I have long had a soft spot for diesel units and I mostly mean the first generation units with mechanical transmission. I realise that DMUs are not everyone's cup of tea and this section is very much a labour of love. My first train journeys were in this type of vehicle and I remember the excitement of sitting in the right-hand front seat and watching both the driver and the road ahead. I have some interest in later units but they don't have quite the attraction to me of the older and, dare I say, more comfortable versions. Living in Stratford-upon-Avon, the majority of my local photographs are of the various classes allocated to Tyseley depot, although the town saw many "foreign" units arrive on specials over the years. My real favourites were the class 121 "bubbles", followed by the class 114 Derby Heavyweights, as is shown in practice by the photograph above. Both types finished their days in the Midlands working Stratford to Leamington Spa services. This picture, taken from the towing path of the Stratford-upon-Avon canal, is therefore a bit of a favourite. This part of my website may look rather heavily biased in favour of the area around Stratford-upon-Avon and I hope that it will be tolerated. I lived very close to the railway for some years and tried to get as comprehensive record as possible of movements in the area. To learn more about Stratford-upon-Avon station, please have a look at this site, produced by one of the current station staff.   www.stratfordstation.com

It was not only the DMMUs in which I was interested. The diesel-electric Hampshire "Thumpers" were also a great favourite. As is mentioned elsewhere, I spent 4 years travelling to and from Basingstoke and developed quite an affection for the underpowered but characterful 3H units. These elderly trains had an especially pleasing exhaust note, and whilst they were perhaps a tad slow for long journeys were a great form of transport between Reading, Basingstoke and Salisbury.

For the purposes of this section I have decided that the admirable InterCity 125 High Speed Trains are multiple units. I realise that this is not strictly accurate but they do, I think, seem to fall quite naturally into this category.
One of the regular but infrequent test trains to visit the terminus at Stratford-upon-Avon ran on Friday 28 May 2010. This time it was formed of the Network Rail class 150 DMU 950001, was allocated the headcode 2Q08 and was due in at 08.53. It ran just about an hour late and is here seen leaving platform 1 en-route to Hatton where it was to reverse, return to Stratford and then head off back towards Birmingham. There are few photographic opportunities at Stratford station on a sunny morning; some cloud being welcome as it offers a bit more flexibility. The arrival managed to avoid the sun so I was able to take a shot from the footbridge. My thanks to David Weake for the information and updates on this working.
This week has been "Week 1" of the NMT HST's regular schedule so it was due to run as 1Z21 from Paddington to Derby on 23 April 2010. For a change the light was spot on for this train and this shot is, I think, my first on the NMT on this line in anything approaching perfect conditions. The power cars were 43013 and 43062 and the bright ensemble is seen rounding the curve at Hatton North Junction on the final leg of the journey to its home at RTC Derby.
Just before going home from Budbrooke on 21 April 2010 I hung on for a few minutes until a northbound Chiltern Railways' train came along so that I could try out this shot that I've had in mind for a little while. The unidentified class 165 has just left Warwick Parkway station and is passing a field adjacent to St. Michael's church who no doubt used the cross during their Easter celebrations a few weeks ago.
There is a frequent passenger along the GWR line between Leamington Spa and Birmingham, most of which is formed of Chiltern Railways' class 168 units. Here is 168111 shortly after leaving Warwick Parkway station en-route to Birmingham Snow Hill on 9 April 2010. Although I quite enjoy a session photographing multiple units once in a while, it is a shame that no locomotive hauled passenger trains use this route on a regular basis; the WSMR services, with the exception of the 11.20 departure from Marylebone to Wrexham for which the sun is unfavourable, now all run via Coventry. Arriva CrossCountry do have a presence on the line with an hourly service to Birmingham New Street, and an unidentifiable class 220 is here seen running north up Hatton Bank shortly before 168111.
The remaining pockets of semaphore signalling in Warwickshire are scheduled for replacement in the Autumn of 2010 when control of the North Warwickshire Line is transferred to Landor Street Junction Panel. The nearest signals to my home are those at Bearley Junction and as Monday 8 March 2010 was clear and sunny I made up my mind to go and take a few shots from a couple of the foot crossings between there and Wilmcote. For reasons involving a sheep, a muddy, icy and slippery canal bank and the RSPCA I ended up at a crossing further north than I had intended for my first shots with the result that the sun wasn't quite as far round as I should have liked. Still, the signals were the real target with 165002 heading to Stratford-upon-Avon from London Marylebone being almost incidental and really just providing an additional prop. The signals here did, of course, operate in the lower quadrant, being firmly in GWR territory, but were converted a good twenty years ago to the then standard for semaphores. The splitting home signal was changed after the outer starter which had already gone over to upper quadrant operation by the time that I started taking an interest.
Great Western distant signals operating in the lower quadrant are very thin on the ground. I can think only a two or three around Worcestershire, some in Cornwall and this one operated by Bearley Junction signalbox on the up line between Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham. I wasn't sure if it was being pulled off at the moment because of a speed restriction at the junction so was pleased to see that it was in use today. The Sprinter, 150019, is slowing for the stop at Wilmcote station on 8 March 2010 as it passes the signal on its way to Stratford. As I was keen to get a photograph of a train passing it in the "off" position, I waited until 150019 returned from Stratford as the 14.27 to Stourbridge junction.
The majority of the passenger trains on the GWR Birmingham to Leamington Spa line are in the hands of Chiltern Railways' class 168 Clubman units. Most photographers ignore these because there's no locomotive involved but I usually take a shot or two of them if the conditions are favourable especially when there's some contrast between the train and the background as with this picture taken on 2 March 2010 with a longish lens as 168106 rounds the curve near Hatton station on the way to London Marylebone. Note also the relaid track of the down line commencing after the pointwork leading from the Stratford branch platform, also used on occasions by freights leaving Hatton's Down Goods Loop.
Class 168 units now visit Stratford-upon-Avon on a daily basis after having been quite rare for some years. Here is 168109 about to leave the Stratford branch at Hatton Station Junction with the 11.38 to Marylebone on 2 March 2010. This train was halted at the signal just behind the third coach for several minutes while 66517 working 4M55, the 08.55 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner pulled out of the down goods loop. The exit from the branch platform in the up direction would, if the signal were overshot, have put this train directly in conflict with the freight, hence the former being held on the short double track section at the end of the branch to avoid even the remotest possibility of a collision.
I recently seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with obtaining pictures of DMUs at Henley-in-Arden. One of the pictures I have been after is a train passing the inner home signal in good light, a commodity which of late has been in short supply. The best train for the angle of the sun is that arriving at Henley at 14.05 and the sky looked as if was clear enough to make the short trip from home on 11 February 2010 and sure enough, 150003 appeared right on time with the sun in a big clear patch. Part of my keenness to get photographs here is that fact that the signals and associated signalbox will be gone by the Autumn and I much prefer the winter sun with its lower angle than that later in the year. The bay platform line and adjacent siding have already been disconnected with new track and ballast having been laid through the statiion. All of the work so far has been taking place overnight to avoid disruption to the hourly passenger service, but I believe that at least one weekend of daylight activity is planned later in the year.
When a train is in clear sunny conditions, moving very slowly and a quite different perspective is available by widening the field of view, it is inevitable that a second shot is inevitable. I can't see the point in putting online two or more shots that are identical save for the train having moved a couple of inches, but when the wider angle gives another view altogether, perhaps by including a station platform, I think it is worthwhile. What I still call an ATC ramp is a new addition to the down line at Henley-in-Arden but there is currently, on 11 February 2010, no sign of any new signal posts. No doubt these, when they arrive, will be the ugly and massively over-engineered variety that are now in vogue.
During the recent snowy weather I was lucky enough to obtain a reasonably attractive picture of 150007 from the towing path at Edstone aqueduct betwen Henley-in-Arden and Stratford-upon-Avon. When the sun appeared on Saturday 30 January 2010 I decided that it would be a good idea to repeat the shot but with the "normal" landscape, so here is a very clean 150122, albeit with 2 coaches rather than 3, in the same spot. After taking this photograph I made the short drive north to Henley in order to finally get a sunny shot of the 13.05 arrival there; one which cloud has so far meant I have missed. On arrival, the sun was beautiful so I took this view of the switched out signal box and starter and inner home signals and newly laid track, not to mention the recently arrived white trackside container no doubt to accomodate something or other for the ongoing engineering work. By the time the passenger train was due some small patches of cloud had appeared: need I say more?
After a very cold spell with heavy snow and leaden skies, the morning of 7 January 2010 turned out to be beautifully clear and sunny but with below-zero temperatures so that the snow wouldn't disappear too quickly. I was keen to get a shot or two in these perfect conditions but didn't want to run the risk of a bent car or worse just for a photograph of a train. With this in mind I went just a few miles from home to the aqueduct at Edstone, between Henley-in-Arden and Stratford-upon-Avon, arriving in time for the train from Stourbridge Junction due to pass there at about 12.10. Unsurprisingly, 150007 was a few minutes late when it came into view, running through the very attractive Warwickshire countryside. The surroundings fields were an absolute picture in the snow and here is the view towards the diminutive River Alne, which runs along the extreme left of the picture, passing the small hut just visible by the hedge.
This picture is dated 7 June 1986 and shows Tyseley's unit T702 standing in platform 3 at Stratford-upon-Avon with the 08.30 to Birmingham Moor Street. This unit was the last class 116 to remain in all blue livery and at this date was not to remain unpainted for much longer. Virtually everything in this scene has changed; the Ministry of Defence cold store has been replaced by a Morrisons supermarket, the college building on the far side of the Alcester Road has been extensively extended and the siding to the right of T702 has been lifted. Trains to Birmingham no longer leave from platform 3 after shunting from No. 1, but simply reverse without the need to change platforms. The Chiltern Railways trains to London Marylebone now use platform 3 as there timing is such that most arrive before and leave after the Birmingham services so a change of platform is necessary.
My intention on Wednesday 25 November 2009 was to photograph 3S87, the RHTT from Kings Norton to Kings Norton via Stratford-upon-Avon, somewhere along the North Warwickshire Line. In the event, the weather was quite poor at the time that I should have had to have left home so the plan was put on hold. At about 13.15, tooo late to drive out anywhere for the train, the sky looked as if it would clear so I just made the short walk down to Stratford station. A couple of minutes after I arrived, the 13.27 to Stourbridge Junction formed of 150003 pulled out of platform 1 under a sky that was just too dramatic to ignore. After the Chiltern Railways class 165 just visible on the left had gone at 13.40, the sun went behind a thick bank of cloud and I thought that yet another dull shot was on the cards. Fortunately though, 3S87 was running a bit late and the winter sun came back out. As the train was running late it didn't run right along the platform but stopped before the footbridge, where the crew changed ends before going back north. The signal was cleared to green by Bearley Junctiion's signaller almost before 3S87 had come to a halt so that it could leave immediately and run along the North Warwickshire Line with its long signalling sections without causing delay to the following train.
The weather forecast for the afternoon of 12 November 2009 indicate that strong winds and heavy rain would replace the clear skies of the morning. Hoping to catch to catch a cloudy but bright interlude I headed off to Wootton Wawen station, on the North Warwickshire Line, with the intention of taking a photograph of 3S87, the RHTT scheduled along there. When I arrived at the bridge over the station, the sun was out and, being in a cutting, the line was shadowed with a brightly lit background. This wasn't at all what I wanted, so had a quick drive to Danzey, on the other side of Henley-in-Arden where the sun, if out, would be in the right place. Naturally, as soon as I arrived, a thick bank of cloud appeared but as the train appeared in the distance a small hole in the cloud allowed the sun to poke through. New London Midland station signs have recently been erected here, replacing the previous Regional Railways versions. I really enjoy these short sessions on my local lines and much prefer it to spending a few hours alongside a main line somewhere photographing routine traffic, especially in poor light. Maybe, after many years, I have become more selective!
Friday 6 November was another dull and drizzly day in Stratford-upon-Avon so I took the opportunity to obtain another couple of shots of 3S87, the RHTT that runs down and up the North Warwickshire Line with a reversal at Stratford. I do like to take pictures of these short trains in station settings so that there is some definable character to the shot, especially when the light is on the dire side of dreadful. Here is DR98908 leading the formation through Wilmcote, a pretty well preserved example of a Great Western country station, unusually with buildings still extant on both sides of the lines. That on the down side, adjacent to the train, has been closed for as long as I can remember but I can recall the booking office on the up side being in use. I believe that a cardboard model of the down side building used to be available and examples are probably in use on model railways somewhere in the country.
