76. The Midland Venturer & 2 more squirters-28.10.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 76. The Midland Venturer & 2 more squirters-28.10.23

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.
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Images 1-11 of 11 displayed.

66104 & 66041, 23.17 Toton TMD-West Hampstead Thameslink (3J92, 6E), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 Unfortunately routed on to the up slow line meaning that it is in the shade the 3J92 23.17 Toton to West Hampstead railhead treatment train passes Park Road bridge near Millbrook. The train is led by DB Cargo's 66104 with 66041 at the rear. Whilst dirty both locomotives appear relatively clean compared to some RHTT locomotives that have been observed. Quite extraordinarily, this train is four hundred and sixteen miles into its four hundred and fifty-one-mile journey that involved two return trips treating all four tracks and going off-route via Corby and Melton Mowbray at some time in the middle of the night! 
 Keywords: 66104 66041 23.17 Toton TMD-West Hampstead Thameslink 3J92 Park Road bridge TL020390 RHTT Squirter
66041 & 66104, 23.17 Toton TMD-West Hampstead Thameslink (3J92, 6E), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 66041 brings up the rear of the 3J92 23.17 Toton to West Hampstead RHTT with 66104 leading. This working is nearing its termination in North London having been in operation throughout the night and having passed this spot, on the three other tracks, three times previously. Taken photographs into the sun is not my chosen practice but it does highlight the high-pressure water being directed on to the rail head. The train is about to pass into the eastern Ampthill tunnel that can be seen in the distance. 
 Keywords: 66041 66104, 23.17 Toton TMD-West Hampstead Thameslink 3J92 Park Road bridge TL020390 Squirter RHTT
360111 & 360118, EM 10.10 Corby-London St. Pancras (1H20, 4L), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 With the sun having dived behind a fast-moving cloud seconds before the 10.10 Corby to St. Pancras service passes Park Road bridge worked by 360111 and 360118 the lighting is not as good as it could be. This location is a quiet one in the Bedfordshire countryside just north of the Ampthill tunnels with the only interruptions, apart from the trains, being the odd dog walker and farm vehicle. 
 Keywords: 360111 360118, EM 10.10 Corby-London St. Pancras 1H20 Park Road bridge TL020390
222006 & 222016, EM 09.50 Nottingham-London St. Pancras (1B31, 31L), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 Something had obviously gone wrong at Nottingham prior to the departure of the 1B31 service to St. Pancras as it left half an hour late and it never regained this lost time. In all honesty, this is the sort of train that TOCs cynically cancel as it becomes a bad statistic for them and delay-repay is activated. The problem was probably stock related as a completely different pair of EMR Meridians were shown on RTT working the train rather than 222006 and 222016 seen here passing Park Road bridge just north of the Ampthill tunnels. 
 Keywords: 222006 222016 EM 09.50 Nottingham-London St. Pancras 1B31 Park Road bridge TL020390 EMR Meridian
700117, TL 11.04 Bedford-Three Bridges (9R21, RT), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 Thameslink's 700117 heads south past Park Road bridge working the 11.04 Bedford to Three Bridges service soon to enter Ampthill tunnel and then slow for its timetabled stop at Flitwick. The 700s have a total monopoly on Thameslink services on this route and very reliable they have proved to be so far being faster accelerating and twenty-five per cent more efficient than their predecessors*. The unusual building in the background is the recently opened Rookery Pit Energy Recovery Facility (Rookery South) that burns our waste turning it into energy. It can produce up to sixty megawatts from burning five hundred thousand tons of domestic waste per annum.

