Chris T's photo archives

[Chris Turnbull]

After a couple of busy days I'm back at my PC.  Here's a selection with no connection other than the locations all begin with "B".

 

 

155343 at Beverley on 27th February 2020.

 

 

755418 arrives at Beccles with a Lowestoft - Ipswich service on 22nd July 2022.

 

 

With 418 in the platform, 755416 arrives with an Ipswich - Lowestoft service.

 

 

A change in scale now: Birmingham New Street on 12th July 2014.

 

 

71000 Duke of Gloucester at Bishiops Stortford on 17th April 1993.

 

 

841 Greene King passes through Bury St Edmunds on 3rd April 1976.  I may have posted this before but failed to make a note of it, in which case I apologise for the duplication.

 

Chris Turnbull

[Chris Turnbull]

Ely over the last twenty years or so.

 

 

66010 enters Ely on 26th August 2004.

 

 

66569 and 158799 at Ely on 12th June 2010.

 

 

170201 on the same day.

 

 

158777 on 2nd November 2013.

 

 

66566 enters Ely from Soham on 2nd August 2019.

 

 

158854 approaches Ely North Junction with a Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street service on 28th September 2022.

 

Chris Turnbull

[Chris Turnbull]

A few of my European photos today.

 

 

Copenhagen on27th July 2015.

 

 

Cologne on 1st August 2013.

 

 

Bremen on 26th July 2015.

 

 

Stockholm on 30th July 2015.

 

 

Wroclaw on 12th June 2016.

 

Chris Turnbull

Edited December 1, 2022 by Chris Turnbull

[SHMD]

Copenhagen looks identical to today !

(...but I leave tomorrow.)

 

 

Kev.

 

[Chris Turnbull]

A variety from East Anglia today.

 

 

Starting at Cambridge, this is 170105 on 7th April 2012.

 

 

Platforms 5 and 6 at Cambridge on the same day with 170204 in platform 5.  In steam days the loco shed was the other side of the wall to the left.

 

 

Over to Ipswich, this is 170206 on 25th July 2009.

 

 

On the same day at Ipswich this is 66132.

 

 

Up the East Suffolk to Lowestoft, this is 156422 on 7th March 2009.

 

 

Finally, to Norwich where we see a variety of units including 321429 on the left and 170271 on the right on 24th July 2010.

 

Chris Turnbull

 

[stewartingram]

Cambridge - with a footbridge & island platform? What is the world coming to....

[mullie]

1 hour ago, stewartingram said:

Cambridge - with a footbridge & island platform? What is the world coming to....

I've only traveled from the station once or twice but pored over lots of pictures of the station. I find it barely recognisable to what I remember and what I see in books. Must be getting old!

[Chris Turnbull]

Some photos from Wales today.

 

 

150262 at Cardiff Central on 24th May 2010.

 

 

66108 on the same day also at Cardiff Central.

 

 

Cardiff Queen Street on 21st May 2010

 

 

View over the tender of No. 2 at Pant on the Brecon Mountain Railway, 23rd May 2010.

 

 

Somewhere near Aberystwyth in August 1977.

 

 

Blaenavon on 23rd May 2010.

 

Chris Turnbull

[Chris Turnbull]

With a free day to do whatever I liked I braved the inclement weather and had another trundle around East Anglia.  With the short days I didn't go as far as I sometimes do as I find travelling after dark boring - I like to look out of the window - but I did avoid my usual haunts of Ipswich and Norwich.  Clutching my Day Ranger I set off...

 

 

I caught the 0850 off Soham for Ely where I'd only just stepped onto the platform when I heard the growl of a 37 behind me.  Turning round there was 37608 Andromeda on 5L46 Derby RTC to Ely Papworth Sidings which had pulled up in the Up Through Siding, an unusual occurence.  

 

 

Checking out Real Time Trains (RTT) I saw it was due to run round its train and this is 37608 using platform 3 to do just that.

