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The information on TPE withdrawing the class 68s and Mk5A sets is coming from a video address that the TPE Interim Managing Director gave to staff last Friday. It’s too early for this to have been picked up in the various print magazines yet, although I would guess that various online versions of the magazines will report the details over the next couple of days. The substance of the MDs address was quoted on a couple of online forums last Friday.

The Branch Line Society's 'Humber Super Snipe' rail tour, which ran on 26th August 2023, was led by a couple of Freightliner class 70s for the leg of the itinerary from Stourton (on the outskirts of Leeds) to Dewsbury Blue Circle, via Wakefield Kirkgate. Here is FL 70015 leading 70001 PowerHaul, with DB Cargo 66124, diverging from the Up Lancashire & Yorkshire at Horbury to take the Up Healey Mills Loop... ...with FL 66615 and 66616 at the rear... ...and coming to a stand as the driver has been offered a route (Up L& Y Fast) that deviated from the booked route... ...after a few minutes, and a signal change to indicate the booked route, the 70s restarted... and crossed to the Up L&Y Slow.

Probably not an altogether surprising decision considering the history of their introduction and service history to date. Disappointing yes; surprising no. It’s worth bearing in mind that the first public service working was almost exactly 4 years ago - 24th August 2019 - with 68027 Splendid and TP09 at Scarborough here. Since that time, although Covid obviously got in the way, for a variety of other reasons, the sets never achieved the required level of reliability and diagrammed availability. What the long term future holds for the TPE 68s and separately the Mark 5A sets is the subject of much frothing on a couple of other forums. Some of it quite amusing really and definitely not grounded in the financial reality that the railway currently faces.

Locomotive Services Limited's D213 Andania heading east at Colne Bridge on 25th August 2023 with 1Z70, Crewe to York, private charter. The headboard reads 'Jonathan Rawlinson HALF CENTURY EXPRESS'. There's also a video clip here.

Thanks for posting the images. Seriously tempted by the Northern class 158.

Colas 70807 approaching Colne Bridge on 22nd August 2023 with 6Z50, Tyne Yard to Longport, loaded JNA bogie box wagons.

Think of the row you’d get from your wife/partner/significant other if you did.

Rest assured, you’re absolutely not the only one. I suspect that you and I are both members of a very large group of likeminded individuals.

This might be interesting to readers of this thread. The video was taken in July 2023 and shows the current state of play with TRU work along the route between Manchester Piccadilly and York. TRU July 2023

I’m pretty sure that the series currently airing on Yesterday is the third series.

Just to advise that allocation data for c2c services was added to Realtime Trains a couple of days ago.

A couple from 8th August 2023. GB Railfreight 66774 passing Thornhill LNW Junction at Ravensthorpe and takes the line heading to Wakefield Kirkgate with 6G79, an engineers' train of track panels working from Doncaster Belmont Yard to Healey Mills, via a reversal at Marsden. GB Railfreight 66303 passing through Mirfield with 6E99, Leyland Sidings to Rylstone Tilcon, empty aggregate bogie box wagons.

Well look what arrived this morning. Absolutely stunning model @Revolution Mike B @Revolution Ben thanks for producing it and I'm sure it'll be a winner for you. The points about packaging made by @jonnyuk earlier today are apposite in my view too, particularly the delivery box. Now with my Accurascale 37402 arriving last week I'm all set to recreate this pairing, working as 2Z02 at Woodlesford on 10th September 2019.

Now on lease to Grand Central to cover for the continuing unreliability of their class 180 units, 221143 slows for a booked stop at Brighouse. Working on 19th July 2023 as 5Z21, this was the first visit by one of the class 221 ‘Voyager’ units to the Calder Valley line and was undertaken as test run by Grand Central from its depot at Crofton, near Wakefield. The booked schedule included stops at all of the stations in South and West Yorkshire currently served by Grand Central's Bradford Interchange - London Kings Cross service.

DB Cargo 66094 at Colne Bridge on 29th July 2023 with 6E26, Knowsley Freight Terminal to Wilton EFW Terminal, loaded binliner. On this occasion diverted via the Standedge Tunnel and Huddersfield due to weekend engineering work along the Calder Valley line. Freightliner 66621 also at Colne Bridge on 29th July 2023 working light locomotive as 7E53, Crewe Basford Hall to Leeds Balm Road. I assume that the 66 was poorly, necessitating the slower speed running as a class 7 rather than a class 0.

I'm not sure which piece of software you're using to tag your photos, but I've been using Photo Mechanic for around 10 years now and it does take a lot of the pain out of that particular task. Especially if also using the 'Keyword List' feature which saves much repetitive typing. It's available in PC and Mac flavours. There's a free trial version and then a one off license if you decide to keep. The current version is Photo Mechanic 6. It's very stable and seems to play nicely with my Mac. The learning curve is not particularly steep and to be honest, I wouldn't be without it now. Details available here; Photo Mechanic

Northern 158756 calls at Brighouse on 26th July 2023 with a service from Wigan Wallgate to Leeds, as members of the 'Friends of Brighouse Station' team tend to the flower display. Northern 150205 approaching Brighouse on the same date with a local service from Huddersfield to Bradford Interchange... ...with a healthy number of passengers. A short video clip of Northern 158753 approaching Brighouse with a service from Leeds to Wigan Wallgate is here.

Good luck to this bunch. Wildcat kittens

Colas 66850 passing through Brighouse on 26th July 2023 with 6M44, Colas Ribble Rail at Preston to Haverton, discharged bitumen tanks. A video clip is here.

Not exactly freight, but an 88 has been used on Rail Head Treatment Trains.

Locomotive Services Limited’s Midland Pullman liveried High Speed Train hurries through Colne Bridge east of Huddersfield on 25th July 2023, led by power car 43046 'Geoff Drury 1930-1999 Steam Preservation and Computerised Track Recording Pioneer'... ...with power car 43059 on the rear. A video clip is available here. This was an empty coaching stock working as 5Z42 from Crewe Holding Sidings to Neville Hill Traction & Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot, and was a positioning move as the set is scheduled to operate the West Highland Pullman rail tour on 26th July 2023 from Darlington to Oban.

Absolutely beautiful @TEAMYAKIMA

I feel this actually reinforces the value to me of being a subscriber, be it of the print version or the online equivalent, of my favourite magazines. Particularly when also considering some of the other financial incentives that publishers offer to their subscribers. Especially sometimes around renewal time. Price rises are seldom welcome, but in the overall scheme of things, I value the intrinsic benefit of being able to enjoy reading a magazine and as such it's important to my health and wellbeing.

On 20th July 2023 37059, led by D345 and 20305, working as 0Z37 Castleton Hopwood Ground Frame (East Lancashire Railway/Network Rail boundary) to Worksop Down Yard, at Deighton.

Always nice to see and hear a class 40 out on the mainline in 2023. On 20th July 2023, D345 with 20305 and 37059 for company working 0Z37, Castleton Hopwood Ground Frame (the East Lancashire Railway/Network Rail boundary) to Worksop Down Yard, approaches Deighton.