I was going to use this composition for an arriving Pendolino but chose instead to use it for the 10.18am Carlisle N.Y. - Tees Dock BSC Export Berth (6E97), which just happened to get a signal check across on the Up platform. DB Cargo Shed 66171 is in charge.

The location is Carlisle and I couldn't let the elegant vertically framed glazing go to waste. Known as Citadel station in British Railways days (and probably still referred to that way by some locals) the architecture sure does the label justice. Perhaps not surprisingly the station was given Grade II Listed status as far back as 1972.

For more information ..... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlisle_railway_station

I'm a bit behind so commenting is off for this one. Looks better full screen, and where the unexpected pigeon is more easily spotted!

10.24am, 11th October 2021

Tags:   DBCargo EWS Class66 Shed 66171 6E97 Carlisle Autumn 2021 Citadel Freight Goods Cargo WCML West Coast Mainline Architecture Glazed Box wagons Listed Status Listed Glazing Glass Roof Railway Station Train JRA Tiphook

© All Rights Reserved

It hardly stopped raining on the recent day-trip to Westbury, but at least I managed to add to the sum total of just one class 59 in my snapper's portfolio.

With grey skies and glowing lights symbolic of the conditions, Aggregate Industries liveried unit 59005 'Kenneth J Painter' rolls to a stand at Westbury with the early running 1.24pm Whatley Quarry - Dagenham Dock (6L21) loaded aggregate.

It's hard not to be impressed with these lengthy 4,000 tonne plus trains, nor the 30 year old locomotive on the front hauling it. Not quite as ancient as the Great Western Railway platform canopy mind which, by my reckoning, is 120 years old. Any real expert opinions welcomed of course.

Looks best full screen.

1.46pm, 11th October 2019

Tags:   Westbury Wilts Wiltshire Aggregate Industries Class59 59005 Kenneth J Painter Freight Cargo Aggregate Stone 2019 Autumn Rain Shower Downpour GWR Great Western Railway Victorian Victoriana Shed Mood Atmosphere

© All Rights Reserved

Class 50 no. 50018, as yet un-named, stands at Paignton station with a rake of Mark 2 carriages and, presumably, an Inter-City service that will eventually depart to London Paddington. The shot is titled 'End of the Line' because although the Dartmouth Steam Railway runs heritage services to the original Great Western Railway terminus at Kingswear, as far as BR were concerned, Paignton was the terminus of the UK rail network in these parts.

I was based in Teignmouth for the week with the intention of trying to snap as many Western diesel-hydraulics as I could given what many were assuming at the time would be their last summer in regular service. My trip that day would take me to Liskeard, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Dawlish Warren, and finally back to Teignmouth. In fact Westerns proved a bit thin with 1021 and 1041 snapped at Dawlish Warren on passenger services, and 1009 and 1036 snapped at Teignmouth on parcels and china clay workings respectively.

This is the first time I've seen this negative 'enlarged' and, as always, it's the little details that we took for granted in the 1970s that make the image for me ....... the porter's barrow and mail trolley, the oil tail-lamps ready for use, awning tannoy, the level crossing over the ever-busy Torbay Road, the semaphores, etc.

Ilford FP4 rated at 125asa, developed in Acutol

23rd July 1976

Tags:   West of England West Country English Electric Class50 50018 Paignton Devon 1976 IlfordFP4 Acutol Blackandwhite B&W Monochrome Semaphores Railwayana Paignton Station Mark 2 carriage Oil-lamp Summer Inter-City Torbay Road

© All Rights Reserved

Still finding its feet after replacing a number of class 66 Shed diagrams on these workings, GB Railfreight Tug 60021, still sporting its Colas livery and one of several recently acquired by the company, passes Rainhill on Merseyside hauling the 11.14am Liverpool Biomass Terminal - Drax wooden pellets train (6E10).

Rainhill station is one of the oldest in the world opening in 1830, making it 189 years old when this shot was taken. The current station buildings are a little younger - built in 1860-1868 by the London & North Western Railway, they are now Listed Status.

Info courtesy of Wikipedia:
The Rainhill Trials were an important competition run in October 1829, to test George Stephenson's argument that locomotives would provide the best motive power for the then nearly-completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Five locomotives were entered, running along a 1 mile length of level track at Rainhill, which then lay in Lancashire. Stephenson's Rocket was the only locomotive to complete the trials, and was declared the winner. The directors of the railway accepted that locomotives should operate services on their new line, and George and Robert Stephenson were given the contract to produce locomotives for the railway.

12.24pm, 18th February 2019

Tags:   Rainhill Merseyside St Helens GBRf GB Railfreight Biomass Wooden Pellets Colas Class60 Tug 60021 2019 Winter Rainhill Trials 6E10 Freight Cargo Liverpool & Manchester Railway Victoriana

© All Rights Reserved

With a couple of hours to spare between old-folk duties, I did what any self-respecting connoisseur of eating and railways does .... yes, headed down to the Delamere Station Cafe with a newspaper where, in my opinion, they serve the best fried breakfasts in Cheshire.

I'd love to say this shot was planned but the train pulling in just after 'brekkie' arrived was fortuitous to say the least. For the record it's the 11.17 Manchester Piccadilly - Chester (2D40).

Sorry if you were expecting to see Ewan McGregor, et al. Note that other fried breakfasts are available in Cheshire.

3rd April 2017

Tags:   Delamere Cheshire iPhone 2017 Breakfast Delamere Station cafe Fried Breakfast 2D40 Trainspotting Northern

© All Rights Reserved