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.

British Rail Class 101 L202 W51225 DMU Train Banbury 1989

 

Class101 W51225 DMU Banbury    Photo: Charles Moorhen

In British Rail blue and white livery, Western Region L202 Class 101 W51225 Driving Motor Brake DMU, photographed on a sunny April day in 1989 about to depart Banbury station, Oxfordshire, England, for Oxford, forming the front unit of a 2-car formation.

 

W51225 was built in 1958 by Metropolitan-Cammell at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, England.

 

 

Commonly known as British Rail's First Generation DMUs, the Class 101 fleet contained a total of 527 units in service, many of which were in use until the final 101 was withdrawn in Dec 2003.

W51225 was scrapped by Gwent Demolition, Margam, Wales, though 22 others managed to escape this fate and are preserved on Heritage Railways at various locations in Britain.

 

 

The Class 101 has one enduring and endearing claim to fame; it was the basis for Daisy the Diesel Railcar in The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W.Awdry, then subsequently appearing in the television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends where Daisy (YouTube video clip) appears as a single-car unit.

 

Daisy the Diesel Railcar

 

Photo Chiltern Railways Class 168003 Clubman DMU Train Banbury 2012

Class 168003 Diesel Multiple Unit, Banbury Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways Trains diesel multiple unit, UK passenger train Class 168003, photographed as it waits to depart Banbury rail station in 2012.

Clubman UK diesel multiple units, such as Class 168003, were constructed between 1998 and 2004, with the earliest examples entering service on the 20th May 1998.

In all, 19 trainsets were built with 2/3/4 cars per set.  With a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), 4-car unit Class 168003 offers 272 seats with air-conditioning throughout.

The 168 Clubman Class of dmu can be found operating on the Chiltern Main Line, London to Aylesbury Line, London Marylebone - Oxford, Princes Risborough - Aylesbury Line.


Network South East, then operated by British Rail, originally planned the Class 168 for their expansion of services on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill or New Street stations. In the event, privatisation put and end to the Network SouthEast.  

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Night Photo Chiltern Railways Class 165036 Network Turbo DMU Train Banbury 2012

Class 165036 DMU in Banbury Station Bay Platform

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Photographed at night and portrayed in black and white, Chiltern Railways Trains UK passenger train Class 165036 diesel multiple unit, is seen stabled for the night in the sole remaining bay platform at Banbury station in 2012.

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Photo Class 172104 Chiltern Railways 2-Car DMU Train Banbury 2014

Class 172104 'Turbostar' DMU, Banbury Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Chiltern Railways Trains, Class 172104 Turbostar diesel multiple unit (DMU), resplendent in bright and whit livery, stabled until needed in its usual role as a commuter train at Banbury station in 2014.

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Night Photo Class 168002 Chiltern Railways Clubman DMU Train Banbury 2017

Class 168002 DMU, Banbury Station On a Wet Night

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

A night photo of Chiltern Railways Clubman UK diesel multiple unit, Class 168002 commuter train, as it waits in the rain at Banbury station before continuing on to Royal Leamington Spa on a stormy night in January 2017.

 

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Photo Class 168001 Chiltern Railways Clubman DMU Train Banbury 2017

Class 168001 Clubman DMU, Banbury Train Station

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

In Chiltern Railways silver/grey livery, Class 168001 UK Clubman diesel multiple unit, (DMU) waits at platform 2 of Banbury station before proceeding on to Leamington Spa in April 2017.

Clubman diesel multiple units, such as Class 168001, were constructed between 1998 and 2004, with the earliest examples entering service on the 20th May 1998.

In all, 19 trainsets were built with 2/3/4 cars per set.  With a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h), 4-car unit Class 168001 offers 272 seats with air-conditioning throughout.

The 168 Clubman Class of dmu can be found operating on the Chiltern Main Line, London to Aylesbury Line, London Marylebone - Oxford, Princes Risborough - Aylesbury Line.

Network South East, then operated by British Rail, originally planned the Class 168 for their expansion of services on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill or New Street stations. In the event, privatisation put and end to the NSE plans.  

Video clip of Chiltern Railway Class 168001 DMU arriving at Banbury station.

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Photo Class 166216 Network Express Turbo DMU Train Banbury 2014

Class 166216 First Great Western DMU, Banbury Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

3-car Network Express Turbo DMU Class 166216 UK dmu commuter train, in First Great Western livery, photographed from the rear while paused at Banbury station before heading south in 2014.

