Trev52A

Two 'Deltics' at Newcastle on 5th March 1970 9011 waits to head north as D9000 arrives with a southbound train Trevor

Two Class 91 electric locos at Newcastle on 12th July 2013 in different liveries.. 91126 in full East Coast livery alongside 91118 with purple 'East Coast' stickers over the National Express stickers on top of the original GNER dark blue livery (!) Trevor

Regarding the cab of 43049 at York, here's a shot of it in action in 1987 in 'Executive' livery... 43049 'Neville Hill' at the head of a southbound train near King Edward Bridge Junction, Gateshead on 20th June 1987 Trevor

Two Black Fives at Carlisle station on 12th August 1967, waiting to take over southbound summer Saturday trains Trevor

Let's not forget the other HST power car at York, which seems to have crashed in through the wall! Cheers Trevor

Class 91s at York today (10th December 2019). Please excuse the dreadful weather! 91107 'Skyfall' departs north 91114 'Durham Cathedral' arrives at the rear of a southbound train 91119 'Bounds Green' waits to head north 91129 departs at the rear of a southbound train passing 66434 (on empty Freightliner wagons*) 91102 'City of York' awaits departure as CrossCountry's 221121 heads north 91115 'Blaydon Races' awaiting departure with my train back to Newcastle. Howay the Lads! *I'm pretty sure that is not the correct terminology - no doubt somebody will keep me right, please. Looking back, most the 91s I saw were named, and all still with 'plates intact. Long may it continue! Trevor

Went to York today to see HSTs in a different setting and didn't see any! All the Aberdeen/Inverness trains I saw were Azumas. But I might have missed some when I went to the NRM for a warm up (awful weather!) Inside I got this shot I'm pleased with - the last steam loco built and the first production HST power car together. 'Last and First - NRM 10th December 2019' Trevor

Two out of three (non-UK and snow) from me.. MGB No 107 'Grimsel' on the rack section of the eastbound climb out of Andermatt, Switzerland in March 2014 Trevor

The south end of Darlington station on 29th May 1978, with E43064 heading south in the background, shortly after the introduction of the new HST timetable. Trevor

Anyone got any news as to which LNER power cars (and possibly the whole train?*) are getting the full retro paint job? Cheers Trevor * or is this expecting a bit too much?!

Details of the final LNER HST runs on 18th to 21st December are beginning to appear - see UK Railtours site. One way tickets on the HST but free return by any scheduled LNER train, if I'm reading correctly the email someone sent me. Trevor

'End of shift' - crew change at Newcastle today, 30th November Trevor

Three from Newcastle taken today, 28th November 43317 during a break in the clouds, waiting to head north Dwarfed by the castle keep, 43305 arrives with a southbound train... ...with 43238 at the rear, quite a difference compared to the NRM vinyls it carried previously! And here's 43299 at the rear of a later southbound train - the other one with a new revised livery Here's another look at one I uploaded last year in the hope that someone might be able to date it more precisely than I could at the time. It's 43057 'Bounds Green' departing south from Newcastle, probably in 1988 or 1989 Cheers Trevor

GNER's 91004 at Newcastle on 16th August 1997, with Virgin XC's 43155 on the left. Trevor

More from the archives from the Newcastle area.. 43108 heads north through Low Fell, Gateshead in July 1991 43103 at Newcastle in August 1991 43063 departs from Newcastle heading north in August 1994 Close-up on 43093 at Newcastle in August 1994 Trevor

@ Jack Mc From the cleanliness of 43208 in your picture it looks as if it has been returned to service very recently, I'm guessing. Which is good news for me - I still haven't seen it yet after starting to keep a record from this summer. Hope I catch it before they all go by Christmas! Cheers Trevor

As a change at Newcastle from LNER examples, here are a dirty 43304 (at the front) and a nicely clean 43357 (at the rear) on a southbound CrossCountry train on 8th November this year. I suspect the apparent difference in colour of the grey is due to the way the light is reflecting off the surface. I didn't notice it at the time. Trevor

Just sorting some pictures out and came across this one of mine from 1969, which I may have uploaded previously, but umpteen pages ago. it's not so much the train which makes the picture (4472 at Wood Green on its last run before shipping off to the USA) but the spectators - particularly the lady with the headscarf! I expect the station has changed a bit since then! Cheers Trevor

Thanks for this explanation of the rain strip, Ken. It makes sense now, but I never thought it would be to combat rain running 'uphill', as it were! Cheers Trevor

A couple from 1978 at York, when HSTs were 'just out of the box' (as far as the ECML was concerned), which I don't think I've uploaded to this thread before. E43057 at the rear of an up express on 1st June 1978 E43073 and admirers (or perhaps not - maybe they had come to see 'Deltics'!) on 2nd June 1978 Trevor

Thanks for that, Kevin. I see that what I had always thought of as 'step ladder rests' you describe as 'rain strips'. Did they serve this dual purpose or have I been wrong all this time? (I vaguely remember seeing a picture (or perhaps observing in real life) someone up a ladder cleaning the windscreen with the ladder resting on these things, something which would presumably have damaged the bodywork without them.) Or perhaps that's wishful thinking on my part?! During a holiday in Devon in November 2017 I spent some time walking between Teignmouth and Dawlish (dodging rain showers) and saw several HSTs, some of which I include here. What appears to be 43092 approaching Teignmouth 43172 'Harry Patch' heading north from Teignmouth A 'different' view at Dawlish as 43142 pauses with a train for the West Trevor

Looks like LNER's 43300 is a write-off after an argument yesterday(?) with an Azuma in Leeds (see the thread 'LNER empty trains collided..' in this section) Here it is in happier times at Newcastle on 5th August this year. Trevor

Right, I can safely say 1980 then. Having narrowed it down a bit I'll check with other pictures I have at York and see if I can match up anything in the picture with some others I have with dates on. Thanks to Commoner and others for their interest and suggestions. By the way, is there a data base detailing all the changes to individual HSTs over the years, or is it down to individuals keeping detailed notes which they are happy to share? Cheers Trevor

@ Davexoc & Commoner Many thanks for the input so far. Sorry for the late reply, my internet has been down most of today. Cheers Trevor

Here's an early one of mine where I could do with a bit of help in dating the picture please - the slide had been taken out of its cardboard mount at some point and I have lost all the info I had written on it. E43101 at York - date to be confirmed (hopefully). There are a number of clues: In original Inter-City livery (but obviously not 'straight-out-of-the box' clean. It still has the 'E' prefix to its number behind the cab door. It has the set number on the front. It has the exhaust deflector fitted on the roof. No step-ladder rests have been fitted below the windscreen yet. My guess would be 1981? Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks Trevor