34. Trip to Taunton-19.06.15

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2015 > 34. Trip to Taunton-19.06.15

A trip to Taunton by train to collect car from the nearby town of Wellington. Any normal person would have taken a taxi from Taunton station to the dealership but not me, I took my bike and rode to the Somerset town following the line retracing the route that I took as part of my West of England tour in the summer of 1979. After riding to Wellington, I had a lovely drive back to Northamptonshire in a delightful Honda Jazz!

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Images 1-15 of 15 displayed.

350248, LM waiting for 07.14 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (1Y10), Northampton station
350248 has recently arrived at Northampton after an early morning up commuter service. It now waits in platform one for the arrival of the 07.14 from Birmingham. The two set will then join and work forward to Euston.
Keywords: 350248 07.14 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 1Y10 Northampton station London Midland Desiro

350105 & 350248, LM 07.14 Birmingham New Street-Euston (1Y10), Northampton station
350105 inches towards 350248 at Northampton station. Once the Dellner couplings join, the eight-car unit will work forward as 1Y10 to London Euston.
Keywords: 350105 350248 07.14 Birmingham New Street-Euston 1Y10 Northampton station London Midland Desiro

66544, 06.04 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe (4L41), Northampton station
On a grey June morning, 66544 takes the centre road through Northampton station leading the 4L41 06.04 Crewe Basford Hall to Felixstowe Freightliner. At busy times, the passage of freight through Northampton can be problematic to the south of the station as it is a bit of a bottleneck with service trains often holding things up waiting for platforms to become available.
Keywords: 66544 06.04 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe 4L41 Northampton station Freightliner

66705, 03.10 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park (4M21), Northampton station
With some lovely summer roses brightening the otherwise dull scene at Northampton 66705 'Golden Jubilee' passes through platform two with the 4M2 03.10 Felixstowe North to Trafford Park Freightliner. The down Freightliner is passing the 4L41 06.04 Crewe Basford Hall to Felixstowe service that has come to a halt at a red signal waiting for an up passenger working to depart.
Keywords: 66705 03.10 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park 4M21 Northampton station GBRF Freightliner Golden Jubilee

90048 & 66419, 03.00 Felixstowe-Trafford Park (4M36), Northampton station
With 90048 providing the power and 66419 dead in tow, the 03.00 Felixstowe North to Trafford Park passes through Northampton station. As this 4M36 service was running fairly late I suspect that the Class 66 developed some kind of trouble with the Class 90 being called upon to rescue the train.
Keywords: 90048 66419 03.00 Felixstowe-Trafford Park 4M36 Northampton station

350120, LM 07.33 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (1W04), Northampton station
350120 arrives at Northampton's platform one with the 07.33 Birmingham New Street to Euston service. It is a very grey and somewhat chilly June morning just two days prior to the longest day.
Keywords: 350120 07.33 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 1W04 Northampton station London Midland Desiro

350116, LM 07.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1W03), Birmingham New Street station
Having travelled up from Northampton aboard 350116 its stands in the darkness at Birmingham New Street. The London Midland Desiro had terminated with the 07.49 from Euston. Notice the wagons on the adjacent platform one. These are being used as part of the huge and protracted redevelopment of New Street with materials being brought in and out by rail.
Keywords: 350116 07.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1W03 Birmingham New Street station London Midland Desiro

221129, XC 06.45 Newcastle-Plymouth (1V48), Taunton station
Having arrived at Taunton, the weather had been transformed from a dull and grey day to one more like mid-summer! A bit of a grab shot of 221119 as it leaves the Somerset county town with the 06.45 Newcastle to Plymouth. I had travelled on this 1V48 service from Birmingham New Street along with my bike stowed in one of the three allotted bike racks.
Keywords: 221129 06.45 Newcastle-Plymouth 1V48 Taunton station Cross Country Trains Voyager

