The Border Reiver

I saw a few D49s in Darlington North Road scrapyard in the early 1960s still with their nameplates on...

They built a bypass road for the bridge a few years ago.. Plenty of height warning signs. Probably enroute to/from car auction mart which is opposite the station.

A car transporter has shed its load in a crash with a railway bridge in Trowbridge. https://www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/car-transporter-trowbridge-railway-bridge/?fbclid=IwAR23vl80qG3_CnrJnZsb3OyNs84Zoe84YU0ejAA7sedTof8MuIAn_7YPGpY

J1742 peak D16 had box indicators when built not a central panel

One afternoon in April 1964 I wandered down to one of my favourite spots for photographing trains; Carlisle Caldew Junction opposite Carlisle No. 3 signal box. This is where one of the two freight lines which bypassed the station met the WCML; a great place to take photos. I took a few photos there before I wandered off to bunk Upperby shed. Here we have Peak class (later class 45) D 82 (later 45141) heading north on the down Thames Clyde Express 1S68. Above the loco Carlisle Castle and the tower of the Catherdral can be seen. Behind the loco is Carlisle's slaughterhose, long demolished. Above the third coach is W T Tiffin & Son from whom I bought my first motor cycle; a 250cc BSA C15.

J336 is the down Waverley

The Blue Pullman entering Paddington station in the 1960s

I am old enough to remember when diesels and electrics were introduced in the late 1950s/early 1960 and none had yellow ends; very British. I realise the yellow blobs were applied for safety reasons but I think the locos looked much better without their yellow blobs!

J518 The down Waverley is 1S64 not 1S49 :-)

They are heading south, ie to the left

Spotting in Carlisle since 1954, I visited many locations in the city when I was not at school. While spotting at some of these locations beside signal boxes, I made friends with various signalbox workers and started to be invited into the boxes where I enjoyed myself over the years. The main boxes I spent time in were Canal Junction, Carlisle No. 3 (beside) Caldew Junction and in later years the new yard power box and hump shunt control room. The signalbox men were a great source of information, especially the ones in Carlisle No. 3, which on the WCML had information of special trains and light engine movements. One such piece of information greatly interested me, the dates and times that the NB Warships (class 43) and North British Type 2 diesel-hydraulics (class 22) were passing the signalbox heading for the western region. They usually passed by the box on Tuesdays and Thursdays around 11 am. I knew when every loco passed by from D833 in July 1960. Unfortunately, I was at school and when 11 o'clock arrived I was frustrated that Warships were passing by half a mile from where I was and I couldn't see them! In March 1962 there were only four more Warships left to be built by NB. When D862 Viking was due, I made the decision that I would bunk off school and go and see it. Armed with my Kodak Box Brownie camera I headed to Carlisle caldew junction and waited. Sure enough I spied the Warship D862 coupled to Class 22 D6337 heading towards me on the freight bypass line. Now the Box Brownie camera only had a 1/50 shutter speed and fixed focus. Many of my moving photos I took with the camera were either light fogged or blurred (it was rare to get a photo of a moving train that was not blurred due to camera shake and the low shutter speed). You basically pressed the camera shutter and hoped for the best! Still photos taken on sunny days usually turned out OK. As the locos approached I pressed the camera's shutter hoping for the best. Considering the conditions that day the photo came out not too bad as can be seen above :). I then cycled to Upperby shed where the locos usually stopped for a while. I took another photo of D862 on the shed which turned out to be a complet disaster very blurred and light fogged (you can just make out that it is a Warship) :( I never ever saw any more Warships at Carlisle but did see two class 22s coupled together heading south a few months later. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me at the time.....

