Archive-2023

My wife and I took our traditional New Year's day trip to the Northampton and Lamport Railway to travel on one of its 'Mince Pie Specials'. The railway was busy with our train sold out which was encouraging. The railway has been making some progress towards its aims but the extension south that I spoke of last January has still yet to open. However, clearance has begun at its Pitsford base in preparation for the building of its much-needed new period station building.

Despite the awful January weather Andy and I ventured out early to see 'Shooter's Swansong', a charter run in tribute to the career railwayman and boss of Chiltern, among many other things, Adrian Shooter who died just before Christmas. The charter took in all corners of the Chiltern network being led in top and tail fashion by a Class 50 and Class 37.

What's this? A day with no industrial action on the railways, a steam train passing, four HST power cars, plenty of freight and the sun was out; what on earth is going on? A day off coincided with all of the things just mentioned so I popped out twice from home in between doing the chores!

A short overnight trip to London with my wife to take in the West End production of The Book of Mormon. I also went to view a car (where I was ultimately let down by the dodgy dealer!) that found me passing Paddington so it would be rude not to pop my head in wouldn't it?

 

Taking a break from the exhausting and stressful act of helping my mother and her partner move house, yet again, I popped to Bradford-on-Avon to capture the passage of 'The Bath and Gloucester Steam Express' charter. Unfortunately, it was a particularly grey and dull morning but the exhaust from the locomotive made up for it somewhat!

Following an abortive trip to Stevenage to view a car at a dealership where the owner could not even be bothered to turn up and referred to me, the customer, as 'mate' I decided to make better use of the day and take some photographs north of there on the ECML. I was hopeful of capturing some of the remaining IC225 diagrams in operation and had some success in this on what was a cracking winter's day!

A day off work, some nice winter weather and a post on the internet got me out for a walk in my home village.

Charter time again got me out but in the dark on a damp and miserable morning! As 'The Wolf Hall Thunderer' did not stop at Wellingborough I had to head further to Kettering as the train had to be seen stationary due to the time of the morning. Following capturing some images I headed across to Tallington and Peterborough in order to view a couple of cars with the prospect of a purchase but, alas, not this time!

I took a trip to London in order to view three prospective car purchases. With one in Bushey, the second in Finchley and the final one in King's Langley I made good use of the railways!

 

The timing was perfect! Just after enjoying a Valentine's lunch with Mrs. On The Up Fast I managed to nip out to capture possibly the most unusual local working of the year to date. GBRf had been contracted to move a Class 458 EMU from its southern territory for overhaul by Alston in Widnes. Two Class 50s were provided by GBRf to move the unit operating in a top and tail formation with the requisite barrier coaches acting as translator vehicles. The move attracted a number of people to my chosen spot including a local enthusiast acquaintance and some 'normals' interested in what was going on!

A morning trip to Apsley to collect my latest car purchase. With one full EV in the family and now a plug-in hybrid, how green are we?

With the EFL Carabao Cup taking place at Wembley a footex charter had been organised to get Newcastle supporters to the match. By the time it reached my home area near Roade it was running late due to a worrying pause at Hilmorton Junction with a southbound Pendolino being diverted around it via Northampton. Incidentally, the fans on board would later be disappointed with Eddie Howe's team beaten 2-0 by an in-form Manchester United.

Having not seen each other for a few weeks Andy and I negotiated a few hours out doing railway things! We popped up to Water Orton which remains a centre of frequent rail activity that we enjoyed for an hour or so until the cold weather drove us to the warmth of Morrisons for breakfast! After being bolstered by the food we headed home via Atherstone and took a short break at the well-known bridge at Cathiron, north of Rugby.

I must be mad! What quite possessed me to get up at an unearthly hour to then drive to Old Linslade and photograph two charters on such a dark and miserable March morning I do not know? However, the things that we do in pursuit of our hobby drives us to undertake such crazy activity. I even came straight home afterwards rather than stopping off to charge the car and have some breakfast only to find my wife still tucked up in bed!

