2015
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73202 0Z04 VIC 04/01/15
A photograph ncluded for rarity value as it was tricky to track down Southern liveried 73202. In connection with testing the new track and signals at London Bridge installed over the New Year, 73202 is seen at Victoria working an 0Z04 1156 Stewarts Lane - London Bridge light engine move on 4th January 2015. The new layout was to result in much chaos.
66556 4L31 CHO 09/01/15
With the classic 'Manor Farm' bridge in the distance - one of my favourite locations for photographs - 66556 powers through Cholsey on 9th January 2015 with the 4L31 0903 Bristol - Felixstowe North 'liner. The working consists of 'pocket' wagons which allow 9'6" containers to be conveyed over routes not cleared for 'Hi Cubes' on standard height platforms.
66956 6O26 CHO 09/01/15
Beautiful low winter light, and Great Western architecture result in a pleasing image of 66956 at Cholsey on 9th January 2015 heading the 6O26 1019 Hinksey - Eastleigh East Yard engineers'.
43161 1L46 CHO 09/01/15
Signs of GWML electrification at Cholsey on the 9th January 2015, so sadly this will be my last visit since the view was shortly to be ruined by catenary. So for a final time, here is First Great Western's 43161 at the front of the 1L46 0955 Cardiff - London Paddington.
66554 6M16 HFS 28/03/15
An historic shot on 28th March 2015 - my last of a train of UK-mined coal. That's Hatfield Main colliery in the background, and 66560 has arrived with empties from Eggborough Power Station to form a 6Y17 1514 loaded return to Drax PS. The problem, or progress depending on your view, is in the foreground: 66554 on the 6M16 1214 Barnetby Down Reception - Ratcliffe PS is a trainload of cheaper, imported coal. Hatfield closed at the end of June.
43251 1E13 DON 28/03/15
VTEC took over the East Coast franchise on 1st March 2015 and lost no time applying logos to the stock, which were then rapidly relieved into the full Virgin scheme. In this view at Doncater on March 28th, only leading power car 43251 has received Virgin vinyls. Sister 43302 on the rear, and the rake of Mark IIIs, remain in East Coast grey. This is Doncaster and the pair are making an unscheduled stop with the 1E13 0755 Inverness - London Kings Cross 'Highland Chieftain'.
87002 1M11 EUS 06/04/15
The use of 86101, '401 and 87002 on Caledonian Sleeper ECS in and out of Euston is rather reminiscent of the 82s and 83s that Inter-City used to use. Predictably, given class 92 reliability, the heritage fleet got a few run outs on the main trains too, but all is not as it seems here at Euston on 6th April 2015. Although 87002 'Royal Sovereign' is indeed at the head of the 1M11 2315 Glasgow - Euston 'Lowland' sleeper, the train had run via the ECML and the 87 had only worked forward from Wembley.
66601 6L44 UHL 08/04/15
Viewed joining the GOBLIN at the symmetrically named Junction Road Junction from the MML connection is 66601 'The Hope Valley'. Appropriately, the loco is leading the 6L44 0540 Hope (Earles Sidings) - West Thurrock loaded cement; 8th April 2015.
60076 6V62 UHL 11/04/15
Colas' 60076 looks purposeful at the head of the 6V62 returning 1128 Tilbury Riverside - Llanwern steel empties passing Upper Holloway goods loop on 11th April 2015. This Wednesday / Saturday photography friendly working was a favourite of mine at the time and all too short lived.
73964 XTW 11/04/15
My first decent shot of a GBRf class 73/9 rebuild, and four for the price of one! Gleaming in the spring sunshine at Tonbridge West Yard on 11th April 2015 are 73964/963/961 and 962. Quite the contrast with 73212 to the left.
67008 1R55 SUD 14/04/15
It wasn't that common to see a red 67 on a silver Chiltern set but that is what we find on 14th April 2015. Powering through Sudbury and Harrow Road with the 1R55 1647 Marylebone - Birmingham Moor Street, and about to battle with the Chilterns, is EWS-liveried DBS-operated class 67 67008.
67013 1H69 SUD 14/04/15
By 14th April 2015, the Chiltern route was in transition from DBS class 67s to DRS class 68s, and this proved to be my last shot of a 'Skip' on these trains. Good riddance - the 68s are a much more impressive proposition. No mistaking the location either, with the Wembley Arch standing on the horizon. 67013 is propelling the 1H69 1555 Birmingham - Marylebone through Sudbury and Harrow Road.
