19850223_ZD_AdrianNicols

Albums Back
08 605 working middle shift pilot diagram T05 in Kingmoor Yard. Some rather fine autumn sunshine after two days of solid rain were rather welcome for a 9 hour shift on the yard pilot. Well at least it gave me the chance to get a few photos in some half decent weather., , Our vintage pilot 08 605 was built at BR Derby Works in 1959 so celebrated its 54th birthday this year. It's first depot was Stockport Edgeley where it was allocated new on 13/06/1959 but that depot is now but history. The shunt pilots owned by DB Schenker are now all nominally allocated to Toton but this is a paper exercise as they really have no home depot just a pool code. Being allocated to DB Logistics, Construction or Industrial. Those based in the North West of England tend to go to Crewe ETD by road for any major exams otherwise day to day maintenance is carried out where they work in the open., , 08 605 seen here is one of the DB fleet that has been fitted with radio remote control equipment but it has never worked properly and the project was abandoned. The locomotive is standing in no.14 road in the sorting sidings coupled to the Skako ballast distribution train while working diagram T05 the 10.50 ballast train shunt pilot. In reality since the yard now only has one shunt pilot it also covers the 24hr pilot diagram T04. At busy times during the day this results in mainline locos being used for shunting between their booked workings. Regular contenders being the Longtown trip loco or the engine off 6M75 from Hardendale which spends most of the day in the yard before returning with 6V71 to Margam late afternoon.
10465305245.jpg
12:55:14 24/10/2013 		Stored and unloved class 141 railbuses at Kilmarnock. 1988. They didn't come any more basic than a class 141 railbus. These trains were ordered in early 1983 with the production prototype 141 001 being delivered to BR in October 1983 with the rest of the fleet following during 1984. The units were to replace first generation DMU's in West Yorkshire in an effort to reduce running costs of secondary and branch line routes., The class 141's were the production build of the BRE/Leyland class 140 railbus built for evaluation in 1981. They comprised a Leyland National bus body on an express freight wagon underframe that had been developed by the BR Derby Research Centre. The whole class of 20 2-car units bar 141 001 were painted in the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive green and white livery and gained the name 'Pacers'. The name was supposed to convey a modern image but most people tended to associate it with a packet of green and white chewy sweets that were also sold in the early 1980's called Pacer Mints. (Exposure to either in large quantities could induce sickness, LOL)., These dreadful units didn't last long in service before gearbox problems and other issues largely grounded the fleet so from 1988 onward Andrew Barclay Ltd of Kilmarnock were contracted to refurbish the units to improve reliability and fit BSI couplers as part of the overhaul. Units were thus hauled up to Barclay's works at Kilmarnock for workshop attention and stored sets were often to be seen in Kilmarnock Goods Yard waiting a trip across the road into the works. Despite the overhaul they didn't enjoy much of a life extension and by the mid 1990's they were being sidelined again with over half the fleet out of service by 1996., , In an ironic twist of fate while the United States sort economic sanctions against Iran in the Middle East during the 1990's the British Government came up with a better plan, inflict these dreadful units on the Iranian travelling public to weaken there will. So it was in 2001-02 11 of the original 20 2-car sets were sold to RAI (Rahahane Djjomhouriye Eslami Iran). I can't imagine the harsh conditions in Iran with sand and dust did them any favours and very much doubt any are still working. Of the two sets above 141 004 (55505+55525) which is leading emerged from refurbishment as 141 105 and was later exported to Iran while the rear set 141 002 (55503+55523) (later 141 103) is now preserved in the UK and operates on the Weardale Railway in Co.Durham.
10945033224.jpg
Production Prototype 2-car class 141 Railbus set no.141 001. Kilmarnock. 1988. With British Rail looking for a cost effective means of replacing the aging standard DMU fleet BRE (British Rail Engineering) in conjunction with Leyland Bus developed the lightweight railbus concept. Instead of bogied vehicles these new units were built on an express freight wagon underframe which was being developed for fast container freight by BR Derby Research Centre. On top went a standard Leyland National bus body and interior. As railway stock went these new generation units were very basic. It should also be recognized though that if not for the class 140 to 144 railbuses much of the branch network and secondary lines within the UK might well have lost their passenger service during the Conservative Government era of the early 1980's when rail investment was seen as subsidy. So they served a purpose but were never a patch on the stock they replaced and only just outlasted the older units they were intended to replace., All bar one of the class 141 fleet of twenty units were outshopped in West Yorkshire PTE green and white livery from new but the first of the class which went to BR Derby Research for evaluation and type testing was outshopped in BR blue and grey livery. The unit was accepted by BR in October 1983 and from 1985 ended up allocated to Neville Hill Depot in Leeds to be with the rest of the class 141's. Poor reliability and non standard couplings lead to the class being refurbished from 1988 onwards at Andrew Barclay's Works, Kilmarnock. Stored units were thus hauled to Scotland for overhaul and here sets 141 001 still in BR livery but robbed of many parts is seen waiting its turn for overhaul. It returned to service as 141 102 in May 1989 sporting the new red and cream "Metro-Train" livery but by 1997 was withdrawn and like 12 of its sister sets was exported in 2001-02 to RAI (The State Railways of Iran).
10946156064.jpg
08 715 Currock Wagon Works' 'unofficial pilot'. 2004. 08 715 was something of an odd-ball in the EWS shunter fleet. It was the last vacuum brake only class 08 on the companies books and carried a one off day-glow orange livery plus being fitted with a single headlight both ends. The locomotive was originally an Eastern Region machine in BR days and gained its orange livery while at Startford TMD in 1993. As I understand it this livery was applied for shunting the LIFT (London International Freight Terminal) at Startford., By September 1997 now in EWS ownership it was taken out of use and officially recorded as stored serviceable on 08/02/1998 being mothballed at its home depot Stratford. When EWS started to carry out shunter overhauls at Ferrybridge Depot it was moved by road to Yorkshire in May 2001 but being vacuum only it never entered the overhaul programme and instead remained stored serviceable. With the cut back in depot provision and the ceasing of shunter overhauls culminating in Ferrybridge Depots closure it was moved again by road to Currock Wagon Works in Carlisle. A number of other out of use class 08's moved at the same time, this move took place in late 2003., The EWS staff at Currock found the locomotive to be in far better condition than many of the active fleet so unofficially it was adopted as the works pilot and saw regular use shunting the wagon works despite officially still being stored., Being in such good condition everyone thought its future would be assured, in fact it still carried its 1960 Derby Works worksplate which by this date was unusual as most had been prized off or broken. When the works closed in 2007 everybody thought it would be sold into preservation. Alas that wasn't to be as EWS asset management had it recorded as stored out of use for 9 years so it was deemed only fit for scrap. Nobody was about to say hang on a minute its a runner and we have been using it for years ! So as the works was cleared of rolling stock it ended up as the last remaining vehicle in the shed by which time thieves had comprehensively wrecked it trying to rob copper and brass from the locomotive. With a bleak future in prospect it was removed from the derelict shed on 21/01/2009 and taken by road to T.J. Thompson's Scrapyard at Stockton for its appointment with the gas axe.
11188016944.jpg
47 847 in use as a ETH pre-heating unit at Crewe Diesel TMD. After privatisation of the British Rail Inter City sector 47 847 passed to Porterbrook Leasing Co. on hire to Virgin Trains as part of their Cross Country franchise. In 2003 it career with Virgin was drawing to a close as Voyager units were taking over Cross Country services when it failed in Scotland with a serious generator fault in September 2003. That failure caused it to be stored unserviceable and Virgin Trains placed it off lease with immediate effect. Porterbrook Leasing subsequently moved the locomotive to Derby for repairs in December 2003 by Fragonset Railways Workshops. It was returned to service in in February 2004 on a short term lease to Freightliner Intermodal. The use by Freightliner ended in January 2005 after which Porterbrook Leasing sold the locomotive to Riviera Trains Ltd. It was primarily for charter train use but did see a further hire period to Freightliner for driver route training trips in late 2005., , After working charter trains for a period its use in latter years has been as a ETH pre-heat unit. Since I took this photo the locomotive has this month (June) seen a new coat of paint restoring its BR large logo livery to pristine condition. It is to be leased to GBRF to cover for a short term loco shortage.
14333646899.jpg
13:28:54 01/02/2014 		08 428 and 66 125 in Carlisle Kingmoor Yard. Cumbria. Flaming June ! Well some sunshine and warm temperatures at last sees recently arrived 08 428 a replacement for 08 605 standing in the up departures sidings. The class 08 has been modified and fitted with a swing head AAR coupler so it can move wagons such as HTA hoppers which only have a fixed AAR coupler. The previous shunt pilot 08 605 didn't have one so moving or shunting cripple HTA's (like the wagon extreme right) was always a problem and required a class 66 to be available to perform such moves. The downside though is vintage 08 428 a product of Derby Locomotive works in 1958 only has a manual fuel header tank pump. It is thus unpopular with drivers as it means every shift manually pumping diesel fuel into the loco's fuel header tank by means of a pump handle in the cab, a laborious arm aching job., 08 428 is on shunt diagram 0T04 the 24hr yard pilot job while alongside stands 66 125 recently arrived with freight 6C79 12.05 ex Longtown Military Depot. The train being formed with a single stores van and a lengthy consists of empty container flats.
14366055791.jpg
12:39:26 06/06/2014 		D1916 (47 812) light engine at Slittingmill Crossing, Renishaw. Derbyshire. BR two tone green liveried class 47 no.D1916 (47 812) owned by Riviera Trains Ltd is seen while on hire to GB Railfreight running light engine as 0Z47 11.51 Barrow Hill Depot to York Wagon Works Klondyke Yard. The locomotive then worked an additional ballast empties to Peterborough., , The locomotive is seen here heading north having just passed over Renishaw Sliitingmill occupation crossing on the freight only line between Tapton Junction, Chesterfield and Beighton Junction.
