Past and Present

Today's post, 20th December 2011, is a mixed bag of steam and diesel locos, including the first portable engine to run on rails.


First up is David Quayle's pic of Collett 4-6-0 No.5029, Nunney Castle. The pic was taken at Whitland on 22nd May 2010 and shows the loco sporting a rather odd 'Red Dragon' headboard. The special was marketed as  'The Southern Irishman'  (Birmingham International - Fishguard and return)  and duties were shared with a WCRC class 47, 47804.



The second pic is also from David and features Stanier Pacific 'Princess Royal' class No.6201, Princess Elizabeth, thrashing through Glazebury on 13th December 2009. The railtour was the 'York Yuletide Express' which ran Liverpool Lime Street - York and return.

Jeff Nicholls has sent in pic number three to jog the memory banks. The scene is Springs Branch Shed on 20th November 1983 and the main locos are both class 40s - 40196 and 40195. Diesel shunter class 08, 08423 can also be identified to the right.




Class 43, 43308, is the subject of Matthew Chambers latest shot, number four in this post, taken at Doncaster on 23rd August 2011. As can be clearly seen, the livery is East Coast.






A bit closer to home for the next shot, number five, sent in by John Smith. Stanier 'Black 5' 4-6-0, No.45305, is seen coasting towards Lea Green on 2nd July 2011. The railtour was the 'Coast to Coast Express' which ran Liverpool Lime Street - Scarborough and return.




The sixth pic is from Barry Rigby. Stanier 4-6-2 'Princess Coronation' class, No.46248 City of Leeds, is pictured in Crewe North Roundhouse in 1964. Barry used the same make of camera that I used in the early 60s, a Halina 35mm compact. My film as I recall was Ilford FP3 in those days. Nostalgia, what a wonderfully human idiosyncrasy.



Colin Platt has sent in another of his North Yorkshire Moors' shots, this one taken on 18th September 2011. Featured is class 55 'Deltic' 55002, The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry', standing at Pickering. This is pic number seven. The pic is montaged with another showing the distictive nameplate.

Shot number eight, shows an interesting comparison of steam and diesel hydraulic locos, taken at Ramsbottom on the East Lancashire Railway on 26th July 2008. Paul Holland took the pic showing BR 'Standard' class '9F' No.92214 and Hymek class 35,  D7076. The latter loco is preserved and based at the ELR. The '9F' was named Cock O' The North in 2011.

The ninth pic has been sent in by David Wood. Featured is Scot Rail class 90, 90021, standing at Crewe on 7th September 2011.






Last, but certainly not least in this post, are two Alan Rigby shots, montaged together, of the Coalbrookdale replica locomotive and commemorative plaque taken on 12th October 2011. The location was the Victorian Town Museum, Ironbridge. The Coalbrookdale locomotive was the first portable engine to run on rails.