66748 6Z80 XJC 25/04/15
The three class 66s that GBRf imported from the Netherlands ran for quite a while in 'battleship' grey before gaining corporate colours during 2016. Very plain they looked too, as evidenced here at Canonbury West Junction on 25th April 2015. 66748 has charge of 6Z80 1008 Marks Tey - Peterborough aggregate wagons.
66711 5X89 WIJ 25/04/15
To mark the award of a contract with Aggregate Industries, GBRf repainted 66711 in AI livery (and later named is 'Sence'). The end result is a class 66 trying to impersonate a '59. The loco is seen here at Willesden Junction on 25th April 2015 leading the 5X89 1130 Slade Green - Doncaster Works conveying 465249 for refurbishment.
70017 4L93 CNN 02/05/15
A 'rear 3/4' image at Canonbury on 2nd May 2015 finds 70017 heading east with a 4L93 'liner for Felixstowe.
90043 4L89 HHY 30/05/15
By 2015 90043 was looking very tatty in it's original grey colours. The 'Freightliner Coatbridge' plates had been removed in this shot at Highbury on 30th May 2015, and the loco was repainted in 'Power Haul' livery shortly after. This is the 4L89 0238 Crewe Basford Hall - Felixstowe North which the 'Skoda' will work to Ipswich.
37423 2C34 CAR 03/06/15
The introduction of class 37 hauled trains to the Cumbrian coast in May 2015 caused quite a stir! Better yet, at least before the introduction of DBSOs, 'big' non-heat locos got a run out too. On 3rd June I made the trek from London, my first time travelling the length of the route. After arrival at Carlisle, 37423 'Spirit of the Lakes' is seen storming south with the return 2C34 1435 Carlisle - Barrow. Hanging on the rear is 37688 'Kingmoor TMD', which had hauled my train in from Barrow.
66506 4M21 CAR 03/06/15
4M21 1518 Carlisle New Yard - Leeds Stourton coal empty coal hoppers drift through Carlisle station on 3rd June 2015 behind Freightliner's 66506 'Crewe Regeneration'.
20305 6C50 NRT 23/06/15
I drove overnight from London for this shot and well worth it was too. Passing Nethertown on the beautiful Cumbrian Coast is 20305 leading 20309 on a 6C50 0200 Crewe (Coal Sidings) - Sellafield nuclear waste train which had originated at Berkeley the previous day. 23rd June 2015.
37402 2C40 PRN 23/06/15
23rd June 2015 was perfect conditions for photography and I spent the day on the Cumbrian Coast, having driven up to see the class 37s. Thrashing away from Parton on the 2C40 0842 Carlisle - Barrow is 37402 'Stephen Middlemore'. 37218 is on the rear. 37402 would later be repainted into 'Revised Standard' livery and note the Anglia-liveried BSO in use before the DRS DBSOs were ready.
20305 6C51 FOX 23/06/15
I'd seen 20305 and 20309 earlier in the day working to Sellafield from Berkeley via Crewe. They were then split to work top-and-tail on the 6C51 1258 Sellafield - Heysham Harbour empty nuclear flasks. 20305 led south, seen here leaving Foxfield on 23rd June 2015.
37409 2C41 RAV 23/06/15
Before the introduction of DBSOs, the Cumbrian Coast loco-hauled workings operated in top-and-tail formation. On 23rd June 2015, the 2C41 1437 Barrow - Carlisle is seen crossing Eskmeals Viaduct. Non-heat 37606 leads, and bringing up the rear is 37409 'Lord Hinton'.
37516 1Y11 County March 24/06/15
My first trip for photography on the West Highland line, 24th June 2015, co-incided with mist and midges which was no surprise - and the appearance of 37516 on the 'Beds' which certainly was. I could hear the loco approaching from miles away, on the climb to County March summit. This is the 1Y11 0450 Edinburgh - Fort William, with the two through sleeping carriages from Euston at the front of the formation. The booked DBS class 67 had failed the previous evening at Fort William. Right place, right time, for once.
66733 6E45 Horseshoe Curve 24/06/15
The thrice weekly 6E45 0807 Fort William Alcan - North Blyth empty alumina tanks are seen cautiously negotiating the Horseshoe Curve on 24th June 2015. RETB-fitted 66733 'Cambridge PSB', the former 66401, is in charge.
