'Along These Tracks' Train Photos Site : 2021-12-12

Saturday, 18 December 2021

Class 387115, 387123, 387124 Thameslink Trains Bedford 2015


Class 387115 Thameslink Trains EMU Bedford 2015 Photo: Charles Moorhen

Photo of Thameslink Trains Class 387123 Electrostar EMU standing alongside East Midlands Trains Class 222023 DMU train in Bedford station 2015

Class 387123 Thameslink Trains EMU & Class 222023 DMU

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Thameslink Trains Class 387124 Electrostar EMU train seen entering Bedford station which completes its journey from Brighton 2015

Class 387124 Thameslink Trains EMU Bedford 2015
Photo: Charles Moorhen

The Thameslink Trains Class 387 electric multiple unit, such as in the photos above, which forms part of the Electrostar family, was built by Bombardier and entered service between Bedford and Brighton in December 2014, with all units in place by July 2015.

Since the introduction of Thameslink's Class 700 EMU on the Bedford/Brighton service, the Class 387s have been transferred to Great Northern operating out of Kings Cross.

Other operators of the Class 387 EMU are; Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, c2c and Heathrow Express.

Friday, 17 December 2021

Night Photo Class 221138 Cross Country DEMU 'The Big Hoot 2015' Banbury

Cross Country Trains DEMU Class 221138 Banbury
Photo: Charles Moorhen

Colourful night photo of Cross Country Trains Voyager DEMU Class 221138 displaying 'The Big Hoot 2015' event branding seen on a scheduled service at Banbury station about to head towards Leamington Spa on 4th May 2016.

From the 20th July to the 27th September, 89 giant owl art structures could be found in the streets across the city of Birmingham; each owl individually decorated by a different artist.

This event known as 'The Big Hoot 2015', sponsored by various local businesses and organisations, culminated with a sale-by-auction of the attractive owls with all money raised going to the Birmingham's Children's Hospital.

From June to September in 2022, a similar event - The Big Hoot 2022 - is to be held in Ipswich, Suffolk, to raise money for the St. Elizabeth Hospice.

In total, 40 designed and illustrated 'Big Hoot' owls will be placed around the historic town.

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Photo Class 90034 EWS UK Electric Locomotive at Rugby Station 1990s


EWS Class 90034 - Rugby Photo: Charles Moorhen

Class 90034 electric locomotive, photographed in English Welsh & Scottish Railways (EWS) livery, stands in Rugby station in the 1990s around the time of its modernisation.

Built by British Rail Engineering Ltd. (BREL) at Crewe between 1987 and 1990, the electric Class 90 locomotives, a derivative of the Class 87, and initially intended to be classified Class 87/2, were produced essentially for mixed traffic duties on sections of the UK railway network.

Due to their unreliability in the early years of service, they were unfortunately nicknamed, 'Skodas', a derogative name for the cheap and, some claim, unreliable Skoda Czech-manufactured car.

In response to the aging of various electric locos on the UK railway network, dating from the 1960s, such as Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85, BREL tendered proposals to build 25 examples to replace.

In total 50 units were produced with all of the fleet in still service or stored at the present time.

At the time of writing the current Class 90 operators are - DB Cargo UK, Freightliner, and Locomotive Services.

Sunday, 12 December 2021

Class 47100 'Merlin' Silver Roof UK Diesel Loco Eastleigh 1989


Class 47100 'Merlin' loco at Eastleigh Photo: Charles Moorhen

Photographed in May 1989, on 35mm colour film, diesel locomotive Class 47100 in BR blue livery, stands in Eastleigh station, Hampshire.

Class 47100 - original number D1687 - was built at the Brush Falcon Works in Loughborough and entered service on 16th November 1963.

On the 20th September 1989 the loco was given the short-lived unofficial name, 'Merlin', before being unnamed two years later on the 17th July 1991.

After 28 years service on the UK railway network, it was withdrawn in 1991. January 1994 saw it cut-up at CF Booths scrapyard in Rotherham, Yorkshire.

This should have been the end of the story of diesel locomotive Class 47100, but a strange thing happened. Although the engine and bodywork was scrapped, by some twist of fate the cab survived.

It was purchased by a Mr. Thorley who was a collector of locomotive cabs which he stored in his garden. At a later date the Merlin's loco cab was acquired by Mr. Richard Benyon of the South Wales Loco Cab Preservation Group.

In 2009 the cab of Class 47100 was on the move once again, this time by low-loader to its final destination - the 'Ribble Steam Railway' in Preston.

Stored in the Railway's workshop the cab is now undergoing renovation with the intention of creating an interactive display for visitors.

Photo: Martin Brown

Photo: R. MacVeigh (flickr)

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.