44. Trip to London-04.08.13

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2013 > 44. Trip to London-04.08.13
A lovely day trip to London with my wife and son to visit the superb David Bowie exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. With a little time to spare we also ventured into the Science Museum.
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Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.

66004, unidentified Wembley Yard-Bescot infrastructure working (7R03), Milton Keynes station Being a Sunday and with no trains in or out of Northampton until much later in the day we decided to drive and park at Milton Keynes rather than take the dreaded bustitution option! On arrival at Milton Keynes an engineering train was stationary through the entire length of the station. At the northern end of the Wembley Yard to Bescot train 66004 would lead the train that would be forced to take the Weedon route rather than through Northampton much to the frustration of the drivers of any following Vrgin or London Mdnad drivers! Keywords: 66004 Wembley Yard-Bescot infrastructure working 7R03 Milton Keynes station.jpg
66056, unidentified Wembley Yard-Bescot infrastructure working (7R03), Milton Keynes station 66056 waits patiently at the rear of the 7R03 Wembley Yard to Bescot engineering train. It will get underway when there is a gap in down services being forced to take the 'Old' line via Weedon due to an engineering pocsession on the Northampton line. This image is looking south from the extreme southern end of Milton Keynes station. Keywords: 66056 Wembley Yard-Bescot infrastructure working 7R03 Milton Keynes station.jpg
390121, VT 08.05 Wolverhampton-London Euston, Milton Keynes station A bus scene at Milton Keynes station as the 08.05 Wolverhampton to Euston service arrives worked by 390121. My wife, son and I travelled aboard this already well-loaded Virgin Pendolino as far as Watford Junction. Notice the 7R05 Wembley Yard to Bescot engineering train stabled on the adjacent platform. Keywords: 390121 08.05 Wolverhampton-London Euston Milton Keynes station Virgin Pendolino
377213, SN 10.17 Watford Junction-Clapham Junction, Watford Junction station 377213 stands at Watford Junction's platform ten waiting to work Southern's 10.17 service to Clapham Junction. My wife, son and I travelled on this train as far as Kensington Olympia station getting into the heart of West London ready for our day. Keywords: 377213 10.17 Watford Junction-Clapham Junction Watford Junction station Southern Electrostar
Watford Junction PSB (BR, 1964) The doomed Watford Junction signal box (PSB) is seen basking in some summer sunshine. It is due to close in the next year or so with control moving to Wembley and Rugby PSBs as part of the drive towards the abolishing all such structures wit control moving to one of the vast and complex RSCs (Regional Signalling Centres). I sus[ect that the box will be demolished after it shuts. Keywords: Watford Junction PSB BR 1964
56311, stabled, Wembley Yard Taken from our Southern service as we pass slowly past Wembley Yard DCR's 56311 is seen stabled. With DCR now focussing solely on more lucrative and growing construction traffic the powerful type 5 locomotive is ideally suited for such work if being a little long on the tooth! Keywords: 56311 Wembley yard DCR Devon & Cornwall Railway
49 (1868), exhibit, Science Museum Built for the Grand Junction Railway in 1845 and numbered 49 'Columbine' is an elegant and well-proportioned standard gauge locomotive. Later, after being taken over by the London and North Western Railway, it was renumbered 1868 and survived in operation until 1902 when it was put in long-term store at Crewe Works. It was initially an exhibit at the Clapham British Transport Museum before becoming part of the NRM's collection. It is seen here on display in the Science Museum in Kensington. Keywords: 49 1868 Columbine exhibit Science Museum
1, exhibit, Science Museum Dating from 1829 Stephenson's 'Rocket' has its place firmly in railway history being the winning design of the fabled Rainhill trials. Ignoring the yellow operational repicas this one at the Science Museum is the original locomotive characterised by its revised piston layout that are only just above the horizontal rather than being at forty-five degrees as built. It was operational until 1862 after a number of further experimental modifications but advancements in steam technology had largely overtaken it by then. Keywords: 1 Rocket exhibit Science Museum
