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Wednesday 31 May 2017

Pics from Two, Lesser Known Heritage Railways

Today's post, 31st  May 2017, comprises 24 pics from four contributors.


WINWICK & BEYOND













David Quayle kicks of this post with two pics from the Elsecar Heritage Railway, near Barnsley. David received a steam loco driving experience present for a recent birthday and the above two pics show the loco that he drove. Pic one  features the loco -  0-4-0ST  Birkenhead - built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd., at Newcastle in 1948. The engine is believed to be based at Southall and owned by the GWR Preservation Trust.

David is actually at the controls in the second, (right), head-on pic of Birkenhead, although we can't see him. Both of David's pics were taken on 15th May 2017.



Geoff Monks is up next with four shots all taken at the Apedale Valley Railway, Staffordshire, on 13th May 2017. The event was to celebrate the centenary of the Kerr Stuart loco, Stanhope. First pic shows Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0WT Ashanti 9, of 1916, repatriated from Ghana; also an 0-6-0T of 1916, originally used on the Western Front in WWI and latterly at a stone quarry in Northern France.




Geoff's second shot features Kerr Stuart 0-4-0T Diana, of 1917, used during its commercial life at a slate quarry at Nantlle, North Wales.








Next is recently built 0-4-0ST Jennie (left) built at the Statfold Barn Railway in 2005 to a Kerr Stuart "Wren" class design and Kerr Stuart 0-402ST Stanhope, of 1917, latterly used at the Penrhyn Slate Quarries in North Wales.







Diana is featured again in this fourth shot from Geoff leaving the north end of the AVR on a passenger train.









Geoff has also sent in two shots taken at Acton Bridge on 26th May 2017. First up is double heading DB class 90s - 90036 Driver Jack Mills,  and 90028  (EWS livery) on a Mossend - Daventry intermodal working.







DB class 66, 66066 Geoff Spencer is next up, on a Knowsley - Wilton "binliner" working.









Jeff Nicholls has sent in the next ten shots.  Here are the first four. This pair of Colas Rail class 37s were working Derby-Carlisle, with a Network Rail train. The Pendolino was stopped at signals on the main line. The tail loco was 37219 Jonty Jarvis 8-12- 1998 to 18-3-2005; 37116 was up front. The location was Winwick and the date, 9th May 2017.







Another pair of 37s, 37057 (Top) and 37025 (Tail) are up next, both preserved but on hire to Colas Rail. They were pictured on a Network Rail train passing Glazebrook East Junction  signal box on 11th May 2017.  The green class 37, 37057 up front had the as-built fairings around the buffers removed in BR days, and replaced, to regain the original appearance.





The same NR train is pictured passing through Glazebrook station with 37025 Inverness TMD on the tail, on the same date. 








DRS class 88, 88002 Prometheus, is next from Jeff depicted passing through Winwick on 9th May 2017. The loco was heading the first passenger working of the class - a VIP 'special', Crewe - Carlisle. DRS class 68, 68022 Resolution, was on the tail. The pic is dated 9th May 2017.






Eight more shots from Jeff now follow. His first shows a plaque found at Medway Viaduct  over the River Medway near Rochester, celebrating a new UK rail speed record. Pic is dated 19th May 2017.










The Eurostar was also taken at Medway Viaduct  on the same date.









The class '395' Javelin unit was pictured having emerged from beneath the River Thames slowing down to enter Ebbsleet Station with a St Pancras - Faversham service. The date is the same, 19th May 2107.








Next up is a pair of NR class 20s - 20118 Saltburn by the Sea and 20132 Barrow Hill Depot - both pictured in Tonbridge West Yard. Pic is dated 19th May 2017.








Also photographed at the same location, on the same date, is this line of GBRf class 70s. They are 73136 Mhairi, 73212 Fiona, 73213 Rhodalyn and 73219 Borough of Eastleigh.








The next steam shots were taken at Sheffield Park on the Bluebell Railway, on 20th May 2017. This one features ex SE&CR 'H' class 0-4-4T No.263 designed by Harry Wainwright.







Next is ex BR Standard class 5MT No.73082.













Jeff's third steam shot features ex SR 4-6-0, Urie/Maunsell 'S15' class, No. 847.








The final four shots in this post have been sent in by Bevan Price.  His first was taken at Skelton Junction on 10th April 2017. Featured is Freightliner class 66, 66534 OOCL Express, with a Folly Lane - Brindle Heath "binliner" empties working.







On 28th May 2017, Bevan visited the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway and photographed 0-6-0T No.7 Beatrice, approaching Embsay Station.









Two shots now follow taken at the recent SVR Diesel Gala on 20th May 2017. Pictured is DB class 60, 60100 approaching Bewdley, passing stationary class 703, 73965 waiting to depart to Bridgnorth.








The last but not least shot in the post, shows class 33, 33108 departing Highley.







Friday 12 May 2017

Belgian Traction.

Today's post, 12 May 2017, comprises eleven pics sent in by two contributors.


WINWICK AND BEYOND


The first four pics are from Geoff Monks.  His first was taken at Swanick Junction and features a passenger service for Butterley (at the Midland Railway Centre, Derbyshire), headed by ex GWR 0-6-2T steam loco,  No.5619. The pic is dated 23 April 2017.






The next three shots from Geoff were all taken at Millmeece, between Stafford and Crewe, on 4th May 2017. This one shows Chiltern liveried class 68, 68014 on a Mountsorrel- Crewe ballast working.






Double heading DRS class 37s are up next  - pic three from Geoff. Nos 37218 and 37059 are pictured on a Bridgwater-Crewe nuclear flasks' working. 







Last but not least from Geoff is GBRf class 66, 66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers, on a Toton - Crewe engineers' working. 







Up next are seven shots from Jeff Nicholls. First is Northern Rail class 319, 319 368, leaving Newton-le-Willows on a Lime Street - Manchester Airport service on 21st April 2017.









Next is a shot of two unliveried class 319s - 319 450 and 319 363 - taken at Lime Street on 21 April 2017.








The remainder of the pics were all taken in Belgium. No.1837 was taken leaving Bruges station with and express for Antwerp, on 13 April 2017.







Pic number 4 from Jeff shows a TRAXX loco, no.2807, which works with four different voltage systems. It was heading an Amsterdam-bound service composed of Dutch Railways' stock on 15 April 2017. The location was Brussels Midi station.






Brussels Midi Station was also the location for the next three shots from Jeff. This one shows a THALYS high speed unit, no.4345, bound for Paris Nord. Behind is a SNCF TGV no.4511. Pic is dated 15 April 2017.






Nos 5511 and 5512 are older GM diesels now used as a Belgian equivalent of our class 57 'Thunderbirds'.  This pic is also dated 15 April 2017. 









No.7793 is also an older diesel being used here on an engineers' train for Infrabel, the Belgian equivalent of our own Network Rail. This pic is also dated 15 April 2017.