Chris Turnbull

I had a day out around East Anglia today with a Day Ranger ticket which I had all planned - but it didn't work out at all.  Why?  Read on...

I set off for Soham station in what I thought was good time.  I intended to photograph the Ipswich service first then the 4E23 Felixstowe to Leeds which was due shortly after, just before my train to Ely.  I got onto the footbridge in the background but didn't have time to get my camera out before the freight came through ten minutes early!  That set the tone for the day.  I strolled over to the platform to await my train and this is it formed by 755401.  The balancing service to Ipswich, which should have arrived before mine didn't arrive at all.  It was ten minutes late.

I arrived at Ely to find the place in turmoil.  There were no trains to Kings Cross as there had been a power failure somewhere and passengers were advised to take a train to Cambridge and change for Liverpool Street.  This had a knock-on effect with many other trains being delayed as well.  I did, however, manage to get 66721 on the 4L02 from Hams Hall to Felixstowe.

The Greater Anglia website advised me that my Day Ranger ticket was valid on East Midlands services so I thought that it might be nice to try a Class 158 instead of the ubiquitous 755s that do all the Greater Anglia local services.  And here is my service to Norwich formed by 158889.  The trip made me realise how quiet the Flirts are!  And, yes, ranger tickets are accepted on East Midlands services.

My intention was to catch a train to Hoveton and Wroxham and travel over the Bure Valley.  It was a good job I had taken the earlier East Midlands service which, although it was ten minutes late into Norwich, still gave me plenty of time to catch the Sheringham train - unlike the later Greater Anglia Cambridge to Norwich service which arrived just as I was departing.  This is Norwich with crowds milling around the concourse. 

755325 dropped me off at Hoveton and Wroxham and disappeared off to Sheringham (above).  I wandered over to the Bure Valley booking office.  "A return to Alysham please".  "We can get you to Aylsham but have no room to get you back before four o'clock".  "Deary, deary me," I said - or words to that effect.  There was nothing for it but to return to Norwich.

At least it gave me a chance to savour the delightful station of Hoveton and Wroxham rather than the bustling concourse at Norwich. 

The wait wasn't actually very long and 755334 soon arrived to whisk me back to the metropolis of Norwich.  Shame about the military type getting in the way.

Like Lost in Space this is to be continued...

Chris Turnbull

After all this modern stuff I thought it would be nice to go back to my black-and-white days at Carlisle in the summer of love.

A bit out of order this one as it shows 70013 Oliver Cromwell on 24th August running northwards past Kingmoor tender-first.  It returned a short time later with a rake of coaches a photo of which I have posted previously.

Also headed northwards on the same day is 92208.

A couple of days later on 26th, this is 45038 in Citadel station.

The next day, the 27th, 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley put in an apperance.  

On that day Kingmoor shed was opened to the public.  This is 45593 Kolhapur, one of the last three Jubilees.

Also on shed was 70048 The Territorial Army 1908-1958.

Chris Turnbull  

Today (22nd July) my wife and tootled around the lanes of East Suffolk and one of the places we visited was Beccles.  As always I took my camera and was givien permission to visit the station while she emptied all the charity shops.  I strolled down to the station and didn't expect to find much but was pleasantly surprised.

The first thing that greeted me was the station building that looked in good condition.

Then there were the great flower displays and the retro nameboard.  There was also a handy bridge as you can see.

Just for once luck was on my side and I had arrived just in time to see the up and down trains passing.  First in was 755418 from Lowestoft.

A couple of minutes later 755416 arrived from Ipswich.

For a short time both trains were alongside each other until...

...755418 departed to Ipswich followed by...

755416 departing to Lowestoft.

Although shadow of it's former self I was pleased to have recorded this small example of modern working.

Chris Turnbull

After a delightful day yesterday playing trains on a friends magnificent Gauge One garden railway I have time today to post a few more of my railway photos.  So here are a few shots of tourist / heritage / preserved railways in East Anglia.

LNER Y7 985 at Brockford on the Mid-Suffolk on 6th May 2019.

Same place, same day, this is Sirapite.

No. 9 Mark Timothy approaches Aylsham on 21st February 2021.

This is Mark Timothy being watered at Wroxham by a proud driver.

M56352 at Sheringham, North Norfolk Railway, on an overcast 20th June 2018.

Sheringham on a brighter day - 28th May 2021 -  with the B12 about to depart for Holt.