15406408661.jpg
11:58:42 23/09/2014 		08 678 'Artila' at Carnforth WCRC Depot. 2003. 08 678 was withdrawn by BR from Tinsley Depot in Sheffield on 30/10/1988. After periods stored waiting disposal at Doncaster Carr and Tyne Yard depots it was moved to Carlisle Upperby Depot in March 1989 for overhaul and repair having been sold to Glaxo Chemicals Ltd for use at their Plumpton Works in south Cumbria. The locomotive was delivered to Glaxo's Plumpton Works on 4th May 1989 to shunt the factory and work the the branch to Plumpton Junction east of Ulverston. Like 03 196 depicted in the previous image at Carnforth 08 678 has seen several owners since the end of its BR career along with three different names., Under BR ownership at its final depot Tinsley it carried the painted name "Staveley" in line with the tradition at the depot to name their engines with unofficial painted names. The sale to Glaxo saw the name changed to "Ulverstonian" but by 1996 this had changed to the painted name "Glaxochem" which it carried until 2001 after which it became "Artila" when in the ownership of Fragonset Railways., The ownership 'timeline' since its sale by BR in March 1989 has been:, Glaxo Chemicals Ltd, Plumpton 05/1989 to 11/1994., Steamtown Museum, Carnforth 11/1994 to xx/1998., West Coast Railway Co. Carnforth xx/1998 to 05/2001., Fragonset Railways, Derby 05/2001 to 12/2001., West Coast Railway Co. Carnforth 12/2001 to present day., , The move to Derby was for a contract overhaul but it was subsequently sold to FR and they leased it to Maintrain Ltd at Derby Etches Park until WCRC bought it back and moved it to Carnforth Depot where it is seen above outside the workshops still carrying the livery applied by Glaxo.,
16140251357.jpg
47 709 another privatisation gypsy loco. Carnforth Depot. 2003. Like the previous image of 47 705 at Chester this one is of sister 47 709 at WCRC Ltd's Carnforth Depot. Like 47 705 it was bought by Waterman Railways in April 1994 as part of the Special Trains Unit package sold by the BR Inter-City sector. When used in Scotland it 'Carried "The Lord Provost" nameplates but these were removed when it moved south although there is no quoted date it was probably after arrival at Old Oak Common depot in October 1990., , Waterman Railways use of the locomotive was sporadic and by 23/07/1996 it was stored serviceable. With Waterman Railways pulling out of the charter business the locomotive was sold to Fragonset Railways based in Derby on 24/01/1997 and moved from storage at Crewe to storage at Tyseley Railway Museum. After three years out of use it was moved in July 1999 to FR's workshops at Derby and overhauled. It emerged in FR's burgundy and black livery named 'Dionysos' (as viewed above). FR merged with Merlin Rail to form Fragonset-Merlin Rail and in 2005 the locomotive was selected along with 47 712 to carry the prestigious Nanking Blue livery to work the FMR operated 'Blue Pullman' luxury train. This work was short lived after FMR filed for bankruptcy and the two blue locomotives we sold in an asset sale to DRS (Direct Rail Services). They put it to service repainted in their dark blue livery but as more class 66's were ordered the locomotive ended up withdrawn and in September 2012 it was sold for scrap being dismantled by Raxstar Ltd and Eastleigh Works., , For the record the sorry looking class 31 in the background is stored 31 275 owned by Harry Needle Railroad Co. It was eventually deemed to be beyond economic repair and was scrapped on site in February 2005.
16790857709.jpg
630v DC class 487 stock car S59 at Waterloo, London, 1983. DMBSO vehicle S 59 is seen at Waterloo station on the rear of the next departure to Bank. The Waterloo & City line had always been something of an oddity as it was deemed to be part of the national network and after nationalisation in 1947 it passed from the Southern Railway to British Railways. That was until the run up to privatisation when it was sold to London Underground Ltd on 1st April 1994 and became the pale green coloured line on the Underground Map., , The line was opened in 1898 by the L&SWR (London & South Western Railway) having seen the success of the rival City & South London line. In 1938 the original stock was deemed life expired so the Southern Railway ordered 12 new motor coaches and 16 trailers from English Electric Ltd. These were delivered in 1940 and passed into BR ownership in 1947 as class 487 stock. The units were designed to run with a motor coach either end of three trailers but they were not fixed sets so could be varied to meet demand. It was common practice to run five cars in the rush hours and two off peak. The line was an early user of track circuit block allowing 4 minute headways between trains but had no intermediate stations. With the advent of Network South East in the Summer of 1986 "The Drain" as it was known was in a dire state where little had changed since World War II with the stock in dire condition running with thread bare seating, poor lighting and dank uninviting stations. NSE went for Total Route Modernisation but with no suitable stock available to replace the aging class 487 units they were instead spruced up. The chance to change things came when London Transport ordered 1992 stock to replace the entire central line fleet. NSE was then able to buy what became class 482 stock as a follow on order from ABB Derby Works so 10 2-car sets entered service in March 1993 and the 1940 stock was brought to the surface and sent for scrap, ironically most cars being taken all the way to MC Metals in Glasgow for breaking up.
16935298289.jpg
45 045 at BREL Derby Locomotive Works. 1985. An ignominious end for 45 045 once named "Coldstream Guardsman". The cannibalized hulk is seen dumped in BREL Derby Locomotive Works Yard after the decision had been made not to repair the locomotive after accident damage. 45 045 had become derailed on 12/02/1983 and collided with brickwork on the approach to Saltley Viaduct in Birmingham sustaining nose end damage. After a period stored at Lawley Street Freightliner Terminal it was then condemned on 09/05/1983, it was moved the same month to Derby Locomotive Works where component recovery was undertaken. The locomotive wasn't cut up at Derby though and instead as a derelict shell was removed to Vic Berry's scrapyard at Leicester on 23/10/1986 and was cut up by 05/11/1986.
21068919619.jpg
27 203 at Derby Locomotive Works 1985. With a bent frame and drooping cab 27 203 makes a forlorn sight dumped ay BREL Derby Locomotive Works. The locomotive had been in collision with EMU 303 018 on 14/09/1982 and was initially stored pending repair assessment at Glasgow Works. During this period the class 27/2 fleet was disbanded and the locomotive was allocated number 27 057 but this was never applied. The locomotive was then rather unusually dispatched south to Derby Works in December 1982 and arrived at BREL Derby Locomotive Works on 17/01/1983. Repairs to the locomotive were never sanctioned and instead it was formerly withdrawn on 04/05/1983. It languished in the works yard for a further three years before being moved to Derby Etches Park Depot where staff from Vic Berry's of Leicester cut the locomotive up on site on 02/03/1986.
21215288906.jpg
73 132 in Tonbridge West Yard. March 1990. 73 132 in BR mainline livery stands idle between turns in Tonbridge West Yard parked up on a rake of Seacow ballast hoppers., , 73 132 survived the BR era into privatisation but was stored unserviceable by EWS on 12/11/1998 and moved to Old Oak Common depot for storage. The locomotive was then earmarked as a spares doner and was never to work again being authorised for parts recovery on 06/07/2001 but not officially withdrawn. This decision entailed the locomotive being towed all the way to Wigan Springs Branch TMD where EWS had set up their CRDC (Component Recovery and Distribution Centre). In April 2002 the loco reached the front of the queue for stripping but only saw minor parts recovered, it was then returned to the storage yard largely intact but the paperwork then caught up with the locos condition with it being officially withdrawn on 29/09/2003. Within three months the locomotive was sold to the Harry Needle Railroad Co. in December 2003 but only for more parts recovery. It moved by road to Fragonsets workshops in Derby on 26-27/03/2004. The locomotive was stripped to a shell and scrapped on site some time after June 2006.
22031089000.jpg
27 ton Cable Compound Tank Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : York Locomotive Holding Sidings., Date : 03/05/1988., Type : Cable Compound Tank Wagon., Weight : 27 t GLW / 13.2 t Tare., Number : ADB 749350., Number Series : B 749350., Builder : 1952 by BR Derby Works., TOPS Code : ZRV., Lot no. : 2306., Diagram no. : 1/303., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., This former 3000 gallon 14 ton capacity Cable Compound Tank Wagon was operated by Scottish Cables Ltd of Renfrew and was very unusual in being a British Railways built tank wagon for private owner use. The vehicle was built by BR to an LMSR design used for milk tankers., Scottish Cables Ltd had a private siding in Renfrew near Glasgow but where the vehicle worked to and from I have no information. It may have been used to the nearby Clyde Rubber Co. hence the need for only one vehicle I believe the product carried was Latex Rubber and the tank may possibly had provision for steam heating to ease discharge of the load but comment would be welcome on this one., After passing into departmental stock the tank saw further use at Healey Mills Diesel Depot probably for waste oil. It is lettered "Healey Mills MPD Shell Talonia 945". Is anybody in Flickr land able to enlighten me as to what Shell Talonia 945 is ?
23180067084.jpg
21:00:16 09/04/2012 		20 023 on test at BREL Derby Works. 1985. 20 023 is seen wired up outside the locomotive test house at Derby Locomotive Works. The loco had been in for a general overhaul from its home shed of Tinsley but after release back to traffic it was allocated to Toton TMD. It was also the first of the class to be outshopped in the new BR Railfreight livery of Red, Yellow and Grey so this shot would be its final days in BR blue before a visit to the paint shop on site., , The loco was one of a small batch with modified brake valves for working the lime trains from Tunstead in pairs and went into the class 20/3 sub fleet in April 1986 being renumbered to 20 301 but this renumbering was short lived and by November of the same year it had reverted to 20 023. The remainder of its working life saw the loco based at Toton TMD in the East Midlands and it was withdrawn on 17/05/91 eventually being moved to M.C. Metals scrapyard at Springburn and cut up in April 1992.
23321833846.jpg
20 ton Goods Brake Van. (BR). DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Whitemoor Yard., Date : 02/08/1987., Type : Goods Brake Van., Weight : 20t GLW / 20t Tare., Number : B 950075., Number Series : B 950000 to B 950124., Builder : 1949 by BR Derby Works., TOPS Code : CAO., Lot no. 2025., Diagram no. 1/505., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., With the advent of nationalisation and the formation of British Railways in 1948 the rush to replace worn out and war damaged freight stock meant BR perpetuated numerous designs inherited from the pre nationalisation companies. One such example is the LMS 20 ton brake van. BR had already completed an order placed by the LMSR in the late 1940's which saw 1338 vans of this type delivered between 1949-50 to LMS diagram D2068 (see previous image in photostream). BR simply carried on with two further orders in 1949 built as lots 2025 and 2026. This time being post nationalisation they carried new BR revenue fleet numbers B 950000 to B 950249. So a further 250 examples., , The vehicle depicted here although condemned seven months earlier has been retained along with numerous other redundant vans as impact wagons in Whitemoor Down Yard. When the former down hump yard had most of its through roads turned into dead end sidings these redundant brake vans were placed strategically to prevent buffer stop collisions. In truth most ended up shoved up against the buffers they were there to protect.
24564999407.jpg
21:21:35 09/04/2012
20 ton LMSR Goods Brake Van. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Leyton CCE Yard., Date : 05/12/1987., Type : Goods Brake Van., Weight : 20t GLW / 20t Tare., Number : DM 731790., Number Series : M 731746 to M 732086., Builder : 1949 by BR Derby Works., TOPS Code : ZTP., Lot no. 13xx., Diagram no. D2068., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., The final design of LMSR (London, Midland & Scottish Railway) goods brake vans were ordered in the late 1940's but nationalisation arrived in 1948 before the order was completed so all of LMS diagram D2068 were actually delivered in 1949-50 by British Railways. The build covered 10 lots which encompassed vehicle numbers M 731192-M 731741, M 731746-M 732086, M 732096-M 732311, M 732321-M 732545., , The vehicle seen here when still in use with the BR CCE Department has since been preserved and is now to be found on the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire.
25560477588.jpg
12:56:47 29/12/2017 		Derbyshire in green and white. The fresh green pasture of Peak Dale contrasts with the white man made landscape of Tunstead Quarry as 66 134 emerges from Great Rocks Tunnel into Peak Dale. The freight train is on the one time Midland Railway mainline from London to Manchester now reduced to a freight only line to serve the Derbyshire limestone quarries., 66 134 is working train 6V11 10.00 Dowlow Lime Works to Theale Stone Terminal.
25977415624.jpg
10:32:54 20/04/2016 		66 041 at Chinley East Junction, Derbyshire. 66 041 slows to take the Peak Forest line at Chinley East Junction which is actually in the small hamlet of Wash, Derbyshire. The locomotive is working stone empties 6M82 12.41 Walsall Stone Terminal to Dowlow Lime Works.
