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

[great central]

1 hour ago, DaveF said:

 

Plawsworth today, just south of Chester le Street on the ECML.

 

 

Plawsworth 47591 Newcastle to Liverpool Oct 87 J9340.jpg

 

 

Plawsworth 37209 down rail Oct 87 J9333.jpg

 

 

Plawsworth 31456 up parcels 26th Oct 87 C9185.jpg

 

 

Plawsworth Class 158 Liverpool to Newcastle 28th Oct 92 C18117.jpg

 

 

Plawsworth HST down12th March 94 C19328.jpg

 

 

David

 

The transition and 'improvement' shown with the stark contrast in similar services 5 years apart.

J9340, class 47 and 6 + BG on a Newcastle-Liverpool, 5 years later it's become a 2 car 158? There were some 3 car sets on this route as well.

After privatisation they were 'improved' again with the use of 3 car 185s and latterly with some of the new 5 car Trans Pennine Hitachi units,  class 68 hauled CAF stock or doubled up 185s, so 30 odd years to get back more or less where it started, except the current trains are likely less comfortable?

[woodenhead]

34 minutes ago, great central said:

 

The transition and 'improvement' shown with the stark contrast in similar services 5 years apart.

J9340, class 47 and 6 + BG on a Newcastle-Liverpool, 5 years later it's become a 2 car 158? There were some 3 car sets on this route as well.

After privatisation they were 'improved' again with the use of 3 car 185s and latterly with some of the new 5 car Trans Pennine Hitachi units,  class 68 hauled CAF stock or doubled up 185s, so 30 odd years to get back more or less where it started, except the current trains are likely less comfortable?

So from clapped out Mk2 coaches, to fast air conditioned units with better diagramming.

 

The 185 was a further improvement albeit perhaps not as spacious as required when the numbers using trains shot up and now TPE is a proper intercity service.

 

But you'd prefer the old class 47 and draughty mark 2s?

[43110andyb]

1 hour ago, great central said:

 

The transition and 'improvement' shown with the stark contrast in similar services 5 years apart.

J9340, class 47 and 6 + BG on a Newcastle-Liverpool, 5 years later it's become a 2 car 158? There were some 3 car sets on this route as well.

After privatisation they were 'improved' again with the use of 3 car 185s and latterly with some of the new 5 car Trans Pennine Hitachi units,  class 68 hauled CAF stock or doubled up 185s, so 30 odd years to get back more or less where it started, except the current trains are likely less comfortable?

 

33 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

So from clapped out Mk2 coaches, to fast air conditioned units with better diagramming.

 

The 185 was a further improvement albeit perhaps not as spacious as required when the numbers using trains shot up and now TPE is a proper intercity service.

 

But you'd prefer the old class 47 and draughty mark 2s?

BR did a good job of fooling the public into thinking there was no loss of capacity! They steadily dropped off the loading from 7 (BG, FK, 5 TSO typically) down to around 5 if I remember rightly.

    It had to happen at some point I guess but I still miss the diesel hauled TP’s.

[great central]

1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

So from clapped out Mk2 coaches, to fast air conditioned units with better diagramming.

 

The 185 was a further improvement albeit perhaps not as spacious as required when the numbers using trains shot up and now TPE is a proper intercity service.

 

But you'd prefer the old class 47 and draughty mark 2s?

 

The original air con units fitted to the 158s weren't exactly the last word in reliability, with limited cooling capacity, the current, better, ones trip out if the ambient temperature gets to around 28C. Not that difficult when they're full and standing.

I'll admit that I'm no fan of air-conditioning in any way shape or form so am biased towards open windows.

I'll grant you they are probably quicker off the mark and have better differential speed limits than loco hauled stock but for my travel purposes speed is definitely not top of my list of priorities. 

[62613]

1 hour ago, 43110andyb said:

 

BR did a good job of fooling the public into thinking there was no loss of capacity! They steadily dropped off the loading from 7 (BG, FK, 5 TSO typically) down to around 5 if I remember rightly.

    It had to happen at some point I guess but I still miss the diesel hauled TP’s.

I think the original spec was BG, FO, 7 x SO for the Newcastles, and 6 x SO for the Yorks, but, as you said the number of carriages gradually reduced; I think they ended up with 4, hauled by a 31. That said, in 1980, the service had to be improved as people deserted the railway for the M62; and it was an improvement. Prior to that, we had LHCS to Newcastle every 2 hours, with the Trans-pennine units doing the other hour to Hull

 

[woodenhead]

51 minutes ago, great central said:

 

The original air con units fitted to the 158s weren't exactly the last word in reliability, with limited cooling capacity, the current, better, ones trip out if the ambient temperature gets to around 28C. Not that difficult when they're full and standing.

I'll admit that I'm no fan of air-conditioning in any way shape or form so am biased towards open windows.

I'll grant you they are probably quicker off the mark and have better differential speed limits than loco hauled stock but for my travel purposes speed is definitely not top of my list of priorities. 

Give me a 158 over a Voyager any day though - I can happily sit for a couple of hours in a EMT 158, I don't like doing the same on a Voyager, though the EMT Meridians are quite spacious.

[keefer]

C9185 - spot the nice fresh GUV in blue, next to the excessively grot-coloured ones.

Prototype for everything!

[DaveF]

 

Trains at Hexham on the line from Newcastle to Carlisle for this afternoon.