 

 

This is something you no longer see very much of on the railway - manual coupling.  Nor do you often see a man happy in his work.  It's nice to see whoever you are!

 

 

Moving on to Cambridge, I was going to use the 0932 Stansted service but it was packed so I used the 0947 to Kings Cross instead which was nearly empty.  This is 387119 (with 387120 at the rear) after arrival at Cambridge.

 

 

Something that immediately caught my eye is that barriers have been put up by the famous scissors crossover.  Why?  Has there been a sudden rash of passengers hurling themselves onto the four foot or is this just Health and Safety gone mad?  And by the way, that's 720329 with 2H14, the 0858 Liverpool Street to Cambridge North in platform 4.

 

 

This is 170639 in platform 6 waiting to form 1N53, the 1200 to Birmingham New Street.  Compare this to the photo I posted previously taken only ten years ago.

 

More to come including some "Then and Now" shots that I know you enjoy.

 

Chris Turnbull

[31A]

2 hours ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Something that immediately caught my eye is that barriers have been put up by the famous scissors crossover.  Why? 

 

Maybe it's just a way of indicating to passengers that trains don's stop alongside that part of the platform?

[Chris Turnbull]

11 hours ago, 31A said:

 

Maybe it's just a way of indicating to passengers that trains don's stop alongside that part of the platform?

 

That's possible of course but why now?  A scissors crossover has been there for well over 100 years, possibly since the station was built and it is only now that the travelling public have to be kept away from it.  The barrier is set well in from the edge and does significantly restrict the circulation area of the platform on one of its busiest sections.  Why not just paint lines or some sort of "Keep Back" message?  Nor is it temporary.  Here's a photo looking the other way and it is clear that the blue barriers are to protect the working area whilst new permanent yellow rails are installed.

 

 

700142 forms 9S23, the 1024 to Brighton.

 

Chris Turnbull

[31A]

To me it looks like a kind of 'crowd control' measure, to help get people to stand in the places on the platform where the train will actually come to a stand, rather than having to run up the platform after it, after it has stopped, leading to frustration and delay?  The station is much busier now than it used to be and I would imagine a large number are tourists unfamiliar with the station layout, let alone the fact that people these days seem to be less 'savvy' about how railways and stations work.  Believe me, when I worked there in the '80s the one platform divided into two did confuse passengers!

 

There are markings on platforms 3 and 4 at York for similar reasons.

 

The only time I ever saw a train actually stop alongside the platform at Cambridge in the area where those barriers are was when a Royal Train was deliberately stopped with the Saloon opposite the exit, so that the Royal Personage could walk straight out!

[Chris Turnbull]

So, on to Bury St Edmunds on the 10.47 to Ipswich.

 

 

Here is 755409 at Bury St Edmunds yesterday, 5th December, forming the 2W13 to Ipswich.

 

 

And here is the 1968 equivalent taken on a snowy 12th January 1968.  I don't know what type of unit this is but I am sure someone will tell me.

 

 

755402 enters Bury St Edmunds on 5th December 2022 with 2W12, the 11.21 Ipswich to Cambridge service. 

 

 

Derby Lightweight and Met-Camm units enter Bury on 13th January 1968 with the same service.

 

 

The view looking west towards Cambridge.  The area in the middle distance where the van is was the site of the locomotive shed.

 

 

A similar shot on 8th March 1969.

 

And for anyone interested this is what the shed was like:

 

https://www.facebook.com/peter.quilley/videos/10222425240611497

 

Chris Turnbull

[melmoth]

The unidentified DMU is one of the Wickham units, class 109. There were only 5 two car units and all were withdrawn by about 1970. Two units were sold to somewhere in the West Indies and one was used as the Eastern Region General Manager's Saloon. Now preserved at Llangollen, I think.

[russ p]

23 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

So, on to Bury St Edmunds on the 10.47 to Ipswich.

 

 

Here is 755409 at Bury St Edmunds yesterday, 5th December, forming the 2W13 to Ipswich.