25977779734.jpg
15:07:42 20/04/2016 		66 619 arriving at Tunstead Quarry, Derbyshire. Train 6H43 not doing what was expected so a bit of a bowl out for the waiting photographers. Alas several of us were not far enough up the hill. This meant a shot of the train in the gap between the Top Sidings and the Cement Loading Terminal instead of what we had anticipated. By all accounts this train generally takes the much more photogenic Up & Down Tunsted Through Siding line which was runs parallel to the Great Rocks Junction to Buxton line goods line and avoids passing through the cement loading area., 66 619 is seen easing its train of empty hoppers through Tunstead Top Sidings with train 6H43 the 07.46 stone empties from Pendleton Stone Terminal.
26305924080.jpg
09:16:06 20/04/2016
1'3
26638465956.jpg
14:18:09 25/04/2016 		Wolverton Works visitors, 1993. The Wolverton works open day 1993 was a fairly wet affair with miserable weather. As the carriage works usually only sported a trio of shunters some mainline traction was brought in for visitor interest. Here one time regular Royal Train loco 47 835 named 'Windsor Castle' stands alongside Derby RTC no. 47 973., 47 835 and sister 47 834 were the locos of choice by the then BR Inter-City sector for Royal Train duties. In April 1995 this was made more permanent by the new owners EWS as both locomotives received Royal Train claret livery and were renumbered; 47 834 once named 'Fire Fly' became 47 798 named 'Prince William'. While 47 835 (above) named 'Windsor Castle' became 47 799 'Prince Henry'.,
27147489106.jpg
37 194 at Thornaby station. 19/03/86. Work stained 37 194 rolls past Thornaby station on the down goods line with early running 6N45 the 11.30 Eastgate Cement Works to Tees Yard., , 37 194 survived the BR era to become part of the EWS fleet only to be laid up in November 1998 stored unserviceable. It was formerly withdrawn on 28/01/99 but having been stopped with contaminated oil it wasn't deemed to be a serious mechanical failure and was snapped up by the Harry Neddle Railroad Co. in June 2000. It moved to Barrow Hill in August 2000 for overhaul and on 22/08/2002 was returned to service . It went into the HNRC hire pool from 11/09/2002 but two years later was re sold to Direct Rail Services in September 2004. The loco is no longer in the DRS active fleet and is now long term stored at RVEL Derby having been taken out of service on 29/01/2015.
28765183194.jpg
0-4-0DE 'Rutherford' (RH 412710/1957) at Lostock Soda Ash Works. Ruston type 165DE 0-4-0DE named 'Rutherford' (RH 412720/1957) is seen with an ex BR HTO hopper now and internal user wagons loaded with hot rocks outside the old limestone discharge shed on the south side of Lostock Works. The plant was run by Brunner Mond Ltd when this photo was taken in 1994 and unlike its larger neighbour Winnington Works west of Northwich the factory here is still operational and is now owned by Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd. They produce soda ash for further processing and use in pharmaceuticals, food and detergents. In 1994 the location still supported 3 operational shunters of the same type but nowadays block trains of limestone from Tunstead Quarry in Derbyshire are shunted by mainline engines arriving with the train.
29531889177.jpg
Prototype DEMU set 210 002 at Acton Mainline. 30/07/84. Like the ill fated class 151 another class that might have been the answer but was never realised was the class 210., , With the first generation DMU fleet reaching the life expired stage at the start of the 1980's BR were keen to evaluate a modern replacement that could be more versatile and replace loco hauled as well as traditional DMU worked services with a top speed of 90mph. With the class 317 EMU as a starting point using a Mk3 body shell BR Derby Works built a 3-car and 4-car prototype DEMU. 3-car set 002 was fitted with a Paxman 6RP200L engine while 4-car set 001 had an MTU 12V396 TC11 engine. The units were introduced in July 1982 onto the BR Western region for evaluation on commuter and middle distance workings. At the time BR were keen to have units with a commonality of parts so the 210 ticked a lot of boxes but at the end of the day the class 210 was an expensive new train arriving on the scene at the wrong time. The Government of the day wanted BR to use a low cost option for replacing DMU's on socially necessary lines so the railbus prototype class 140 was seen as the solution. The 210 never went into production so a mix of loco hauled and first generation DMU's soldiered on in the London area of Western Region until the advent of the "Networker Turbo" ten year later. Inevitably the railbuses did go into production with class 141 appearing in 1983 and 142 in 1985. Thankfully BR revisited the need for better DMU's and the class 150 and 151 prototypes were the result. The class 210's were withdrawn in 1988 and the trailer vehicles from both sets were reformed to make a class 457 EMU numbered 7001 which was the test bed unit for 3-phase drive technology to be employed in the Networker EMU's (class 465 & 466)., In this image 31 257 recedes into the distance light engine as DEMU set 210 002 arrives at Acton Mainline station with 2F59 the 17.05 London Paddington to Slough. The 3-car set had no first class so was better suited to inner suburban work. The 4-car with first class was often on Paddington to Newbury workings.
29920744015.jpg
20 132 and 45 108 in Derby Locomotive Works. 02/03/85. Taken when a major overhaul basically meant dismantle - rebuild then turning out an as new locomotive back into traffic. 45 108 and 20 132 are seen receiving attention in Derby BREL Locomotive Works. , Sadly the image isn't sharp as it was taken hand held on my old Praktica MTL3 using Perutz CT100 slide film.
30179232041.jpg
43 022 at Derby Locomotive Works. 02/03/85. Resplendent in the then new Mainline or Inter City livery HST power car 43 022 stands within the confines of BREL Derby Locomotive Works on final testing before return to service. The Power car was built at the works in 1976 being released to the Western Region based at Bristol St.Philip's Marsh on 04/10/76. It had moved to Old Oak Common Depot in May 1984 but its allocation there was short lived as it then fell due this major works overhaul. After release back to traffic in March 1985 it was reallocated to Laira Depot in Plymouth.
32251874232.jpg
43 025 at BREL Derby Locomotive Works. 02/03/85. Standing beside the test house after overhaul at BREL Derby Locmotive Works is power car 43 025. Its next visit withing the works complex will be to the paint shop as by this date the original Blue and Yellow livery was being replaced with the new 'mainline/inter-city' livery.
32401878305.jpg
0-4-0DE (RH 461959/1961) at Dowlow Lime Works, Sterndale Moor. Derbyshire. 03/05/1993. Showing all the signs of a hard life in industrial service is Ruston & Hornsby type 200DE 0-4-0DE no.QMP154 named 'Heathcote' (wks no. RH 461959/1961). It is seen standing out of use by this date at Dowlow Lime Works. Steetley Minerals Ltd employed two shunters at the works high above Buxton in the Peak District but rail traffic ceased with the closure by BR of the Speedlink wagonload network in 1991. The works main rail business was wagon load traffic to various glass works but all was not lost as the advent of Transrail in 1994-95 in the run up to privatisation saw the traffic resume and the works started dispatching granular lime to Mossend for a glass works in Scotland. The quarry and works has enjoyed a healthy railfreight business ever since the mid 90's revival with aggregate and lime flows to various destinations but no longer employs any industrial locomotives.,
33527744952.jpg
Class 114 DMU set at Barton-on-Humber. 09/06/84. One of the Lincoln allocated 2-car class 114 'Derby Heavyweight' DMU sets synonymous with the area at the time is seen at the branch terminus of Barton-on-Humber., It will depart as train 2C13 the 13.00 to Cleethorpes after its 7 minute layover from arriving with the 11.56 ex Cleethorpes. This austere terminus on the Humber marshes has always been the end of the line serving the small town of Barton-on-Humber. It was promoted by the Great Grimsby & Sheffield Junction Railway but was actually opened on 1st March 1849 by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway who absorbed the GG&SJR in 1848., The main purpose of the branch from Haborough on the mainline was to serve New Holland Pier where the railway established a frequent steamer ferry service across the Humber to Hull. The completion of the 'Humber Bridge' road crossing in 1981 resulted in the ferries being withdrawn and the branch onto the pier closed on 24/06/81. From that date trains no longer reversed at New Holland Pier to reach Barton-on-Humber and instead ran direct using what was previously a freight only curve from Oxmarsh Junction to Barrow Road Junction which had existed solely for freight trains running to the Associated Chemical Works east of Barton and accessed off the branch.
33798732562.jpg
25 164 & 25 093 await their fate at BREL Derby Locomotive Works. 02/03/85. Dumped in the knackers yard at BREL Derby Locomotive Works stands 25 164 and sister 25 093., 25 164 had ended its working life based at Crewe Diesel Depot and had been withdrawn by BR on 21/08/83. It arrived at Derby Works in October 1983 but wasn't disposed of and instead moved again to BREL Swindon Works for cutting up in July 1985 but with the works on run down to closure this loco wasn't disposed of at Swindon instead it traveled back north in June 1987 to Vic Berry's scrapyard in Leicester becoming part of the infamous locomotive pyramid. Having survived two stays of execution the end finally came on 11/12/87 wen it was cut up., 25 093 followed a similar route being withdrawn from Bescot Depot on 07/11/82. Contemporary records showed it being stored at Bescot bit it too spent time at BREL Derby before it went to Swindon only to end up at Vic Berry's in Leicester. It's appointment with the gas axe came on 04/03/1988 over five years after being switched off.
34653178871.jpg
NIR DEMU set.454 at Belfast York Road, Northern Ireland. 27/05/90. Stabled in the station on a Sunday morning is class 450 or "Castle Class" DEMU set no. 454 comprising vehicles 454+794+784. The Castle class designation stems from the fact all nine sets were named after castles in the province, 454 being Carrickfergus Castle., These sets were built in 1985-87 at BREL Derby Works in England using equipment salvaged from older NIR class 70 DEMU sets and built on redundant BR Mk1 carriage underframes although the bodywork is pure second generation 1980's BR DMU stock with obvious similarities to the BR class 150/2 DMU's.
36112265864.jpg
6wDH 'Colossus' (TH 296V/1981) at Longbridge Car Plant. 10/12/94. Thomas Hill built Steelman class locomotive wks no.296V/1981 is seen on the branch through the Rover Group car works at Longbridge. This alignment was once part of the Halesowen joint line through to Old Hill which closed in 1964. The section between Halesowen Junction on the mainline and Longbridge Works being retained as a freight only branch to serve the car plant until April 2005 when Rover Group went into administration and the works closed., 6wDH (TH 296V/1981) named 'Colossus' was new to the ICI Agricultural Division and worked at their Billingham Works on Teesside originally. It is seen still in ICI livery but by this date was a hire locomotive belonging to Wilmot Bros Ltd of Ilkeston, Derbyshire. In the background can be seen one of British Leyland's (later Rover Group) own locomotives. 4wDH 'Longbridge' (TH 276V/1978) was new to British Leyland in 1978 and had originally worked at the nearby Crofton Hackett factory until moving here.
