Category: Locomotive

Spotted Yesterday – D6700 at the Great Central Railway

Class 37 D6700 (37119, 37350)-20220821D6700 (37119, 35350)
Loughborough Central (GCR), 21 August 2022
Having arrived with train 2B25, the 14.45 departure from Leicester North

I spent an enjoyable hour at Loughborough Central station on the Great Central Railway yesterday, mainly because I wanted to photograph the first built Class 37 (or English Electric type 3) diesel locomotive, D6700, which is currently on loan from the National Railway Museum in York.

Built by the English Electric Co Ltd at Vulcan Foundry, D6700 entered service in December 1960 and was first allocated to Stratford Depot (30A) in East London.

Renumbering under the TOPS scheme (to 37119) followed in February 1974 and again (to 37350) in March 1988 (when it was fitted with regeared cast frame type CP7 bogies).

Repainted back into green livery in August 1988 ‘D6700’ became something of a celebrity and appeared at many open days before acquiring the name NRM NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM in November 1998.

Withdrawal followed in December 1999 and D6700 was claimed for preservation by the NRM.

Spotted Yesterday – 43184 at Derby

43184-2022080643184
Derby, 6 August 2022

Last month CrossCountry unveiled one of its High Speed Train power cars in the livery it first carried in the 1980s… 43184 was built in 1981 at Crewe Works and renumbered 43384 when rebuilt with an MTU engine in 2008.

CrossCountry have reinstated not only the original TOPS number but also the the set number ‘253051’ across the power car’s nose.

I had a tip that 43184 was leading train 1E67, the 16.27 service from Plymouth to Leeds so I popped down to Derby hoping to grab a pic in the failing light… and I’m glad I did.

For the record 43303 (the former 43103) was on the rear of the train.

Spotted Yesterday… 57314 at Belper

57314-2022062457314 Conwy Castle
Belper, 24 June 2022

Spotted last night, West Coast Railway Company’s 57314 Conwy Castle approaching Belper with train 1Z64, the 16.47 return leg of the ‘Scarborough at Leisure’ railtour from Coventry.

Classmate 57313 Scarborough Castle was on the rear of the 11 coach rake.

Spotted Yesterday – At York…

… my first Mk.5a coaching stock and a pair of TransPennine Express-liveried Class 68s.

Mk.5a Driving Trailer 12804 & 68023-20220517Mk.5a Driving Trailer 12804 & 68023 Achilles
York, 17 May 2022

TransPennine Express operate a fleet of 66 Mk.5a coaches which includes 14 driving trailer vehicles. 12804 was at the rear of a five-coach rake (12804, 12712, 12711, 12710 and 11504) that formed train 1E29, the 11.17 to Scarborough, hauled by…

458512-2022041368032 Destroyer
York, 17 May 2022

The Class 68s are operated by Direct Rail Services (DRS) and 16 members of the 34-strong fleet have been modified to operate with the TransPennine Express coaching stock in push-pull mode.

From the Archives – DUMBLETON HALL

I recently read that Great Western Railway (GWR) 4900 ‘Hall’ class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL had been bought by Warner Brothers and exported to Japan for display in the Harry Potter exhibit at Warner Bros Studios Tour in Tokyo.

GWR 4900 class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL-20130807GWR 4900 class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL
South Devon Railway, 7 August 2013

Built at the Great Western Railway’s Swindon Works in 1929, 4920 was withdrawn from Bristol Barrow Road shed by British Railways in December 1965 and sent for scrap. Preservation beckoned in June 1976 and 4920 became the 82nd departure from Barry scrapyard, finally returning to steam in 1992 on the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway (now known as the Dartmouth Steam Railway).

The locomotive’s owners subsequently purchased the Dart Valley Railway (now known as the South Devon Railway) and 4920 was loaned to various heritage lines before returning to the Dartmouth Steam Railway where it was last steamed in October 1999 before moving to Buckfastleigh on the SDR for storage.

Above is the only pic I have (and now likely will ever have) of 4920, taken during a flying visit to the SDR in August 2013.

Spotted Today – 66717 Good Old Boy

66717-2022010666717 Good Old Boy
Erewash Valley Line, 5 January 2022

Spotted today, a very grubby 66717 Good Old Boy approaching the site of Shipley Gate station on the Erewash Valley Line with train 6X01, the 10.18 loaded rails from Scunthorpe Trent Terminal Complex to Eastleigh East Yard.

On St Andrew’s Day – The Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway

A small selection of photos taken during my only visit (so far) to the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway (B&KR) back in 2018.

27001-20181102a27001
Bo’ness, 2 November 2018

27001 (the former D5347) was first allocated to Thornton Junction shed (62A) in June 1961 but was almost immediately reallocated to Glasgow Eastfield (65A, later ED), spending the rest of its working life allocated to either Eastfield or Edinburgh Haymarket sheds (64B, later HA).

I don’t think I ever saw a ‘McRat’ (as the class 27s were known) in BR days but would have loved to have seen them on their regular stomping ground of the West Highland Line.

CR 439 class 0-4-4T 419-20181102Caledonian Railway 439 class 0-4-4T No.419
Bo’ness, 2 November 2018

No.419 was built at the Caledonian Railway’s St. Rollox Works in 1907 and remained in service (first with the London Midland & Scottish Railway, then British Railways) until December 1962 when it was withdrawn from Carstairs shed (66E).

The beautifully restored flagship of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) fleet had spent nine years undergoing overhaul and had only returned to traffic the month prior to my visit.

AB 16in 0-4-0ST No.6 (works no.2043 of 1937)-20181102Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co Ltd 16in 0-4-0ST No.6 (works no.2043 of 1937)
Bo’ness, 2 November 2018

You can’t have a collection of Scottish locomotives without a ‘Wee Pug’ and this Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co Ltd 0-4-0ST (works no.2043 of 1937) fits the bill perfectly!

Built for United Collieries Ltd (as their No.4) it worked at various locations before ending up at Kinneil Colliery in the late 1970s from where it entered preservation, initially at the Prestongrange Mining Museum. Owned by East Lothian Council it is currently awaiting overhaul.

Spotted Yesterday – 66715 VALOUR – IN MEMORY OF ALL RAILWAY EMPLOYEES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY

66715-2021112266715 VALOUR – IN MEMORY OF ALL RAILWAY EMPLOYEES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY
Alrewas, 22 November 2021

Spotted yesterday, GB Railfreight’s 66715 VALOUR – IN MEMORY OF ALL RAILWAY EMPLOYEES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY approaching Alrewas level crossing with train 4F62, the 12.58 intermodal service from East Midlands Gateway to Seaforth Container Terminal.

The locomotive’s name is rather appropriate as the National Memorial Arboretum is only a few hundred yards east of where I was standing…

On This Day… The Great Gathering

Eight years ago today I spent an enjoyable couple of hours at the National Railway Museum (NRM) photographing all six preserved London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) class A4 locomotives at ‘The Great Gathering‘

The Great Gathering-20131111e60007 SIR NIGEL GRESLEY & 60008 DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
National Railway Museum, 11 November 2013

Gathering all six A4s together was no mean feat, although four of the locos were located in the United Kingdom, 60008 DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER was housed in the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin and 4489 DOMINION OF CANADA was in the Canadian Railway Museum in Montreal!

The Great Gathering-20131111g60009 UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, 4464 BITTERN, 4468 MALLARD & 4489 DOMINION OF CANADA
National Railway Museum, 11 November 2013

I did manage to get all six locos in one image (just) but the distortion caused by the wide-angle lens used makes 60007 and 4489 look twice as wide as the others so you’ll have to make do with two separate pics!