55. Trip to Narborough-14.09.15

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2015 > 55. Trip to Narborough-14.09.15

A work trip took me to Narborough in Leicestershire in order to collect a customer's new car. After yesterday's beautiful autumn weather today it poured with rain getting me wet riding my bike from the station to the car dealership at nearby Fosse Park. I had an equally wet drive back to work in a pleasant Seat Leon.

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Images 1-14 of 14 displayed.

Demolition of old Northampton station
The demolition of Northampton's former station is now virtually complete with its transformation into a new and far more fit for purpose structure almost there. In this view looking through a gap to the new turning circle, it looks as though all that is needed is it tarmacking. Travellers at Northampton have endured over two years of dust, inconvenience and travel disruption whilst the station has gone through another morphological stage in its history. I wonder when the next one will be required?
Keywords: Demolition of old Northampton station

350242, LM 07.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1W03), Northampton station
350242 leaves Northampton's platform three adjacent to the Riverside sidings working the 07.49 Euston to Birmingham New Street. After such a smashing day yesterday, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/C368486604/x54-roade-cutting-13-09-15 today could not be more different such are the vagaries of the British weather!
Keywords: 350242 07.49 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1W03 Northampton station London Midland Desiro

350372, LM 06.49 Crewe-London Euston (2Y00), Northampton station
In the general dullness of a grey September morning, 350372 drifts into Northampton station forming the 06.49 Crewe to Euston London Midland service.
Keywords: 350372 06.49 Crewe-London Euston 2Y00 Northampton station

350116, LM 07.54 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (2Y17), Northampton station
My work-related journey from Northampton to Narborough was undertaken in three legs. The first leg was from Northampton to Rugby courtesy of 350116 seen here arriving at my starting point. The London Midland Desiro was working the 07.54 Euston to Birmingham New Street.
Keywords: 350116 07.54 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 2Y17 Northampton station London Midland Desiro

57307 & 92023, stabled thunderbirds, Rugby station
At a wet and grey Rugby 57307 'Lady Penelope' sits next to 92023 to the south end of the station. The DRS Class 57 is stabled in its role as a thunderbird resue locomotive but I am not sure as to why the Class 92 is present on the rarely used platform three road. 92023 remains in its BR two-tone grey livery and formally was named 'Ravel'.
Keywords: 57307 92023 thunderbirds Rugby station DRS Direct Rail Services Lady Penelope

350123, LM 08.46 London Euston-Crewe (1U27), Rugby station
My second leg of the journey from Northampton to Narborough arrives at Rugby station. We (my Raleigh Royal and I) took the 08.46 Euston to Crewe 1U27 service as far as Nuneaton.
Keywords: 350123 08.46 London Euston-Crewe 1U27 Rugby station LOndon Midland Desiro

66591, 08.50 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North, Nuneaton station
Since the extensive reconfiguration of Nuneaton station a few years ago, the slightly elevated platforms six and seven give a reasonable view of the up slow line. 66591 runs at full line speed through platform five leading Freightliner's 08.50 Crewe Basford Hall to Felixstowe service.
Keywords: 66591 08.50 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North Nuneaton station Freightliner

170520, XC 07.21 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street (1N45), Nuneaton station
170520 working the 07.21 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street was already surprisingly busy as it arrived here at Nuneaton station. With a lot of passengers waiting to board the train, it would be standing room only for the twenty-one miles to its destination; I was glad that I was going in the other direction!
Keywords: 170520 07.21 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street 1N45 Nuneaton station Cross Country

66745, 08.53 Peterborough Maintenance Shed-Hams Hall (0M71), Nuneaton station
A photograph that very nearly didn't happen! I was totally unaware that this light engine move was approaching Nuneaton until the automated announcement came over the tannoy advising passengers that the next train was not stopping, as I turned around it was approaching the end of the platform. Luckily, the camera settings were sufficient to capture 66745 'Modern Railways The First 50 Years' passing as the 0M71 08.53 Peterborough depot to Hams Hall. I suspect that the Class 66 had been undergoing maintenance or an exam. at the GBRf facility and that it was now making its way to Birmingham in order to undertake its next job.
Keywords: 66745 08.53 Peterborough Maintenance Shed-Hams Hall 0M71 Nuneaton station GBRf GB Railfreight Modern Railways The First 50 Years

170109, XC 09.52 Birmingham New Street-Leicester (1K09), Nuneaton station
After seeing how busy the last CrossCountry service was heading in the opposite direction a little earlier I was half expecting to struggle to find a seat on the third and final leg of my journey to Narborough. However, 170109 forming the 09.52 Birmingham to Leicester service was virtually empty when I boarded the train here at Nuneaton station.
Keywords: 170109 09.52 Birmingham New Street-Leicester 1K09 Nuneaton station CrossCountry Trains XC

My bike on board 170109
With the 09.52 Birmingham New Street to Leicester service very lightly loaded I had no problems finding a seat and also keeping my trusty bike close by rather than putting it in the designated cycle storage space. I like the flexibility afforded by taking my bike on a train as part of an integrated journey but operators are making it increasingly difficult by providing less space for cycles and by putting in place all sorts of restrictions of carriage. The guard's area on a first-generation DMU or a standard coach of the past is much lamented but they simply don't seem to have any place in a modern railway.
Keywords: My bike on board 170109 Raleigh Royal

170519, XC 08.21 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street (1N47), Narborough station
As I was leaving Narborough station after alighting from 170109 the barriers went down again at the level crossing behind where I am standing on the station's footbridge. 170519 passes through the station working the 1N47 08.21 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street as my bike leans against palisade fencing to the right.
Keywords: 170519 08.21 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street 1N47 Narborough station CrossCountry XC

68015, 08.59 Crewe Basford Hall-Mountsorrel (6U76), Narborough station
After the passage of a westbound Class 170 a few minutes earlier, the level crossing barriers stayed down causing yet more congestion on Narborough's busy Station Road. A few minutes later, Chiltern liveried 68015 passed through the station with the 08.59 Crewe Basford Hall to Mountsorrel. Unfortunately, I have not quite positioned the train quite correctly but I wanted to include the now closed signal box in the composition. I should have pressed the shutter a split second earlier with the locomotive just on the level crossing; you can't win them all!
Keywords: 68015 08.59 Crewe Basford Hall-Mountsorrel 6U76 Narborough station

Ticket, Northampton-Narborough
My single ticket from Northampton to Narborough. At £18.50 it does seem a little pricy when the direct journey by road (using the M1) is just forty-five miles and takes less than an hour! It is times like this when rail needs to play a canny game if it is ever to attract people away from their cars.
Keywords: Ticket Northampton-Narborough

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