1, exhibit, Science Museum The front end of 'Rocket' on display in the Science Museum. Dating from 1829 the locomotive's importance in the history of the railway cannot be overstated. Its design by Stephenson saw it reach the dizzy heights of thirty miles per hour at which point Victorians thought that people would pass out! Keywords: 1 exhibit Science Museum Rocket
'Puffing Billy', exhibit, Science Museum William Hedley's Puffing Billy predated Stephenson's efforts at producing a steam locomotive with it being built in 1813 following a steady development of the concept of 'travelling engine' as it was dubbed.It is the oldest surviving steam locomotive that arrived at the Science Museum in Kensington (then known as the Patent Office Museum) in 1862 following its withdrawal from service. Edward Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery where it had worked all of its life, sold it for the princely sum of £200 and here it is on display one hundred and fifty-one years later! Keywords: Puffing Billy exhibit Science Museum
378219, LO 18.02 Willesden High Level-Clapham Junction, Kensington Olympia station After our day out in London at the Science Museum and the super David Bowie exhibition at the V & A we headed back to Kensington Olympia for our journey home. In the afternoon sunshine, Capitalstar 387219 arrives working the 18.02 Willesden High Level to Claphma Junction London Overground service. Keywords: 378219 18.02 Willesden High Level-Clapham Junction, Kensington Olympia station London Overground Capitalstar
378220, LO 18.01 Clapham Junction-Willesden Junction High Level, Kensington Olympia station 378220 comes to halt at Kensington Olympia station woking London Overground's (as part of TfL) 18.01 Clapham Junction to Willesden High Level shuttle service. Keywords: 378220 18.01 Clapham Junction-Willesden Junction High Level Kensington Olympia station London Overground Capitalstar
377205, SN 18.05 Clapham Junction-Watford Junction (18.26 Kensington Olympia-Watford Junction), Kensington Olympia station The first of our two trains home from London to Northampton arrives at Kensington Olympia station. Along with many punters leaving the adjacent exhibition centre, we joined Southern's 387205 working the 18.05 Clapham Common to Watford Junction service. Keywords: 377205 18.05 Clapham Junction-Watford Junction, Kensington Olympia station.jpg
08671, 86401 & 86213, stabled, Willesden Depot The AC Locomotive Group owns and maintains both 86401 'Northampton Town' and 86213 'Lancashire Witch' seen here along with resident shunter 08671. The Class 86s are facing an uncertain future with 86401 awaiting a wheelset change that it has been anticipated for some time now. With the train supply contract work having dried up a while ago 86213 has no work. The two locomotives look smart in their respective retro. liveries evoking times past at Willesden Depot. Keywords: 08671 86401 86 213 Willesden Depot
66121, stabled, Wembley Yard Still wearing its defunct EWS livery and full branding 66121 sits in Wembley Yard awaiting it next trun of duty. With the takeover of EWS by Deutsche Bahn now nearly six years past the German-owned company appears to be under no compunction to repaint their assets! Keywords: 66121 Wembley Yard
90026 & 67028, stabled, Wembley Yard Like the last image, the German operator Deutsche Bahn appears to be making very little progress in the re-branding of their assets with their EWS branding and livery still much in evidence. No more so than in Wembley Yard with 90026 and 67028 stabled awaiting their next job probably at the start of the working week tomorrow. Keywords: 90026 67028 Wembley Yard EWS
92037 & 66174, stabled, Wembley Yard The technically advanced bi-mode Class 92s must be the most under-utilised locomotives on the network. Many have gone to Europe with those remaining in the UK either in warm storage or seeing very limited use. 92037 'Sullivan' sits idle in Wembley Yard along with 66174. Both wear the branding (and paint scheme in the case of the Class 66) of their previous operator EWS. Keywords: 92037 & 66174, stabled, Wembley Yard Sullivan
350251, LM 18.34 London Euston-Birmingham New Street, Watford Junction station Having alighted from our terminating Southern service at Watford Junction we have changed platforms. The second train of our journey home arrives worked by 350251, the 18.34 Euston to Birmingham New Street London Midland service. We took this train as far as Milton Keynes where we had left the car earlier in the morning. Keywords: 350251 18.34 London Euston-Birmingham New Street Watford Junction station London Midland Desiro

Images 1-18 of 18 displayed.