Photo Virgin Trains Thunderbirds UK Diesel Loco Class 57305 Rugby Station

Class 57305 'Thunderbird' Diesel Locomotive 'John Tracy', Rugby Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Looking smart in its Virgin Trains livery, UK Thunderbirds diesel locomotive, Class 57305 'John Tracy', built in 1964 poses for a photo in a bay platform (now filled in) at Rugby station.

Before being converted to a Class 57, the locomotive was in service as 47822.

In 2002 it was carrying the name 'Pride of Shrewsbury'.  The loco has carried four names in its career; 'Alan Tracy - Thunderbirds, John Tracy - Thunderbirds, 'Pride of Shrewsbury', and 'Northern Princess'.

At some point in the 1990s the loco carried no name at all,

Diesel loco UK Class 57305 can be seen elsewhere on the 'Along These Tracks' photo blog standing in Basingstoke station in Swallow livery by clicking here.

Class 57 Locomotives on YouTube:

Watford Junction Class 57 Thunderbird Action.

Class 57 Pendolino Drags at Bletchley.

512 Class 47s were built, of which 30 have passed into preservation and can be found (at time of blog-page publication) at the following locations, though this may be subject to change for various reasons.

D1524  47004 - Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway.

D1693  47105 - Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

D1705  47117 'Sparrowhawk' - Great Central Railway.

D1842  47192 - Crewe Heritage Centre.

D1855  47205/47395 - Northampton & Lamport Railway.

D1994  47292 - Great Central Railway Nottingham.

D1787  47306 'The Sapper' - Bodmin & Wenford Railway.

D1886  47367 - Mid Norfolk Railway.

D1895  47376 'Freightliner 1995' - Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

D1500  47401 'North Eastern' - Midland Railway Butterley.

D1501  47402 - East Lancashire Railway.

D1516  47417 - Midland Railway Butterley.

D1566  47449 - Llangollen Railway.

D1662  47484 'Isambard Kingdom Brunel' - (Private Location).

D1107  47524 - Dean Forest Railway.

D1778  47183/47579/47793 'James Nightall G.C. - Mid Hants Railway.

D1762  47167/47580/47732 'County of Essex - Carnforth.

D1933  47233/47596 'Aldeburgh Festival' - Mid Norfolk Railway.

D1606  47029/47635 'Jimmy Milne' - Epping Ongar Railway.

D1970  47269/47643 - Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway.

D1948  47505/47712 'Lady Diana Spencer' - Crewe Heritage Centre.

D1619  47038/47564/47761 - Midland Railway Butterley.

D1643  47765/47059/47631 - East Lancashire Railway.

D1946  47503/47771 - Eastleigh Works.

D1755  47541/47773 - (Location Not Known).

D1909  47232/47785/47820 - Wensleydale Railway.

D1656  47072/47609/47834/47798 'Prince William' - York Railway Museum.

D1654  47070/47620/47799/47835 'Prince Henry' - Eden Valley Railway.

D1966  47266/47629/47828 - Carnforth.

D1661  47077/47613/47840 'North Star' - West Somerset Railway.

More Class 47 and 57 images on 'Along These Tracks'.

Class 47100 'Merlin'

Class 57316 'Fab 1'

Class 57308 'Tin Tin'

Class 47822

Class 47701

Class 47790 'Galway Princess'

Class 57307 'Lady Penelope'

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Photo Virgin Trains Super Voyager Class 221142 DMU Train Rugby 2012

221142 'Super Voyager' DEMU, Rugby Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Class 221142 Virgin Voyager diesel electric multiple unit, photographed on a wet, stormy evening, as can be seen by the threatening clouds above the train, stands in Rugby railway station on the 2nd September 2012 whilst en route with a scheduled service to Wolverhampton.

This tilting 5-car diesel electric multiple unit UK passenger train, known as a Super Voyager, was built between 2001 and 2002 by Bombardier Transportation.

Since Virgin Trains lost it franchise in December 2019, this and other West Coast Main Line Class 221 Voyager units are operated by Avanti West Coast.

As I typed the words, Rugby station, I was reminded of its connection with the world-famous author, Charles Dickens and of his fictional, Mugby Junction, (the name inspired by Rugby station).

Finding himself at the Warwickshire station during a reading tour in 1866, Charles Dickens and a companion entered its refreshment room.  While Dickens' companion searched in his pockets for the correct change with which to pay for the coffee the pair had ordered, the novelist reached out to take hold of the milk and sugar.  

However, before he could lay his hands on the items, they were whisked out of reach by the counter assistant who said, "You sha'nt have any milk and sugar, 'till you two fellows have paid for your coffee".

No celebrity worship there then!

Apparently the counter assistant had not recognised the esteemed writer.

The incident made it into one of the 'Mugby Junction' stories.

Class 221 Voyager DMU on YouTube:

Virgin Voyager Class 221 at Milton Keynes.

Class 221101 Voyager DMU 'Ghost of Virgin Past'.

Double Virgin Trains Class 221 Super Voyager at Crewe.

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Night Photo Class 165035 Chiltern Railways Network Turbo DMU Train Banbury 2017

Class 165035 Diesel Multiple Unit, Banbury Station at Night

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Black and white night photo of Chiltern Railways diesel multiple unit Class 165035 passenger train at Banbury railway station UK.

This Class 165 three-car dmu unit, one of a class originally known as Network Turbos, was photographed late at night with a long exposure time in 2017, had recently completed a scheduled commuter train service from London Marylebone and would probably have been stabled at the station for the night.

Class 165 DMUs on YouTube:

Chiltern Railways Class 165 DMU departs Aylesbury.

Chiltern Railways Class 165s at speed compilation.

Chiltern Railways Class 165 DMU 'Ghost Train'.

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