Jim Murphy's Railpics http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/ 68 rows en-gb 60 Latest Pics http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1751609.html As I work through my collection, I will upload each batch of "new" pictures to this collection before sorting them into the relevant places. Hopefully this will make it easier for both you and me to keep track of what I've added most recently! Sunday 6 September 2009: As I work through my collection, I will upload each batch of "new" pictures to this collection before sorting them into the relevant places. Hopefully this will make it easier for both you and me to keep track of what I've added most recently!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sun Sep 6 2009 Boeing 767 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1733443.html Boeing 767 Thursday 12 June 2008: Boeing 767

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 BizJets & Helicopters http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1733442.html BizJets & Helicopters Thursday 12 June 2008: BizJets & Helicopters

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Buses & Coaches http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1733432.html Buses & Coaches Saturday 1 November 2003: Buses & Coaches

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Regional http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603431.html Various smaller airliners in the regional bracket from BAe Avro, Bombardier, Canadair, Embraer and Fokker. Thursday 12 June 2008: Various smaller airliners in the regional bracket from BAe Avro, Bombardier, Canadair, Embraer and Fokker.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Boeing 777 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603428.html Boeing 777. Thursday 12 June 2008: Boeing 777.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Boeing 757 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603427.html Boeing 757. Thursday 12 June 2008: Boeing 757.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Boeing 747 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603426.html Possibly the most iconic airliner in the world, the Boeing 747 aka Jumbo Jet. Thursday 12 June 2008: Possibly the most iconic airliner in the world, the Boeing 747 aka Jumbo Jet.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Boeing 737 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603423.html Boeing 737. Thursday 12 June 2008: Boeing 737.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Airbus A330 http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603420.html Airbus A330. Thursday 12 June 2008: Airbus A330.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Airbus A320 family http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1603419.html Airbus A318, A319, A320 & A321. Thursday 12 June 2008: Airbus A318, A319, A320 & A321.

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]]> Thu Jun 12 2008 Trams http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574620.html Trams Saturday 1 November 2003: Trams

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 070127 - The Tubular Belle http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574603.html 45112 Sheffield - Derby - Stoke-on-Trent - Crewe - Chester - Holyhead 45112 Holyhead - Chester - Crewe - Stoke-on-Trent - Derby Saturday 27 January 2007: 45112 Sheffield - Derby - Stoke-on-Trent - Crewe - Chester - Holyhead 45112 Holyhead - Chester - Crewe - Stoke-on-Trent - Derby

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]]> Sat Jan 27 2007 060603 - The Esk Invader http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574598.html 40145 Crewe - Earlestown - Manchester Victoria - Stalybridge - Huddersfield - Leeds - York - Northallerton - Middlesborough - Battersby 37229 Battersby - Grosmont - Whitby 40145 Whitby - Grosmont - Battersby 37229 Battersby - Middlesborough - Northallerton - York 40145+37229 York - Leeds - Morley - Dewsbury - Huddersfield - Manchester Victoria - Earlestown - Helsby - Chester 37229+40145 Chester - Crewe Saturday 3 June 2006: 40145 Crewe - Earlestown - Manchester Victoria - Stalybridge - Huddersfield - Leeds - York - Northallerton - Middlesborough - Battersby 37229 Battersby - Grosmont - Whitby 40145 Whitby - Grosmont - Battersby 37229 Battersby - Middlesborough - Northallerton - York 40145+37229 York - Leeds - Morley - Dewsbury - Huddersfield - Manchester Victoria - Earlestown - Helsby - Chester 37229+40145 Chester - Crewe

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]]> Sat Jun 3 2006 060226 - The Welsh Whistler http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574587.html 40145 Crewe - Stafford - Aston - Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Manchester Piccadilly - Warrington Bank Quay - Chester - Shrewsbury - Hereford - Cardiff Central 40145 Cardiff Central - Gloucester - Abbotswood Jn - MP60.25 47714+40145 MP60.25 - Bromsgrove - Birmingham New Street 47805+40145 Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Alsager - Crewe Sunday 26 February 2006: 40145 Crewe - Stafford - Aston - Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Manchester Piccadilly - Warrington Bank Quay - Chester - Shrewsbury - Hereford - Cardiff Central 40145 Cardiff Central - Gloucester - Abbotswood Jn - MP60.25 47714+40145 MP60.25 - Bromsgrove - Birmingham New Street 47805+40145 Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Alsager - Crewe

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]]> Sun Feb 26 2006 051230 - The Cumbrian Choppers http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574569.html 20305+20307 Crewe - Farington Jn - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Settle - Carlisle 20311+20315 Carlisle - Shap - Preston - Crewe Friday 30 December 2005: 20305+20307 Crewe - Farington Jn - Blackburn - Clitheroe - Settle - Carlisle 20311+20315 Carlisle - Shap - Preston - Crewe

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]]> Fri Dec 30 2005 051217 - The Cumbrian Fellsman http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574558.html 47703 Stafford - Walsall - Sutton Park - Tamworth - Derby 47832 Derby - Lichfield City - Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Farington Jn - Clitheroe - Settle - Carlisle 47703 Carlisle - Hexham - Newcastle 47832 Newcastle - Doncaster - Sheffield - Toton - Trent - Sheet Stores Jn - Lichfield City - Birmingham New Street - Stafford Saturday 17 December 2005: 47703 Stafford - Walsall - Sutton Park - Tamworth - Derby 47832 Derby - Lichfield City - Birmingham New Street - Stafford - Farington Jn - Clitheroe - Settle - Carlisle 47703 Carlisle - Hexham - Newcastle 47832 Newcastle - Doncaster - Sheffield - Toton - Trent - Sheet Stores Jn - Lichfield City - Birmingham New Street - Stafford

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]]> Sat Dec 17 2005 051105 - The Capital Crusader http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574551.html 40145 Liverpool Lime Street - Stockport - Edale - Toton - Bedford - Bletchley - London Euston 73136+73204 London Euston - Guildford - Redhill - London Euston 40145 London Euston - Bescot - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Stockport - Liverpool Lime Street Saturday 5 November 2005: 40145 Liverpool Lime Street - Stockport - Edale - Toton - Bedford - Bletchley - London Euston 73136+73204 London Euston - Guildford - Redhill - London Euston 40145 London Euston - Bescot - Stafford - Stoke-on-Trent - Stockport - Liverpool Lime Street

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]]> Sat Nov 5 2005 051027 - The Blackpool Express http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574547.html 45407 Manchester Victoria - Wigan - Blackpool North 45407 Blackpool North - Wigan - Manchester Victoria Thursday 27 October 2005: 45407 Manchester Victoria - Wigan - Blackpool North 45407 Blackpool North - Wigan - Manchester Victoria

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]]> Thu Oct 27 2005 051008 - The New Musical Express http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574536.html 47813+47714 Wolverhampton - Nuneaton - Leicester - Peterborough - Ely - Ipswich 47813 Ipswich - Norwich 47813+47714 Norwich - Thetford - Peterborough - Leicester - Nuneaton - Wolverhampton Saturday 8 October 2005: 47813+47714 Wolverhampton - Nuneaton - Leicester - Peterborough - Ely - Ipswich 47813 Ipswich - Norwich 47813+47714 Norwich - Thetford - Peterborough - Leicester - Nuneaton - Wolverhampton

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]]> Sat Oct 8 2005 050826 - The Whistling Scotsman http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574526.html 50031 Manchester Victoria - Bradford Interchange 40145 Bradford Interchange - York - Edinburgh Waverley - Aberdeen 40145 Aberdeen - Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness 40145 Inverness - Perth - Edinburgh Waverley - York 50031 York - Manchester Victoria - Warrington Bank Quay Friday 26 August 2005: 50031 Manchester Victoria - Bradford Interchange 40145 Bradford Interchange - York - Edinburgh Waverley - Aberdeen 40145 Aberdeen - Kyle of Lochalsh - Inverness 40145 Inverness - Perth - Edinburgh Waverley - York 50031 York - Manchester Victoria - Warrington Bank Quay

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]]> Fri Aug 26 2005 050423 - The Thales Flyer http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574522.html 55019 Newcastle - Edinburgh Waverley 67013 Edinburgh Waverley - Newcastle Saturday 23 April 2005: 55019 Newcastle - Edinburgh Waverley 67013 Edinburgh Waverley - Newcastle

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]]> Sat Apr 23 2005 050226 - The High Peaks Hustler http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574520.html 37427 Crewe - Chester North Jn 37669 Chester North Jn - Chester South Jn 37427 Chester South Jn - Helsby - Runcorn - Liverpool Lime Street 37669 Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Victoria - Ashburys - Rose Hill Marple 37427 Rose Hill Marple - Guide Bridge - Denton Jn - Stockport - Buxton 37669 Buxton - Buxton Up Refuge Sidings 37427 Buxton Up Refuge Sidings - Chinley South Jn - Altrincham - Middlewich - Crewe Saturday 26 February 2005: 37427 Crewe - Chester North Jn 37669 Chester North Jn - Chester South Jn 37427 Chester South Jn - Helsby - Runcorn - Liverpool Lime Street 37669 Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Victoria - Ashburys - Rose Hill Marple 37427 Rose Hill Marple - Guide Bridge - Denton Jn - Stockport - Buxton 37669 Buxton - Buxton Up Refuge Sidings 37427 Buxton Up Refuge Sidings - Chinley South Jn - Altrincham - Middlewich - Crewe

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]]> Sat Feb 26 2005 040522 - The Western Whistler II http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574488.html 40145 Crewe - Bath - Plymouth Friary 09013 Plymouth Friary - Plymouth 40145 Plymouth - Bristol - Crewe Saturday 22 May 2004: 40145 Crewe - Bath - Plymouth Friary 09013 Plymouth Friary - Plymouth 40145 Plymouth - Bristol - Crewe

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]]> Sat May 22 2004 040417 - The S&C Tyne Valley Circular http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574480.html 47854 Sheffield - Settle - Carlisle 57601 Carlisle - Newcastle - Sheffield Saturday 17 April 2004: 47854 Sheffield - Settle - Carlisle 57601 Carlisle - Newcastle - Sheffield

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]]> Sat Apr 17 2004 040124 - The East Lancs Envoy http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1574468.html 40145 Rawtenstall - Scarborough. Saturday 24 January 2004: 40145 Rawtenstall - Scarborough.

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]]> Sat Jan 24 2004 Unclassified Repair http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1520361.html The joys of Photoshop. Monday 1 September 2003: The joys of Photoshop.

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]]> Mon Sep 1 2003 070317 - Llangollen spring Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1467592.html Spring seems to be the only time I get to Llangollen, for some reason! It could be worse though, as this part of Denbighshire is very pleasant at this time of year. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening for this particular event, just the usual array of beasts, boggo's and b... er, cakes. Slug 1 was its usual throaty self and the Rat gave a fair performance on the brakevans, when they turned up! Locos involved were 20142, 25313, 37240, 37901, 46010, 47449 and a six car DMU set. Saturday 17 March 2007: Spring seems to be the only time I get to Llangollen, for some reason! It could be worse though, as this part of Denbighshire is very pleasant at this time of year. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening for this particular event, just the usual array of beasts, boggo's and b... er, cakes. Slug 1 was its usual throaty self and the Rat gave a fair performance on the brakevans, when they turned up! Locos involved were 20142, 25313, 37240, 37901, 46010, 47449 and a six car DMU set.

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]]> Sat Mar 17 2007 061111 - East Lancs EE Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1467563.html A handful of shots from the ELR's English Electric-themed running day in November 2006. It rained, it was cold, it was gloomy, but 31435 and 40135 were as entertaining as ever. Saturday 11 November 2006: A handful of shots from the ELR's English Electric-themed running day in November 2006. It rained, it was cold, it was gloomy, but 31435 and 40135 were as entertaining as ever.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 11 2006 Class 40 & 50 - The EE Type 4s http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1455967.html Phots of preserved Class 40s and 50s in a variety of locations. Saturday 1 November 2003: Phots of preserved Class 40s and 50s in a variety of locations.