There wasn't too long to wait before 3S87 reappeared, climbing the last few yards of the 1 in 75 of Wilmcote Bank before passing the eponymous station, but even in that short time the light deteriorated quite dramatically.. I took this shot early enough to show the privately owned and well maintained buildings on the up side of the station, along with part of the substantial house once occupied by the Stationmaster here. The GWR knew how to look after their staff in the days when the holder of such a position was a prominent member of the local community. I know that it's down to personal choice but I do feel that those who photograph only locomotives in the countryside miss out on some great historic locations and infrastructure. In how many places does one see a bicycle shed built in such as style as this, with accurately shaped woodwork? OK, the colour, a pinkish brown, is not authentic GWR but it does match that of the other stations along the line. New London Midland Railway signs are gradually appearing in the area and I imagine that it won't be too long before Wilmcote gets the treatment.
On Thursday 5 November 2009 I decided not to bother with a shot of 47805 hauling the Burton-upon-Trent to Dollands Moor empty steel train but went instead to Henley-in Arden station for a few more pictures of a DMU and the RHTT going to and from Stratford-upon-Avon. The old railway infrastructure at Henley is unlikely to survive for much longer given that resignalling is imminent so I thought that it would be a good opportunity to top-up my images from here. First along was 150019 slowing for the station stop while working a Stourbridge Junction to Stratford-upon-Avon train. Despite there being plenty of blue sky around, I wasn't lucky with the sun on this occasion so the Autumnal colours aren't shown to their best advantage but I was happy enough to secure some more photographs of this attractive country byway.
The DMU in the picture above soon cleared the signalling section which currently ends at Bearley Junction and this allowed the signaller to pull off the signals giving 3S87, the Kings Norton to Kings Norton via Stratford-upon-Avon RHTT, a clear road. A couple of minutes after the inner home signal was raised, the sun came out and I took this picture of the bay platform and siding signals. I did once ask a signaller here if it might be possible to take pictures with these signals in the "off" position, but he declined, saying that he thought it quite possible that the points, if moved across to allow the signals to be pulled off, might well not go back again! Anyway, 3S87 with DR98958 leading, came right on time and shortly after the sun went in again, this time into a sky full of black cloud.
I hadn't really intended to stay at Henley in Arden for the return of 3S87 but changed my mind so as to get this picture as it ran through the platform with its water jets going at full belt. A cloudy sky was helpful on this occasion so that a shot looking towards the south-west was possible. Unlike the last time I saw this working, it had been held to right time either at Stratford station or Bearley Junction which meant that it should have crossed a Stratford-bound class 150 in the platform. Fortunately, the DMU was a minute or so late and my shot, with DR98908 now leading, wasn't obscured.
I always like to take a few pictures of the RHTTs on my local lines and once the clocks have changed at the end of October there are few better places for a shot than Henley-in Arden. Here is DR98912 leading 3S87, the Kings Norton to Kings Norton via Stratford-upon-Avon train, past the signalbox and associated semaphore signals. To be quite honest, as one who was brought in GWR territory, I should prefer signals operating in the lower quadrant but the pegs here still are an attractive feature of the North Warwickshire Line. It won't be long, probably less than 12 months, before the box here is taken out of service and the signals replaced with modern equipment operated from Landor Street panel so this year may well be the last chance for this shot. For a better view of the signalbox, use this hyperlink. One benefit of the resignalling will be that a half-hourly passenger service will be possible throughout the day with the chance to run trains with fewer stops, thus resulting in much reduced journey times. There will also be more paths available so the few special trains that run from the north to Stratford may be routed this way.
The regular passenger services along the North Warwickshire Line run between Stourbridge Junction and Stratford-upon-Avon. These are currently formed of class 150 DMUs although new class 172 units should make an appearance in the relatively near future. Here, 150007 forming the 14.27 from Stratford, calls at Henley-in-Arden and is using platform 2 from which the overall canopy was removed many years ago, the passenger accomodation now being a steel and glass shelter. The canopy remains on platform 1, but somewhat bizarrely, there are no seats of any description. New signage was being fitted during my visit and it is to be hoped that a use may be found for the boarded up but still sound building. In common with several other stations along the line, Henley has been painted in some rather odd colours, bearing no relationship to any railway company colour schemes either past or present. Before many minutes had passed, 3S87 returned north and is here seen between the up and down signals on the Stratford side of the station. The RHTT has to wait here for a few minutes until the preceding passenger train had cleared the section by reaching Shirley station.
With the prospect of a few freights along the line through Hatton and with Friday 23 October being the last weekday before the clocks go back for Autumn I spent a couple of hours at the south end of the cutting. The first train at which I pointed my camera was the 12.20 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill formed of class 168 168109. I can rarely resist taking pictures of these units when the sun is in the right place and especially when there is such an attractive cloudscape. I do not know whether it is down to the topography of the area but the skies around Hatton and Warwick often have a highly photogenic appearance during the early afternoon. One of the regular Autumnal features of the landscape at Hatton is a field of pumpkins ready for the customers at Hatton Country World preparing for Halloween celebrations.
Cross Country Trains run several HSTs from Scotland and the North East to the West Country route. Thes relatively elderly sets still perform as well as they always did and provide infinitely more comfortable accomodation for passengers than the noisy, cramped and vibrating Voyagers. Here is 43357 leading the 06.32 Dundee to Plymouth service past Croome Perry Wood at 14.06 on a sunny Friday 16 October 2009. I was a bit disappointed that the Autumnal colours in the background have yet fully developed so I may return in a couple of weeks given the right conditions.
Adding a welcome splash of colour to the sunny scene at Croome Perry on 16 October 2009 is 153380 leading an unidentified class 158 on the 14.51 Great Malvern to Weymouth. I quite like the current First Great Western colour scheme as it generally provides a good contrast to whatever background one has in the photograph. I generally prefer to take southbound shots in this area at Defford, a couple of miles south of Croome, but the lineside trees cast quite heavy shadows by 14.30 at this time of the year.
The afternoon of Wednesday 14 October 2009 became clear and sunny after a murky start and with nothing much of interest about I went for another photograph of the RHTT train running along the North Warwickshire Line. I initially looked at Henley-in-Arden but the sun was a little too straight at 13.15 so decided to move south a few miles to Edstone Aqueduct, where the line swings around onto an east/west axis. I heard the horn on DR98957 blow for a crossing just as a narrow boat started its journey across the longest cast-iron aqueduct in England and thought that I might have my shot obscured; an unusual situation to say the least. In the event, all was well and 3S87 came about 5 seconds after the boat had cleared my position.
As Autumn porgesses the Raihead Treatment Trains start their daily journeys around the country both to clear leaves from the line and to apply Sandite, a paste intended to aid adhesion in slippery conditions. The West Midlands RHTTs are based at Kings Norton from where one diagram runs down to Stratford-upon-Avon, where arrival is scheduled for 13.48. I wasn't surprised to see a slightly early arrival on 13 October 2009 when DR98907 + DR988957 came into the station before reversal and a northbound run along the North Warwickshire Line via Henley-in-Arden. The other line to Stratford, that from Hatton to Bearley Junction, is not covered as there are no real gradients that might cause problems for the trains running over it. Here is a slightly closer view as the MPV stands in platform one while the crew changes ends, and a heavily backlit shot as the train, 3S87, departs a few minutes after the 13.41 Chiltern Trains service to Marylebone has started its journey.
For those with a fondness for photographing class 150 DMUs, the line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Dorridge is a happy hunting ground as there is regular service at 20 minute intervals throughout much of the day. The train generally run into the bi-directional platform 3 at Dorridge and return north within a few minutes of arrival. Here is 150001 crawling towards the crossover from the up main line at Bentley Heath, situated just to the south of the crossing, to the line leading to the platform. Dorridge is also served by Chiltern Trains' class 165 and 168 units to and from London Marylebone and here is an example of the latter, 168106 slowing for the station stop.
After photographing a ballast train at Aldington I made the short journey to Evesham station to find that the up platform was well populated with passengers waiting for the shuttle train to Worcester, this section of line being open for business. Within a few minutes, 165130 came into the platform for the passengers on it to alight ready for the onward journey to Oxford in one of the fleet of coaches waiting in the car park. This picture is slightly unusual in that it shows a down train in Evesham's up platform, with the ground signal in the "off" position to allow it to run wrong-road for a short distance until the single track to Norton Junction is joined.
At the time of writing in mid July 2009, the Cotswold Line is about to become the subject of dramatic changes as much of it is about to receive double track after many years of being largely single. One of the sections of line to see this work carried out is that between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh so with only a few days to go before a two week long closure I went to this location just west of Evesham to take a few pictures of the scene pre-alteration. The first working that I saw was the New Measurement Train working as 1Z16 Derby to Derby via Worcester and Oxford with power cars 43062 + 43014. The weather was cloudy so I took the opportunity to take my photograph from the north side of the line which, to my eyes, was the more attractive view with the houses and churches of Evesham clearly visible in the background.
Before leaving this location near Evesham I took a photograph of a First Great Western service train, the slightly late running 11.22 Paddington to Great Malvern om the approaches to Evesham station. Once again on a dull day the better view was from the north side of the line showing the attractive stone occupation bridge leading to a riverside hotel and the less pleasing and much more modern bridge taking the Evesham bypass over the line. Much clearance work on the south side of the cutting took place in the early Spring and the remains of several trees can clearly seen in this view. Just off the stone bridge in a field is this ex-railway van used as a store of some description. The white paint marks, a circle containign a cross, showing the van to be withdrawn from service are still visible.
Most passenger trains between Paddington, Worcester and Great Malvern are currently formed of HST stock but Turbos of classes 165 and 166 do make appearances from time to time. I was told that a local MP complained to First Great Western about the older and inferior DMUs being used in preference to the the newer HSTs! Maybe someone should give him a lesson on railway chronology...Anyway, here is 166201 on the approaches to Worcester on 4 June 2009 with the 13.21 Paddington to Great Malvern which, at this point was running in the region of 20 minutes late.
A more conventional scene with an HST leaving Worcester is here seen as the 15.11 Hereford to Paddington passes Norton Barracks on 4 June 2009 with power car 43023 leading. The line through here is becoming quite overgrown and due to the presence of a large tree on the left hand side of the line a hefty shadow is cast across both tracks, this becoming more and more obtrusive as the sun moves round towards the west. This is one reason for switching to a longer lens as the afternoon progresses; the other being to foreshorten the view and bring closer the tower of Worcester Cathedral.
Tuesday 2 June was another hot and sunny day so in the absence of any one-off in which I was interested I decided to have a trip to the Birmingham to Gloucester line to take a few photographs of some steel workings. There has recently been quite an upturn in the number of trains conveying steel to and from the Midlands and I expected to see at least 4 trains. First along though was an Arriva HST service, 1V39, the 06.32 Dundee to Plymouth with power car 43303 leading. The sun at Claydon, near Ashchurch was perhaps still a little straight at just after 2pm but at least the light would move in the right direction as the afternoon progressed.
Most of the passenger traffic on the Birmingham to Gloucester line is run by either Arriva or London Midland but First Great Western makes its presence felt with trains to and from Worcester and Malvern. Here is 158959 with the 14.51 Great Malvern to Weymouth just after the station stop at Ashchurch on Tuesday 2 June 2009. This train is usually a sign that an empty steel train is on the way as 6V07 from Round Oak to Margam, if it's running, is generally allowed out of Worcester as soon as it has cleared the section towards Norton Junction.
The use of class 153 single units on their own isn't all that commonplace in the West Midlands, the best known being the shuttles from Coventry to Nuneaton. First Great Western also use the modern-day "bubbles" and on some long distance runs. Here is 153318 on the 12.26 from Southampton Central to Worcester Foregate Street on the final approach to Ashchurch station. There isn't much of a northbound shot at this location but with a long lens a train-sized gap (for a small train!) in the lineside undergrowth can be found with the escarpment of the Cotswold just visible in the background.
The photogenic units of Chiltern Trains run at roughly half-hourly intervals and on a nice day such as 1 June 2009 it is inevitable that they form regular photographic subjects. This then is 168111 accelerating away from the station stop at Hatton, situated just around the corner. The composition of the picture may initially look a bit odd as there is more sky in the shot than would be considered normal but I was keen to include the moon, visible above the smaller of the two background trees. A case of full sun and half moon...
I don't have a great fondness for class 220/221 Voyagers, but on the bases that they are better to photograph than to travel on and also that I think that everything moving on the railway should be photographed at some point I take the occasional shot of them if the light is good enough. Here is 220031 passing Hatton North Junction on 1 June 2009 with a train to Manchester Piccadilly. It is a great pity in my eyes at least that a few mainline passenger services weren't routed along this line in earlier days as it is far more photogenic than the alternative route to Birmingham via Coventry.