36663831363.jpg
Derby Locomotive Works. 02/03/85. A pair of type 1's and a type 2 are seen inside Derby Locomotive Works for major workshop attention. On the left 20 059 and 20 010 behind are stripped shells devoid of bogies in for a general overhaul while more intact 25 037 sits further back waiting less drastic attention., Both 20 010 and 20 059 entered the the works as Tinsley allocated machines but emerged reallocated to Toton from the end of March 1985. 20 059 survives to this day and is normally to be found at the Severn Valley Railway but 20 010 was withdrawn on 09/12/91. It was broken up at M.C. Metals Ltd, Springburn on 19/01/94., Crewe Diesel Depot allocated 25 037 must have been in for a component exchange rather than general overhaul as it only lasted another two years in service being withdrawn on 19/01/87 and scrapped at Vic Berry's in Leicester on 14/06/87.
37789842095.jpg
0-4-0DH No.3 (YE 2679/1962) Halewood Exchange Sidings. 05/04/93. Owned by the Ford Motor Co. 0-4-0DH No.3 (YE 2679/1962) is seen coupled to a train of German registered IVA ferry vans in the BR / Ford Co. exchange sidings at Halewood., The locomotive no longer works at Halewood which is now owned by Jaguar Land Rover and was sold to private owner Andrew Briddon who now keeps the loco at Peak Rail in Rowsley, Derbyshire where it is available for hire.
38447271852.jpg
21 ton GLW Open Materials Wagon. (ex Pipe). DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Horsham ME PSS Yard., Date : 25/05/1987., Type : Open Materials Wagon., Weight : 21t GLW / 8.2t Tare., Number : ADB 740224., Number Series : B 740000 to B 740299., Builder : 1949 by BR Derby Works., TOPS Code : ZGV., Lot no. 2004., Diagram no. 1/460., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., The large fleet of BR built 21 ton Pipe Wagons (TOPS Code SOV) were largely replaced by air braked wagons in the 1970's releasing large numbers to enter departmental service. Here one from the first batch built in 1949 for BR survives with the Power Supply Section as an open materials wagon. Note the W plate either side of the axle boxes still has the hole where a drag chain could be attached for horse shunting.
39485611402.jpg
21:18:00 03/01/2018
Petrified Barbed Wire. Tunstead, Derbyshire. I happened to notice this while out walking in Smalldale. It is part of a barbed wire fence over the hillside at Great Rocks but crucially it's opposite Tunstead Cement and Lime Works. I wonder how many years it has taken to petrify the wire to solid stone with the lime in the atmosphere. It is rock hard and won't crumble when touched and some even have mosses and lichens now growing on them.
40991111285.jpg
09:50:28 18/04/2018 		Tractor Beam....... 37 409 resting at Kingmoor TMD. 37 409 stands idle on a cold winters night at Kingmoor TMD. At the time I took this shot the loco was the Cumbrian Coast line standby. It had high engines hours and was coming due a major exam so as it passed into 2017 it was only used as a last resort, that said it still got plenty of use being a reliable performer. It had seen extensive use from the inception of the Cumbrian Coast passenger service in May 2015 and throughout 2016 while other 37/4's were being put through works at Derby. By the summer of 2017 it simply ran out time and with other 37/4's returned to traffic an expensive F exam couldn't be justified. It was formerly stored on 09/06/17.
41161049801.jpg
66 602 loading 6L10 at Tunstead Cement Works. The quarries and associated works at Tunstead in Derbyshire are reckoned to be the largest limestone quarry in Western Europe. The site is 2km long and 1km wide and produces 6m tonnes of limestone products annually. A high proportion of its output is moved by rail and it has extensive rail facilities. The northern end of which is seen here as 66 602 loads train 6L10 the 19.59 to West Thurrock Cement Terminal in Tunstead's cement loading plant. On the left is the freight only line from Peak Forest to Buxton passing through Great Rocks Tunnel.
41643016821.jpg
08:02:19 18/04/2018 		66 622 with freight 6H23 at Brierlow Bar, Derbyshire. 66 622 rolls down the gradient at Brierlow Bar passing the site of Hindlow lime works which later became Buxton Quarry, Hindlow operated by Tarmac Roadstone Ltd but rail traffic ceased in the late 1970's., 66 622 is working 6H23 the 16.37 Hindlow Quarry to Tunstead Quarry, a notoriously difficult train to photograph on the branch as it has a tendency to run early. On this occasion it was 97mins early departing Briggs Sidings.
41643973581.jpg
14:12:37 19/04/2018
73 103 waiting its next job at Stewarts Lane Depot. Date Taken : 09.03.1990., , 73 103 was one of the second batch of class 73's built for BR. This one being from the English Electric Co's Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows in 1965. A Southern Region engine all its life being based at Stewarts Lane, Battersea it survived into the privatised railway with EWS but was withdrawn on 19/01/1999. After a period stored at Eastleigh it was sold to Fragonset Railway at Derby and was eventually moved to Meldon Quarry in Devon for storage. With Fragon-Merlin Rail having gone bust I suspect the current owner is BAR British American Railroad Co. who bought some of FMR's assests. The loco has since left Meldon for storage in a road haulage contractors yard (Allely's) in Warwickshire. Lets hope one day she works again.
4242008794.jpg
81 006 at Harrow & Wealdstone with ECS 5A12. 81 006 screams through Harrow & Wealdstone station on the up fast line with ECS 5A12 08.20 MWO Derby Etches Park to Willesden Carriage Sidings. This working being a CM&EE (Chief Mechanical & Electrical Engineeers) account stock move so generally vehicles off repair or overhaul. The leading vehicle is a Mk2 PF (Pullman First) used on the Manchester Pullman which appears to have new red springs but the remaining of the train is a mix of Mk1 and Mk2 vehicles that look anything but ex works. This train swapped to electric traction on reversal at Nuneaton.
44223082111.jpg
0-4-0DE 'Rutherford' (RH 412710/1957) at Lostock Soda Ash Works. Ruston type 165DE (RH 412710/1957) named 'Rutherford' is seen in the limestone discharge sidings on the south side of Lostock Works with the plant as a backdrop. When the old vacuum braked PHV hoppers were made redundant and new air braked hopper stock was introduced on the flow from Tunstead Quarry in Derbyshire, the work for the three shunters allocated here largely evaporated and the site although still open only sees mainline locomotives that use a new discharge shed with the tracks seen here now lifted. Of the three Ruston type 165DE locomotives used here only 'Faraday' RH 402803/1956 survived being sold for preservation at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. 'Rutherford' as seen here and 'Kelvin' RH 402807/1957 both went to Coopers Metals Ltd Sheffield scrapyard on 18/7/2002.
44470395881.jpg
66 150 amid the Ayrshire countryside. 66 150 is seen on the climb between Failford Viaduct and Tarbolton Summit on the freight only Mauchline Junction to Newton Junction freight line that runs via Annbank. The train is one of the few to still use MGR type hoppers and is 6S13 04.11 Earles Sidings to New Cumnock (Crowbansgate) Coal Terminal. The wagons having originated at Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire.
4492810563.jpg
Blackpool Tramway Car No.40 at Crich. The British National Tramway Museum is located in rural Derbyshire near the village of Crich which on the face of it seems an odd choice for what has always been urban transport but make for a nice day out none the less. The site was acquired by the Tramway Museum Society in 1959 and is based on a former mineral line which once served local limestone quarries. Here preserved Blackpool Tramway Car No.40 built in 1926 by Blackpool Corporation at their Rigby Road Works is seen in the earlier 1930's red and cream livery while working a passenger service from Glory Mine to Crich Town End.
4670036810.jpg
11:56:42 22/05/2010 		Bogie BREL Seat Trim Material Stores Van. Location : Three Bridge CE PAD Yard., Date : 25/05/1987., Vehicle : Bogie Seat Trim Materials Stores Van. (ex Syphon G)., Number : CDB 975841., TOPS Code : QRV., , In 1979 BR transferred 16 former GWR Syphon G or GWR designed BR built Syphon G ventilated milk vans into the departmental fleet as seat trim material stores vans. The fleet operating from BREL Derby Litchurch Lane and Swindon Works and covered vehicles numbered; CDB 975832 to CDB 975843 & CDB 975854 to CDB 975857., The vehicle depicted here was formerly numbered W2943 W and was built in 1945 by GWR Swindon Works to diagram O33 from coaching stock lot no. 1664. With the closure of Swindon Works many of the vans were displaced to other work or simply withdrawn for disposal. CDB 975841 seen here must have passed to the Southern Region internal user fleet as it spent many years sat at Three Bridges Yard but to my knowledge it never received an 08xxxx number. Thankfully it is still with us and is now to be found at the Vale of Berkeley Railway awaiting restoration.
46819227772.jpg
65 ton Track Renewals Train Sleeper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Kingmoor Yard Sorting Sidings., Date : 6/10/2018., Type : Bogie Sleeper Carrying Wagon., Weight : 24.9t Tare / 40.1t Capacity / 65t GLW., Number : DR 92632., Number Series : DR 92601 to DR 92650., Builder : W.H. Davis Ltd, Langwith Works, Derbyshire., TOPS Code : YXA., CCE Code : no name allocated., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., These bogie sleeper carriers were designed specifically to work with the Matisa P95 Track Renewal Train. The P95 machines are a mobile sleeper renewal factory removing old sleepers and replacing them with new ones in the track formation with the rails simply lifted beneath the machine while the sleepers are swapped. From new they operated from the RMC concrete Works at Washwood Heath to various High Output Operations bases around the UK where they would be married up with the machine for weekend or overnight renewals., Despite the fact both Matisa P95 machines are still working in the UK 41 of the original wagons have now been stored out of use in Kingmoor Yard for 3 years. A further 15 wagons of the same type were constructed in 2007 with no's DR 92651-665 so these I assume remain in use. I was under the impression one of the HOTR Train operating machines was returned to Austria in 2019 but this does not appear to be the case so can anyone shed any light on why these relatively new wagons are now redundant., ,
49429828081.jpg
15:36:06 06/10/2018 		Off the beaten track. 141 102 at Kilmarnock. Four years after being built this class 141 Railbus had still yet to carry a passenger when photographed in 1989. Originally numbered 141 001 (55502+55522) The unit was handed over to BR at Derby on 22/9/83 and exhibited a week later at Leeds station for inspection by West Yorkshire PTE officials. It was allocated to Leeds Neville Hill Depot in October 1983 but then returned to Derby RTC for testing. By March 1984 it was back at its home depot for driver training trips on the Leeds - Harrogate - York route. After prolonged use for driver training it returned to Derby RTC in March 1985 for further testing. By May 1985 it was sent back north and stored unserviceable at Holbeck Depot being stripped for parts to keep 141 004 in traffic. It languished at Holbeck for two years until being towed to Kilmarnock on 9/10/87 for rebuilding at Andrew Barclay Ltd, Caledonia Loco Works. Rebuilding was not carried out immediately and it remained in store until entering the works in 1989 to emerge renumbered from 141 001 to 141 102. Officially handed back to BR on 5/5/89 it remained where it was in Kilmarnock Goods Yard and started to loose components again to other class members in the refurbishment programme. It wasn't until January 1990 it returned to its home depot at Neville Hill a full 7 years after construction. It then saw 7 years in traffic before being laid up on 20/3/97. In December 2000 it was sold to the Islamic State Railways of Iran but didn't leave the UK until January 2001.