Chris Turnbull

A bit further afield today I thought so here are a few of my European photos.

Starting in Berlin this is Hackester Market on 12th August 2013.  A great place to eat with trains rumbling overhead and trams passing on the road.

Bremen on 26th July 2015.  No musicians in this shot!  (If you don't get this then check out Grimm Brothers' fairy tales). 

Frankfurt Flughafen on 21st June 2003.

Hamburg on 26th July 2015.

Budapest West on 7th August 2013

Bridge over the River Daugava, Riga on 1st August 2015.

I apologise for the lack of information on the trains but I am not very knowledgable about such things.  If anyone can tell me what they are I would be obliged.

Chris Turnbull

Another trip around East Anglia with my Anglia Day Ranger over a period of time.

60025 at Ely on 26th August 2004.

Fouteen years later on 29th June 2018 here is 387116 at Ely.

On 13th March 2004 86227 leaves Ipswich on a Liverpool Street working.

Eighteen years later on 26th April 2022 745008 forms a Liverpool Street train from Ipswich.

Down the line to Norwich where we see 37114 and 37047 on 3rd May 2003.  As you can see I wasn't the only photographer there.  Does anybody recognise themselves?

Norwich on 22nd March 2022 and 755328 and 158788 are ready to depart.

Chris Turnbull  

A couple more Then and Now shots of Peterborough today.

156411 enters from the north on 12th July 2022.

D10 Tryfan trundles through on an Up freight on 9th September 1968.

700146 departs for Kings Cross in 2022.

D1900 departs for Kings Cross in 1968.

And this is a shot that was impossible in 1968 without trespassing on the ECML (or you worked on the railway).  755415 departs for Ipswich on 12th July 2022.

In 1968 Peterborough was a notorious bottleneck and was rebuilt to ease the problem.  It would seem that it was not entirely successful.  This is 456R en route for Felixstowe held at signals and stationary across the ECML blocking all tracks.  This didn't last long but I am sure it would have had a knock-on effect on a busy line like the ECML.

Chris Turnbull

Then and now at Peterborough.  

I have just bought a supa-dupa mobile phone and read "Android for Dummies" from cover to cover.  Inspired by my new-found expertise I bought a micro SD card and loaded my 1968 Peterborough photos onto it which I inserted it into my mobile.  It worked!  Here's some of the results of my efforts.

158783 enters plarform 2 on 12th July.  I would have preferred a train coming in on the adjacent line but nothig would oblige.

And this is D1872 doing the same thing, albeit on the Up Main on 9th September 1968.  For reference look at the arch of the bridge in the distance on the far left.  It's all that is similar that I can see.

158783 in the platform.

Not much similarity here either.  D9006 The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry on a Down express.  Note the the station nameboard says "North".  There was also an "East" which had closed to passenger traffic a couple of years earlier in 1966.

At the other end of the station this is 800203 on an up working.

This is D5535 in a similar position in 1968.

Exact matches are impossible as Peterborough station has undergone two rebuilds in that time and is scheduled for a third.  Let's hope they improve the utilitarian buildings.  I was chatting to one of LNER staff who said there is only so much you can do.  "You can't polish a turd" - his supervisor's words, not mine, but most apt I thought.

Chis Turnbull 

I spent a few hours in Peterborough today (12th July) taking a few shots to show as a "then and now" feature.  As Real Time Trains (RTT) showed a few freights coming through before my departure time I went to the line an hour-and-a-half early to capture the action.

The first train was 66725 on 4L02, Hams Hall to Felixstowe, which came through Soham just after half past nine.

And here it is again disappearing off to Felixstowe across the flat Cambridgeshire countryside.

A short time later 66544 appeared on 423R Felixstowe to Crewe Basford Hall, seen here passing under the footbridge that carries a Public Right of Way over the line and allowed Network Rail to close a nearby foot crossing.

I had hoped to capture more freights but they didn't appear.  Checking RTT later they were delayed.  Instead, this is 755410 on the balancing Ipswich service.

My Peterborough train arrived at Soham shortly after and here it is, formed of 755415, after arrival at Peterborough.

Peterborough station soon filled up and here is 158780, 755415 and 170146 at platforms 5, 6 and 7.  The freight on the right is the 6M60 Whitemoor to Mountsorell which had 66762 providing traction.

I'll try and sort out the "then and now" photos in the next day or two.  I'm out tomorrow playing trains at a local G1MRA meeting but will post them asap.  Please bear with me.