Saturday 23 May 2009 saw quite a variety of traffic on the Leamington Spa to Banbury line and remarkably, the weather forecast was more than favourable in that long sunny periods were predicted. Some of the trains were scheduled to run via Oxford and others via the Chiltern Line through Bicester North so it seemed a good idea to be somewhere north of Aynho Junction so as to be able to see the maximum amount of traffic. I decided upon the bridge adjacent to Banbury stone terminal as all the trains in which I was interested were southbound. The first up train along was a Virgin "Blockbuster", 1Z06, the 05.45 Liverpool Lime Street to Euston formed of two class 221 Voyagers, 221104 and 221105 respectively. Just to show that the northbound shot from this bridge isn't up to much, here's a picture of 221140 accelerating away from the station stop at Banbury. Thanks to Chris Beaumont for the Voyagers' ID
Whenever I go somewhere to take railway photographs I do like to obtain a representative sample of all the traffic on the line including whatever units are on the passenger services. The fact is that today the majority of trains on our network are units and it seems worthwhile to photograph them as classes and liveries change from time to time and it is good to have a record. I think that the Chiltern Turbos are quite photogenic in good light and here is the 09.03 Kidderminster to London Marylebone slowing for the station stop at Banbury, formed of 168218 and an unidentified sister unit.
The area around Hatton cutting is a mass of blossom in early May 2009, exemplified here by the Hawthorn in flower all around Chiltern Trains' 168108 as it climbs the bank with a train from Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill on 9 May. The regular passenger services along this line help to fill the long gaps between freight services, especially in the afternoon, when one is lucky to get two or three freights in a three hour session. I quite like photographing units but the short formations can give problems in areas with panoramic views and I find that a longer lens helps to fill the frame and draw in the background, in this case the north-east side of Warwick looking towards Cubbington.
Dorridge station, on the GWR line from Birmingham to Leamington Spa, enjoys a 20 minute service throughout the day. The trains are invariably formed of London Midland class 150 DMUs which shuttle up and down from Stourbridge Junction via Birmimgham Snow Hill and Moor Street stations. Here is 150002 approaching journey's end on 19 March 2009 as it slows for an adverse signal which indicates that the train will be routed over the crossover just to the south of Bentley Heath crossing and into platform 3, clear of both up and down main lines. A Chiltern Trains class 168 can just be seen disappearing around the curve in the background as it travels the final few miles of its journey to Birmingham Snow Hill.
First Great Western's class 153 single units are not uncommon on the Cheltenham to Worcester line but they are mostly seen coupled to another, longer, unit. Here though is 52329 runnng solo while crossing the Warwickshire Avon at Eckington with what I think is the 12.26 from Southampton Central to Worcester Foregate Street. I wonder how often a passenger travels the whole route on this train? It forms a local service via Westbury and Bristol so is probably well used for intermediate stations, but hardly a time-efficient train for a longer journey.
The first visit to Stratford-upon-Avon by an HST set took place on 11 March 1989 when a BR 125 Special organised by Hertforshire Railtours travelled to the terminus. The train originated from St Pancras and ran to Stratford via the Chiltern Line and Leamington Spa and after reversal went to Norwich via the North Warwickshire Line; the only HST to have used that line, and Tyseley, then on to Great Yarmouth eventually returning to London Liverpool Street. As it was Red Nose Day, each power car (43092 + 43055) had a large plastic nose affixed to the horn grille. The weather has dreadful and the light so poor that I didn't attempt a colour transparency but the nose can be seen on this picture as the train heads towards Birmingham, having just joined the North Warwickshire Line at Bearley Junction. Thi scene has changed quite a bit in the intervening years. There is a hedge along the fence against which I was leaning so that the view from the field is largely obscured, there are many masts and boxes around the signal box and the whole area is a bit of a mess. The 'box here and all associated semaphores are due for removal over the next 18 months or so, when control of the line passes to the new panel at Landor Street.
I had a quick trip to Badgeworth on 16 March 2009 to photograph a few bits and pieces in the bright morning sun. Unfortunately, the light became rather milky as I approached Cheltenham but I hoped that it might clear a little as the sun's heat burned off some of the high cloud and it wasn't too bad as 1V31, the 1V31 06:08 Edinburgh to Plymouth Arriva HST led by power car 43304 came around the bend from Cheltenham station. This is one of the few locations on the line from Birmingham to Gloucester which is usable after mid-morning, as it swings round to a roughly east - west direction so that the sun is well onto the side of the train for quite an extended period.
There is quite a variety of diesel multiple units along the line from Gloucester to Cheltenham and two different examples of the colour schemes are here seen at Badgeworth on 16 March 2009. First Great Western's 150261 is heading east towards Cheltenham as a sister unit, but from the Arriva stable heads west at the same time. The light had dipped quite badly for this shot but I kept my camera ready just in case a decent crossing shot presented itself.
Some major tree felling has recently taken place around Evesham station, none more drastic than that in the cutting immediately on the south side. It is many years since a shot like this was possible, probably close to 20 years in fact, when I remember going across on occasional Sunday afternoons when InterCity diversions of class 47s and coaching stock took place. This train is the 11.22 Paddington to Great Malvern formed of Adelante 180104 pictured a few yards before the Evesham stop. The cutting sides are currently a little messy but the piles of woodchips will soon disperse making for a very decent shot and one well worth taking before the 2 semaphore signals are removed and the single track doubled. I wonder if the redundant ivy-covered telegraph post will be removed to open the view a little more?
In theory, this scene should have been history well before 2009, but First Great Western are still using four class 180 Adelante DMUs to fill in gaps in their fleet. The majority of services along here are in the hands of HSTs with some Worcester trains being formed of class 166 units so it made a change on 3 February 2009 whenI photographed 180102 on the Cotswold Line at Lower Moor while it was forming the 11.22 Paddington to Great Malvern service.
A stock move to Long Marston was planned for Friday 23 November 2007. In the event this did not happen but I decided that as the light was so good it would be a shame to miss out on the chance to photograph the day-to-day traffic along the Cotswold Line. I was on the boarded public crossing at Lower Moor near Fladbury when this class 180 Adelante, 180112, came along, forming the 11.25 Worcester to Paddington service. From the start of the new timetable on 9 December 2007 these stylish units will start to go off-lease to be replaced by HSTs. I, for one, will miss their distinctive appeareance although regular passengers and operating staff may feel differently as their reliability has not been quite as good as it should have been. The Autumn colours that were so vivid along here a few weeks ago have almost entirely disappeared now that we have had some frosts and strong winds.
The next train to take the single line from Evesham to Norton Junction on 23 November 2007 was 180111, the 09.52 London Paddington to Hereford train. The bridge in the background marks the location of the long-gone Defford station, and in itself a good photographic location for most of the year. The shadows at this time of the year are a little intrusive, although shots are still possible albeit with a long telephoto lens.
Not all Cotswold Line trains are class 180 Adelante, some representatives of class 165 and 166 also appear. The 10.52 Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street was next along in the hands of 166205 in the striking, and to my eyes attractive, "neon" livery of First Great Western. Some remnants of Autumnal colour are still visible in the wood beyond the train but the best has now gone.
166205 did not spend long at Worcester and returned to London Paddington as the 13.21 from Foregate Street. This one caught me slightly unawares and the composition of the picture isn't exactly as I would have wished. I had planned to take the shot from the top step of the stile leading from the crossing into the adjacent field but didn't quite have time to climb high enough but I did manage to get a clear and fairly wide view of the train's colour scheme.
Class 180 180111 returned from Hereford as the 13.25 to Paddington and by the time it passed me at 14.36 the sun was getting quite low and the colour had an attractive golden tint. The bridge in the background is a popular location for down trains in the afternoon and if something out of the ordinary leaves Long Marston after lunchtime, there may be a dozen or more photographers spread out along the hedgerow.
As soon as 180111 had cleared the single line to Evesham, the daily RHTT working was able to head west towards Worcester. The working is 3S81, the 07:38 Kings Norton to Ledbury with MPV DR98973, which runs to Oxford in the morning and returns after lunch. There was no spraying taking place at this point as the location is not on much of a gradient nor is there a problem with leaf fall.
I can rarely resist the opportunity to photograph a FGW class 180 Adelante if the weather conditions are good. The sun could not have been better placed at Evesham on 4 October 2007 as 180109 approached the station stop so there wasn't really much of a decision to make. It seems slightly incongruous that one of the most modern diesel units is signalled along the Cotswold Line by GWR-style lower quadrant semaphores, but that, for me, is a large part of the attraction of this location. I wonder if the signalling will be replaced if, and it seems likely, the line from Oxford to Norton Junction near Worcester is re-doubled? There wouldn't seem to be a lot of work necessary here to stick with the existing arrangements, but whether a modern Network Rail would want to keep 19th century methods of working is a different matter.
I was expecting this train, the 14.51 Great Malvern to Weymouth FGW service formed of 158950, to appear before 6V07 with 60063 as in the appropriate section. Sometimes though, the trains from Round Oak can get away slightly early and if there is sufficient headway they will precede the unit. I'm never one to turn down a well-lit shot of a colourful DMU and think that the latest FGW livery is attractive, especially as the trains are generally kept in good external condition.
This summer has again seen the hiring in of HSTs to run on various trains to the South West. The first to go south from Birmingham on 23 August 2008 was this, led by National Express liveried 43307, forming 1V29 from Manchester to Newquay. The train was running in the region of 10 minutes when it passed Northway, near Ashchurch. It's surprising how much enthusiast attention these HST runs generate considering how they were largely ignored for the first 30 years of their lives..
A most unusual HST formation was used on the Cotswold LIne during the afternoon of Sunday 15 June 2008. The driver rostered for the Hanborough (the first station north of Oxford on the line) to Worcester Shrub Hill shuttles did not sign 165s or 166s so a set was made of two power cars and 2 coaches, the short formation being sent from St. Phillips Marsh just for these workings. The only one convenient for me was 1Z73, the 15.40 Hanborough to Worcester and here are 43182, 42277, 44059 and 43042 passing the site of Littleton & Badsey station between Honeybourne and Evesham only a few seconds before the sun went behind a large black cloud. I chose this location because it is one I don't much use and has a recognisable background, but was surprised that the sun was so far around at this time, about 16.20.
One of the trains I was hoping to see at Hatton on 24 May 2008 was the single unit "bubble" 960014 which was scheduled to make a run from Tyseley to Euston as a crew training run in connection with diversions from the WCML to the Chiltern Line. This didn't turn up so I assumed it was cancelled so my next shot was of Arriva Trains Voyager 220018 heading south through Hatton station. I include this photograph here only to show the apparently penny-pinching with which the recent repaint from Virgin Trains' red livery has been carried out - note the lighter yellow patch of the front end where the Virgin shield emblem used to sit. One would have thought that a complete job would have been done for by the new operator of the train; note also the red coming through just above cantrail level on the near side of the leading vehicle.
The Chiltern Trains Bubble, 960014, has been in use again recently, this time in connection with Arriva Cross Country crews learning the Chiltern Line and parts of the network between Acton and Euston in readiness for weekend diversions of Voyagers over the route. There are a couple of runs during the day but this, on 23 June 2008, was the last and the Arriva crew has obviously been dropped off somewhere and 960014 is heading back to Tyseley for the night. These single units have long been a favourite of mine and this train was definitely the highlight of the afternoon for me.
A special train ran from Birmingham (Snow Hill) to Stratford-upon-Avon on Tuesday 1 July 2008 carrying various London Midland Trains dignitaries. There was no mention of the type of train involved but my guess was that a reliveried class 170 would be rostered for it. I went to Edstone Aqueduct on the North Warwickshire Line to see the working and wasn't especially surprised when... a reliveried class 170 appeared! Despite the sky being largely clear a large patch of cloud managed to be in the wrong place as 170508 passed under the longest cast iron aqueduct in England. Although there have been occasional vists by class 170 to the line I believe that this is the first of an example in this colour scheme. A few minutes earlier, 31454 had gone in the same direction forming an 0Z31 Derby to Derby via Stratford-upon-Avon, presumably as a driver route knowledge refresher for SERCO trains.
The Network Rail HST makes regular trips along the Great Western Main Line to Paddington and the West Country returning to Derby on a Friday afternoon. Such a trip took place on 15 August when it ran north via Hatton and Solihull. Here is the train, 1Z21, contrasting nicely with the green background, passing Hatton North Junction just about spot on time at 16.35 with buffer fitted 43013 leading. The sun was just coming out but was still right on the edge of some dense cloud.
