more details :  https://www.heatherslawlightrailway.co.uk/

 

 

Heatherslaw Mill The Lady Augusta 8th July 89 C12150.jpg

 

 

Heatherslaw Mill ballast wagon 8th July 89 C12151.jpg

 

 

Heatherslaw Mill The Lady Augusta 8th July 89 C12155.jpg

 

 

Etal diesel 8th July 89 C12148

 

 

Etal 30th Aug 90 C15371

 

 

Etal 30th Aug 90 C15369

 

 

David

[caradoc]

The 170s may be cast-offs but IMHO they are extremely comfortable and pleasant units to travel in, the only issue when they are used on services such as Glasgow or Edinburgh to Aberdeen or Inverness (albeit not for much longer) being lack of capacity, which is not the fault of the sets of course !

[DaveF]

 

Back to the line from Grantham to Nottingham this afternoon for another batch of photos at Bottesford.

 

 

Bottesford Class 114 Grantham to Nottingham Dec 81 J7615.jpg

 

 

Bottesford Class 105 and 114 Nottingham to Skegness Aug 82 J7735.jpg  Taken from the platform end.

 

 

Bottesford 20172 and ano Derby to Skegness July 83 J8030.jpg

 

 

Bottesford Class 47 Parkeston Quay to Glasgow C Sept 83 J8073.jpg  probably 47447

 

 

Bottesford 31324 pw work Oct 83 J8080.jpg

 

 

David

Edited September 8, 2019 by DaveF

[brushman47544]

J8073 The Class 47 has a rebuilt No.2 end, so is likely to be 47447.

[Clive Mortimore]

Please David no more pictures like J7615 when the sun is shining outside. I off to put a jumper on because all of a sudden I feel cold.

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I like the photo’s of the Heatherslaw Light Railway, which is, like you said, a railway which I’ve not heard of before. Therefore the photo’s are most enlightening and I think it’s a delightful line which warrants a visit one day.

 

The Bottesford photo’s are all great shots and very nostalgic. What a scene in J7735, with a class 105 and 114 DMU formation on a Nottingham to Skegness service, in August, 1982. The guard, with his door open, and leaning out would have H&S in apoplectic fits if that had been today. Look at the open door incident on a GA class 321 EMU recently and how people are upset about it.

 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[lmsforever]

Heatherslaw and Etal  went there and had a great morning the locos were impressive as was the terminus with loco shed station and even a model railway club. all in all good set up .The terminus up the line was basic but the castle interesting  is the line still in existence?

[DaveF]

1 hour ago, lmsforever said:

Heatherslaw and Etal  went there and had a great morning the locos were impressive as was the terminus with loco shed station and even a model railway club. all in all good set up .The terminus up the line was basic but the castle interesting  is the line still in existence?

 

 

Yes, it is still there.

 

If you have a look at the website using the link just above the photos in my post you can see what is happening now.

 

David

[lmsforever]

thanks

[The Lurker]

I like the pictures of Heatherslaw. We visited there when our younger son was about 19 months old. he was so upset that some of us walked back with him in the pushchair rather than on the train. That was before we knew he had ASD and his unsettled nature was distressing for us and him

[DaveF]

Today we visit Scotland again, this time on the West Coat Main Line around Abington.

 

 

Abington 47347 up freight 29th March 89 C11822

 

 

Abington 26023 down ballast cleaner 29th March 89 C11825.jpg

 

 

Abington Class 90 up freight 24th April 92 C16819

 

 

Abington Class 86 down ex pass 24th April 92 C16822.jpg

 

 

Abington Class 87 down ex pass 24th April 92 C16823.jpg

 

 

David

 

Edited September 13, 2019 by DaveF

[Market65]

Hi, Dave. I like the Scottish photo’s of the WCML around Abington. They are full of interest and some lovely Scottish scenery. In C16822, at Abington, with a class 86 on a down express passenger train on the  24th April, 1992, it’s surrounded by some lovely scenery. Amazing how the railway fits into the scene so well unlike roads which don’t often manage it somehow.

 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[DaveF]

 

 

Around Teesside in the early 1990s for today.

 

 

Middlesbrough 142535 up 5th December 92 C18143.jpg

 

 

Middlesbrough  Class 153 up 14th April 93 C18450.jpg

 

 

South Bank 47118  l e 12th May 90 C14446.jpg

 

 

Grangetown Junction 37426 potsah 14th April 93 C18469.jpg

 

 

Grangetown Junction 37426 potash Boulby to Teesport 14th April 93 C18471.jpg

 

 

David

[corneliuslundie]

Re the last two photos yesterday, is it my eyes deceiving me or has light reflected from the scenery given an orange-yellow cast to the sides of the train?

Beautiful photos.

Jonathan