After spending a few hours at work I headed home at lunchtime. With the sun out and my camera on the passenger seat, I decided to stop off at Roade cutting on my way home to see what was about. Unexpectedly, a little later, I was rewarded with some Class 50 action; it’s a funny old world on the railways!

Andy and I took a short trip east to a favourite spot of ours on the ECML just north of Sandy at the bizarrely named New Zealand bridge. The purpose of our Saturday morning visit was to capture the passage of LSL’s Blue Pullman HST conversion heading north on the first leg of its three-day charter. Being one of the strike days we were pleased that it was still able to run but were not expecting much else to be around. We took breakfast on our return journey courtesy of Tesco in Bedford.

As Andy and I opted yesterday to go east to see the 'West Highland Pullman' charter I missed the regular Class 86 hauled 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express' near to home. However, to partially make up for this I did get out to see the associated light engine move from Euston back to Rugby.

I took a walk from home on this blowy and chilly morning to capture the passage of Steam Dreams’ London to Settle & Carlisle Railway charter. Unusually, it was pathed via the slow line that offered a slightly different photographic opportunity.

Whilst eating a leisurely Sunday breakfast I took my usual look at RTT to see what was about later in the day. I discovered three interesting workings within about forty-five minutes of each other so I timed my Sunday walk to coincide with their passages hoping that they would all actually run!

My daily constitutional happened to coincide (how very convenient!) with the passage of a bit of freight near home but it also with some heavy but fast-moving rain showers!

A pleasantly relaxed later start than is normally the case to drive to Leicestershire to witness the passing of The Stratford Flyer charter that started out from Norwich and ending up at, errrr, Stratford-on-Avon! Another grey and dull day to start off April following a very wet and miserable March.

With OpenTrainTimes showing the fast lines closed from Hanslope to Hillmorton Junctions (near Rugby) Network Rail was able to undertake various engineering works on the Weedon loop with all traffic diverted via Northampton. During the afternoon I was aware of all trains giving the obligatory toot warning track workers just across the field from home so I took a walk to find out what was going on.

A super but slightly delayed trip to London with my wife as part of her sixtieth birthday celebrations. We managed to get some tickets for The Music of Bond concert at the Albert Hall performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as well as doing some other wifey things!

Andy and I had a plan for this day but we decided with the weather and the forecast being pretty poor on another plan whilst taking a coffee and sitting in the car at the start of the day. In the event, even this plan altered so the day just rolled really and made it all the more interesting; read on

On yet another dull and wet morning (will the sun ever shine again?) I walked out early to see The Great Western Envoy charter pass close to home. I was expecting it to be top and tailed by a pair of Class 47s as was advertised but I was on for a surprise! After heading home and having breakfast I went out again to Northampton to see the annual passage of a nagex charter taking racegoers to Merseyside for the Grand National.

I took my camera with me on my afternoon walk. Not a lot about with the closure of the slow lines for engineering works with the freight not running where it is usually diverted to the fasts during such occasions.

On one of the first clear and bright mornings of the spring, I decided to trek out across a lightly frosted field from home to capture the sleeper service passing at its due tie. Recently, it has been subject to ECML diversions and delays, indeed only the previous day Andy witnessed it passing nearby Wolverton on the up-slow line exactly two hours late.

This particular move did not attract much attention which was a bit of a surprise. There was a one-way non-advertised InterCity charter from King’s Cross to Edinburgh that was going to be hauled by one of the preserved Deltics. As I was due to work on this day I was unable to go and see it on its former ECML stomping ground so I had to put up with the ecs move up the WCML from Crewe to London. It did mean I had to phone in and say that I was going to be a little late for work but a Deltic trumps just about anything including earning money! Unfortunately, the weather did not play ball but never mind!

With some weak sunshine and some freight due I took a walk from home across the fields to Victoria bridge.

I took my Sunday afternoon walk around the village to coincide with a freight and an interesting light engine move. On arrival at Roade cutting I found some strange goings on affecting the up and down fast lines.

