1. The outward leg-AM

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2017 > 24. The Leeds & Hull Executive-06.05.17 > 1. The outward leg-AM

I went out to the ECML just north of Huntingdon in my Audi TT to see the special on its outward journey. It lived up to expectations roaring past on the up fast at full line speed.

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Images 1-21 of 21 displayed.

43468, GC 08.51 Bradford Interchange-London Kings Cross (1A70, 1L), White House Crossing TL227777
Open operator, Grand Central, uses a combination of HSTs and class 180s on its services. Here, 43468 (ex 43068, set 254007) heads south past White House Crossing north of Huntingdon leading the 08.51 Bradford Interchange to King's Cross. GC has recently announced that they are going to off-lease their HSTs as more class 180s become available from the Western Region because of the class 800s coming into service.
Keywords: 43468 1A70 White House Crossing TL227777

387123, GN 11.18Peterborough-London Kings Cross (2P47, 6L), White House Crossing TL227777
Great Northern operate a regular service between Peterborough and King's Cross. Sometimes, due to availability issues of other classes, class 387s are used on the Peterborough route rather than their more usual Cambridge and Kings Lyn services. Still in its Southern white with green door livery 387123 works the 11.18 Peterborough to London King's Cross past White House Crossing just north of Huntingdon.
Keywords: 387123 2P47 White House Crossing TL227777

91115, GR 11.03 London Kings Cross-Leeds (1D11, 5L), White House Crossing TL227777
91115 'Blaydon Races' races north past White House Crossing north of Huntingdon with the 11.03 King's Cross to Leeds. White House Crossing is a foot crossing that Network Rail want to close situated on the three-track section of the ECML. This closure is part of their almost obsessive programme of removing all crossings across the network.
Keywords: 91115 1D11 White House Crossing TL227777

82213 & 91130, GR 10.05 Leeds-London Kings Cross (1A22, 2L), White House Crossing TL227777
DVT 82213 leads the 10.05 Leeds to London King's Cross with 91130 'Lord Mayor of Newcastle' pushing at the rear. The train is seen heading south past White House Crossing near the village of Abbots Ripton in Huntingdonshire. Unfortunately, I did not get the placing of the train quite where I wanted it as the electrification mast is just behind the cab of the DVT to the left! I tend not to use the power burst function on the camera seeking to use my eye and reactions to get the train in the right place; this also keeps the camera's shutter count down!
Keywords: 82213 91130 1A22 White House Crossing TL227777

365533, GN 11.46 Peterborugh-London Kings Cross (1P61, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
365533 passes the soon to be closed White House footpath crossing just north of Huntingdon on the ECML with the 11.46 Peterborough to King's Cross 1P61 working. As can be seen here, the weather was very grey with very flat lighting that made quality photography tricky!
Keywords: 365533 1P61 White House Crossing TL227777

387126, GN 10.34 London Kings Cross-Peterborough (2P10, 2L), White House Crossing TL227777
387126 working the 10.34 London King's Cross to Peterborough working past White House Crossing about two miles north of Huntingdon. Whilst these units have Great Northern branding in the form of one vinyl per coach, they are still in Southern's livery and as such look a little incongruous on the ECML!
Keywords: 387126 2P10 White House Crossing TL227777

Class 180, GC 11.20 London Kings-Cross-Sunderland (1N92, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
One of Grand Central's class 180s speeds northwards working the 11.20 King's Cross to Sunderland train. These class 180s were designed and built by Alstom in the late 1990s and were plagued with many problems both before and after their introduction. They have settled down now and are providing a good service. They are the only high-speed diesel trains in the world to use hydraulic transmission; as a Western Region lad, I throughly approve of this arrangement!
Keywords: Class 180 1N92 White House Crossing TL227777

82228, GR 06.50 Glasgow Central-London Kings Cross (1E06, 2L), White House Crossing TL227777
DVT 82228 leads the 06.50 Glasgow central to London King's Cross past White House Crossing between Huntingdon and Peterborough. When the class 800 Azumas enter service at the end of 2018 these fine train sets, that have done sterling service since the late 1980s, face an uncertain future. There is talk of the MML and even the WCML or, storage and scrapping?
Keywords: 82228 1E06 White House Crossing TL227777

66198, 11.32 Biggleswade-Plasmor Hec (4D56), White House Crossing TL227777
66198 ambles along the down slow at White House Crossing north of Huntingdon with the 11.32 Biggleswade to Plasmor Hec. This is a train of flat wagons that will collect sleepers and other concrete products from Plasmor for use on the network somewhere or another!
Keywords: 66198 11.32 Biggleswade-Plasmor Hec 4D56 White House Crossing TL227777

91126, GR 11.30 London Kings Cross-Edinburgh (1S15, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
I always try to choose remote spots for specials as I don't like fighting for elbow space with other enthusiasts. By now, the photographers were beginning to gather here at the relatively remote spot at White House Crossing near the village of Abbots Ripton. As the closure of this crossing was imminent, I suppose it had a bit of added interest. 91126 passes the doomed crossing with the 11.30 King's Cross to Edinburgh 1S15 service at full line speed.
Keywords: 91126 1S15 White House Crossing TL227777

