62. An autumnul morning of freights & an EMR drag-13.09.22

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2022 > 62. An autumnul morning of freights & an EMR drag-13.09.22

A morning that did not quite pan out as intended but was actually reasonably successful in the end! I had wanted to get out and photograph the 1M16 sleeper but as I was walking across the fields to get to my planned spot it passed me some fifteen minutes early; this was the one day that I did not check its progress on RTT before leaving home choosing to do the washing up instead! I consoled myself with some freight photographs and a little later in the morning I went out again to see one of the regular EMR Class 360 drags.
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Images 1-7 of 7 displayed.

66128, 02.35 London Gateway-Trafford Park (4M83, 23L), between Roade & Ashton Having left home early to see the sleeper I had got this location when it passed running some fifteen minutes early dashing my efforts! However, I did capture the 4M83 02.35 London Gateway to Trafford Park working northwards. This is not a freight that I have ever managed to photograph as it normally passes Roade in the dark but today it was running extremely late. It is seen passing a recently min-tilled field between Roade and Ashton with DB's 66128 leading (with thanks to Mike for identifying the loco. for me from TOPS). Keywords: 66128 02.35 London Gateway-Trafford Park 4M83 between Roade & Ashton DB
88004 03.40 Tilbury-DIRFT (4M77, 12E), between Roade & Ashton Catching the first vestiges of early morning sun 88004 'Pandora' passes through the Northamptonshire countryside leading the 03.40 Tilbury to Daventry 4M77 Tesco service. This service is usually electrically hauled by a DRS Class 88 but like the previous photograph, it is not a train that I have captured very often due to its antisocial timing! Keywords: 88004 03.40 Tilbury-DIRFT 4M77 between Roade & Ashton DRS Pandora
66570, 05.34 DIRFT-Tilbury (4Z61, 9E), between Roade & Ashton The first of two southbound Freightliners within five minutes pass the fields between Roade and Ashton in Northamptonshire. 66570 leads the very late running 4Z61 05.34 Daventry to Tilbury Freightliner. Due to issues further south with up and down trains all having to use the slow lines freight was being held until paths appeared between passenger workings. 4Z61 had been sitting at Northampton for well over an hour before being permitted to continue its journey. However, despite these problems, it still arrived early at its destination due to its stopover in Wembley Yard being all but abandoned! Keywords: 66570 05.34 DIRFT-Tilbury 4Z61 between Roade & Ashton Freightliner
66563, 04.10 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North (4L89, 13L), between Roade & Ashton The Freightliner operated 4L89 was just a few minutes late here passing between Roade and Northampton in south Northamptonshire when compared to the previous 4Z61 that had passed this spot some five minutes previously. 66563 is seen leading this, the 04.10 Crewe Basford Hall to Felixstowe service that was delayed, like everything else on this autumn morning, by the up and down fast lines closed south of Hanslope Junction all the way to Tring for what appeared to be signalling issues. Keywords: 66563 04.10 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North 4L89 between Roade & Ashton Freightliner
66702, 03.10 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park (4M18, 2L), Victoria bridge 66702 'Blue Lightening' leads the 03.10 Felixstowe to Trafford Park service past Victoria bridge between Roade and Ashton in Northamptonshire. This is one of my favourite 'go-to' local spots but a photograph from this angle at this time in the morning (just after sunrise) would normally be impossible with the sun to the left and causing a deep shadow on the track and the train; good job it went in behind some stubborn cloud then! Keywords: 66702 03.10 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park 4M18 Victoria bridge GBRf Bue Lightening
Route of former SMJR, Roade I have taken a similar image to this before but with the field that actually fronts my house off to the right having just been treated to a light tilling (rather than a full-blown plough) by the farmer two days previously the lighter-coloured soil again reveals the route of the former SMJR (Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway) that once passed this location on an embankment and after emerging from the partly hidden road bridge to the left adjacent to the water tower. The eagle-eyed will have spotted that the road bridge that carries Ashton Road is a twin portal version but interestingly, the SMJR was only ever single track at this location leading to its junction with the Midland Railway's Bedford to Northampton (via Olney) route that it joined at the very remotely located Ravenstone Wood Junction. Notice the weak shadow of myself in the centre foreground! Keywords: Route of former SMJR Roade
47727 & 360116, 10.06 Northampton EMD-Crickelwood South Sidings (5Q97, 85E), A508 bridge After an earlier morning farce that saw 47727 'Edinburgh Castle/Caisteal Dhùn Eideann’ heads south from Leicester via a reversal at Nuneaton rather than heading north from London with another EMR Desiro, it is finally seen leading 360116 through Roade. It is working as the 5Q97 10.06 Northampton EMD (Siemens' Depot) to Cricklewood following repairs and exams. It seems quite bizarre that these units that operate on the MML, just thirteen miles due east of this location, have to be dragged to and from for their maintenance work and why they cannot under their own power - can somebody enlighten me, please? However, it does give me the opportunity to photograph sixty-year-old locomotives still out at work on the mainline! Keywords: 47727 360116 10.06 Northampton EMD-Crickelwood South Sidings 5Q97 A508 bridge EMR Desiro Edinburgh Castle/Caisteal Dhùn Eideann

Images 1-7 of 7 displayed.