 

 

And here is the 1968 equivalent taken on a snowy 12th January 1968.  I don't know what type of unit this is but I am sure someone will tell me.

 

 

755402 enters Bury St Edmunds on 5th December 2022 with 2W12, the 11.21 Ipswich to Cambridge service. 

 

 

Derby Lightweight and Met-Camm units enter Bury on 13th January 1968 with the same service.

 

 

The view looking west towards Cambridge.  The area in the middle distance where the van is was the site of the locomotive shed.

 

 

A similar shot on 8th March 1969.

 

And for anyone interested this is what the shed was like:

 

https://www.facebook.com/peter.quilley/videos/10222425240611497

 

Chris Turnbull

 

Love the old pictures of Bury Chris,  so much more interesting than today 

When did the through roads get removed? 

[Chris Turnbull]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Love the old pictures of Bury Chris,  so much more interesting than today 

When did the through roads get removed? 

 

The Down Through was removed in its entirety in 1965 IIRC.  The Up Through was disconnected at the Ipswich end and turned into a siding which had itself gone by 1976 when I took the photos of Greene King.

 

Chris Turnbull

[russ p]

29 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

 

The Down Through was removed in its entirety in 1965 IIRC.  The Up Through was disconnected at the Ipswich end and turned into a siding which had itself gone by 1976 when I took the photos of Greene King.

 

Chris Turnbull

Must have been pain to slow to 15mph for the crossover on the up , bad enough these days at 30mph 

[Chris Turnbull]

50 minutes ago, russ p said:

Must have been pain to slow to 15mph for the crossover on the up , bad enough these days at 30mph 

 

Yes but don't forget that all passenger trains stopped at Bury and Felixstowe had yet to develop as a container port.  Freight trains were composed of 4-wheel wagons which were not supposed to go too fast and many freights still had an unfitted portion.  Here's the Freight WTT for June to October 1965, Haughley to Ely and Cambridge.  

 

1965 WTT Haughley to Cambridge.pdf 

 

And here's a typical freight of the period.

 

 

D5679 leaves Bury yard at 18.25 on 28th May 1968 with working 7*28 to Cambridge.

 

Not like this:

 

 

66749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE 60 Years Railway Service powers away from Bury on 5th December with 4M29 Felixstowe North to Birch Coppice.

 

Chris Turnbull

[russ p]

1 hour ago, Chris Turnbull said:

 

Yes but don't forget that all passenger trains stopped at Bury and Felixstowe had yet to develop as a container port.  Freight trains were composed of 4-wheel wagons which were not supposed to go too fast and many freights still had an unfitted portion.  Here's the Freight WTT for June to October 1965, Haughley to Ely and Cambridge.  

 

1965 WTT Haughley to Cambridge.pdf 2 MB · 1 download  

 

And here's a typical freight of the period.

 

 

D5679 leaves Bury yard at 18.25 on 28th May 1968 with working 7*28 to Cambridge.

 

Not like this:

 

 

66749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE 60 Years Railway Service powers away from Bury on 5th December with 4M29 Felixstowe North to Birch Coppice.

 

Chris Turnbull

 

Hard to believe it was once so busy,  but if you look behind you and see the A14 you can see where a lot of it has gone

I'll be in Bury up loop later this evening all horrible and overgrown now

[Davexoc]

9 hours ago, melmoth said:

The unidentified DMU is one of the Wickham units, class 109. There were only 5 two car units and all were withdrawn by about 1970. Two units were sold to somewhere in the West Indies and one was used as the Eastern Region General Manager's Saloon. Now preserved at Llangollen, I think.

 

They look much nicer in green......

 

[Chris Turnbull]

After Bury, a trip to Thetford on the bus following the route of the Bury St Edmunds & Thetford Railway through Ingham and Barnham. Since the passenger service was discontinued in June 1953 when I was 18 months old and closed completely in June 1960 I have little recollection of it.  It always intrigued me as I never saw a train on it apart from once when I saw the daily freight disappearing off to Thetford sometime in the late 50s.  It was a line that never had any money being built as and when funds permitted and passed through sparsely populated countryside.  The idea was to provide through services to Swaffham and then Kings Lynn and a triangular junction was provided at Thetford to permit through services.  The eastern chord from Thetford East Junction to Thetford South Junction didn't last long and all services then used Thetford station.

