York & the ECML-09.08.79

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1979 > 16. Summer Tour-07-12.08.79 > York & the ECML-09.08.79
I am not sure where we camped the previous night but it will have been between Settle and York! We started off our day at York with a quick trip to the National Railway Museum and York yard we then got down to some Deltic action! We headed southwards from York camping at Eaton Wood just south of Retford.
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Images 1-9 of 9 displayed.

84001, on-display, National Railway Museum, York During this visit to the NRM in 1979, 84001 had only been withdrawn for seven months! Still in its BR livery with the headcode panel displaying 0000, it sits in the main hall of the museum where it had arrived on 08.05.79 on loan for the NRM's 100 Years of Electric Railways exhibition. It then spent the rest of its time at Barrow Hill being taken to various open days. Until 2012, it was in the care of the AC Locomotive Society. Keywords: 84001 on-display National Railway Museum, York
40037 & 47361, stabled, York MPD At York MPD, situated at the back of the National Railway Museum, 40037 and 47361 are seen stabled awaiting their next duties. The class 40 had exactly two years left in service with it being cut up at Swindon in November 1983. 47361 was a no-heat locomotive that lived on longer than 40037 until 2004. It was cut up at EMR's site at Kingsbury where so many locomotives have met their fate. Keywords: 40037 47361 stabled, York MPD
40007, 37035, 47361 & 25208, ECS, York yard An interesting line up of BR's finest in York yard behind the National Railway Museum. On the far left, 25208 takes what I believe to be an ECS working into York station. I cannot identify the Peak and the class 37 in the background. In the foreground are 40007, 37035 and 47361. As D207, the class 40 was new to traffic in the summer of 1958. It survived until January 1984 being withdrawn after sustaining accident damage after a derailment at Llandudno Junction. 37035, that was an Eastern Region loco. for most of its life up until withdrawal in 2000 from March depot. Notice the wire fence laying on the ground to the lower right of the image. Could you imagine a situation like this today with full and open access to a large depot and working lines? Keywords: 40007 37035 47361 25208 ECS York yard
40050, down grain hoppers, Naburn SE608445 This is a simple but fascinating picture for a number of reasons. A down working composed of forty-one ton covered grain hopper wagons is seen passing Naburn south of York hauled by 40050. This four axle PAA wagons date from the early 1970s and were designed to carry considerable amounts of malt and grain around the country in trains that became part of the Speedlink network. Apart from the trackbed and Naburn Wood in the background, everything in this scene has gone. The class 40 survived for exactly another four years before withdrawal. The hoppers will have long been disposed of but some did survive into the late 1980s and the line itself is now a footpath and cycleway. This former section of the ECML that ran from just north of Selby to Challoners Whin Junction was closed in 1983 following the opening of the Selby Diversion, a thirteen-mile section of new track. Keywords: 40050 grain hoppers Naburn SE608445
55006, 14.05 London King`s Cross-York (1L43), Selby station 55006 'The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry' arrives at Selby station leading the 1L43 14.05 King's Cross to York stopper service. These expresses were as well suited to Deltic operation as were the long distance high-speed services that they were better known for. Deltics rapid acceleration and their ability to maintain high running speed for short bursts and then to slow again for the next stop meant that these York services had tight timings. This photograph shows clearly the snaking track at the southern end of Selby station, one factor that contributed to it being a bottleneck that severely hampered timings on the ECML and one that partly precipitated the opening of the thirteen-mile diversion four years after this scene. Keywords: 55006 14.05 London King`s Cross-York 1L43 Selby station
55006, 14.05 London King`s Cross-York (1L43), Selby station A scene that is full of historical interest to the north of Selby station. 55006 'The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry' takes the 14.05 King's Cross to York away from the station and is about to cross the swing bridge. The signal box that controls the operation of the swing bridge straddles the up and down running lines with the accumulator tower to the left just behind it. The roof and gable end of the closed Selby signal box is behind the train. Notice the enthusiast hanging out of the droplight taking in the grandeur of a Deltic doing what it did best, namely, making a lot of noise as it accelerates rapidly with a fast express train! But, having said that, the train is severely speed restricted until the last carriage has passed over the swing bridge, but then it will all kick off! Keywords: 55006 14.05 London King`s Cross-York 1L43 Selby station
40199, up oil tankers, Selby station & signal box 40199 comes over the Selby swing bridge with an up tanker train. It will take the centre road through the station as it heads south. The closed Selby North signal box is seen to the left of the image devoid of its namaplate. I remember the very distinctive noise of trains crossing the swing bridge, the 'click-clack' of the wheels over extra large joints where the swing bridge separated from the land was very loud. The swing bridge was another factor that lead to the opening of the Selby diversion in 1983 as it created a bottleneck that compromised ECML timings. Keywords: 40199 up oil tankers Selby station signal box
55008, 17.05 London King`s Cross-Hull (1D04), The Hull Executive, Rankskill SK661878 As the afternoon progressed, the weather improved with some welcome sunshine by early evening. 55008 'The Green Howards' is at full speed passing Ranskill with the 17.05 King's Cross to Hull, the fabled Hull Executive. I have deliberately taken the picture a little early for two reasons. Firstly, I wanted the c.1875 Great Northern signal box in the image and secondly, my Zenith camera had a paltry maximum shutter speed of 1/500th second so if the train had been much closer it would have been very blurred! The box still stands and, at the time of writing, is in use containing a mini-panel monitoring all of the crossings between Bawtry and Gamston. Notice the milepost just in front of the Deltic indicating that Ranskill crossing is one hundred and forty-four miles from London. Keywords: 55008 17.05 London King`s Cross-Hull 1D04 The Hull Executive Rankskill SK661878
55006, 18.11 York-London King`s Cross (1A31), Ranskill SK660883 Having been seen working north earlier in the afternoon at Selby, 55006 'The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry' now returns to King's Cross with the 1A31 18.11 from York. In some nice early evening sunshine, the train is seen speeding past Ranskill taken from the B6045 road bridge. Such a wide photograph would not be possible today due to the all too common uncontrolled tree growth on the embankments. In addition, there is all wiring paraphernalia to get in the way, Google earth reveals all! Keywords: 55006 18.11 York-London King`s Cross 1A31 Ranskill SK660883

Images 1-9 of 9 displayed.