D6337 headed south with D862 around 13 February 1962. I saw them pass through Carlisle

There was an engine driver who lived in my village; Mr Ken Butt formerly a steam engine driver who had driven the Royal Train on various occasions. He ended his driving days at Westbury depot driving diesels. He was chosen to drive the very first Class 59 test train in the UK on Sunday the 9th of February 1986. He wrote a poem recording his experience that day which is shown below. Ken was a bit of an eccentric character and was frequently seen riding around the village on a unicycle and doing hand stands on the social club's tables. While driving trains he ofter donned a gorilla mask amongst others. One one ocasion he put on some dark glasses and with a white stick wandered down the station platform asking passengers for directions to the front of the train as he was the driver :) I enjoyed many hours chatting to him about his railway experiences up until he died on 27 January 2017. Kenneth Butt 1928 - 2017 *********************** Here is the poem... The SS of SS or The Sad Saga of Super Series 59002 Yeoman Enterprise by Mr Kenneth Butt (Driver of the first Class 59 test train in the UK Sunday the 9th of February 1986) The day was Sunday the 9th of Feb For 59002 to make its deb two fifty-six class in the lead In case their assistance we did need They did not have to use their power Only if mission did turn sour At Woodborough they would detach To see if 59002 was up to scratch The plan was then to stop and start To find if super series had the heart To put paste and graphite upon the line If 59002 got away it would be fine 59002 has this super creep I can't explain it goes to deep In short to rail it should adhere Bruce said it will I have no fear The railway buffs were out in force They'd heard of mission on the grapevine of course They came from near they came from far By train, pushbike and bus and car They left Westbury at twenty to one All the planning had been done The cab was full with the top brass Just room for driver to sit on ass By Panel Box we are in notch eight Bob Alloway said we cannot be late The load was nearly five thousand ton Bruce said this diesel likes the gun The cement works chimney soon out of sight It was snowing only very light We soon passed old Edington Station This diesel from another nation At Lavington speed was thirty-nine We now approached the Clock Bridge incline Bruce and Brass were taking readings From wheel creep came loud noise and squealings Then speed of train got very slow If we stop now oh what a blow But Clock Bridge we did negotiate Westbury panel thinks by heck they are late We then had General Fault light red The engine still running it should be said 59002 had lost its power Was this mission turning sour? Bruce said traction motors I guess He isolates without success Has anybody got a spanner Steve Hansard replied I've got a hammer Mr Barratt came to the rescue As chief inspecters always do The chief he got his spanner out To take off panel I have no doubt Notice on traction current supply cover it did read I think that we were all agreed Whilst engine runs 'DO NOT REMOVE' But Bruce has something else to prove And then although against the rule He did proceed to use this tool The bolts in cover did Bruce undo OK for Bruce but not me or you But nothing did he find amiss It can't be that or neither this So cover was put back into place Bolts tightened up in the small space Then man from Derby has a plan Isolate again if you can Oil on traction motor five he had seen Not white or black but nearly green Fifty-six class detached and went ahead These seats are soft just like my bed Dave Bowen our guard got in between In the back cab David had been We went ahead but oh so slow Only in notch one would engine go First we isolate traction motor five To see if 59002 became alive But sad to say we had no joy My mate was Mrs Mantells boy We isolate remainder one by one But could not right the damage done Bruce said this mission we should abort Things have not gone just like they ought Poor Richard Painter could have cried The day that 59002 clapped out and died The brass put on their yellow vests Twas finish to the loading tests The phones they were red hot We are stranded at this lonely spot Then Dennis Flood on radio Did contact Pete Warren to make a show Pete our new inspector was on this job He'd got another Sunday in just like Bob Dennis said have you got the brake up yet Pete replied ninety seconds don't forget One has been modified but one has not Just drink your coffee whilst it's hot Two fifty-six class came back again To couple to us and us to train Dave our guard went back to end wagon When he got there his legs were flagging He had to carry out the brake test When Dave got back with heaving chest These cigarettes make me blow and cough He said I wish we'd soon move off Reg Wilson on leading fifty-six Said I'll get you out of this b***** fix Rodney Selman was his mate On electricity he could certainly debate Reg towed us to Savernake Where Ivor Mason gave us a snack We then disposed of train at Theale No I'm not dreaming this is real Them we were propelled to Merehead light By jove this headlights very bright Back to Merehead we made our way Unhappy end to our Sunday And now 59002 is back in its Merehead stable Due to a defective cable But who is left to carry the can Was it male or a poor woman? To Woodborough Tom and Dave set out by car But they did not get that far Twixt Pottern and Urchfont so I'm told Their Senator skidded and came off the road But glad to say they were not hurt Only had skid marks on their shirt Car did end up in the scrap yard Tom and Dave's day was also marred The eccentric Butt in his spare time Thought he'd write this little rhyme Call it a saga poem or verse Here are his views for what they're worth Two thousand tons they will be fine They'll be no trouble on the line But if they put on many more Not one hour overtime more like four Just right for K Wakefield and J I Jones They'll make a fortune hauling stones But as for me unless I'm fired In a few years time I will be 'RETIRED' This saga should have ended here But there is more to come I fear They say these 'BEARS' are to be named I think I'll have this saga framed If it is true which I have heard Or perhaps you think it's too absurd In spite of 59002 ignominious demise They are calling it 'YEOMAN ENTERPRISE' With apologies to Sir John Betjaman the Railway Poet Here we have 59002 (working) at Westbury on 22 July 1991