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Steam http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1455964.html Miscellaneous pics of steam loco's on the mainline and on preserved lines. Wednesday 1 October 2003: Miscellaneous pics of steam loco's on the mainline and on preserved lines.

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]]> Wed Oct 1 2003 070610 - The Bowring Centenarian http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1300029.html To celebrate the centenary of Knowsley's Bowring Park (near Liverpool), the "Friends of Bowring Park" organized a series of charters originating from Liverpool Lime Street. For the Sunday the train was simply running shuttles up to Earlestown, which could be enjoyed for the bargain fare of £10! Haulage was provided by Riley's 45407 "The Lancashire Fusilier" and WCRC's 47851 "Traction Magazine". Sunday 10 June 2007: To celebrate the centenary of Knowsley's Bowring Park (near Liverpool), the "Friends of Bowring Park" organized a series of charters originating from Liverpool Lime Street. For the Sunday the train was simply running shuttles up to Earlestown, which could be enjoyed for the bargain fare of _10! Haulage was provided by Riley's 45407 "The Lancashire Fusilier" and WCRC's 47851 "Traction Magazine".

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sun Jun 10 2007 Class 24 to 46 - Sulzers Great & Small http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227396.html Class 24 to 46 - Sulzers Great & Small Saturday 1 November 2003: Class 24 to 46 - Sulzers Great & Small

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 76 to 91 - The Other Electrics http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227392.html Class 76 to 91 - The Other Electrics Saturday 1 November 2003: Class 76 to 91 - The Other Electrics

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Driving Trailers http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227389.html Driving Trailers Saturday 1 November 2003: Driving Trailers

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 92 - The Dysons http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227384.html Class 92 - The Dysons Saturday 1 November 2003: Class 92 - The Dysons

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 90 - The Skodas http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227379.html Class 90 - The Skodas Saturday 1 November 2003: Class 90 - The Skodas

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 43 - The HSTs http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1227376.html Class 43 - The HSTs Saturday 1 November 2003: Class 43 - The HSTs

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 070120 - The Lancashire Witch http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1205186.html I had been aware of this tour since before Christmas 2006 and so was able to ensure sufficient funds were saved up ready for the event! My mate Tony contacted me at the 11th hour to say he wouldn't mind coming along for the ride either, and so it came to pass two souls were marching bleary-eyed towards Manchester Piccadilly through the litter-strewn post-Friday night streets to get the 07:16 TPEx to Sheffield for the 08:27 MML HST to Derby. The tour originated at Birmingham New Street but I had to flag that option as it was "economically unviable" and - depressingly - there were no trains back to Manchester late at night. What a great railway network we have!! Although it can't be that bad as we reached Derby without incident and were soon nursing a brew each while we waited for the "Goyles". Word was circulating of some sort of farce as the departure screens dictated progressively later arrival times of the tour, but it eventually swung into view around 20 late with 31128 "Charybdis" and 31454 "The Heart of Wessex" in charge. I love "Goyles" but never bashed them (or anything for that matter - what a waste of a life) so I was pleased to finally get 31128 in the book. Hey, it's only taken me 29 years! We boarded in a hurry and chose a carriage quite randomly, which serendipitously (Scrabble score 398) turned out to be the unreserved one! Seasoned "Goyle" man Ati was seated nearby and with a fair contingent of other West Yorkshire bashers boarding at Chesterfield the trip was quickly getting the required jovial railtour atmosphere. Our "pair" were soon thrashing out of Sheffield and heading for Wakefield Kirkgate via a very short gallop over the ECML between South Kirkby and Hare Park Junctions. 14901 (aka D9524) was observed parked outside RMS Locotech in Wakefield, a fair distance from any mainline connected track, and then it was on past Healey Mills Criminal Waste of Traction Yard where row upon row of "stored" locomotives lay heavily vandalized and rotting slowly. The "Goyles" made rapid progress through Yorkshire and soon we were climbing away from Todmorden (note; not via the station) on the four-mile incline to Copy Pit Summit. The performance was reasonable but somewhat dampened by a 25mph PSR along much of the route, the two "Goyles" not exactly struggling with only Load 8 on the hook. All too quickly we were clattering across the pointwork into Preston station, where there was little else to do except go in search of food. Severe weather had caused certain buildings to become "unsafe" and resultantly Preston "high street" was partly closed, with pedestrians diverted via some freight only backstreets. Red pen-tastic!! That was pretty damn exciting I can tell you. So anyway, we went to W H Smith's. Back at the station we found that the "Goyles" had already been run-round and turned via the Lostock triangle, so we did a little gricing before heading back to the train. After leaving Preston bang on time the tour followed the standard route back to Manchester Victoria via Chorley and Bolton, with Miles Platting Bank giving the only decent thrash of the day thus far. After Huddersfield we completed the loop at Mirfield and were soon heading back through the Derwent Valley. Rumours had been circulating about a "new loco" coming on at Derby, but there was confusion as to the reason. Various stories abound but a quick word with the driver upon reaching Derby, in horrible freezing drizzle I might add, clarified matters - 31128 was to be replaced because there was a risk of it running out of fuel on the ECS working, and there wasn't enough fuel in 31454 to let it do all the work. However they needed an ETH loco on the train, so 31454 had to stay. Therefore the only solution was to rip 31128 and get a fresh machine for the last leg. The word "Crompton" had been bandied about already, but to be honest I didn't believe it - until 33103 "Swordfish" came trundling out of the darkness off Etches Park! WINNER. We had intended to bail at Derby for a stagger back to Manchester but a hasty fast-car-move-swap was arranged between Ati and one of the West Yorkshire contingent and we were duly Shredding out of Derby some 25 late. After briefly grinding to a halt after only half a mile (reason unknown), we were away again. 33103 - which had not worked a train for some time - was punished all the way to Kingsbury Junction, chucking out all manner of fireworks as it went. Arrival at Birmingham New Street about 20:58 - 38 late. All in all a good tour, very sociable and pretty good value for money. Thanks to Ati for the lift home and Chadders swapping places at the last minute! Saturday 20 January 2007: I had been aware of this tour since before Christmas 2006 and so was able to ensure sufficient funds were saved up ready for the event! My mate Tony contacted me at the 11th hour to say he wouldn't mind coming along for the ride either, and so it came to pass two souls were marching bleary-eyed towards Manchester Piccadilly through the litter-strewn post-Friday night streets to get the 07:16 TPEx to Sheffield for the 08:27 MML HST to Derby. The tour originated at Birmingham New Street but I had to flag that option as it was "economically unviable" and - depressingly - there were no trains back to Manchester late at night. What a great railway network we have!! Although it can't be that bad as we reached Derby without incident and were soon nursing a brew each while we waited for the "Goyles". Word was circulating of some sort of farce as the departure screens dictated progressively later arrival times of the tour, but it eventually swung into view around 20 late with 31128 "Charybdis" and 31454 "The Heart of Wessex" in charge. I love "Goyles" but never bashed them (or anything for that matter - what a waste of a life) so I was pleased to finally get 31128 in the book. Hey, it's only taken me 29 years! We boarded in a hurry and chose a carriage quite randomly, which serendipitously (Scrabble score 398) turned out to be the unreserved one! Seasoned "Goyle" man Ati was seated nearby and with a fair contingent of other West Yorkshire bashers boarding at Chesterfield the trip was quickly getting the required jovial railtour atmosphere. Our "pair" were soon thrashing out of Sheffield and heading for Wakefield Kirkgate via a very short gallop over the ECML between South Kirkby and Hare Park Junctions. 14901 (aka D9524) was observed parked outside RMS Locotech in Wakefield, a fair distance from any mainline connected track, and then it was on past Healey Mills Criminal Waste of Traction Yard where row upon row of "stored" locomotives lay heavily vandalized and rotting slowly. The "Goyles" made rapid progress through Yorkshire and soon we were climbing away from Todmorden (note; not via the station) on the four-mile incline to Copy Pit Summit. The performance was reasonable but somewhat dampened by a 25mph PSR along much of the route, the two "Goyles" not exactly struggling with only Load 8 on the hook. All too quickly we were clattering across the pointwork into Preston station, where there was little else to do except go in search of food. Severe weather had caused certain buildings to become "unsafe" and resultantly Preston "high street" was partly closed, with pedestrians diverted via some freight only backstreets. Red pen-tastic!! That was pretty damn exciting I can tell you. So anyway, we went to W H Smith's. Back at the station we found that the "Goyles" had already been run-round and turned via the Lostock triangle, so we did a little gricing before heading back to the train. After leaving Preston bang on time the tour followed the standard route back to Manchester Victoria via Chorley and Bolton, with Miles Platting Bank giving the only decent thrash of the day thus far. After Huddersfield we completed the loop at Mirfield and were soon heading back through the Derwent Valley. Rumours had been circulating about a "new loco" coming on at Derby, but there was confusion as to the reason. Various stories abound but a quick word with the driver upon reaching Derby, in horrible freezing drizzle I might add, clarified matters - 31128 was to be replaced because there was a risk of it running out of fuel on the ECS working, and there wasn't enough fuel in 31454 to let it do all the work. However they needed an ETH loco on the train, so 31454 had to stay. Therefore the only solution was to rip 31128 and get a fresh machine for the last leg. The word "Crompton" had been bandied about already, but to be honest I didn't believe it - until 33103 "Swordfish" came trundling out of the darkness off Etches Park! WINNER. We had intended to bail at Derby for a stagger back to Manchester but a hasty fast-car-move-swap was arranged between Ati and one of the West Yorkshire contingent and we were duly Shredding out of Derby some 25 late. After briefly grinding to a halt after only half a mile (reason unknown), we were away again. 33103 - which had not worked a train for some time - was punished all the way to Kingsbury Junction, chucking out all manner of fireworks as it went. Arrival at Birmingham New Street about 20:58 - 38 late. All in all a good tour, very sociable and pretty good value for money. Thanks to Ati for the lift home and Chadders swapping places at the last minute!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Jan 20 2007 Shunters & Industrials http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1202324.html Shunting engines have been the unsung workhorses of the railway network since time immemorial, for the most part working tirelessly behind the scenes away from the public gaze. For that reason alone I have always found them endearing. I grew up a stones-throw from Trafford Park and the Manchester Ship Canal, and have good memories of MSC's Mode Wheel depot and Trafford Park's extensive "tramway" network. I'm clearly not the only fan of "industrial shunters" as both steam and diesel types have been popular choices for preservationists over the years, although the number extant now is not a patch on what it was half a century ago. Likewise for me they provide a melancholy glance into a past where railways were seen as genuinely useful and valuable, rather than the unwanted liability they appear to be now. From a cranks perspective, "shunters" often have the added advantage of being excessively loud, sound-proofing not exactly a high priority when designed for use in an industrial environment. The fact that they are smaller and more uniquely designed than their mainline cousins only serves to make them more appealing. Thanks to Adrian Booth of the Industrial Railway Society for help in identifying some of these machines, when my own notes were lacking! Saturday 1 November 2003: Shunting engines have been the unsung workhorses of the railway network since time immemorial, for the most part working tirelessly behind the scenes away from the public gaze. For that reason alone I have always found them endearing. I grew up a stones-throw from Trafford Park and the Manchester Ship Canal, and have good memories of MSC's Mode Wheel depot and Trafford Park's extensive "tramway" network. I'm clearly not the only fan of "industrial shunters" as both steam and diesel types have been popular choices for preservationists over the years, although the number extant now is not a patch on what it was half a century ago. Likewise for me they provide a melancholy glance into a past where railways were seen as genuinely useful and valuable, rather than the unwanted liability they appear to be now. From a cranks perspective, "shunters" often have the added advantage of being excessively loud, sound-proofing not exactly a high priority when designed for use in an industrial environment. The fact that they are smaller and more uniquely designed than their mainline cousins only serves to make them more appealing. Thanks to Adrian Booth of the Industrial Railway Society for help in identifying some of these machines, when my own notes were lacking!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 37 - The Tractors http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1156030.html These English Electric machines need little introduction. They are the most successful and ubiquitous of the Type 3 series, constructed and introduced from the early 1960s onwards and eventually totaling 309 examples. In the mid-1980s the Class underwent an extensive rebuilding program, resulting in numerous sub-Classes - some with Electric Train Heating for passenger work, others with additional ballast weights and slow speed control for freight work. Of these the most noteworthy were the 37/9s, which were fitted with experimental power units from Ruston and Mirrlees Blackstone respectively. In equipping 37905 and 37906 with Ruston RK270T engines, BREL Crewe created arguably the most outrageous locomotives ever to run on BR. The tall power units left little room for exhaust silencers and could subsequently be heard approaching from miles away. Thankfully both these locomotives, along with Mirrlees-powered 37901, have escaped from the cutters torch and into preservation. The Class has long been one of the most popular among the enthusiast fraternity who refer to them as "tractors" and they remain the traction of choice for many "bashers", but in recent years the number of examples on the mainline has been steadily eroded, with the majority of active loco's operated by DRS. However this has meant that by the end of 2006 over 30 have already entered preservation. Saturday 1 November 2003: These English Electric machines need little introduction. They are the most successful and ubiquitous of the Type 3 series, constructed and introduced from the early 1960s onwards and eventually totaling 309 examples. In the mid-1980s the Class underwent an extensive rebuilding program, resulting in numerous sub-Classes - some with Electric Train Heating for passenger work, others with additional ballast weights and slow speed control for freight work. Of these the most noteworthy were the 37/9s, which were fitted with experimental power units from Ruston and Mirrlees Blackstone respectively. In equipping 37905 and 37906 with Ruston RK270T engines, BREL Crewe created arguably the most outrageous locomotives ever to run on BR. The tall power units left little room for exhaust silencers and could subsequently be heard approaching from miles away. Thankfully both these locomotives, along with Mirrlees-powered 37901, have escaped from the cutters torch and into preservation. The Class has long been one of the most popular among the enthusiast fraternity who refer to them as "tractors" and they remain the traction of choice for many "bashers", but in recent years the number of examples on the mainline has been steadily eroded, with the majority of active loco's operated by DRS. However this has meant that by the end of 2006 over 30 have already entered preservation.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Units http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1156018.html Single-car and Multiple-car Units have been an unavoidable feature of the railway scene for the past 50 years or so. Their relative unpopularity among enthusiasts belies the fact that they are largely responsible for the continuation of passenger services on secondary and branch lines all over the UK. Generally comprising of one or more motorized "power cars" and any number of unpowered "trailers", they are viewed by most as utilitarian and ordinary and by their very nature will never be quite as glamorous or exciting as "real trains" hauled by locomotives. However the variety of types and liveries carried has created enormous diversity, which can only mean more photo opportunities if nothing else. In this gallery I intend to show preserved (of which there are over 300 cars!) as well as mainline examples including both diesel and electric types. But it's highly unlikely you will see any "Voyagers" here. I hate those things. Saturday 1 November 2003: Single-car and Multiple-car Units have been an unavoidable feature of the railway scene for the past 50 years or so. Their relative unpopularity among enthusiasts belies the fact that they are largely responsible for the continuation of passenger services on secondary and branch lines all over the UK. Generally comprising of one or more motorized "power cars" and any number of unpowered "trailers", they are viewed by most as utilitarian and ordinary and by their very nature will never be quite as glamorous or exciting as "real trains" hauled by locomotives. However the variety of types and liveries carried has created enormous diversity, which can only mean more photo opportunities if nothing else. In this gallery I intend to show preserved (of which there are over 300 cars!) as well as mainline examples including both diesel and electric types. But it's highly unlikely you will see any "Voyagers" here. I hate those things.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 87 - The Electric Scots http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1152309.html The Class 87s were constructed by British Rail at Crewe and entered service on the WCML between 1973 and 1974 at about the same time that the northern-most portion of that line became fully electrified. Powerful, fast, stylish and popular with railway staff, they were the stalwarts of the WCML for 30 years. It was in fact the very realization that these locomotives were gradually being withdrawn and replaced with Class 390 "Pendolino" EMUs that provoked me into taking up the hobby again. That other people may have been doing the same was unimportant to me, what mattered was that I grabbed my own record of their passing, obtained my own photo's and enjoyed my own last trips before it was "too late." Fortunately the 87s had several reprieves, largely thanks to the unreliability and poor availability of the Class 390s! In November 2004, freight operator DRS took delivery of 87022 freshly repainted into their own livery, swiftly followed by 87006 and 87028. A fourth example, 87032, was also moved to DRS's base at Carlisle Kingmoor. Sadly the trials were not considered a success and in June 2005 DRS announced that the lease of these loco's would not be renewed. Earlier in January 2005 Porterbrook Leasing revealed its own plans for repainting two of their own 87s into "heritage" liveries. 87012 was renamed "The Olympian" and repainted into a controversial Network SouthEast-style livery, which the Class had never carried in regular service, augmented with "Back the Bid" branding in place of the usual text. 87019 received a curious black livery, purported to be "LNWR Lined Black" but not really resembling it, and was renamed "ACoRP Association of Community Rail Partnerships". 87002, infamous for being "the purple one", became even purpler when its asymmetric Porterbrook livery was changed to be the same on both sides. This loco was also gained a new name, "The AC Locomotive Group". Finally 87010 was renamed "Driver Tommy Farr" after a Virgin Trains driver who was taking his retirement. The last scheduled passenger run of the Class 87s, utilizing both these loco's, took place on Friday 10th June 2005. After this date, usage of the Class was sporadic. Cotswold Rail obtained 8 loco's for potential revenue-earning duties but this did not come into fruition. GBRf had slightly better luck; when the Class 325 mail units became loco-hauled stock temporarily during 2005-6, GBRf's modest Class 87 fleet was used as the traction. In 2006 Virgin Trains announced a program of sander-fitment for its "Pendolinos" that required a "stand-in" set to work between Birmingham and London - once again Class 87s were drafted in to perform, but by this time the tables had turned and the workings were beset by failures, the months in open storage having weakened the 87s normal reliability. And that's about it! At present it looks like the age of the "Electric Scot" is well and truly over, with 4 scrapped, the rest in storage and two (87012 and 87019) having been sold by Porterbrook to Bulgarian State Railways, begging the question "Why are they good enough for Bulgaria but not good enough for us?" Answers on a postcard... Saturday 1 November 2003: The Class 87s were constructed by British Rail at Crewe and entered service on the WCML between 1973 and 1974 at about the same time that the northern-most portion of that line became fully electrified. Powerful, fast, stylish and popular with railway staff, they were the stalwarts of the WCML for 30 years. It was in fact the very realization that these locomotives were gradually being withdrawn and replaced with Class 390 "Pendolino" EMUs that provoked me into taking up the hobby again. That other people may have been doing the same was unimportant to me, what mattered was that I grabbed my own record of their passing, obtained my own photo's and enjoyed my own last trips before it was "too late." Fortunately the 87s had several reprieves, largely thanks to the unreliability and poor availability of the Class 390s! In November 2004, freight operator DRS took delivery of 87022 freshly repainted into their own livery, swiftly followed by 87006 and 87028. A fourth example, 87032, was also moved to DRS's base at Carlisle Kingmoor. Sadly the trials were not considered a success and in June 2005 DRS announced that the lease of these loco's would not be renewed. Earlier in January 2005 Porterbrook Leasing revealed its own plans for repainting two of their own 87s into "heritage" liveries. 87012 was renamed "The Olympian" and repainted into a controversial Network SouthEast-style livery, which the Class had never carried in regular service, augmented with "Back the Bid" branding in place of the usual text. 87019 received a curious black livery, purported to be "LNWR Lined Black" but not really resembling it, and was renamed "ACoRP Association of Community Rail Partnerships". 87002, infamous for being "the purple one", became even purpler when its asymmetric Porterbrook livery was changed to be the same on both sides. This loco was also gained a new name, "The AC Locomotive Group". Finally 87010 was renamed "Driver Tommy Farr" after a Virgin Trains driver who was taking his retirement. The last scheduled passenger run of the Class 87s, utilizing both these loco's, took place on Friday 10th June 2005. After this date, usage of the Class was sporadic. Cotswold Rail obtained 8 loco's for potential revenue-earning duties but this did not come into fruition. GBRf had slightly better luck; when the Class 325 mail units became loco-hauled stock temporarily during 2005-6, GBRf's modest Class 87 fleet was used as the traction. In 2006 Virgin Trains announced a program of sander-fitment for its "Pendolinos" that required a "stand-in" set to work between Birmingham and London - once again Class 87s were drafted in to perform, but by this time the tables had turned and the workings were beset by failures, the months in open storage having weakened the 87s normal reliability. And that's about it! At present it looks like the age of the "Electric Scot" is well and truly over, with 4 scrapped, the rest in storage and two (87012 and 87019) having been sold by Porterbrook to Bulgarian State Railways, begging the question "Why are they good enough for Bulgaria but not good enough for us?" Answers on a postcard...

