84. A couple of pleasant hours at Irchester-29.07.20

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2020 > 84. A couple of pleasant hours at Irchester-29.07.20

A momentous day! An appropriately socially distanced coming together of Andy, Mike and myself on a railway bridge to have a catch-up, a natter and to see some trains together! We all made our own way to Irchester on the MML just south of Wellingborough on a pleasant late July day. We vowed that we must do it again soon - COVID-19 resurgence permitting!

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Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.

66710, 10.35 Bletchley Cemex-Peak Forest Cemex (6H10, 8L), Irchester SP927667
Taken totally against the sun 66710 'Phil Packer BRIT' brings the 6H10 10.35 Bletchley Cemex to Peak Forest empty stone wagons past Irchester. It is working north on the down slow line that, with the up slow still not in use, is bi-directional between Kettering and Bedford. Notice the dust being thrown up from the train emanating from the fresh ballast.
Keywords: 66710 10.35 Bletchley Cemex-Peak Forest Cemex 6H10 Irchester SP927667 GBRf Phil Packer BRIT

Andy & 220020, EM 11.31 London St. Pancras-Sheffield (1F27, RT), Irchester SP927667
Andy takes his photograph of 222020 as it passes Irchester just south of Wellingborough. The EMR Meridian is working the 11.31 St. Pancras to Sheffield service. We are standing on the massively over-engineered footbridge that spans the four tracks of the MML that replaced a very rickety structure a couple of years ago.
Keywords: Andy 220020, EM 11.31 London St. Pancras-Sheffield 1F27 Irchester SP927667 EMR East Midlands Railway

66748, 11.00 Acton yard-Bardon Hill (6M46, 30E), Irchester SP927667
66748 'West Burton 50' trundles down from Sharnbrook summit on the down slow line at Irchester. The GBRf Class 66 is leading the 11.00 Acton to Bardon Hill empty stone train. Despite the up and down slow lines being re-laid last year, already there are extensive weeds growing between the rails at a point where the locomotive is in this photograph. Also in this image is the recently installed electrification hardware. Now hopelessly behind schedule, it has just been announced that this will not go live until, at the earliest, March 2021!
Keywords: 66748 11.00 Acton yard-Bardon Hill (6M46, 30E), Irchester SP927667 GBRf West Burton 50

222001, EM 12.34 London St. Pancras-Nottingham (1D33, 1E), Irchester SP927667
I wandered away from Andy and the footbridge at Irchester hoping to capture an HST from this spot. However, 1D33, the 12.33 St. Pancras to Nottingham, turned up worked by a Meridian. Something had obviously gone wrong with EMR's planning on this day as this was one of a number of workings that were running incorrectly according to RTT. 222001 passes through some fields that will soon be ready for harvest.
Keywords: 222001 EM 12.34 London St. Pancras-Nottingham 1D33 Irchester SP927667 EMR East Midlands Railway

222010, EM 12.00 Sheffield-London St. Pancras (1C42, 1L), Irchester SP927667
222010 passes Irchester under catenary still over six months away from being energised for normal running (at the earliest). The EMR Meridian is working the 12.00 Sheffield to St. Pancras 'fast' working. This particular Meridian is instantly recognisable as having its number written in a slightly larger font and its positioning being slightly off-centre.
Keywords: 222010 12.00 Sheffield-London St. Pancras 1C42 Irchester SP927667 EMR East Midlands railway

Images 1-5 of 5 displayed.