4630

53 minutes ago, eastwestdivide said:

They've rearranged the clutter around it now! Still in use as a community space, something to do with mental health. 

 

Known as Platform 1.

https://platform-1.co.uk/

12 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

This is British...

 

Hythe Pier railway by the looks of it, looking along towards Southampton Water. 

On 17th April 2024, 34046 'Braunton' passing Colne Bridge, between Huddersfield and Heaton Lodge Junction, with the outward working of 1Z80, The White Rose rail tour from Hereford to York - 34046 having taken over at Crewe...

...and in the early evening approaching Brighouse, on the Calder Valley, heading west with the return working 1Z82 - 34046 having taken the lead at Gascoigne Wood Down Loop for the route back to Crewe. 

15 minutes ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

The statistic that patronage doubled after privatisation is often quoted by its supporters. But what I've not heard them say is what exactly it was that the privatised railway did that was so much better than BR. One trend of the privatised era was more frequent but shorter trains; however that was started by BR. Can it be argued that the doubling would have happened anyway if BR had continued?

It could be argued, yes.  And with supporting evidence of what might have happened it may be possible to convince some.
 

But as BR didn’t continue there isn’t and can’t ever be conclusive proof - one way or the other. 
 

The irrelevance of the graph in isolation though is shown by what happened in 2021.  The graph shows a massive dip.  Clearly privatisation had failed.  Oh wait.  How about some context.  Ah yes.  COVID. 

That’s the point.  It’s the context that’s important to help support, interpret and explain the movements highlighted on the graph. 
 

5 minutes ago, AndrueC said:

It brings to mind this graph which appears to show an unfortunate corelation between ownership and passenger numbers.

 

I’m reminded of the phrase that correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation. 

3 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

I don't think there's a thread on this topic yet.

 

Any thoughts on Labour's plans to take over all passenger franchises? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/24/labour-promises-rail-nationalisation-within-five-years-of-coming-to-power

 

The Telegraph naturally homes in on  the negative  "Labour refuses to guarantee lower train fares under potential government"

 

One benefit that occurs to me is that it would stop TOC's poaching drivers from other TOCs, removing a disincentive to train more drivers. In a way I'm surprised that ASLEF are in favour of the plan since privatisation has surely driven up their salaries.

 

And it might improve reliability by increasing the pool of staff who can step in and substitute for staff who're off sick.

As always, the devil will be in the detail, for which at the moment, for very good reasons, there isn't a lot of.

But to pick up on one particular point in your post to ponder on;

3 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

One benefit that occurs to me is that it would stop TOC's poaching drivers from other TOCs, removing a disincentive to train more drivers. In a way I'm surprised that ASLEF are in favour of the plan since privatisation has surely driven up their salaries.

 

In the period from nationalisation in 1948 until privatisation in 1994 British Rail's staff had, to the best of my knowledge, a largely uniform set of employment terms and conditions and pay scales.  I've no doubt there was also some limited local and regional variations to take account of particular variables.  This homegenous situation, not without conflict I grant you, evolved over time by mutual discussion and eventual agreement(s) between BR and the associated trade unions in the industry.

The situation now is quite different.  That homogeneity as I understand it is significantly eroded.

To give one example, for historical reasons due to the TOCs previously involved and the way that franchises in the north operated and were changed over time, train crews at the current Northern have different sets of terms and conditions depending which side of the Pennines they are based at.  That has implications for the operations of services on Sundays, for example. 

But to use your example of train drivers, what's the potential outcome likely to be if there is an attempt to harmonise the drivers' pay scales at say Avanti West Coast (who I understand are at one end of the drivers' pay spectrum) with say Northern (who I understand are towards the other end of the pay spectrum).

Do you harmonise pay scales up, or down?

If you harmonise up, where does the funding come from to support that?

If you harmonise down, what will the impact be?

How do you achieve harmonisation overall whilst minimising the impact on staff affected?

Over what timescale do you try to achieve that?

There are no easy answers here.  And this is just one dimension of a very large and unwieldy issue.

As I said at the start, the devil will be in the detail.

