1. Journey there-17.04.15

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2015 > 17. Trip to Birmingham-17 & 18.04.15 > 1. Journey there-17.04.15

After taking a morning trip to Birmingham, I then returned to New Street and nipped to Moor Street in the afternoon whilst my wife wandered around the Bullring Centre yielding her credit card!

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Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.

350266, LM 10.13 London Euston-Birmingham New Street, Northampton station
350266 waits at Northampton's platform two ready to continue onwards as the 10.13 Euston to Birmingham New Street. My wife and I took this train to its Midland's destination. Notice the new footbridge as part of the wider station re-build still shrowded in protective hoardings.
Keywords: 350266 10.13 London Euston-Birmingham New Street Northampton station Desiro London Midland

220006, stabled, Birmingham New Street station
CrossCountry's 220006 stands idle on one of Birmingham New Street's centre roads. This is a fairly common occurrence with any number of units found here during off-peak times as the lines serve no other purpose with through trains being incredibly rare.
Keywords: 220006 Birmingham New Street station Voyager CrossCountry

153371, LM 15.49 Birmingham New Street-Hereford (1V30), Birmingham New Street station
A photograph that typifies the environment at Birmingham New Street. Its subterranean location means that all trains enter through tunnels with only glimpses of daylight at either end of the station platforms. In this image, one of London Midland's ten Super Sprinter single-car units leaves New Street with the 1V30 15.49 to Hereford. Notice the myriad of signage on the platform end. Psychological research has found that a haphazard collection of notices such as this is totally ineffective. One sign in one colour passing on a simple message is all that is needed.
Keywords: 153371 15.49 Birmingham New Street-Hereford 1V30 Birmingham New Street station supper sprinter London Midland

323213, LM 15.12 Redditch-LichfieldTrent Valley (2P59), Birmingham New Street station
The brutalist concrete structure of the 1960s designed and built Birmingham New Street station is seen here clearly weathering and not looking at its best! 323213 enters the station working the cross-city 15.12 Redditch to Lichfield Trent Valley. Notice the very top floor of New Street's 1966 built power signal box above the level of the roadway, the structure is now grade II listed.
Keywords: 323213 15.12 Redditch-Lichfield Trent Valley 2P59 Birmingham New Street station

170631, LM 14.47 Shrewsbury-Birmingham New Street (1G43) & 220006, stabled, Birmingham New Street station
Passengers are already waiting on New Street's platform 4A to board the return working formed by 170631. It is arriving with the terminating 1G43 14.47 from Shrewsbury. CrossCountry's 220006 is stabled in the centre road.
Keywords: 170631 14.47 Shrewsbury-Birmingham New Street 1G43 220006 stabled, Birmingham New Street station London Midland Voyager Turbostar

43304, XC 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central (1S51), Birmingham New Street station
The 12.25 Plymouth to Glasgow Central hst arrives into Birmingham New Street. It is being led by 43304, a former Eastern Region power car that as 43104 was part of 254025. If I was undertaking this joureny I would do my level best to select this service and travel on an hst rather than a cramped and noisy Voyager!
Keywords: 43304 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central 1S51 Birmingham New Street station CrossCountry hst

43384, XC 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central (1S51), Birmingham New Street station
The tail end of the 1S51 12.25 Plymouth to Glasgow Central just emerges from the dark depths of Birmingham New Street station. Power car 43384 was a late production example being constructed to work on the NE/SW route that it is seen on here nearly thirty-five years later! Observe the simplicity of the hst's design in this image, particularly the single wiper arm that simple sweeps from one side to the other of the flat laminated screen. Compare that to today's multiple pantograph style wipers that are huge as they wipe the complicatedly shaped and aerodynamic screens.
Keywords: 43384 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central 1S51 Birmingham New Street station CrossCountry hst

350233, LM 13.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1W15), Birmingham New Street station
350233 emerges into some afternoon sunshine at Birmingham's New Street station with the terminating 1W15 13.39 from Euston.
Keywords: 350233 13.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1W15 Birmingham New Street station London Midland Desiro

221116, VT for 15.24 Shrewsbury-London Euston (1B68), Birmingham New Street station
Despite having its tail lights illuminated, this Voyager, 221116 'City of Bangor/Dinas Bangor' will soon work forwards to Euston as the 15.24 Shewsbury to Euston. That is when it is joined by the incoming unit from the Shropshire county town that will be attached to the rear forming the double-set service from here at New Street; how complicated!
Keywords: 221116 for 15.24 Shrewsbury-London Euston (1B68), Birmingham New Street station Virgin trains voyager City of Bangor / Dinas Bangor