Chris Turnbull

A visit to Wales today.

150280 at Blaenau Ffestiniog on 7th May 2015.

Beddgelert on the Welsh Highland on 8th May 2016.  I have no idea what this loco is and am hoping some kind soul will tell me.

Big Pit Mining Museum, Blaenavon on 23rd May 2010.  Again, I don't know the locomotive but I'm sure someone does.

150262 at Cardiff Central on 24th May 2010.

Cardiff Queen Street looking north on 21st May 2010.

Ebbw Vale Parkway on 22nd May 2010.

Chris Turnbull 

1 hour ago, eastwestdivide said:

Presumably at an angle like that they were actually turning it 90° rather than just selecting a different track on the other side.

It's a long time ago now but I am pretty sure it was turned 180 degrees.

Chris Turnbull

Back to Carlisle Kingmoor and the black and white days of August 1967.

70049 Solway Firth on the 23rd.

43106 on the 24th

45435 on the same day.  Just one brake van?  There's a prototype for everything.

70013 Oliver Cromwell on the 24th.  It was de rigueur to ride on the cab steps!

And here's Ollie again speeding past with it's coaches

Another prototype for everything.  D8081 on the turntable on the 25th.

Chris Turnbull

We remain in London for another day...

...and we start at Willesden High Level with 313109 arriving on 12th July 2008.

Stratford DLR on the same day.

Some eighteen months later on 25th February 2010 this is 315808 at Stratfoed.

And on the same day this is the Jubilee Line platforms.

Finally St Pancras on 15th December 2007, this is "The Lovers" statue.

I had hoped to post my usual six photos but RMWeb is again playing silly , telling me I have posted 10MB when I have only posted just over three.  Still, that's more for another day.

Chris Turnbull    

A visit to London today.

Canary Wharf DLR on 12th July 2008.

450075 enters Clapham Junction on 17th April 2004.

Croydon tram at Sandilands (I think) on 12th July 2008.

Dalston on 15th December 2007.

Gospel Oak on 17th April 2004.

And finally, 357005 draws near to Fenchurch Street on 17th April 2004.

Chris Turnbull

My better half and I decided to visit Stowmarket today (1st July), she to mooch round the many charity shops that she so loves and I to visit the station which is a great place to photograph from.  The footbridge is a good vantage point without the ridiculously high parapets that so bedevil many locations these days, a level crossing that gives you warning of when the trains that Real Time Trains says are due are actually arriving and toilets that are clean and not locked out of use.  Highly recommended.

This is 745004 on a down Norwich.  I had only just got on to the footbridge when this came through.  It was non-stop and was going at a fair lick; I only just got my camera up in time.

755418 on a Peterborough to Ipswich working.

66758 on 4M29, Felixstowe to Birch Coppice.

745002 ready to depart for Liverpool Street.

755414 on an Ipswich to Peterborough working.

745107 on a down Norwich.

Chris Turnbull

1 hour ago, SHMD said:

Your North and Souths are correct but the 50 is still at Bury.

Thank you for that.  Yes, I can see that lovely signal gantry in the background which makes more sense now.  That must have been the train I travelled on.

Chris Turnbull

Another heritage line / preserved railway, this time the East Lancs which visited on 23rd October 2016.

This is a view looking south (I think) from Bury station.

And this is looking north.

I was perticularly impressed with how this is an urban station and not a pretty "country local".

I was also very pleased to see this L&Y 0-6-0 providing steam heating.  This is in LMS livery but was 52322 in BR days.  As a young trainspotter I always wanted to see a steam loco beginning with a "5" but never did.  There weren't many in East Anglia!

The other end of the line is at Rawtenstall where we see 50015 entering the station.

This is 50015 at Bury which hauled my train to Rawtenstall.

And this is the station building at Rawtenstall.

Here we are at Rawtenstall where we see the station building.

Chris Turnbull  

My wife and I were tootling around the lanes of Staffordshire some years ago when we went over a bridge that had smoke and steam coming over it from below.  Now I can tell the exhaust from a steam locomtive when I see it so this needed swift investigation.  I would like to say that I did a handbrake turn but that would be a slight exaggeration although I did turn round pretty smartly.  It turned out that we had just driven over Kingsly & Froghall station on the Churnett Valley Railway, a line that I had never heard of but one that certainly deserved further investigation.  Sadly this was late in the day and we had just seen the last train so some time later we returned for a day's visit.