I noticed some mysterious STP moves on RTT for this particular day operated by Interim operator (as they call themselves) Railadventure. Then I saw a posting with talk of an HST move so I put two and two together and, ‘bingo’ we had some HST testing runs operating. There were three runs scheduled but I only saw two of them as my wife and I were out in the afternoon and it was raining by then anyway so I didn’t miss that one too much!

At a ridiculously early hour, I got up and walked across the field to capture the ECS move of The Emerald Isle Express charter. It was half-light when I left home but by the time it passed me at 05.35, there was just enough light to capture its passage. A little later and after breakfast I saw the charter proper on my way to work in Milton Keynes which was at a far more civilised time; there was also a good selection of freight too!

It has become a bit of a tradition that Andy and I go out somewhere near or on my birthday for railway 'day'. This year was no exception with us heading east for a repeat look at the line from Peterborough to Ely. Travelling in Andy's Micra a good day was had to find absolute block and semaphores still in use and a good dose of freight.

A quick lunchtime walk across the field from home to capture the passage of the 0Z89 light engine move that is always worth going out to see.

This is the fruition of a plan that I had been thinking about for quite some time that just needed the logistics put in place. On a glorious spring day Mike, Andy and I took the train from Wellingborough to Harpenden via a quick change at Bedford and then walked the length (east to west) of the Nickey Line Walk ending up in Hemel Hempstead. From there we took the train back to Northampton via a couple of changes at Tring and Milton Keynes.

For my birthday earlier in the month, my wife bought me a steam footplate experience from our local heritage line the Northamptonshire and Lamport Railway (NLR). A good time was had on the footplate of its resident Peckett 0-4-0st number 2104 (although it carries the number 4 since its recent overhaul) as it hauled a return service on the line. Later in the afternoon, I took a walk from home to capture the passage of the 5Z68 empty coaching stock move.

My journey home from a client in a nearby village happened to coincide with the passage of an out-of the ordinary light engine move so it had to be worth calling in to capture the scene. As I had my tools in the car I took the opportunity to thoroughly strim the nettles and long grass along the length of Victoria bridge making photographic access to the parapet much easier!

With yet another strike day badly affecting services for passengers, freight appeared to be running as normal. I identified a number of additional interesting workings so took my customary daily walk to coincide with these.

Freight diversions on the fast lines thus avoiding Northampton are always worth venturing out for. With some smashing weather, continuing a run of warm and sunny days I popped out locally to capture one such working.

A stunning early summer's day coincided with the passage of 60103 'Flying Scotsman' working The Railway Touring Company's Cheshireman charter. The timings were embargoed until the previous day but despite this normals still managed to find out when it was passing and came out in their droves including to the remote and quiet spot that I elected to use hoping to be on my own! In the evening, I went out again to capture its return and saw nobody else about!

 

If only the sun had been out as per yesterday evening; however, I like a challenge!

I went out twice on this particular Sunday to photograph a variety of trains passing close to home in Roade and quite a variety they were too!

It has become a bit of a personal tradition for me to get out on the evening of the summer solstice and photograph as late as possible making full use of the daylight hours. This year I went to Wilson's foot crossing to the north of Northampton but was ultimately disappointed by the lack of freight on this particular evening.

The day after the longest day and the nights are beginning to close in! It will be 21.12.23 (the shortest day) in no time and I'll try to get out with my camera then too but I won't be photographing at well past 21.00 as I did on this day! Before the evening's activities, there was the small matter of West Coast's Pullman to Ascot to capture.

I just had time before work to pop down to what is known locally as the gravel bridge to capture three interesting morning moves all within about ten minutes of each other.

Whilst I was aware of The North Wales Coastal Pullman I took my eye off the RTT ball on this day wrongly assuming that it would take the recently re-opened Oxford route from Basingstoke; I was wrong and missed it outward run hearing it pass near to my home whilst I was in the garden! I consoled myself with the fact that it was a dull morning with spits and spots of rain meaning that it would have been an underwhelming photograph! I managed to get it on its return in the evening which partially made up for my missed opportunity in the morning.