The class of 166 Turbo Express diesel multiple units (DMU) were built between 1992 and 1993 by ABB Yorks works.

The 3-car units, a fleet of 21, (fleet numbers are 166201 - 166221) were designed as a faster variant of the Class 165 Turbo and both classes were originally known as Networker Turbos, but today are generally referred to as Thames Turbos.

The Class 166 diesel multiple units are operated by the Great Western Railway and the lines they serve are; Severn Beach Line, Golden Valley Line, Heart of Wessex Line, and the Wessex Main Line. 



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Photo Class 166215 Network Express Turbo DMU Train Banbury 2014

Class 166215 First Great Western 3-Car DMU

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

Network Express Turbo DMU Class 166215, in First Great Western livery, stands in the shadow of the passenger overbridge at Banbury station before continuing its service south in 2014.

The class of 166 Turbo Express diesel multiple units (DMU) were built between 1992 and 1993 by ABB Yorks works.

The 3-car units, a fleet of 21, (fleet numbers are 166201 - 166221) were designed as a faster variant of the Class 165 Turbo and both classes were originally known as Networker Turbos, but today are generally referred to as Thames Turbos.

The Class 166 diesel multiple units are operated by the Great Western Railway and the lines they serve are; Severn Beach Line, Golden Valley Line, Heart of Wessex Line, and the Wessex Main Line. 

Video clip of Class 166215 DMU in First Great Western livery entering Banbury station.

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Photo Class 165020 Chiltern Railways Network Turbo DMU Train Enters Banbury 2014

Class 165020 Chiltern Railways 'Network Turbo' DMU

Photo:  Charles Moorhen

2-Car Network Turbo diesel multiple unit Class 165 020, passenger commuter train, built at BREL between 1990-92, in Chiltern Railways livery, photographed entering Banbury station with a commuter service from Marylebone, London, in June 2014.

 

 

 

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Night Photo Class 220009 Voyager Cross Country Trains DEMU Banbury 2017

Class 220009 'Voyager' DEMU, Banbury Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Night photo of 'Cross Country Trains' Voyager diesel multiple unit Class 220 009 spotted waiting at Banbury station while heading south in January 2017.

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Night Photo Chiltern Railways Class 172103 and Class 172101 DMU Train Banbury 2018

Class 172103 and 172101 DMU, Banbury

 

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Chiltern Railways Turbostar DMU 2-car units, Class 172/1 172103 and Class 172/1 172101, allocated to AL - Aylesbury TMD, standing coupled together at platform 3 Banbury station forming the 22:55 commuter service to Reading via Oxford on the evening of the 13th April 2018.

                       

Class 172/1 172101 at Banbury Station April 2018     
Photo: Charles Moorhen

The unit coach numbers for Class 172103 are as follows: 59113  59213.
The unit coach numbers for Class 172101 are as follows: 59111  59211.

Both trains were built between 2009 and 2010.

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DB Cargo Class 66130 Diesel Loco Waits For Green Light Banbury 2018

Class 66130 DB Cargo Diesel Loco, Banbury Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

 

DB Cargo diesel locomotive Class 66/0 66130, built in July 1999 and allocated to Toton TMD (Notts), waits at a red light, while heading towards Oxford at around 22:40 hrs., for a number of timetabled Chiltern Railways DMU's to clear the line at Banbury station on 13th April 2018.

This image, and the one below, was one of the hardest that I have ever tried to capture.  The available light was minimal to say the least.  To the naked eye it seemed as though it was not much better than candlelight.  I'd left my tripod in the car and knew that if I went back to collect it, Class 66130 would be gone by the time I returned to the platform.

With no other options left open to me I decided to try for a hand-held shot.  At the far end of the platform there was nothing to support the camera on, so it was a matter of hold and pray.

I set my Nikon D3200 to 6400 ISO, a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second and an f-stop of 5.6.  Not an ideal combination, but better than nothing...if it worked.

I manually focussed, as naturally the auto focus would not operate in this amount of light, tucked my elbows into my sides, held my breath and pressed the shutter button.  

Looking at the screen after taking the photo I wondered if, with a bit of editing, I might, with a lot of luck, be able to produce some sort of passable image.

As it turned out things were not too bad in the end.  

After an hour of messing about with the editing, (not my favourite pastime) I ended up with a picture that, apart from the amount of film grain and noise, I was reasonably happy to have - given the circumstances.

Next time I'll try to remember to take my tripod with me!

DB Cargo Class 66130 at Banbury 2018   Photo: Charles Moorhen

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