A Mixed Bag of Classes

Today's post, 29th November 2011, is composed of six photographs from five contributors but there is no common theme; hence the post title.


First up is a shot from John Smith. A Virgin class 82, driving van trailer (DVT), is shown at Winwick on 18th November 2011. The DVT allows the driver to operate the train from opposite end of the locomotive. Pushing the train in this case, is an EWS (DBS) class 90.


The second shot is from Alan Rigby. The pic features two EWS (DBS) class 60s, 60010 and 60039 passing each other at Winwick. 60010 is working Fiddlers Ferry P. S. - Liverpool Bulk terminal coal empties, 60039 is working in the opposite direction. The pic is dated 23rd November 2011.



Pic number three is from Jeff Nicholls. Network Rail class 950, 950 001, is pictured on the low level line at Bank Quay, working as a track assessment train on 28th October 2011. The unit dates from 1987.

Ken Young photographed Fastline liveried class 66, 66304, on 15th April 2011 as it approached the Mersey Bridge with an intermodal container working.





The final two pics are from Matthew Chambers. Pic number five shows EWS (DBS) class 67, 67024, double heading, light engine with EWS (DBS) class 66, 66181. The locos are passing Walton heading for Arpey Yard on 21st April 2011.




The fifth pic shows Freightliner 'PowerHaul' class 70, 70005, at the same location with a coal working on the same date, 21st April 2011.

Five from Five

As the title suggests, today's post, 27th November 2011, comprises five pictures from five contributors; six locomotives are featured from five classes.


First up is a shot from Matthew Chambers. Two class 47s are shown, part of a fleet of six such locos operated by Riviera Trains and hired out to railtour companies. The two locos, 47812/D1916  and 47815/D1758 Great Western,  are pictured double headed, passing through Bank Quay on 1st April 2010.



The second pic is from John Smith. EWS (DBS) class 67, 67017 Arrow, is shown with an Arpley - Wigan working of car transporter wagons. The location was Winwick and the date, 23rd November 2011.





Next is Jeff Nicholl's pic of an EWS (DBS) class 66, 66054, on a gypsum working through Winwick on 16th November 2011.






The fourth shot is from Alan Rigby. EWS (DBS) class 92, 92031 The Institute of Logistics and Transport is featured on a container, intermodal working. The pic is dated 23rd November 2011 and the location was Winwick.

The fifth and final pic is from Ken Young. The 'Pretendolino' is shown passing through Winwick on 28th October 2011. At the head is Freightliner class 90, 90049, with a ten car Pendolino set behind.

Six Pictures Taken on the Same Day

I have been inundated with photos in the last couple of days so I am using six of them in today's post, 25th November 2011, There must have been quite a few of you around our patch on Wednesday as no fewer than five people have sent in pics (including repeats) from that day. All the pics featured were taken on 23rd November 2011.










First up are two shots from Alan Rigby. A 'Compass' Railtour ran Hereford - Edinburgh  with WCRC class 47s front and rear. They were 47786, Roy Castle OBE, on the front in pic number one, and 47851 on the rear, in pic number two. The location was Winwick.



Next up is a shot of a yellow Network Rail Test Train at Winwick. Pushing the train to Derby is DRS class 37, 37604.The photographer was John Smith.





Bob McClellan has supplied the fourth shot, again taken at Winwick. Stobart liveried class 92, 92017 Bart the Engine is shown heading the popular china clay 'silver bullets' working, Dollands Moor - Irvine.

The fifth shot from David Wood was also taken at Winwick. It's a standard coal working with Freightliner class 66, 66604 at the head.





Jeff Nicholls has sent in pic number six - another class 66 is depicted. EWS (DBS) 'shed' 66056 is heading the gypsum working passing Crosfields Signal Box on the way from Fiddlers Ferry to Latchford to 'run round'.

Class 50 Revisited

The previous post showing the double heading class 50s revived a few memories so I have decided to follow it up with another pic of class 50s for today, 22nd November 2011.

The class of fifty, class 50s was built between 1967 and 1968 and Jeff Nicholl's scanned shot, pic number one, from 23rd April 1988, shows two of them in Network SouthEast livery working 'The Fellsman' railtour. The two locos are 50050 Fearless, now preserved by the 'D400 Fund', and 50024 Vanguard, withdrawn from service in 1991. Eighteen class 50 locos are preserved for service or spares.