21 minutes ago, bmb5dnp1 said:

Hello,

    I've never understand why people have problems with shareholders (which may include your pension scheme) making money as without them there'd be no investment or jobs anyway. 

 

                             Dave 

Without wanting to take the thread off in a whole different direction that risks acrimony, the wrath of the moderators and eventual locking, an examination of the history of the privatisation of the water industry and in particular the issues at Thames Water might throw some light on "...why people have problems with shareholders, etc..."

The net effect of which is best summed up in my mind by the phrase "Privatise the profits, but socialise any losses."

Darius, I’m in awe at your ability to turn MTK’s assortment of castings and body shells so rapidly into such excellent models. 
 

Don’t you ever rest?

There's a seven page article about the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) in the May issue of Modern Railways.

Much of the content will be familiar to readers of this forum, but the article draws on input from Neil Holm, who is the TRU Managing Director, so IMHO should be the definitive version of the project, in terms of scope, and current and planned progress. 

On 12/04/2024 at 11:27, jamie92208 said:

Is the new bridge installed over Bradford Road in Huddersfield yet?

 

Jamie

Not yet Jamie, but I don't believe the instal was planned for during the recent rail line and Bradford Road closure.  It'll be during one of the later closures.

There's a bit more about Roy Cross here for anyone interested.

http://roycrossfineart.co.uk

http://roycrossfineart.co.uk/airfix-gallery

He didn't do all of the Airfix box art, although he was apparently the most prolific.

On 19th April 2024 West Coast Railway Company's 57313 'Scarborough Castle' arriving at Brighouse to terminate with the Northen Belle rail tour set, having completed an Afternoon Tea outing as 1Z66 from Skipton...

...57313 then eased the empty coaching stock away working as 5Z66, Brighouse to Crewe Down Refuge Siding, via Bradley Wood Junction towards Huddersfield and Greater Manchester...

...with 57315 on the rear.

Colas 56090 rumbles towards Brighouse on 19th April 2024 with 6E44, Colas Ribble Rail at Preston to Haverton, discharged bitumen tanks.

Rather nice to see (and hear) as this working has been in the hands of Colas class 70s (including the hired-in Freightliner 70) for awhile.

34 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

Why is it that when railways are shown in movies (or on TV), very little thought seems to have been given to make sure they're 'accurate for period', or even place…

 

Whenever I point out a glaring railway inaccuracy or implausibility in a film or on TV, it’s usually followed by a loud schhhhhhhh from Mrs 4630 and accompanied, with a hint of menace by, “Will you just stop it.  It’s a drama, not a documentary!”

GBRf 60047 Scafell Pike heading west along the Calder Valley towards Brighouse in the early evening on 17th April 2024 with 6M09, Drax Power Station to Tuebrook Sidings, empty IIA-D biomass hoppers.

1 hour ago, Simon Bendall said:

 

In preservation, 421415 has vandal protection boards fitted over the windows, which are finished in the body colour. These were on were surveyed by Hornby. Join the dots 🙄

41 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

You would think that someone entrusted with surveying a prototype loco would have been able to detect temporary fixtures!

 

Did it not occur to ANYONE during the design and approval process that there was an odd lack of provision for side and rear-view visibility?

 

What have I previously posted about Hornby and a lack of railway knowledge - (swiftly rebutted by one of our Moderators)?!?

 

CJI.

If it was the 1st April we'd presumably be thinking something along the lines of what a good joke.

As it's not the 1st April the only appropriate reactions are "Really?!" and "Oh FFS".

On a cool and misty 2nd April 2024, GBRf 60076 Dunbar rumbles towards Brighouse with 6M34, Drax Power Station to Tuebrook Sidings, discharged biomass hoppers.

20 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Thanks very much for that @4630@4630.   72/73 Iwas at the Poly lib NG ianmouse infested bedsit up Halifax Old Road so Bradford Road was my way into town. 

I know Halifax Old Road very well as my house is located on the other side of the Grimscar Valley looking across towards it.  It’s a well known short cut into Hudds from the M62 and is also now a nighttime racetrack for the local boy (and girl too I would guess) racers. 😕  It’s a bit of road around here that I go out of my way to avoid!  

There is a lot of enabling work going on now virtually the full length of the line between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.  
 

