4630

If I’m in the right frame of mind to wind up Mrs4630*, my admittedly pedantic reply to a similar request is usually along the lines of; ”What!” ”You want me to boil the kettle? “ ”Ok, if that’s what you really want me to do, but I promise you it won’t make a nice cup of tea”. Before, of course, then producing a perfect brew. *It doesn’t happen that frequently as it usually brings about some retribution.

BBC link - Maersk has said it is pausing all journeys through the Red Sea A perfectly sensible business decision given the risks to those at sea in that part of the globe. It's not a new situation I know, but this has the potential to get messy and lead to wider economic and other consequences. Lets hope it doesn't .

He's showing no fear and like nearly all the cats that we've had in the past, he seems to have been born 'streetwise'. He's terrorising our two year old cockapoo.

Some months ago I reported the sad passing of 'Buttons'. Despite the loss, as expected, we servants now had a lot of time on our hands so we couldn't be without an attention seeking, seemingly ever hungry and needy a cat around the house for too long. So it gives me pleasure to belatedly introduce you all to Oscar. Exploring his new surroundings... ...and not taking too long to settle in.

On 12th December 2023, Locomotive Services Limited's D1935 (47805) 'Roger Hosking MA 1925-2013' passing through Brighouse on the rear of Saphos Trains 'The Christmas White Rose', which was steam hauled from York to Crewe by 46100 'Royal Scot'*. *Photo of 46100 on this working here:

The return leg of Saphos Trains 'The Christmas White Rose', steam hauled from York to Crewe by 46100 'Royal Scot', passes through Brighouse on 12th December 2023.

Colas 56105 approaching Brighouse on 13th December 2023 with 6E44, Colas Ribble Rail at Preston to Haverton, discharged bitumen tanks. Always good to see a class 56 for a change as in recent months this working has been a solid class 70 duty. Colas however currently has at least five (possibly six) of its class 70s out of action for maintenance/repair. Even drafting in Freightliner 70009 from store at Leeds Midland Road on loan hasn't helped so far.

For those who may be interested, there's a report in another forum that there are tentative paths in the schedule on Thursday (13th) and Friday (14th) this week for a trip in passenger service with the 701 units from London Waterloo to Windsor and return. 2U91 1025 Waterloo to Windsor (1119) and 2U92 1130 Windsor to Waterloo (1228) Calling at normal Windsor line stops. Associated empty stock paths are also in the schedule as follows; 5U91 0953 Wimbledon Park Depot Sidings to London Waterloo (10.13) 5Y89 1240 London Waterloo to Wimbledon Park Depot Sidings (1325) Information given in good faith, so the usual caveats apply.

DRS 68002 'Intrepid' top 'n' tailing a single FNA-D with 66428 'Carlisle Eden Mind', approaching Deighton on 11th December 2023 working 6Z79 from Crewe Coal Sidings to Leeds Balm Road.

DRS 66428 'Carlisle Eden Mind' bringing up the rear of 6Z79, passing through Deighton on 11th December 2023, working from Crewe Coal Sidings to Leeds Balm Road, top 'n' tailing a single FNA-D with 68002 'Intrepid'.

Well I’m more than happy, in this instance, to have been proven wrong and I apologise for having passed on what appears to have been duff information. Pleased to say that according to Realtime Trains 68030 and set TP06 is out today working a number of services between Manchester Piccadilly - Leeds - York and Scarborough.

Still operating this season, but I'm guessing not for much longer, DR98912/DR98962 pass through Deighton on 8th December 2023 working 3S08, Wigan LIP to Wigan LIP. Either this set hasn't been used much this Autumn, or it's already been treated to a power wash session, as it looks unusually clean.

On 8th December 2023, one of the few trains along the Huddersfield line, Rail Operations Group 37601 'Perseus' with 331005 in tow, working as 5Q17, Allerton Depot to Neville Hill T&RSMD. This is one of the planned swaps across the Pennines of 331/0 three-car units heading east, in exchange for 331/1 four-car units heading west. Previous recent unit swaps have been routed via Skipton.

There's a certain irony if that does happen as Chiltern has form in acquiring rolling stock from TransPennine Express, albeit when it was the First/Keolis franchise, courtesy of the DfT being tardy in making a decision. Nine Class 170s moving to Chiltern and now operating as 168/3s with that operator.

The penultimate one. 68030 and TP06 worked the later service, 1K42 to Manchester Victoria. According to a post elsewhere that's it now. All done in passenger service for TPE as, and I quote from someone employed there who is in a position to know, 'The order to finish today coming from "high up"'. So it would seem unlikely that they'll be any out on Saturday. It's likely though that there will be movements out from Longsight TMD at some stage to wherever they plan to store the Mark5A sets, although there doesn't appear to be anything scheduled yet.

You picked a good day, and almost the last day, to experience the journey. A quick look at Realtime trains, which I know isn't always 100% accurate as it relies on external data, shows the following situation for today; For the majority of the day the two class 68/Mark 5 sets currently on the east side of the Pennines (68026+TP11 and 68030+TP11) are shuttling between Scarborough and York. The day time service between Manchester Piccadilly and Scarborough is provided by class 185s today. Both 68026 and 68030 finish their diagrams today back at Longsight TMD tonight, leaving none at Scarborough or York; 68026+TP11 should work 1U80 19/48 Scarborough to Manchester Piccadilly (22/10), then 5H80 to Longsight. 68030+TP06 should work 1K42 20/43 Scarborough to Manchester Victoria (22/50), then 5H84 to Longsight. With the ASLEF strike affecting TransPennine Express tomorrow there won't be any services. Which leaves Saturday 9th. Previous Saturdays haven't always regularly featured class 68s and Mark5As across the Pennines, so it may well be that today will be the last day for them in service with TransPennine Express.

In the last few days of operation now. On 6th December 2023, with an overnight heavy frost evident, 68030 Black Douglas and set TP06 speeds towards Heaton Lodge East Junction with 1U39, Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough.

The sad passing of Felix, one of Huddersfield's two railway station cats, has been announced today by TransPennine Express. https://mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk/news/tpe-mourns-the-loss-of-its-beloved-station-cat

This from TransPennine Express expands on the post from @Mol_PMB a little earlier. https://mediacentre.tpexpress.co.uk/news/tpe-mourns-the-loss-of-its-beloved-station-cat

Freightliner 70016 hurries through the gloom towards Deighton on 4th December 2023 with a lengthy rake of JNA wagons, working as 6E53, Crewe Basford Hall to Gascoigne Wood Sidings.

Certainly as far as the part of the route that this announcement refers to - Huddersfield to Ravensthorpe - from my observations there's been an increasing amount of enabling works going on in and around the railway boundary over the past six months. I'm probably more optimistic now that the upgrade of the line between Colton Junction (south west of York) - Leeds - Huddersfield will actually be completed. That's guarded optimism though, as I'm not going to underestimate the potential for de-scoping, or a slow down of the work at some stage, in the name of 'cost saving'.

Oh yes. The “Here today, gone tomorrow politician” who got a tad upset in an interview at the time with the late Sir Robin Day. YouTube here for anyone wanting to relive the experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP_nutGc7p0

Yes, as per Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty from 1949. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm

For those wanting a bit more of the detail, the Serpell Report can be found here; https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoT_Serpell001.pdf The maps showing the railway network from the various options that Serpell’s report outlined can be found from page 68 onwards.

Closure of the mainline west from Salisbury to Exeter was one of the options (Option C3) included in the 1983 Serpell Report.