21. Another car caper collection-08.03.24

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2024 > 21. Another car caper collection-08.03.24

A trip 'up north' with Andy to collect my new car. Having owned and run a plug-in hybrid for a year I did not really get on with it very well so decided to go full electric. Having bought the car Andy and I made a day of it heading to Lancaster and then Morecambe to collect it and drive home.

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90044 & 90015, 03.46 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North (4L89, 3E), Northampton station
The morning's 4L89 03.46 Crewe to Felixstowe Freightliner passes slowly through Northampton station. It is led by two of Freightliner's finest in the form of 90044 and the formally named 'Colchester Castle' 90015. Notice the relatively bright lighting, just a month ago at the same time of day (07.30) would have made this photograph very tricky.
Keywords: 90044 90015 03.46 Crewe Basford Hall-Felixstowe North 4L89 Northampton station Freightliner

350102, LN 06.21 London Euston-Birmingham New Street (1Y11, 2L), Northampton station
Our first train of the day on our trip to Lancaster waits to leave Northampton station. Andy and I travelled aboard 350112 working the 06.21 Euston to Birmingham New Street from Northampton to Coventry. Being a 'peak hour' service in the middle of the morning commute it was once again noticeable how quiet both the train and Northampton station were reinforcing the almost total disappearance of the pre-COVID morning rush.
Keywords: 350102 06.21 London Euston-Birmingham New Street 1Y11 Northampton station London Northwestern desiro

390046, VT 07.16 London Euston-Blackpool North (9P47, RT), Coventry station
Our second train taking us from Coventry to Preston arrives worked by Avanti's 390046. This, I believe, is my first trip on a direct Euston to Blackpool North since they were taken over by Pendolinos following the completion of the electrification to the Lancashire resort. After the relatively empty previous train that we took from Northampton, the Pendolino was relatively full with what appeared to be more leisure travellers.
Keywords: 390046 07.16 London Euston-Blackpool North 9P47 Coventry station Avanti West Coast Pendolino

43047 & 43059, stabled, Crewe LSL
Arriving at Crewe is now interesting with LSL's extensive and eclectic mix of stock and motive power always on view. Two of its HST reproduction Blue Pullmans poke their noses out from behind a rake of stock. 43047 and 43059 are used on various charters that appear to be highly successful and popular with the charter fraternity; and long may this continue!
Keywords: 43047 43059 stabled Crewe LSL Pullman HST Locomotive Services Ltd

397006, stabled, Preston station
Having worked in from Glasgow Central a little earlier TPE's 397006 sits stabled at Preston station. In just over an hour it will return to Scotland working the 12.03 to Glasgow Central. I have yet to travel on one of these Class 397 Nova 2 units but this was about to change.....!
Keywords: 397006 Preston station TPE Trans Pennine Express

331112, NT 09.48 Manchester Airport-Blackpool North (1N59, RT), Preston station
One of Northern's many Civity units arrives at Preston station. 331112 is working the 1N59 09.48 Manchester Airport to Blackpool North service. Along with Carlisle, I consider Preston my favourite stations in the north-west region with them both enjoying many varied services in a rather grand station environment.
Keywords: 331112 09.48 Manchester Airport-Blackpool North 1N59 Preston station Civity Northern

397003, TP 10.04 Manchester Airport-Edinburgh Waverley (1S46, 5L), Lancaster station
Having never travelled on one of TPE's Nova 2 units Andy and I were pleased when we realised that our journey to Lancaster involved a short section of haulage on one. Having journeyed from Preston aboard 397003 we have alighted at Lancaster to photograph its departure. Avanti dispatchers are ready to give the RA to the driver of the 10.04 Manchester Airport to Edinburgh service at Lancaster. I found the unit quiet and relatively comfortable despite the inevitable hard seating but the ride was a little unsettled over poor track and pointwork.
Keywords: 397003 10.04 Manchester Airport-Edinburgh Waverley 1S46 Lancaster station NOVA 2 TPE Trans Pennine Express