49521773126.jpg
B-BDH 'Blue John' at Earles Sidings, Hope. Derbyshire. The light railway linking Hope Cement Works with the BR mainline through the Hope Valley at Earles Exchange Sidings has always been worked by the cement works shunters. As trains got heavier it made sense to invest in a more powerful locomotive so in 1990 Blue Circle Cement took delivery of this 72 tonne 750hp B-B diesel hydraulic (wks no. 773/1990) built by Hunslet-Barclay Ltd. It was bestowed the name 'Blue John' after the nearby caves at Castleton where the precious stone 'Blue John' is found. When BR started to register industrial locomotives that worked over BR metals this loco was allocated the number 01 570 but to my knowledge it has never been carried. The loco is seen here shunting empty PCA wagons in the Exchange Sidings at Earles.
49652235351.jpg
Salt Mines. (The harshest of working environments). A 4wDH built by Rolls Royce with works no. 10194 of 1964 is seen in the loading sidings at Middlewich Salt Works. The corrosive effect to moving machinery doesn't need telling here but this humble industrial shunter seemed to be in fairly good condition. That's unlike its on site sister ex BR class 03 D2150 which was very much all over rust coloured and tucked in a shed. This photo was taken during a visit by the 'Kent Rail Enthusiast Group' hence the headboard. The loco has since found a new lease of life in preservation on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire.
4979753754.jpg
04's under wraps at SYRPS. Meadowhall. The fledgling South Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society was formed in the mid 1980's and from 1988 leased the redundant BSC Meadowhall Sidings which were sandwiched between the BR Sheffield to Barnsley line and the freight only branch from Tinsley West Junction to Smithywood Coke Works. From the outset the SYRPS set about preserving ex BR diesel shunters and later morphed into the HST (Heritage Shunter Trust). With a lot of British industry dispensing with industrial locomotives and railways in the 1980's many of the locomotives used had been bought originally from British Railways in the 1960's and early 70's. The group soon started to amass an impressive collection as various types became available to preserve., In the early days seen here stored in Meadowhall Sidings are (nearest) class 04 no.D2337. This loco had seen just 7 years service with BR before being withdrawn on 15/7/1968 and then sold to the NCB (National Coal Board) where it was employed at Manvers Main Coal Preparation Plant at Wath-on-Dearne from June 1969. By April 1979 its working days were over and the loco was dumped on site at Manvers Main. The SYPRS rescued it for preservation in early 1988 and it initially went to their storage base in Attercliffe before moving to here on 15/9/1988., The second loco in line is another class 04 no.D2284. This loco managed 11 years BR service before withdrawal on 11/4/1971. Again like D2337 it was sold to the NCB and moved to the South Yorkshire Coalfield initially working at North Gawber Colliery before ending its days at Woolley Colliery. The loco was then donated to the SYRPS in August 1985 and after storage at several sites arrived here on 12/9/1988. The SYRPS site at Meadowhall was later acquired for redevelopment and the shunter trust relocated its collection to Peak Rail in 2002 based at Rowsley Shed in Derbyshire.
50318461043.jpg
Class 307 EMU's stored withdrawn in Burton Dassett Yard at MOD Kineton. 1993. Introduced in 1956 as 1500v DC suburban stock for the London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria route the class 307s were all converted to 25kv AC in 1960-61 when the route was upgraded to AC electrification standards. Mass withdrawals started in 1990 as they were being replaced by newer class 321 units on the Southend Victoria route out of Liverpool Street and by June 1990 their days on the London commuter run had ended with all 32 sets withdrawn. Four units were reprieved and hastily refurbished for use on the newly electrified Doncaster to Leeds local services but only as a stop gap while WYPTE awaited delivery of a small fleet of class 321/9's. Of the four sets seen here stored in Burton Dassett Yard at MOD Kineton 307 105 on the right is in WYPTE livery while the other sets; 307 129, 125 and 131 are in BR blue & grey or NSE red, white and blue livery., In 1993 the Engineering Development Unit at Derby Research Centre converted two class 307 DTSO (Driving Trailer Second Open) vehicles to PCV's (Propelling Control Vehicles) the two prototypes proved very successful and a further 43 were converted by Hunslet-Barclay, Caledonia Works, Kilmarnock in 1994-96. Their use being on parcels and mail trains where propelling moves could be controlled by a driver riding in the PCV cab operating a system known as PACS (Propelling Advisory Control System). Of the 64 class 307 DTSO vehicles 45 became PCV vans with seating and windows removed and roller shutter doors fitted and renumbered as NPCCS vehicles 94300 to 94345 TOPS Code NAA. The unusable intermediate motor coaches and trailer cars mostly went for scrap.
50584083247.jpg
66 152 with 6M18 at New Cumnock. 66 152 catches the last rays of evening sunshine on the goods lines behind New Cumnock station having drawn its train of coal out of the Crowbandsgate coal loading pad. The train is pulverised coal loaded in HTA hoppers destined for Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire running as 6M18 17.49 to Earles Sidings, Hope.
5079538088.jpg
17:26:10 11/10/2010 		0-4-0DE 'Rutherford' (RH 412710/1957) at Lostock Soda Ash Works, Northwich. Cheshire 1994. Ruston type 165DE 0-4-0DE named 'Rutherford' (RH 412720/1957) is seen in the limestone discharge sidings on the south side of Lostock Works. The plant was run by Brunner Mond Ltd when this photo was taken in 1994 and unlike its larger neighbour Winnington Works west of Northwich the factory here is still operational and is now owned by Tata Chemicals Europe Ltd. They produce soda ash for further processing and eventual use in pharmaceuticals, food and detergents., The advent of new air braked wagons in 1998 bringing the limestone in from Tunstead Quarry in the Derbyshire Peak District and the scrapping of the few remaining internal wagons there was no long a need for the industrial shunters. With the new hoppers came a simplified track layout at the works and mainline locomotives arriving with the loaded trains now carry out the discharge moves with the train., The remaining two locomotives at the end were initially stored on site before 'Faraday' went for preservation in September 2001 to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway. Sadly 'Rutherford' as depicted in this view left Lostock Works in July 2002 to Coopers Metals Ltd, Sheffield for scrap.
50956730872.jpg
Ex BR 08 133 and 08 216 at Sheerness Steelworks. The steelworks at Sheerness started production in 1972 using an ultra high powered electric arc furnace feeding a continuous casting machine and bar rolling mill. The works was financed by LASCO (Lake Ontario Steel Co.) but traded in the UK as the Sheerness Iron & Steel Co. It was to see several more owners before the site closed in December 2012., When the site was in full production in the 1980's the company had obtained two class 08's from British Rail secondhand to replace four older Yorkshire and Sentinel built industrial locomotives. 08 133 seen here on the left was numbered 'No.1' and came from storage at Swindon Works on 6/10/1981 its last BR depot having been Lincoln where it was withdrawn as surplus on 21/9/80. The second locomotive on the right was 08 216 this too came from storage at Swindon Works on 22/4/1983 having been withdrawn from Derby Etches Park Depot on 2/11/80. Its SI&SC number being 'No.2'. Both locomotives were modified and fitted with substantially thicker buffer plates and put in many years service in industrial use before being sidelined by hired in traction after the company became Co-Steel Sherness Plc in 1992. Hired shunters then generally came from RFS Industries Ltd. Both 08's survived into preservation with the South Yorkshire RPS, 08 133 moving to them in August 1995 and 08 216 following the next year in April 1996.
51235928701.jpg
66 143 on 6M18 loading at New Cumnock (1). 66 143 is standing in Crowbansgate Siding at New Cumnock while opencast coal is loaded into HTA hopper wagons for movement to Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire. The coal is brought in from several mines in the area by road to this disposal point and by a lengthy overland conveyor from Glenmuckloch mine near Kirkconnel. The train will depart as 6M18 17.49 to Earles Sidings.
5123790691.jpg
15:56:44 27/10/2010
66 143 on 6M18 loading at New Cumnock (2). 66 143 is standing in Crowbansgate Siding at New Cumnock while opencast coal is loaded into HTA hopper wagons for movement to Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire. The coal is brought in from several mines in the area by road to this disposal point and by a lengthy overland conveyor from Glenmuckloch mine near Kirkconnel. The train will depart as 6M18 17.49 to Earles Sidings.
5123807797.jpg
15:57:18 27/10/2010 		66 143 with 6M18 at New Cumnock (before the storm broke). With the rain already falling it was to get a whole lot worse as departure time drew near for 66 143. The storm approaching behind the train soon arrived producing torrential rain and hail. The train is 6M18 17.49 New Cumnock to Earles Sidings conveying pulverised coal for Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire and with 18 HTA's fully loaded and a trailing weight of 1905tonnes 66 143 will have to work hard on the climb to Drumlanrig. The mast on the left is one of the many appearing on the UK rail network for GSM-R secure cab radio. That's if the money doesn't run out before the project is finished.
5124423942.jpg
17:33:16 27/10/2010 		Doyen of the Yorkshire Engine Co. diesels 'Rotherham No.2' 0-4-0DE (YE 2480/1950). This rather odd shaped 0-4-0DE was the first diesel locomotive to be produced by the Yorkshire Engine Co. YEC had a long tradition of steam locomotive construction dating back to 1867 but this locomotive was the first foray into diesel traction. It was one of two delivered new to Templeborough Steelworks at Rotherham in 1950. The odd shape of the bodywork was a specific requirement of the customer as the loco had to fit through a narrow opening within the melt shop at the works and the 0-4-0 wheel arrangement was specified to deal with tight curves on site. Both locomotives were fitted with Paxman engines and had additional chain draw gear below the coupling for moving molten metal ladle wagons., Being a historic locomotive in respect of the Yorkshire Engine Company the locomotive was donated by Rotherham Engineering Steels Ltd to the South Yorkshire Railway Preservation Society in 1987 and is seen here under restoration at their one time Meadowhall Sidings base. The sister locomotive 0-4-0DE (YE 2481/1950) resides at the Kelham Island Industrial Museum in Sheffield. After the SYRPS were disbanded the loco found a new home at Peak Rail, Rowsley, Derbyshire moving there in March 2002.
51629701160.jpg
IOMR No.4 at Ballasalla, Isle of Man. The oldest operational Isle of Man Railways 2-4-0T at the timer No.4 'Loch' is seen arriving at Ballasalla station with the 11.45 Douglas to Port Erin. Dating from 1874 and a product of the Beyer Peacock Works in Manchester (wks no. 1416/1874). The three older engines built in 1873 were all either out of traffic or scrapped. No.1 'Sutherland' survived as a museum exhibit in Port Erin while No.2 'Derby' was scrapped in 1951 and No.3 'Pender' was sold to the Manchester Science Museum in 1978 and sectioned to show the internal workings.
53250950836.jpg
31 109 at Chesterfield with ECS. 1985. If I got a day off work I always seemed to be cursed with dire weather but when younger I would go as planned anyway. Not so sure I would bother at all these days despite having a digital camera far more capable of dealing with poor light., Here heading north through the drizzle and fog on a damp March morning "Skinhead" 31 109 is seen on the down goods just north of Chesterfield while working stock move 5E05 the 09.41 Derby Etches Park to Leeds Neville Hill Depot. None of these vehicles appear to be ex works so I assume this was just some sort of regular balancing stock move.
