Archive-2018

Our traditional family visit to the Northampton and Lamport Railway for our New Year's Day walk.

A trip with my friend Andy around part of the West Midlands. We went up the 'dark side' ending up towards Wolverhampton. We travelled in his blue Micra.

A quick visit to one of my favourite local haunts, Victoria bridge, near Roade on the WCML.

Another of my favourite local spots, the impressive Roade Cutting that is about to celebrate its 180th anniversary this year. There are a number of local events to celebrate this event during September 2018.

Following railtour duties the previous day, 86259 runs back light engine to its stabling point at Rugby.

Our first trip of the year to London. My wife and I make an overnight visit this time to see the play, "Long Day’s Journey Into Night" by Eugene O'Neill.

I was waiting for a cold and frosty morning to revisit Haversham Viaduct on the WCML just north of Wolverton station. A trip out in my trusty Combo van, with its totally ineffective heater, found me at Haversham waiting for the Cumbrian Mountain Express railtour.

A Sunday lunchtime visit on my Brompton bike to Roade Cutting. I had perused the Realtime Trains data for the day and spotted that there were a few interesting workings all within an hour or so.

Having completed my chores for the day I rewarded myself with an hour or so on the WCML at one of my favourite locations very close to my home, Victoria Bridge. This is situated between Roade and Ashton just south of Northampton.

Once again the Cumbrian Mountain Express was utilising its usual path up the West Coast Mainline leaving London Euston at 07.10 and heading for Carlisle. It was an extremely cold morning but this did not stop me venturing out in my trusty Combo van! A little later there was also the class 378 stock move to see, again on the WCML.

A bitterly cold winter's day found me out near to home again to see the 0Z88 light engine move with additional Sunday freight as a bonus!

A trip to remember! The country was gripped by the 'Beast from the East', but despite this and the weather forecast, Andy and I decided to head north to Yorkshire. Him to 'cop' some stations and me some signal boxes. We went in my trusty Combo van shod with some excellent winter tyres and, boy we needed them!

The 'Beast from the East' was just beginning to give up its grip, with the temperature just beginning to rise but this led to a blanket of fog covering the snow bound landscape. An early morning drive over to Wellingborough to see the steam-hauled 'Yorkshireman' railtour. I chose Finedon Road bridge just prior to an extended closure for complete re-building due to the impending electrification of the MML.

A Sunday walk over the field from home to see a football charter running from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. It was conveying Chelsea fans for the Sunday Premiere League fixture with Manchester City who won 1-0.

My friend Andy and I drove to Didcot in my Combo van. We then used our Two Together card and a voucher, courtesy of Great Western in lieu of poor customer service last summer, to take a trip to Gloucester and back. We stopped off at Swindon for a bit of HST action.

A quick trip up to London with my lovely wife for her to join a Jo Malone master class at their shop in Covent Garden. Needless to say, I spent the time in the London Transport Museum and having a coffee or two!

A few hours out on the Midland Mainline with my spotting friend Andy. This trip allowed us to take our first pictures of the new class 700s in service. The trip was curtailed a little early as my glasses broke; again, and, believe me, I can't see very much without them!

A miserable and cold morning found me trudging across the field between where I live and the WCML to see The Cathedrals Express headed, as usual, by 86259.

The 'Beast from the East 2' brought a few more days of cold weather and some overnight snow fall. So, on Sunday morning, I donned my snow boots again and traipsed across the fields from home to get the regular 0Z88 return light engine move following the previous day's railtour hauled by 86259.

Another Sunday and another 0Z88 light engine run. I was a bit busy and running late with 'home duties' so rather than riding my trusty Brompton or walking, I took my Audi TT for its first run out after its winter sojourn in the garage! This Sunday was a bit different, as the Northampton loop was closed for engineering works so everything was routed via the Weedon line.

Another of our day trips to London, but, this one for my lovely wife's birthday. We went to see Harold Pinter's 'The Birthday Party' with Toby Jones in the lead. A smashing day out and we even travelled back first class!

One of our occasional family short breaks. A return trip to Liverpool with my wife and son for a few days over the Easter break.

A circular tour of north and east Kent with Andy. I managed to get some new signal boxes, even if some were closed, and Andy copped some stations. We travelled in his Nissan Micra and had an overnight stay at Stone in a Travelodge and an excellent curry at the British Raj of Spice on London Road.