156481, NT 11.27 Lancaster-Morecambe (2C85, RT), Lancaster station
The 11.27 Lancaster to Morecambe 'shuttle' service waits to leave its starting point worked by 156481. Morecambe used to have two stations with direct services from afar, but today, it has to endure the ignominy of just a two-car DMU rattling between it and Lancaster. Andy was to travel on this unit a little later in the day to meet me at Morecambe's rather poor station located in what seemed like an Asda car park!
Keywords: 156481 11.27 Lancaster-Morecambe 2C85 Lancaster stationNorthern

397005, TP 09.06 Glasgow Central-Manchester Airport (1M84, RT), Lancaster station
Now state-owned, TPE's 397005 arrives at Lancaster station working the 09.06 Glasgow Central to Manchester Airport service. A very grey and dismal early March day in the northwest is brightened up a little by the bright and modern-looking livery of the Class 397.
Keywords: 397005 09.06 Glasgow Central-Manchester Airport 1M84 Lancaster station Trans Pennine Express

805004, 08.03 London Euston-Lancaster (5Q11, RT), Lancaster station
On yet another test run/driver training/mileage accumulation run (whatever it may have been) 805004 drifts slowly into Lancaster station as the terminating 08.03 ex London Euston. After a brief wait at the platform with some staff ticking boxes on sheets attached to clipboards and the taking of various photographs the crew changed ends and it disappeared off south again. Soon (?) these new units will enter service with Avanti displacing the dreaded Class 221 Voyagers.
Keywords: 805004 08.03 London Euston-Lancaster 5Q11 Lancaster station

B573 Ovangle Road, from route of Green Ayre Railway, Morecambe
To collect my new car I walked from Lancaster station to the dealership on the eastern side of Morecambe. This walk involved a walk along part of the Sustrans Route 69 that followed the route of the former Green Ayre Railway. The story of this line is a fascinating one that revolves around the construction of the world's first overhead electrified line initially utilising 6,600 volts. This pioneering line that ran from Lancaster to Morecambe was set up by the Midland Railway and used as a test bed for further electrification methods later adopted on the wider network. In its later life, after the wiring was removed, it became a forgotten outpost with it closing in 1966 with intermittent freight operating until 1976. The bridge seen in this scene carries Ovangle Road over the former line. I wonder if the four vertical steel tubes attached to the bridge are a remnant of the electrification equipment?
Keywords: B573 Ovangle Road from route of Green Ayre Railway Morecambe

Frontage, former Morecambe station
The grand and impressive frontage of the former Morecambe Promenade station is an attractive building that was opened by the Midland Railway in 1907. It was a busy station for many years dealing with many holidaymakers visiting Morecambe for their holiday by the seaside or for onward transportation to the Isle of Man. With the decline in this trade, the station was hugely oversized for its now meagre shuttle service to and from Lancaster. It was eventually closed in 1994 and a small station opened a short distance to the east. The associated sidings were torn up and turned into car parking and retailing. Thankfully, the station survived and is now in use by KFC (of all things!) and as an arts and music venue, named appropriately The Station!
Keywords: Frontage former Morecambe station

Frontage, Morecambe station with new MG as per 27.10.85
Okay, I admit it, this photograph has been doctored! However, it's in a good cause as I have attempted to replicate a photograph that I took on an earlier visit to Morecambe in October 1985. Almost forty years ago the station was still in use and had a car park at the front. In the car park, I parked my parents' Triumph Dolomite (RLJ 767X) in a roughly similar position to where I have Photoshopped my new MG4, seen to the right, that I have just collected from a local dealership. The original photograph from 1985 has not been processed and uploaded as yet but when it is, a link will be placed here.
Keywords: Frontage Morecambe station with new MG as per 27.10.85

Class 397, 13.00 Preston Croft Street Sidings-Polmadie (5S12, 1L), Hest bank
Unfortunately, this Class 397 Nova 2 will remain unidentified as neither Andy or I managed to get a readable glimpse of the number as it passed us at Hest Bank. As it was the 13.00 Preston Croft to Polmadie empty coaching stock its number did not appear on WTT's website either. The view, which includes the town of Morecambe in the background, is from a very high footbridge which permits pedestrians to cross the line when the barriers are down closing off access to the popular little dead-end lane called The Shore which leads to the beach car park.
Keywords: Class 397 13.00 Preston Croft Street Sidings-Polmadie 5S12 Hest bank TPE Trans Pennine NOVA 2