53413334724.jpg
The naming of 31 439 at Grosmont. 1992. The Regional Railways sector of British Rail organised the "North Yorkshireman" charter special in conjunction with the North Yorkshire Moor Railway. The tour was billed as the "Silver Jubilee Special" by the NYMR and operated as a through train from Derby to Pickering which was very unusual at the time with through traffic over the NYMR/BR connection largely limited to light locomotives or stock moves. Ex works 31 439 worked the train from Derby to Battersby were 37 717 was attached the other end to haul the train as far as Grosmont Junction. After reversal 31 439 drew the train onto NYMR tracks and into Grosmont station, it was then named after the "North Yorkshire Moors Railway" before working the special through to Pickering., 31 439 is seen in Grosmont station alongside class 11 no. 12139 during its naming ceremony carried out by screen actor Ian Carmichael who lived in the village. NYMR and BR staff meanwhile tear off the tape over the plate on the offside. Once the official ceremony had been completed the train resumed its journey through to Pickering with 1Z39 08.06 ex Derby.
53441263312.jpg
31 439 at Pickering with 1Z39 ex Derby. 1992. 31 439 is seen at Pickering with 1Z39 the 08.06 "North Yorkshireman" charter from Derby. The then rare spectacle of a through BR working onto the NYMR drew a lot of interest and the tour sold out very quickly. British Rail Regional Railways sector used a whole rake of RR liveried stock for the special which had been painted early in 1992 under contract by the NYMR. The ex works class 31 which was named at Grosmont after the railway made for a fine site indeed with its matching stock. 31 439 is seen here about to be detached from the train which would depart back to Grosmont behind 45 133 where 31 439 would take over and return the train back to Derby.
53441322877.jpg
Scrappers, 45 057 & 25 319 at Derby Works. 1985. 45 057 was a recent arrival in the scrapyard at Derby Locomotive Works when photographed in March 1985. It had been withdrawn by BR on 21/01/1985. It wasn't dealt with at the works and instead was sold for scrap to Vic Berry's of Leicester. It moved from Derby to Leicester in January 1987 before being broken up at the beginning of March 1987., 25 319 was a former Crewe Diesel allocated machine and was withdrawn on 20/03/1983. It was moved to Derby Works as suitable for conversion to an ETHEL (Electric Train Heating unit Ex Locomotive) and was destined to become 97 251 but on inspection it was deemed unsuitable and 25 305 instead took its place. It languished at Derby Works in the scrap lines until being moved to Swindon Works where it was cut up on 24/07/1985., As a side note if the 1J24 headcode carried by 25 319 was one of its last workings that headcode related to the 10.10 SO London Euston to Aberystwyth on the summer timetable 1982 which it could conceivably have worked with a sister class 25 from Shrewsbury through to Aberystwyth.
53792023004.jpg
31 ton Covered Grain Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Swanwick Junction Sidings., Date : 01/11/1986., Type : Covered Grain Hopper., Weight : 31t GLW / 10t Tare., Number : BCH 7821., Number Series : BCH 7801 to BCH 7824., Builder : 1951-57 by BR Derby or Pressed Steel Co. Linwood. , TOPS Code : PAO., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., The brewer 'Bass Charrington' operated a fleet of 24 covered grain wagons carrying malted barley from East Anglia to their breweries in Burton-on-Trent. There were two distinct batches of 12 making up the 24 with both LMSR and BR pattern vehicles but all had been built during the 1950's to BR lot numbers. When renumbering into the yellow plated private owner 7xxx series started it would appear this might have been done at random as BCH 7821 depicted is an LMSR pattern vehicle. Originally the first 12 were taken from BR lot 2183 (Diagram 1/271) number series B 885040 to B 885089, these vehicles were built to the LMSR pattern design at BR Derby Works in 1951 but the design dated back from the mid 1930's. The second 12 were standard BR designed vehicles that looked similar to the LMSR examples but would be from the number range B 885090 to B 885509 built between 1953-57 by BR Derby Works or Pressed Steel Co. Ltd, Linwood Works, Paisley. All 24 having started life as BR operated vehicles they were sold to Bass Charrington's in 1967 ironically the year the brewer closed its internal rail system at Burton on Trent. Initially they carried the BR grey bodywork with black underframe livery which was standard for unfitted stock and simply had the addition of a "Bass' nameplate on either side. All were eventually overhauled and turned out in the companies red livery with black underframes and "Bass Charrington" lettering in white on the sides. Being unfitted with no continuous brake the use of the wagons ceased in the late 1970's when the company switched to road haulage.
54148864793.jpg
32 ton 'Internal User' Demountable Water Tank Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Tonbridge West Yard., Date : 29/06/1993., Type : Demountable Water Tank Wagon., Weight : 32t GLW / 12t Tare., IU Number : 024752., Former Number : ADB 936413., Builder : underframe BR Shildon Works 1961., Rebuilt in 1964 by BR Development Unit Darlington Works., TOPS Code : ZXV., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., This unusual looking tank wagon was rebuilt from a 22t capacity Steel Plate wagon constructed at BR Shildon Works in 1961. The rebuild and modification work may have been carried out at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby in 1964 the year it opened but details about this wagon are somewhat sketchy to say the least (Update : See comment text below regarding the builder). It has never been listed as Derby RTC stock on contemporary stock lists and would have carried an RDB prefix if owned by Derby RTC but the ADB prefix to its original running number suggest ownership by the CM&EE department. The wagon ended up resident at Derby RTC initially as departmental stock before being registered as an internal user vehicle there. It was originally part of something called "Project Leapfrog" which was a 1960's experiment with rapid transfer between road and rail of the 4000 gallon demountable tank carried here. I assume like so many road-rail swap body ideas it failed to live up to expectation and it was thus a "one off". It languished at Derby RTC for many years used as a gas oil store before moving south in 1993. It ended up at the South Eastern Plant Depot at Ashford and at privatisation passed to Balfour Beatty Ltd. It is seen here in Tonbridge West Yard making a rare move for an internal user between locations made easier by the fact it still had a working vacuum brake. It never received a Southern Region internal user number in the 08xxxx series and at one stage looked like it would go for scrap after being lifted off the track at Ashford Plant Depot. It has since been rescued for preservation in 2011 by the Colne Valley Railway.
54179112094.jpg
55 ton Bogie Track Assessment Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : York C&W Works Yard., Date : 09/09/1990., Type : Bogie Experimental Vehicle (ex Bogie Trestle Flat)., Weight : xx t GLW / xx t Tare., Number : RDB 901601., Number Series : B 901600 to B 901603., Builder : Teesside Bridge & Engineering Co. Ltd, Thornaby., TOPS Code : YXO (ex XTO)., Designation : CYCLOPS. (ex Trestrol EC), Lot no. : 2175., Diagram no. : 2/681., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., This former Bogie Trestle Flat Wagon was one of four built for general freight use by BR in 1950. Three of these triple axle bogie Trolley flat wagons ended up with the BR Research & Development unit, no's. B 901600, 601, 603., RDB 901601 depicted here saw a cabin built on the wagon deck which comprised a generator compartment, laboratory and staff accommodation. It's primary use was for track measuring operations supervised by the Derby RTC Track Development Unit. The name 'Cyclops' was assigned to the vehicle as it was intended to fit Laser Measuring Equipment but this never took place so the "One Eyed Monster" never came to life. By 1987 the vehicle was out of use probably down to the fact it was 35mph restricted and had no train brake. It moved from Derby to storage at York where it gained a KDB prefix suggesting imminent re-use by the Signal & Telegraph Engineers Department but to my knowledge this second lease of life never happened and the vehicle went for scrap.
54204241598.jpg
102 ton Bogie Limestone Hopper Wagon (outer). DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Warrington Arpley Yard., Date : 02/06/2023., Type : Bogie Limestone Hopper Wagon., Weight : 101.5 t GLW / 25.6 t Tare., Number : BM 19705., Number Series : BM 19701 to BM 19706., Builder : 2000 by W.H. Davis Ltd, Langwith Works., TOPS Code : JEA., Design Code : JE008A., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., With the recent abrupt demise of the "Northwich Hoppers" I thought it worth uploading a couple of wagon photos to mark their passing., , From 1936 to 1997, 60 plus years the service operated with the distinctive ICI owned vacuum braked hoppers carrying Derbyshire limestone to the Soda Ash chemical plants around Northwich, (Winnington & Lostock). They were the last private owner vacuum braked fleet in service when the decision was taken to stop using them in December 1997 and in the short term replace them with hired 51t PGA hoppers. This was to allow the use of more modern air braked type 5 locomotives. Because of the high volume of stone required the PGA's were not ideal and were replaced in 2000 by a fleet of brand new higher capacity hoppers as seen above. These were obtained by Brunner Mond with a Government freight facility grant awarded in 1999. The new hoppers were fitted with AAR autocouplers and came in two variants, Inners (no buffers) and Outers (buffers & swing head AAR couplers). This allowed haulage by locos not fitted with AAR couplers i.e. class 60's., In December 2005 Brunner Mond Ltd was sold to multinational giant TCL (Tata Chemicals Ltd) and then in 2014 the large Winnington Works ceased production but DB Schenker went ahead and bought the entire fleet off TCL in 2015 to run the Tunstead to Lostock flow with longer heavier trains. Wagons were cycled via Warrington for repairs and maintenance. Sadly with Lostock ceasing production of Soda Ash in January 2025 after 25 years service these wagons now face a doubtful future as although still lettered for Brunner Mond it remains to be seen if DB Cargo can find an alternative use for them being a somewhat bespoke design, or whether they will simply go for scrap.
54304658308.jpg
17:01:58 02/06/2023
51 ton Covered Bulk Urea Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Middlesbrough Goods Yard., Date : 09/04/1990., Type : Bulk Powder Covered Hopper., Weight : 51 t GLW / 16 t Tare., Numbers : ICIA 14156 to ICIA 14175., Builder : 1975 by Procor Ltd, Horbury Works., TOPS Code : PAA., Design Code : PA009B., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., ICI Agricultural Division had 20 of these covered bulk hoppers which were used to carry Urea from ICI Haverton Hill, Teesside to the Ciba-Geigy Works at Duxford, Cambridgeshire. When built in 1975 the fleet comprised 24 vehicles owned by Procor for leasing out, they were originally open hopper wagons for aggregate traffic and coded PGA but saw little use. This was possibly due to the fact they were longer than a standard PGA at 33ft vice 26ft for the same payload and had three sets of bottom doors vice two. So Procor sort alternative use for them and four vehicles, no's PR 14152-55 were rebuilt with covered tops for grain traffic emanating from the Derwent Valley Light Railway in Yorkshire. When this traffic ceased in 1981 the four covered hoppers were leased to Steetley Minerals for lime traffic out of Dowlow Quarry in Derbyshire. Around the same time (1980-81) Procor took the decision to rebuild the remaining 20 PGA hoppers with the same covered tops and sold them to ICI Ltd (Agricultural Division) for the new bulk Urea traffic between Teesside and Cambridgeshire., Ironically both sets of wagons were later reunited when the whole lot ended up operated by Cleveland Potash Ltd. The first to move were the four ex grain hoppers used for lime these went to Cleveland Potash at Boulby in 1987. The twenty ex ICI Urea wagons followed in 1989. The first four remained as leased vehicles with a PR prefix while the ex ICI fleet lost its ICIA prefix in favour of CPL (Cleveland Potash Ltd) the new owner but this was over time as maintenance overhauls fell due., In this image ICIA 14162 still carries its ICI dark blue and orange livery but is already in use carrying Potash. The wagons worked from Boulby mine to Middlesbrough Goods Yard or Tees Dock.
