lostwin - BR in the mid 80's

[sprinterguy]

18/07/86 - looks like I was back there again. I never took much interest in identifying the various classes of DMU. But this one I do recognise, as Hornby released a model of it at the time - it's a 110, isn't it?

Yeah that's the one, the 'Calder Valley' units. Rolls Royce engines, and not at all bad as far as 'bog carts' go, with a bit more 'poke' than other first-gen diesel units to cope with the Trans-pennine gradients. Reduced to 2-car power twins from their original 3-car formations by that point in the eighties, further increasing their power to weight ratio, the last main line survivors made it into 1990.

Nice moody photo under the roof at pre-electrification Leeds there. I had a pleasant journey on the surviving three-car set on the Wensleydale Railway to Redmire twenty years ago, and my Hornby model, itself now forty years old since first appearing in the catalogue, still quietly plies it's trade on the leisurely 'Railcar' diagram on my layout.

 

[lostwin(m)]

Yeah that's the one, the 'Calder Valley' units. Rolls Royce engines, and not at all bad as far as 'bog carts' go, with a bit more 'poke' than other first-gen diesel units to cope with the Trans-pennine gradients. Reduced to 2-car power twins from their original 3-car formations by that point in the eighties, further increasing their power to weight ratio, the last main line survivors made it into 1990.

Nice moody photo under the roof at pre-electrification Leeds there. I had a pleasant journey on the surviving three-car set on the Wensleydale Railway to Redmire twenty years ago, and my Hornby model, itself now forty years old since first appearing in the catalogue, still quietly plies it's trade on the leisurely 'Railcar' diagram on my layout.

One of the great things about this thread for me, has been the extra contextual information provided around the images I have posted. Lots of stuff I didn't know which has really added to my enjoyment of the photos I took. Thanks for this and others contributions. For instance, 1961 colour light signals, i never realised they would be so early!

 

[Sun Chariot]

18/10/86. 25037 has brought the last leg of the 16.48 from Penzance into Edinburgh, from Carstairs. Wide open aperture gives a portrait style image.

View attachment 156695

In my view, any Rat photo is a great photo

But - snaring this Rat, on a Class 1 service and three months to the day before its withdrawal - what a marvellous capture.

Other than the celebrity green machine Tamworth Castle, my only 35mm Rat "in service" photo, was of 25057 awaiting its next turn (or its fate...) at Crewe.

 

[sprinterguy]

One of the great things about this thread for me, has been the extra contextual information provided around the images I have posted. Lots of stuff I didn't know which has really added to my enjoyment of the photos I took. Thanks for this and others contributions. For instance, 1961 colour light signals, i never realised they would be so early!

It's definitely been a great jumping off point for further discussion and reminisces.

 

[lostwin(m)]

In my view, any Rat photo is a great photo

But - snaring this Rat, on a Class 1 service and three months to the day before its withdrawal - what a marvellous capture.

Other than the celebrity green machine Tamworth Castle, my only 35mm Rat "in service" photo, was of 25057 awaiting its next turn (or its fate...) at Crewe.

Yes, shame their numbers were dwindling by the time I got my camera. i had had plenty of action in the years prior, especially on the Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury summer Saturday workings, which would often produce pairs. They were very characterful locos, not dissimilar to a 31 sound wise, but even looser and with much more rattling, yet always trying to make the most of what they had - which seemed to be the opposite with the 31's.

I had just got off the train pictured having taken it up overnight from Birmingham via a pretty convoluted route due to weekend engineering. I'm sure it wouldn't have been the first choice motive power from Carstairs, especially as it probably still had a load of 8 or 9 even after the train split - sometimes it was just whatever they had to hand. In the 'Back in the Day' thread I recall all sorts being described as being pressed into action, including single Class 20's.

One other clear memory from that trip North was that when I boarded at Birmingham, my Mk2 carriage was empty. A couple of weeks prior, another enthusiast had shown me how to turn the lights off in the whole carriage - there was a metal panel with two buttons high up in the end vestibule. Travelling at night with the lights turned out really enhances the experience. Anyone else do similar?

 

[lostwin(m)]

Staying in Scotland, that October trip had me spending a bit of time in Princes Street Gardens. The overbridges give great vantage points on the 4 track line and the variety of traffic - at least at the time - offered plenty of interest. All taken on an overcast 22/10/86.

37408 has charge of a tanks working heading East.

 

[lostwin(m)]

47461 bursts out of the tunnel heading the ambitiously timetabled 07.30 Aberdeen - Penzance. Would there ever have been a longer distance scheduled train? - i don't doubt you will have the answer for me!

 

[lostwin(m)]

I think one thing that this thread has taught me is that the more mundane the train, the less it has been generally captured on film, making such images of particular interest. In that spirit, I give you mundane!

 

[lostwin(m)]

The Edinburgh - Glasgow push pull workings were half hourly, so you didn't have to wait long for one in one direction or the other. Here 47710 approaches journey end.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The Edinburgh - Glasgow push pull workings were half hourly, so you didn't have to wait long for one in one direction or the other. Here 47710 approaches journey end.

View attachment 156738

I love that composition, a fresh interpretation of a heavily-photographed location.

 

[Gloster]

47461 bursts out of the tunnel heading the ambitiously timetabled 07.30 Aberdeen - Penzance. Would there ever have been a longer distance scheduled train? - i don't doubt you will have the answer for me!

I am fairly sure that for a period in the 1980s the southbound service started back at Elgin.

 

[lostwin(m)]

I love that composition, a fresh interpretation of a heavily-photographed location.