Location now Identified as Bromley Cross

On 4th August 1968 my friend Dave Goodfellow, myself and my girlfriend headed down from Carlisle to take photos of the specials running that day. We were based at the lineside and I think near the Blackburn/Bolton area?. The first special we photographed was 45156 on 1T80 G.C. Enterprises Farewell to Steam. The next special was 44871 double headed with 44894 on 1Z78 Stephenson Locomotive Society (Midland Area) Farewell to Steam No.1. The final special we photographed was 70013 double headed with 44781 on the Locomotive Club of Great Britain The Farewell to Steam Rail Tour. I am still trying to identify the actual location where I took the photos (it was 55 years ago). Bromley Cross has been mentioned but I cannot match the footbridge and houses using Google maps. I have also a photo with 45156 on another special with electicity pylons in the background which again I cannot match using Google maps. The first photo is 44871 double headed with 44894 on 1Z78 Stephenson Locomotive Society (Midland Area) Farewell to Steam No.1. There is an electricity pylon in the background. The next photo is a (poor) rear view photo of it heading away from me. There seems to be a signal box and platforms in the distance. The final photo is 70013 double headed with 44781 on the Locomotive Club of Great Britain The Farewell to Steam Rail Tour which shows some terraced houses on the left.

I posted this picture on here in February 2017 asking if anyone could help with the location. It was takn on 22 August 1963 The Johnster confirmed it was Taff's Well as follows..... The 94xx is, I agree, at Taff's Well, in the sidings of what later became Forgemasters and with the Penrhos roads between it and the down platform, which you can see the fence for and the foot of the footbridge which is of course still there. It may be resting between banking duties, a very common task for the big panniers here. The Penrhos line is now a cycle path, and you can get up a good bit of speed coming down the bank on it!

I just downloaded Chrome so it's using default setting. Edge was an my PC after I installed windows I only used it once so it still has default settings

Still getting it with Edge, Chrome and Firefox browsers

Got it when accessing this page...

Still appearing on many pages...

Information.... My AVG Antivirus program has found a connection for URL:Blacklist on https://s2.adxpremium.services and aborted the connection. This has happen numerous time on numerous pages this morning. Definition URL: blacklist is not a virus, but it is a list of websites that are termed as insecure by search engines, and these websites can harm your system. Q #2) Is URL blacklist a virus? Answer: No, it is not a virus, but it is just a list of insecure websites which are red-flagged by search engines

Saw it in Darlington north road scrapyard stripped down to its frames but it still had the Lincolnshire nameplates on

On 16 April 2009 I popped into Carlisle station to take a photo of the northbound 'Tesco' liner train. While I was there, I saw a group of people wating to get on a Northern 156 to Newcastle. Well, I couldn't resist taking this photo. I never saw Northern offering 'Personal Services' on their trains.... 😊

These had original smoke deflectors 70004 70014 70021 70031-70033 70042-70043 70045-70052

Here is a rear view of Class 50 D420 at Brisco near Carlisle on a steel slab train looking south from the old bridge approaching the replacement bridge which is under construction in the early 1970s. The old bridge was eventually demolished.