Class 168 DMUs are the mainstay of Chiltern Railways' services on the Marylebone to Birmingham line, but 165s and 166s do turn up from time to time. Here is 165031 forming an up train about to pass under a relatively new footbridge near Shrewley in Warwickshire. This bridge was erected to replace a foot crossing when higher speed trains from the Chiltern and Virgin stables began to use the line. This spot is pleasant enough but is really a little bland for my my taste and lacks any real clue to its identity or location.
Most Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone services are formed of Chiltern Railways' class 165 stock, with occasional substitutions by class 168. Whilst I have seen several 168s it has always been on occasions when I have had no camera available. When going walking into Stratford-upon-Avon I have taken to carrying a compact digital camera to record the day-to-day street scenes around the town and from time to time donate a CD of images to the local archives. It has always been said that in 20 or 30 years time it is the ordinary scenes that will be of far more interest than special events; one does forget how much the average High Street changes in a relatively short period. Anyhow, I had my Canon Powershot A550 in my pocket (the model with a proper, zooming, optical viewfinder, none of this ridiculous holding a camera at arms length to compose a picture for me!) when I passed Stratford station just as the 09.38 to Marylebone was about to leave on Friday 16 January 2008 so finally obtained the shot I have been waiting for some time to take.
There has been a lot of fuss made about the training runs for the upcoming WSMR trains between Banbury and Marylebone with class 67 locomotives, but very little has been said about the blue & grey single unit also runnning in the Birmingham area. I much prefer bubble cars to 67s so made the effort to go out on 7 April to get a shot of it which is here seen approaching the outskirts of Balsall Common, between Coventry and Birmingham International stations.
There was supposed to be a trial run of GWR Castle Class 5029 Nunney Castle from Tyseley to Stratford-upon-Avon on Tuesday 14 April 2008. For reasons I can't quite fathom, I decided to go and have a shot of the tender-first run, complete with single support coach, on the North Warwickshire line. The only place where the sun would be just right is on the section of line where it passes under the Edstone Aquaduct and curves around on an east-west axis. In the event the steam run was cancelled but I did capture this shot of 150017 forming a late running Stourbridge Junction to Stratford service. The formerly scruffy farmyard in the background has recently seen a lot of refurbishment and conversion into an expensive-looking residence, although only the outbuildings are visible in this long lens view.
Some crew training runs in connection with the forthcoming WSMR trains between Wrexham and London Marylebone using the single car DMMU 960014 took place on Friday 18 April 2008. The first run was to Birmingham New Street and the second up the main line to Leamington Spa. I am far more interested in seeing this old survivor of the early DMU fleet than the test runs with class 67s as these will be around for some time and I can get my phototgraphs when the fuss has died down. This train was runnng about 15 minutes late at Hatton due to some earlier signalling problems and managed to run through the platforms at exactly the same time as a northbound Chiltern Trains class 165. I quickly grabbed this receding shot as the 960014 passed a load of untidy clutter on the ballast - the seemingly inevitable aftermath of majot engineering work. Just why the mess can't be cleared when the work ends escapes me; it seems to invite vandalism.
The bubble car 960014 was booked to run straight through Hatton station on its return to Birmingham but through previous late running lost the path and was looped in Hattons Down Goods Loop. It ran into the Stratford-upon-Avon Branch platform, rekindling memories of the many years that units of this type shuttled back and forth between Leamington and Stratford. The reason for the looping was to allow a down Arriva Trains Voyager to pass on the main line.
If it were not for the branding on the sides of 960014 this picture could almost have been taken in the 1980s, at least if one ignores the modern signalling. In earlier days a train such as this would have turned left at the junction and gone to Stratford-upon-Avon but this working is a training run for WSMR crews and will take the spur onto the down main line at Hatton once the Voyager shown above has cleared the section.
Here are 43003 + 43002 working from Brush's site at Loughborough to Old Oak Common on 6 March 2008; the final power cars in the current MTU conversion programme. It is unusual for these recently refurbished power cars to work under their own power, they are normally dragged by a class 47 with a couple of barrier coaches in the consist. The routing of 0F70 was also unusual, despite it being to me at least, the obvious route and preferable to either the WCML or the even more bizarre run through Cheltenham, Gloucester, Swindon and Didcot to Reading and OOC. Whatever the reason, the power cars made for a very rare sight on this line and worth the trip, even when the deadful light was taken in account.
The New Measurement Train made one of its regular runs over the Cotswold Line on 4 October 2007, this time formed of HST stock with power cars 43013 showing off its new headlights and 43062 on the back instead of a locomotive-hauled substitute. No doubt this was the reason for a total lack of messages about its running on the "gen" groups. Here is 1Z20, the 09.20 Derby to Derby via Worcester, Oxford and Worcester, passing the signalbox at Evesham some 29 minutes early at 12.13. Because a down passenger service was running late, 1Z20 did not have to wait in the platform at Evesham for the booked departure time, 12.44, but went straight off after the token had been exchanged.
While I was chatting to an old friend, Gerald Robinson, at Berkswell on 21 April 2007, 153375 tried to sneak past the camera. The working was 5G49 1400 Tyseley-Coventry, the unit heading off for a spell on the Coventry to Nuneaton servive. The single unit looked to have been recently painted into Central Trains green livery. It's a shame about the horrendous mess in the foreground but the train was running very slowly towards an adverse signal and wasn't exactly announcing its presence for a better view... Thanks to Mike Hollick for the train ID.
One of my favourite classes of DMMU was the Derby Heavyweights, class 114. Several sets ended their days at Tyseley Depot and spent a lot of time shuttling between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa. With only 1 car powered, their performance could best be described as ponderous, but the seats were comfortable and the ambience, in my opinion at least, much better than the class 150s currently used in the area. This picture was taken during the afternoon of 28 March 1990 and shows T027 arriving at Stratford from Leamington. Note that the signalman has already set the ground signals and the points for the train to reverse out and run back into platform 2 for the return to Leamington; this was before the track and signalling was altered to allow departures from platform 1. The whole scene here has totally changed, the gasholders, signalbox, goods loop, siding alongside the platform 3 tracks and semaphore signals all have gone, there is an anti-trespass fence at the far end of the platform, and a Morrison's supermarket has been built on the ground to the left.
Here is another view of T027 after shunting into platform 3 at Stratford-upon-Avon on 28 March 1990 and prior to departure for Leamington Spa. The upper quadrant starter is in the off position but the guard hasn't changed the destination blind, probably realising that it wasn't worth the effort as the few passsengers using the train in the mid-afternoon would have had as good a knowledge as him where the train was going. The signal to the left of the starter controlled the exit from the down goods loop which ran behind the signalbox; this was still occasionally used at the time for stabling the stock of excursion trains. It wasn't long for this world though, being severed the following year and removed altogether within a few months. When the line was open to Cheltenham, virtually all down steam-hauled freights used the loop as there was a water column at the station end of the line. There were no water troughs on this line so station stops were necessary for water-taking and the loop was used to avoid the platform road being occupied for too long.
The single unit DMMU Pandora was booked to visit the South-West on 25 June 2007 and to return to Derby the following day. The latter move was running as 5Z21, the 09.00 from Bristol Barton Hill depot, being routed via Didcot, Reading, Didcot because of a possession at Didcot West Curve to Oxford, Hatton and Birmingham. 960011, formerly 55025, is reported as being an early candidate for withdrawal so even though the light was quite poor I decided to have an attempt at a shot. I think that such a short train always looks better in an identifiable location with some background rather than open countryside and as Hatton station is only about a 12 minute drive from my home, I went there. Here is Pandora some 39 minutes early passing the down platform. The former class 121 has had extensive modifications since her last passenger duties, one of the most noticeable being the slewing of one of the 2 exhaust pipes into a single pipe, also used as a mount for one of the video cameras. Note the insulation on the pipe around the camera's mount.
I can't admit to a great fondness for Virgin Voyagers. It's nothing to do with the fact that they displaced locomotive-hauled trains but more that they strike me as being poorly designed and painted in a rather garish colour scheme. Having said that, when you're standing in the sun at a location for hours on end waiting for a freight that doesn't actually appear, anything is going to get photographed. So in between pictures of rabbits, buzzards and scenery, the odd Voyager is going to get the D200 pointed at it, as did 220029 at Hatton North Junction on 5 September 2007. With Virgin about to lose the franchise for these trains, I suppose that one should have a record of what is around hence this picture appearing here. In years to come I wonder if there will be surge of nostalgia and a preservation group for the class? Just look how class 47s were ignored and despised by most enthusiasts and how some strange people will now go for miles to photograph one travelling light engine and get all wound up if the sun goes in on their shot.
The beginning of October usually marks the start of the railhead treatment season when various trains run either to apply Sandite to the rails or to blast away leaf debris rolled into a slippery paste by other trains' wheels. Most lines have some form of treatment but only those using top-and-tailed locomotives ever seem to get any publicity. It may be unfashionable to say so, but I much prefer to have the chance to photograph a train formed of Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPV) as they are more elusive than locomotives which, after all, can be photographed somewhere practically every day. Here is MPV DR 98957 running as 3S87, the 09.05 from Kings Norton, about to pass under the cast iron aquaduct at Edstone on the North Warwickshire Line, where some Autumnal colours are begining to show, some 30 minutes early at 13.00. As this stretch has a gentle downhill gradient no jetting is being done, but I heard the spraying start as the train approached the braking point for units going towards Bearley Junction and onwards to Stratford-upon-Avon. Click on this hyperlink for a closer view of the unit.
After photographing 3S87 at Edstone I went to Henley-in Arden for another crack at it, despite knowing that the sun would be straight into the lens. I needn't have worried as mist and cloud built up quite quickly after I arrived. The early running continued as the MPV sprayed through the station startling at least one passenger waiting for the 12.20 from Stratford-upon-Avon - he heard the train approach, got up from the seat and leapt back as this appeared! Henley station has some attractive features, click on this hyperlink for a look as the train continued north.
Tuesday 23 October 2007 was a bright and sunny and although I wanted to get out and take some pictures, I couldn't be bothered to travel far. That being the case and with my wife having taken a day off work, we walked along the towing path of the Stratford-upon-Avon to Wilmcote where there is a convenient occupation bridge. The first train to come along was 165001 forming the 10.54 London Marylebone to Stratford. Chiltern Trains' service don't appear to call at Wilmcote station these days, maybe because they run quite close in front of the Central Trains units from Birmingham which means that a quick shunt is required at the terminus for the first arrival and the time gained by not stopping at the station is useful here.
Next along was 150106, the 11.54 from Stourbridge Junction to Stratford-upon-Avon. I think it is important to record these everyday workings as in 20 or 30 years it will be these that are of more interest than the higher profile trains, which get photographed to death by every man and his dog. Just before the train left Wilmcote station, visible in the background, this Kestrel   flew by keeping a beady eye on proceedings.
The 09.05 Rail Head Treatment Train from Kings Norton to Stratford-upon-Avon via the North Warwickshire Line, 3S87, was the final train I photographed at Wilmcote on 23 October 2007. As with all diesel units, the majority of photographers ignore these highly complex machines in favour of yet another shot of top-and-tailed locomotives doing the same function. I get far more satisfaction in picturing an MPV on my local patch than having to travel miles in Autumn, with its uncertain weather, just to stand in a gallery of other enthusiasts getting virtually identical shots. This is the last week that this shot, on a sunny day at least, will be possible. The shadows were rapidly encroaching and I had to use a powerful lens to get the train in a clear patch. Once the clocks have gone back, that will be it for this bridge until late spring next year.
I decided to have another go at photographing the RHTT working to Stratford-upon-Avon on 22 October 2007, this time at the station itself. With this sort of working, I prefer to have some background rather than countryside so that the location can be identified. The 09.05 from Kings Norton, 3S87, is here seen arriving at Stratford spot on time at 13.40 with its spraying jets still in operation.
3S87 is allowed 5 minutes in platform 1 at Stratford-upon-Avon before returning along the North Warwickshire line to the Birmingham area. The crew took advantage of the PNB facilities before rejoining their unit and leaving, again turning on the jets which, of course make for a more interesting photograph. The background to this photograph has recently been transformed with the building of a new complex of retirement homes; see last year's shot from a similar spot on the platform for a comparison.