The curiously named Well-Dressed Queen and the Buxton Bush charter was due near to home at a fairly civilised time and as the sun was out I took a walk to the site of Roade's former station to capture its passing.

The British Grand Prix held at Silverstone often sees a charter or two in operation in order to get some of the four hundred and eighty thousand visitors to the Sunday event. This year, WCR operated their Northern Belle set to transport racegoers from Euston to Milton Keynes. Due to some bizarre positioning moves I managed three photographs of the train at different locations missing out on one other opportunity.

With the imminent demise of the HST from CrossCountry's routes that has now been reduced to two daily diagrams Andy and I decided to travel on them for what will probably be the last time. Heading south west to Bristol also gave us the opportunity to travel on some of GWR's Castle sets that are also due to be withdrawn even though the confirmed date for this appears to be a little fluid. The day was marred slightly by some appalling and unseasonally wet weather.

Two trains before work were of interest to me and, if the numbers out to see the second one were anything to go by, other local enthusiasts. There was the added bonus of the sun being out too!

My day off coincided with two promising moves on the section of the WCML close to home. One I managed to see the other happened to pass as I was out in a local haunt having lunch with my wife so, it got away!

'The Capital Deltic Reprise' was supposed to be the second railtour operated by the DPS' 55009 'Alycidon' but with industrial action causing the postponement of 'The Coronation Deltic' back in May it ended up being the first mainline charter for the overhauled Deltic. With industrial action also taking place on this day it was questionable if it too would run but in the event it did if heavily delayed on the outward trip. I headed from home to Tallington as I wanted to capture it on its old hunting grounds and running at full line speed.

Getting up a ridiculously early hour in the half-light found me out across the field from home to hopefully capture the passage of a very unusual event that I have never seen before that of a Southern electric passing heading for attention at Widness. Of course, running under 25Kv wires means the unit was being dragged and I was interested to see how this was going to be achieved.

I managed to get out just before work to capture two interesting special workings passing close to home. Luckily, the sun was out which was a welcome event given the appalling weather that had characterised July! Let's hope that August brings some sunshine and dry days!

A short break in London with the lovely Mrs. On The Up Fast to go to the West End production of Mamma Mia! More for me than her it made for a nice time away if too brief! We travelled there and back with London Northwestern.

A quick check of RTT whilst eating my Sunday morning breakfast revealed a couple of interesting workings due to pass close to home. One will be another contender for the 'most unusual working of the year' award!

I happened to be working in Milton Keynes on this particular day and very closer to the railway! On the way to work, I stopped briefly at Wolverton to see an interesting unit move and later took a walk to the railway near the station to capture an LSL ECS run; sometimes things just turn out fine!

After work and with a nice evening I took a short walk around my home village of Roade to capture a new unit test/mileage accumulation run but I also saw and photographed a lot of freight and all in an hour before going home for dinner!

An overnight trip with Andy where, on the first day, we undertook a survey of the former GN & GE Joint line from March to Spalding that I first visited almost forty-two years to the day previously! After an overnight stay in Peterborough that involved an inevitable curry, we travelled on the Coronation Deltic charter to Scarborough. This charter was postponed from May due to industrial action but, unfortunately, it did not quite to plan!

Following on from the previous day's Coronation Deltic charter the locomotives and stock were captured heading back to their relative bases. Unfortunately, due to the failure of 55009 'Alycidon' on the return leg of the charter, it was tucked in behind WCR's diesel rather than leading the train as would have been more likely.

With the sun shining and me needing some paces to get my daily ten thousand in I took a walk across the fields to my favoured local spot at Victoria bridge.

With yet another day of industrial action taking place, one would think that the opportunity to photograph trains would be limited; not a bit of it! With planned engineering works due to take place to the north of Milton Keynes a number of engineering trains were scheduled to run down from Bescot to then be stabled in readiness at Wolverton. Bizarrely, all of these trains headed south past their destination as far as Wembley before returning north again! I did not expect them to all run but they did bringing some variety on what should have been a quiet Saturday.

