33. A Fenland foray-10.05.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 33. A Fenland foray-10.05.23

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.
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Images 1-19 of 19 displayed.

801211, GR 06.00 Berwick-upon-Tweed-London King's Cross (1Y14, 7L), Marholm TF154036 From the footbridge at Marholm a short distance north of Peterborough, Azuma 801211 speeds southwards working the 06.00 Berwick-upon-Tweed to King's Cross LNER service. This spot has become a firm favourite with railway enthusiasts and photographers but it loses out on a fair bit of freight that passes tantalisingly close as it takes the much slower and less direct route avoiding the ECML via Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln and Gainsborough. Keywords: 801211 06.00 Berwick-upon-Tweed-London King's Cross 1Y14 Marholm TF154036 LNER Azuma
Former King's Dyke level crossing I was keen to revisit King's Dyke level crossing following its closure last year with the opening of the new bridge just to the east of this spot. The road is seen now firmly truncated from both directions by palisade fencing and large bollards looking somewhat different to when I last visited, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/28569144804/x43206-43006-04-41-craigentinny-ely. Interestingly, the lights still flash in perpetual anticipation of a train approaching. The box is still in use but the signalman's job is made somewhat easier now with him not having to close and open the gates. Just as an aside, the bridge that now carries the A605 over the line was already under repair with traffic lights in use slowing traffic once again rather like when the level crossing was still in use! Keywords: Former King's Dyke level crossing
Whittlesea level crossing & crossing box Whittlesea (or Whittlesey) remains firmly in the Victorin era when it comes to the signalling that is! Not only does have a full-sized and fully operational mechanical box to the east of the station but also has this small crossing box where the keeper is based. When a train is due he leaves the confines of the cabin and manually closes the gates to road users, it is manned twenty-four hours. Andy can be seen crossing the level crossing in the blue Nissan Micra. Keywords: Whittlesea level crossing crossing box
66737, 08.20 Middleton Towers-Monk Bretton Redfearns (6E96, 4E), March West Junction Colloquially known as the 'Redfearns' the 08.20 Middleton Towers to Monk Bretton (Barnsley) passes March West Junction led by 66737 'Lesia'. This train conveys sand excavated from a site just east of King's Lyn utilising a spur of the former Great Eastern route that once linked through to Swaffham and Derham now kept open solely for that purpose. Interestingly, the same situation occurs at the other end of the train's route. Here it runs along a section of the former Midland route that once ran from Wath to Goose Hill Junction which I traversed in 1980, see... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/C372295804/x3-west-wilts-district-scout-special This freight accesses the Ardagh Glass plant at Monk Bretton from the north with the line open and maintained just for these trains. Keywords: 66737 08.20 Middleton Towers-Monk Bretton Redfearns 6E96 March West Junction GBRf sand Lesia
170620, XC 06.24 Bristol Temple Meads-Stantsed Airport (1L98, 7L), March West Junction Taken from a footbridge at March West Junction 170620 approaches working the 1L98 06.24 Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport CrossCountry service. The relay room to the right of the image marks the site of the former March West Junction signal box, a delightful twenty-seven-lever Great Eastern box that closed in the autumn of 1987. I stood in a very similar spot on the same footbridge forty two years previously and captured the superb signal box that once controlled the junction, see....https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30044135660/x23-march-west-junction-signal-box Keywords: 170620 06.24 Bristol Temple Meads-Stantsed Airport 1L98 March West Junction XC CrossCountry Turbo
66009, 08.00 Felixstowe South-East Midlands Gateway (4M79, 3E), March West Junction 66009 makes a smokey departure from March leading the 08.00 Felixstowe South to East Midlands Gateway service. Apologies for this image taken on the wrong side for the sun. Andy and I only became aware of the train as we were walking away from the footbridge dashing back to capture this scene. Notice the spur leading off to the left. This leads to the busy Whitemoor Yard that is now the centre of NR's infrastructure activities for the east of England having morphed from its previous role as a large marshalling yard and diesel depot, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/25366288004/x37050-31326-stabled-march-mpd Keywords: 66009 08.00 Felixstowe South-East Midlands Gateway 4M79 March West Junction DB Freightliner
