2. 'Shooter's Swansong'-14.01.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 2. 'Shooter's Swansong'-14.01.23

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.

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Images 1-11 of 11 displayed.

50008, outward leg of Shooter's Swansong, 04.52 Derby-Hinksey Yard (1Z20, 3L), Heyford station
In abysmal lighting at Heyford 50008 'Thunderer' heads south leading the outward leg of Shooter's Swansong that left Derby, running as 1Z20, at the unearthly hour of 04.52! If the morning had dawned as it had the previous day with clear skies this picture would have looked a whole lot better but the weather did not play ball, of course! 50008 'Thunderer' is currently owned and operated by the rail services solutions group Hanson and Hall. Notice GWR's 165124 paused on the down platform. Unfortunately, Andy had opted for the platform end shot of the charter so the 08.07 Didcot to Banbury all stations stopper did get in the way a little but he was not too disappointed as it was never going to have been a master shot was it really?
Keywords: 50008 outward leg of Shooter's Swansong 04.52 Derby-Hinksey Yard 1Z20 Heyford station Thunderer

165014 & 165002, CH 09.11 Oxford-London Marylebone (1Y17, RT), Oddington SP542160
Less than an hour after the previous photograph was taken at Heyford station the lighting has improved considerably. Whilst it is far from perfect at least I have been able to turn the ISO down to something more sensible! Chiltern's 165014 passes Oddington between Oxford and Bicester working the 09.11 Oxford to Marylebone service. The wooden structure seen to the right of the rear of the train marks the spot where the former level crossing crossed this line prior to its huge expansion and modernisation that led to the construction of the large overbridge where I am standing.
Keywords: 165014 165002 09.11 Oxford-London Marylebone 1Y17 Oddington SP542160 Chiltern Railways

37418, outward leg of Shooter's Swansong, 09.00 Hinksey Yard-London Marylebone (1Z21, RT), Oddington SP542160
37418 'An Comuun Gaidhealach' passes Oddington leading the second leg of the Shooter's Swansong charter with 5008 'Thunderer' bringing up the rear. Having travelled down from Derby as the 1Z20 the train terminated past Oxford station in Hinksey Yard to then form this leg, the 1Z21 Hinksey Yard to Marylebone. Whilst conditions have improved somewhat from when I first saw the train at Heyford it was blowing an absolute hooley making it difficult to stand steadily on the exposed embankment of the bridge that crosses the line.
Keywords: 37418 Shooter's Swansong 09.00 Hinksey Yard-London Marylebone 1Z21 Oddington SP542160 An Comuun Gaidhealach

165013 & 165015, CH 08.12 London Marylebone-Oxford (1T12, RT), Oddington SP542160
165013 leads 165015 past Oddington between Oxford and Bicester working Chiltern's 08.12 Marylebone to Oxford train. Known by various names such as the Networker Turbo, the Chiltern Turbos or simply just Turbos these highly successful BREL (York) built units have been in operation for over thirty years throughout the western lines stretching from London to Birmingham to Portsmouth to Wales and more recently into deepest Cornwall. An enduring design of second-generation DMU that still have life in them yet with some even being experimentally turned into hybrid units.
Keywords: 165013 165015 08.12 London Marylebone-Oxford 1T12 Oddington SP542160 Chiltern Railways Turbo unit

168001, CH 11.05 Banbury-London Marylebone ECS (5H22, 16E), King's Sutton station
On the day that Andy and I were out to see the Shooter's Swansong charter in memory of the career railwayman who died on 13.12.22 168001 named 'Adrian Shooter CBE' was also seen and photographed passing through King's Sutton. Passing the flooded fields near the village the Turbo unit is seen working the 5H22 11.05 Banbury to Marylebone empty coach stock move.
Keywords: 168001 11.05 Banbury-London Marylebone ECS 5H22 King's Sutton station Chiltern Turbo Adrian Shooter CBE

