91. A Chistmas Eve walk the length of Roade cutting-24.12.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 91. A Chistmas Eve walk the length of Roade cutting-24.12.23

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!
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Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.

390039, VT 12.39 London Euston-Preston (9S70, 1L), Roade cutting Starting my Christmas Eve walk the length of Roade cutting finds me on Bridge 210 known locally as Accomodation bridge. If I was truly going from from one end of the cutting to the other then stricktly speaking I should have started at Bridge 211 Courtenhall Road bridge but it was too far to walk! Due to it wearing Coventry's flag on the front this Pendolino is isntantly recogniseable as 390039 'Lady Godiva' seen heading north with the 12.39 Euston to Preston service. Keywords: 390039 12.39 London Euston-Preston 9S70 Roade cutting
390104, VT 11.43 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston (1A25, 3E), Roade cutting 390104 'Alstom Pendolino' works the 1A25 Liverpool to Euston service and is about to pass under Bridge 210 (Accommodation bridge) at the northern end of Roade cutting. The substantial wall and steel framework that spans the slow lines (known as the birdcage) was installed to prevent the collapse of the cutting following the disastrous events of the night of 13.11.1892 which saw a huge landslip. This saw the return to the area of up to two thousand navies to repair the damage and reopen the slow lines, a task that took some time as further slippage took place during this work. Keywords: 390104 11.43 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston 1A25 Roade cutting Alstom Pendolino AWC Avanti West Coast
350119, 12.06 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (1Y18, RT), Roade cutting London Northwestern Desiro 350119 leads another unit out of the 'birdcage' and into the depths of Roade cutting working the 12.06 Birmingham New Street to Euston service. The photograph is taken from the lofty heights of Bridge 210 'Accommodation' bridge the tallest of all the structures that cross the cutting and the one that carries the least traffic having a very overgrown footpath and farm access track atop. Keywords: 350119 12.06 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 1Y18 Roade cutting London Northwestern Desiro
390020, VT 12.42 London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street (1F22, RT), Roade cutting With a firm toot from the driver, the 12.42 Euston to Liverpool Avanti service passes through Roade cutting worked by 390020. To take this photograph I am standing on locally named Accommodation bridge (Bridge 210 from London) looking south through the cutting. Keywords: 390020 12.42 London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street 1F22 Roade cutting AWC Pendolino Avanti West Coast
221118 & 221102, VT 13.02 London Euston-Holyhead (1D87, RT), Roade cutting Will they make it through to 2024; with just a week to go, I suspect that they will! 221118 leads 221102 through Roade cutting taken from Bridge 209 known locally as Dirty or Muddy Lane bridge. Technically this is now the fourth crossing of the cutting from the north with the addition of the A508 bypass bridge (Bridge 209B?) from which photographs are all but impossible without a suitable ladder of some kind. Of course, there is also the aqueduct (Bridge 209A) but anybody climbing on that with their camera would be in serious danger! Keywords: 221118 221102 13.02 London Euston-Holyhead 1D87 Roade cutting AWC Avanti Voyager
350373 & 350110, LN 12.56 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1Y25, 9L), Hyde Roade bridge Bridge 208 spans Roade cutting carrying the village's Hyde Road. In 2018 it had a Transport Trust wheel attached to it in recognition of the cutting as being a transport heritage site. Looking south from the bridge the 12.56 Euston to Birmingham London Northwestern service is seen worked by 350373 and 350110. Keywords: 350373 350110 12.56 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1Y25 Hyde Roade bridge London Northwestern Desiro
350249 & 350244, LN 12.33 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (1Y20, RT), Hyde Road bridge 350249 and 350244 head south through Roade cutting working the 12.33 Birmingham New Street to Euston London Northwestern service. The photograph is taken from Hyde Road bridge which is about two-thirds through the cutting from the north. With the introduction of the new Class 730s the 350/2 sub-class, as seen here, should have been returned to their leasing company by now but, inevitably this has not happened with the late delivery and acceptance to service of the new trains. Keywords: 350249 350244 12.33 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 1Y20 Hyde Road bridge London Northwestern Desiro
390157, VT 13.15 London Euston-Crewe (9S77, 3L), A508 bridge I have never taken an image of a train on the down fast line from this position. However, I am able to do so now as the Roade bypass has recently opened meaning that it is now relatively safe to stand on the old A508 bridge where there is no footpath. The image is tricky to frame due to the high parapet of Bridge 207 meaning the flip-out screen has to be used and reaching upwards. When I am braver, I will take some steps and hope that the road remains as quiet as it is now! Keywords: 390157 13.15 London Euston-Crewe 9S77 A508 bridge AWC Avanti west coast Pendolino
390137, VT 11.18 Preston-London Euston (9A52, RT), A508 bridge 390137 passes through Roade about to pass under the former A508 bridge working the 11.18 Preston to Euston service. It is much easier to photograph trains from this side of Bridge 207 due to there being no walkway on the other side and a very high parapet. However, with the opening of Roade bypass the other side is a safer proposition. Keywords: 390137 11.18 Preston-London Euston 9A52 A508 bridge AWC Avanti West Coast Pendolino
350377 & 350245, LN 13.22 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1Y27, 3E), site of Roade station Standing at the extreme southern end of Roade's cutting on Bridge 206 known in the village as the Gravel bridge sees 350377 and 350245 heading north with the 13.22 Euston to Birmingham service. This location was, until 1964, the site of Roade's station of which there are persistent discussions about its reopening but this is not going to happen any time soon! Keywords: 350377 350245 13.22 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1Y27 site of Roade station London Northwestern Desiro
350260, LN 13.06 Birmingham New Street-London Euston (as 14.15½ Northampton-London Euston) (1Y22, 1L), site of Roade station It is unusual to see a single set Class 350 Desiro working a daytime London Northwestern service. 350260 is seen passing the site of Roade's former station working what was supposed to be the 13.06 Birmingham to Euston service. However, something obviously went wrong earlier as the train was re-scheduled to be the 14.15½ ex Northampton that arrived just one minute adrift into Euston Keywords: 350260 13.06 Birmingham New Street-London Euston 14.15½ Northampton-London Euston site of Roade station
390127, VT 12.43 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston (1A30, 4E), site of Roade station My final photograph of my Christmas Eve walk along the length of Roade cutting sees 390127 emerge from it past the site of Roade station. It is working the 1A30 12.43 Liverpool Lime Street to Euston service. Time to go home for a mince pie and a cup of tea! Keywords: 390127 12.43 Liverpool Lime Street-London Euston 1A30 site of Roade station

Images 1-12 of 12 displayed.