2. The Verney Venturer-15.02.25

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2025 > 13. A run around Rutland & The Verney Venturer-14 & 15.02.25 > 2. The Verney Venturer-15.02.25

Postponed from November 2024, the re-scheduled Verney Venturer charter was billed as a first being the maiden fare-paying passenger train to traverse the heavily delayed East-West rail link between Bicester and Milton Keynes. It was a shame that the weather did not play ball being incredibly wet for most of the day but being cocooned in a nice warm Mk. II coach this did not bother us that much! As usual with charters, I did not take very many photographs.
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Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.

66724, 04.35 Felixstowe North-Birch Coppice (4M07, 58L), Nuneaton station This was a train that was to cause us some anxious moments and some delay in the coming hour or so! 66724 'Drax Power Station' brings the 4M07 04.35 Felixstowe to Birch Coppice into Nuneaton station running at a fair speed as it did. However, within a few seconds, something was to go wrong with the train slowing and coming to a halt traversing the flyover to the north of the station. There it sat blocking the down route to Birmingham for the next couple of hours causing chaos for CrossCountry trains, other freight on this route and, ultimately, our charter. With the line blocked all Birmingham/Leicester services were forced to use platform seven utilising its bi-directional facitly to good effect! Keywords: 66724 04.35 Felixstowe North-Birch Coppice 4M07 Nuneaton station GBRf Drax Power Station
66109, 01.21 Dollands Moor-Ditton Foundry (6M13, 3E), Nuneaton station Passing Nuneaton station at speed 66109 'Teesport Express' leads the 6M13 01.21 Dollands Moor to Ditton service. This is not a freight which I have photographed very often as it passes my home location further south in Northamptonshire at a particularly anti-social hour! Keywords: Teesport Express 66109 01.21 Dollands Moor-Ditton Foundry 6M13 Nuneaton station DB Schenker
33029 & 33207, outward leg of The Verney Venturer, 06.36 Bristol Temple Meads-Bicester Village (1Z74, 1E), Nuneaton station 33029 and 33207 'Jim Martin' arrive 'wrong line' and late at Nuneaton station leading the outward leg of The Verney Venturer charter that set out from Bristol Temple Meads at 06.36 running as 1Z74 to Bicester Village. The train was delayed at Nuneaton by a stationary 4M07 which had come to grief on the down whilst traversing the flyover. I suspect that station staff were relieved that the charter had arrived given the number of passengers on the platforms. This was probably the cause of a particularly officious member of staff bellowing at all and sundry about having people removed from the station if they did not 'stand behind the yellow line' something that was tricky given the numbers! Keywords: 33029 33207 Jim Martin The Verney Venturer 06.36 Bristol Temple Meads-Bicester Village 1Z74 Nuneaton station Pathfinder Tours
Bletchley station from The Verney Venturer charter Not a photograph of the highest quality but one of historic interest. My first time travelling through the 'new' Bletchley station that perhaps should be given the new name Bletchley 'High Level' given its elevated spot above the main station on the viaduct that crosses the WCML. Travelling aboard the Verney Venturer charter sees us passing through on the first fare-paying passenger train to traverse the recently completed, but yet-to-open, section of the East-West Varsity line. Keywords: Bletchley station from The Verney Venturer charter
Winslow station from The Verney Venturer charter The intermediate station between Bletchley and Bicester is Winslow (at present a town approaching six thousand people. and rising). It lost its station in 1968 after being proposed for closure in 1959 but was reprived through the introduction of DMUs early on between Bedford and Oxford. It saw a reintroduction of passenger services in the early winters between 1984 and 1986 with the running of the 'Chiltern Shopper' trains to Milton Keynes. After this, the line reverted to freight only use seeing very few trains in recent years. The new station seen here from the passing Verney Venturer charter will be welcomed by the people of Winslow and the surrounding area when it eventually opens sometime later this year - perhaps! Keywords: Winslow station from The Verney Venturer charter
