20. Sunday infrastructure workings & Tractors surprise!-25.04.21

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2021 > 20. Sunday infrastructure workings & Tractors surprise!-25.04.21
As it's Sunday again there are more infrastructure trains to capture! This time they were starting from a possession of the fast lines just south of my home at Hanslope Junction so I had to keep my wits about me to avoid missing them. Luckily, they both ran on time and it all went to plan. In the afternoon, a mysterious light engine move appeared on RTT and I was intrigued. With no gen or posting on the internet, it was pot luck what it would be. Just before it arrived another enthusiast appeared at my spot and we were pleased to witness a pair of large logo Class 37s pass.
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Images 1-7 of 7 displayed.

66729, 08.19 Hanslope Junction-Bescot Up Engineering sidings (6G54, 16L), between Roade & Ashton 66729 'Swanage Railway' leads the 6G54 to Bescot that was the first infrastructure working of the day seen between the villages of Roade and Ashton in south Northamptonshire. The train was made up of a rake of MLA and JNA ballast wagons and had been involved in work on the fast lines a short distance south of this location at Hanslope Junction. Keywords: 66729 08.19 Hanslope Junction-Bescot Up Engineering sidings 6G54 between Roade & Ashton Swanage Railway GBRf
350267, LN 08.24 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (2Y40, 2L), Ashton Raod bridge A brand new location and a stone's throw from home! Now that the work has been completed to stabilise the embankment and that the contractors have handed back the site this view looking south is possible with a view to the north also available. With the Ashton Road bridge in the background 350267 heads north working the 08.24 Euston to Birmingham New Street train. I have discovered that taking photographs around this location that includes large areas of the rock armour that has been installed causes problems with the camera. It seems to confuse the automatic exposure 'brain' causing the photograph to be grossly underexposed with the stone being correctly exposed. Luckily, in most cases, Photoshop has been able to resurrect the image but I will need to use manual exposure mode in the future and settle for a compromise setting that is easier to fettle later on. Keywords: 350267 08.24 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 2Y40 Ashton Road bridge London North Western Desiro
390009, VT 08.51 London Euston-Wolverhampton (9G02, RT), Ashton Road bridge 390009 'Treaty of Union' works the 08.51 Euston to Wolverhampton Avanti service between the villages of Roade and Ashton. The Pendolino is on the slow line taking it through Northampton as is common practice on Sunday mornings on this section of the WCML. By mid-morning, the fast lines are usually reopened and trains can return to their usual routes and timings! Keywords: 390009 08.51 London Euston-Wolverhampton 9G02 Ashton Road bridge Treaty of Union Avanti West Coast
66104, 09.48 Hanslope Junction-Bescot Up Engineering sidings (6G55, 148E), between Roade & Ashton I have very few photographs of 66104 and this is my first with it wearing its smart and recently applied DB red livery. Whilst the bodywork looks smart the mechanics did not appear to be in such good fettle with a heavy exhaust cloud following the locomotive as it led the 6G55 09.48 Hanslope Junction (two miles south from this location) to Bescot Yard. The train was composed of a shortish rake of MDA low sided box wagons conveying used ballast from the fast lines somewhere between Hanslope and Wolverton back to Bescot for cleaning and recycling. Out of sight at the rear of the train were a number of track machines. Keywords: 66104 09.48 Hanslope Junction-Bescot Up Engineering sidings 6G55 between Roade & Ashton DB
390011, 14.15 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston (1A41, 1E), site of Roade station Later in the afternoon, the weather had perked up and I ventured out again. 390011 'City of Lichfield' passes the site of Roade station working the 1A41 Avanti West Coast 14.15 Manchester to Euston service. Keywords: 390011 14.15 Manchester Piccadilly-London Euston 1A41 site of Roade station Avanti West Coast Pendolino City of Lichfield
37407 & 37402, 14.33 Willesden Brent DRS-Crewe Gresty Bridge (RT), site of Roade station I had spotted this mysterious light engine move on RTT earlier in the day and was intrigued! With no postings or gen on the forums, I had no idea what was going to turn up or even if it would run. All of a sudden it was underway from Willesden so by the time it had passed Leighton Buzzard I downed tools at home and made for this spot at the site of Roade's former station. Another enthusiast arrived at the spot confirming that it was something interesting. 37407 'Blackpool Tower' and 37402 'Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954-8.6.2013' look superb in their matching BR large logo liveries as they pass as the 14.33 Willesden to Crewe Gresty Bridge. Can anybody supply the reporting number, please? Keywords: 37407 Blackpool Tower 37402, 14.33 Willesden Brent DRS-Crewe Gresty Bridge site of Roade station Tractor
390125, VT 15.04 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly & 6M45 66160, 11.29 Dollands Moor-DIRFT (6M45, 20E), site of Roade station.jpgn Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (6M45, RT) & Nearly bowled! As the 6M45 'water train' appeared around the curve in the distance led by a rather faded EWS liveried 66160 a Pendolino also burst into view on the down fast line. Thinking it was all over I made the decision to keep the camera to my eye and ended up with this interesting image of the freight as 390125 on the 15.04 Euston to Manchester service just goes out of shot. Interestingly, the same thing happened back in January at the same location but then it did not quite work out, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29954715604/x390130-12-43-london-euston-edinburgh Keywords: 390125 15.04 London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly 6M45 66160 11.29 Dollands Moor-DIRFT 6C24 site of Roade station EWS DB Avanti West Coast Pendolino

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