89. East Coast HST FINAL farewell & Roade cutting-31.12.19

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2019 > 89. East Coast HST FINAL farewell & Roade cutting-31.12.19

My final trip out of the year and a very fitting one it was too! It had been revealed through internet postings that the celebrity HST set used for the farewell Let's go Around Again railtour earlier in the month was to undertake its final move from Craigentinny for storage at Ely Papworth to await possible future developments. I decided to see it away from its usual routes and the wires of the ECML so drove to the edge of the Fens east of Peterborough. For my efforts, I was rewarded with a bit of sunshine for the occasion and felt this to be a very fitting end to the year and the decade for that matter! When I got home I had a short walk from home to Roade cutting but the weather was rather more dismal by this time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS. HERE'S TO 2020!

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Kings Dyke signal box (GE, 1889)
I have a picture of Kings Dyke signal box taken in the 1980s, then it was very different being devoid of the ghastly upvc windows and cladding. It also did not have the toilet extension added at the western end. Today, the GER Dutton Type seven box controls two level crossings but no semaphores and it still retains its wooden nameboard. It is interesting to note that the name Kings Dyke is written with no apostrophe but on maps and locally it is written King's Dyke, once again like the next station Whittlesey, the railways have gone for their own spelling.
Keywords: Kings Dyke signal box Great Eastern Railway

158810, EM 07.07 Mansfield Woodhouse-Norwich (1L03, 3L), Kings Dyke crossing
Passing the former GER signal box (now a crossing box) at Kings Dyke just east of Peterborough is 158810 working the 07.07 Mansfield to Norwich East Midlands Railway service. This is a once-daily service that extends through to Norwich that does not appear to have a balancing working back later in the day.
Keywords: 158810 07.07 Mansfield Woodhouse-Norwich 1L03 Kings Dyke crossing EMT East Midlands Trains

170101, XC 07.22 Birmingham New Street-Stansted Airport (1L30, RT), Kings Dyke crossing
It appears that 170101 has been adapted to operate using wind power! With a huge turbine emerging from its roof the CrossCountry class 170 approaches Kings Dyke level crossing between Peterborough and Whittlesey (or Whittlesea) forming the 07.22 Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport.
Keywords: 170101 07.22 Birmingham New Street-Stansted Airport 1L30 Kings Dyke crossing CrossCountry trains

158770, EM 07.57 Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street (1R70, 1L), Kings Dyke crossing
Under a wintery sky, 158770 works the 1R70 07.57 Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street service. It is seen approaching Kings Dyke (or King's Dike as it is known locally) just to the east of Peterborough. Despite the extra effort involved, I like photographing in winter, when the sun is out the quality of light is very special but it does require the camera's (and the photographer's for that matter!) capabilities to be stretched somewhat.
Keywords: 158770 07.57 Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street 1R70 Kings Dyke crossing East Midlands Railway EMT

43206 & 43006, 04.41 Craigentinny-Ely Papworth Sidings (5L46), Kings Dyke crossing
This is what the early start and drive from Northampton on New Year's Eve was all about! Just catching some rare winter sunshine, 43206 leads the 04.41 Craigentinny to Ely Papworth Sidings empty stock move past Kings Dyke level crossing. The power cars and stock are moving to the storage facility at Ely having been taken out of service a couple of weeks previously having worked their final trains being in connection with the four-day finalé railtour, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/v/photos/21936chg/C360428004/x85-ecml-hst-farewell-let-s-go-round Surely, set EC56 is too good to scrap having been so well painted and prepared for the final railtour?
Keywords: 43206 43006 04.41 Craigentinny-Ely Papworth Sidings 5L46 Kings Dyke crossing

43006 & 43206, 04.41 Craigentinny-Ely Papworth Sidings (5L46), Kings Dyke crossing
This really is it.......the final day of 2019 and the curtain is brought down on ECML HST operations with the celebrity EC56 set, with the addition of two other LNER branded coaches, moving for storage at Ely. Into the final few miles of its journey from Scotland 43206, wearing set number 254029, passes Kings Dyke crossing on the Fens. The empty coaching stock move ran as 5L46 leaving Craigentinny at 04.41 for Ely.
Keywords: 43206 43006 04.41 Craigentinny-Ely Papworth Sidings 5L46 Kings Dyke crossing HST

390124, VT 12.20 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (1H24, RT), Roade cutting
In a very dingy Roade cutting 390124 heads north on the afternoon of the last day of the year and the decade with the 1H24 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly service.
Keywords: 390124 12.20 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 1H24 Roade cutting Pendolino Avanti West Coast

390155, VT 11.35 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1A29, RT), Roade cutting
With planning consent recently granted for the development of a huge strategic rail freight interchange to be named Northampton Gateway a short distance from this location above Roade cutting, this scene will be dramatically changed in the coming couple of years. As part of the awarding of planning consent the developers of the site, Roxhill, are bound to construct a bypass for Roade village. This will cross the cutting diagonally in this view halfway between where I am standing and the green aqueduct. As a villager, I welcome the bypass but at what price? 390155 passes through the cutting forming the 11.35 Manchester to Euston service.
Keywords: 390155 11.35 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1A29 Roade cutting Pendolino Avanti West Coast

Class 390, VT 12.23 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (9G20, RT), Roade cutting
Another 'nude' Pendolino passes through Roade cutting. Avanti West Coast is making very slow progress with its re-branding of their stock with the majority running in this plain white livery. This unidentified member of the class is working the 12.23 Euston to Birmingham New Street.
Keywords: Class 390 12.23 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 9G20 Roade cutting Pendolino Avanti West Coast

390039, VT 12.30 London Euston-Glasgow Central (1S63, 1E), Roade cutting
With its Coventry standard on the front of the cab including an image of Lady Godiva, 390039 'City of Coventry' passes through Roade cutting with the 12.30 Euston to Glasgow Central. This service will get New Year revellers to Scotland in plenty of time to celebrate the start of 2020.
Keywords: 390039 12.30 London Euston-Glasgow Central 1S63 Roade cutting Pendolino Avanti West Coast

350101 & 350121, LN 12.15 London Euston-Crewe & Walsall (1Y15 & 2A31,12L), Roade cutting
The new revised livery being carried by some members of the London Northwestern Desiros is infinitely better than that carried by others. In fact, it looks very similar to the neutral branding carried by the class when they were introduced new to the route in the summer of 2005. 350101, seen here, is the first member of the class and is seen with 350121 passing through Roade cutting working the 12.15 to Crewe and Walsall. This is one of the operators many splitting trains with the front set continuing to Cheshire on arrival at Birmingham New Street with the rear set going back out to Walsall.
Keywords: 350101 350121 12.15 London Euston-Crewe Walsall 1Y15 2A31 Roade cutting Desiro London NorthWestern Railway

350240 & 350264, LN 10.05 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston (2Y08, RT), Roade cutting
So we come to my final picture of 2019! Packed with revellers heading to London for the New Year celebrations, 350240 and 350264 pass south through Roade cutting working the 10.05 Liverpool to Euston. 2019 has been a very busy year on the railway front with huge changes taking place. 2020 will see the consolidation of these changes and I will be there with camera in hand to record these changes.

A happy New Year to my readers!
Keywords: 350240 350264 10.05 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston 2Y08 Roade cutting Desiro London NorthWestern

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