Three from Two

Today's post (30th April 2011) comprises three pics, showing totally different subjects,  from two regular contributors Geoff Monks and Alan Rigby.



The first is from Geoff and depicts the 'Army' tug. DBS class 60, 60040 The Territorial Army Centenary, in famous red livery, is shown passing through Winwick, southbound, on a Carlisle - Crewe  departmental working. The pic is dated 28th April 2011.





Geoff's second shot was taken on the same day. Class 33, 33207 Jim Martin, of the West Coast Railway Company, is shown heading WCRC empty passenger stock through Winwick, on a Carlisle - Southall working.






The third shot, of Alan Rigby's, was taken at Winwick on the previous day to Geoff's pics i.e. 27th April 2011. The new 'Extendolino' is featured, 390054, an eleven-car Pendolino set having trials on the West Coast Main Line with Virgin.

A Mixed Bag

Today's post 19th April 2011 features four pics from four regular contributors. All pics show different subjects, hence, the title above.


Pic number one is from Alan Rigby. Three trains in a single shot is quite rare at Winwick so well done to Alan for being in the right place at the right time. Apparently the driver of the Northern Rail class 150, 150141, had reported hitting something south of the junction so everything stopped for a moment. The other two trains in the pic are 'Super Voyager' class 221, 221143, and Arriva Trains Wales class 175, 175111. The pic is dated 27th April 2011.


Alan has also supplied pic number two. Freightliner 'PowerHaul' class 70, 70011, is shown on a Ellesmere Port - Fiddlers Ferry Power Station coal working, on 8th April 2011.





John Smith has sent in pic number three. Grand Central class 43s, 43423 and 43484 are depicted at Winwick on a Loughborough (Brush Works) - Kilmarnock working on 1st April 2011.







The fouth pic is from Jeff Nicholls. Track machine DR73942 was shot at Winwick on 26th April 2011.







One of our contributors is having trouble with blog text and photos overlapping, when using his Apple Mac computer. Does anyone else have this problem? Can anyone suggest a remedy? Email me please.

More Winwick Engineering Shots

Today's pics, 25th April 2011, include two from John Smith which update  our photographic recording of the current Winwick engineering work.

John's pics were taken on 23rd April 2011 and feature engineering workings headed by Freightliner class 66, 66603 (1) and EWS (DBS) class 66, 66095 (2).

Pic number three is from Alan Rigby. GBRf (Eurotunnel) class 66, 66715 Valour, is pictured leaving Fiddlers Ferry Power Station with a gypsum working, on 20th April 2011.

The fourth pic shows EWS (DBS) class 59, 59203 Vale of Pickering, on a coal working at Winwick on 10th November 2010. The pic is from Jeff Nicholls.





If you require advice about photographing trains on stations etc., go to the Network Rail website at www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx  and refer to the 'Rail Enthusiasts' section in the menu, on the left hand side.

5029 Nunney Castle

GWR enthusiasts have had a great time lately with two of Charles Collett's finest creations travelling through our patch. I've shown a couple of pics of 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe previously (and there are more to come) but today's post, 23rd April 2011, is all about 5029, Nunney Castle. It passed through Winwick, with support coach, on 21st April 2011 and again, heading a leg of 'The Great Britain IV' tour, on 22nd April 2011. I have received many pics of the two events and four have been chosen for today - others are 'banked'. One hundred and seventy-one 'Castle' class 4-6-0s were built between 1923 and 1950; the first was 4073 Caerphilly Castle and the last, 7037 Swindon.



Pic number one, above, is from Jeff Nicholls. 5029 and support coach are pictured travelling nothbound on a Tyseley - Carnforth working on 21st April 2011.

The same working, through Winwick, was photographed by Geoff Monks, and his shot, above, is next.The 'Castle' headed the Preston to Bristol leg of 'The Great Britain IV' railtour, leg 7 of 9, on the following day, 22nd April 2011.

Pic number three showing this railtour is by Colin Platt, and the location was Red Bank.

The final pic showing the same railtour is by Glenn Oakley; Glenn chose Golborne as his location.

Three Electrics

All three pics today, 20th April 2011,  from three photographers, feature AC electric locomotives. Class 86/4 locos, modified from from 86/3s between 1984-87 were further modified in 1990 to become class 86/6s. The modifications were carried out at BR Crewe. Class 90 locos were built by BREL at Crewe between 1986-88. The class 92s were built between 1992-96 by Brush Traction at Loughborough, and are the most powerful of the three described, with a tractive effort of 90,000lb (with 'boost').