Most passenger services over the Cotswold Line between Worcester and Oxford are formed of class 180 Adelante stock, but now and again substitutes appear. On 18 October 2007 165125 in the attractive FGW "Neon" livery was out and about and is here seen about to make the stop at Evesham station with the 11.25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington train. Evesham is the site of one of the passing loops on the line and as soon as the the class 165 had stopped, the signal for the down line was pulled off in readiness for a down Adelante to proceed towards Worcester.
Central Trains have painted some of their class 150 DMUs into a new colour scheme. Never one to miss a colourful DMU I took this shot of 150102 trailing its bluer cousin on a Stourbridge Junction to Leamington Spa stopping service. OK, I would have much preferred it to be coming the other way and with the newly-painted unit leading, but there you go... These trains now run only in peak hours and with relatively few Chiltern Trains' services calling at all stations, some parts of the line to Birmingham have the worst service they have ever had. This picture from Hatton North Junction is timed at 18.17 on 5 September 2007.
There is much evidence of recent cabling work in this view taken from the footbridge at Bentley Heath, near Dorridge, on Friday 27 April 2007. The train, formed of 150125 and a sister unit in the now obsolete Anglia colours, is a Dorridge to Worcester local via Birmingham Snow Hill; it has come from the loop adjacent to the track machine stabled in the down siding which serves the outer face of the island platform at the station. The housing estate on the left is the site of the extensive goods yard which served the area of which there remains absolutely no trace.
Here is one of the most frequently seen but least photographed trains on the UK network, a Virgin Voyager. This one was working the 06.44 Newcastle to Bournemouth train, a long way for any through passengers given the noise, vibration and poor seat positions in relation to the windows. Given that these units convey passengers on some long journeys, I would have thought it possible that they could have been better designed and provided a more comfortable and quieter environment. From a photographic point of view, I don't suppose they're too bad in a decent location and good light, the garish red livery providing a contrast to most urban and rural scenes.
The weather forecast for Wednesday 24 October 2008 was for wall-to-wall cloud so it was a pleasant surprise when the sky cleared at around 09.30. I went to Hatton with the intention of taking some pictures of day-to-day trains, including Chiltern Railways' units, Virgin Voyagers and a couple of Freightliner and EWS intermodals. The first to appear was 168215 working the 09.52 Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone service which is pictured approaching Hatton station at the South Junction where the branch from Stratford-upon-Avon joins the main line. A lot of re-signalling work is being carried out here at weekends with all existing gantries being replaced and, in some cases resited, along with some additional new signals in a few locations.
This was my first sight of a former Virgin Voyager in the colours of Arriva, the franchise holder for Cross Country railways. 220017 is seen heading north towards Hatton North Junction on 6 February 2008 with a train for, I think, Manchester Piccadilly. This was very much a grab shot as I was watching some rabbits in the adjacent field and only heard the train approach at the last moment. If I had known it was coming I should have gone for a much wider view to see more of the new livery.
Here is a picture of 170397 in slightly amended Porterbrook livery, the unit being on hire to cover a shortage. The location is, of course Croome Perry wood near Pershore.
Whilst walking from the lane where I had parked my car at Wootton Green on 12 February 2008, I heard what I thought was the farmer shooting rooks or pigeons but when I arrived on the occupation bridge I saw that an automatic gas-gun bird scarer was the source of the noise. It was made a bit more interesting by the addition of the head and yellow cape although, with the random timing of the detonations, it still made me jump every time it went off. The train is a partly rebranded Arriva Cross Country Voyager heading for Bournemouth via Leamington Spa and Oxford.
I soon found out from the signalman at Norton Junction that 6V05 from Round Oak to Margam was not running but I decided to hang on as I had seen this class 158 heading north and knew that it would return from Worcester and head to Brighton. This is the first of this class I have seen wearing First Great Western livery. Verdict? Not bad, but would look better with a third vehicle in the train. The distant signal on the bracket has been lowered, telling the driver that the road is clear across Abbotswood Junction and onto the down main line.
Just after the class 158 shown above had cleared, the round was put across for a train to leave the Cotswold Line. Within a few minutes this HST came around the curve forming a Paddington to Worcester service, led by power car 43029. This is the first HST I have photographed here since they took over the majority of workings from the clas 180 Adelante which, sadly, have now virtually disappeared from the network.
Yet another variety of class 150 livery was the next to appear at Badgeworth, this time Arriva Trains West on 150253 on a local service to Cheltenham. This stretch of line sees a great variety of diesel units and is a good area for those enthusiasts not totally obsessed with locomotives. I've always liked DMUs and am quite happy to spend an hour or two photographing these colourful little trains.
Cheltenham's importance has long been recognised by the railway and still benefits from direct trains to and from Paddington. I had previously photographed the down working, led by 43155, but in an attempt to give some variety to the day's action, here is the up train with 43156 at the pointed end accelerating away from Cheltenham and pasing the village of Up Hatherley, just visible behind the trees in the background.
Here is a brightly-coloured 150127 in Silverlink livery with small FGW brandings. This is obviously the company's solution to overcrowding but I cannot but wonder if the passengers are too grateful for the less than comfortable seats these units provide. I'm sure they are fine for a trip from Gloucester to Cheltenham, but not much further...From an enthusiast's point of view, these transitional liveries give a welcome splash of colour.
I can rarely resist pointing my camera at anything when I am by the lineside in lovely winter light and I think that the Chiltern Railways' trains look good against a dark background. Here is 165032 leading a class 168 out of Hatton cutting on Saturday 26 January 2008. The signal poking out of the first coach's roof is shortly due for removal as a replacement has been erected by the footbridge a few hundred yards to the south. A lot of new signals have appeared in the area as part of a major resignalling project in the area, together with more lineside cabinets desinged to make the railway photographer's life less easy!
I am not one of those photographers who ignore diesel units unless they are being hauled by a locomotive as I feel everything on the railway is ephemeral as as such should be recorded. This picture shows 165003 passing non-stop through Warwick Parkway with a London Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon service whilst a 168 waits in the station with a train from Birmingham Snow Hill. The Stratford trains form a local service and as such stop at the station in Warwick town rather than Parkway which has a much more frequent stopping pattern.
Passenger trains calling at Ashchurch station are generally formed of class 158 stock, but on 31 July 2007 a northbound service produced my first sight of FGW's 150249 in the new "Neon" livery. Here is the unit about to make the station stop with at least 2 customers to increase the payload.
Central Trains have now made a start in at least partly branding the class 158s acquired from Trans-Pennine in their house style. This picture shows 158810 leaving Ashchurch station for the south with the Central logo applied over the red and gold of the former operator. It's a small thing, but I do like to get pictures of these intermediate and probably transient colour schemes, and with multiple unit liveries changing so frequently these days a large slice of luck is needed. I can't understand those who totally refuse to photograph units but will chase half-way across the country for yet another picture of an EWS or DRS 37. Units are the most colourful part of the current railway scene and in most instances, to my eyes at least, enhance the appeal of the industry.
I have always liked the single unit DMMUs and here, at Hatton North Junction, is 960011 "Pandora" coming from the north with 2Z21 Derby to Eastleigh spot on time at 12.21 on 4 September 2007. A gang of 3 permanent-way workers is conveniently hidden behind the unit; I don't normally mind track workers in my shots but with such a small train their presence in full orange high-visibility gear would have been a little distracting. Single unit DMMUs were a long-standing feature of the lines between Birmingham, Leamington Spa and Stratford and it was good to see one again, albeit in a very different livery to the blue & grey they carried for much of their working lives.
Central Trains have painted some of their class 150 DMUs into a new colour scheme. Never one to miss a colourful DMU I took this shot of 150102 trailing its bluer cousin on a Stourbridge Junction to Leamington Spa stopping service. OK, I would have much preferred it to be coming the other way and with the newly-painted unit leading, but there you go... These trains now run only in peak hours and with relatively few Chiltern Trains' services calling at all stations, some parts of the line to Birmingham have the worst service they have ever had. This picture from Hatton North Junction is timed at 18.17 on 5 September 2007.
This picture as taken in a location at one time very popular with railway photographers, especially in the 1990s when it was possible to see 4 or 5 freights with a couple of hours late on a Saturday afternoon. I had been meaning to go and have a look at the scene for a while and on 4 September 2007 made the short trip from Hatton to this bridge over the M40 between Rowington and Lowsonford in Warwickshire. The first train to come along was 168003 on a Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone working. The shot has changed a lot since I used to come here in 1994, witnessed by this picture of 47363 on the Saturday Leeds to Southampton freightliner taken from much the same spot on 23 April 1994. Today's shot was taken at about 14.30 and by 15.30 the shadows had gone completely over the line. The 1994 picture was taken at 16.10...
The August Bank Holiday Monday in 2007 again produced an HST working along the GWR Leamington Spa to Birmingham main line. In contrast to last year, the train today ran in the down direction, the working being 1Z53, the 11.45 Reading to Leeds, headed by power car 43060. Unlike last year, when I caught the up train in a lucky patch of sun, this year's run missed good light by a few seconds as it passed Hatton station. I wanted to get my shot somewhere easily identifiable so as to emphasise the unusual nature of the working. The train had worked the 1V49 09.41 Newcastle to Newquay on Saturday 25 August, the usual northbound diagram being fulfilled by a Virgin Voyager in order to release the higher capacity HST for passengers from the Reading Festival. Note the new signal on the end of the up platform; the inclusion of what appear to be "calling-on" lights on the pedestal seem to indicate that a fully-signalled move from the up main to the Stratford Branch platform, via the ladder crossover, may be in the offing. Even if this isn't the case, the new signal will cut down the length of the section; currently Hatton North Junction to a location at the south end of Hatton cutting.
Summer Saturdays in 2007 have once again seen the use of HST stock on various trains to and from the West Country. Here is a Midland Main Line set, led by power car 43060, approaching Ashchurch in Gloucestershire on 28 July 2007 with 1V29, the 07.25 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay train. It is always good to see something different on the railway and these HSTs make a pleasant change from the omnipresent Virgin Voyagers. This is the best train for favourable light in my part of the world, the others being around lunchtime and towards evening, when I doubt that I could be bothered to go out.
Saturday 9 December saw an ECS move consisting of 158863 head north through Hatton as 5Z58 08.30 Bristol Temple Meads to Haymarket. I took the photograph mostly to record a member of the class in the Alphaline livery on this line. The colour scheme was common enough on the nearby Cheltenham main line, but this was the first time I had seen an example along here.
The New Measurement Train went on a trip to the South West on 14 February 2007. It was noted returning past Taunton at around 15.00 and I didn't expect to see it before leaving Abbotswood Junction, but , in fact, it reached there at 16.28 whilst I was still in a location suitable only for a southbound shot. As I have always been foiled in my attempts to get a decent photograph of the HST, usually by the train running with class 37 power, I decided to take a going-away view as power car 43014 tailed the formation away from the camera. Maybe next time...
The New Measurement Train lived up to its name in one respect on 5 July 2007 when it visited some track for the first time. It was booked to run along the Cotswold Line as 1Z20 from Derby to Worcester and Oxford, before returning by the same route later the same day. Here it is, nearly catching a lucky patch of sun, passing Evesham signalbox and the rather lop-sided looking signal gantry. 1Z20 had to sit in the station for around 15 minutes to allow the passage of a northbound passenger train and 37410 running as a light diesel from Long Marston. I was surprised to find myself alone on the bridge for this working, given that it was a new working for the line.
Class 150 DMUs form the mainstay of services along the North Warwickshire line to Stratford-upon-Avon. Here is the lowest numbered of the class, 150001, about to pass under the longest cast iron aquaduct in England, to be found at Edstone near Bearley Junction. Although it's not visible in this shot, this where the branch to Alcester and Redditch diverged from the main line, and water for the branch engine was taken from the canal, a ladder, stop-cock and leather being provided for this purpose near to where I was standing for this photograph.
Easter weekend 2007 saw engineering work closing parts of the WCML. To cater for the expected extra demand between London and Birmingham, Chiltern Trains strengthened their services by, in some cases, using 2 class 168 units on Snow Hill trains. Here, on Good Friday, is the 14.20 from Marylebone just after leaving Warwick Parkway station and attacking the 1/110 average gradient of Hatton Bank. Some of Warwick's famous architecture can be seen in the background, including the tower of St. Mary's Church and the Round Tower of the castle. Warwick is not immune from delinquency, as evidenced by the abandoned shopping trolley in the extreme bottom right-hand corner of the picture.
A couple of miles to the north of the picture above is Hatton Cutting. Just leaving this on Good Friday morning is 165020 with the 11.40 Stratford-upon-Avon to Marylebone train. The leading coach has been adorned with vinyls commemorating the author, Roald Dahl, who lived near Great Missenden for many years. Click on this hyperlink for a closer look at the appropriate part of the train.