Acton Canal Wharf signal box (Mid, 1894) It is hard to believe that the signal box seen here.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/27444280004/acton-canal-wharf-signal-box-tq211829 is one and the same! The old Midland box, which dated from 1894, is completely encased within the new and much larger UPVC creation. However, I should not moan as it is pretty astounding that this small section of absolute block working that is controlled by three mechanical boxes is still in operation deep within London! It is seen here from the window of the Verney Venturer charter that had reversed just south of the box and that is seen crossing over a little further ahead. Keywords: Acton Canal Wharf signal box Midland 1894
Crossing the WCML, Willesden Junction Not a view seen very often! Taken from the Verney Venturer charter the WCML is seen looking south towards Euston from near to Willesden Junction. The huge traversing crane just seen to the right is involved in the loading of spoil from HS2 operations into wagons for removal and disposal elsewhere including a huge former quarry near Rugby, see... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30057419149/x66418-09-36-willesden-euroterminal Keywords: Crossing the WCML, Willesden Junction
Bracket signal, Neasden Junction Greater London in 2025! The survival of semaphore signalling in all of its glory is quite remarkable and cannot, surely, be around for much longer. This super twin doll bracket signal is a more recent Network Rail replacement for what would have been a Midland tubular affair in the past. It is on the approach to Neasdon Junction and is pulled off for the Verney Venturer charter, which it is taken from, to take the route towards the MML via Dudding Hill. The submissive distant and home doll controls access to the spur onto the WCML at Willesden. We had traversed this section of track on the charter a little earlier. Keywords: Bracket signal, Neasden Junction
Dudding Hill Junction signal box (Mid, 1902) This view of Dudding Hill Junction taken from the passing Verney Venturer charter shows the rather clumsy extension to the box added by Network Rail. It does not, however, disguise the original section of the Midland structure dating from 1902. I managed a photgraph of the box before it was 'modified' back during a visit to the area in 1979, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/27444281004/dudding-hill-junction-signal-box Notice the signalman standing in the doorway of the box observing the passing of the charter hauled by a pair of Class 33s with a 47 for ETH purposes on the rear. He had probably been brought in to do the shift purely to signal the charter as no other traffic was scheduled to pass this way on this Saturday. Keywords: Dudding Hill Junction signal box Midland 1902
47802, return leg of The Verney Venturer, 14.59 Acton Canal Wharf-BristolTemple Meads (1Z76, 3E), Nuneaton station A very poor quality image to act purely as a record of the third locomotive involved in The Verney venturer charter that Andy and I had travelled on starting out from here at Nuneaton this morning. 47802 was acting purely as a provider of ETH as the double-headed Class 33s that hauled the train were unable to provide this. At the rear of the charter, it is seen leaving Nuneaton heading on towards Birmingham and ultimately Bristol. This image is a screenshot taken from a video recorded on my iPhone. Keywords: 47802 The Verney Venturer 14.59 Acton Canal Wharf-BristolTemple Meads 1Z76, Nuneaton station
66773, 16.20 Trafford Park-Parkestone SS (4L10, 24L), Nuneaton station 66773 'Pride of GB Railfreight' is seen paused at Nuneaton station for a crew change. It is leading the 4L10 16.20 Trafford Park to Parkstone GBRf service which is a freight service that my camera has never captured before. Keywords: 66773 16.20 Trafford Park-Parkestone SS 4L10 Nuneaton station "Pride of GB Railfreight".
66760, 18.42 Hams Hall-Peterborough North Yard (0E23, 1L), Nuneaton station 66760 'David Gordon Harris' briefly pauses at Nuneaton station before getting the road behind a CrossCoutry unit heading for Leicester. The Class 66 was running as the 0E23 18.42 hams Hall to Peterborough Yard light engine move. It would be heading to GBRf's depot for servicing. Notice the throng of gathered photographers who had been either on or waiting for the Verney Venturer charter that had recently departed from Nuneaton. Keywords: 66760 18.42 Hams Hall-Peterborough North Yard 0E23 Nuneaton station David Gordon Harris
Tickets & tour guide Andy and I had a superb day out on the Verney Venturer charter that the weather did its best to spoil! We were in convivial company and enjoyed some rare track including, off course, the section of East-West Rail between Bletchley and Bicester making us the first fare-paying passengers to travel that section of line. A great day out, we must do it again sometime soon! Keywords: Tickets & tour guide

Images 1-13 of 13 displayed.