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 On Track Plant http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1150030.html The engineering that creates, powers and maintains railways has always fascinated me, be it the four-stroke cycle or catenary construction or the humble Pandrol rail clip. Well, maybe not the Pandrol rail clip... although having said that the blue ones are quite good... Track machines however, more commonly known as On Track Plant, are something that I will go out of my way to get a closer look at. To me they seem to have a slight air of mystery about them, possibly because I don't often see them moving about and it's even more rare to actually see one working. There is quite a range of types varying in size from tiny to impressively massive, and more often than not they bristle with extra lights, wheels, warning sirens, hydraulic rams and many other weird unidentifiable bits. This gallery includes preserved plant (yes it exists!) as well as the workaday mainline stuff. Thanks must go to http://www.ontrackplant.com/ for all the gen. Saturday 1 November 2003: The engineering that creates, powers and maintains railways has always fascinated me, be it the four-stroke cycle or catenary construction or the humble Pandrol rail clip. Well, maybe not the Pandrol rail clip... although having said that the blue ones are quite good... Track machines however, more commonly known as On Track Plant, are something that I will go out of my way to get a closer look at. To me they seem to have a slight air of mystery about them, possibly because I don't often see them moving about and it's even more rare to actually see one working. There is quite a range of types varying in size from tiny to impressively massive, and more often than not they bristle with extra lights, wheels, warning sirens, hydraulic rams and many other weird unidentifiable bits. This gallery includes preserved plant (yes it exists!) as well as the workaday mainline stuff. Thanks must go to http://www.ontrackplant.com/ for all the gen.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Railway scenes http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1146752.html When I first bought a digital camera my intention was to simply photograph the locomotives which were rapidly disappearing from the network, but I had forgotten that this hobby involves a good deal of hanging around waiting for something interesting to happen! Thus boredom, coupled with the disposable nature of digital photography (if you don't like it, delete it) resulted in me taking more of an interest in anything that catches my eye. This collection contains scenes that don't necessarily have a train as their main subject matter, but are all connected with railways to some degree. Wednesday 1 October 2003: When I first bought a digital camera my intention was to simply photograph the locomotives which were rapidly disappearing from the network, but I had forgotten that this hobby involves a good deal of hanging around waiting for something interesting to happen! Thus boredom, coupled with the disposable nature of digital photography (if you don't like it, delete it) resulted in me taking more of an interest in anything that catches my eye. This collection contains scenes that don't necessarily have a train as their main subject matter, but are all connected with railways to some degree.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Wed Oct 1 2003 Class 47 - The Brush 4s http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1146648.html The Class 47s were once the most numerous mainline diesel locomotives in the UK, with a total of 512 being manufactured between 1962 and 1967. They were an evolution of sorts from the Type 4s which preceded them (Classes 40, 44, 45 and 46) which, although having only been around for a few years, were already considered to be underperforming - this in the face of the impending "end of steam" in 1968! It was clearly an urgent matter as Brush had started on the pilot batch of 20 locomotives even before BRC&W's Sulzer-powered "Lion", often incorrectly thought of as the "prototype" Class 47, had moved an inch! Building of the production batches was split between two locations; Brush's own Falcon Works in Loughborough turned out 310 examples and British Rail's Crewe Works produced the remainder. Incidentally there were in fact no more than 510 of the Type 4s in operation at any one time, due to 2 examples (D1734 and D1671) being written-off in accidents before construction of the Class was completed. As the Class gained strength they became deeply ingrained into the railway network, proving to be so powerful and versatile that they could be found practically anywhere on any working. The train heating boilers of the early batches marked them out as passenger locomotives first and foremost, but as "no-heat" examples started appearing the Class became thoroughly "mixed traffic". The diversification continued through the 1970s with sub-Classes 47/3 (no heat), 47/4 (ETH-equipped) and 47/7 (push-pull) adding to the general melee. From an enthusiast's perspective, their success and resultant ubiquity did not endear them to many hearts. Many haulage bashers, keen to score something rare or at least something they were interested in, referred to the Class 47s as "duffs" because they were often an unwanted presence. This is a nickname which has largely stuck, although my own view is that it's inappropriate these days since the 47s are easily as "classic" and "rare" as all the other forms of traction that have been diminished by "progress". A more friendly, if bizarre nickname is "spoons", apparently mimicking the muted warning horn peculiar to the Class. I'm sure I got fed up with certain loco's myself back when I was hovering near the platform ends, but it never amounted to any form of resentment (some enthusiasts actually hate the things) and the "Brush 4s" retain a place in my heart. I grew up seeing them charge through my local station on Trans-Pennine services and tank trains, then later associated them with Intercity Cross Country workings and Freightliners. I never got sick of hearing them "load up", watching the Serck radiator grilles crank open and then seeing the loco send a plume of clag 30 feet into the air. That's magic, as they say. At the time of writing several Class 47s remain in operation on the mainline and, unsurprisingly for such a numerous type, there are in excess of 30 preserved examples. My personal favourite is 47402 "Gateshead", a Rail Blue beast maintained at the East Lancashire Railway by Bury Diesel Group. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. For more Class 47 information than you can shake a stick at, check out Paul Appleby's excellent Class 47 website: http://www.class47.co.uk/ For up-to-date info regarding workings of the Class, visit Shaun C's Sulzerpower website: http://www.sulzerpower.com/ Saturday 1 November 2003: The Class 47s were once the most numerous mainline diesel locomotives in the UK, with a total of 512 being manufactured between 1962 and 1967. They were an evolution of sorts from the Type 4s which preceded them (Classes 40, 44, 45 and 46) which, although having only been around for a few years, were already considered to be underperforming - this in the face of the impending "end of steam" in 1968! It was clearly an urgent matter as Brush had started on the pilot batch of 20 locomotives even before BRC&W's Sulzer-powered "Lion", often incorrectly thought of as the "prototype" Class 47, had moved an inch! Building of the production batches was split between two locations; Brush's own Falcon Works in Loughborough turned out 310 examples and British Rail's Crewe Works produced the remainder. Incidentally there were in fact no more than 510 of the Type 4s in operation at any one time, due to 2 examples (D1734 and D1671) being written-off in accidents before construction of the Class was completed. As the Class gained strength they became deeply ingrained into the railway network, proving to be so powerful and versatile that they could be found practically anywhere on any working. The train heating boilers of the early batches marked them out as passenger locomotives first and foremost, but as "no-heat" examples started appearing the Class became thoroughly "mixed traffic". The diversification continued through the 1970s with sub-Classes 47/3 (no heat), 47/4 (ETH-equipped) and 47/7 (push-pull) adding to the general melee. From an enthusiast's perspective, their success and resultant ubiquity did not endear them to many hearts. Many haulage bashers, keen to score something rare or at least something they were interested in, referred to the Class 47s as "duffs" because they were often an unwanted presence. This is a nickname which has largely stuck, although my own view is that it's inappropriate these days since the 47s are easily as "classic" and "rare" as all the other forms of traction that have been diminished by "progress". A more friendly, if bizarre nickname is "spoons", apparently mimicking the muted warning horn peculiar to the Class. I'm sure I got fed up with certain loco's myself back when I was hovering near the platform ends, but it never amounted to any form of resentment (some enthusiasts actually hate the things) and the "Brush 4s" retain a place in my heart. I grew up seeing them charge through my local station on Trans-Pennine services and tank trains, then later associated them with Intercity Cross Country workings and Freightliners. I never got sick of hearing them "load up", watching the Serck radiator grilles crank open and then seeing the loco send a plume of clag 30 feet into the air. That's magic, as they say. At the time of writing several Class 47s remain in operation on the mainline and, unsurprisingly for such a numerous type, there are in excess of 30 preserved examples. My personal favourite is 47402 "Gateshead", a Rail Blue beast maintained at the East Lancashire Railway by Bury Diesel Group. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. For more Class 47 information than you can shake a stick at, check out Paul Appleby's excellent Class 47 website: http://www.class47.co.uk/ For up-to-date info regarding workings of the Class, visit Shaun C's Sulzerpower website: http://www.sulzerpower.com/