 

 

Here is Thetford station looking west towards Ely and...

 

 

...looking east.  The Bury line diverged just around the bend at Thetford West Junction.  If you want to know what the junction was like see the cover of Dr Allen's book Doctor on the Line.  This is it:

 

https://biblio.co.uk/book/doctor-line-east-anglian-railway-album/d/1406898650?aid=frg&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMGcBhCSARIsAIW6d0CeOtCyDCHkJuSwAWCYQZI6on2cCG4z3tqQwtXdkuwEy4DtSA7_otcaAq_EEALw_wcB

 

That Great Eastern signal fascinated me as a child.

 

My plan was to take more photos at Thetford but no trains were due and the bus was a few minutes late so I was pushed for time.  

 

The Greater Anglia website assured me that my Day Ranger was valid on East Midland Trains to Ely so I decided to find out and caught the 13.25 departure.  I am pleased to say there was no problem although Anglia Day Rangers seem to be a rarity.  The conductress said she had never seem one before.

 

 

Here is my East Midlands train at Ely, 158780 forming 1R74 to Liverpool Lime Street.  The lady by the unit is the lovely conductress.

 

 

I was just in time to catch 66206 on 4L45 from Wakefield Europort to Felixstowe South.  This came to a halt in the Up Goods Loop waiting for 4E21 Felixstowe South to Doncaster Railport to clear the single line section from Soham.  For some reason I thought that platform 1 would be a good vantage point to catch this train - until I realised that it was signalled through platform 1 and would be on me in no time.

 

 

A quick sprint through the subway to platform 2 saw me ready, just in time, to catch 66739 Bluebell Railway with 4E21.  The class 387 is no. 120 forming 1T37, the 13.44 Kings Lynn to Kings Cross.

 

 

My last train of the day was the 14.31 to Soham.  This is that train formed by 755421 at Soham all ready to depart for Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.  It was an early end to my day as the days are very short and I find night-time travel boring - I like to gaze out of the window.  It did, however, allow me plenty of time to sort my photos out and post them here on RMWeb for your delectation.

 

Chris Turnbull    

[russ p]

1 hour ago, Chris Turnbull said:

After Bury, a trip to Thetford on the bus following the route of the Bury St Edmunds & Thetford Railway through Ingham and Barnham. Since the passenger service was discontinued in June 1953 when I was 18 months old and closed completely in June 1960 I have little recollection of it.  It always intrigued me as I never saw a train on it apart from once when I saw the daily freight disappearing off to Thetford sometime in the late 50s.  It was a line that never had any money being built as and when funds permitted and passed through sparsely populated countryside.  The idea was to provide through services to Swaffham and then Kings Lynn and a triangular junction was provided at Thetford to permit through services.  The eastern chord from Thetford East Junction to Thetford South Junction didn't last long and all services then used Thetford station.

 

 

Here is Thetford station looking west towards Ely and...

 

 

...looking east.  The Bury line diverged just around the bend at Thetford West Junction.  If you want to know what the junction was like see the cover of Dr Allen's book Doctor on the Line.  This is it:

 

https://biblio.co.uk/book/doctor-line-east-anglian-railway-album/d/1406898650?aid=frg&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMGcBhCSARIsAIW6d0CeOtCyDCHkJuSwAWCYQZI6on2cCG4z3tqQwtXdkuwEy4DtSA7_otcaAq_EEALw_wcB

 

That Great Eastern signal fascinated me as a child.

 

My plan was to take more photos at Thetford but no trains were due and the bus was a few minutes late so I was pushed for time.  