Here we are at Kingsley & Froghall station on 1st May 2010 with 5199 on our train.

We had hoped that by 1st May we might have some warm weather but no, it was bloody freezing.  Here is a bitterly cold Cheddleton station.

5199 at Cheddleton.

A nice side view of the same loco.

Back at Kinsley and Froghall this is the next service train.  I regret I am not an expert on DMU types so perhaps someone can tell me what this is.

I had wanted to post more photos but RMWeb seems to be in restrictive mode and is preventing me showing any more.  Perhaps next time.

Chris Turnbull   

A trip along the Chiltern main line from Moor Street to Marylebone this evening.

Here we are at Birmingham Moor Street on 13th February 2013 with 168214 in the platform.

Bicester on 5th November 2004 with 165031 leaving the station.

The same location on the same day with 168004 arriving.

Of course no visit to Bicester would be complete without visiting the Military Railway.  This is our train also on 5th November.

At that time the Miltary Railway was also used for storing redundant stock.

Marylebone is the end of our journey.  Here we are on 13th November 2016.

Chris Turnbull

Some more black and white photos from Carlisle Kingmoor in 1967.

43121 on August 23rd.

47293 and 47612 also on the 23rd.

48421 again on the 23rd.

70005 John Milton on the 27th.  I could well have seen this loco as a boy in East Anglia before I started trainspotting properly.

45000 on 27th

And finally, the coaling tower.

Chris Turnbull

I have been wondering why I have no photographs of trips around East Anglia prior to 2003.  It took me quite a while to work out why but when I did, the answer was obvious.  The range of the Anglia Day Ranger ticket did not originally extend to Ely.  It went as far as Thetford from Norwich and, I think, Bury St Edmunds from Ipswich.  It wasn't until the Norwich to Cambridge service was inaugurated in October 2002 that Anglia extended the range of its Ranger ticket and it became of use to me.  Since then I have used it as often as possible.  Here's a trip I made on 7th March 2009 except where noted otherwise.

Ely first thing in the morning with 158857 ready for the off.  This wasn't my train as I went...

...to Ipswich where I took my customary shot of the loco yard.

Of course there is more than one station in Ipswich.  This is 153314 at Derby Road with a Felixstowe service on 25th July 2009.

Back to the March trip and Lowestoft with 156417 in the platform.

And so on the Norwich with 90003 and 90004.

Here we see 82107 and 82121 on the other end of what are probably the same trains as the last photo.

Chris Turnbull    

66s at Ely over the last 19 years.

66709 on 19th Juky 2003.

66072 and 170398 on 2nd August 2006

66116 on 12th July 2008

66708 and an unidentified class 66 on 30th August 2008.

66561, 66414 and an unidentifed class 66 on 2nd August 2014.

66566 on 22nd March 2022.

Chris Turnbull

Yes, I asked the wrong question.  And you are quite right about the state of cleanliness - my recollection is of unending grime.

Chris Turnbull

Back to the 1960s and black and white days.

Bury St Edmunds in 1963 and a Derby Lightweight DMU heads west towards Cambridge.  At the time I was 11 years old with loads of enthusiasm but no money.

D5521 heads west from Bury St Edmunds across what was then the Beeton's Way foot crossing.  Today it is an underpass and one of the busiest roads in the town.

London Waterloo on 30th May 1967 and 34037 Clovelly  enters the station.  There was no TPWS in those days and no defensive driving; trains entered stations at a fair lick and the driver was expected to stop before the buffer stops.

A morning shot on the same day and 41298 stands in the rain at Waterloo.

Carlisle Kingmoor om 23rd August 1967 with 92153 and 44679.

A week later on the 29th I was at West Hartlepool where I caught 90076 on shed.  My Locoshed Directory says "Go straight ahead across the station yard, and turn left into Church Street.  Bear right with this road and continue into Mainsforth Terrace.  The shed entrance is on the left-hand side."  If I remember correctly the "entrance" was a hole in the wall.

Chris Turnbull   

That's enough of East Anglian stuff for a while I think.  A trip to London today showing a variety of different stations with no connection whatsoever.  Some of them even have a train.

Wimbledon on 12th July 2008.

Willesden High Level on the same day.

St Pancras on 15th December 2007.

Richmond on 17th April 2004.

Well, I did promise you a train!  Marylebone on 13th February 2016.

And finally a proper photograph.  377149 enters London Bridge on 12th July 2008.

Chris Turnbull