Washwood Heath - Wednesday 01/04/2009

Decided to go out and photograph some trains for the first time in months!

Went to Washwood Heath, and saw the following freight:

Washwood Heath Alstom bridge - 15:35-18:15

15:39 E 66153 7G22 Washwood Heath Cemex-Bescot

15:50 E 66579 4O17 Lawley St-Southampton Maritime

15:55 E 66607 6U72 Westbury-Stud Farm

16:28 W 66301 4G65 Ratcliffe-Daw Mill

16:52 E 66301 4G65 (returning from R/R)

16:56 W 66558 4V56 Rugeley-Stoke Gifford

17:03 E 66007 6E55 Theale-Lindsey

17:16 W 66554 6E05 Daw Mill-Drax

17:54 E 66554 6E05 (returning from R/R)

Click image to see larger view

66153 storms through Washwood Heath with 7G22, Washwood Heath Cemex to Bescot sleepers.

Click image to see larger view

66579 passes through Washwood Heath with 4O17, Lawley Street to Southampton Maritime freightliner.

Click image to see larger view

With a rake of shiny new 'IOA' Network Rail ballast boxes in tow, 66607 passes slowly through Washwood Heath with 6U72, Westbury to Stud Farm.

Click image to see larger view

The Network Rail IOA wagons are numbered in the European UIC series, coded 'Ealnos'. This example is numbered 31 70 5992 115-3, and was in the consist of 6U72.

The IOA carkind just tells you that the wagon is:

I - International

O - Open

A - Air Braked

Whilst the international type (Ealnos) tells you that it is:

E - High Open-sided Wagon

a - with 4 axles

l - without side tipping

n - with 4 axles tu > 60t

o - without end tipping

s - authorised to run at 100kph

Click image to see larger view

Cross Country DEMU 220033 passes through Washwood Heath, heading into Birmingham with 1V79, the 13:34 Newcastle Central to Reading service.

Click image to see larger view

One of 5 Fastline Class 66s, 66301 passes through Washwood Heath, before running round at Saltley, with 4G65 Ratcliffe Power Station to Daw Mill Colliery.

Click image to see larger view

4G65 conveyed a rake of these empty 'IIA' coal hoppers. This example is numbered 37 70 6791 018-4.

Click image to see larger view

66558 passes slowly through Washwood Heath with 6V56, Rugeley Power Station to Stoke Gifford empty coal hoppers.

Click image to see larger view

Shortly after 6V56, 66554 passes through Washwood Heath with 6E05, Daw Mill Colliery to Drax Power Station.

Click image to see larger view

40 minutes later, 6E05 had run round at Duddeston Jn, and 66554 returned in the evening sunlight to produce this final image.

21st December 2008

20th December 2008

19th December 2008

29th November 2008

Just the one from today - a shot of 3201 stood at the blocks at London St Pancras International, shortly before departure with the 07:10 to Brussels. 

For more photos from this trip to Belgium, Holland and France, see my European gallery.

20th November 2008

A morning at Washwood Heath to photograph 6Z57 Immingham Dock-Washwood Heath Alstom, a 56-hauled train of steel coil in covered wagons.


 

56311 hauls 6Z57 Immingham Dock-Washwood Heath Alstom past Washwood Heath yard, with 56312 'dead in train'. The Type 5s are on hire to Colas for use on this short term flow conveying steel for storage at the former train building plant.


A 'going away' shot of 56311 and 56312 at the head of 6Z57 as they approach their destination at the former Alstom plant in Washwood Heath, Birmingham.


A final shot, showing 56311, working in multiple with the garish liveried 56312, as they propel their train of steel coil up the steep gradient into the former Alstom plant at Washwood Heath.

Blast From The Past - 1

A trio of English Electric Type 3s from my archive. Well a quintet to be precise, in three pictures...

First up, from way back on 30th Novemeber 2006, is this shot in the rain of 37059 leading 3J96, the DRS operated North Wales railhead treatment train, heading West past Castle Cove, Llandulas. 37069 was on the rear.

Second is this shot from 1st April 2007 during the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Railway's Spring diesel gala. 37215 and 37324 power away from Toddington with the delayed 13:50 Toddington-Cheltenham Racecourse.

Finally, two weeks later on the 13th April 2007, 37406 powers through Bescot Stadium station with the 6W04 Bescot-Pwllheli ballast train.

11th November 2008

Decided to take a trip out to London with the aim of photographing the Central Line sandite train, which is formed of previously withdrawn 1959/1962 stock, which has been given a new lease of life, albeit sporadic. Running as Train 480, the train covers all of the surface sections at the Eastern end of the Central Line. Only the outer driving vehicles are fitted with the Central Line's ATP system. The vehicles have been swapped around over the years in an attempt to improve reliability, and the 8-car train contains vehicles from several units.

Here the train is seen arriving at Woodford, running Westbound from Hainault Depot to Leytonstone.

This is the sandite car - officially termed 'Rail Treatment Car'. It was stored in November 1982 after unit 1500 was damaged in a collision at Marble Arch, and upon resurrection in it's new guise was renumbered 9459.

A short while afterwards the train heads East from Leytonstone to Epping, the end of the line. It is seen here passing through Theydon Bois station

The 1962 Tube Stock used for the sandite train was a common sight on the Central Line until early in 1995, when the last units were phased out in favour of brand new 1995 TS. Car 91277 leads a West-bound train into Theydon Bois station.

Heading West through Theydon Bois, en route back to Hainault Depot via Leytonstone, the sandite train gives a toot on the horn - clearly the train operator is enjoying his spell in the limelight!

27th September 2008

A trip from Leeds to Edinburgh Waverley behind a pair of WCRC 37s on board Spitfire Railtours' 'Settle for Edinburgh' charter. Originally planned to feature haulage by one of Fastline's 56/3 locomotives, it soon became apparent that no 'grid' would be available, a fact confirmed by Spitfire a few days prior to the tour. Nevertheless, 37248 and 'heavyweight' 37712 performed faultlessly, hauling the tour, which originated at Sheffield, North via the Settle & Carlisle route, and returning via the Tyne Valley and York.

Shortly before departure with the return leg, 37712 and 37248 stand at Edinburgh Waverley.