15. A pleasant spring afternoon & 5F69 move-17.03.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 15. A pleasant spring afternoon & 5F69 move-17.03.23

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!

Click here to search The Archive Files

Images 1-8 of 8 displayed.

90048 & 90003, 09.12 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park (4M63, 73L), Roade cutting
A few minutes after I arrived above Roade cutting the late running 4M63 is seen heading north with 90048 and 90003 in charge. The 09.12 Felixstowe to Trafford Park should have passed this spot an hour or so earlier so I was pleased to capture it.
Keywords: 90048 90003 09.12 Felixstowe North-Trafford Park 4M63 Roade cutting

88007, 13.37 DIRFT-Tilbury (4L48, RT), Roade cutting
With the 4M63 Felixstowe to Trafford Park Freightliner just heading north through Roade cutting 88007 ‘Electra’ passes southwards leading the 4L48 Tesco Express 13.37 Daventry (DIRFT) to Tilbury. With this being electric-led rather than a Class 66 its progress from Northampton to this spot nearly caught me out with it arriving far more quickly than would normally be the case. I was lucky that I was able to position the subject adjacent to a gap in the boxes on the northbound train!
Keywords: 88007 13.37 DIRFT-Tilbury 4L48 Roade cutting Electra

66602, 13.21 Willesden up relief-Tunstead (6H50, 22E), Victoria bridge
Stone trains are not particularly common on the WCML so to capture one on film (or digitally to put it correctly)! Is always a rewarding one. The 6H50 is a regular empty stone working that leaves Willesden up relief sidings at 13.21 and ends up at Tunstead in the Peak District. The working is in association with HS2 works in West London so will end sometime in the not so near (!) future so I will try to get out to see it when I can. However, at the time of writing in 2023, it has just been reported that the development and opening of the new Euston will not be before 2042 an eye-watering twenty-one years away! In this scene at Victoria bridge just south of Roade 66602 leads the train.
Keywords: 66602 13.21 Willesden up relief-Tunstead 6H50 Victoria bridge Freightliner

66594, 09.27 Southampton MCT-Garston (4M58, 40E), Victoria bridge
In some lovely spring sunshine, 66594 ‘NYK Spirit of Kyoto' leads the daily Freightliner 4M58 09.27 Southampton MCT to Garston service. The view at this, one of my most favoured, spots just south of Roade in Northamptonshire has really been opened up in recent weeks with a concerted bout of tree clearance. Whist I understand the reasoning behind it from an operational perspective as a railway photographer I really appreciate it!
Keywords: 66594 09.27 Southampton MCT-Garston 4M58 Victoria bridge Freightliner NYK Spirit of Kyoto

66519, 12.16 Lawley Street-London Gateway (4L56, 2E), Victoria bridge
A study of a Class 66 in action, well I'll couch it in those words to cover for my photographic ineptitude! 66519 leads the 12.16 Lawley Street to London Gateway Freightliner past Victoria bridge just south of Roade. Unbelievably, this is only my second photograph of this particular Class 66 hence its inclusion.
Keywords: 66519 12.16 Lawley Street-London Gateway 4L56 Victoria bridge Freightliner

390010, VT 15.16 London Euston-Preston (9S58, 7L), site of Roade station
With the decision on Avanti’s West Coast future due any day now there is a distinct possibility that the operator will be stripped of its franchise with a new operator to put its mark on the Class 390 Pendolinos. 390010 ‘Cumbrian Spirit’ passes the site of Roade station working the 9S58 15.16 Euston to Preston service. Notice the flash of yellow in the background, something far more interesting and unusual was about to pass on the down slow line.....

NB it was announced on Monday 20.03.23 that AWC would be awarded a six-month extension to its franchise. This was very much against expectations given its shambolic management of operations over the last year or so and further goes, in my mind at least, to illustrate how broken and ineffective the franchising model is.
Keywords: 390010 15.16 London Euston-Preston 9S58 site of Roade station Avanti West Coast AWC PendolinoCumbrian Spirit

50049 & 50007, 14.49 Willesden TMD-Leicester LIP (5F69, 30E), site of Roade station
Returning to their Leicester base 50049 ‘Defiance’ leads the 5F69 14.49 Willesden to Leicester LIP working. 50007 ‘Hercules’ is just visible on the rear of the train being towed along for the ride. The working is returning a set of barrier and translator stock following its use in moving units around the network. The GBRf livery really looks smart on these heritage locomotives that I took many images of back in the early ‘80s in the West Country.
Keywords: 50049 50007 14.49 Willesden TMD-Leicester LIP 5F69 site of Roade station Defiance Hercules

Images 1-8 of 8 displayed.