On Friday 30 March 2007 I photographed 66179 leaving Long Marston and then decided to have another shot at Honeybourne Junction. The train from Long Marston arrived at Honeybourne at 12.15 but it was clear that there would be a delay as the 10.52 Adelante from Paddington was due to call at the station at 12.32, meaning that the single line from Moreton-in-Marsh to Evesham was occupied. Here is 180111 approaching the station with 66179 and the JNAs visible on the branch. The crew member at the ground frame will have to wait for the Adelante to get away from Evesham about 12 minutes after leaving here, before he will be able to extract a token from the machine in the hut which will unlock the ground frame and allow him to operate the point levers.
Here is another view of 180111, this time leaving Honeybourne station for Worcester. The scale of the site here can be well seen here, with the currently unused island platform prominent to the right of the train. It is possible that the line will be doubled in the forseeable future, in which case the island will be again used by up trains. The rusted lines on the extreme right were once those used by trains to and from Stratford-upon-Avon, and also by locomotives needing to use the coaling stage or those depositing wagons in the associated sidings.
Class 168 is the mainstay of Chiltern Railways' express services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill. Here, the first of the class, 168001, is seen on the climb of Hatton Bank with the 13.50 from London. On a line such as this, one learns to appreciate the passenger trains, such is the paucity of freight movements and in any event, I think it's important to record all aspects of todays railway. In 20 or 30 years time, it's the photographs of day-to-day scenes that will be looked at with more interest than one-off or special workings.
During the afternoon of 25 January 2007 a little cloud began to build up. When it's in the right place, i.e. not obscuring the sun, cloud in a blue sky can add a lot to the scene, hence my inclusion of this picture of 168104 on a Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill train passing Hatton North Junction. I quite the look of these units and am happy to take photographs of them when conditions are right. After all, if one photographs only locomotives, a lot goes unrecorded and there are long gaps between shots on a line like this. New trunking has been laid along the curve from Hatton North to Hatton West Junctions - the connection to the Stratford-upon-Avon branch and it looks as if there's more work to coming judging by the piles of material lying around.
Not all regular passenger services heading south from Worcester are FGW Adelanti. This train is heading for the main Cheltenham line at Norton Junction and is formed of Alphaline 158751 with 150240 tagged on the back. This is one of those locations that I would almost never visit were it not for the lower quadrant semaphore signals. Without them, there would be little of any interest at all in the picture; just a woody tunnel between the M5 and Norton Junction roadbridge.
Here is one of the most modern 21st century diesel multiple units under the control of 19th century-style signalling. The train is the 10.23 Worcester Foregate Street to London Paddington, formed of 180108 and pictured at Norton Junction, Worcester on 16 March 2007. The route over which this train is signalled is regarded as the main line and the distant signal for the junction can be cleared to a green aspect only for trains heading up the Cotswold Line to Oxford and London. The other route controlled by the bracket signal leads to Abbotswood Junction and the main Birmingham to Gloucester line. The lower quadrant distant signal, in itself quite a rarity these days, is lowered only if the train can proceed over the single track lead across Abbotswood Junction and onto the main line.
Just a couple of miles up the line towards Worcester is an occupation bridge carrying a bridlepath over the railway near Norton Barracks. This bridge gives a good view in both directions but my preference is for the shot looking towards Worcester. This picture of Adelante 180107 on a Paddington-bound service was taken in the late morning of 16 March 2007
For the sake of completeness, here is the view of a down train at Norton Barracks. 180106 is on the final leg of its journey to Worcester as it passes underneath the M5. In the distance on the up line is 47826 bringing up the rear of a Worcester to Cheltenham special run in connection with the Cheltenham Festival; 57601 was on the front.
First Great Western Adelante units form most of the passenger trains on the Cotswold Line to and from Paddington, Worcester and Hereford. Here is 180105 on the long and gentle climb from Oxford to Chipping Campden with the 10.52 Paddington to Worcester service. The backdrop is the wooded northern slopes of the Cotswold Hills, one of the more attractive pieces of scenery on the line. Note the Moreton in Marsh up distant signal in the left background; this station is just a few minutes to the south of this location.
I don't miss too many opportunities to photograph the stylish Class 180 Adelante units when the light is favourable. Here is a Worcester to Paddington working passing the village of Lower Moor between Pershore and Evesham on Thursday 8 March 2007. It looks as if some major cabling job is about to take place if the piles of concrete trunking are anything to go by. The wreck of a car alongside the white wall is intriguing; has it suffered a high-speed shunt, or just been cut in half?
This is the view of a down Paddington to Worcester train at Lower Moor on 8 March 2007 to compare with the picture of an up working above. This scene may be about to change for the worse. The field visible above is the subject of an attempt to obtain planning consent for a huge glasshouse in which a hydroponic "food factory" will be established. The mounds of earth are the results of architectural digs to establish if anything of historical interest was on site. There is obviously a lot of local opposition to the proposed development which, if built, will range from 8 to 11 metres in height and will cover the whole field. Even from a more prosaic standpoint I can imagine the reflections that would be generated on a sunny day would not be conducive to good photography...
The standard units for Reading to Basingstoke trains in 1989 were 3H diesel-electric "Thumpers", named of course after the characteristic sound of the low-revving English English engine contained, in this case, in the compartment behind the driver. These were not especially powerful trains and their acceleration could best be described as ponderous but they had oodles of character and I enjoyed every one of the many miles I travelled in them. Here is 207017 approaching the stop at Mortimer station at 17.07 on 23 June 1989 to the accompaniment of a wave from a walker in the adjacent field. I have often wondered why people wave at trains; I have never seen anyone wave at a coach on the road...
Less commonplace on the Reading to Basingstoke line than the thumper shown in the picture above, but giving a welcome splash of cover on the evening of 23 June 1989 was class 101 unit L837 led by 51437. The well-preserved platelayers hut was a bit of a rarity even then, most of these structures having long since become derelict. It looks as if the original brick-built hut has been lost but replaced by a newish garden shed. I guess that this was still in use at the time and I do recall talking to a ganger on this stretch of line who said that the good state of the track was a matter of considerable pride to him and his colleagues.
Here is a slightly unusual scene at Hatton - a 5Z82 Bristol to Neville Hill move of 2 class 158 units. These have never been commonplace on this line, the only others being a Liverpool to Portsmouth Harbour and return some years ago. The units are 158795 and 158798 - note the numbers on the leading unit - they are in several different font sizes with a white number 9.
We don't seem to have a lot of snow these days so even though I'm not keen on snowy shots without the sun, I thought it worthwhile to include this picture of 165038 in Hatton cutting on Saturday 10 February 2007 whilst working the 12.20 Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill. I was surprised how much snow remained in the cutting, as only a few miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon, it had almost completely thawed. The roads on the way over were quite badly flooded in parts, especially in the lanes around Claverdon and Pinley.
New   As I mention elsewhere, I do like the FGW Adelante DMUs and shall be sorry to see them leave the Cotswold Line. Here are two units at Evesham on 15 January 2007, the driver of the northbound train having just obtained the token for the single line to Norton Junction from the broom cupboard on the platform. This train was running late and the southbound service should already have been at Moreton in Marsh, meaning that this shot would not have been possible; such is the inflexibility of single lines. The good news is that some parts of, if not all the line from Wolvercote Junction, Oxford to Norton Junction is looking set to be redoubled over the next couple of years. A consultation exercise is taking place with detailed examinations of the project to commence in February 2007.
New   I have always had a soft spot for the single car DMMUs, or bubble cars as they were inevitably called and as far as I can recall one of my first train rides was in one of these units. They were daily visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon for many years although by 1992 the much-loved units such as 55012 had been been replaced with higher-numbered versions imported from the former Western Region. Here, 55034 + 55032 are standing in Stratford station with the midday train to Leamington Spa on 10 August 1992. Stratford no longer has a dedicated Leamington service; a 2 hourly Chiltern Turbo now fulfils the role of the local stopping train, although stopping by request only at Bearley and Claverdon.
New   This is what the Ultrasonic Test Train looked like in 1985. It consists of two Park Royal DMU vehicles carrying the numbers 975007/8 and on 10 August was carrying the reporting number 6Z08. It was running from Derby to Marylebone when I photographed it passing Leamington Spa station.
New   Some of the locomotive-hauled InterCity trains to Poole had been replaced with HSTs running only to Bournemouth in 1993. Here are power cars 43071 + 43079 climbing the bank out of Leamington Spa on the morning of 19 March 1993. This sort of incline had little effect on the performance of these trains; after all, they come with a built-in banker... I like HSTs and have always appreciated the purposeful exhaust note when they are running hard - once the edgy turbocharger shriek had passed.
Friday 28 July produced yet another bright, sunny and warm afternoon, so once the sun had dropped from its highest position I drove over to Defford in Worcestershire with the aim of getting a few freight workings passing the site of the erstwhile station. I was pleased when 150240 appeared on a Bristol service, as a well-lit shot of this unit advertising various sites throughout the South-West has evaded me ever since it first came out in this colour scheme.
One of the more colourful passenger trains I photographed at Defford during the afternoon of 2 November was 158766 in Trans-Pennine livery, working a Cardiff-bound service. This has fairly been transferred to Central Trains, and it is to be hoped that this colour scheme will be retained for a while, at least.
Stratford-upon-Avon has a regular service to London Marylebone - roughly every 2 hours on weekdays and Saturdays. Here is 165016 with the 11.38 to London on Saturday 4 November 2006 approaching Hatton station at the West Junction. This is a strange junction in that the line from Bearley Junction is single track, which gives way to a very short stretch of double track between the South and West Hatton Junctions. No trains are booked to cross here so the retention of this short section is a bit of a mystery.
New   Here is the equivalent shot to the one above from 1992. It shows a hybrid unit of classes 116 and 101 leaving the Stratford-upon-Avon branch on 20 June of that year. The vegetation has grown considerably since that date meaning that it is no longer possible to obtain quite such a wide-angled view. The up main line had recently been relaid and this accounts for the gleaming ballast so evident in the picture.
Bank Holiday Monday, 28 August 2006 saw Virgin hire a Midland Mainline HST set to use on their 1V36 07.45 service to Reading to allow more passengers heading to the Reading Festival to be accomodated. HSTs of any sort have never been especially common on the line through Hatton and I believe that this is the first MML set to travel over these former GWR metals and therefore wanted to photograph it somewhere identifiable so decided on the platform at Hatton station. The black clouds were a bonus as was the fortuitous burst of sunshine in an otherwise stormy sky. The train passed here spot on time at 08.55.
Passenger services on the Hereford, Worcester and Paddington line are shared by FGW HSTs, Adelanti and 165/166 Turbo units. On of the latter, 166221 is here seen about to make the Evesham stop with an up Worcester train on Monday 27 November 2006. Is the colour of the skip in the yard coincidental with the door colour, or is it a FGW example?!
In common with most lines in the country, the North Warwickshire line to Stratford-upon-Avon has seen regular RHTT trains for the past few weeks. I thought it was high time I went to my local station to take a few photographs. The arrival is timed at 12.31, just after the 12.27 passenger service to Stourbridge Junction has departed and on a sunny day this is just late enough for a well-lit picture. Here is MPV 98959 running as 3J87, the 09.03 from Bescot passing evidence of recent engineering work just beyond the platforms at Stratford-upon-Avon station on 21 November 2006.
The 09.03 MPV RHTT from Bescot is booked to stand at Stratford-upon-Avon for several minutes, perhaps to allow the crew a PNB at the station. Here is MPV 98959 standing in platform 1 awaiting reversal. I find these highly complex and technologically advanced vehicles quite interesting, more so than a couple of locomotives topping and tailing a few water tanks. After all, it is not difficult to find locomotives to photograph, but these vehicles tend to appear only in the weed-killing and Autumnal leaf-fall seasons. Stratford-upon-Avon station is liberally decked with advertisements for the current Royal Shakespeare Theatre season, during which all of the Bard's plays are being performed.
After the booked stop and reversal at Stratford-upon-Avon, 3J87 returns to the Birmingham area. It looks as if this unit has not seen much in the way of cleaning since the start of the season - the constant spraying clearly takes its toll... The time of this photograph is 12.36 when the sun is pretty much into the lens for a northbound shot, so much so that I had to take the picture one-handed so as to shield the lens from direct illumination.