221004, XC 08.20 Aberdeen-Penzance (1V60), from Birmingham New Street station
In terms of service distance travelled, I believe that this working holds the accolade as being the longest. My calculations show that the 1V60 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance covers a total distance seven hundred and forty two miles travelling via Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Birmingham, Bristol and Plymouth. However, to undertake that journey in a Voyager, such as 221104, as seen here entering New Street South tunnel from the platform end, would not be as pleasurable as in days of old. Previously, this service was timed as the 07.30 Aberdeen to Penzance with a balancing working leaving the Cornish town at the same time. The train travelled via the WCML route north of Birmingham with a portion for Glasgow detaching at Carstairs and another portion being left behind at Edinburgh. Then, it was a superb set of Mk. II air conditioned stock with a variety of locomotives employed throughout its journey. To and from Birmingham it usually was worked by a class 50 and was a firm favourite of mine when I was a college in Cheltenham during the early 1980s. Indeed, I wrote a short article about this working in edition 213 of Traction magazine.
Keywords: 221004 08.20 Aberdeen-Penzance 1V60 from Birmingham New Street station Voyager Cross Country trains

221123, XC 14.27 Manchester Piccadilly-Bournemouth (1022) & 221004, XC 08.20 Aberdeen-Penzance (1V60), Birmingham New Street station
A meeting of CrossCountry services at Birmingham New Street. To the left, 221123 works the 1O22 14.27 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth and leaves heading southwards toward its next stop at Birmingham International. To the right, the 1V60 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance arrives being worked by 221104.
Keywords: 221123 14.27 Manchester Piccadilly-Bournemouth 1022 221004 08.20 Aberdeen-Penzance 1V60 Birmingham New Street station Cross Country Voyager

390039, VT, 14.43 London Euston-Edinburgh (9S80), from Birmingham New Sreet station
Looking through New Steet South tunnel from the platform end of the station, 390039 is seen working the 14.43 Euston to Edinburgh 'slow' service. I say slow, as this particular diagram goes via New Street to Crewe making a number of additional stops rather than the faster and more direct route via the Trent valley.
Keywords: 390039 14.43 London Euston-Edinburgh 9S80 from Birmingham New Sreet station Virgin Pendolino

390039, VT, 14.43 London Euston-Edinburgh (9S80), Birmingham New Street station
So many Pendolinos travel with their nose cone covers either open or, as in this case, partially open thus exposing the Dellner 12 coupling mechanism. I am sure that this does nothing for the aerodynamics of the power cars as well as offering no protection to the innards itself! 390039 enters Birmingham New Street working the 14.43 Euston to Edinburgh Waverley as one of its cousins leaves to the left.
Keywords: 390039 14.43 London Euston-Edinburgh 9S80 Birmingham New Street station Pendolino Voyager

170523, XC 16.09 Birmingham New Street-Leicester (1K23), Birmingham New Street station
Catching an unfortunate reflection from the April sunshine, 170523 leaves Birmingham New Street forming the 16.09 to Leicester. The livery carried by this Turbostar, and all other CrossCountry trains is an interesting one, I have never been able to decide if I like it or not, one thing I'm not keen on is the random quadrilaterals as seen here on the carriage ends.
Keywords: 170523 16.09 Birmingham New Street-Leicester 1K23 Birmingham New Street station Cross Country Turbostar

172331, LM 16.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster (2K51), Birmingham Moor Street station
172331 enters Birmingham Moor Street station with the 16.09 Dorridge to Kidderminster London MIdland service. The class 172s were introduced gradually from 2010 meaning that the operator could send the many class 150s that operated this route off-lease.
Keywords: 172331 16.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster 2K51 Birmingham Moor Street station London MIdland

172331, LM 16.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster (2K51) & 172214, LM 15.57 Stourbridge Junction-Stratford-on-Avon (2S60), Birmingham Moor Street station
A meeting of class 172s at Birmingham Moor Street station. To the left, high capacity unit 172331 pauses with the 2K51 16.09 Dorridge to Kidderminster. Whilst, to the right 172214 leaves the station with the 15.57 Stourbridge Junction to Stratford-on-Avon service.
Keywords: 172331 16.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster 2K51 172214, LM 15.57 Stourbridge Junction-Stratford-on-Avon 2S60 Birmingham Moor Street station London Midland railway

172339, LM 15.55 Kidderminster-Dorridge (2C56) & 172213, LM 16.19 Whitlocks End-Worcester Foregate Street (2V42), Birmingham Moor Street station
The class 172s have completely taken over the cross-Birmingham services over the last five years replacing the elderly and unpopular class 150s. To the left at Birmingham Moor Street, 172339 leaves with the 15.55 Kidderminster to Dorridge. Meanwhile, to the right, 172213 slows for its stop working the 16.19 Whitlocks End to Worcester Foregate Street.
Keywords: 172339 15.55 Kidderminster-Dorridge 2C56 172213 16.19 Whitlocks End-Worcester Foregate Street 2V42 Birmingham Moor Street station London Midland Railway

Tickets, Northampton-Birmingham New Street
The outward off-peak tickets for our journey from Northampton to Birmingham New Street. After a two-together discount, this worked out to be just over £6 each way, not bad value!
Keywords: Tickets Northampton-Birmingham New Street

Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.