There was a short concrete span on an artic trailer when I was there on the 31st, but it appeared to me to be too short to bridge the gap.  It’s on my list to investigate tomorrow.

Here are some photos @jamie92208 from 30th and 31st March of the work in Huddersfield, involving the removal of the steel span across the A641 Bradford Road. 

And for those unfamiliar with the area, the following Google Maps reference might help;

A641 Bradford Road Huddersfield

Mid-morning on the 30th March.

Late morning on 31st March.

There were three engineers' trains at Mirfield over 30th/31st March which seemed to be in connection with further track fettling around the station following the work to remove platform 2 there a couple of months ago.  Photos can be found in the class 66 thread here;

Huddersfield station is currently closed with diversions along the Calder Valley line via Brighouse.   Only limited services are available from Huddersfield between 2nd and 5th April - basically an hourly TransPennine Express stopping service westwards between Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly and an hourly Northern service along the Penistone line between Huddersfield and Sheffield.

The line between Huddersfield eastwards to Heaton Lodge Junction is closed, with the exception for access for around a dozen engineers' trains scheduled over the coming days, until 'normal' service resumes on the morning of 8th April 2024.   I believe the majority of these engineers' trains are in connection with work ongoing around Deighton, Bradley Junction and Colne Bridge that I referenced in my post on 6th February 2024.

Work was ongoing at Deighton on 30th March as shown in the following photo;

3 minutes ago, big jim said:

 

 

also there’s certainly no GBRf pride in the state of that loco, I noticed the decals were peeling the other week and it’s absolutely filthy! 
 

 

Yes, I thought exactly the same, that it could do with a bit of tlc .  I'm guessing that it was on rail head treatment duty last Autumn, but that finished almost four months ago!

Infrastructure work on 31st March 2024 in connection with the Transpennine Route Upgrade produced three engineers' trains at Mirfield.

GBRf 66773 Pride of GB Railfreight slowly draws through the worksite on the Up Huddersfield Fast with a mixed consist of JNA and MXA wagons...

...taking up a position next to 6G81 which is standing on the Up Huddersfield Slow, and is top 'n' tailed by, in the far distance (according to RealTime Trains) 66725 SUNDERLAND and 66722 Sir Edward Watkin.

In the opposite direction also on the Up Huddersfield Fast line is (again according to Real Time Trains) 66784 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 50th Anniversary 1968-2018 with 6G83, standing adjacent to signal HM566.

With its work completed at Mirfield, GBRf 66773 Pride of GB Railfreight leads 6G82, Bradley Wood Junction to Doncaster Belmont Down Yard through Brighouse, taking a lengthy route via Stockport and Sheffield to reach its destination.

There are around 12 engineers' trains, all operated by GBRf, scheduled to run over the next six days in connection with TransPennine Route Upgrade work between Dewsbury and Huddersfield.

The return working of the first of these approaches Brighouse on 29th March 2024, with recent acquisition from Europe now GBRf 66308, in charge.

66308 6G80 Marsden to Doncaster Belmont Down Yard.

13 minutes ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

 

 

Will the ORR back down? I have no idea, but given the spinelessness of today's politicians, I wouldn't be too surprised to find the ORR being leaned on to come up with some compromise. It's no good pretending that independent regulators are truly independent of political interference, when they are appointed by government ministers.

I would suspect that the issue for the ORR will be to ensure that in the (probable/likely/inevitable)* future incident, that they are not left in the legal firing line for having granted some form of exception.

Particularly so if they do come under political interference as you can guarantee that the politicians will make sure that they’re not left embarrassed. Plausible deniability is everything here. 
 

* delete as appropriate. 

On 21st March 2024, 4079 Pendennis Castle makes an energetic start from Keighley as it tackles the 1 in 66 gradient on the curve out of the station, before the longer climb of 1 in 58 towards Ingrow West.

Watching the road ahead.

BR Standard 2 78022 shunts ahead at Keighley to wait for its next working on 21st March 2024 during the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's steam gala.

Not sure if you're wanting a rural or an urban location particularly, but try Leeds in West Yorkshire.  Google maps reference below.

Leeds Station and Neville Street