The first shot is from Jeff Nicholls. Double heading Freightliner class 86s, 86622 and 86605, are shown heading an intermodal working, souhbound, through Winwick on 14th April 2011. 86622 was previously numbered 86405, 86005, 86008 and E3103; 86605 was previously numbered 86405, 86005 and E3185.




John Smith's shot of Freightliner class 90, 90046, is next. The loco is also heading an intermodal working, southbound, but the location is Red Bank. The pic is dated 12th April 2011.




The final shot is from yours truly and features EWS (DBS) class 92, 92003 Beethoven, on yet another intermodal working (its a change from coal....), southbound, through Winwick on 16th March 2010.

A Class 31 and Three Class 37s

Today's post, 18th April 2011 features three pics from three different contributors, covering just two diesel classes.


 The first pic shows one of Network Rail's  locomotives that provide the power for the company's test trains. Class 31, 31465 in NR yellow livery, is pictured at Winwick, light engine, on 8th April 2011. The NR locos are allocated to the Railway Technical Centre, Derby. The pic is from John Smith.


Pic number two has been sent in by Richard Jones and is another of his excellent scans from 1992. In the shot, double heading class 37s, 37048 and 37255, are working empty low-sided wagons northbound, through Winwick, on 18th May 1992.



The final shot is of another class 37, and this one is from yours truly. DBS class 37, 37670, is pictured travelling southbound heading a short engineer's working, at Winwick, on 23rd September 2009.

The Marquess and The Earl

Today's post, 16th April 2011, is all about two steam locomotives, one of LNER extraction and the other from the GWR. Nigel Gresley and Charles Collett, repectively, were the locomotive engineers reponsible for the pair, a 2-6-0 'K4' and a 4-6-0 'Castle'

Pic number one is from Glenn Oakley.  'K4' No.61994 The Great Marquess is featured with support coach at Golborne on 6th April 2011. The working was Crewe - Thornton (Scotland).

The same loco is shown in the next shot, in monochrome, from Jeff Nicholls. The loco is double heading with Gresley 'A4' 4-6-2, No.60009 Union of South Africa, working northbound with support coach at Golborne, on 19th December 2007.

Pic number three is of 'Castle' class 4-6-0, No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, originally named Banbury Castle in 1936 but changed to its present name a year later. The pic is from John Smith, the location, Newton-le-Willows Station and the date, today, April 16th 2011. 

The same loco is depicted in pic number four by Jeff Nicholls. The shot was taken at Winwick on the same day, 16th April 2011, with the loco working southbound. The railtour, comprising authentic GWR chocolate and cream carriages, was 'The Red Rose' and it ran Tyseley - Crewe - Manchester Victoria - Huddersfield - Blackburn - Crewe - Tyseley.

To change the subject from steam, the last shot in this post is a shot from 1992 by Richard Jones. Class 90, 90147, is shown on an intermodal working, through Winwick on 18th May 1992. Note the 'nodding donkies', class 142 on the adjacent track  - can anyone inform me about the liveries involved?



I am indebted to Jeff Nicholls for pointing out the following - the first  'Pacers' (142s) are in Provincial livery with the others in Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive livery; otherwise known as 'Jaffa Cake' livery. Thanks Jeff. 

Four Diesel Classes

Pics showing locomotives from classes  47, 66, 67 and 70 comprise today's post, 13th April 2011. Four different photographers are represented.



An older pic is up first, from Richard Jones. Taken on 26th May 1992, the shot depicts a class 47, 47317, in triple grey livery heading a couple of tanks, northbound, through Winwick. It has a name - does anyone know what it is?








Next is Alan Rigby's shot of Freightliner 'PowerHaul' class 70, 70002, operating light engine through Winwick, southbound, on 8th April 2011.





The third pic is from Paul Holland. EWS (DBS) class 67, 67028 is featured heading two container flats with tanks aboard. The location is the Mersey Crossing and the date, 8th April 2011. The working was Crewe - Arpley.




Pic number four is from Bob McClellan. Colas class 66, 66845, is pictured on the logs working from Ribblehead to Chirk, on 9th April 2011. The location was Red Bank.





I have been informed by John Smith that the name of the above class 47 was Willesden Yard and I also know that Lima made a OO scale model of the same loco. Thanks John.

Logs, coal and 'The Cheshireman'

This post (11th April 2011) comrises three pics. The first two show class 66 diesels on the logs and coal workings. The third pic shows a 'Black 5' on the recent 'Cheshireman' railtour with a surprise in one of the rear carriages.