Turning around from the picture shown above, this is the scene as MPV 98959 leaves Stratford-upon-Avon en-route to the West Midlands. The pile of sleepers just visible beyond the train roughly marks the site of the proposed steam centre it is hoped to build here. This would apparently be a major attraction for the general public and would include a turntable to avoid the need for either a trip to Hatton and Dorridge for reversal via a triangular junction, or tender-first running. There would also be a servicing facility operating as an outpost to the museum and workshops at Tyseley. The planning application for this site was recently withdrawn to allow for the plans to be re-drawn. The original submission made insufficient allowance for parking and for adequate access and egress to and from the site. Anyone who has tried to leave Station Road in order to head away from Stratford-upon-Avon at a busy time will know the problem faced here...
It is said that Adelanti are not to be used on the Paddington - Worcester - Great Malvern - Hereford circuit for much longer. With that in mind, I have made an effort to get a few shots of them in the Evesham area. Here is a set on a "down" run heading for Worcester passing the attractive scenery around Lower Moor.
Multiple unit trains are often ignored by the enthusiasts of today who seem obsessed with locomotives however mundane the working. When looking back over the work of such great photographers as Michael Mensing, it is the local workings that I find to be of the greatest interest. The endless shots of express passenger workings are fine, but for real nostalgia I much prefer the photographs of local trains, whether of the then ubiquitous GWR Prairie tanks or 3 car suburban DMUs. With this in mind, I make an effort to record non-loco trains whenever possible. I spent a few hours at Dorridge on Saturday 21 October and photographed quite a few unit moves, including this shot of numerically coincident 168217 and 168218 Chiltern Trains' units on Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill trains.
Dorridge has long been the station at which a lot of southbound local trains from Birmingham terminate. It is normal for the trains to cross over to the down side of the island platform north of the station at Bentley Heath for the turn-round and return to Snow Hill, but on occasions they continue through the main up platform to a ladder crossover on the south side. Here, 150237 is heading up to perform the shunt move on 21 October 2006. This is one of the ex-Anglia units recently acquired by Central Trains and still carries a modified form of the now obsolete colour scheme of the previous operator.
In the caption to the photograph above, I described the shunt move carried out by Central Trains' units at Dorrdge. Here, refurbished 150014 has crossed from the up main line to the down relief, from where it will return north. The ladder crossover is clearly visible behind the train. The innermost line is occasionally used to loop northbound freights if a passenger train is catching it. In happier times, the 4 track section ran from Lapworth to the south as far as Moor Street and there have been proposals to reinstate at least part of the formation, but this would be difficult bearing in mind that at most stations, car parks have been built on the old formation.
Here is the "normal" move being performed by 150010 during the afternoon of 21 July 2005. The unit is crossing from the up main line to the bi-directional spur to the down island platform at Dorridge, where the overbridge can just be made out in the background. The train will return north within about 10 minutes using the same set of tracks over which it is about to travel.
I spent a while at Fladbury, between Pershore and Evesham on 24 October 2006 and took a couple of unit shots while waiting for 47714 with some IZA wagons destined for store at Long Marston. This was the better and shows 165101 on a Paddington - Hereford working. The compressed perspective from using a long lens gives a good view of the pleasant countryside in this part of the Vale of Evesham not to mention the point when the line was slewed across when it was singled in the 1970s.
This picture, taken on 7 August 2006, shows a First Great Western Adelante unit at Fladbury on the Cotswold line. I find these modern units quite attractive; maybe it's the FGW colour scheme or perhaps the striking styling of the front end. These trains won't be on the Worcester to Paddington services for much longer by all accounts, so it is well getting one or two shots while they are around.
Here is the view looking south from the roadbridge at Norton Junction as 180110 on a Paddington to Worcester service leaves the single track Cotswold line and heads towards its destination.
As Hatton is on the main line betwen London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill, there are plenty of opportunities to photograph Chiltern Trains' various units. I quite like class 168 so have included this photograph of 168133 accelerating away from the stop at Hatton station. Not all services stop here, in fact the local service is absolutely apalling outside the peak hours. Considering that the station is only a short walk from the enormously popular Hatton Country World, I find it surprising that Central Trains don't make more of this connection.
Network Rail's class 101 DMMU 901001 was booked to run to the south-west from Derby on 17 June 2006. It ran nearly one hour early and is seen here at Stoke Prior having just descended the Lickey Incline. It's good that it is still possible to still see a "proper" DMU, albeit in a colour scheme previously alien to the class.
I was keen to get a shot of the 6X52 Portbury to Washwood cartic at Abbotswood Junction, especially since it has been retimed to run a little later. I tried on Wednesday 12 July when the lighting conditions were perfect. It is due at this location at around 19.30, but by 20.30 it had still not appeared. This Paddington to Worcester HST was the only train of any real interest to come north in the 3 hours I stood here - and the "Neon" power car just had to be on the back, didn't it?
The only train of any real interest I saw at Croome Perry during the afternoon of 1 July 2006 was this MML HST set returning from the South West as 1E41 09.40 Newquay to Newcastle. I like HSTs; they sound good and make a pleasant change in the summer months from the relentless barrage of Voyagers. I'm a bit surprised that so few enthusiasts make any effort to photograph them. On this occasion, the power cars were 43061 + 43072.
This is my first transparancy of diesel units and was taken at Leamington Spa on 20 October 1984. The train is the 09.50 Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa and is formed of 55009+55012. The leading unit was repainted into the blue and grey carried by 55012 within a few weeks of the date of this photograph.
Almost one year later than the picture above was taken, 55002 was working alone on the 09.50 Stratford-upon-Avon as it arrived at Leamington Spa on 8 October 1985. Note the uneven lengths of the exhaust pipes on the leading end of the unit. The signal box was not in use at this time, having been replaced with the Solid State Interlocking system, the headquarters of which are situated on the down side of the line, adjacent to the car park.
Heading north from Leamington Spa and Warwick, Hatton Bank is soon encountered. With a gradient averaging 1/110 it has alway presented quite a challenge to down trains and even relatively lightweight class 116 units on Leamington to Birmingham trains were slowed to around 30mph. Here is such a train climbing the bank on 11 April 1986.
Not all trains From Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon run via the North Warwickshire line as one train each way per day uses the route via Hatton North curve and Solihull. On 16 May 1986 a class 116 is seen near Claverdon with the 17.25 from Birmingham Moor Street to Stratford having come this way.
As I've mentioned elsewhere on this site, Stratford-upon-Avon used to see a lot of day excursion traffic. This time exposure shows Longsight allocated LO 350 + 349 standing in platform 2 awaiting departure time before returning to Blackpool on 3 February 1990. For those interested, the exposure on 100asa transparency film was 12 seconds at f8. 645
For a few days at the end of November, it was possible to obtain this shot of the 08.20 Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham train. I recall 20 November 1986 as being particularly cold and didn't hang around for many minutes. The train is actually being shunted between platforms 1 and 2, as nothing was allowed to depart from platform 1 at this time because the signalling was not set up for this move.
One of the more colourful units to arrive at Stratford-upon-Avon was this ex-Clydesdale class 101. I saw it on the morning of 1 July 1991 but was unable to get out of the office during the day to record it on film. However, it stuck to diagram and is pictured here leaving the Warwickshire terminus in the company of a mis-matched 116/118 unit still in corporate blue and grey. The Tyseley unit unit number appears to been applied in a rather amateurish fashion, as does the paint covering the front-end damage - the colour there is more akin to the bodyside shade rather than the normal yellow. Still, I suppose that this were the final months of DMMU workings in the area, so it probably wasn't worth spending too much on the cosmetic appearance of local trains.
On occasions, Tyseley depot had other area's units in their possession and they were often sent out when their own sets were booked for maintenance. Such was the case on 19 July 1985 when Bristol's B431 was in use on the 08.12 Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington Spa shuttle. It was always amusing to see the passengers avoiding the first class compartment, absent from the usual units, thinking that a supplement would be charged!
Saturday 11 April 1987 saw a steam special hauled by 35028 Clan Line come to Stratford-upon-Avon. As the train included an ETHEL, some fairly complex shunts were required, so Saltley shed sent down 47613 to help out. The class 47 is standing in the long-gone down goods loop as a Leamington Spa to Stratford service arrives at its destination under a dodgy looking sky. My notes don't reveal the identity of the 2 bubbles, but 55012+55002 would be a good bet....
An interesting anachronism on the North Warwickshire line to Birmingham was the daily train booked to start at 08.13 from Henley-in-Arden. This gave the rare opportunity to photograph a unit in the otherwise platform 3. The train, formed of the usual class 116 3 car set, is seen here on 29 August 1986 with the guard returning to his van in order to give the right of way to the driver.
Here is one of my few shots on the Stourbridge town branch, taken on 5 March 1986. It shows 55004 arriving at Stourbridge Junction after a journey of just a couple of minutes from the town station. Another single car unit is just visible behind the signalbox, indicating that the daily changeover was imminent. The size of the signalbox is testament to the area's importance in earlier days, with considerable numbers of freights heading for Brierley Hill and Dudley sites, or to the Handsworth line via Langley Green. Even at this relatively late date a class 25, 25205 is in position ready to bank heavy trains.
The Tyseley-based single units were not only used on the Stourbridge branch and Stratford-upon-Avon to Leamington services, but often strengthened other suburban trains. 55000 is seen here leaving the platform at Longbridge on 28 August 1986 with a terminating train, which is now in the process of crossing over to the refuge siding on the up side of line until it's departure time for either Four Oaks or Lichfield, on the other end of the Birmingham Cross City line is reached.
In the summer of 1986 there was a dated train between Birmingham New Street and Barry Island. Two 3 car class 116s from Tyseley were used for this service, and on 14 June 1986 the leading set, pictured at Longbridge, was one of the sets with a slightly modified paint job on the front end. It's amazing what a difference a few brush strokes makes to the appearance of an otherwise standard unit.
I spent a couple of minutes lining up this shot at Longbridge on 14 June 1986 and whilst waiting for the Four Oaks bound to train to move, heard the unmistakeable racket of a pair of 37s thundering south. I was, of course, completely bowled by this train, which must have been an additional working, as everything else turned up as expected. Still, if the loco-hauled train hadn't been occupying the down main, then the unit closer to me would have been on its way to Redditch by this time...
Another shot at Longbridge, this time taken on 19 November 1986, shows a down HST hammering through the station. These trains had attained quite high speeds by here if given a clear road and the sound was a deep throbbing, the somewhat edgy turbocharger shriek having gone by then. This was a transitional period with the blue & grey being gradually replaced with the new InterCity colours complete with set numbers on the front of each power car.
As part of the 1985 celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway, Bristol's B430 set was repainted into chocolate and cream livery. It was often to be seen around Birmingham and on 16 May 1987 it was in use on the Cross City line where I photographed it at Longbridge station.
Birmingham University station is situated on the stretch of line between New Street and Kings Norton. Running alongside the canal, it uised to offer some interesting locations but whether this is case since the advent of overhead electrification I could not say. On Saturday 7 February 1987, a Longbridge to Four Oaks service was composed of a class 116 unit with the trailing driving coach replaced with a single unit bubble car, and a normally formed 3 car class 116. This type of mish-mash set was far from unusual and added to interest of the unit scene around Birmingham.
Barnt Green is the junction for the Redditch branch, the line for which curves sharply away from the Birmingham to Bristol line. Line occupation, especially in the summer, meant that trains from Redditch often had quite a wait in the platform until Saltley Power Box found them a path. The usual class 116 is shown here on 16 August 1986 waiting at the signal before heading off to Lichfield City via Birmingham New Street.
This somewhat anonymous scene shows the prototype 151002 standing at Stourbridge Junction while working on a trial run on 15 February 1986. It is shame that these stylish second generation units were not produced in greater numbers. In my opinion, this design was much more attractive than than ubiquitous class 150, which forms the core of the diesel unit scene in the West Midlands today.
Moving across from the main Bristol line to the one from Birmingham to Worcester, here is a class 116 on a Shrub Hill to New Street train passing the end of Langley Green yard. This freight facility was still in daily use at this time with at least 3 trips from Bescot calling with traffic such as chlorine gas, scrap metal and cement. In the case of the latter two comodities, the yard was used as a convenient run-round point for trains coming from the Handsworth line, which was used only by freight traffic at this date, 9 August 1986. The combination of upper and lower quadrant semaphores were controlled by the box on the platform at Langely Green station, situated around the bend behind the train.
A few miles to the south-west of Langley Green is the station at Rowley Regis. By the time this photograph was taken on 8 March 1986, freight traffic to the various industrial termini hereabouts had finished, but the trackwork and and signalling were still pretty much intact. This picture shows the inevitable class 116 DMU on a Birmingham New Street to Stourbridge Junction stopping train approaching the station.
