71. The Yorkshireman-19.10.19

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2019 > 71. The Yorkshireman-19.10.19
An early morning run out to the newly electrified MML to see steam-hauled Yorkshireman railtour. It was a lovely sunny morning that meant that I had to think carefully about where to take a photograph to avoid looking into the sun!
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Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.

222017, EM 07.12 Nottingham-London St. Pancras (1B06, 2E), Wymington SP956634 Within less than a mile of this spot near the village of Wymington, Network Rail has closed three flat footpath crossings. The footpaths have been re-routed and now all converge on the footbridge on which I am standing. Unfortunately, it is one of their standard and hugely over-engineered green structures that offer few opportunities for photographers. 222017 climbs towards Sharnbrook summit with the 07.12 Nottingham to St. Pancras. The electrification wiring is all in place here but it is still some months away from being energised. Keywords: 222017 07.12 Nottingham-London St. Pancras 1B06 Wymington SP956634
222019, EM 08.02 London St. Pancras-Sheffield (1F10, 4L), Wymington SP958633 222019, having surmounted Sharnbrook summit, descends down towards Wellingborough with the 08.02 St. Pancras to Sheffield. This pan shot is taken from a field boundary near the village of Wymington on a beautiful autumn morning with a real nip in the air. Keywords: 222019 08.02 London St. Pancras-Sheffield 1F10 Wymington SP958633
43043, EM 07.45 Nottingham-London St. Pancras (1B18, 5L), Wymington SP958633 With its new 'large logo' EMR lettering on the side, 43043 is the lead power car of the 07.45 Nottingham to St. Pancras. 43043 is one of the original batch of HSTs delivered to the West Country in 1976 as part of set 253021. Here it is over forty years' later still earning its keep on front line service! The train is seen ascending Sharbrook bank past the village of Wymington. Keywords: 43043 07.45 Nottingham-London St. Pancras 1B18 Wymington SP958633
222009, EM 08.05 London St. Pancras-Nottingham (1D11, 2E), Wymington SP958633 222009 passes the village of Wymington between Bedford and Wellingborough on the MML with the 08.05 London St. Pancras to Nottingham. This is what I would call a 'light' pan photograph. Whilst there is some motion blur it is not too severe as I kept the shutter speed reasonably high at 1/320 of a second. Keywords: 222009 08.05 London St. Pancras-Nottingham 1D11 Wymington SP958633
6233, outward leg of The Yorkshireman, 06.41 Ealing Broadway-York (1Z35), Wymington SP958633 This image of LMS Princess Coronation Class 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland' did not quite work as I had wanted for two reasons. Number one, by the time the outward leg of The Yorkshireman railtour reached me here at Wymington on the MML just south of Wellingborough, the sun had just gone around a little too far to properly illuminate the side of the train. Number two, the exhaust, that I had expected here on this chilly morning, drifted slightly towards me thus exacerbating the dark sides! Never mind, 6233 still looks good in full flow descending from Sharnbrook summit as it heads northwards to its destination at York. Notice the moon still high in the early morning sky to the top left hand corner of the image. Keywords: 6233 The Yorkshireman, 06.41 Ealing Broadway-York (1Z35), Wymington SP958633
Up & down slow lines looking north, Wymington SP958633 I stood to photograph 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland' on the MML near to Wymington in the previous picture with the recently electrified Sharbrook summit avoider line behind me. The line remains unfenced so I could not resist a picture to show the scene now that the second track has been laid. The history of this section of the line is an interesting one. The mainlines of the Midland route were constructed with a 1:119 gradient from the south at Sharnbrook which took the line to three hundred and thirty feet above sea level at the summit. From about 1880, the line was quadrupled, with the new freight lines going through the newly constructed one thousand and eighty hundred and seventy-yard Sharnbrook Tunnel. This meant that combined with the Wymington deviation that follows the contours, freight trains had a much less taxing climb and did not hold up faster passenger workings. With the decline in freight by the late 1980s the freight lines were singled with full closure beckoning. However, by 1987, the single line was upgraded to passenger standards again. As can be seen in this image, the second line has recently been re-laid and they are about to see much more use again with Wellingborough station also having its fourth platform reinstated. Thus, I believe that this could be the longest section of continuous quadruple track in the country stretching from London St. Pancras to Kettering North Junction, a distance of seventy-four miles. I am open to correction on this fact! Keywords: Up & down slow lines Wymington SP958633

Images 1-6 of 6 displayed.