With a day off work my wife and I had decided to go out for lunch. Unfortunately, lunch coincided with an empty stock move that I was eager to capture. However, through a little bit of negotiation with Mrs. On The Up Fast I managed to do both - result!

A late summer short break to Brighton with my wife coincided with some extraordinary weather. With temperatures more akin to June than September we had a smashing few days. I managed a little railway activity and, of course, we travelled there and back by train.

After a week of insanely hot days with temperatures in excess of thirty degrees Celsius, the final really hot day ended up becoming the hottest day of the year - in September! With freight diversions along the 'old' route via Weedon still in place due to the closure of the slow lines from Hanslope to Northampton, I thought that I would get out and enjoy the sun.

A bit of a flop of a day for a number of reasons! Andy and I had intended to get out to see the final HST services operated by CrossCountry. However, despite being advertised as an HST the 1V50 working was pulled and, ostensively, this is what we went to see. The final down working, the 1E73 utilised the two celebrity power cars but was too late passing through our area of the country! Add to this it rained and there was little traffic of interest about meant that I only took eight photographs. However, at least Andy and I had a catch-up and we enjoyed our Costa break in Tamworth!

A quick dash out before work on the trusty Brompton to see another 4G97 wagon move from Crewe to Wolverton works. The train coincided with a stunning September morning.

With a charter traversing the Marton Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley, I made the short journey from home to see it on a superb September morning. Later in the afternoon, I took my daily walk around the village to coincide with a couple of freights.

I was intrigued to see an early Sunday morning move on RTT from Northampton to Wembley running as 6Z83. With no postings or gen, I went out before the house was stirring and saw four HST power cars! What was even better was that they returned later in the day!

A sunny but slightly misty Saturday morning with two northbound charters within a few minutes of each other was too good to miss! I took a walk from home to the site of Roade's former station to photograph the trains. However, being yet another strike day, there were no other services but for some freight, all being diverted via the fast lines.

An overnight trip to Birmingham with the lovely Mrs. On The Up Fast to see the just opened Sinatra the Musical at The Rep. We stayed at the Premier Inn just outside of New Street station.

A last-minute change of plan due to weather-related issues meant that I was able to get out and see the more local Cumbrian Mountain Express. I had intended to drive west and see LSL's HST working The Highland Pullman but that was cancelled due to extreme weather warnings in Scotland that precipitated ScotRail closing virtually the entire network. Initially, I thought that this was a little of an overreaction but in the event there were some serious problems affecting both roads and the rail networks so the call was probably correct. This disappointment was partially made up by 86259, which usually hauls the CME being substituted by one of WCR's 57s. Whilst Scotland and the north experienced terrible weather this day was sunny and unseasonably warm in the south!

I should have been attending to matters in preparation for our forthcoming holiday in Norfolk but I got distracted by two interesting workings that were passing through Northampton. In the end, I had time to do everything including a Costa!

Our annual holiday in Norfolk found my wife and I again staying at Kelling Heath renting one a caravan. I have travelled widely and been to many places (some more exotic than others!) but I still find a break here one of the most relaxing things that I do. The combination of the sea, big skies, peace and quiet along with the North Norfolk Railway just yards away is perfect. Oh. yes, my wife loves it too even though she's not quite as enamoured with the steam trains as me!

If it had not been for the fact the charter passing close to home was steam hauled and by a relatively rare locomotive in this area I would not have bothered to venture out with it being such a dull and dark October morning. I did and managed two mediocre photographs of The Mancunian charter heading from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. Later in the day things had brightened up a bit so I popped out to see a conveniently timed RHTT passing through Roade cutting.