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 60 - The Tugs http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1138366.html The Class 60s are the UKs super-powered heavy freight locomotive. Built by Brush Traction, featuring a 3100hp Mirrlees 8MB275T power unit and the revolutionary Sepex (separately-excited) traction control system, the 60s produce a huge Maximum Tractive Effort of 106500lbf. To put this in some perspective, a Ferrari F430 has around 340lbf. And people wonder why I prefer diesel loco's to cars... After not inconsiderable teething troubles, most of the 100-strong fleet were in service by late 1991. They were the youngest diesels to be absorbed into privatization and they have remained consistent performers on the heaviest freights that the UK rail network has to offer. More recently (2005/06) high engine hours throughout the Class and an over-reliance on inferior motive power has seen the number of 60s in active pools fluctuate wildly. At their lowest ebb there were only around 20 in service and, while the situation changes more frequently than I change my socks, a series of nasty power unit failures has made it highly unlikely that the Class will ever see full strength again. Unfortunately their future is far from assured and it also looks likely that the Class 60s will be the last mainline diesel loco's ever to be constructed in Britain. Their ability to move practically anything together with their sub-bass exhaust note has earned them the apt nickname "Tugs", and I personally have a bit of a soft spot for the Class. The angular industrial design of them appeals to me and their sheer power is best witnessed up close - seeing one lift over 2000 tonnes of stone from a standing start on the gradient at Peak Forest is an experience to be savoured. Saturday 1 November 2003: The Class 60s are the UKs super-powered heavy freight locomotive. Built by Brush Traction, featuring a 3100hp Mirrlees 8MB275T power unit and the revolutionary Sepex (separately-excited) traction control system, the 60s produce a huge Maximum Tractive Effort of 106500lbf. To put this in some perspective, a Ferrari F430 has around 340lbf. And people wonder why I prefer diesel loco's to cars... After not inconsiderable teething troubles, most of the 100-strong fleet were in service by late 1991. They were the youngest diesels to be absorbed into privatization and they have remained consistent performers on the heaviest freights that the UK rail network has to offer. More recently (2005/06) high engine hours throughout the Class and an over-reliance on inferior motive power has seen the number of 60s in active pools fluctuate wildly. At their lowest ebb there were only around 20 in service and, while the situation changes more frequently than I change my socks, a series of nasty power unit failures has made it highly unlikely that the Class will ever see full strength again. Unfortunately their future is far from assured and it also looks likely that the Class 60s will be the last mainline diesel loco's ever to be constructed in Britain. Their ability to move practically anything together with their sub-bass exhaust note has earned them the apt nickname "Tugs", and I personally have a bit of a soft spot for the Class. The angular industrial design of them appeals to me and their sheer power is best witnessed up close - seeing one lift over 2000 tonnes of stone from a standing start on the gradient at Peak Forest is an experience to be savoured.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 20 - The Choppers http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1137873.html The English Electric Type 1's are arguably the most successful Class to have emerged from the BR Modernisation Plan. Constructed in batches from 1957 onwards, the first locomotives entered service that same year. Their unusual design, featuring only one cab at the end of a lightweight chassis and a relatively small 1000hp EE 8SVT Mark 2 engine actually gave the Class greater flexibility rather than being a disadvantage. Thanks to their Blue Star multiple working equipment they rapidly found themselves coupled "nose-to-nose" in semi-permanent pairs. While ostensibly freight locomotives, their 75mph top speed made them an ideal choice for fill-in passenger work, although their lack of any type of train heating equipment generally limited their use to the warmer months. Much of the Class was progressively overhauled from the late 1970's onwards, which contributed greatly to the continuation of the Class. Examples could be found working MGR coal traffic around Warrington until the mid-90's and more importantly found wider use with various Civil Engineering departments, including several which were modified for use in the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Four loco's (20035, 20063, 20139 and 20228) were also exported to France for use by CFD Industrie, although these have all since returned to the UK. They are characterful loco's renown for their unmistakable chirping English Electric exhaust beat and they have gained numerous nicknames over the years including "Whistling Wardrobes", "Moose", "Choppers" and "Bombs" - although usage of the latter is best avoided in these paranoid times! They are also notoriously light-footed, especially when working in pairs and this coupled with their unusual looks and occasionally ear-splitting volume makes them a firm favourite with enthusiasts. To date some 68 examples remain dotted around the UK, with around 30 preserved and the rest either in use (with DRS, Hope Cement etc.), in storage or awaiting the scrap man. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala and railtour sections elsewhere on the site. Saturday 1 November 2003: The English Electric Type 1's are arguably the most successful Class to have emerged from the BR Modernisation Plan. Constructed in batches from 1957 onwards, the first locomotives entered service that same year. Their unusual design, featuring only one cab at the end of a lightweight chassis and a relatively small 1000hp EE 8SVT Mark 2 engine actually gave the Class greater flexibility rather than being a disadvantage. Thanks to their Blue Star multiple working equipment they rapidly found themselves coupled "nose-to-nose" in semi-permanent pairs. While ostensibly freight locomotives, their 75mph top speed made them an ideal choice for fill-in passenger work, although their lack of any type of train heating equipment generally limited their use to the warmer months. Much of the Class was progressively overhauled from the late 1970's onwards, which contributed greatly to the continuation of the Class. Examples could be found working MGR coal traffic around Warrington until the mid-90's and more importantly found wider use with various Civil Engineering departments, including several which were modified for use in the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Four loco's (20035, 20063, 20139 and 20228) were also exported to France for use by CFD Industrie, although these have all since returned to the UK. They are characterful loco's renown for their unmistakable chirping English Electric exhaust beat and they have gained numerous nicknames over the years including "Whistling Wardrobes", "Moose", "Choppers" and "Bombs" - although usage of the latter is best avoided in these paranoid times! They are also notoriously light-footed, especially when working in pairs and this coupled with their unusual looks and occasionally ear-splitting volume makes them a firm favourite with enthusiasts. To date some 68 examples remain dotted around the UK, with around 30 preserved and the rest either in use (with DRS, Hope Cement etc.), in storage or awaiting the scrap man. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala and railtour sections elsewhere on the site.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 060930 - Bo'ness Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1129853.html Embarrassingly I'm having trouble remembering if I have been to the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway before, but this was definitely the first diesel event that I've attended at this line. Located north-west-ish of Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth near Grangemouth, the line snakes along the shoreline from the town of Bo'ness (originally named Borrowstounness), then turns inland climbing up a fairly steep incline to the current limit of operations at Birkhill. Beyond this there is a connection to the mainline network at Manuel, which is only used for railtours and stock moves. The gala itself was spread over the weekend, with Beaver Sports' 55022 "Royal Scots Grey" being the star attraction for most who were there - the first "Deltic" to traverse the line, apparently! As well as numerous members from the impressive home fleet, the Class Forty Preservation Society's mainline beast 40145 was also making an appearance. There is no passing place on the route, so one train operation is the order of the day. This was not a problem however, as it meant that each loco' got several turns so I could pick and choose when I was on-board. This gave the opportunity for a look around the Scottish Railway Exhibition which is housed in a purpose-built warehouse adjacent to Bo'ness station. It's well worth a visit, although they appear to have run out of space already with some exhibits tucked away where you can't get a good look at them. All in all I found the line to be very pleasant, in particular the atmospheric Scottish railway buildings and signaling equipment which have all been beautifully preserved and sympathetically placed - you could never guess the site at Bo'ness had once been a field! The ticket office came from Wormit and the curious station building at Birkhill was originally located at Monifieth. The canopy at Bo'ness was apparently situated at Haymarket station in Edinburgh (thanks to John Howell for this info). The other loco's in use at the gala were the 6LDA's 26024, SRPS Diesel Group's 20020 and 25235, plus the Class 27 Loco Group's 27001 - which I missed having a ride behind on both days! But no matter, it was thoroughly enjoyable event and I think it's fairly safe to say I'll be visiting the line again. Saturday 30 September 2006: Embarrassingly I'm having trouble remembering if I have been to the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway before, but this was definitely the first diesel event that I've attended at this line. Located north-west-ish of Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth near Grangemouth, the line snakes along the shoreline from the town of Bo'ness (originally named Borrowstounness), then turns inland climbing up a fairly steep incline to the current limit of operations at Birkhill. Beyond this there is a connection to the mainline network at Manuel, which is only used for railtours and stock moves. The gala itself was spread over the weekend, with Beaver Sports' 55022 "Royal Scots Grey" being the star attraction for most who were there - the first "Deltic" to traverse the line, apparently! As well as numerous members from the impressive home fleet, the Class Forty Preservation Society's mainline beast 40145 was also making an appearance. There is no passing place on the route, so one train operation is the order of the day. This was not a problem however, as it meant that each loco' got several turns so I could pick and choose when I was on-board. This gave the opportunity for a look around the Scottish Railway Exhibition which is housed in a purpose-built warehouse adjacent to Bo'ness station. It's well worth a visit, although they appear to have run out of space already with some exhibits tucked away where you can't get a good look at them. All in all I found the line to be very pleasant, in particular the atmospheric Scottish railway buildings and signaling equipment which have all been beautifully preserved and sympathetically placed - you could never guess the site at Bo'ness had once been a field! The ticket office came from Wormit and the curious station building at Birkhill was originally located at Monifieth. The canopy at Bo'ness was apparently situated at Haymarket station in Edinburgh (thanks to John Howell for this info). The other loco's in use at the gala were the 6LDA's 26024, SRPS Diesel Group's 20020 and 25235, plus the Class 27 Loco Group's 27001 - which I missed having a ride behind on both days! But no matter, it was thoroughly enjoyable event and I think it's fairly safe to say I'll be visiting the line again.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Sep 30 2006 Class 31 - The Gargoyles http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1116239.html Between 1957 and 1962, 263 Class 30s were built by Brush Traction of Loughborough. Based loosely on a locomotive designed for export to Ceylon, they were fairly heavy for their Type 2 power rating and contained 1250hp Mirrlees JVS12T engines which began to show signs of deterioration alarmingly quickly. The problem was so serious that, merely 7 years after the prototype had entered service, an unprecedented decision was made to re-engine the entire fleet with English Electric 12SVT power units, running at a de-rated setting of 1470hp. The upgrade saw the locomotives reclassified as Class 31s, gave a greater power at rail and significantly improved reliability. The rugged, heavyweight look of the Class was not widely liked and earned them the nickname "Gargoyles", although this is now largely considered to be a term of endearment. Their often slow acceleration (they are "only" Type 2's after all) led them to become known as "Brians" (after the cheeky snail of Magic Roundabout fame) and "Peds" (ped-estrian or ped-al car). However, as with all things their deriders only make their fans more stoic and to this day the Class 31s retain a loyal fan base. They were a regular sight for me growing up in Manchester, with 31s largely taking over from Class 25 duties as they were withdrawn which in itself made them unpopular (you can't win!). They are sometimes unfairly compared to more powerful Classes, but it is indisputable that Class 31s were routinely called upon to perform tasks for which they were not designed; working 1000ton-plus tank trains, heating lengthy rakes of carriages or hauling high speed long distance passenger services, you name it. Yet they almost always delivered the goods. Thanks to the gear ratio chosen for the traction motors, it's also safe to say every member of the Class broke 100mph at some point in their lives - and not necessarily downhill either! Over the years they lost their steam heat boilers and spawned several sub-Classes including the refurbished ETH-equipped 31/4's which I used to see frequently on Regional Railways workings. My favourites however were those from the "rough & ready" Bescot Departmental pools - they could appear anywhere in the northwest of a weekend and ridiculous levels of thrash were practically guaranteed! With the collapse of FM Rail and subsequent cessation of ECT's rail operations, the mainline prospects for the Class look very bleak indeed with Network Rail having the monopoly over the active examples. Fortunately there remains around 30 in preservation, most notably those restored and maintained by A1A Locomotives Limited and the Newton Heath Diesel Traction Group. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. For up-to-date info on Class 31 workings please check out my GoyleGen website: http://www.flywheelnetwork.co.uk/goylegen/ Saturday 1 November 2003: Between 1957 and 1962, 263 Class 30s were built by Brush Traction of Loughborough. Based loosely on a locomotive designed for export to Ceylon, they were fairly heavy for their Type 2 power rating and contained 1250hp Mirrlees JVS12T engines which began to show signs of deterioration alarmingly quickly. The problem was so serious that, merely 7 years after the prototype had entered service, an unprecedented decision was made to re-engine the entire fleet with English Electric 12SVT power units, running at a de-rated setting of 1470hp. The upgrade saw the locomotives reclassified as Class 31s, gave a greater power at rail and significantly improved reliability. The rugged, heavyweight look of the Class was not widely liked and earned them the nickname "Gargoyles", although this is now largely considered to be a term of endearment. Their often slow acceleration (they are "only" Type 2's after all) led them to become known as "Brians" (after the cheeky snail of Magic Roundabout fame) and "Peds" (ped-estrian or ped-al car). However, as with all things their deriders only make their fans more stoic and to this day the Class 31s retain a loyal fan base. They were a regular sight for me growing up in Manchester, with 31s largely taking over from Class 25 duties as they were withdrawn which in itself made them unpopular (you can't win!). They are sometimes unfairly compared to more powerful Classes, but it is indisputable that Class 31s were routinely called upon to perform tasks for which they were not designed; working 1000ton-plus tank trains, heating lengthy rakes of carriages or hauling high speed long distance passenger services, you name it. Yet they almost always delivered the goods. Thanks to the gear ratio chosen for the traction motors, it's also safe to say every member of the Class broke 100mph at some point in their lives - and not necessarily downhill either! Over the years they lost their steam heat boilers and spawned several sub-Classes including the refurbished ETH-equipped 31/4's which I used to see frequently on Regional Railways workings. My favourites however were those from the "rough & ready" Bescot Departmental pools - they could appear anywhere in the northwest of a weekend and ridiculous levels of thrash were practically guaranteed! With the collapse of FM Rail and subsequent cessation of ECT's rail operations, the mainline prospects for the Class look very bleak indeed with Network Rail having the monopoly over the active examples. Fortunately there remains around 30 in preservation, most notably those restored and maintained by A1A Locomotives Limited and the Newton Heath Diesel Traction Group. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. For up-to-date info on Class 31 workings please check out my GoyleGen website: http://www.flywheelnetwork.co.uk/goylegen/

