55022

This post (31st August 2010) is composed entirely of pictures of the class 55 locomotive, 55022 Royal Scots Grey, from three different contibutors.

The Deltic locomotive was built at the local Vulcan Foundry (VF number D557) and was delivered to BR on 28th February 1961 - she was numbered D9000. She was officially named at a special ceremony at Edinburgh Waverley in 1962. The 'D' prefix was removed c1970 and she was renumbered 55022 two years later. Withdrawal from service occurred in 1982 and a year later she was purchased by the 'Deltic 9000 Fund' and taken into preservation. Her current home is The East Lancashire Railway and her present owner is Martin Walker of Beaver Sports (Yorkshire) Ltd.

The two light engine shots were taken by John Smith and Ken Young on 24th August 2010. The working was ELR - Crewe; John was at Earlestown while Ken preferred Bank Quay.

On the following day the loco and 13 coaches departed Crewe for Carnforth on a crew training run. On the return run the train stopped at Arpley Yard to obtain enough fuel for the Compass railtour engagement on August Monday (31st August 2010). She then returned to Crewe. Earlier in the day, unfortunately, a second training run had been aborted by DBS, leading to great disappointment among many of us waiting at Winwick.

Geoff Monks took the shot of 55022 on the training run with coaches at Froghall Lane Warrington on August 25th 2010.

Another New Contributor

Today (29th August 2010) we have a new contributor (the 24th) to our blog even though he is a regular at Winwick. Derek Henderson has unearthed some of his Brownie 127 (I think) photos from the 1960's. Even though they are not of the greatest quality I think they have excellent historic value.

The first pic is of Derek himself - recognise him?

The second pic is a montage of three of Derek's shots - a class 40, a class 25, and a steam locomotive, a Stanier class 8F. Derek took all three pics at Winwick in his teenage days.

2 x Class 66/7s and a Class 67

The gypsum working is very popular with photographers even though it runs a.m. presently. This post, 28th August 2010, includes two pics showing the trains headed by the superb GBRf (now Europorte) class 66/7s.

The first is by Ken Young. It was shot at Bank Quay on 24th August 2010 and shows 66714 Cromer Lifeboat heading the famous wagons in wet weather.

John's shot is dated 19th August 2010 and features the 'Metronet' branded 66722, Sir Edward Watkin, on the gypsum working through Red Bank. There are 5, 'Metronet' branded class 66/7s: 66718-22.

I have added a third unrelated shot, although it was taken on the same date as John's. It's by Jeff Nicholls and depicts the 'Royal' purple class 67, 67005 Queen's Messenger, on an engineers working, southbound, through Winwick.

'Lizzie' x 2

We have two pics of 6201 Princess Elizabeth in todays post (26th August 2010); one by John Smith, the other by Jeff Nicholls.



'The North Wales Coast Express' railtour ran Liverpool - Chester - Holyhead and return headed by the Stanier 'Pacific' on 22nd August 2010. John's pic was taken at Earlestown Station, Jeff's at Winwick.


I am adding a third pic taken by Ken Young on 16th August 2010. The location is Bank Quay and the main locomotives depicted are the two EWS (DBS) liveried class 92s, 92001 Victor Hugo and 92031 The Institute of Logistics and Transport. The former was standing in a bay at the station while 92031 thundered by heading an intermodal freight. An EWS (DBS) class 67, 67026, is pictured immediately behind 92001.

20th and 21st Century Trains

The pics in today's post (24th August 2010) cover the 1960's and recent years. They were contributed by Jim Carter (via David Hey), Geoff Monks and Alan Rigby.

The first two pics are from Jim Carter and show steam trains on the Winwick line in the 1960's. The photograph legends are comprehensive and need no further introduction. 'Black 5', 'Britannia' and 'Princess Coronation' class locos are pictured. Left click on your mouse to enlarge each picture and read the legend.

Pic number three is from Geoff Monks. Depicted is EWS (DBS) class 92, 92031 The Institute of Logistics and Transport passing Bank Quay on a Rugby - Mossend working on 16th August 2010. 92001 Victor Hugo and 92031 are the only two of the class that retain old EWS livery.

Alan Rigby's pic is dated 28th April 2006. DRS class 47s, 47802 and 47298, are shown heading an empty intermodal working, northbound, through Winwwick as a 'Pendolino' flashes by on the southbound fast line.

Arpley Yard and Slutchers Lane

The four pics chosen for this post (22nd August 2010) reflect the importance of Arpley Yard to the local and national railway network. The pics are by Alan Rigby, Jeff Nicholls and Geoff Monks.

The first pic, dated 3rd April 2008, is by Alan Rigby. EWS class 37, 37401 is shown in the yard for what looks like minor repairs.