66111 6D16 SBR 24/06/15
There might not be much freight traffic in the Highlands, but at least there was variety of operator in 2015 with DBS, DRS and Freightliner all having scheduled work. This is Spean Bridge on 24th June 2015 and RETB-fitted 66111 leads the 6D16 1329 Fort William Junction - Mossend Down Yard empty fuel tanks into the loop.
67011 1S25 DLW 25/06/15
Dawn in the Scottish Highlands on 23rd June 2015. Sunlight illuminates 67011 heading north from Dalwhinnie, at Crubenmore, with the Inverness portion of the previous evening's 1S25 2116 London Euston - Aberdeen / Fort William / Inverness 'Highland' sleeper.
66605 6H51 NWR 25/06/15
66605 is captured near Newtonmore on June 25th 2015 heading north with the 6H51 0225 Oxwellmains - Inverness cement. The train includes both tankers and bagged cement. Colas would later win this contract.
66303 4H47 KIN 25/06/15
I'd been expecting and hoping for a 68 on the 4H47 0504 Mossend - Inverness 'Tesco' intermodal, but was happy to settle for a 'Dred' since the sun broke out at just the right time. Ex-Fastline 66303 is passing the attractive station and 'box at Kingussie on 25th June 2015.
47854 1H82 Drumochter 25/06/15
2015 was the last season for WCRC hauling the 'Royal Scotsman'. This is 47854 'Diamond Jubilee' powering south through Drumochter on 25th June 2015 with a 1H82 1315 Kingussie - Dundee leg.
67004 1B26 CUH 26/06/15
Two class 67s, 67004 'Cairn Gorm' seen here and 67010, received Caledonian Sleeper blue for the short period that 67s remained preferred power for the diesel hauled legs in Scotland. Not even need for a diesel on this train, the 1B26 0634 Carstairs - Edinburgh portion off the 1S26 2350 Euston - Glasgow 'Lowland' Sleeper. The date is a wet 26th June 2015.
68007 2G02 DAM 26/06/15
There were two peak-hour loco-hauled workings on the Fife Circle during 2015. 68006 and '007 were dedicated to these trains, and carried ScotRail colours. The latter is seen at Dalmeny Junction on 26th June with the 2G02 0746 Glenrothes-with-Thornton to Edinburgh.
20905 WRU 30/06/15
New S-Stock tube-trains were hauled between the factory in Derby, test track at Old Dalby and London Underground by two pairs of class 20s working top-and-tail with barrier wagons converted from redundant oil tankers. Seen stabled between such duties at West Ruislip on June 30th, 2015 are the barrier tanks with GBRf liveried 20905 and 20901, and BR blue liveried 20096 and 20107.
47815 5Z20 XJC 03/07/15
The eastbound morning shot from my garden isn't as pleasing as the afternoon westbound, only really suitable for short trains as here on 3rd July 2015. 47815 'Great Western' drifts past with a 5Z20 0537 Eastleigh - Ilford barrier move to collect 321448 for transfer back to Old Dalby.
31285 EXD 04/07/15
Just when you think Network Rail will dispense with class 31s, another working seems to appear and they continued throughout 2015. Back on 4th July it looked like the end had come, and it almost certainly had for 31285 seen here dumped in the yard at Exeter where it had taken up residence for some months.
43171 1C85 DWL 04/07/15
I retain a real soft spot for watching the trains run along the sea wall at Dawlish and Teignmouth. This is 4th July 2015 and heading west out of Dawlish, Cornwall bound is 43171 leading the 1406 London Paddington - Penzance. Just visible on the rear is sister 43186.
37405 2P13 GYM 10/07/15
For the 2015 summer season the loco-hauled 'short set' shuttled between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, rather than the previous arrangement of Liverpool Street working 'drags'. This is Great Yarmouth on 10th July 2015 and 37405 is on the rear of a 2P13 0917 departure to Norwich, led by sister 37425.
56104 6Z57 WEA 17/07/15
Sparkling in UKRL grey - just a double arrow and decals required to be truly retro 'Freighliner' grey - 56104 eases off the Greenford branch at West Ealing. The train is a 6Z57 1016 Calvert - Willesden Euroterminal working of empty aggregate wagons, and the date 17th July 2015.