66509, up light engine, Taunton station
Despite an extensive search of RTT I was unable to identify this light engine working at Taunton station. 66509 runs wrong line through platform two. Notice the common practice now adopted on many stations of blocking off the end of the platform with some sort of fence is in use at Taunton. Thus, I would be unable to recreate images taken in the past such as.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/v/photos/21936chg/26418693604/x50029-17-32-london-paddington-penzance However, with the semaphores and signal box all swept away and Class 50s being a little thin on the ground, a similar picture would be a little difficult!
Keywords: 66509 up light engine Taunton station

43189, GW 11.30 Paignton-London Paddington (12.17 Exeter St. David`s-London Paddington) (1A82), Victory level crossing, ST182249
It may be high summer in the Somerset countryside but all is not well with this First Great Western service. I did not manage to discover the reason but 43189 'Railway Heritage Trust' has started out from Exeter St. David's rather than Paignton where it should have. The 11.30 Paignton to Paddington ran as the 1A82 12.17 from Exeter arriving at Paddington just about on-time. The service is seen descending from Whiteball summit at Victory level crossing deep in the countryside between Taunton and Wellington.
Keywords: 43189 11.30 Paignton-London Paddington 12.17 Exeter St. David`s-London Paddington 1A82 Victory level crossing ST182249

43160, GW 11.06 London Paddington-Plymouth (1C79), Victory level crossing, ST182249
Amongst the detritus left behind by Network Rail staff at Victory level crossing just west of Taunton 43160 gets up to speed for the accent of Whiteball bank. It really is criminal that the huge amount of waste seen laying around next to work sites is being paid for by you and I and not even as train travellers by as taxpayers. The HST is working the 11.06 Paddington to Plymouth 1C79 service on this glorious June day, one that got off to a very inauspicious start in Northampton!
Keywords: 43160 11.06 London Paddington-Plymouth 1C79 Victory level crossing ST182249 First Great Western HST

150246, GW 12.23 Bristol Temple Meads-Exeter St. David`s ecs (5E01), Bradford-on-Tone level crossing ST163232
150246 is climbing the lower slopes of Whiteball bank and is seen passing Bradford-on-Tone level crossing. The Sprinter is working the 12.23 Bristol to Exeter 5E01 empty coaching stock move. I stand to be corrected but I believe that there are actually no Sprinter or other services operated by units over this stretch of line. Unfortunately, I have had to take this photograph on the wrong side of the sun due to obstructions on the other side. Note my Raliegh Royal bike just putting in an appearance leaning against the fencing.
Keywords: 150246 12.23 Bristol Temple Meads-Exeter St. David`s ecs 5E01 Bradford-on-Tone level crossing ST163232 First Great Western Sprinter

Class 43, GW 11.33 London Paddington-Exeter St. David`s (1C81), Poole ST154220
An unidentified class 43 HST negotiates the winding and steep climb of Whiteball bank between Taunton and Wellington. The First Great Western service is the 11.33 Paddington to Exeter St. David's that has just under twenty-five miles left of its journey from here at Poole just outside of Wellington in Somerset.
Keywords: Class 43 HST 11.33 London Paddington-Exeter St. David`s 1C81 Poole ST154220 First Great Western

43378, XC 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central (1S51), Poole ST154220
The passenger experience offered by a Cross Country HST with its Mk. III stock is so much better than the cramped and noisy one on offer in a Voyager. Here, one of the TOC's HSTs descends from Whiteball past the village of Poole just outside of Wellington (Somerset). 43378 leads the 12.25 Plymouth to Glasgow Central service. This will not work under the wires on the WCML but will go via Derby, Sheffield, York, Newcastle and finally across the Central Belt from Edinburgh to its destination. Some eight years after I took this photograph, I travelled on an HST in the final months of their operation with this power car leading, see....https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30043212924/x38-t-43378-xc-15-27-plymouth-leeds
Keywords: 43378 12.25 Plymouth-Glasgow Central 1S51 Poole ST154220 Cross Country HST

Tickets, Northampton-Taunton
Even though they were booked a little in advance the tickets for the journey from Northampton to Taunton was a little pricy at nearly £42. However, without splitting the journey using the split ticket anomaly it would have been over £70!
Keywords: Tickets Northampton-Taunton

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