 

The Greater Anglia website assured me that my Day Ranger was valid on East Midland Trains to Ely so I decided to find out and caught the 13.25 departure.  I am pleased to say there was no problem although Anglia Day Rangers seem to be a rarity.  The conductress said she had never seem one before.

 

 

Here is my East Midlands train at Ely, 158780 forming 1R74 to Liverpool Lime Street.  The lady by the unit is the lovely conductress.

 

 

I was just in time to catch 66206 on 4L45 from Wakefield Europort to Felixstowe South.  This came to a halt in the Up Goods Loop waiting for 4E21 Felixstowe South to Doncaster Railport to clear the single line section from Soham.  For some reason I thought that platform 1 would be a good vantage point to catch this train - until I realised that it was signalled through platform 1 and would be on me in no time.

 

 

A quick sprint through the subway to platform 2 saw me ready, just in time, to catch 66739 Bluebell Railway with 4E21.  The class 387 is no. 120 forming 1T37, the 13.44 Kings Lynn to Kings Cross.

 

 

My last train of the day was the 14.31 to Soham.  This is that train formed by 755421 at Soham all ready to depart for Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.  It was an early end to my day as the days are very short and I find night-time travel boring - I like to gaze out of the window.  It did, however, allow me plenty of time to sort my photos out and post them here on RMWeb for your delectation.

 

Chris Turnbull    

 

Afternoon Chris 

You can still see a bit of evidence of the east chord in the form of a curved boundary fence which I assume is land sold from the trackbed

I didn't realise the line was still open throughout until 1960. I knew a section was left in to Thetford bridge I believe for a proposed station that didn't happen 

[Chris Turnbull]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Afternoon Chris 

You can still see a bit of evidence of the east chord in the form of a curved boundary fence which I assume is land sold from the trackbed

I didn't realise the line was still open throughout until 1960. I knew a section was left in to Thetford bridge I believe for a proposed station that didn't happen 

 

The line was not actually taken up until the early months of 1962.  One day the rails were there, the next they were gone!  I don't know anything about a proposed station but I can remember a line of wagons between Barnham and Thetford.  I think it was used as storage for condemned stock after closure.

 

There is an excellent book on the line if you are interested:

 

https://lightmoor.co.uk/books/branch-lines-to-thetford/L8771

 

Highly recommended.

 

Chris Turnbull

[Chris Turnbull]

Another visit to various preserved railways today.

 

 

Toddington on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway on 19th February 2012.

 

 

80151 at Chappel & Wakes Colne on 14th October 1979.

 

 

Keighley on the Worth Valley Railway on 3rd May 2009.

 

 

Embsay on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway on 14th September 2022.

 

 

Leeming Bar on the Wensleydale Railway on 5th June 2005.  I'm not sure which class 37 this is but I am sure someone will tell me.

 

 

Of course, no visit to preserved railways is complete with the North Yorkshire Moors.  This is Grosmont on 5th October 2013.

 

Chris Turnbull 

 

[russ p]

On 06/12/2022 at 15:14, Chris Turnbull said:

 

Yes but don't forget that all passenger trains stopped at Bury and Felixstowe had yet to develop as a container port.  Freight trains were composed of 4-wheel wagons which were not supposed to go too fast and many freights still had an unfitted portion.  Here's the Freight WTT for June to October 1965, Haughley to Ely and Cambridge.  

 

1965 WTT Haughley to Cambridge.pdf 2 MB · 8 downloads  

 

And here's a typical freight of the period.

 

 

D5679 leaves Bury yard at 18.25 on 28th May 1968 with working 7*28 to Cambridge.

 

Not like this:

 

 

66749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE 60 Years Railway Service powers away from Bury on 5th December with 4M29 Felixstowe North to Birch Coppice.

 

Chris Turnbull

 

Not the greatest picture but this was Bury up loop last night some vegetation has been cut back and there are some new rails in the cess so maybe it's about to be relaid and the points to the sidings plain lined, that would be a shame as the remains of the yard do get used for stone traffic from time to time