A local trip out to Roade Cutting on my trusty Brompton bike to see two specials associated with the Grand National at Aintree. I don't know if there were any lucky winners on the return workings who predicted Tiger Roll winning at 10-1?

An after-dinner visit to Victoria Bridge for half an hour or so. I borrowed the wife's Range Rover - it's not very often I get a chance to drive it!

My friend Andy popped over in order that we could do some planning for our upcoming summer trip. We just had time to nip out to Victoria Bridge with our cameras but then the rain started - so it was a short visit!

Yet another trip to London. This time, as part of my Christmas present, my wife bought tickets to see the great Brian Ferry in concert. He was excellent but, unfortunately, we had to leave just before the finale in order to get the last but one train home from Euston.

For the previous few months, a regular working involved the dragging of Southeastern's class 375s from Derby following overhaul. They usually took a route down the MML to Bedford, then to Bletchley, down the WCML to London and on to Margate EMD. A lovely Saturday morning was forecast so I decided on seeing it somewhere on the Marston Vale line. A short trip down the M1 in my Combo van found me at Millbrook station.

For my birthday treat Andy and I usually go out for a day somewhere. This year we re-visited Norfolk. Andy had unfinished business on the Bittern Line and I wanted another look at the mechanical signalling before it is all wiped away under Network Rail's grand re-siganlling plan. We also were able to share the spectacle of the class 37 loco hauled services in and out of Norwich. Again, we travelled in Andy's Nissan Micra.....it was my birthday after all!

As I was running late, I grabbed Bertie the Brompton bike and rode to a favourite spot just across the field from home to get another Cumbrian Mountain Express passing utilising its usual WCML path.

Yet another trip to London with my lovely wife! This time, she managed to get some tickets for a live recording at the BBC Radio Theatre of the old favourite 'Just a Minute' hosted by Nicholas Parsons. Afterwards, my wife treated me to a lovely vegan cream tea for my birthday - it was delicious!

I had been meaning to get out and see the 5Q94 stock move for some weeks. I actually did get out once and arrived at my chosen location to find it had run 45 minutes early by missing out a timed stop over! A super May morning encouraged me to give it another go. This regular 5Q94 move involved the taking of a class 350 Desiro from Northampton's Kingsheath depot to Long Marston for bodywork and welding repairs. The unit was hauled by a Europhoenix class 37 that then brought another 350 back later in the day following the completion of its repairs over the previous week.

A Friday evening walk across the field to capture the return Northern Belle excursion heading back from Victoria to Chester running as 1Z48. A drab old evening but it produced a decent enough record of the event.

Whilst my wife and son undertook some 'extreme' retail therapy at Bicester Village I took the opportunity to sample the newly opened double-track to Oxford on one of Chiltern's 165 units. I took my trusty Bertie Brompton bike so I could get around north Oxford and bag some HST shots. Initially, it was a grey and humid day but as I headed back, the sun came out - typical!

A beautiful Sunday before the late spring Bank Holiday found me tempted away from the garden to see two freights. These were going to be passing very close to each other very near to my home. So I borrowed the wife's Range Rover (a rare treat in itself!) and went out to my local favourite spot.

A day trip to London with my wife to enjoy an evening with Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter at the excellent Pizza Express Live venue in Holborn.

After dropping my son off at work I spent an hour or so at Milton Malsor just outside Northampton. Since the palisade fencing was installed, a ladder is required at this spot but reasonable pictures can still be taken.

A day off work, a piece of 'juicy-gen' and a nice bit of weather all came together! It was reported that an ex Great Western HST set, that had come off-lease, was making its way to Ely for storage. It was too good an opportunity to miss an HST well off its usual tracks, so I went out in my trusty Combo van to deepest Rutland to observe this spectacle. Unfortunately, contrary to the Met. Office weather forecast, it clouded up as the afternoon progressed!

Another of our day trips to London. My wife and I had tickets to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre that is opposite the station of the same name. The musical was great!