The second pic is from Matthew Chambers. Depicted is class 40, 40145 East Lancashire Railway, passing through Bank Quay towards Arpley, on 1st April 2010.





Next up is a shot from Ken Young. The popular gypsum working is shown passing under Bank Quay headed by GBRf liveried class 66, 66714 Cromer Lifeboat. The pic is dated 22nd March 2011.







Pic number four is another from Matthew Chambers. Arriva liveried class 67, 67003, is pictured pulling into Arpley on 30th Sptember 2011.






To add something a little different I have included a pic of own, number five, of a Network Rail rail grinder. The yellow machine. No.79272, was passing through Winwick on 2nd February 2011.

Seven Locos, Five Classes

It's all in the title for today's post, 20th November 2011. The five pics have been sent in by three enthusiasts.


First up is a straight forward side-on record shot of a Freightliner class 66, but taken against a superb sky. The loco, 66525, is shown in Arpley Yard. The photographer was Jeff Nicholls and the date, 28th October 2011.




The second and third shots are from Matthew Chambers. First, pic number two, is a shot of two class 92s on car transport duties to Mossend on 30th September 2011. The location was Bank Quay and the double heading locos were DBS red liveried 92016, and EWS (DBS) 92003.


Matthew's second shot is another of his Bank Quay evening examples. DRS class 57, 57002, is depicted awaiting a driver change. The logs working has proved very popular since the blog began in January 2010 but is this the first evening shot of this working? The pic is dated 21st December 2009.

Jeff Nicholls has supplied our fourth shot, taken at Winwick as recently as 18th November 2011. The two class 50s, 50044 Exeter and 50049 Defiance, passed through on a Kidderminster - Carnforth working. The two were to head a Preston - Edinburgh railtour, 'The Edinburgh Explorer II', on the following day. Both locos are owned by the 'Class 50 Alliance'.

The final shot in today's post is from Ken Young. DBS red liveried class 60, 60011, is pictured passing southbound through Winwick, with a coal working on 4th November 2011.

Coronation Scot

The 'Coronation Scot', Birmingham New Street - Crewe - Glasgow, is the subject of today's post, 15th November 2011. As it passed through Winwick on Saturday, 12th November 2011, two of our contributors were on hand to capture the event, resulting in the four pics below. Was anyone around to photograph the return journey on Sunday, 13th?



The first two pics are from David Quayle. First up is Stanier 'Pacific' 6201 Princess Elizabeth powering through Winwick at the head of the 'Vintage Trains' Railtour.  Class 47, 47773, in BR two-tone green livery had delivered the train to Crewe where the 'Princess Royal' class 4-6-2 took over for the run to Glasgow. The class 47 was on the tail.




The second shot from David is a close up, panned example of the engine at speed, showing blurred wheels. Doesn't the old girl look superb in her gleaming LMS livery?

Shot number three is from Jeff Nicholls depicting the same train from a different viewpoint. Jeff has used a very wide angle lens with a specially chosen lenshood to deliberately vignette his image.





The fourth and final pic, also from Jeff, shows the class 47, 47773, on the tail of the 'Coronation Scot'. Note the Pullman coaches. This diesel loco is owned by Vintage Trains Limited and is stored at Tyseley Locomotive Works.

Four 'Sheds', one 'Tug' and a 'Streak'.

Today's post, 10th November 2011, comprises five pics showing six locomotives, described briefly in the post title. Five different photographers have sent in the pics.


First up is EWS (DBS) class 66, 66122, on the Friday morning Arpley - Marcroft (Stoke) wagons for repair. The pic is dated 28th October 2011, the photographer was Jeff Nicholls and the location was the Mersey crossing.





The second 'shed' has been sent in by David Wood. Freightliner class 66, 66603, is pictured northbound through Winwick on a coal working. The pic is dated 18th October 2011.

The third 'shed', pic number three, is of EWS (DBS) class 66, 66207, working empty flats towards Bank Quay on 2nd November 2011. The photographer was Ken Young.






Pic number four is another from Matthew Chambers. He has featured strongly in recent posts and will continue to do so. This is a night shot of a 'tug' taken at Bank Quay on 29th October 2010. Pictured is Load Haul liveried class 60, 60059 Swinden Dalesman, awaiting a driver change for a coal (?) working.


