Sunday 30 October 2016

Crewe, 21st October 2016


57307 Lady Penelope marked for '20 Years of Direct Rail Services' as a Thunderbird standby. Originally D1901 delivered from Brush in September 1965, later 47225 which operated for Freightliner. Rebuild to 57307 completed in September 2003.

57312 Solway Princess was seen shffling around the station a couple of times. New as D1811 from Brush, Loughborough in February 1965. 47330 from April 1974, 47390 for a while in 1994-5. Out of service from June 2000, and readied for 57/3 conversion in June 2003, emerging in October as 57312 The Hood. Suffered a near withdrawal experience in early 2013.


86628 seen coming around from Crewe Electric. New as E3159 from English Electric Vulcan Foundry in May 1966, entering traffic in July that year. Later 86028, 86328 and 86428. Now one of 15 currently active Class 86/6's, it has run as Aldaniti,

66030 arrives from the north with the regular Friday 6K32 wagon repair turn from Warrington Arpley (10:53) to Marcroft at Stoke (now Axiom Rail).

Formation was 391122 + 391694 + 391645 + 391689 + 391529 (all MEAs, converted from HEAs in 1995-2004) + 81 70 4908 031-7 (FKA twin container flat, Thrall Europa 1999 for EWS)

MEA 391694.

37069 + 37604 arrived and reversed in the Platform 8 to access Gresty Bridge DRS depot.

37069 was new from English Electric Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns (Darlington) as D6769 in July 1962. Renumbered as 37069 in July 1974. Sent to France in July 1999, returning in October 2000 and stored WNXX at Wigan CRDC. Selected for overhaul at Brush for DRS, arriving at Loughborough in February 2002, released to traffic in August 2003. Stored in May 2012, overhauled at RVEL Derby from July 2015, returning to traffic in October of that year, allocated to pool for XHNC nuclear traffic.

37604 was new from English Electric Vulcan Foundry (Newton le Willows) as D6707, allocated to March, on 3rd February 1961. Renumbered 37007 in February 1974. Heavy General Overhaul at Crewe October 1985 - April 1986, emerging as 37506. Renumbered 37604 for European Passenger Services in April 1995, transferred to DRS in October 2007 and currently allocated to pool XHNC. At a recent 6592 engine hours, this is one of the lower time Class 37s in the DRS fleet.




Saturday 29 October 2016

Signalling at Maryport, 20th October 2016


Maryport Station signalbox was built in 1933 as an LMS Type 11b+ with 50 levers. Working is absolute block, but signals are all colour light. Maryport Station is of unusual layout, as all passenger trains call at a single platform.


The layout looking towards Workington.

Other pictures of the diagram and frame: one two three four
Historical  pictures of the box: five six

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, 19th October 2016


A full set is available on OneDrive.

ICL11 Dougls Ferreira (TMA Engineering 2005) is seen at Ravenglass, ready for the first timetabled train of the morning.

Heading out in the first mile from Ravenglass. The hills in middle background are on the north side of Wast Water. Only three passengers and one dog at this point.

Running around at Dalegarth.

River Irt was on the second train, seen passing at Beckfoot.

River Irt running around at Dalegarth.

Meeting up at Irton Road,

River Irt at Irton Road,




24th - 29th October 2016


Monday 24th October: 37175 + 9523 977974 72639 72612 + 37116 1Q51 Derby - Eastleigh - Weymouth - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 25th October: 31452 0O86 07:52 Ely - Eastleigh one two; 37116 + 37175 1Q05 08:44 Eastleigh - Staines - Portsmouth & Southsea - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Woking - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one two three four five
Wednesday 26th October: 37116 + 37175 1Q52 12:08 Eastleigh - Southanpton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh - Southampton Up Yard - Wimbledon Park - Totton Yard - Eastleigh = Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven eight nine
Thursday 27th October: 67005 + 67006 Royal Train working to Dorchester (for Poundbury and a visit to Waitrose) one two three four five six seven eight nine ten; 37116 + 37175 1Q54 12:27 Eastleigh - Tonbridge one two
Friday 28th October: 31452 + 442403 5L46 10:30 Eastleigh - Ely one two three four five six seven
Saturday 29th October:

Eastleigh Works: 31Aug - 02Sep - 05Sep -  07Sep - 13Sep - 14Sep - 16Sep - 20Sep - 21Sep - 22Sep - 23Sep26Oct

New book 'Hampshire Traction' - many pictures at locations familiar to readers of this website, the print quality is however rather below the normal for this publisher.

Thursday 27 October 2016

Cumbrian Coast Class 37s, 19th October 2016


 37402 departs Ravenglass with 2C41 14:37 Barrow - Carlisle.

 Proceeding over the viaduct over the River Mite.

 37409 on the rear of 2C34 14:35 Carlisle - Barrow. The locomotive had replaced 37403 at Carlisle.


Wednesday 26 October 2016

Locomotives at Carlisle, 18th October 2016


 37116 with a parked test train. The centre coach was Ultrasonic Test Coach 999606, formerly 62356 from from 4-CIG 1850. The DBSO was 9714.

 66555 with an STP 05:06 Daventry-Coatbridge.

