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With their normal route through Huddersfield and the Standedge Tunnel closed between 11th March and 5th April 2023 due to Network Rail's major upgrade at Stalybridge, TransPennine Express has been running services via the Calder Valley. Here are several photos taken on 4th April 2023 of various TPE 802/2s along the Calder Valley. First of the class for TPE, 802201 approaching Brighouse heading east with 1P21, Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle. Second of the class for TPE 802202 heading west between Bradley Wood Junction and Brighouse with 9M11, Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street. And third of the class 802203 heading west between Brighouse and Greetland Junction with 1P20, Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street. Breaking the numerical run of units seen, 802209 heading east between Brighouse and Bradley Wood Junction with 1P25, Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle.

Under a cloudless sky on 4th April 2023, first of the class for Colas 70801 heads east along the Calder Valley approaching Brighouse with 6E32, Colas Ribble Rail to Lindsey Oil Refinery, discharged bitumen tanks.

A quick reference to a TOPS list shows that as of early this morning 13 of the 19 Freightliner class 70s were at Leeds Midland Road. Five of those have been stored there for various lengths of time. Of the two that were working at that time, 70002 was in charge of 4M95, Southampton MCT to Trafford Park FLT and passed through Stafford at 09.18.

I'm sure you're right about Graham Chapman. I think Colin Chapman*, God rest his soul, would be far more forthright! Something along the lines of "Don't be so 5ucking stupid!" * A bit of background here - Colin Chapman - for those 'younger' readers unfamiliar with his name from F1 and British automobile history.

Here's a photo of the gantry taken on 1st October 2015 with TPE 185117 passing with 1E72, a service from Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle. For those interested, according to the publicly accessible Network Rail Sectional Appendix, which I appreciate isn't always up to date and certainly doesn't reflect the alterations currently in progress, UDM refers to the 'Up & Down Middle' line and UH 'Up Huddersfield'. It'll be interesting to see what structure, if any, replaces it.

Interesting that that gantry has gone. IIRC it was installed across the full width of the viaduct when the track layout was altered at Stalybridge only a few years ago and the specification of the gantry at that time took account of anticipated electrification of the route. I guess it’s demise might be due to changing OHL clearance requirements.

Further into its journey, 52044 entering Mytholmes Tunnel.

The morning pick-up freight blasts through a deserted Keighley on 27th March 1953 2023, with ex-L&Y 'Ironclad' 52044 in charge.

In the late afternoon sun on 27th March 2023 and framed by the arch of Bridgehouse Lane bridge, Haworth Shed on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is home to Pacer 144011, BR Standard 4MT 78078, 37075 and 08266.

Gone in a puff of smoke. The south portal of Mytholmes Tunnel on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway after L&Y 'Ironclad' 52044 had passed through on 27th March 2023. The image was taken from the verandah of a brake van during an organised photo shoot along the line.

Keeping a Pacer alive for passengers to experience in the future, 144011, in the Metro Trains livery of the former West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, stands in the siding adjacent to Haworth Shed on 27th March 2023. The photo was taken from the verandah of a brake van that was being used on an arranged photo shoot along the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

This is the service that you should look for on RealTime Trains. 6M32 Lindsey Oil Refinery to Colas Ribble Rail (Preston Docks) - loaded bitumen tanks https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H35000/2023-03-20/detailed 6E32 Colas Ribble Rail to Lindsey Oil Refinery - discharged bitumen tanks https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H34991/2023-03-20/detailed The trains run as required, but generally at least once a week. The service is currently operated by Colas using their class 70s, although in the recent past a pair of class 56s were used. Here is 6E32 on 1st December 2022 approaching Brighouse with 70813 in charge. https://www.russellwykes-photography.com/p797515234#h4c8c95f3

Resurrecting a long dormant thread, it looks as though the trial service will be operating on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 4th April to 10th September 2023. Details on this recently published story on the Swanage Railway's website here.

Bobby enjoyed the snow on 11th March 2023 when he was out for his walk around Fixby... ... and enjoyed racing around the outfield at Rastrick Cricket Club. I can thoroughly recommend fish and chips from Blakeley's, for anyone visiting this part of West Yorkshire.

According to an interview given by Shaun Evans in connection with the final episode, there was a lot of discussion about whether to include that scene in the final broadcast version. He felt "really strongly" about including it. Available here for anyone interested.

It was the same location - Exeter College, Oxford.

I don’t know, perhaps it’s just been a long and tiring day, or may be I’ve just reached that stage in life where none of this really comes as much of a surprise anymore. It would seem as though in a few short years starting from a positive, optimistic vision of a new high speed railway line with frequent trains from central London to Birmingham and Manchester with a separate leg to Leeds, the best that is likely to be achieved now is effectively a glorified shuttle service between a west London suburb and Birmingham. What a truly sad state of affairs. Sometimes I really do despair at what this country appears to have become. Hopefully everything will look better in the morning, but some how I doubt it.

I'm sure there'll be more to this story over the next few hours and days. BBC - HS2 Construction to be delayed to save money

Spookily enough, I’ve had a very similar experience to your own recently. And also involving a model railway purchase that was initially declined online, with subsequent ‘phone verification. I put it down to the credit card company being ultra cautious in the period immediately after a new card being sent out, just in case it had been intercepted in transit before reaching me, the legitimate card holder. Was it annoying? Marginally at the time, but a whole lot less hassle and stress than having to deal with real card fraud. As @kevinlms suggests, my wallet always has one alternative method of payment.

Colas 70806 passing Colne Bridge on 2nd March 2023 heading east towards Heaton Lodge Junction with 4Z40, Longport Land Recovery to Dewsbury Tilcon, empty bogie box wagons.

GBRf 66779 EVENING STAR approaching Brighouse on 28th February 2023 with 6Z38, Scunthorpe Anchor to Bredbury Tilcon, loaded bogie hoppers.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure that this was 60087s first revenue working after its repaint. The 6M51 working, which is Sundays Only and runs from Doncaster Down Decoy rather than direct from Drax Power Station, is frequently used by GBRf to cycle locomotives from maintenance onto the biomass circuit.

Excellent news. 👍 Here's GBRf 60087, when fresh from its repaint, at Colne Bridge on 18th July 2021 working 6M51, Doncaster Down Decoy to Liverpool Biomass Terminal, empty biomass hoppers.

Freightliner 66419 Lionesses Roar brightens up the dull winter landscape at Deighton on 16th February 2023, working 7E53 from Crewe Basford Hall SSM to Gascoigne Wood Sidings... ...conveying a rake of JHA wagons, all of which had a covering of graffiti.

A TPE class 185 heads west from Deighton round the 2nd radius curve towards the fiddle yard on 16th February 2023.