Pic one is from Geoff Monks. Taken on 10th April 2011, a Colas class 66, 66845, is depicted on an empty logs working through Winwick. The engineering site, to the right, supporting the current upgrading of the Winwick tracks and junction, is still highly visible. 

The second shot is from Alan Rigby, taken at  the Ferry Inn crossing. An EWS (DBS) class 59, 59202 Vale of White Horse, is working empty coal hoppers from Fiddlers Ferry Power Station to Liverpool Bulk Terminal.

The paired montage, next, features two shots from John Smith taken at Earlestown Station. The date was 2nd April 2011 and the Riley 'Black 5', 44871, is shown heading 'The Cheshireman' railtour. I wrote about this tour in the 3rd April 2011 post. However, what I didn't know was that there was a Winwick celebrity lurking in one of the rear carriages. Do you know him? Answers on a postcard please.

A Gresley 'K4' at Winwick

It couldn't have happened many times previously (does anyone know?) but a Gresley 'K4' class locomotive presented itself to the Winwick faithful on 6th April 2011. This post, 8th April 2011, comprises Alan Rigby's pic of the famous steam locomotive backed up by two others (diesel and electric) from Paul Holland and Bob McClellan.

Alan's pic shows the Gresley 'K4' class locomotive, 61994 The Great Marquess, with support coach passing northbound through Winwick, on a Crewe - Thornton (Scotland) working. The original 'K4' class comprised six locos, of 2-6-0 wheel configuration (Mogul); they were built from 1937 to operate on the West Highland Line in Scotland.





Paul's shot was taken today, 8th April 2011, and shows EWS (DBS) class 59, 59201 Vale of York, shunting in Arpley Yard.






A class 92 is the subject of Bob's shot, taken on 24th March 2011. EWS (DBS) class 92, 92001 Victor Hugo, (one of only two in this livery) is depicted on the popular blue/white, Tesco express intermodal, powering through Red Bank.

Four Pics, Four Classes, Four Contributors

As the title describes - four more pics in today's post, 5th April 2011, representing four different classes of locomotive and four different contributors.



Pic number one is from Bevan Price. Two HST power cars passed through Winwick, northbound, on 1st April 2011 and a few of our Winwick faithful were there to record them. They were 43423 and 43844, both in Grand Central livery, travelling up to Kilmarnock from Loughborough (Brush Works).

The second pic is from Jeff Nicholls. Jeff has scanned an old slide from 1992 and come up with two class 37s, 37708 and 37706, double heading an oil tanks working, Shell Stanlow - Jarrow, through Winwick, on 28th February.

Alan Rigby has supplied pic number three. The popular gypsum working crops up regularly on our blog, and is always welcome. Here, GBRf liveried class 66, 66714 Cromer Lifeboat, is featured on the working through Winwick, northbound, on 23rd March 2011.

A DBS, red liveried 'tug' is next. John Smith photographed 60011 on a coal train passing over the Sankey Viaduct, in evening sunshine, on 1st April 2011. The working was Liverpool Bulk Terminal - Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.

Three 'Specials'

Two steam 'Specials' and one diesel equivalent have recently passed through Winwick and Newton, respectively. Today's post, 3rd April 2011, features pics of these trains from three different contributors.

Pic number one is from Barry Rigby. Barry was one of many photographers at Winwick on Saturday, 2nd April 2011,  to photograph 'The Cheshireman', Cleethorpes - Chester charter. At the head was Riley & Son's 'Black 5', No.44871, heading a rake of WCRC, maroon coaches. I have several pics of this railtour in the 'bank'; please be patient if yours is among them. Internet info describes this loco as heading a train of MK1 coaches on which Roy and Haley Cropper were tavelling for their wedding in an episode of Coronation Street. It was filmed on the ELR, and transmitted on August Bank Holiday Monday, 2010.

Pic number two is from Bob McClellan. LMS, Stanier 'Pacific' No.6201 Princess Elizabeth was pictured  at Red Bank, on 26th March 2011, as she steamed towards Carlisle with the 'Settle and Carlisle' charter. 

John Smith has sent in the third pic. Taken today, 3rd April 2011, the 'Northern Belle' Pullman railtour was passing through Newton-le-Willows Station headed by DRS class 47, 47790 Galloway Princess, with two DRS class 47s, 47802 Pride of Cumbria and 47501 Craftsman, on the tail. What a wonderful way to spend Mothering Sunday, if you are a mother, of course.