Cheers. This one and the push-pull working at Waverley, are both favourites of mine from these recently scanned / posted pictures.

 

[Peter Sarf]

A varied batch of stuff coming up from two trips to Scotland in July and October '86.

18/07/86. A unit leaves North Queensferry and heads for the Forth Bridge en-route to the capital.

edit: looking at this more closely, it is strange that you can only see one span of the bridge - and it is not Photoshop!. I'd assumed it was straight but presumably it must have a slight curve which hides the remaining spans from this view.

View attachment 156692

I think the width of the bridge at the position it reaches down to the base in the Firth of Forth is quite wide. The taper widening from the top (highest point) might well have hidden any structure further away at that camera angle - even the next tallest point.

 

[lostwin(m)]

I think the width of the bridge at the position it reaches down to the base in the Firth of Forth is quite wide. The taper widening from the top (highest point) might well have hidden any structure further away at that camera angle - even the next tallest point.

mmm, maybe. But having just come off watching 3 episodes of '3 Body Problem' on Netflix, I'm increasingly of the view that it might just be down to aliens !

 

[lostwin(m)]

09/07/86.

 

[lostwin(m)]

24/04/86. I did persist in trying to take shots in the bowels of Birmingham New Street, possibly the most photographic film unfriendly place there is this side of a coal mine. This is 31414 on the 18.20 Norwich service.

 

[lostwin(m)]

25/10/86. 86257 departs Carstairs on what my notes continue to reference as the 07.30 Aberdeen - Penzance.

 

[lostwin(m)]

09/08/85. Exeter, between duties.

 

[Peter Sarf]

mmm, maybe. But having just come off watching 3 episodes of '3 Body Problem' on Netflix, I'm increasingly of the view that it might just be down to aliens !

I feel it is more likely Scotch mist . On the other hand the South side of the Firth of Forth might indeed have been shifted to another dimension .

 

[lostwin(m)]

Very final scrappings for my Leicester based stuff.

12/03/85. On this evidence, i would never make a Press photographer, as I have managed to obscure the big reveal with the Sound Mans' head! A fun scene nevertheless and the only time I recall seeing a naming happen live. Power Car 43060 is given the plate 'County of Leicestershire'. The HST scuttled off very shortly afterwards to cover for a shortage on the ECML, indeed rumours circulating suggested the naming might be cancelled due to the lack of available units.

 

[lostwin(m)]

29/04/85. Turning my hand to night time photography again and I captured 31422 pausing briefly at Platform 2 before moving off to the Post Office sidings alongside the station.

 

[lostwin(m)]

04/06/85. I have this as 31156, but with a question mark in my notes. Certainly it is a non ETH example which by then was fairly unusual on these workings, hence the attention of enthusiasts in the front carriage. 18.20 Birmingham - Norwich, departing from Leicester.

 

[lostwin(m)]

May/June '86. No doubt about the location here, with the newly installed advertising boarding between the platforms seeking to attract businesses and the bus crossing the bridge promoting the delights of the local Radio Station.

20128 & 20148 providing more old school attractions on an MGR train.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I was at Leicester a couple of years before those photos - evening/night was a hive of activity, with a 31-hauled short TPO (Peterborough-Derby/Crewe I think), and various parcels, including one for the Birmingham direction for which Saltley sent over a light engine 50, otherwise a rare loco at Leicester.
As for being a press photographer, I managed a few shots of the unveiling of ‘University of Leicester’ (47535?) which trundled in accompanied by an inspection saloon.
A lot of my photos from then have been posted in various threads on rmweb. Perhaps I ought to bring them all together somewhere!

edit: just noticed the newly-installed signal on the right of the 20s
edit 2: still enjoying these photos

 

[lostwin(m)]

09/03/85. This looks to be my first ever B&W film photograph, so it is nice that it proves strong enough to post. Named HST 'West Yorkshire Metropolitan County' on a north bound service.

 

[lostwin(m)]

I was at Leicester a couple of years before those photos - evening/night was a hive of activity, with a 31-hauled short TPO (Peterborough-Derby/Crewe I think), and various parcels, including one for the Birmingham direction for which Saltley sent over a light engine 50, otherwise a rare loco at Leicester.
As for being a press photographer, I managed a few shots of the unveiling of ‘University of Leicester’ (47535?) which trundled in accompanied by an inspection saloon.
A lot of my photos from then have been posted in various threads on rmweb. Perhaps I ought to bring them all together somewhere!

edit: just noticed the newly-installed signal on the right of the 20s
edit 2: still enjoying these photos

A class 50 at Leicester, that would be rare indeed at the time. We would get excited enough by a Stratford 'Duff'! Out of interest, the last couple of times I have passed through Leicester on the train, the depot is filled with what looks like a number of heritage locos, including a class 50. What is that all about?

 

[lostwin(m)]

The '80's were the death knell for many of the surviving early generation locos and units and Vic Berry in Leicester were one of the larger independent scrap merchants handling the end of life disposal.

05/05/85. 'Bed Pan' unit 51593 is at Humberstone Road sidings before asbestos removal work.

 

[lostwin(m)]

26/10/86. Within Vic Berry's scrapyard, 45023 has been de-bogied and is shot through the smeared cab windows of another Peak on bided time.

 

[lostwin(m)]

26/10/86. Sun Chariot might want to look away now, this 'Rat' is somewhat beyond redemption.

 

[lostwin(m)]

18/08/85. Slightly more positively, 03069 still had gainful work within the scrapyard. Did it ever manage to escape?