Hest Bank level crossing frame signal box (BR (LMR), 1958)
This is my third photograph of Hest Bank Level Crossing Ground Frame box which I first captured in 1985. Even back then the 1958 BR (LMR) structure looked tatty but had deteriorated more by 2013 when I last visited, also with Andy! As can be seen here, the woodwork cladding of the box now looks to be in very poor condition. Perhaps no money will be spent on the box as I suspect its role in controlling the level crossing is now very limited; advise anybody?
Keywords: Hest Bank level crossing frame signal box BR LMR 1958

195114 & 195129, NT 13.07 Windermere-Manchester Airport (1Y81, 6L), Hest Bank
A pair of Northern's Civity DMUs head south past Hest Bank working the 13.07 Windermere to Manchester Airport service. This photograph is taken from the very tall footbridge that crosses the line that required the lens to be at its smallest focal length which I do not use that often due to various distortion issues. The image needed some considerable work in Photoshop to get the vertical and horizontal distortions straightened out, a situation compounded by the fact that I was pointing the camera downward towards the line and the subject!
Keywords: 195114 195129 13.07 Windermere-Manchester Airport 1Y81 Hest Bank Civity Northern Trains

Wigan Wallgate signal box (LMS, 1941)
Andy pointed out this signal box to me as we were departing from Wigan Northwestern station earlier in the day on our northbound Pendolino. Unbelievably, I have never seen it before despite passing it on the elevated and adjacent WCML many times! We vowed on our return to seek it out and after several abortive blind alleys, we managed this vantage point from an industrial estate in Wigan. Wigan Wallgate is a London Midland & Scottish Railway Company non-standard ARP design that opened on 27th July 1941. It contained a Siemens-General Electric EB132 individual function switch signalling panel and in one fell swoop saw the closure of no less than four boxes in the Wigan area. However, I have a question about the installation of this panel. 1941 was the third year of World War II and Siemens was a German company. So, how did one of their panels find its way into the box; advice anybody?
Keywords: Wigan Wallgate signal box LMS

150124 & 150224, NT 14.39 Headbolt Lane-Blackburn (2N90, 2L), Wigan Wallgtae station
This is the first time that I have been on Wigan Wallgate station. The gateline staff member was not at all keen for us to go on to the platform advising us to seek permission to take photographs from the station supervisor. We went through the motions but could not find the said supervisor so took our photographs and left! 150124 and 150224 pause at the station working the 2N90 Headbolt Lane (opened on 5th October last year) to Blackburn service. The last time that I photographed the leading unit was deep in Great Western territory in Hereford back in 2011!
Keywords: 150124 150224 14.39 Headbolt Lane-Blackburn 2N90 Wigan Wallgtae station Northern Trains

Winsford signal box (LNW, 1897)
I have seen photographed Winsford signal box back in 2019 in much better weather than today, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/26089868804/winsford-signal-box Its remarkable survival as an operating box controlling traffic between Coppenhall and Weaver Junction is surely very limited now given that it's in its one hundred and twenty-seventh year of operation, it is even more unusual in that it has a lever frame (although it only has six working levers) running alongside an NX panel. Andy was anxious to get an image of the box so I thought that I would do the same again!
Keywords: Winsford signal box LNW

Tickets, Northampton-Lancaster
Our e-tickets for our single journey from Northampton to Lancaster. By using split ticketing we saved an eye-watering £69! It's a scandal that those not in the know would have simply gone ahead and booked a straight single rather than simply applying a split at Preston where we were changing trains anyway. I have been banging on abouth this crazy situation for years but ticket reform seems something that the industry cannot get to grips with LNER aside who's recent moves to scrap walk-on fares is even more ridiculous and not what is actually needed.
Keywords: Tickets Northampton-Lancaster

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