80. An interesting hour at Victoria bridge!-14.07.20

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2020 > 80. An interesting hour at Victoria bridge!-14.07.20
A lot of excitement on the forums as a Class 87 in Swallow livery was scheduled to have a return run from Crewe to Euston with a matching Class 90 on the rear of the stock (outward run). Whilst waiting I saw no less than five freights in thirty minutes and a Northern unit. Who said our modern railways are boring?
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Images 1-8 of 8 displayed.

66779, 10.36 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall (4M23, 155L), Victoria bridge The front end of 66779 'Evening Star' looks as if it's been involved in hauling a RHTT service rather than the 4M23 10.36 Felixstowe to Hams Hall Freightliner! Quite what has gone on to cover the front end in all the filth in evidence is a mystery, even more so as the rear cab was perfectly clean! The appearance makes quite a contrast with when I saw it just over a month ago at Roade, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29114770204/x66779-12-05-london-gateway-hams Keywords: 66779 10.36 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall 4M23 Victoria bridge Evening Star GBRf
66568, 14.03 Ditton-Felixstowe North (4L92, 95L), Victoria bridge Dull lighting in high summer is always a tricky proposition to the photographer on the lineside. With the monotonous shades of green, the lighting becomes very flat with the situation made worse by a Freightliner Class 66 also in green! 66568 passes Victoria bridge just south of Roade leading the 4L92 14.03 Ditton to Felixstowe Freightliner. Keywords: 66568 14.03 Ditton-Felixstowe North 4L92 Victoria bridge Freightliner
66710, 14.18 Trafford Park-Felixstowe North (4L18, 5E), Victoria bridge 66710 'Phil Packer BRIT' brings the well loaded 14.18 Trafford Park to Felixstowe past Victoria bridge just south of Roade. No show from the sun again in this photograph despite large areas of blue sky close by. At least the GBRf liveried Class 66 looks a lot brighter than a Freightliner liveried example. Keywords: 66710 14.18 Trafford Park-Felixstowe North 4L18 Victoria bridge GBRf Phil Packer BRIT
66555, 12.57 London Gateway-Garston (4M57, 38E), Victoria bridge At last, the sun comes out as a train is passing! Looking so much better for some summer rays, 66555 heads north down the WCML between Roade and Ashton leading the 4M57 12.57 London Gateway to Garston Freightliner. Despite appearances suggesting that the train was well loaded, the whole of the rear half was just empty flats indicating that international trade is still very slow as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still bites hard. Keywords: 66555 12.57 London Gateway-Garston 4M57 Victoria bridge Freightliner
156440, 14.49 Newton Heath-Wolverton centre sidings (5H70, 3E), Victoria bridge A Northern interloper makes its way up the WCML passing just south of Roade in Northamptonshire. 156440 is making the 14.49 journey from its base at Newton Heath (Greater Manchester) to Wolverton for attention at the works. I know that it's only a diesel unit but we do not get many of these in this area and their life expectancy is now pretty short so they are always worth a photograph. Keywords: 156440 14.49 Newton Heath-Wolverton centre sidings 5H70 Victoria bridge Northern Sprinter
66063, 13.15 Trafford Park-London Gateway (4L56, 3L), Victoria bridge Since it arrived at Newport docks on board the MV Fairmast during February 1999 66063 has only ever looked as it does here some twenty-one years later! It is one of those that still wears the full 'three beasties' EWS livery and branding despite that company being sold to Deutsche Bahn (DB) back in November 2007! The Class 66 is seen passing Victoria bridge between Roade and Ashton leading the 13.15 Trafford Park to London Gateway Freightliner. Keywords: 66063 13.15 Trafford Park-London Gateway 4L56 Victoria bridge EWS DB Freightliner
87002 & 90002, 15.35 Crewe HS-Euston (5Z90, RT), Victoria bridge Being the first company to restart its charter programme after the enforced COVID-19 mass cancellations is quite an accolade. Saphos Trains, part of LSL in Crewe, will be running that first charter tomorrow (15.07.20) going up and over the S&C to Carlisle with 70000 'Britannia' doing the honours. In preparation for this important and significant event, Saphos ran a test train of the stock from Crewe to London and back running as 5Z90. It is being led by its recently repainted 87002 'Royal Sovereign' looking superb in its InterCity Swallow livery. 90002 'Wolf of Badenoch' is at the rear with some high-quality stock sandwiched in between. The smart train is seen passing Victoria bridge just south of Roade in Northamptonshire. Saphos is a relative newcomer to the potentially lucrative charter market. With locomotives and stock looking like this I suspect that it will do well! Keywords: 87002 90002 15.35 Crewe HS-Euston 5Z90 Victoria bridge Royal Sovereign Wolf of Badenoch
90002 & 87002, 15.35 Crewe HS-Euston (5Z90, RT), Victoria bridge 90002, renamed from 'Eastern Daily Press 1870-2010 Serving Norfolk for 140 Years' to 'Wolf of Badenoch', the name previously carried by the now-scrapped 87027, is seen at the rear of the 5Z90 15.35 Crewe to Euston and return. This unusual train, being led by 90002 'Royal Sovereign', was operated by Saphos Trains that is the charter arm of Jeremy Hosking's Locomotive Services Limited group that owns and operates the stock seen here made up of Mk.2fs 9479, 3312, 6708, Mk.1 buffet 80043 and former Caledonian Sleeper Mk.3 10520. It was acting as a test run prior to the first railtour to operate since 21st March that would run from Crewe to Carlisle via the Settle and Carlisle the following day hauled by 70000 'Britannia'. The train is seen passing Victoria bridge between Northampton and Milton Keynes in a rare burst of afternoon sunshine! Keywords: 90002 87002 15.35 Crewe HS-Euston 5Z90 Victoria bridge InterCity Swallow livery Royal Sovereign Wolf of Badenoch

Images 1-8 of 8 displayed.