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 060923 - Peak Rail Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1094826.html I had been to Peak Rail twice before now, but this was the first time with a camera and also the first during a gala. With that fascinating snippet of information out of the way (!) I suppose I should say something about the line. Three miles in length, it is situated in Darley Dale valley alongside the River Derwent. All very picturesque, but sadly the line is prevented from expanding (the original plan was to join Matlock with Buxton) so three miles are probably all it will ever be. Still, the line is well worth a visit if only for the huge collection of shunters at Rowsley - home of the Heritage Shunters Trust. A few of their loco's were performing brake van rides during the day, with "mainline" duties in the hands of D9525, 31270, D8 "Penyghent" and 37152 making its first runs in preservation. Saturday 23 September 2006: I had been to Peak Rail twice before now, but this was the first time with a camera and also the first during a gala. With that fascinating snippet of information out of the way (!) I suppose I should say something about the line. Three miles in length, it is situated in Darley Dale valley alongside the River Derwent. All very picturesque, but sadly the line is prevented from expanding (the original plan was to join Matlock with Buxton) so three miles are probably all it will ever be. Still, the line is well worth a visit if only for the huge collection of shunters at Rowsley - home of the Heritage Shunters Trust. A few of their loco's were performing brake van rides during the day, with "mainline" duties in the hands of D9525, 31270, D8 "Penyghent" and 37152 making its first runs in preservation.

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]]> Sat Sep 23 2006 060917 - Battlefield Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1094805.html The Sunday of my long weekend in Derby took advantage of the nearby A444 for a trip to the Battlefield Line - not one I've been to before despite it being on my to-do list for years. I'm glad the effort was finally made because the place really is terrific. It was fairly quiet in terms of attendance and it's easy to see why due to the lines rural location. The simple out-and-back one train operation coupled with glorious weather and yet another Griddle Car lunch made for a very relaxing (!) day. Locomotives in operation were 31101, 31130 "Calder Hall Power Station", 33019 "Griffon", 47640 and 73114. 31101 was masquerading as classmate 31135 (scrapped in January 2000 fact fans), complete with yellow window surrounds. There was also a "hybrid" DMU set made up of Class 116 DMBS M51131 and Class 118 DMS W51321 - hybrid in every sense as it even had different liveries on each side! - and a Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus E79960 on loan from the North Norfolk Railway. Sunday 17 September 2006: The Sunday of my long weekend in Derby took advantage of the nearby A444 for a trip to the Battlefield Line - not one I've been to before despite it being on my to-do list for years. I'm glad the effort was finally made because the place really is terrific. It was fairly quiet in terms of attendance and it's easy to see why due to the lines rural location. The simple out-and-back one train operation coupled with glorious weather and yet another Griddle Car lunch made for a very relaxing (!) day. Locomotives in operation were 31101, 31130 "Calder Hall Power Station", 33019 "Griffon", 47640 and 73114. 31101 was masquerading as classmate 31135 (scrapped in January 2000 fact fans), complete with yellow window surrounds. There was also a "hybrid" DMU set made up of Class 116 DMBS M51131 and Class 118 DMS W51321 - hybrid in every sense as it even had different liveries on each side! - and a Waggon und Maschinenbau railbus E79960 on loan from the North Norfolk Railway.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sun Sep 17 2006 060915 - GCR Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1094765.html This was my first trip back to the scenic Great Central for a year, but fortunately it was spread over two days while staying in Derby for the weekend. The Friday was spent linesiding and was definitely the best day for it, with glorious sunshine all day. The appropriate pairing of 20048+20098 was out, as were 33116, 37255 and 25035 - a "new" engine for me as well as being the lowest-numbered Class 25 in preservation. This subsequently proved itself to be an atrocious clag-monster of "Western Prince" proportions! Linesiding is all very well and good but for me it's all about riding, so that was the plan for Saturday. Unfortunately I reckoned without a Friday night on the tiles in Derby. Let's just say The Tiger followed by Flares and leave it at that - certain members of the Peak Army will know exactly what I'm on about. So it was not until around noon when we finally rolled up at the GCR and I immediately fell onto the first train that stopped in the platform. One brew plus a very tasty lunch in the Griddle car later and I was feeling normal enough to concentrate on 31463, which was its usual thrashy self. Thereafter a trip on the first "beer-ex" hauled by 33116+25035 and it was time to head back. Loco's used for the gala were 20048, 20098, 25035, 31463, 33116, 37255, 45125 and 47117. Friday 15 September 2006: This was my first trip back to the scenic Great Central for a year, but fortunately it was spread over two days while staying in Derby for the weekend. The Friday was spent linesiding and was definitely the best day for it, with glorious sunshine all day. The appropriate pairing of 20048+20098 was out, as were 33116, 37255 and 25035 - a "new" engine for me as well as being the lowest-numbered Class 25 in preservation. This subsequently proved itself to be an atrocious clag-monster of "Western Prince" proportions! Linesiding is all very well and good but for me it's all about riding, so that was the plan for Saturday. Unfortunately I reckoned without a Friday night on the tiles in Derby. Let's just say The Tiger followed by Flares and leave it at that - certain members of the Peak Army will know exactly what I'm on about. So it was not until around noon when we finally rolled up at the GCR and I immediately fell onto the first train that stopped in the platform. One brew plus a very tasty lunch in the Griddle car later and I was feeling normal enough to concentrate on 31463, which was its usual thrashy self. Thereafter a trip on the first "beer-ex" hauled by 33116+25035 and it was time to head back. Loco's used for the gala were 20048, 20098, 25035, 31463, 33116, 37255, 45125 and 47117.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Fri Sep 15 2006 060902 - East Lancs Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1094739.html The September East Lancs gala was the first I was able to attend there for a while, and it didn't disappoint, even if the weather did its best to dampen everyone's spirits. The home fleet of 24054, 31435, D7076, 40135, 40145, D832, 45135, 47402, 47575 and the "Thumper" was bolstered by guest loco's 26024, 55022 and 56003 which had all remained on the line since the Summer gala. Highlights for me were 40135 steam heating me until I had dried out, 47402 "Gateshead" being driven in the correct way, and 26024 - a thrashy little McBeast of a machine. :o) Saturday 2 September 2006: The September East Lancs gala was the first I was able to attend there for a while, and it didn't disappoint, even if the weather did its best to dampen everyone's spirits. The home fleet of 24054, 31435, D7076, 40135, 40145, D832, 45135, 47402, 47575 and the "Thumper" was bolstered by guest loco's 26024, 55022 and 56003 which had all remained on the line since the Summer gala. Highlights for me were 40135 steam heating me until I had dried out, 47402 "Gateshead" being driven in the correct way, and 26024 - a thrashy little McBeast of a machine. :o)