The final pic is from Colin Platt and features one of Gresley's finest, 'A4' class 4-6-2 No.60009 Union of South Africa, built in 1937. Privately owned by John Cameron, since 1966, the loco is currently under extensive overhaul at Crewe Heritage Centre. 60009 has worn BR 'Brunswick Green' for her preservation lifetime. A Springbok plaque, fixed to the left side of the locomotive, was donated by a Bloemfontein newspaper owner in 1954. The pic was taken at Bank Quay on 10th August 2008 as the 'North Wales Coast Express' was exiting the station. The fourth 'shed', EWS class 66, 66232, is shown standing beside the 'Streak'.

Ten Locomotives, Five Contributors

In today's post, 9th November 2011, I am using five shots from four workers, showing ten locomotives representing five classes.

The first pic is from Ken Young. The recently common, DBS red liveried class 92, 92009 Marco Polo, is pictured approaching Bank Quay with the early morning 'silver bullets' china clay working on 2nd November 2011.




Shot number two is from John Smith. The New Measurements Train (NMT) of Network Rail is depicted passing through Winwick, southbound, on 2nd November 2011. The HST is headed by class 43, 43014 with class 43, 43062 John Armitt, on the tail. This HST was introduced by NR in 2003 and is seen all over the network on track assessment duties.



Jeff Nicholls has sent in pic number three. Featured is DBS red liveried 'tug', 60011, heading 'wrong line' to Latchford Sidings with the usual Liverpool Bulk Terminal - Fiddlers Ferry Power Station coal working. The pic is dated 8th November 2011.




The last two pics, four and five, are from Matthew Chambers. Pic number four shows double heading class 20s, 20905 and 20901, heading a couple of tanks through Warrington on a Doncaster working. This pic is dated 30th September 2011.

Last up is Matthew's shot of a class 37 consist of four, passing through Winwick, northbound, on 30th June 2011. The locos are DRS liveried 37603/510/601/602.

Classes 37, 47, 57 and 67

For today's post, 7th November 2011, I have chosen five shots from four contributors representing four locomotive classes.


First up is a class 37. This pic is from Jeff Nicholls and shows double heading WCRC class 37s, 37685 Loch Arkaig and 37676 Loch Rannoch passing Red Bank on 4th November 2011. The working was the 'Spitfire Railtours Positioning Growler' which ran Preston - Exeter to be ready for the 'Jorvic III'  Exeter - York railtour, on the following day.

Next is a class 47, 47826, of the WCRC heading a 'Statesman Rail'  Special on 16th April 2011. The headboard reads 'The Statesman' and it ran Gloucester - Carlise and return. WCRC class 57, 57601, was on the rear. The location was Red bank and the contributor, yours truly.


Pic number three is from John Smith. Featured are DRS double heading class 57s,  57011 and 57009 passing northbound, through Winwick, on 2nd November 2011.

The next two pics, numbers four and five are of class 67 locomotives, both from Matthew Chambers. The first shows EWS (DBS) class 67, 67019 passing Walton Yard in Warrington, heading for Arpley on 21st April 2011.

The final pic features EWS (DBS) class 67, 67003 - before it acquired its Arriva blue livery - heading tank wagons. Taken in the same location and on the same date as 67019, above.

New Contributor

For today's post, 5th November 2011, we welcome another new contributor, Matthew Chambers. He has sent in lots of pics and I have chosen two for today. Also featured are two other pics from regular contributors.


First up is Matthew's shot of a Network Rail test train headed by class 31, 31106, in BR blue livery. The date was 30th September 2011 and the location, near Arpley. Network Rail operates three class 31/1 locos - 31105/233/285, and a class 31/4 - 31465. The loco in the pic is privately owned but used regularly by NR for test trains.




The second pic from Matthew features two trains at Bank Quay on 30th September 2011. On the left is the Royal Mail class 325 emu, 325004 standing next to light engine, DRS red liveried class 92, 92009 Marco Polo.




Jeff Nicholls has contributed pic number three - EWS (DBS) class 66, 66003, standing in Arpley on 27th September 2011.

92009 is featured again in the fourth shot, from John Smith. The popular china clay working is depicted, known as the 'silver bullets,' headed by the DBS red liveried class 92 on 2nd November 2011. The location was Winwick.