4630

91347 approaching Stratford on the eastbound (might be westbound) Central line.

88003 at Innotrans on 19th September 2016. Beaten by seconds

86901 sits at York on 19th December 2006 in between ice breaking duties.

It'll be 'one in the eye' to the other freight operators.

DVT 82205 vinyled for the Flying Scotsman at Leeds on 6th August 2015.

This adds some interesting background and anecdotes about TOPS; http://www.les-smith.com/software/tops.htm

75078 approaching Ingrow West at speed on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway during their Autumn Steam Gala on 8th October 2016.

73107 'Spitfire' sitting in the rarely used platform 1 at Bournemouth on 28th May 2005.

Class 59, 59002, at that time named 'Yeoman Enterprise', at Eastleigh Works Open Day on 18th September 1988. Where do the years go ! I always thought that the silver and blue Foster Yeoman livery suited the class 59s. I've no idea who 'Dan, Doris and Debbie' are posing in front of the loco. They weren't with me.

Freightliner 57003 approaching Eastleigh on 21st March 2005.

C Stock Driving Motor 5553 brings up the rear of a Hammersmith & City line working at Farringdon circa 1988.

41001 at the National Railway Museum, York on 12th April 2006 Edit - Just beaten to it.

I hope the conversation was more along the lines of; "Right chaps, if these are still here tomorrow when we're scheduled to start the job then we're b*ggered !"

A small contingent of the orange army gets a final briefing on the soon to be lengthened short suburban platforms at London Waterloo on 4th August 2017, ahead of three weeks of engineering work which began on 5th August. I hope it all goes smoothly for the orange army, rail staff and travelling public using Waterloo over the next few weeks.

Thanks Paul. So effectively the NRM traded the cost of an overhauled locomotive that people could see and enjoy, against the ongoing cost of continued storage and no meaningful use. I can understand why the Swanage Railway decided as they did at the time.

What's the story with this one?

Like all very good wind ups it has just enough air of plausibility about it. I did wonder when I heard it if the BBC would subsequently have to apologise for GB swearing on air. Fortunately he didn't. I gather GB has said that he'll get his own back !

66126 eases 6J46, 09.53 Peak Forest Cemex Sidings to Hope Street Peakstone P Sidings, round the curve towards Ashton Moss North Junction on 31st July 2017. 36 years after closure of the Manchester-Sheffield 1500V DC Woodhead line, the gantries for the electrified route to Ashton Moss remain in place.

And Bill Gates said that 640k of memory would be enough for anyone.

Selby to Huddersfield via Leeds, Bradford Interchange (rev.), Halifax and Brighouse is around 46 miles and includes a few of West Yorkshire's hills and tunnels too.

IIRC the driver (and route training) for Colas 60s took place in December 2014 from Doncaster to Doncaster via Hebden Bridge. This was in the month before Colas took over the contract for the Lindsey Oil Refinery to Preston bitumen tanks, effective from January 2015. Here is 60087 reversing at Hebden Bridge on 9th December 2014 with 0Z94, 08.00 Doncaster to Doncaster. As a general point where ever the class 60s end up, as far as Wabtec/Brush acquiring 20 class 60s for possible future use is concerned, it strikes me as a pretty shrewd business move. They wouldn't be doing it unless they had identified a future business use for them and had a pretty solid business case. On the assumption that the locos retain their Mirlees power units, reconditioned of course, then they should have 'grandfather' rights as far as current emission regulations are concerned. And I would guess this is a cheaper option for heavy haul options than the alternative which, as far as I'm aware, would only be new build class 70s. I'm assuming that a solo class 68 wouldn't have enough grunt to handle the heaviest duties that a solo 60 (or a solo 70 for that matter) can manage.

It really is a shame that the 4-Sub has not been kept under cover like the 2-Bil at NRM Shildon and cared for a little bit better.

In late evening sunshine on 27th July 2017, 66726 'Sheffield Wednesday' leans into the curve on the approach to Brighouse with 6M14, 16.43 Arcow Quarry to Bredbury Tilcon, loaded stone hoppers.

Europhoenix 37608 'Andromeda' on hire to Colas heads 1Q67, 18.22 Doncaster West Yard to Doncaster via assorted destinations in West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester & Lancashire, at Ravensthorpe on 27th July 2017. Europhoenix 37611 'Pegasus' was on the rear. The yellow Network Rail vehicles comprised 975091 'Mentor', 72631, 977997 & 96609.

Any one worked out yet what taxation changes will be necessary to make up for the massively reduced amount of income to HMRC from VAT and fuel duty?