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Sep 2 2006 Class 56 - The Grids http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1094684.html My favourite Class of loco was first envisaged in 1974 after BR identified the requirement for a powerful freight locomotive design. Brush Traction won the contract to create the first batch of 30 machines, and sub-contracted the work to Electroputere, a Brush subsidiary company in Romania. Unfortunately this was largely a disaster, with the locomotives arriving in the UK with all manner of faults and defects which then took hundreds of man-hours to put right. As 30 more machines had been built with slightly more success by BREL at Doncaster, BR eventually awarded the remaining orders to them. With the final 20 constructed in 1983-4 at BREL's Crewe Works, the fleet totaled 135 machines. After such a turbulent start, things did not settle for long. The huge Ruston Paxman 16RK3CT power unit was (arguably) an overstressed oily lump that made engine room conditions unpleasant to say the least. While fairly popular with drivers, they could be quite rough-riding and suffered braking and coolant problems which along with the cramped engine room conditions made them the bane of many depot fitters. However, from an enthusiasts' point of view when they did work you would be hard pressed to find anything more earth-shatteringly loud and demonic on UK rails, their tendency to blast flames from their exhaust ports being a favourite trick. Nicknamed "Grids", the Class retains a solid following with several already having entered preservation. Here is what someone (who will remain nameless! ;o) said about 56s on the Preserved-Diesels forum: "Basically, they are sick. 56s are rabid. They are the most rough-riding, oily, unruly, lairy, what-are-you-looking-at, skinheaded, thuggish, brutal monstrosities that ever darkened the rails of this country. Take a train, any train at all - a 56 will move it. Too heavy, the beast will simply pull the coupling out. They are rottweilers - you can't actually drive one, it just does whatever the f**k it wants. That thing on the front isn't a grille, it's a muzzle. Drivers will tell you the power handle is just for show. A 56 only has two settings; Off and Maximum. If you ever saw a Class 58 with a dent in the bodywork, a Class 56 did it. If you tried to drive a Class 31 to Knottingley, it would immediately fail - it would not want to share a shed with the Grids... because it would get battered. The word "hellfire" was invented to describe the Class 56!" They were withdrawn en-masse in March 2004 so I'm afraid I have very few pictures of the beasts in action, but with Fastline now operating 3 in the UK, 5 preserved examples so far and the foreign infrastructure contracts also coming to an end, it hopefully wont be too long before this gallery expands. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. Did I mention that they are my favourite Class? Saturday 1 November 2003: My favourite Class of loco was first envisaged in 1974 after BR identified the requirement for a powerful freight locomotive design. Brush Traction won the contract to create the first batch of 30 machines, and sub-contracted the work to Electroputere, a Brush subsidiary company in Romania. Unfortunately this was largely a disaster, with the locomotives arriving in the UK with all manner of faults and defects which then took hundreds of man-hours to put right. As 30 more machines had been built with slightly more success by BREL at Doncaster, BR eventually awarded the remaining orders to them. With the final 20 constructed in 1983-4 at BREL's Crewe Works, the fleet totaled 135 machines. After such a turbulent start, things did not settle for long. The huge Ruston Paxman 16RK3CT power unit was (arguably) an overstressed oily lump that made engine room conditions unpleasant to say the least. While fairly popular with drivers, they could be quite rough-riding and suffered braking and coolant problems which along with the cramped engine room conditions made them the bane of many depot fitters. However, from an enthusiasts' point of view when they did work you would be hard pressed to find anything more earth-shatteringly loud and demonic on UK rails, their tendency to blast flames from their exhaust ports being a favourite trick. Nicknamed "Grids", the Class retains a solid following with several already having entered preservation. Here is what someone (who will remain nameless! ;o) said about 56s on the Preserved-Diesels forum: "Basically, they are sick. 56s are rabid. They are the most rough-riding, oily, unruly, lairy, what-are-you-looking-at, skinheaded, thuggish, brutal monstrosities that ever darkened the rails of this country. Take a train, any train at all - a 56 will move it. Too heavy, the beast will simply pull the coupling out. They are rottweilers - you can't actually drive one, it just does whatever the f**k it wants. That thing on the front isn't a grille, it's a muzzle. Drivers will tell you the power handle is just for show. A 56 only has two settings; Off and Maximum. If you ever saw a Class 58 with a dent in the bodywork, a Class 56 did it. If you tried to drive a Class 31 to Knottingley, it would immediately fail - it would not want to share a shed with the Grids... because it would get battered. The word "hellfire" was invented to describe the Class 56!" They were withdrawn en-masse in March 2004 so I'm afraid I have very few pictures of the beasts in action, but with Fastline now operating 3 in the UK, 5 preserved examples so far and the foreign infrastructure contracts also coming to an end, it hopefully wont be too long before this gallery expands. More of my pictures concerning this Class may be found in various gala sections elsewhere on the site. Did I mention that they are my favourite Class?

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 57 - The Ronnies http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1022779.html In 1997 those crazy cats at Brush Traction took 47356 into the workshops, whacked it with a hammer a few times, fitted a second hand GM 645-12E3 power unit and an old Class 56 alternator they had lying around and called it 57001. Since then they have converted 33 Class 47s into Class 57s. 12 for Freightliner, 16 for Virgin Trains and 4 for First GreatWestern, plus the Class 57/6 demonstration machine 57601 which is now owned and operated by the West Coast Railway Company. At the time or writing (Jun 06), the Freightliner examples are in decline with several stored "on decision", while the VT and FGW examples fare much better, indeed they are the only non-preserved diesel locomotives left (save the Class 43s and 67s) that see regular use on passenger work. What a shocking thought! Despite being a successful rebirth of an "outdated" locomotive type, it seems unlikely that any more will be converted. Saturday 1 November 2003: In 1997 those crazy cats at Brush Traction took 47356 into the workshops, whacked it with a hammer a few times, fitted a second hand GM 645-12E3 power unit and an old Class 56 alternator they had lying around and called it 57001. Since then they have converted 33 Class 47s into Class 57s. 12 for Freightliner, 16 for Virgin Trains and 4 for First GreatWestern, plus the Class 57/6 demonstration machine 57601 which is now owned and operated by the West Coast Railway Company. At the time or writing (Jun 06), the Freightliner examples are in decline with several stored "on decision", while the VT and FGW examples fare much better, indeed they are the only non-preserved diesel locomotives left (save the Class 43s and 67s) that see regular use on passenger work. What a shocking thought! Despite being a successful rebirth of an "outdated" locomotive type, it seems unlikely that any more will be converted.

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 Class 67 - The Skips http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c1022764.html Well, what can I say about the Class 67s? Apart from the fact that they are grotesque bloated mingers with little in the way of charm? Well, they remind me of lager louts out on the town; very loud, not much pulling power and renown for getting into scrapes, like trying to jump over a traffic cone and realizing (too late) that it is in fact a rake of MGR wagons. Introduced to the UK in 1999, having been built under GM sub-contract in Spain by Alstom, the first examples were found to be; a) too heavy for most routes, b) weaker than Tiny Tim (after he died), and c) a bit gay (in the rubbishy sense of the word) They were intended for high-speed mail traffic but in a highly controversial move the Royal Mail yanked much of the work away from the railways during 2003. The Class 67s also tried their (fair, unsullied, girlish) hands at long-distance passenger work but they couldn't hack that either. So they made an ideal choice for the Royal Train. (??!?!) Those examples of the multi-million pound Class that are not currently sat in storage can usually be found on light freight workings and numerous weekend charters. A handful are also employed on "thunderbird" duties for the East Coast Main Line. That's when they're not browsing the cosmetics selection in Marks & Spencers... Saturday 1 November 2003: Well, what can I say about the Class 67s? Apart from the fact that they are grotesque bloated mingers with little in the way of charm? Well, they remind me of lager louts out on the town; very loud, not much pulling power and renown for getting into scrapes, like trying to jump over a traffic cone and realizing (too late) that it is in fact a rake of MGR wagons. Introduced to the UK in 1999, having been built under GM sub-contract in Spain by Alstom, the first examples were found to be; a) too heavy for most routes, b) weaker than Tiny Tim (after he died), and c) a bit gay (in the rubbishy sense of the word) They were intended for high-speed mail traffic but in a highly controversial move the Royal Mail yanked much of the work away from the railways during 2003. The Class 67s also tried their (fair, unsullied, girlish) hands at long-distance passenger work but they couldn't hack that either. So they made an ideal choice for the Royal Train. (??!?!) Those examples of the multi-million pound Class that are not currently sat in storage can usually be found on light freight workings and numerous weekend charters. A handful are also employed on "thunderbird" duties for the East Coast Main Line. That's when they're not browsing the cosmetics selection in Marks & Spencers...