43309, GR 08.30 Edinburgh-London Kings Cross (1E07, 2E), White House Crossing TL227777
A sight that, 40 years ago, I would have turned away from with some distain. An HST on the ECML meant that another Deltic turn had gone leading to their ultimate demise. How ironic then that now it's the HST that is the photographed train and the one threatened! Here, 43309 leads the 08.30 Edinburgh to London King's Cross past White House Crossing just north of Huntingdon. 43309 has been an Eastern Region unit all its life, originally as 43109 it was part of set 254027.
Keywords: 43309 1E07 White House Crossing TL227777

43307, GR 11.35 London Kings Cross-Leeds (1D12, 1L), White House Crossing TL227777
I think that out of all the liveries that the HSTs have carried that the Virgin East Coast one is the smartest. The red and white looks contemporary and keeps the ageing HST looking fresh. Here, passing White House Crossing near to Abbots Ripton, 43307 (ex. 43107, set 254026) speeds northwards with the 11.35 London King's Cross to Leeds.
Keywords: 43107 1D12 White House Crossing TL227777

387126, GN 12.18 Peterborough-London Kings Cross (2P49, 5L), White House Crossing TL227777
387126 approaches White House Crossing north of Huntingdon working the 12.18 Peterborough to King's Cross. The ECML is three track at this point with and up and down fast line and a down slow on the far left in this image. There are plans to quadruple the line again by reinstating the up slow that would run immediately in front of the camera putting me in the middle of the four foot!
Keywords: 387126 2P49 White House Crossing TL227777

180109, HT 10.31 Hull-London Kings Cross (1A95, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
Hull Trains (part of First Group) is an open access operator on the ECML. It uses a fleet of four class 180 Adelante DMUs. Here, 180109 heads past White House Crossing near Abbots Ripton working the 10.31 Hull to King's Cross. These class 180s are fast and now reliable units that use Voith hydraulic transmission to transmit the power from their Cummins QSK19 engines to the axles.
Keywords: 180109 1A95 White House Crossing TL227777

43302, GR 12.03 London Kings Cross-Leeds (1D13, 1L), White House Crossing TL227777
This power car, 43302, has beaten a track up and down the ECML for much of its life apart from a spell when it was with Virgin West Coast and Virgin Cross Country. As 43102 it was part of set 254024 that was introduced slightly later than the first batch. It is seen here passing White House Crossing with the 12.03 King's Cross to Leeds.
Keywords: 43302 1D13 White House Crossing TL227777

82230, GR 11.05 Leeds-London Kings Cross (1A26, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
DVT 82230 leads the 11.05 Leeds to King's Cross past White House Crossing near the small village of Abbots Ripton. Whilst it was bright, the sky looked threatening but only produced a few drops of rain now and again.
Keywords: 82230 1A26 White House Crossing TL227777

365529 & 365541, GN, 12.46 Peterborough-London Kings Cross (1P63, 1E), White House Crossing TL227777
365529 and 365541 head south forming the 12.46 Peterborough to King's Cross stopper. It is seen working as fast as it dare on the up fast past White House Crossing north of Huntingdon. This section of track is a bottle neck on this section of the ECML where all up services are forced on to one line at Fletton Junction south of Peterborough. This is a situation that Network rail want to change by reinstating the up slow that was removed by BR in the 1970s.
Keywords: 365529 365541 1P63 White House Crossing TL227777

180107, GC 10.21 Bradford Interchange-London Kings Cross (1A63, RT), White House Crossing TL227777
Open operator Grand Central utilises a combination of class 180s and HSTs. However, there is talk that they want to dispose of the HSTs once Great Western off-lease their 180s when the IETs are introduced next year. 180107 passes White House Crossing near to the village of Abbots Ripton with the 10.21 Bradford Interchange to King's Cross.
Keywords: 180107 1A63 White House Crossing TL227777

D9009, outward leg of The Leeds & Hull Executive, 06.00 Willington-London Kings Cross (via Leeds, Hull & Spalding) (1Z11), White House Crossing TL227777
One of the reasons that I chose this spot at White House Crossing just north of Huntingdon was that The Leeds and Hull Executive railtour would be on the fast line as there is no up slow at this point. Being on the up fast would mean that the train would be working hard to keep its path avoiding delaying other trains. I was right as D9009 'Alycidon' was at full chat and making all the right noise as it raced south complete with the flying thistle on the front. It was also great to see a long and uniformed rake of blue and grey Mk.II stock to complete the picture. I must admit that the whole feast of sight and sound triggered a little emotion in me!
Keywords: D9009 The Leeds & Hull Executive 1Z11 White House Crossing TL227777

365540, GE 12.22 London Kings Cross-Peterborough (1P52, 1L), White House Crossing TL227777
365540 leads a two-car set past White House Crossing forming the 12..2 London King's Cross to Peterborough. These late 1990 built class 365s have been good performers on this line but face an uncertain future as new trains are due to replace them.
Keywords: 365540 1P52 White House Crossing TL227777

66186, 09.11 Dollands Moor-Scunthorpe Redbourn (4E28), White House Crossing TL227777
EWS liveried 66186 works the 09.11 Dollands Moor to Scunthorpe on the down slow past White House Crossing just north of Huntingdon on the ECML. This is train of flats designed to carry lengths of rail.
Keywords: 66186 09.11 Dollands Moor-Scunthorpe Redbourn 4E28 White House Crossing TL227777

Images 1-21 of 21 displayed.