Going further towards Worcester, this was the scene at Droitwich Spa on Saturday 6 July 1985. The train is a Bristol-based class 115 receding from the camera towards Birmingham via Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction. The neat 3 road coal yard was still in use at this time and it was possible to obtain a much wider angle shot than is possible today. Only when scanning this slide did I notice the rake of permanent way wagons in the siding adjacent to the up loop. I do not recall ever having since this piece of rare track in use since this date. The line of telegraph poles with their mass of wires is also notable, as is the lack of the M5 motorway in the background.
A slightly later shot at Droitwich shows one of Tyseley's class 116 unit on a Birmingham New Street to Great Malvern on 1 March 1986. At this time the 3 road coal was still extant, complete with Ruston 0-4-0 shunter. Nine lower quadrant semaphore signal arms can be seen - this hasn't changed in early 2006, but the coal yard has gone and no longer is it possible to take such a wide view.
Moving out into the Worcestershire countryside, this picture shows a Tyseley class 116 heading north near Defford with a Gloucester to Birmingham train. The date was 19 July 1985 and was my first visit to this pleasant location.
Lincoln Central is the location for this photograph taken on 3 May 1985. The signals protecting the crossing have already been replaced to danger by the signalman in the High Street box in preparation for opening the gates over the busy road. Note the horseshoes nailed to the wall to retain good luck within the box.
On the same day as the photograph at Lincoln Central, I took this shot of a class 120 at the soon to be closed Lincoln St Marks station. The unit had arrived from Derby and was about to return to the same town.
Manchester Victoria is the location for this photograph of a class 104 unit bursting out of the station with the 10.15 to Blackpool. This was a strange train, at least in my limited experience. I saw it hauled by classes 40,45 and 47 as well as the smoky unit pictured on 27 February 1986.
The class 110 Calder Valley units were not long for this world by February 1986 so I took the opportunity for a couple of shots in the bay platforms at the east end of Manchester Victoria on the 27th of that month. The light was very low inside the cavernous station, but I was quite pleased with the atmospheric outcome. The destination blind on this somewhat grubby unit states it is off to Southport.
This shot shows not only a class 110 unit, but 142001 and one of the unique third rail Bury electrics inside Manchester Victoria on 27 February 1986. It is to my lasting regret that I didn't make any effort to record these electrics units, particularly as a lot of the line retained semaphore signalling right to the end.
Stratford-upon-Avon is the destination for many special trains. This picture shows one of these, the Poynton Parish Puffa, standing in the long-gone "cold store" sidings on 29 June 1985. This train was formed of class 108+104 combination and, obviously I suppose, ran from poynton in Cheshire, which incidentally is a very attractively decorated station, adorned with many enamel advertisements.
The passengers on the Poynton Parish Puffa were treated to a visit by the steam locomotive 46229 Duchess of Hamilton on 29 June 1985. The return working of the steam special left a short while before the DMU went back to Cheshire and I photographed both from the window of the signal box. The industrial units in the background are the site of the erstwhile Stratford-upon-Avon shed and coaling stage.
Another special from the north-west visted Stratford on 20 April 1985 and once again was formed of a blue class 104 unit. The train is seen here leaving platform 2 of the station at around 18.30, being pictured from the canal towing path.
Buxton units, this time with the signature white roof adornments, again visited Stratford-upon-Avon on 26 October 1985. This time, the train was 1L04 from Manchester Piccadilly formed of another 104+108 combo, and it is pictured about to pass the signalbox in extremely dull conditions.
Class 120 units were not frequent visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon, especially after a light snowfall. When this happened on 8 February 1986 the unit stuck to its diagram between Birmingham Moor Street and Stratford, which gave me the opportunity for a few shots around the station area. I had good relationships both with the station staff and the regular signalmen and was able to wander pretty much at will. This picture shows the 11.10 from Birmingham passing the intermediate starter signal before arriving at the terminus.
The return working of the train shown above, the 12.20 Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham Moor Street is seen leaving from platform 3, as shown by the lower quadrant signal being in the "off" postion. Platform 2's starter was the tall upper quadrant signal protruding from the centre car of the train.
On sunny mornings, I quite often used to leave home for work at around 08.00 and walk to my office, then in the town centre, via the railway line. I did this on 4 June 1986 because 55033 had recently been allocated to Tyseley after a spell in South Wales. It is seen here leaving the station as the 08.12 to Leamington Spa. Virtually everything in this photograph has changed. The Ministry of Food cold store has been replaced with a supermarket, the college of further education has been rebuilt and extended, and, of course, the semaphore signals have gone, being replaced with colour lights operated from Bearley Junction. Even the World War II air raid shelter, a concrete pipe buried in the ground, upon which I was standing, had disappeared. The class 116 unit in platform 2 will follow the bubble as far as Bearley, this being the 08.20 to Birmingham Moor Street.
Much earlier on the morning of 4 June 1986 than described above, the weedkiller with  47013 had done its stuff at Stratford. While waiting for that to arrive I took this shot of a class 116 leaving the siding to form the 06.30 to Birmingham. At this time, Stratford was a signing-on and stabling point and if one was lucky, a unit would have been put in this siding on the previous night. This piece of track was not regularly used and I was pleased to get this shot with the lower quadrant signal in the "off" position, even though the sun was not yet on the track.
While I was eating my breakfast on the morning of 18 May 1986, I saw a plain blue parcel unit, 55995, head towards Stratford-upon-Avon station. "What on earth...?". I thought and grabbed a couple of cameras and dashed down to investigate. A class 116 had failed in the cold store siding and Tyseley sent 55995 down to effect the rescue. I was sort of disappointed at the time that a locomotive hadn't come, but in retrospect this was much more interesting. The parcel unit has been attached to the errant unit and as the crew are about to top up the 116's cooling system, I assume this was the cause of the failure. Sadly, I didn't have time to photograph the departure as I hadn't finished my breakfast or dressed in an entirely suitable fashion for a day at work!
A variation on the parcel unit theme is seen here at Reading on 30 January 1987. This beauty is 55992 in gloriously tatty rail blue arriving from the London direction on an unknown working. Note the differences from 55995 shown in the picture above - the corridor connections for starters.
This picture is dated 9 May 1987 and sbows 55994 topping a 3 car class 116 at Kidderminster while working a service to Birmingham New Street. The contrast from the 2 units shown above is striking, particularly the modification to the cab ends and the brighter blue and red livery. It looks as if the warm and sunny weekend had brought out a large number of insects judging by the fatalities apparent on the yellow end...
As I stated in the preamble to this section, I am treating HSTs as diesel units for the purpose of this website even though this is not strictly accurate. I have always liked them, especially the purposeful looks and the deep exhaust note when working hard. Here is a set passing Longbridge and just catching a weak patch of sun on a showery morning whilst working an unidentified up service on 28 March 1986. It is nearly all in the original blue and yellow livery but with an InterCity rear power car. The smoke from behind the penultimate carriage is from a 3 car class 116 DMU on a Four Oaks local train.
In contrast to the HST set shown above this Paddington to Plymouth train is in the full InterCity livery. It seen approaching the Reading stop on 3 January 1987.
This shot was also taken at Reading, this time on 30 January 1987 and shows bubble car 55002 hauling a driving trailer from set L280 on the down through road. Although the destination blind on the trailer implies that this was an excursion, the train was carrying no passengers and went towards Didcot. Just visible in the background is the chocolate and cream inspection saloon that he been painted into these colours for the GWR 150 celebrations 2 years previously.
I have so many DMU shots from Stratford-upon-Avon that it is not long before another couple of shots have to appear. This picture from 3 October 1986 shows a four car class 101 coupled to bubble car 55002 forming the 16.30 to Birmingham Moor Street. Stratford's well-known gasholders, not to mention the semaphore signalling and the associated signal box, have long since disappeared.
The Network Rail class 150 DMU 950001 did some travels around Warwickshire on 6 July 2006. The weather was extremely unpleasant and the unit, running as 2Z08 from Tyseley, is seen here arriving at Stratford-upon-Avon in the middle of a torrential downpour accompanied by lightning and thunder. The storm had caused various problems in the locality, including sigalling problems leading to the cancellation of the inward working of the train forming the 10.27 from Stratford-upon-Avon to Stourbridge Junction and power being off at my home close by.
Here is a view of the other end of 950001 just before it left Stratford-upon-Avon for Birmingham. The rain was quite literally bouncing off the train's roof at this point. Behind the unit are about 20 cheesed-off passengers who have nearly an hour's wait for the next passenger train into Birmingham. Many people would not bother with photographing such a working as no locomotive was involved, but I find this unit of infinitely more interest than a light class 37 move, which it seems causes enormous interest.
Tyseley depot acquired several "power twin" sets in August 1986 which were capable of keeping to accelerated "sprinter" timings. Three of the sets are seen here in platform 3 at Stratford after a proving run from Birmingham. They were about to return as ECS to Tyseley before entering normal service.
Until 1987, the GWR's Moor Street station was the terminus for trains both from the Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon lines. When Snow Hill was reopened a two platform through station was constructed adjacent to the terminus, which then became redundant and was closed. On 7 February 1987 the 12.10 to Stratford departs from Moor Street in the capable hands of driver Geoff Davies. For a view of the interior of the station, click  here.  Moor Street lay derelict for many years, but now has been restored and will be used again by trains to relieve pressure on Snow Hill. The date of the reopening is not yet known as Network Rail seem incapable of providing the requisite signalling.
A portent for the future is here seen at Small Heath, Birmingham on 1 March 1986. Sprinter 150143 is heading for Tyseley depot where it will be stabled. The destination blind says "Birmingham New Street" which indicates that its diagram has been completed. I have never been especially fond of these units - they are to my eyes particularly bland and uninspiring, but nevertheless worth recording. The version of the class 150 with corridor connections look slightly better as the plain front end is broken up to some extent.
Heartland Rail and Cotswold Rail ran their first train as a TOC on Saturday 15 April. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be among their guests for the trip, which was from Gloucester to Penzance. The train led by 43070 is seen here after arrival as ECS in Gloucester station, alongside a FGW set being used on a Gloucester to Swindon local service. For those interested, the exposure for this shot was 1/125 @ f3.5, using an ISO setting of 500 - yes it was a bit dull! From a technical perspective, the lack of "noise" at this sensitivity is quite impressive, and no, I haven't used Neat Image to clean it up. Our train suffered a slight problem at Totnes, the cause of which was found to be no more than a snap connector joining, or rather not joining, 2 wires in a control box. As soon as this was rectified we made a storming ascent of Rattery bank and had a clear run to Penzance.
As a passenger, photo opportunities were obviously limited so I contented myself with this view of the Hornby-liveried power car standing in Penzance station shortly before departure. We had a superb run back, with an early arrival at Bristol Temple Meads after a high speed run from Newton Abbott. We also departed Bristol early and arrived in Gloucester some 9 minutes ahead of schedule. My thanks are due to Adrian Parcell and Mark Honey of Cotswold Rail for a great day out.
Two ex-GNER HST power cars were deposited in the sidings at Evesham on Friday 12 May 2006 while en-route to Long Marston. They are here seen being passed by a northbound 180110 on Saturday 13 May 2006. A bird appears to have come to a messy end on the earlier run up to Paddington...
On 23 April 1988 the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive held a "Midline Day" based on the recently re-opened station at Birmingham Snow Hill. They were fortunate enough to secure the services of the lovely Hastings DEMU, 203001, which was set to work on Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon trains. It is seen here thumping its way up Hatton Bank during the afternoon. The presence of several people at the trackside, (on the wrong side for the sun and well away from the boarded crossing!) indicates that a steam special was in the area. If memory serves, it was 5305 on "The Risborough Venturer".
Midline Day wasn't especially noted for its fine weather, but I certainly wasn't going to miss the chance of a Hastings unit in the Stratford platform at Hatton station just because the sun was behind a bank of cloud. 203001 is seen about to depart for Stratford on 23 April 1988. The current scene here is very much more overgrown with the houses almost totally obscured.
A different breed of thumper to that shown above is seen here. This is 207010 leaving Mortimer on the Basingstoke to Reading line on the morning of 1 May 1990. These ponderous, but characterful units were the mainstay of the Salibury/Basingstoke to Reading services for many years and their characteristic throb was always a pleasure to hear. 645
A couple of years before the shot of the class 207 shown above was taken, I pictured 205027 leaving Basingstoke for Reading. This was a good location both for passenger and freight traffic as it was possible to cover not only the Reading line but also the main Waterloo to Southampton and Exeter route.