54358711091.jpg
45 ton Covered Lime Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Doncaster Belmont Yard., Date : 21/04/1987., Type : Covered Lime Hopper Wagon., Weight : 45 t GLW / 14t Tare., Number : 250019., Number Series : 250000 to 250051., Builder : 1969 by BR Shildon Works., TOPS Code : CBA., Lot no. : 3680., Diagram no. : 1/252., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., For all intense and purpose the 31t capacity CBA's were an MGR coal hopper with a roof lid. The steel industry being a large user of lime for blast furnace flux was seen as an obvious customer to use the same Merry-go-Round principle to deliver lime. In reality the only steelworks to adopt this method of delivery was Port Talbot Abbey Works in South Wales and they never built the automated discharge facilities with trackside equipment to drop the wagon doors, instead a portable hydraulic ram operated manually was used to open the wagon doors., 52 wagons were built which permitted two trains sets with maintenance spares. They very nearly got numbers in the BR general freight stock number series as the construction order was placed with wagon numbers B 870880 to B 870931 issued. This was rescinded prior to the first wagon being built and instead they were allocated numbers in the new BR Air braked wagon number series., , From new they operated daily from Tunstead Quarry in Derbyshire to Port Talbot (Margam Yard) such was the demand for lime flux. It wasn't possible to run the entire circuit loading and discharging in a 24hr period so both trains (6V23/6M66) ran overnight in opposite directions. In 1977 a serious derailment saw five vehicles written off causing short formations so BR replaced them the same year with lot no.3922 comprising five new vehicles 250052-56. The recession of 1980-81 saw the demand for steel fall off enabling one set of wagons to work the entire circuit on alternate days so by 1984 sixteen wagons were declared surplus and redeployed to rock salt traffic out of Boulby mine, Cleveland. The nature of the product wrecked the wagons with severe corrosion in less than 3 years and many went to Smeeth Metals at Hoo in Kent for breaking up in late 1987. The Tunstead to Margam flow lasted until 1990 when British Steel switched to their own quarry at Hardendale in Cumbria for sinter lime, by then the trains were down to twice weekly and the CBA's were starting to be replaced by higher capacity bogie covered hoppers. In the end just 10 wagons survived into the EWS era and were stood down in 2000 when the lime traffic switched to special 30t open boxes on container flats.
54363224968.jpg
45 037 at Tunstead Quarry. Photo Taken : 08.02.1986., , 45 037 waits at Great Rocks Junction to enter the bottom end sidings at Tunstead Quarry in Derbyshire. 45 037 managed a couple more years in service after the date of this photo being withdrawn 27/07/1988. It saw several years dumped at its home depot Tinsley before making the journey north by rail to Glasgow BREL Works where it was shunted next door to M.C. Metals Ltd being broken up on 13/11/1992.
5444752037.jpg
31 ton Engineers Ballast Wagon. 'DACE'. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Tonbridge West Yard., Date : 30/04/1993., Type : Engineers Ballast Wagon., Weight : 31t GLW / 10.1t Tare., Number : DB 726261., Number Series : B 726xxx Series (172 converted)., Builder : 1962 by BR Derby Works., TOPS Code : ZCV (ex OUV/SUV)., Fishkind : DACE., Lot no. : 3429., Diagram no. 1/058., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., The Southern Region Chief Civil Engineers created the "DACE" wagons from surplus open goods wagons for carrying railway ballast from Meldon Quarry to Southern Region destinations. They were surplus 'SHOCHOOD B' wagons fitted with shock absorbing body springs and a nylon tarpaulin cover. The modification to carry railway ballast saw the hood support rail removed and some internal strengthening but that was about it. Conversions started in 1981 at either Hoo Junction or New Cross Gate and before long the shock absorbing capability was deemed unnecessary so the body was welded to the solebar at each end. 172 wagons were converted and put in just over 10 years service before more modern air braked wagons were available to replace them like the 'SEA URCHIN', 'SEA HORSE' and 'SEA HARE' ZCA's. By the mid 1990's they were extinct and none survived into the privatisation era.
54510899317.jpg
Old King Coal, still a West Coast staple. DB Schenker owned 66 221 sits in the humid afternoon sunshine on the up avoiding line alongside Carlisle Kingmoor Yard. It is waiting time with loaded coal train 6E68 15.02 New Cumnock Crowbandsgate Coal Terminal to Drax Power Station. The bulk of the west coast coal traffic tends to be operated by Freightliner Heavy Haul these days but DB Schenker still have regular flows from the Scottish Opencast mine loading points at New Cumnock and Greenburn running to Drax and West Burton with occasional workings to Ratcliffe and Cottam. The rest of DB Schenker's Anglo-Scottish coal traffic tends to involve coal to cement works using open box wagons with the notable exception of Hope Works in Derbyshire which can deal with the 102tonne HTA's more commonly associated with power station flows.
5942715315.jpg
17:51:04 14/07/2011 		4wDM 'No.2' (FH 3601/1953) Port Tennant Wagon Works. Swansea. This small 4wDM shunter with its bizarre non standard buffers and other modifications is seen during shunting moves in the yard of Port Tennant Wagon Works operated by Marcroft Engineering Ltd and formerly Railcar Services Ltd. The 'Planet' type loco had started life owned by Butterley Engineering Co. In Derbyshire and saw use at their Codnor Park Forge, Ironville. Some time after 1979 it was sold to Wagon Repairs Ltd and moved to their Sheepbridge Works also in Derbyshire. When this location closed it moved again with the company to Stoke Wagon Works in the early 1980's. It worked at this location until taken out of use in early 1989 by this date the Stoke Works had changed ownership to Marcroft Engineering Ltd from 1988. It was this company that also ran Port Tennant Wagon Works where it arrived in March 1989. It was returned to service to work alongside the Baugley built shunter already on site, it finished its days here being scrapped in November 1993. The works itself shut in 2003 leaving just the larger site at Stoke in Staffordshire carrying out wagon repairs. The whole area is now a housing estate.
5960321067.jpg
92 026 at Mossend Yard, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. 92 026 stands in no.2 down reception siding at Mossend Yard with a lightweight 6M76 21.36 Mossend Yard to Warrington Arpley Yard freight. On this occasion the consist is two empty lime Polybulks and 3 ex Tiger Rail covered lime hoppers all destined for Dowlow Lime Works in the Derbyshire Peak District.
6308375111.jpg
66 204 on 4S13 at Kingmoor Yard Down Recess Sidings. In an all to brief rest bite from the gales and rain 66 204 catches a few weak rays of sunshine while stood in Kingmoor Yard Down Recess Sidings. The train is 18 empty HTA coal hoppers running as 4S13 04.07 Earles Sidings to New Cumnock Crowbansgate Coal Siding. This train recesses in Kingmoor Yard between 08.35 and 11.16. The wagons are modified HTA's in three blocks of 6 with the outer wagons having buffers as this set is used on the coal flow to Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire where the resident locomotives are not fitted with AAR couplers.
6435632331.jpg
12:11:50 30/11/2011
66 204 with 4S13 at Blackhouse Token Exchange. 66 204 is seen at Blackhouse Token Exchange on the single track freight only line between Mauchline Junction and Newton Junction at Ayr. The original token exchange point was at the site of Blackhouse Junction behind Ayr Depot but a couple of years ago it was moved ¾ mile further along the freight line towards Annbank. This was for two reasons, one was to allow for longer coal trains as the rear of a standing train could now be clear of Newton Junction on the mainline. The second was the fact the track here behind the old Ayr Steel Stamping Works is straight and slightly more level than the steep rising curve from Newton Junction to Blackhouse Junction. Locos on loaded trains in excess of 2000tonne used to struggle to lift their train off the curve thus causing track damage on the curve with slipping., 66 204 is working 4S13 04.07 Earles Sidings to New Cumnock Coal Sidings operated by ATH Resources Ltd who dispatch mostly power station grade coal but these wagons once loaded will return to Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire. The recent flooding in South West Scotland is evident here with standing water in the cess beside the line.
6435652307.jpg
14:21:06 30/11/2011 		51 ton Fly Ash Presflo Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Walton Old Junction Yard., Date : 07/03/2012., Type : 51 tonne Fly Ash Presflo Wagon., Weight : 51 t GLW / 12.8 t Tare., Number : 876063., Number Series : 876057 to 876064., Builder : 1984-85 by Procor Ltd, Horbury, Wakefield., TOPS Code : CSA., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., EWS bought a batch of surplus PCA presflo cement tanks from Rugby Cement Ltd and had them overhauled by the original builder (Procor) in 1999-2000 for use conveying bulk powder or PFA (Pulverised Fly Ash). Only 7 vehicles were outshopped numbered 876057 to 876064 and were former private owner series wagons in the RC 10050 to RC 10064 number range., , The wagons have seen next to no use at all since conversion and most languish in yards as "stored out of use". The only record use soon after conversion was a short lived flow of lime from Hindlow Lime Works in Derbyshire to Fifoots Power Station in Gwent plus a trial load with granulated lime from Hindlow to Mossend for use in the glass industry but the latter flow is generally in JAA or JIA bogie covered lime hoppers these days., , (A big thank you to Stu Daniels for gen on their use as I thought they had never been in revenue service since conversion).
6818244024.jpg
15:26:38 07/03/2012 		92 009 'Marco Polo' with a minuscule load. DB Schenker liveried class 92 no.92 009 named 'Marco Polo' stands on the up avoiding line at Carlisle Kingmoor Yard with freight 6M76 21.36 Mossend Yard to Warrington Arpley Yard. The consist being just 3 empty JAA covered lime wagons returning empty to Dowlow Lime Works in the Derbyshire Peak District. An all up weight of 190 tonne with 6760hp available was never going to be very taxing on the class 92.
6846159847.jpg
80 ton Bogie Covered Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Mossend Down Yard., Date : 12/04/2012., Type : Bogie Covered Hopper Wagon., Weight : 80 t GLW / 22 t Tare., Number : 21 70 938 2 004-7., Number Series : 21 70 938 2 000-x to 21 70 938 2 058-x., Builder : 1974-75 Fauvet Girel, Douai, France., TOPS Code : JIA., UIC Code : Uadfs., Designation : POLYBULK., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., These Polybulk wagons have spent most of their operating life carrying fine powder products like lime, silica sand and china clay. They were once a common sight using the Dover-Dunkerque train ferry and latterly the Channel tunnel but use these days tends to be restricted to the UK carrying lime. They have seen several owners since being built like TSL (Traffic Services Ltd), Tiphook Rail, Tiger-Rail and now most are operated by German leasing company VTG (Vereinigte Tanklager und Transportmittel GmbH), , International use for many years was from various ECC clay works in Cornwall, UK to Sezzadio in Italy and Basel in Switzerland carrying china clay for use in the ceramics industry. Internal use in the UK has been varied over the years. For a long time they carried Urea from Kings Lynn Docks to Duxford Ciba-Geigy Works but most recent use has been lime traffic in wagonload form operating from Lafarge's Dowlow and Thrislington Quarries or Tata Steel's Hardendale Quarry., , The wagon see here at Mossend is used to convey lime between Lafarge's Dowlow Quarry in Derbyshire to P.D. Stirling's Ltd freight terminal at Mossend where it is transhipped to road vehicles for onward distribution. For a short period sand was back loaded at Mossend for Monk Bretton in Yorkshire but this traffic flow has ceased with the wagons returning empty from Mossend to Dowlow.