68011, CH 11.00 London Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street (1R24, RT), Clattercote SP455490
The 11.00 Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street Chiltern 'super train' climbs the steady rising gradient to the north of Banbury near the remains of Clatercote Priory which is now a rambling farm near the village of Claydon. The train could be heard for some distance before coming into sight with 68011 working hard shattering the peace of the Oxfordshire countryside!
Keywords: 68011 11.00 London Marylebone-Birmingham Moor Street 1R24 Clattercote SP455490 Chiltern Railways

57304, 08.57 Eastleigh Arlington-Crewe Coal Sidings (6Z10, 10E), Clattercote SP455490
57304 'Pride of Cheshire' leads a short rake of four refurbished Freightliner flats past the hamlet of Clattercote (or Clatercotte to give its contemporary name). The train, running as 6Z10, left Eastleigh's Arlington facility at 08.57 heading for Crewe Coal Sidings that it reached a little early later in the afternoon. Notice the ninety-one and three-quarters milepost indicating the distance from London Paddington rather than Marylebone that would be expected.
Keywords: 57304 08.57 Eastleigh Arlington-Crewe Coal Sidings 6Z10 Clattercote SP455490 DRS Direct Rail Services Pride of Cheshire

168325 & 168111, CH 11.37 Birmingham Moor Street-London Marylebone (1H29, RT), Clattercote SP455490
The 11.37 Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone Chiltern Railways service descends towards Banbury near the village of Claydon located in the very northerly extreme of Oxfordshire close to the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire county boundaries. The train is formed by two Turbo units in the form of 168325 and 168111. The photograph is taken from the security of a gated footpath flat crossing that it was noted was being monitored as two covert hidden cameras had been installed facing both directions across the line. Whilst sensible and measured security and safety on the railways is important this sort of thing goes too far in my opinion and I am pretty sure that a notice regarding the use of monitoring technology should be indicated to members of the public but no signage was present at this site.
Keywords: 168325 168111 11.37 Birmingham Moor Street-London Marylebone 1H29 Clattercote SP455490 Chiltern Railways Turbo

50008, return leg of Shooter's Swansong, 11.33 London Marylebone-Stratford-on-Avon (1Z22, 2E), Clattercote SP455490
Our third and final sighting of the Shooter's Swansong charter as it heads back from London Marylebone as the 1Z22 11.33 to Stratford-on-Avon. Looking very smart in its Hanson and Hall livery 50008 'Thunderer' shatters the peace of the Oxfordshire countryside at Clattercote near Claydon as it heads north. Having been put together in record short time following the death of the career railwayman Adrian Shooter and running in the somewhat 'dead' time just after Christmas the charter did not appear to be particularly well loaded with a lot of empty seats seen as the train passed. It also clashed with UKR's Class 56 Farewell charter that will no doubt have attracted a number of railtour punters.
Keywords: 50008 Shooter's Swansong 11.33 London Marylebone-Stratford-on-Avon 1Z22 Clattercote SP455490 Hanson and hall Warship Thunderer

66115, 14.39 DIRFT-Dollands Moor (6O67, 22L), Roade cutting
Having got home after following the Shooter's Swansong charter the sun began to make an appearance after what had been a very wet, windy and dull morning! I popped out for a walk in the afternoon with my camera and was able to capture 66115 leading the empty water train passing through Roade cutting. Running as 6O67 having left Daventry at 14.39 the train arrived at Dollands Moor a little late prior to its passage through the tunnel to France.
Keywords: 66115 14.39 DIRFT-Dollands Moor 6O67 Roade cutting DB Water train

390123, VT 14.16 London Euston-Edinburgh Waverley (9S80, 9L), Roade cutting
An alternative image that again illustrates the dramatic clearance in Roade cutting following a frenzied few days of chainsaw-wielding between Christmas and New year. 390123 passes through Roade cutting working the 9S80 14.16 Euston to Edinburgh Waverley Avanti service. To gain maximum depth of field in order to keep the foreground and background in focus I closed the aperture right down thus reducing the shutter speed inducing motion burr: the photograph has worked as I had intended (15mm, 800iso, f11, 1/80 second).
Keywords: 390123 14.16 London Euston-Edinburgh Waverley 9S80 Roade cutting Avanti West Coast Pendolino

Images 1-11 of 11 displayed.