At a very civilised time, I drove from home to a spot that I had not visited for several years on the MML between Bedford and Flitwick. The purpose was to capture the passage of the 125 Group's charter running from Ilkeston to St. Pancras. Contrary to the weather forecast that indicated an overcast morning the sun shone on this autumn morning on the day that the clocks went back as we left British summertime. I was also lucky to see an RHTT and another one later in the day locally after I had returned home.

Regular readers will be aware of my interest in the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (SMJR). I had cause to visit Screwfix in Towcester which sits in the course of the old line with the former Tiffield Road bridge adjacent to the car park. With it being a sunny afternoon I took a few photographs of the remains passed by many people every day without realising what it is they are crossing.

Having not seen Andy for a few weeks we arranged a meet at Wolverton for a catch-up. After some lunch, we went to Wolverton station with the morning's rain having passed away to the east. For an hour or so we photographed some freights before the light defeated us. Andy was also delighted that his final Class 350 appeared for which he needed the side numbers so that's 350246 ticked off for the set!

Following attending the village's remembrance event, I took a short walk to coincide with the passage of a track machine I had spotted on RTT. I also explored the possible photographic potential of the new A508 Roade bypass bridge that crosses the cutting.

My wife and I took a day trip to Warner Bros. studios at Leavesden near Watford for the excellent Harry Potter World experience. We travelled from Northampton to Watford by train and took advantage of the excellent bus transfer to the studios from Watford station's forecourt. Despite a pretty miserable day weather-wise wise the day was superb!

I had spotted a mysterious 5Q86 move on RTT and that it was actually running so I popped out from home on a Sunday lunchtime to discover what it was. I ended up being a Class 730 ECS move.

My wife and I took a slightly extended trip to London ostensibly to see the excellent play, Frank and Percy starring Sir Ian McKellen and Roger Allam. For a change, we stayed in an apartment a stone's throw from Victoria station and I managed a couple of 'railway extras'!

One of those early winter afternoons without a cloud in the sky and a chill in the air encouraged me out for an afternoon walk. I timed it with the northbound passage of the Saturday only 0K69 light engine movement from Wembly (LMD - Chiltern's Depot facility) to Crewe.

What a different day to yesterday with the brilliant bright sky having given way to overcast and misty weather. It still did not prevent me from going out for a walk with my camera over my shoulder as there was a returning engineers' train due to pass.

Being off work and it being a superb final day of November I thought I would go out for a lunchtime walk to coincide with a couple of passing freights.

 

It has become a bit of a tradition that Andy and I go out for a jolly on or as close as possible to our respective birthdays. Having gone east on my birthday earlier in the year we went north for Andy's but the weather curtailed our plans a little; we spent more time drinking coffee and eating a birthday breakfast than actually watching trains!

A pair of Class 50s on the West Coast mainline so close to home was too good to miss even if the time of day and the weather made things very tricky! I decided a quick run down to Wolverton was probably the best place to to capture it.

Following yesterday's dreadful weather and my attempt to get a decent photograph of The Manchester Christmas Markets charter I had another go on this day with the returning empty coaching stock. Whilst it was a little dull at least it wasn't raining and today the stock was double headed!

Another all too brief trip to London with my wife this time staying west at Hammersmith. The main purpose of our pre-Christmas visit was to see the amazing Dame Judy Dench in conversation with Giles Brandreth (and a few friends) at the Albert Hall; a superb evening out. I also managed a little steam action along the way to round things off nicely.

 

A dash out before the sun disappeared to capture the passing of the sporadic 6Z45 passing Roade. It being 22nd December means that the nights are now getting shorter and daylight hours longer, the opposite of what I stated back in June!

My traditional Christmas Eve constitutional found me walking the length (well almost!) of Roade cutting photographingtrain (with the absence of any freight) from every bridge that spans it bar just one. The weather was its usual grey self but a tradition is a tradition!

 

Returning home from charging the car in nearby Towcester I stopped off at one of my favoured local spots known locally as Victoria or Coronation bridge to capture a few New Year's Eve scenes.

I wish all my readers a very happy and prosperous New Year; here's to 2024!