507025
Waterloo (Merseyside), 24 April 2010
15 years ago today I spent half an hour or so at Waterloo station… Waterloo (Merseyside) that is!
Merseyrail’s 507025 was in charge of train 2U30, the 12.58 Every Week Day (EWD) service from Southport to Hunts Cross.
I think this is my only pic of a Class 507 electric multiple unit but I am looking forward to seeing preserved 507001 at The Greatest Gathering in August.
91111 For the Fallen
London King’s Cross, 7 January 2015
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)
91111 For the Fallen
London King’s Cross, 7 January 2015
… on the New Malden Junction-Shepperton line in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in London.
Class 455/8 5856 (plus Class 455/7 5710)
2O37, 14.03 South Western Railway (SWR) service from London Waterloo to London Waterloo
458512 (plus 458513)
2K37, 14.27 SWR from London Waterloo to London Waterloo
707030 (plus 707023)
2H44, 14.41 SWR from Shepperton to London Waterloo
Class 455/8 5857 (plus Class 455/7 5720)
2O39, 14.33 SWR from London Waterloo to London Waterloo
I was pleasantly surprised by the (albeit small) variety of EMU classes passing through the station… but even more surprised to find this relic of the Southern Railway!
‘Notice Is Hereby Given’
15 years ago today I was driving from Balerno (a suburb of Edinburgh) to Banavie in the Scottish Highlands and had decided to stop at as many railway stations as I could get away with before my wife got fed up with my antics! 😁
Curriehill, on the Shotts line, was first and after a couple of minutes 156437 (allocated to Corkerhill Depot in Glasgow) put in an appearance on the 09.26 First ScotRail service from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Central.
156437
Curriehill station, 3 September 2005
The station opened on 5 October 1987 and stands on the site of the Caledonian Railway’s ‘Currie Hill’ station which was closed by British Railways on 2 April 1951.
Next was Balloch, another newish station, and I arrived to find 320302 (allocated to Glasgow Shields Road Depot) waiting to depart with the 11.38 First ScotRail service to Drumgelloch.
320302
Balloch station, 3 September 2005
The ‘new’ Strathclyde PTE carmine and cream livery is more obvious in this pic and to my eye looks far more ‘railway-like’ than most post-privatisation liveries. It finally disappeared from the national network in December 2019 following withdrawal of the Class 314 electric multiple units.
Balloch station opened on 24 April 1988 and replaced the former Balloch Central station which closed the previous day and had been situated on the other side of the busy Balloch Road. The building just visible in the background is the former station building, now a tourist information centre.
I’ve just checked with the excellent trainlogger website and both units are still in service with ScotRail, wearing the current Saltire blue livery.
Four years ago today I was travelling back to the UK from Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire in central France and took the opportunity of a few hours between trains in Paris to visit the ‘Grand Train’ exhibition at the former La Chapelle locomotive depot.
Le dépôt de La Chappelle was opened by La Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord (CF du Nord) in 1845 and served the railways north of Paris for almost 167 years until closure in January 2013.
Occupying a prime spot in central Paris the site was put up for sale by the Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) but the depot was to welcome trains once more before the developers moved in…
From 30 April to 16 October 2016 the depot played host to not only a number of historic railway related exhibits but also restaurants and bars, a bookstore, a number of markets and best of all, entry was free!
These are just a few of the many photos I took that day…
SNCF class BB 9300 109301, class A1AA1A 68500 668523 & class CC 72000 472029
SNCF 230.D.9 (CF du Nord 230 3.521)
The only steam locomotive on display… built in 1908 by the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord.
‘vous êtes ici’
SNCF class X 52100 Autorail X 52103
SNCF TGV Sud-Est power cars 23113 & 23114
The legendary Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), these two power cars belong to one of the eight-car two-voltage ‘Sud-Est’ sets (57).
SNCF class BB 9200 9291
This class BB 9200 loco is one of the two 250km/h high speed variants used on the ‘Capitole’ service between Paris and Toulouse. The red ‘Capitole’ livery led to the locos being given the nickname ‘BB rouge’.
Seven years ago today I was returning home from a short break in Scotland’s capital city (travelling by train of course).
Having arrived at Edinburgh Waverley station a little early I had time to take a few photos…
90019 was stabled in the former Motorail bays at the eastern end of the station and was due to work that evening’s Caledonian Sleeper service to London Euston.
90019
Edinburgh Waverley station, 6 June 2013
The imposing structure in the background is St Andrew’s House, the headquarters building of the Scottish Government that stands on the site of the former Calton Jail.
At the other end of the station was 158711.
158711
Edinburgh Waverley station, 6 June 2013
The Balmoral Hotel (formerly the North British Station Hotel) dominates the skyline. Built by the North British Railway (NBR) the hotel opened 15 October 1902. The hotel’s clock has always been set three minutes fast to ensure that the people of Edinburgh wouldn’t miss their trains. The only day that the clock runs on time is on 31 December (Hogmanay) for the city’s New Year celebrations.
I didn’t make any notes as to the service 158711 was operating but as a unit allocated to Inverness depot it’s reasonable to assume that Inverness was its next destination.
Both 90019 and 158711 are carrying the ‘First ScotRail’ colour scheme that enthusiasts soon dubbed ‘Barbie livery’, presumably thanks to the bright pink stripe!
Railway Miscellany 