The next two pics are from Jeff Nicholls. The first shows EWS class 37, 37411/D6990 Castell Caerffili / Caerphilly Castle, in BR green livery standing in a similar location to the class 37 in the previous pic. The loco was named by Arriva Trains Wales at a ceremony at Caerphilly on 28th November 2005.

Jeff's second pic is of an Arpley workhorse, EWS (DBS) class 08, 08389, shot in the yard in 2009 (exact date not known).

The final shot was taken close to the yard at Slutchers Lane, on 24th October 2007 - the photographer was Geoff Monks. Freightliner class 66, 66623 Bill Bolsover, in the unique 'Bardon Aggregates' livery, was working a lunchtime coal train, Ellesmere Port - Fiddlers Ferry P.S.

Welsh Steam 'Special'

Ken Young, David Wood and Jeff Nicholls are represented in today's post (20th August 2010) with a steam railtour and two coal workings.

The first pic in this post is from Ken Young, taken on 23rd July 2010 at Winwick. Ian Riley's 'Black 5', 44871, is depicted sporting 'The Cambrian' headboard, working a support coach to Machynlleth for the popular, summer steam 'Special'. 'The Cambrian' is running Machynlleth-Porthmadog and sometimes Pwllheli, between July 26th and August Bank Holiday Monday.

David's pic is dated 22nd April 2010 and shows Freightliner class 70, 70006, running towards Arpley Yard with loaded coal hoppers for Fiddlers Ferry P.S.

A second coal train is shown next. Jeff's shot is dated 25th March 2010 and features EWS (DBS) class 59, 59201 Vale of York, after it had just run round at Walton Yard. A feature of this loco is a commemorative bell, attached to the front of the cab above the windows, which cannot be seen when the loco is running in reverse.

2 Class 66s and a Class 60

The three pics in today's post (18th August 2010) are all from Geoff Monks.

The first shows a 'Malcolm' liveried class 66, 66405, on a southbound, intermodal working through Winwick on 26th October 2006. Geoff adds that the loco is no longer with DRS and has been replaced with 66412.

Pic number two was taken at Bank Quay, early morning, on 11th August 2010. Freightliner class 66, 66518, is shown northbound "on the (normally) up loop presumably because the signaller didn't want to delay the slightly late running Voyager (Birmingham NS - Glasgow) any further".

The final shot, taken at Winwick on 2nd February 2007, depicts one of only two, Load Haul liveried class 60s, 60059 Swindon Dalesman, working empty coal hoppers, northbound, at Winwick. Load Haul was one of four BR freight companies acquired by EWS in 1996. EWS was taken over by Deutsche Bahn in 2007 and rebranded to D.B. Schenker in 2009.

Another Three from Three

Three of our most recent and regular contributors are featured today, 16th August 2010, with three pics showing four different locos.

Alan Rigby has supplied the first pic. Ginsters (the cornish pasty people) liveried class 158, 158821, is depicted at Winwick on 25th January 2006. As class 158s are infrequent at Winwick today, this one and others like it must have been an attraction for railway photographers a few years ago.

A pic of class 47 dragging a class 66 is next. Ken Young photographed Colas class 47, 47739 Robin of Templecombe 'dragging' an empty logs train headed by Colas class 66, 66841, 'dead in train'. Ken shot this scene at Winwick on 6th August 2010.
The third pic in this post is from John Smith. The shot of class 47, 47270/1971, Swift, in BR blue livery was taken at Earlestown on 8th August 2010. It was on the tail of 'The North Wales Coast Express' headed by the black Duchess (see the previous post for details). The class 47 is owned by BREL - Boden Rail Engineering Ltd., - but is certified for lease to the mainline. It was liveried in BR blue in 2008 on the Nene Valley Railway at Wansford, and co-numbered 1971. Its present home is Washford Heath.

Treble-heading class 20s

In this 14th August 2010 post I am using three pics from regular contributors. These include one from Jeff Nicholls showing treble-heading class 20s.
Jeff's shot was taken on 26th August 2006 at Winwick Junction. DRS Class 20's, 20309, 20306 and 20314, were heading a Pathfinder Tour 'The Rutland Renegade' working the route Preston-Kettering-Preston.

Ken Young's pic of the WCRC class 33, 33207 Jim Martin, was taken at Winwick on 23rd July 2010. The loco was working empty WCRC passenger stock.

The final shot in this post is from John Smith. The black 'Duchess' has been photographed at or near Winwick several times recently. In John's pic the Stanier 'Pacific' 6233, Duchess of Sutherland, is heading the Liverpool-Holyhead 'North Wales Coast Express' through Earlestown Station on 8th August 2010.