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]]> Sat Nov 1 2003 060506 - NYMR Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c955625.html The omens for this Gala were not good from the off. Booked loco's D832 "Onslaught", D6700, 55019 "Er... some Deltic type name" and 55022 "Royal Scots Grey" were all struck off the list before the Gala had even started for various reasons. In the end it became an "East Lancs On Tour" event with D5054, 40145, 45135 and 47402 "Gateshead" all making the trip. Compared with the previous two years, or in fact taken as a single event, it was a bit of a let down. I had been hoping for a few more turns behind 50027 "Lion" after its superb (no pun intended) run last year, but unfortunately the beast lay tranquillised in Grosmont Yard with electrical problems - so unusual for a Class 50!! - so I relied upon D200 and the small Sulzers for entertainment. To my delight D5061 was turned out to replace "Lion", as it had not otherwise been booked to work at all on the Saturday (for some bizarre reason). It was nice to hear the East Lancs stalwarts 45135 "3rd Carabinier" and 47402 get a real workout on the long gradients of the Moors line, but my run of the day was ironically with two NYMR residents, D5061 piloting D200. A louder combination would be hard to find in the UK! It was gloomy for much of the day and eventually started raining, so I didn't take many pictures I'm afraid. Hopefully next years event will be a bit more vivacious. Saturday 6 May 2006: The omens for this Gala were not good from the off. Booked loco's D832 "Onslaught", D6700, 55019 "Er... some Deltic type name" and 55022 "Royal Scots Grey" were all struck off the list before the Gala had even started for various reasons. In the end it became an "East Lancs On Tour" event with D5054, 40145, 45135 and 47402 "Gateshead" all making the trip. Compared with the previous two years, or in fact taken as a single event, it was a bit of a let down. I had been hoping for a few more turns behind 50027 "Lion" after its superb (no pun intended) run last year, but unfortunately the beast lay tranquillised in Grosmont Yard with electrical problems - so unusual for a Class 50!! - so I relied upon D200 and the small Sulzers for entertainment. To my delight D5061 was turned out to replace "Lion", as it had not otherwise been booked to work at all on the Saturday (for some bizarre reason). It was nice to hear the East Lancs stalwarts 45135 "3rd Carabinier" and 47402 get a real workout on the long gradients of the Moors line, but my run of the day was ironically with two NYMR residents, D5061 piloting D200. A louder combination would be hard to find in the UK! It was gloomy for much of the day and eventually started raining, so I didn't take many pictures I'm afraid. Hopefully next years event will be a bit more vivacious.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat May 6 2006 050514 - NYMR Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c955614.html There was a bit of a Scottish invasion this year with the Bo'ness-based trio of 26024, 27001 and 47643 paying a welcome visit to the Moors. It was a nice treat to see these fine loco's south of the border, providing people like myself a chance to experience what we would otherwise not see for one reason or another. Besides this the former Scottish Region machines do a great deal to replenish my nostalgia tanks. The highlanders were augmented by a few bits and pieces from the NYMR's own fleet, plus a couple of loco's from the NRM. It was great to reacquaint myself with D200, as the last time I had her for haulage was on "The Corby Cutler" railtour almost exactly 8 years previously on the 4th May 1987. She was still great, the climb up from Grosmont to Goathland producing possibly the most incredible thrash from a "Whistler" on a preserved line I've yet heard. Conversely the other NRM loco, 47798 "Prince William" in Royal Plum livery, was a complete bag of spanners. It puttered along all day and didn't appear to want to haul anything heavier than a small bag of chips. Externally it was a wreck too, worse than many preserved examples and extremely shabby when compared to 47643. Likewise D200, while mechanically better, was showing signs of deterioration. Would the NRM let a steam loco get into that state, we asked ourselves...? A pleasant surprise was had when 50027 "Lion", not expected to be ready in time for the Gala, suddenly appeared at Grosmont station in the afternoon sounding very ready! It was hastily added to the roster and tailed D200 to Pickering where it was given the task of working the return. Which it did, in a way which is best described as "energetic". My day very nearly came to an unhappy end when the station Bert at Pickering refused to let me board the last train back up the line because it was "ready to leave"! Fortunately a mate was on hand to offer a fast car move (cheers Phil) and we made Goathland in time for me to catch 47643 back to Pickering. I lost a few miles of haulage but I should have got on the train quicker at the end of the day! You live and learn. Saturday 14 May 2005: There was a bit of a Scottish invasion this year with the Bo'ness-based trio of 26024, 27001 and 47643 paying a welcome visit to the Moors. It was a nice treat to see these fine loco's south of the border, providing people like myself a chance to experience what we would otherwise not see for one reason or another. Besides this the former Scottish Region machines do a great deal to replenish my nostalgia tanks. The highlanders were augmented by a few bits and pieces from the NYMR's own fleet, plus a couple of loco's from the NRM. It was great to reacquaint myself with D200, as the last time I had her for haulage was on "The Corby Cutler" railtour almost exactly 8 years previously on the 4th May 1987. She was still great, the climb up from Grosmont to Goathland producing possibly the most incredible thrash from a "Whistler" on a preserved line I've yet heard. Conversely the other NRM loco, 47798 "Prince William" in Royal Plum livery, was a complete bag of spanners. It puttered along all day and didn't appear to want to haul anything heavier than a small bag of chips. Externally it was a wreck too, worse than many preserved examples and extremely shabby when compared to 47643. Likewise D200, while mechanically better, was showing signs of deterioration. Would the NRM let a steam loco get into that state, we asked ourselves...? A pleasant surprise was had when 50027 "Lion", not expected to be ready in time for the Gala, suddenly appeared at Grosmont station in the afternoon sounding very ready! It was hastily added to the roster and tailed D200 to Pickering where it was given the task of working the return. Which it did, in a way which is best described as "energetic". My day very nearly came to an unhappy end when the station Bert at Pickering refused to let me board the last train back up the line because it was "ready to leave"! Fortunately a mate was on hand to offer a fast car move (cheers Phil) and we made Goathland in time for me to catch 47643 back to Pickering. I lost a few miles of haulage but I should have got on the train quicker at the end of the day! You live and learn.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat May 14 2005 040424 - NYMR Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c955609.html Not even in May yet and I'm already at another railway that I haven't visited for years! The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's combination of glorious scenery and challenging route make it a popular destination for all types of rail enthusiast, so when their annual diesel event comes around you can be sure of a good turnout. In the past the NYMR have courted controversy with their use of some highly dubious traction during galas, including most incongruously a Vermin Voyager!!! Fortunately this year the lineup was pure class with two Peaks, double heading by 37197 & 37261 and even more double heading by 50007 "Teddy Elgar" & 50033 "Glorious". The event was overshadowed slightly by some resentful feelings towards the NRM with the news that this was to be 50033's final NYMR gala before it went to become a "static exhibit" at Steam - the Museum of the GWR. The decision to use a Class 50 in good working order for this purpose, in spite of all the junk ones lying around, was never going to be popular... Aside from the that, it was an excellent day with good performances from all the participating loco's, most notably the rather loud Class 25 D7628 "Sybilla" and 44004 "Great Gable", resplendent in BR Blue complete with "Class 1 Express" headcode discs. Very nice too! Saturday 24 April 2004: Not even in May yet and I'm already at another railway that I haven't visited for years! The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's combination of glorious scenery and challenging route make it a popular destination for all types of rail enthusiast, so when their annual diesel event comes around you can be sure of a good turnout. In the past the NYMR have courted controversy with their use of some highly dubious traction during galas, including most incongruously a Vermin Voyager!!! Fortunately this year the lineup was pure class with two Peaks, double heading by 37197 & 37261 and even more double heading by 50007 "Teddy Elgar" & 50033 "Glorious". The event was overshadowed slightly by some resentful feelings towards the NRM with the news that this was to be 50033's final NYMR gala before it went to become a "static exhibit" at Steam - the Museum of the GWR. The decision to use a Class 50 in good working order for this purpose, in spite of all the junk ones lying around, was never going to be popular... Aside from the that, it was an excellent day with good performances from all the participating loco's, most notably the rather loud Class 25 D7628 "Sybilla" and 44004 "Great Gable", resplendent in BR Blue complete with "Class 1 Express" headcode discs. Very nice too!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Apr 24 2004 060429 - AFRPS Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c948229.html This was an excellent gala arranged by the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society, utilizing two of their own loco's plus guest loco's provided by Corus, EWS and HNRC. The basic timetable was for six round trips taking a 6.75mile clockwise route around the perimeter of the enormous Scunthorpe steelworks site, then a seventh longer trip that would be more off the beaten track. The Society only have a small site within the works, with an excursion platform and their own loco shed beyond. However thanks to a good deal of co-operation from Corus they are able to run trips along a good deal of the internal railway network, affording the general public a rare insight into the sheer scale of operations at the works. I was particularly looking forward to this event because, while I have "done" Corus Scunthorpe before, I didn't have a camera at that time and there are some sights here which I really needed to capture! Needless to say I was not disappointed, the weather was superb on the day and the organizers really worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. This was their annual diesel event, but the Society do several public tours during the year and I can heartily recommend them too! Have a look at their website: http://www.afrps.co.uk/ Loco's used during the event: AFRPS #2661 "Arnold Machin" (Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-6-0DE, 1958) AFRPS #3151 (Bagnall 0-6-0DM, 1962) Corus #1 (Yorkshire Engine Co. "Janus" type 0-6-0DE) Corus #4 (Baguley-Drewry 0-4-0DE, 1977) Corus #75 (Hunslet "Anchor" type 1100hp Bo-Bo) EWS 08393 (BR Class 08) HNRC D2853 (Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-4-0DH Class 02, 1960) HNRC 20901 (BR Class 20) Thanks to AFRPS and the people of Corus Scunthorpe for arranging the gala, and to Adrian Booth for the shunter info. Saturday 29 April 2006: This was an excellent gala arranged by the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society, utilizing two of their own loco's plus guest loco's provided by Corus, EWS and HNRC. The basic timetable was for six round trips taking a 6.75mile clockwise route around the perimeter of the enormous Scunthorpe steelworks site, then a seventh longer trip that would be more off the beaten track. The Society only have a small site within the works, with an excursion platform and their own loco shed beyond. However thanks to a good deal of co-operation from Corus they are able to run trips along a good deal of the internal railway network, affording the general public a rare insight into the sheer scale of operations at the works. I was particularly looking forward to this event because, while I have "done" Corus Scunthorpe before, I didn't have a camera at that time and there are some sights here which I really needed to capture! Needless to say I was not disappointed, the weather was superb on the day and the organizers really worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly. This was their annual diesel event, but the Society do several public tours during the year and I can heartily recommend them too! Have a look at their website: http://www.afrps.co.uk/ Loco's used during the event: AFRPS #2661 "Arnold Machin" (Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-6-0DE, 1958) AFRPS #3151 (Bagnall 0-6-0DM, 1962) Corus #1 (Yorkshire Engine Co. "Janus" type 0-6-0DE) Corus #4 (Baguley-Drewry 0-4-0DE, 1977) Corus #75 (Hunslet "Anchor" type 1100hp Bo-Bo) EWS 08393 (BR Class 08) HNRC D2853 (Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-4-0DH Class 02, 1960) HNRC 20901 (BR Class 20) Thanks to AFRPS and the people of Corus Scunthorpe for arranging the gala, and to Adrian Booth for the shunter info.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Apr 29 2006 060401 - G&WR spring Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c914168.html The road is long, as the song goes. In the case of the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway (that's over 600 points in Scrabble, by the way) the road is almost 130 miles long each way, but the journey is well worth it. Especially if they have a Gala on. Which they did. In spite of missing the first shuttle from Toddington, lead by 47376, the day went relatively smoothly. I spent the day mostly tripping between Winchcombe and Cheltenham Racecourse. This is currently the longest section but it was largely due to the quirks of the timetable and my insatiable desire to score all the loco's that led to this happening. My mate Tony broke away at one point to do another turn with 37324 "Clydebridge" and it's easy to see why as the thing is clearly hellfire, but for me the highlight was 56003. Freshly turned out in Load Haul livery and sounding fabulous, it made the back of my neck tingle every time it loaded up. Bonus beasts were blue 24081 and green 20137. Great stuff! Saturday 1 April 2006: The road is long, as the song goes. In the case of the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway (that's over 600 points in Scrabble, by the way) the road is almost 130 miles long each way, but the journey is well worth it. Especially if they have a Gala on. Which they did. In spite of missing the first shuttle from Toddington, lead by 47376, the day went relatively smoothly. I spent the day mostly tripping between Winchcombe and Cheltenham Racecourse. This is currently the longest section but it was largely due to the quirks of the timetable and my insatiable desire to score all the loco's that led to this happening. My mate Tony broke away at one point to do another turn with 37324 "Clydebridge" and it's easy to see why as the thing is clearly hellfire, but for me the highlight was 56003. Freshly turned out in Load Haul livery and sounding fabulous, it made the back of my neck tingle every time it loaded up. Bonus beasts were blue 24081 and green 20137. Great stuff!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Apr 1 2006 060311 - Llangollen spring Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c901566.html The second Llangollen gala I've attended in five months - this could be habit forming! A good day, not surprisingly very well attended what with an immaculate 37901 in service, freshly painted and renamed "Mirrlees Pioneer". I had several trips along the line during the day, finally getting 20142 in the book, although a long and cold fester was endured while they did something technical with 25313 before it was ready to haul the brake van trip. We finally left Llangollen a full hour late. Eat your heart out, Virgin Trains! Saturday 11 March 2006: The second Llangollen gala I've attended in five months - this could be habit forming! A good day, not surprisingly very well attended what with an immaculate 37901 in service, freshly painted and renamed "Mirrlees Pioneer". I had several trips along the line during the day, finally getting 20142 in the book, although a long and cold fester was endured while they did something technical with 25313 before it was ready to haul the brake van trip. We finally left Llangollen a full hour late. Eat your heart out, Virgin Trains!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Mar 11 2006 Ye Printe Archives http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c901364.html In the early years of my "career" as a rail enthusiast I never took any pictures, mainly because I didn't have a camera. Then when I did get a camera, the results were invariably so bad that I just didn't bother trying. It was simply too frustrating to be presented with yet another batch of rubbish prints and not know why they hadn't turned out right, so eventually I just gave up. Subsequently I have little or no visual record of what I now consider to be the most interesting period of my hobby. That's life, as they say. With that cheerful tale out of the way (!) I recently found that, with careful scanning and judicious Photoshopping I can coax some reasonably good results from a small selection of the photo's. However they were taken with a variety of average cameras and almost always on poor quality film, so don't expect miracles. Either way there are some nice moments recorded here and I hope you don't find the viewing as depressing as it was for me to scan the bleedin' things... It seems I've lost my old "numbers books" so I have no record for some of the pictures here, having to just guess at the year in some cases. If you spot any which are blatantly wrong then please let me know. Thanks to Richard Hargreaves for the dates on the East Lancs pictures. PLEASE NOTE: Some pics have been removed for corrections. Monday 1 January 1990: In the early years of my "career" as a rail enthusiast I never took any pictures, mainly because I didn't have a camera. Then when I did get a camera, the results were invariably so bad that I just didn't bother trying. It was simply too frustrating to be presented with yet another batch of rubbish prints and not know why they hadn't turned out right, so eventually I just gave up. Subsequently I have little or no visual record of what I now consider to be the most interesting period of my hobby. That's life, as they say. With that cheerful tale out of the way (!) I recently found that, with careful scanning and judicious Photoshopping I can coax some reasonably good results from a small selection of the photo's. However they were taken with a variety of average cameras and almost always on poor quality film, so don't expect miracles. Either way there are some nice moments recorded here and I hope you don't find the viewing as depressing as it was for me to scan the bleedin' things... It seems I've lost my old "numbers books" so I have no record for some of the pictures here, having to just guess at the year in some cases. If you spot any which are blatantly wrong then please let me know. Thanks to Richard Hargreaves for the dates on the East Lancs pictures. PLEASE NOTE: Some pics have been removed for corrections.

