7. A very cold day-11.02.21

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2021 > 7. A very cold day-11.02.21
I had various errands to run on this bitterly cold day but I still managed to get out to the lineside at Wilson's Crossing in Northampton for half an hour and took my afternoon walk to coincide with the 4M47 Freightliner passing.
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Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.

86632, 11.17 Northampton-Crewe Basford Hall LE (0Z90, 9E), Wilson's Crossing A pretty shocking photograph of what is, after all, just a light engine! However, could this be the last photograph I take of a Freightliner Class 86 on the mainline? Now sidelined from working Freightliners for the company of the same name most are out of hours or out of exams with just two or three still able to operate. This one has just left Northampton on a crew training/route familiarisation light engine move running as 0Z90 back to Crewe Basford Hall. Unfortunately, it trundled past me here at Wilson's Crossing just north of Northampton as I was walking towards the line so this is all I could manage but it's possibly history in the making! Keywords: 86632 11.17 Northampton-Crewe Basford Hall LE 0Z90 Wilson's Crossing Freightliner AL6
720546 & 720564, 09.45 Wolverton Centre Sidings-Rugby via Stafford (5Q27, 48L), Wilson's Crossing Despite being a bitter morning with a spine chilling wind blowing from the east quite a number of enthusiasts had gathered at Wilson's Crossing just north of Northampton to witness new Abellio units 720546 and 720564 out to play on a mileage accumulation run. In this livery, they certainly brighten up the dull mid-winter scenery with Kingsthorpe in the background. On a rolling programme, all the units undertake a series of out and back test runs from Wolverton to Rugby via a reversal at Stafford, in this case running as 5Q27. Keywords: 720546 720564 09.45 Wolverton Centre Sidings-Rugby via Stafford 5Q27 Wilson's Crossing Abellio Greater Anglia
390005, VT 10.50 London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street (1F15, 1L), Wilson's Crossing Due to repairs to a semi-collapsed embankment on the western side of the down fast line at Hillmorton Junction all down services have been diverted through Northampton with a severe TSR on the up line in place but, at least, that route has remained open. 390005 'City of Wolverhampton' picks up speed away from Northampton past Wilson's Crossing working the diverted 10.50 Euston to Liverpool 1F15 service. Avanti appears to have been struggling to keep its fleet looking smart as in the case of 390005 with a distinctly dirty front end. Perhaps its carriage washers have been frozen up recently with the week of sub-zero temperatures throughout most of the county? Keywords: 390005 10.50 London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street 1F15 Wilson's Crossing Avanti West Coast Pendolino City of Wolverhampton
221118 & 221110, VT 10.54 London Euston-Glasgow Central (1S58, 1L), Wilson's Crossing Due to repairs to a semi-collapse of an embankment at Hillmorton Junction near Rugby, for nearly a month, all down services have been routed through Northampton. If the timetable was running at normal levels this would create huge issues on this section of the southern West Coast Mainline so I suppose COVID is actually a bit of a blessing! 221118 and 221110 'James Cook' accelerate away from Northampton at Wilson's Crossing working the 10.54 Euston to Glasgow Central. This service is normally a Pendolino but availability has obviously been an issue that seems a little unusual given the seventy-five per cent timetable. Keywords: 221118 221110 10.54 London Euston-Glasgow Central 1S58 Wilson's Crossing Virgin Voyager Avanti West Coast James Cook
390127, VT 10.58 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (1H21, RT), Wilson's Crossing Under a very cold and wintry sky, 390127 climbs away from Northampton past Wilson's Crossing working the 10.58 Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. Diversions off the mainline through Northampton are not uncommon but this is now the fourth week of a diversion on the down line due to repairs being undertaken to a collapsed embankment at Hillmorton Junction (Rugby) caused by recent heavy rain. Keywords: 390127 10.58 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 1H21 Wilson's Crossing Avanti West Coast Pendolino
66543, 05.00 Trafford Park-Felixstowe North (4L75, 207E), Wilson's Crossing Just catching a little brightness on what was a bone-chillingly cold day 66543 approaches Northampton at Wilson's Crossing leading the 4L75 05.00 Trafford Park to Felixstowe Freightliner. Interestingly, the last time that I photographed this locomotive was at the same location but looking in the other direction on the balancing working; what are the chances of that I wonder? See..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29621848404/x66543-09-12-felixstowe-north-trafford Keywords: 66543 05.00 Trafford Park-Felixstowe North 4L75 Wilson's Crossing Freightliner
Information board, site of Blisworth station Researched and compiled by the Blisworth Heritage Society this very informative board is located on the site of the village's former station. The station that closed in 1960 was a significant junction marking the point where the second of the two routes into Northampton diverged from the WCML (Weedon loop). Many argue that the route from Blisworth should have been the one retained and electrified rather than the line that diverges just north of Roade cutting. There was also a second line that diverged at Blisworth that headed west built by the former Northampton and Banbury Railway towards Towcester. This later became part of the fabled Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (SMJR) that has a fascinating history that has filled a number of books. All that exists now at Blisworth are a few PW sidings, a lot of overgrown space and the twin tracks of the WCML behind the inevitable palisade fencing. Keywords: Information board site of Blisworth station
DR75013, stabled, site of Blisworth station Owned and operated by Swietelsky Babcock Rail (SBRail) DR75013 stands stabled at Blisworth in the CE sidings on the site of the old station. Despite being stabled and awaiting its next duty, it was showing live on OpenTrainTimes so perhaps it would be in use sooner than later. I suspect that it will head north along the down main line to Hillmorton Junction once the repairs to the embankment have been completed that have required the closure of the line for nearly a month. Keywords: DR75013 site of Blisworth station Swietelsky Babcock Rail SBRail
390134, VT 14.58 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (1H33, 2L), Victoria bridge 390134 'City of Carlisle' is in the shade with the failing afternoon sunshine on this bitterly cold afternoon falling behind the tree line to the south-west of Victoria bridge. The Pendolino is on the down slow line that will take it through Northampton working the 14.58 Euston to Manchester 1H33 Avanti West Coast service. The diversion was due to the protracted closure of the down main line at Hillmorton Junction due to embankment repairs being required following recent heavy rain. Keywords: 390134 14.58 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 1H33 Victoria bridge Avanti West Coast Pendolino City of Carlisle
66760, 12.18 London Gateway-Hams Hall (4M47, 51L), Victoria bridge 66760 'David Gordon Harris' leads the 4M47 12.18 London Gateway to Hams Hall Freightliner service. The recent bitter winter weather and strong easterly wind made the activity of standing around and waiting for a train not particularly pleasurable at an exposed spot like this one at Victoria bridge just south of Roade. It also took its toll on the efficiency of the camera's batteries with them struggling to hold charge unless I removed them and put them in my pocket! Coincidentally, I photographed the same Class 66 at this location on a very different type of day back in the last spring. Like then, just as now, we were still under strict COVID restrictions with me out on my local and permitted bout of exercise, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/28991218404/x66760-10-36-felixstowe-north-hams Keywords: 66760 12.18 London Gateway-Hams Hall 4M47 Victoria bridge GBRf David Gordon Harris

Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.