 

Photos taken in the late 80s and early 90s.

 

 

Hexham 4771 Green Arrow Darlington to Hexham   Darlington Bank Top 100 anniversary 5th July 87 C8614.jpg

 

 

Hexham 156434 Stranraer to Newcastle Nov 88 J9718.jpg

 

 

Hexham 2 Class 108s 26th Nov 88 C11610.jpg

 

 

Hexham 143615 Hexham to Newcastle and Sunderland 28th July 90 C14615.jpg

 

 

Hexham 156463 Carlisle to Newcastle 30th Jan 93 C18271.jpg

 

 

David

Edited May 28, 2020 by DaveF

[Market65]

Good afternoon, David. I like the Hexham photo’s, which are all full of interest and nostalgia. In the last photo’, of 156463, on a Carlisle to Newcastle service, on the 30th January, 1993, the unit appears somewhat disheveled, with the gangway door quite dirty. 
 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[DaveF]

Back to Glasgow Central today with photos taken on the way to (or from) Glasgow Exhibition in 1990 - 1994.

 

 

Glasgow Central 17th Feb 90 C13984

 

 

Glasgow Central 303037 2nd March 91 C15631.jpg

 

 

Glasgow Central 303046 to Wemyss Bay 29th Feb 92 C16709.jpg

 

 

Glasgow Central 156512 29th Feb 92 C16710.jpg

 

 

Glasgow Central 303046 26th Feb 94 C19317.jpg

 

 

David

[Market65]

Good evening, David. I like the latest Glasgow Central photo’s which are all of interest. The first one shows a busy station from when we did not have to keep our distance from each other. But in C15631, with 303037, on the 2nd March, 1991, the unit seems a bit grimy, and the windows do not look too clean either. 
 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[blueeighties]

On 27/05/2020 at 18:12, woodenhead said:

So from clapped out Mk2 coaches, to fast air conditioned units with better diagramming.

 

The 185 was a further improvement albeit perhaps not as spacious as required when the numbers using trains shot up and now TPE is a proper intercity service.

 

But you'd prefer the old class 47 and draughty mark 2s?

Damn yes.

[DaveF]

 

 

Once again I'm posting  a little bit early this afternoon with some photos taken at Newcastle.

 

One is from 1987, the others are from July 1988.

 

 

Newcastle 03078 and Class 45 Feb 87 J8770.jpg

 

 

Newcastle 43066 Kings X to Aberdeen July 88 J9602.jpg

 

 

Newcastle 37376 down p w July 88 J9605.jpg

 

 

Newcastle 43041 Kings X to Edinburgh July 88 J9624.jpg

 

 

Newcastle 31281 parcels July 88 J9632.jpg

 

 

David

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Are you sure it's 31281?!!

 

Mike.

[Chris116]

16 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Are you sure it's 31281?!!

 

Mike.

Are you suggesting it is photoshopped?

[RANGERS]

23 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Are you suggesting it is photoshopped?

The numbers aren’t quite big enough for the absolute elimination of all doubt... 

[Geoff Endacott]

2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Are you sure it's 31281?!!

 

Mike.

 

No, it's D5811.

 

Geoff Endacott

[The Johnster]

Whatever it is, it looks very smart like that!

[melmerby]

I think it's for the short sighgted driver so that he can find "his" loco for that turn

 

What loco have I got?

31281 - you can't miss it!

 

[Market65]

Good evening, David. I like the Newcastle photo’s all of which are of interest. The first one of 03078, and a class 45 in February, 1987, is a delightful view and the low angle of the sun makes various things stand out more clearly than would otherwise be the case.

 

With warmest regards,

 

 Rob.

[Enterprisingwestern]

5 hours ago, Geoff Endacott said:

 

No, it's D5811.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

That was my last D58XX loco, small world ain't it?!!

 

Mike.

[DaveF]

 

A few photos from visits to the Nene Valley Railway for this morning.

 

 

Wansford DSB Class F 656 Aug 77 C3532

 

 

Wansford 73050 May 81 J7373.jpg

 

 

Wansford 70000 May 81 J7364

 

 

Orton Mere 70000 May 81 J7368.jpg

 

 

Wansford SJ Class S 1178 June 81 J7515.jpg

 

 

Wansford BR Class 5 73050 June 83 C6280

 

 

David

Edited May 31, 2020 by DaveF

[62613]

C3532: You don't often see outside link motion.

[35A]

23 hours ago, DaveF said:

Newcastle 03078 and Class 45 Feb 87 J8770.jpg

 

 

I just realised that I forgot to check yesterday's photos last night!

 

J8770 is a cracker and so reminiscent of my memories of Newcastle in the 70s - except that I notice that it's a 1987 picture. I'd forgotten that 03s and match wagons were still pottering about, plying their trade, that late on.

 

Such an atmospheric shot.

 

[DaveF]

 

This afternoon we visit Damdykes on the ECML in Northumberland, just to the south of Cramlington, to look at trains in the early 1990s.

 

 

Damdykes 43152 up 9th Feb 91 C15568.jpg

 

 

Damdykes 43045 down 29th May 91 C15848.jpg

 

 

Damdykes 60087 down empties 18th Aug 92 C17902.jpg

 

 

Damdykes 37501 up le 3rd Oct 92 C18065.jpg

 

 

 

Damdykes 56077 down coal 3rd Oct 92 C18066.jpg

 

 

David