7175914772.jpg
14:31:54 12/04/2012
88 ton Bogie Covered Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Mossend Down Yard., Date : 12/04/2012., Type : Covered Bogie Hopper Wagon., Weight : 88 t GLW / 21.3 t Tare., Number : VTG 13522., Number Series : VTG 13500 to VTG 13524. (originally TRL prefixed)., Builder : 1983 by Cadoux, Paris, France., TOPS Code : JAA. (ex PBA)., Design Code : JA005A., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., These French built bogie covered hoppers have seen use carrying minerals and fine powder products like lime and sand since construction in the early 1980's. The fleet of 25 vehicles has dwindled to just 4 still registered to run on the national network. The wagon type wasn't overly successful and the bulk of the fleet had been withdrawn by 1993. Some examples had their roof doors removed to become PHA hoppers for carrying gravel but this use didn't last. They started out operated by lease company TRL (Tiger Rail Leasing) the remaining 4 are now operated by VTG with surviving numbers 13514/518/521 & 522, they all tend to operate between Dowlow in Derbyshire and Mossend in Scotland., , The vehicle seen here still carries its old TOPS code of PBA when all private owner vehicles started with a "P" TOPS Code. In 1991 the P group was split into three groups, P - four wheeled, J - bogied and K - containers flats and specials. This wagon should carry code JAA and its change of ownership has been rather crudely applied with TRL replaced by a VTG prefix. The vehicle depicted works between Dowlow Lime Works in Derbyshire operated by Lafarge and the freight terminal at Mossend operated by P.D. Stirling Ltd conveying lime for use in the glass industry.
7176049954.jpg
14:33:38 12/04/2012 		Railbus RB004 at Whitrope Siding Halt. Border Union Railway. Prototype BRE/Leyland built Railbus no.RB004 is seen in the platform at Whitrope Siding on the Border Union Railway which is operated by the Waverley Route Heritage Association. This was taken on the official opening day for the new heritage line although passenger services had run on the previous day. The new halt is just a few yards south of the famous Whitrope Summit on the Waverley route which closed under BR ownership on the 6th January 1969. The track has been laid south for a distance of ¾ mile but the operating licence only allows trains to proceed for 240yds to bridge no.200 over the B6399 road which is waiting funds for a full structural survey., , Railbus RB004 is one of a batch of three demonstrators built in 1984 by BRE/Leyland purely to test the export market. RB004 left Derby in 1984 for trials in the USA and its first use was for two months starting in July 1984 on the Old Colonial Railroad, Newport, Rhode Island. It then toured other US states - Conneticut, Long Island, Washington, Alabama, New Orleans and Cleveland before ending up in Canada by 1985-86. With no real interest in purchasing such vehicles from the US or Canadian Railroads it eventually returned in 1986 to the UK and ended up dumped at BREL York Works as an office. It was rescued for preservation in 1994 by the Yorkshire Dales Railway and moved to Embsay. It has since been sold again to the fledgling Northumbria Rail Group who are reinstating the Alnmouth to Alnwick branch in Northumberland and they intend to use it once the line reopens. As the BUR does not have any serviceable passenger stock the railbus was hired in for this inaugural opening of the line event.
7545990486.jpg
11:30:50 01/07/2012 		08 856 on Crewe Station south end van pilot duty. 1986. Standing in the bay platforms in the early hours 08 856 is seen stood with a rake of GUV and BG vans being loaded with mail for attachment to a northbound service., , 08 856 at the time was allocated on paper to Chester having formerly been a Crewe Diesel depot allocated shunter but I suspect the move never took place on the official date, by May 1987 it had moved again to Allerton on Merseyside. 08 856 was also the last locomotive to recieve a classified overhaul at Derby Locomotive Works in 1988 and carried plates to that effect. It survived into the privatisation era as an EWS machine but caught fire in 2000 when allocated to Cardiff Canton and spent time laid up. Repairs were carried out but by April 2004 the loco was stored unserviceable again and the end came in December 2011 when it was cut up at T.J. Thompsons scrapyard in Stockton.
7983737638.jpg
Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-4-0DH at Brodie Engineering Ltd, Kilmarnock. The old Chief Civil Engineers plant maintenance depot at kilmarnock has undergone a total renovation in recent years after the failure of Jarvis Rail. The site known as Bonnyton Rail Depot is now operated by Brodie Engineering Ltd who have a contract to overhaul and facelift Scotrail operated EMU's and DMU's., , The works shunter named "Tiny II" is a Yorkshire Engine Co 0-4-0DH (wks no. YE 2676/1959) it arrived here after seeing use at Bombardier Inc Crewe Works. Its has had a long a varied history dating back to being delivered new to Staveley Iron & Chemical Co. at Staveley Foundry in Derbyshire.
8489814945.jpg
11:46:06 18/02/2013
65 tonne GLW Bogie Sleeper Carrier Wagon. Location : Carlisle Kingmoor Yard., Date : 12/05/2013., Type : Bogie Sleeper Carrier Wagon., Weight : 65 t GLW / 24.9 t Tare., Number : 31 70 462 9 029-0., Number Series : 31 70 462 9 001-9 to 31 70 462 9 050-6., Builder : 2009 by W.H. Davis Ltd, Langwith, Derbyshire., TOPS Code : IFA., UIC Code : Sfkmmss., CCE Code : none allocated., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., These modern bogie sleeper carriers were built to work in conjunction with the Matisa D75 track renewal train known as the TRS-4 high output train. They were something of a break with tradition as the sleepers are loaded into bale cradles which can be lifted off by road plant. The 50 wagons built all belong to Network Rail and currently operate from the Cemex concrete works at Washwood Heath in Birmingham to where ever the TRS-4 is currently out based. The wagon seen here is in the consist of 6X95 09.45 Mossband Junction to Kingmoor Yard having been involved in overnight track renewals. The vehicle is loaded with redundant sleepers recovered by the Matisa D75 machine and these will leave Kingmoor Yard in the consist of 4G05 02.08 Kingmoor to Washwood Heath where the old sleepers in cradles will be replaced with new ones and returned the next day as 4C03 back to Kingmoor High Output Operations Base.
8742680296.jpg
09:10:38 12/05/2013 		62 tonne Bogie Container Flat (end vehicle). DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : York NRM Warehouse Yard., Date : 08/07/2013., Type : Bogie Container Flat Wagon (end vehicle)., Weight : 62 t GLW / 22 t Tare., Number : 601652., Number Series : 601630 to 601653., Builder : 1971 by BR Ashford Works., TOPS Code : FGA., Designation : Freightliner Flat., Lot No. : 3765., Design Code : FG004E., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., Owned by the National Railway Museum but the wagon and its load are seen in a poor state of preservation. The Caboose I believe is the sole surviving Freightliner Guards Van no.09Z04. The fibre glass 10ft pod is seen on the end of a FGA Freightliner flat along with a 20ft container (08 L 43) introduced with the start of these trains in 1965. The Freightliner skeletal flats were formed in blocks of five with three inner vehicles and two outer vehicles, the inner vehicles having no buffers and just a fixed bar link. So sets would be formed FGA+FFA+FFA+FFA+FGA. When introduced they were something of a revolution with vast increases in carrying capacity seeing as they carried the new ISO containers being introduced within the shipping industry. Containers were 8ft wide and 8ft high and came in lengths of 10, 20 & 30ft. On introduction the first problem was where would the guard ride on such trains as the drivers union ASLE&F were against guards riding on the loco. Seven experimental guards caboose pods were introduced but after trials in service the NUR union blacked the 10ft container pods due to their diabolical ride characteristics as the wagons were 75mph and air flow under the pod caused it to jolt about because of its light construction. In the end a compromise solution was adopted and for a few years guards rode in a redundant suburban brake carriage attached to Freightliner trains. This practice was soon phased out when ASLE&F accepted guards riding in the rear cab of the locomotive. So with just seven guards caboose containers built this one should be in much better condition having been saved for the nation. They were constructed in two lots at Derby Works in 1965. Lot 3565 covered 99Z00-01 and lot 3572 covered 99Z02-06.
9473152717.jpg
13:43:38 08/07/2013 		90 ton Bogie Aggregate Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Kingmoor Yard Up Departure Sidings., Date : 10/06/2012., Type : Bogie Aggregate Hopper Wagon., Weight : 90 t GLW / 23 t Tare., Number : RMC 17232., Number Series : RMC 17225 to RMC 17249., Builder : 1990 RFS Industries Ltd, Doncaster Works., TOPS Code : JGA., Design Code : JG013A., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., RMC (Ready Mix Concrete Co.) operated several fleets of 90 tonne bogie hopper wagons for aggregate traffic although in recent years the entire fleet has been sold to EWS (now DB Schenker) hence the de-branding of the RMC logo. RMC's first wagons were the ex Hall Aggregate Co. wagons (HALL 13700-712) these were built in 1984 for the Newhaven to Crawley and Tolworth gravel trains with RMC taking over the business a few years later. These were later joined by two further builds, the first in 1986 and second in 1990 with RMC 17201-224 and RMC 17225-249 after RMC bought out Peakstone Ltd. The second two batches being used from their Peak Forest Quarry in Derbyshire to serve terminals at Washwood Heath, Ely, Bletchley and Selby. Since the cessation of the Newhaven traffic in the late 1980's the three batches have operated as a single fleet out of the Peak Forest Quarry in Derbyshire., , The wagon seen here in Kingmoor Yard had been detached with a defect from the irregular Shap Blue Quarry (Shap Summit) to Salford Hope Street aggregate terminal train which conveys grit stone on an as required basis for the road repair and road building industry.
9491500629.jpg
14:15:32 10/06/2012 		88 tonne Bogie Aggregate Hopper Wagon. DETAILS FOR THIS VEHICLE., Location : Kingmoor Yard Up Departures Sidings., Date : 31/05/2013., Type : Bogie Aggregate Hopper Wagon., Weight : 87.9 t GLW / 21.7 t Tare., Number : RMC 13706., Number Series : RMC 13700 to RMC 13712 (ex HALL 13700 to HALL 13712)., Builder : 1984 by Standard Wagon Co., Heywood Works., TOPS Code : JGA (originally PHA)., Design Code : JG009A., , ADDITIONAL NOTES., This former RMC bogie aggregate hopper has seen several owners since being built. It started life with Hall Aggregate Ltd working gravel trains from Newhaven to Tolworth and Crawley. After RMC took over the business the traffic ceased but the wagons were recoded with the RMC prefix and migrated north to join the existing RMC hopper fleet working out of Peak Forest Quarry in Derbyshire. In recent years RMC's haulier EWS bought the hopper fleet in an effort to prevent other freight companies taking the work and they have since passed to DB Schenker who bought out EWS. The Hall Aggregate livery was orange with a wide white band along the barrel side this can just be made out under the coat of orange applied by RMC when they moved the white band to the barrel top., , The wagon seen above had been detached with a defect from the irregular Shap Blue Quarry (Shap Summit) to Washwood Heath stone terminal working which conveys 10mm granite chippings for the road building industry.
9494430668.jpg
08:28:34 31/05/2013
Albums Back