755336, GA 10.01 Ipswich-Peterborough (2E74, RT), March station Greater Anglia's 755336 passes over the B1101 level crossing whilst the signalman in March East Junction's imposing signal box looks on waiting to open the gates again to road users. Whilst he does not operate any semaphores on the main running lines there is mechanical signalling controlling the sidings to the rear of the box. The GA FLIRT unit is the new face of operations in the east of England with this one working the 10.01 Ipswich to Peterborough service that operates a shuttle diagram throughout the day. Keywords: 755336 10.01 Ipswich-Peterborough 2E74 March station GA Greater Anglia Stadler rail FLIRT
755336, GA 10.01 Ipswich-Peterborough (2E74, RT), March station Having taken a disappointing photograph of FLIRT 755336 previously as it arrived at March due to the tricky lighting I thought that I would try another as it waits in the station; again, the lighting thwarted my attempts but at least the impressive cloudscape makes up for it some small part! The Greater Anglia unit is working the 10.01 Ipswich to Peterborough service that will stop at Whittlesea prior to its destination. Keywords: 755336 10.01 Ipswich-Peterborough 2E74 March station GA Greater Anglia FLIRT
66732, 08.06 Doncaster iPort-Felixstowe South (4L28, 11L), March station March remains a surprisingly busy location for freight given its somewhat isolated location on the network deep in the eastern counties. As to reinforce this, the third freight within half an hour passes through the station heading east with a very grubby 66732 'GBRf The First Decade 1999-2009 John Smith-MD' leading the 4l28 Doncaster iPort to Felixstowe South service. As I write this text on my iMacBook Air I cannot help but feel that naming a logistics centre as an iPort is a little incongruous trying to work out any connection to Mac products that appear to have ownership the i preffix? However, on investigation, I have discovered that the i in iPort stands for inland. Makes sense I suppose but I cannot help thinking that there's a touch of 'bandwagoning' going on with the name! Keywords: 66732 GBRf The First Decade 1999 - 2009 John Smith - MD 08.06 Doncaster iPort-Felixstowe South 4L28 March station Freightliner
170618, XC 10.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street (1N15, 18L), March South Junction With the sun having just gone behind an errant cloud Andy watches on from the other side (along with an S & T engineer) of the level crossing as the CrossCountry 10.27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street service passes March South Junction signal box worked by 170618. Every time that I visit this location I wonder if the large Eastern Region enamel attached to the front of the box will still be there. As a trophy when the box eventually closes, it would be a fine prize but I feel that maybe it ought to be donated to the town council perhaps having been such an obvious visual marker for so many years. I first visited this box in 1981, see... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30046908426/x29-march-south-junction-siganl-box Keywords: 170618 10.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street 1N15 March South Junction CrossCounry Turbo XC
Andy & crossing gates, Stonea With Andy suddenly taking a much deeper interest in railway infrastructure, particularly relating to signalling, I capture him taking a photograph of Stonea's rather anonymous crossing box. This Portakabin replaced a rather nice 1883 Great Eastern box that collapsed into the fen being demolished in 1984. Thankfully the mechanical gates were retained and are still in operation with a very low bridge for smaller vehicles going under the railway. On the day of our visit, we were forced to retrace our steps make a large Fenland detour due to a road closure a short distance south of the level crossing. Keywords: Andy crossing gates Stonea
755336, GA 11.50 Peterborough-March (2L75, 3E), Manea station Andy and I saw FLIRT unit 755336 a little earlier on its outward working to Peterborough. It is seen returning as the 11.50 service to Ipswich slowing for its stop at Manea, one of a handful of services that serve the remote and isolated Fenland community. As well as a small station it retains its Great Eastern signal box, level crossing, signals and an up and down out-of-use and very overgrown loops. The station was the only survivor of the three that once existed between March and Ely during the Beeching cull, the other two being Bentley and Stonea Keywords: 755336 11.50 Peterborough-March 2L75 Manea station Greater Anglia GA FLIRT