As a life-member of the Deltic Preservation Society, I will always make the effort to get out and see when one of 'my' engines is running on the mainline. 55009 'Alycidon' was working The Albert Gilmour Memorial Charter from Linlithgow to London King's Cross and return. I was able to get out and see it on its return working, so a trip out in my Audi TT found me near to Offord D'arcy on the southern ECML, a spot that I had sought out last summer.

For Father's Day my wife, son and I took our bikes and had a ride down the old railway line designated as The Brampton Way between Market Harborough and Northampton. We rode the short distance from Spratton Crossing to the home of the Northampton and Lamport Railway. After a cup of tea, and a visit to 'The Emporium' (their bookshop!), we rode back to Spratton Crossing where we left the car.

A short visit to Roade Cutting with my friend Andy.

It all started off so simply! I went out on a lovely summer morning to see yet another Cumbrian Mountain Express but I got my times wrong and had missed it. However, as I arrived at Victoria Bridge it soon became clear that something was amiss. There was very little traffic on the up and down slow lines. A quick look at Open Train Times revealed both lines were blocked between Northampton and Rugby. The London NorthWestern website confirmed the closure "due a police incident" close to the line. Quick thinking signalling planners then went into action and pathed the freights on the Weedon Loop (fast lines) with many of the London NorthWestern trains merely missing out their Northampton and Long Buckby stops. The interesting move though was the 5Q94 unit drag. The light engine 37 came around the Weedon Loop to Milton Keynes. Here it reversed back to Northampton to collect the class 350 from the Kingsheath Depot. Then it headed south to Bletchley Carriage Sidings where it ran round. Finally, it headed back around the loop again to continue its journey to Long Marston where it eventually arrived some 106 minutes late.

After dropping my son off at work I realised that I could just see the 0Z86 return light engine movement and possibly one of the Sunday freights and still get home in time to see England play Panama in the group stages of the 2018 World Cup.

In between a hot and busy day at work and an evening out having a jar and a curry with some former colleagues, I called in at Harrowden Junction on the MML just north of Wellingborough. It all looked quite normal apart from the new bridges and some steel pilings that had, evidently, gone in the previous night to take the electrification masts. The onward march of the Midland electrification programme continues if a little slowly, inexorably on.

After dropping my son off at work and just before England were to play Belgium in the final World Cup group match I had an hour on my hands, so I called in at Victoria Bridge.

Following the completion of some work on Andy's wife's car, we had an hour at Victoria Bridge. The spell of hot and sunny weather continued with clear blue skies and hot temperatures.

Our summer holiday this year was to Brussels and Amsterdam each for a few days each to sample their respective delights! I went with my wife and son. We travelled out via Eurostar and back by plane from Schiphol. We used the trains a number of times and our hotel in Amsterdam was five minutes from Central station which was ideal! I like sampling foreign train travel and stations. It's always good to see how things are done elsewhere; to see what we could learn (and vica versa).

A pleasant morning's walk through the village to Roade Cutting to see yet another Cumbrian Mountain Express.

A nip out on my handy Brompton bike to Roade Cutting to capture the 5Z32 ECS move from Southall to Crewe.

A day out with Andy to Gresty Bridge at Crewe for another DRS Open Day. They lay on a great spread of locomotives and stalls that, once again, attracted the faithful. In fact, figures released after the event said that 4 000 visitors attended and that over £37 000 was raised for charity; an impressive set of figures. Andy and I also went to The Railway Age museum after a satisfying breakfast at Tesco! After all the smashing weather so far this summer, it was a shame that it was so overcast!

For our annual 'big trip' this year Andy and I headed north. We both had business to complete in Scotland. Andy had done none of the stations south west of Glasgow. I had visited the area a couple of times, but had not undertaken a full survey of signal boxes since my 1984 Scottish Railrover so a re-visit was much needed. We travelled from Milton Keynes to Glasgow courtesy of Mr. Branson and had a day doing the northern Glaswegian suburban network. After the first of two nights in Ayr, we hired a nice but 'sensible' car (Kia Cee'd, VRN RV18XLL) and made full use of it covering all the lines on the south west peninsula as far as Stranraer. After staying a night in Barrow-in-Furness, we then headed home via the Southern Lakes as we both had a few gaps there. On the final day we travelled via the Southern Dales, the Aire Valley and across to Goole of all places! The weather was great, as was most of summer 2018, except for the final few hours on the way home when the hot weather broke with some spectacular thunderstorms!