* Rail Advent 10/07/2021 
 Keywords: 700117 11.04 Bedford-Three Bridges 9R21 Park Road bridge TL020390 Thameslink
222001, EM 09.29 Sheffield-London St. Pancras (1B32, 22L), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 Get your photographs of the Class 222 Meridians whilst you can! All are scheduled to be returned to Eversholt sometime in the not-too-distant future once Class 810s replace them on EMR Intercity services. Pioneer 222001, introduced in May 2004, passes the isolated Park Road bridge between Bedford and Flitwick working the 1B32 09.29 Sheffield to St. Pancras fast service. 
 Keywords: 222001 09.29 Sheffield-London St. Pancras 1B32 Park Road bridge TL020390EMR Meridian
222023, EM 10.12 Nottingham-London St. Pancras (1B34, 8L), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 Recent lineside clearance at Park Road bridge that leads to Ampthill Park House has improved the view looking northwest but only really for trains on the slow line with those on the fast bisected by the overhead wires as seen here! 222023 heads south working the 10.12 Nottingham to St. Pancras service. The bright autumnal sunlight and the imposing dark sky make for an interesting lighting contrast. 
 Keywords: 222023 10.12 Nottingham-London St. Pancras 1B34 Park Road bridge TL020390 EMR Meridian
43159, outward leg of the Midland Venturer, 07.50 Ilkeston-London St Pancras (1Z43, 9L), Park Road bridge TL020390 
 The 125 Group's 43159 'Rio Warrior' looks superb in its retro. Midland Mainline livery in the brilliant autumnal sunshine between Bedford and Flitwick. I am sure that the group will get to the stock and repaint that to match the power car's livery as funds and time permit. The HST set, with 43159 at the rear, was working the outward leg of the Midland Venturer charter that left Ilkeston at 07.50 heading for St. Pancras. To the delight of enthusiasts is this the first time that a charter has started from this small Derbyshire town? As an aside, I do not believe that 43159 ever carried this livery being a Western Region power car for many years, for example, see....https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/25853460404/x43159-43015-10-15-london-paddington 
 Keywords: 43159 the Midland Venturer 07.50 Ilkeston-London St Pancras 1Z43 Park Road bridge TL020390 Midland Mainline HST Project Rio Rio Warrier
43089 & 43159, outward leg of the Midland Venturer, 07.50 Ilkeston-London St Pancras (1Z43, 9L), Park Roade bridge TL020390 
 About to plunge into the darkness of the thirty-three-chain Ampthill tunnel the outward Midland Venturer 125 Group charter is seen from Park Road bridge. Whilst 43159 'Rio Warrior' is leading the train in its MML livery 43089 is at the rear retaining its East Midlands Trains matching the stock complete with a 125 Group vinyl applied to its flanks. The charter left Ilkeston at 07.50 and was heading for St. Pancras running, quite appropriately, as 1Z43. 
 Keywords: 43089 43159 the Midland Venturer, 07.50 Ilkeston-London St Pancras 1Z43 Park Road bridge TL020390 125 Group HST
390154, VT 15.16 London Euston-Glasgow Central (9S85, 1L), Roade hill 
 From the bright sunshine of the morning, the cloud has come in and makes for a dull and grey afternoon. 390154 passes between Roade and Ashton in Northamptonshire working the 9S96 15.16 Euston to Glasgow Central. Notice two of the M1 windfarm turbines to the extreme left, a familiar sight to those who pass them on the busy M1 motorway on the other side from this view. 
 Keywords: 390154 15.16 London Euston-Glasgow Central 9S85 Roade Hill Avanti West Coast Pendolino
66702 & 66756, 10.30 King's Norton-King's Norton (3J01, 17L), Roade hill 
 It was a gamble that did not quite payout! I had judged that the entire 10.30 King's Norton return RHTT would fit in the gap between the trees between Roade and Ashton and it so nearly did. GBRf's 66702 'Blue Lightning' leads the treatment train with 66756 ‘Royal Corps of Signals’ bringing up the rear. Notice the resident alpacas grazing in the field. I figured that this would be the last time that I would be able to capture this working as the clocks were to go back on this evening meaning that it would be too dark at its scheduled pass time here. 
 Keywords: 66702 66756 10.30 Kings Norton-Kings Norton 3J01 Roade hill

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