Cheers to Chris B for pointing out the number for the Class 56 was wrong, now corrected.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Mon Jan 1 1990 040403 - MRB spring Diesel Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c870358.html A rather grey day in April saw me beat a path to the Midland Railway Centre, or the Midland Railway Butterley as it's now known, for the first time in god-knows how many years, in order to take in the delights of their Spring Diesel Gala. This being my first visit since it became something of a "diesel mecca" (yes, it was that long ago) meant that I took rather too many pictures of the loco's on shed at Swanwick and not enough of the trains in action. The situation wasn't helped much by the fact that it was bitterly cold (why is it always cold at Butterley?) and it kept trying to rain. Add to this the excitement of getting off the bus from Alfreton in the wrong place and wandering into Butterley Steel "by mistake" and you've got the recipe for... well, this day. It's a great place to visit and while the length of the line is a modest 3 miles, there's no shortage of things to point a camera at. Swanwick itself has the air of a large BR depot about it. The gala itself was pretty good and while the service is somewhat more relaxed than it is on other railways, the diesel lads certainly know how to drive them. The final run with two Class 37's in full cry was the definite highlight. The loco's used during the gala were: 25321 (D7671), 37057 "Viking", 37190, 45041 "Royal Tank Regiment" and 46045 (D182). Saturday 3 April 2004: A rather grey day in April saw me beat a path to the Midland Railway Centre, or the Midland Railway Butterley as it's now known, for the first time in god-knows how many years, in order to take in the delights of their Spring Diesel Gala. This being my first visit since it became something of a "diesel mecca" (yes, it was that long ago) meant that I took rather too many pictures of the loco's on shed at Swanwick and not enough of the trains in action. The situation wasn't helped much by the fact that it was bitterly cold (why is it always cold at Butterley?) and it kept trying to rain. Add to this the excitement of getting off the bus from Alfreton in the wrong place and wandering into Butterley Steel "by mistake" and you've got the recipe for... well, this day. It's a great place to visit and while the length of the line is a modest 3 miles, there's no shortage of things to point a camera at. Swanwick itself has the air of a large BR depot about it. The gala itself was pretty good and while the service is somewhat more relaxed than it is on other railways, the diesel lads certainly know how to drive them. The final run with two Class 37's in full cry was the definite highlight. The loco's used during the gala were: 25321 (D7671), 37057 "Viking", 37190, 45041 "Royal Tank Regiment" and 46045 (D182).

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Apr 3 2004 040320 - East Lancs Hydraulic Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c870295.html More fun at the East Lancs, this time with the Hydraulics on a day in which the thrash was immense and the weather was decidedly mediocre. Low cloud sat over Heywood for most of the day and combined with the sunlight filtering through to produce one of those horrible white skies, which are the bane of anyone with a digital camera! Traction was provided by the Bury Hydraulics Display Squadron, featuring D1041 "Western Prince", Hymek D7076 and Warship D832 "Onslaught" which holds pride of place as the only diesel ever to give me bronchitis. Class 31 D5600 was on hand to provide train heating. Incidentally this event spanned the whole weekend as it included the infamous "Night Rider" (diesel hauled trains running all night) and a turn by 40135 on the Sunday. But I didn't stay for that, so you'll have to use your imagination, or alternatively look at someone else's pictures of the event - http://55013.fotopic.net/c139636.html for example! Saturday 20 March 2004: More fun at the East Lancs, this time with the Hydraulics on a day in which the thrash was immense and the weather was decidedly mediocre. Low cloud sat over Heywood for most of the day and combined with the sunlight filtering through to produce one of those horrible white skies, which are the bane of anyone with a digital camera! Traction was provided by the Bury Hydraulics Display Squadron, featuring D1041 "Western Prince", Hymek D7076 and Warship D832 "Onslaught" which holds pride of place as the only diesel ever to give me bronchitis. Class 31 D5600 was on hand to provide train heating. Incidentally this event spanned the whole weekend as it included the infamous "Night Rider" (diesel hauled trains running all night) and a turn by 40135 on the Sunday. But I didn't stay for that, so you'll have to use your imagination, or alternatively look at someone else's pictures of the event - http://55013.fotopic.net/c139636.html for example!

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Mar 20 2004 040221 - East Lancs Sulzer Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c869739.html A cold day in February saw the hardier members of the thrash fraternity gathering at the East Lancs again, this time for a day of Sulzer-powered entertainment. For me it was the promise of some Freightliner Type 4's, two having been requested, which dragged me from my bed at 7.00am. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Freightliner had not sent a Class 47 of any description due to "operating commitments" which had apparently only come to light the previous evening. Yeah right... So the day was spent in part riding behind two ELR in-house Sulzers, D5054 and 45135, and the only other visiting Sulzer, Riviera Trains' smart looking 47853 - a bit of a beast and one I remember from my trainspotting days on the (always) cold platforms of Manchester Piccadilly, when she looked slightly different; http://47574.fotopic.net/p22631641.html However, the atmosphere was pretty subdued and it transpired that word of Freightliners' cancellation had spread around the "gen network" the previous night, so the turnout was poor in any case. I decided to try some lineside photography instead of my normal pursuit of track-bashing, so I met up with Andy Slater (http://www.brdw.co.uk/) and with High Visibility jackets in hand we endeavored to make the most of what was otherwise a bit of a washout. Saturday 21 February 2004: A cold day in February saw the hardier members of the thrash fraternity gathering at the East Lancs again, this time for a day of Sulzer-powered entertainment. For me it was the promise of some Freightliner Type 4's, two having been requested, which dragged me from my bed at 7.00am. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Freightliner had not sent a Class 47 of any description due to "operating commitments" which had apparently only come to light the previous evening. Yeah right... So the day was spent in part riding behind two ELR in-house Sulzers, D5054 and 45135, and the only other visiting Sulzer, Riviera Trains' smart looking 47853 - a bit of a beast and one I remember from my trainspotting days on the (always) cold platforms of Manchester Piccadilly, when she looked slightly different; http://47574.fotopic.net/p22631641.html However, the atmosphere was pretty subdued and it transpired that word of Freightliners' cancellation had spread around the "gen network" the previous night, so the turnout was poor in any case. I decided to try some lineside photography instead of my normal pursuit of track-bashing, so I met up with Andy Slater (http://www.brdw.co.uk/) and with High Visibility jackets in hand we endeavored to make the most of what was otherwise a bit of a washout.

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Feb 21 2004 040117 - East Lancs EE Gala http://jimmurphy.fotopic.net/c869709.html You know the feeling. You wake with a start, as though your brain trying to tell you something urgent. Then you realize, with an increasing sense of dread, that you vaguely recall turning the alarm off already. With the reluctance of the condemned, you slowly turn your gaze to the clock and let out a groan. Yes, it is true... you have overslept! So began this merry Saturday. A solitary piece of toast followed by a quick dash from one side of Manchester to the other and I reached the ELR just in time to miss the double-headed Class 40 trip that I'd wanted! Crestfallen I went in search of a timetable... but I couldn't get one, as the booking office had run out by the time I arrived. With these minor setbacks out of the way, the day actually went splendidly with lots of interesting traction combinations and much judicious use of their respective power handles. The weather was sunny but freezing so it was nice to see that the not-EE-in-the-slightest D832 "Onslaught" had been provided for steam heating duties. The highlight was, of course, 37194+37197+37261 on the last service of the day. Irrespective of your feelings on "tractors" or even triple-heading for that matter, it was an undeniably hellfire run. Red hot clag piling out of the exhausts, drivers winding each other up and some very vocal encouragement from the assembled bashers. A fitting end to a manic day. The loco's involved were 31435, 37194 "Neil Webster", 37197, 37261, D832 "Onslaught", 40135 and 40145. Thanks must go to the two lads from Birmingham who donated one of their timetable sheets to me whilst I was taking a break at Irwell Vale. More pictures and some video footage from the event are available at Marcus Dawson's Rail-net Photo Archive (http://www.rail-net.co.uk/storypage.php?storyid=151). Saturday 17 January 2004: You know the feeling. You wake with a start, as though your brain trying to tell you something urgent. Then you realize, with an increasing sense of dread, that you vaguely recall turning the alarm off already. With the reluctance of the condemned, you slowly turn your gaze to the clock and let out a groan. Yes, it is true... you have overslept! So began this merry Saturday. A solitary piece of toast followed by a quick dash from one side of Manchester to the other and I reached the ELR just in time to miss the double-headed Class 40 trip that I'd wanted! Crestfallen I went in search of a timetable... but I couldn't get one, as the booking office had run out by the time I arrived. With these minor setbacks out of the way, the day actually went splendidly with lots of interesting traction combinations and much judicious use of their respective power handles. The weather was sunny but freezing so it was nice to see that the not-EE-in-the-slightest D832 "Onslaught" had been provided for steam heating duties. The highlight was, of course, 37194+37197+37261 on the last service of the day. Irrespective of your feelings on "tractors" or even triple-heading for that matter, it was an undeniably hellfire run. Red hot clag piling out of the exhausts, drivers winding each other up and some very vocal encouragement from the assembled bashers. A fitting end to a manic day. The loco's involved were 31435, 37194 "Neil Webster", 37197, 37261, D832 "Onslaught", 40135 and 40145. Thanks must go to the two lads from Birmingham who donated one of their timetable sheets to me whilst I was taking a break at Irwell Vale. More pictures and some video footage from the event are available at Marcus Dawson's Rail-net Photo Archive (http://www.rail-net.co.uk/storypage.php?storyid=151).

Published in Jim Murphy's Railpics

]]> Sat Jan 17 2004