Following to dropping the hire car off after the Anglo-Scottish adventure of the last few daysI had to collect my Combo van (Vernon!) from where it had been parked in Milton Keynes whist Andy and I were away. I took the train to Wolverton and rode on the Brompton to collect it with a coincidental bonus at Wolverton Works.

With an hour on my hands on the first day of August and the sun out I went to Victoria Bridge just near to home.

One of our regular away-days to London. This time my wife and I went to see Carmen La Cubana at Sadler's Wells. An excellent and vibrant production with a real twist to the original production!

Before work on a Saturday morning two down charters within twenty minutes of each other was too good to miss! I went to Victoria Bridge to see another Cumbrian Mountain Express and then just behind it The Walsall Concerto. As the name suggests, this second one took in a number of rare bits of track in and around the West Midlands using a pair of 66s top and tailed.

A couple of hours out with Andy on the WCML just north of Leighton Buzzard at Old Linslade. This is a location that I have been meaning to visit for years and one that I've passed countless times on the train thinking, 'that looks to be a good spot'. The reason that it looked so good is the strange absence of palisade fencing on the eastern side of the line. This leaves the views open and some smashing pictures can be taken. I have vowed to go back again before the spot is ruined.

Another family trip to Bicester Village in order to relive our bank account of yet more money! I left my wife and son for a couple of hours and rode my Brompton bike around Bicester exploring the recent work undertaken to create the south west chord so services can run from Marylebone directly to Oxford. I also looked for signs of any progress on the reinstatement of the east-west rail link.

A Bank Holiday visit to London with my wife and son. We had two reasons for this visit, firstly was beacsue we got tickets to see the incredible pianist Mike Garson an Pizza Express Live in Holborn. Second, it was my mum's birthday and we managed to meet up with her and her partner for a few hours and lovely meal. Off course, my wife and son managed to get some shopping done so I had an excuse to escape!

A spot on the MML that I have driven past on the M1 so many times but never visited is between Leagrave and Harlington at a location called Sundon Loop. Picking Andy and his family up from Luton Airport presented an opportunity so I called in on the way down driving his ancient Nissan Serena! A rural spot but one that is totally dominated by the incredible noise from the adjacent M1.

I was waiting for a nice morning with the sleeper running to time! The last day of August was when the two came together so I nipped out from home before work. I joined another photographer doing exactly the same thing at the spot I chose!

Another nice Friday morning so another trip out to capture the sleeper. This time, the added interest was I was using my new camera for the first time. After due diligence, I have bought a tine Canon GX1 Mk. III, see the technical notes section for more details.

In the words of Monty Python, 'and now for something completely different'! For sometime the Roade Local History Society has been preparing a celebration of the 180th anniversary of the opening of the famous Roade Cutting. As well as a very informative set of displays it has built a superb, if not quite to scale, model of the cutting. If it had been to scale, it would have been over 40 feet long! There were guided tours taking place all weekend of the cutting and its environs and lots of informative people to talk to. On the Saturday a heritage plaque was unveiled to mark the event that is going to be installed on Hyde Road Bridge over the cutting some time during October. On Saturday I attended with my friend Andy and bumped into a number of people I know, including Mike, an ex colleague from work who had contributed some of the images for the exhibition. I revisited on Sunday as the sun was shining! Of course, I visited the cutting to take some pictures to mark the event. A hearty well done to all involved!

Another trip to the capital. This time with my gorgeous wife and fantastic son to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the V&A. After a bit of time in Oxford Street and dinner at Mildreds we headed home.

I have been pretty unwell over the last week or so (as have the rest of the family!) so I have been unable to get out. On the road to recovery, I went out in the van fro an hour or so to Victoria Bridge. It knackered me somewhat but it's a positive step in the right direction!

A chilly morning trip to see The Cumbrian Mountain Express. I decided to go to Wolverton station as the sun would be just about acceptable and it's not a station I take pictures at that often. Soon afterwards, the weekly class 455 drag left Wolverton Works so I nipped just south of Wolverton to capture this move. After a coffee, back home!