158799, EM 07.48 Liverpool Lime Street-Norwich (1L07, 26L), Manea station For once this was an occasion when I wanted the sun to hide behind a cloud as I was caught totally on the wrong side for it. Once the barriers went down at Manea's level crossing one cannot cross from one platform to the other with no footbridge so I had to take this rather head-on photograph of 158799 as it passes working the 1L07 07.48 Liverpool to Norwich East Midlands service. Keywords: 158799 07.48 Liverpool Lime Street-Norwich 1L07 Manea station East Midlands Railway
Littleport signal box (GE, 1882) A signal box in peril! When I last visited Littleport signal box it had the timber supports to the rear but in a further effort to prevent its collapse, it now has huge bags of ballast attached to the timberwork. Indeed at the time of our visit, a team from Network Rail were examining the internals of the box and ticking a lot of boxes on some paperwork on their clipboards! The box, that controls the level crossing on the busy former A10 road (that now bypasses the small town) was due to close in 2021 with control moving to the Romford RSC. However, this appears to have been delayed but perhaps the box will colapse before it is officially closed! Keywords: Littleport signal box GE Great Eastern Railway
158856, EM 11.41 Nottingham-Norwich (1L08, 3L) & 170620, XC 12.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street (1N55, 4L), Ely station Ely has always been and remains a busy station deep in the Fens with frequent train services from a number of operators and frequent freight. It is often somewhat overlooked by railway enthusiasts that always seems a little surprising to me especially as we were simply waved through the barriers by the gate staff. In this scene, EMR's 158856 is soon going to close its doors and depart as the 1L08 11.41 Nottingham to Norwich service. In the foreground, 170620 is boarding working CrossCounty's 12.27 Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Steet train. Keywords: 158856 11.41 Nottingham-Norwich 1L08 170620 12.27 Stansted Airport-Birmingham New Street 1N55 Ely station EMR EMT East Midlands Trains XC CrossCountry
755410, GA 12.28 Norwich-Stansted Airport (1K77, 1E), Ely station I was not aware that Greater Anglia worked directly to Stansted Airport from Norwich but here is the 1K77 12.28 service in the flesh! Bi-mode FLIRT unit 755410 has not yet raised its pantograph on arrival to Ely which it will do to then run under the 25Kv wiring to its destination. With these units now in squadron service throughout East Anglia, they represent a step change for the travelling public who have always had to put up with a disparate collection of old and hand-me-down stock Keywords: 755410 12.28 Norwich-Stansted Airport 1K77 Ely station Greater Anglia GA FLIRT
387120, GN 12.12 London King's Cross-Ely (1T28, 4L), Ely station With the cessation of King's Lyn services from King's Cross immanent at the next timetable change it means that all services to and from London will now do what this one is doing, that is terminate at Ely. This will leave King's Lyn with just services to and from Liverpool Street; surely a retrograde step for the somewhat isolated Fenland town? Great Northern's 387120 arrives at Ely with the 1T28 12.12 service from King's Cross. Any passengers wishing to continue north will now have to alight and change for the next ex-Liverpool Street train. Keywords: 387120 12.12 London King's Cross-Ely 1T28 Ely station Great Northern GN Electrostar
18. DR77802, stabled, Ely station Operated by Volker Rail DR77802 is described as a Matisa R24 S Ballast Regulator. It is seen adjacent to Ely station in a departmental siding receiving some maintenance from an operative who appeared to be draining hydraulic fluid, changing filters and greasing things up. Keywords: DR77802 stabled Ely station
66767, 10.46 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall (4M33, 7L), Ely station The final train of our short half-day trip into the Fens runs through Ely station. GBRf's 66767 'King's Cross PSB 1971-2021' leads the 4M33 10.46 Felixstowe North to Hams Hall service. Notice the small dog (on a lead I hasten to add) to the right of the photograph that was running towards and barking at the freight as he was to every train passing, indeed he is seen in an image a few photographs previously! Despite him being on a lead, it is not really the done thing on a busy station for both railway staff and other passengers to have to put up with is it really? Keywords: 66767 10.46 Felixstowe North-Hams Hall 4M33 Ely station King's Cross PSB 1971-2021 GBRf

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