 68025 Superb + 68023 Achilles arrive with the 'Tesco Express' 4S43 0616 Daventry-Mossend.



68021 Tireless with 1042 Carlisle New Yard - Crewe Basford Hall formed of MXA wagons.

66705 Golden Jubilee with rarer coal working - empties 4S05 06:14 Doncaster - Killoch. which worked via Newcastle area.

66041 with a single wagon 1348 Carlisle New Yard - Tyne.

Tuesday 25 October 2016

Signalling at Whitehaven, 17th October 2016


Whitehaven Bransty (originally Bransty No. 2) is a LNWR Type 4+ signalbox, erected in 1899, with 60 levers. Its control area also now includes colour light operations at Parton. Diagrams: one two.

Facing Parton and Carlisle, with 37402 in the background, starter signals BY53 and BY55.

Signal BY55.

Advanced starter signal BY57 in down direction heading towards Parton.

Monday 24 October 2016

Cumbrian Coast Class 37s, 18th October 2016


37402 arrives at Carlisle from the Maryport line with 2C49 11:38 Barrow - Carlisle. 37116 (new as D6816 in March 1963) is parked to the right with a test train.

37402 in the turnaround at Carlisle. The locomotive was new as D6974 in April 1965, later 37274 and rebuilt to 37402 at Crewe in October 1984 - July 1985.

On hire from the SRPS Diesel Group, 37403 Isle of Mull is arriving at Workington with 2C41 14:37 Barrow - Carlisle.

37403 was new as D6607 in October 1965, later being renumbered to 37308 and rebuilt to 37403 between October 1984 and June 1985.



Sunday 23 October 2016

Signalling at Workington, October 2016


The signalboxes are of LNWR origin, which followed the acquisition of the Cockermouth and Workington Railway and Whitehaven Junction Railway in 1866. Signalling between Whitehaven and Wigton is absolute block.

These pictures were taken between 16th and 18th October 2016.

Workington Main No. 2 stands to the south of the station. It is an LNWR Type 4 box, built in 1886, now with 58 levers. This signalbox controls a mixture of semaphore and colour light signals, the sempahore signals on the right (WM2 8) being for the reception siding at the yard (or what remains of it, as the British Steel facility is being demolished) at the back of the station. There was once an adjacent engine shed, of which the base can still be seen, after the structure was removed to storage at Swithland on the Great Central Railway. The up starter signal at station platform end is a colour light (WM2 5). Opening hours are 05:30 - 00:00 Mon - Sat and 12:00 - 23:40 Sun. Diagram.

Workington Main No. 3 is open 07:00-23:00 Mon-Fri and 07:00-15:00 Sat, otherwise is switched out - both boxes can be switched out. This box is a LNWR Type 4+ built in 1886, and now has 25 levers, at one time having 55. On the Maryport side, it controls access to the ground frame to the docks and industrial sidings.

The middle sidings are disconnected and partially lifted, yet the disc signals remain.

Main No. 3's down starter (signal WM3 23). Diagram.

Starter for exit from the reception sidings, looking towards Maryport (signal WM3 21).

Down home signal WM3 24 to protect the docks branch.

Home signal with distant signal is released by Workington No 2. (signal WM3 42) with subsidiary arm to enter the reception siding (signal WM3 41).

Compendium of Signal Box Opening Times.xls (Network Rail, all of UK)

Saturday 22 October 2016

Cumbrian Coast Class 37s, 17th October 2016


37402 Stephen Middlemore - 23/12/1954 - 8/6/2013 enters the tunnel at Whitehaven Bransty, running with 2C40 08:42 Carlisle - Barrow.

37409 Lord Hinton arriving at Harrington with 2C49 11:38 Barrow - Carlisle (appears to have swapped diagrams at Barrrow).
37409 ready to depart from Harrington.

37409 now on 2C34 14:35 Carlisle - Barrow, seen at Workington ....


.... and then departing.

37402 returns north with 2C41 14:37 Barrow - Carlisle.

17th - 22nd October 2016


60039 at Redbridge, 17th October. Image by Ian Knight.

Monday 17th October: 60039 6O41 10:14 Westbury - Eastleigh, 6V41 14:47 Westbury - Eastleigh one two
Tuesday 18th October: 37884 +442418 + 442420 5O86 07:52 Ely - Eastleigh one two three four five; 66302 0Z68 10:21 Eastleigh - Stowmarket one two three four
Wednesday 19th October: 
Thursday 20th October: 56098 (from Leicester) + 31452 0Z31 10:25 Derby - Eastleigh one two three; 66760 5Z81 14:15 Wembley - Eastleigh (Royal Scotsman stock) one
Friday 21st October: 56098 + 37884 0Z56 10:31 Eastleigh - Leicester one two 31452 + 442405 5L46 12:33 Eastleigh - Ely one two three
Saturday 22nd October:

GB Railfreight is being sold by Eurotunnel, with a private equity funded bid received from EQT Infrastructure II of Sweden, who are invested in Hector Rail.

Friday 21 October 2016

Signalling at Carnforth, 16th October 2016


Carnforth Station Junction is the surviving signalbox in use, and interfaces with Preston Panel. Built to a Furness Railway design, completed in 1903.


Fixed stop signal on the up line.