A beautiful autumn day was forecast, so I took an afternoon off work and went over to the Midland Mainline to see how the electrification was progressing. Like the Great Western it was piecemeal, some parts were well advanced where as at other spots there was little evidence. At Souldrop, a temporary footbridge had been built as once again Network Rail are demolishing the bridge a year or so after it was raised to accommodate the wires, quite why it's being done again is beyond me? The other work taking place was the reinstatement of the second relief line, again in a somewhat random fashion.

As Storm Callum wreaked its havoc in the West Country and Wales all we experienced some blowy weather, squally showers, some unseasonably warm temperatures and some very strange early morning light. I took a walk across the blustery field in front of home to see yet another Cumbrian Mountain Express pass on the WCML.

Our annual holiday to Kelling Heat in Norfolk. A lovely quiet break in the woods with my wife and son just a short distance from the North Norfolk Railway. We had superb late autumn weather and did our usual days out.

A day that I dread; when the clocks go back and, as far as I am concerned, winter begins! To mark this occasion, as it was a reasonable but cold afternoon, I took a walk through the village to Roade Cutting.

A day off, a superb autumn day and and hour or so on my hands led me to take a walk across the fields to Victoria Bridge.

A lovely and bright autumn morning so I went out to see a curiously named excursion, the 'Blackpool Illuminations-Pride of the North!' It's name say is it all really, a train carrying customers to Blackpool to see the famous lights with a late evening return! I drove the short distance on the Northampton cut-off near the village of Milton Malsor and, because of the sun being in the wrong position, I opted for a side-on position. As I was waiting, I had the bonus of two DRS 37s heading south from Crewe.

I escaped from work for a while at lunchtime to catch an unusual move through Northampton. Coming off-lease, two class 313 EMUs were being dragged from Ilford to Kingsbury for scrapping. After nearly thirty years in service, the class 315s made for an unusual site being dragged by a class 37 through the Northamptonshire countryside!

A glorious late November day coincided with the closure of the Weedon Loop with consequential diversions through Northampton and with a number of unusual freights scheduled to pass Roade with an hour or so of each other. I took a pleasant walk from home across the fields with my camera over my shoulder.

An afternoon and evening trip to London with the lovely Mrs. Randall in order to see Ennio Morricone live at the o2. A very late journey back home meant a pretty exhausting following day; I'm not keen on this 'getting old' thing!

After doing the household chores on my day off and with the sun out I went out and spent 45 minutes across the field from home at Victoria bridge. As it turned out, four freights passed and one infrastructure train (as well as everything else on a busy Friday afternoon).

Something a little different. With my lovely wife, an evening trip by train to Rugby to see a friend of ours play in his band to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. After a super meal, we headed to a great Irish bar to enjoy some live music and then home again by train.

A few hours out on a frustrating day! It dawned cold, frosty and bright. But, as soon as I set of for Kettering a huge bank of cloud enveloped the sky. By the time I got to my first spot at Kettering North Junction, it was full dull! It stayed like that until I headed for home just after lunch when the cloud cleared and the sun came out! The aim, to see how far the MML electrification had progressed and to get some shots before things change here forever.

An hour at Victoria Bridge with Andy to mark the winter solstice, the days get longer from here on!

I managed to combine the delivery of Christmas cards in the village with a stop at the line on Hyde Road bridge in Roade to see WCR's move from Southall to Carnforth. In previous years this move has been steam powered throughout. This year, with the Black 5 in steam, it was piloted by a class 37 reminding me of last summer's steam charters!

In preparation for the feasting ahead, I had been actively undertaking lots of exercise aiming to get at least 10 000 steps recorded daily. Having made the mince pies and iced the cake, I went out for a brisk walk with my camera over my shoulder and then it started to rain!

After working in the morning and dropping my son at work, I spent less than an hour above Roade Cutting on Dirty Lane Bridge. What a different day to yesterday!

And.....a Happy Christmas to all my readers!

Our final trip to London for the year. This time, with my son and wife to stay overnight. As well as being able to go to the sales in Oxford Street (not me obviously!) we went to the Pinter Theatre to see the double bill production of Party Time and Celebration. A smashing way to round off the year!

I usually try to get out New Year's Eve to mark the end of another year's photography. This year was no exception, so I went over the fields to Victoria bridge. In utterly dismal weather I took only four pictures but at least the tradition was maintained!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS. HERE'S TO 2019!